On Mon, Jul 28, 2008 at 5:31 PM, Patricio Lorente <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > 2008/7/28 Al Tally <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: >> It's now been a week since I got back. I enjoyed the actual conference, and >> meeting everyone in person. However, I have made up my mind that I never >> want to go to Egypt again, nor the next Wikimania. > [...] >> I was so disturbed and put off by my experience of Egpyt, there is no way >> I'd consider going to Buenos Aires. While I'm sure they are very different >> places, I don't want to risk anything like the harrassment, the poor hygene, >> the dangerous roads and the poor organisation again. It'll be way too >> expensive for me as well, and I doubt I'd get a scholarship. I'd rather go >> somewhere closer to the UK where I live, or where the culture is more >> similar to here. >> >> I'm sorry my words are harsh. This is not a dig at anyone, just my honest >> concerns about how this whole thing turned out. I know for sure others feel >> the same way I do about a lot of the things I said. > > Dear friends: > > I'm happy to see that this thread turned into a more constructive > discussion about things we can do better in next wikimanias. I can't > imagine how could the egyptian team change the local taxi drivers' > culture just for our comfort. > > While we (in Argentina) are taking notes on every comment about things > to do and things to improve, I'd like to say a few words, about some > concepts that didn't sound well to me. > > I was very happy to be in Egypt. I knew (as every one of you) that the > taxi drivers -and other people- would try to cheat me, that transport > media would be below european standars -although the train service > from Cairo to Alexandria was quite fine-, that traffic would be > terrible, that poor people would be everywhere. Welcome, my friends, > to the South. > > And I was very happy not only for the great job and friendship of the > egyptian team, not only for an outstanding conference venue, but also > because when we say: "a world in which every human being..." we are > also talking about this people. We are talking *most of all* about > this people. > > Of course, nobody is forced to go anywhere if is going to be > uncomfortable. But you can't go to Egypt (or to South America) and > complain because you didn't find the services of a Nordic country. > > We are taking notes and working: you'll find enough plugs in Buenos > Aires, and enough wifi, and enough social room and activities... and > perhaps you'll find a city that fits with most european standars > (please, read [[en:Buenos Aires]] for further reference). But if you > walk the city, you'll meet poor people, at night you may find families > of waste pickers, you'll see homeless. Sorry about that. We are not > able to hide them for you and I think we don't want to do so. > > So, let's talk about things we can work out. And forgive me if my > words sound bitter: I just couldn't help. > > Patricio
Thank you, Patricio. -- Phoebe _______________________________________________ Wikimania-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
