[Foundation-l] Contingency plans for Wikimania

[Gregory Maxwell]

On Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 5:20 PM, Mike Godwin <mgodwin at wikimedia.org> wrote:
>  Danny writes:
>  > While something like this recurring is unlikely, it is probably best
>  > to  have
>  > contingencies for just such an event. This could be as simple as
>  > plans in
>  > case the conference must be cancelled at the very last minute, or
>  > contact
>  > numbers for family members of participants in the event of an
>  > emergency
>
>  I think privacy concerns would prevent the Foundation's keeping
>  contact information for everyone's parents and families, extra
>  personally identifying information and the like (where they would
>  subject to legal process and perhaps abuse, depending on whether we
>  kept them privately or publicly).  I also don't think the Foundation
>  is the logical place to focus on being able to contact your family in
>  the event of an emergency.

http://www.google.com/search?q=conference+registration+form+emergency+contact&btnG=Search

The collection of emergency contact information by conferences is both
reasonable and customary.  In my own experience it frequently isn't
even explicitly optional.

The privacy argument seems suspect to me when necessity requires the
mandatory collection for of equally invasive information electronic
payment purposes.  Does someone who has already given you their full
name, address, credit card number/email address, IP info, etc.. really
have anything to worry about optionally giving you a family members
phone number?

The lack of interest in making an optional request for information
which may be useful seems seems callous to me.  Certainly people ought
to register with the embassy, but many won't, nor can the embassy be
expected to be as concerned, responsive, or directly informed as
people involved directly in the conference, who presumably, have a
heightened concern for the welfare of the attendees compared to
embassies who must deal with many thousands of other tourists.