[nylug-talk] Last Call: NYLUG RSVP system

[Steven Lembark]

> That's as close to invisible as I think we can hope to get.  I was
> surprised by how much the RSVP list depressed attendance, and I believe
> it's because a lot of people used to decide at the last minute to just
> show up.  In order to procure any suitable space for our meetings, we
> have to have a list, so the primary goal for the list is to make it as
> easy as possible to get on or off the list, and to deliver the list as
> late as our hosts will allow.  If it was up to me, you'd be able to
> stand outside the building, and send a SMS message from your phone to
> the RSVP list, and then walk into the building where they'd check your
> name off on the screen instead of a piece of paper.  That's probably not
> going to happen, but functionally it would provide the same thing our
> hosts get now, which is a list of everyone we're ask them to let into
> their building.  It's no less valid to have put yourself on the list
> from their sidewalk than to have it added anywhere else, the security
> aspect of things takes place when you show whatever the building is
> accepting as identification, and that just (in theory) proves you're
> someone whose name is on the list.  (and I'm pretty sure nobody's ever
> been turned away from our meetings for insufficient ID so long as they
> brought *something* to show)

Alternative approach: Use the mailing list (or some separate
signup) as a pre-approved RSVP list. Anyone who shows up who
is on the pre-approved list gets in; anyone not on the list
will have to get onto the list by either joining the mailing
list or hitting up the website.

This means that we have to get space based on an estimated
group of people showing up, but that allows anyone who has
signed up for pre-approval to Just Do It.


-- 
Steven Lembark                                         85-09 90th Street
Workhorse Computing                                  Woodhaven, NY 11421
lembark at wrkhors.com                                      +1 888 359 3508