alexicon's Journal: LinuxWorld Denies University Students Entry

Is Linux turning its back on its roots?

I opened my inbox last night (5th August) to find an email dated 3 August from LinuxWorld Expo, which basically explained that because I had put on my registration form that I am a student, I would be denied entry to the showfloor at this year's event starting on 6 August 2007. I was in shock! Firstly, I have attended LinuxWorld five times since 2003 (three times in San Francisco and twice in London), and with the exception of last year when I was on work placement for my degree, I have always attended as a student. I look forward to the Expo every summer, it is a place where I can demo the new Linux gadgets and software, talk to people with common community interests, support my favourite projects, get discounted books for my studies, and generally learn about what is going on in the industry at the moment. As a student I found these experiences to be invaluable, and they helped serve as a great motivation for contributing to Linux precisely because I felt I was a welcome part of the community. And this year was particularly important to me, as I have just finished my degree and wanted to go to the Expo to potentially find some graduate job opportunities.

Secondly, and perhaps the real kick in the face here was how they chose to notify me. I look forward to this event every year, and book my free exhibition pass pretty much as soon as I get the first email about the Expo several months prior to the event. I fly from the UK to San Francisco every summer just to make LinuxWorld, which is quite costly as it is held in peak travel season, but it has always been worth it to me. This year has been particularly tricky to coordinate as I have just finished my Software Engineering degree and am in the process of returning to live in the States after 7 years. In any case, I decided to cut my final summer holiday in Europe short and move back to San Francisco in time for the Expo. Three days before the event is due to start, *and* after already having received my expo badge through the post, LinuxWorld email me saying I will be denied entry because I am a student and that LinuxWorld is now a "business-to-business event targeted exclusively toward enterprise IT professionals"!

I found this alarming on so many levels I don't really know where to begin. Maybe its best to start with the idea that fuels Linux - community! The Linux community has adopted a set of guidelines for businesses and developers to practice, The Open Source Definition, specifically states "No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups" and their rationale is also clearly stated: "In order to get the maximum benefit from the process, the maximum diversity of persons and groups should be equally eligible to contribute to open sources". Surely LinuxWorld Expo would uphold the ideals that have been set before all the participants of their event. In their apparent discrimination against students, LinuxWorld have effectively discriminated against a huge part of the active Linux community and the FUTURE of the Linux community (oh and is it just me, or wasn't Linux conceived while Linus was in university?)

How can LinuxWorld exclude the academic community? Is this a PR tactic necessary to lure in more commercial interest? Granted I understand their policy on under 18s attending, but university students? Really?? Do they expect trouble? Or are they just tired of the stereotypical young hacker image? How about some warning or reasoning... How about a student day? They end the final day early, why not let students attend then?

In the end I stated my case in a reply to LinuxWorld, and they in return sent me a new event badge changing my employment title from "student" to "graduate", but included no reasoning for their change in policy or an apology for whatever it is that happened. I have included both mine and their correspondence below, and I guess I am now curious as to whether anyone else has suddenly been denied entry to the event. Other students? Unemployed people? Self-employed people?

>>>>> From [e-mail]:

Dear ****** ,

Thank you for your interest LinuxWorld Conference & Expo San Francisco, August 6-9, 2007.

Unfortunately, as a business-to-business event targeted exclusively toward enterprise IT professionals, official show policy prohibits students, and anyone under the age of 18, from attending this event. Therefore, we must inform you that your registration to attend LinuxWorld Conference & Expo is not valid and you will not be permitted on the showfloor.

We apologize for any inconvenience and hope to see you at future LinuxWorld events as you progress in your career as an IT professional.

Sincerely,
LinuxWorld Conference & Expo

>>>> My response:

To Whom This May Concern,

Pardon me, but just received an email which says I will not be permitted entry to the showfloor.

I have attended LinuxWorld since 2003. I am 26 years old, have just graduated from university this summer and I am keen to find a job; and you are saying I will not be permitted entry to the exhibition floor?

Please direct me towards the part of your terms and conditions which explains why I cannot be allowed entry. Is it more convenient if I use my part time freelance job on your application, or perhaps declare myself as unemployed? Since when has being a person in education been cause to deny entry to an exhibition for an industry in which progression and learning is so integral. I have taken personal offense to this message, and as an avid Linux supporter (and multiple past attendee to both LinuxWorld SF and London), will be pursuing further action against this if required.

I truly hope this is some administration mistake, as I think the Linux community would be appalled to hear of the exclusion of academics to this event, especially academics who work on development in the field.

Shockingly disappointed,
****** ******
BSci Software Engineering
**********************

PS - It appears you changed your conditions after I had registered for the conference, AND you only notified me of this change 3 days prior to the start of the conference. I am currently in the UK and have made my travel arrangement specifically to make LinuxWorld as I could have continued on my holidays for a few more weeks. My flights have already cost me quite dearly to make the conference date in the high peak season of August, and to change them would cost me another several hundred dollars. This is completely unacceptable practice, and I would like to know when this sudden policy change was implemented, and why I have only just been notified of it now.