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Wikimania 2006/Why and why not?

< Wikimania 2006

This is a page to gather reasons why you (not your neighbour, not your dog, not your grand-mother) would go to one or the other of the cities shortlisted for Wikimania. This is not a vote, this is not even really a poll, the jury just has been speculating on what would attract (or not) people to one or the other city and also what would prevent them from going there. Please state your reason, nickname (link to your project page if you don't have an account here) and country of origin. You may of course give reasons for both cities. You can see the Boston bid and the Toronto bids by following the links on the title.

Boston

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I would go to Boston because...

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please give your reason in the form: your reason, signature - or link to project page, (country)
*reason ~~~~ (country)

I would not go to Boston because...

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please give your reason in the form: your reason, signature - or link to project page, (country)
*reason ~~~~ (country)

  • expensive to go from Europe to America and stay here. --Ilario 23:34, 19 October 2005 (UTC) (Switzerland)[reply]
  • In recent years US Immigration has become notably unwelcoming, even to visitors from friendly countries. Granted BOS is not LAX, whose immigration staff have a reputation as the most pig-ignorant, nasty, bullying and self-important immigration agents anywhere outside North Korea, but still... There is a distinct tendency among UK SF fans (who are normally frequent visitors to the US) to avoid travelling to the US whenever possible because of all the hassle. -- 83.104.44.241 00:59, 20 October 2005 (UTC) (sorry, Arwel not logged in) (UK)[reply]
  • Expensive to go from Japan to America and English only. A☮ineko 02:10, 20 October 2005 (UTC) (French@Japan)[reply]
  • At first I want to say that I probably would also attend the conference in Boston if I get voucation at the time. But I personaly would prefer Toronto because of the visa policy of the USA. For German with an old passport (without digital information) he must go to the embassador and ask for a visa. And the policy of the ambassador is very unclear. A friend of me had already booked flight ticket and than his request for a visa was denied. Such things are very annoying.--Wing 06:38, 20 October 2005 (UTC) (Germany)[reply]
  • US Immigration rules. Kelson 07:25, 20 October 2005 (UTC) (French@Germany)[reply]
  • In a US plane, if you are french, in the toilet for a long time and you say to the stewardess "OK, OK, My s...t will not explode !", you are jailed for 3 weeks because of anti-terrorism laws. US has become a very dangerous country for french... Traroth 08:00, 20 October 2005 (UTC) (France)[reply]
    US demands a lot of personnal informations about passengers from european flight companies, and store them for an indefinite period. Traroth 08:00, 20 October 2005 (UTC) (France)[reply]
    It's a long, expensive and boring flight from Europe. Traroth 08:07, 20 October 2005 (UTC) (France)[reply]
  • US immigration is definately unfriendly. Apart from that Dutch people without a biometric passport will actually have to get a visa for the USA from next year on!! Which makes it even more unfriendly. User:Waerth not logged in .... 58.8.187.247 08:09, 20 October 2005 (UTC) - Thailand[reply]
  • US policy towards foreigners and VISA... Mfront 08:10, 20 October 2005 (UTC) (French@Germany)[reply]
  • Because of the US Immigration rules. Unlike Canada, I need a Visa (from Switzerland) --217.162.88.176 08:25, 20 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]
    This is mistaken. Switzerland participates in the Visa Waiver Program, and visitors to the US from Switzerland (as with the rest of Western Europe) do not need a visa.
    This is not true. From Italy we need a Visa, starting 26 october 2005 :(-
    Please note: the deadline for requiring new passports has been pushed back many times; currently 26 October 2006. --Sj
  • Poor as. Also, I wouldn't be able to bear the questions about liederhosen. --61.68.92.188 08:29, 20 October 2005 (UTC) (en:User:MarkGallagher has no meta account)[reply]
  • Too expensive (from Italy). Frieda 08:53, 20 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]
  • Both of my encounters with US immigration have been detestable and dehumanising experiences. Cormaggio @ 11:04, 20 October 2005 (UTC) (Ireland/UK)[reply]
  • Too far away from Europe, travel too expensive Biopresto (Italy)
  • US Immigration rules (money is not a problem)--Iron Bishop (IT) 12:08, 20 October 2005 (UTC)
  • Boston is great. But there is a great risk not everyone will be able to attend because of immigration rules, blacklists, passport issues. Perhaps a conference in later years. Until then Toronto is preferable. Longbow4u, 20 October 2005 (UTC) (Germany)
  • Dislike US Immigration policy, have had hassle before (coming from Ireland). --159.134.54.118 16:27, 20 October 2005 (UTC)
  • Immigration policy. I will have to get a visa, even though I'm from the UK. Even if I didn't, on arrival I would be treated like a criminal - fingerprinted, photographed, iris-scanned, whatever. This is more than a little ridiculous. James F. (talk) 17:56, 20 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]
    Please note that I do not consider this a "show-stopper", merely a significant irritation which makes me feel very uncomfortable. James F. (talk) 19:44, 20 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]
  • US Immigration rules. Yann 18:21, 20 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]
  • US immigration is definately unfriendly . US demands a lot of personnal informations about passengers from european flight companies, and store them for an indefinite period. Gac 19:21, 20 October 2005 (UTC) (Italy)[reply]
  • US Immigration rules are a ballast. Paginazero --80.180.184.204 09:52, 21 October 2005 (UTC) (Italy)[reply]
  • USA has become a unwelcoming country in the last few years, there are many people in Europe disliking what the USA has become and therefore a Wikimania in the USA would attract fewer people from Europe (or other continents) Londenp 11:45, 21 October 2005 (UTC) (Switzerland, but nl:WP). I would lesslikely go if it is decided to have Wikimania in Boston.[reply]
  • I have reason to believe that a conference in the USA will bear some problems for participants from countries that are not the USA. I have seen the difficulties for honest people to enter the USA legally for participating in science conferences. The winner of the Ignobel Prize for Biology was not allowed to enter the USA. I have reason to distrust the functionality of a proper immigration procedure to enter the USA for this kind of conference even for European wikipedians. I will not disclose my eating habits, my political beliefs, the items on my book shelf, my fingerprints, my mugshot or any other detail of my private life with a foreign administration without full trust in the reason. I am not a terrorist and I request not to be treated as one. A change in US foreign and immigration policy will change my decision immediatly. 84.58.52.32 19:34, 21 October 2005 (UTC) de:Benutzer:Mathias Schindler. SJ did some helpful clearifications about the difference between "the US administration plans" and "the US administration does". de:Benutzer:Mathias Schindler[reply]
  • I can only repeat what Mathias wrote (see above). If there is only the choice between Boston and Toronto (and it looks like this) I would definitely prefer Toronto. --Mazbln 20:30, 21 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]
  • Too expensive Helios89 19:45, 22 October 2005 (UTC) (Italy)[reply]
  • US Immigration rules. Fruggo 20:17, 22 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]
  • US Immigration rules and expensive. pl:user:Merlin 15:13, 26 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]
  • Too far from Miami --JAranda | watz sup 23:15, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Toronto

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I would go to Toronto because...

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please give your reason in the form: your reason, signature - or link to project page, (country)
*reason ~~~~ (country)

I would not go to Toronto because...

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please give your reason in the form: your reason, signature - or link to project page, (country)
*reason ~~~~ (country)

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