>Matt --
>
>You hit it dead on.
>
>I have attended all nine SW Fox conferences (2004 - 2012). There's nothing you can get online that can ever come close to matching meeting and sharing with all the FoxPro people from all over.
>
>I really hope that the messages from Doug and Rick will remind enough people to sign up now so that this wonderful event does not become a thing of the past.
>
>Jim

Attending a conference in person is not the same as attending one via webcast - that's for sure. BUT attending one via webcast is still better than nothing. I think I would get just as much technical info attending it via webcast as I would sitting in the same room. Aside from the associated costs traveling there is also a matter of being out of town for a few days instead of sitting in you office. There are no new versions of VFP so a foxpro conference after this many years of nothing new seems like a dead-end about to happen. Seems like it would be wise to try to plan for smaller in-person attendance and start offering a way to attend via webcast too. Only real problem I see is of course the vendors won't care for that because if no one is there then it's kinda hard to sell em stuff.

>>Prediction: They will *never* attempt an online version. For one thing, it’s too hard, even in 2013. We've seen that even with OFUG.

Well I think that would be a mistake because it will just die completely as attendance drops. We depend upon online webcasts and webex quite a bit here and I've had great success with it.

>>But that’s not the main reason… The main thing, the best thing, about SWFox is the gathering of the people. That can never be replicated. Not even close.
>>
>>I've been to 3 SWFox conferences (2009, 2010, 2012). To me, there's an energy there that makes it all worth it. It is 3 to 4 days of pure fun and I get so excited to meet people FoxPro people and yap about software round the clock. Sure, I find plenty of great sessions, but hanging out with dozens of FoxPro peeps is the main reason to go.
>>
>>And, it's my opinion that's what drives the organizers also. (Just my opinion, as I certainly don't speak for them.)

I agree with all of that - I really do. But the problem is that if the number of people drops to the point where it's just not worth it to have the convention, then a webcast is better than nothing.

>>
>>>>Southwest Fox may be in trouble.
>>>>Please check out http://doughennig.blogspot.ca/2013/06/you-can-save-southwest-fox.html
>>>>and register now if you're planning on going! Thanks.
>>>
>>>
>>>Sorry to hear that, Doug, Tamar, Rick.
>>>
>>>Maybe you could switch it over to an online event?
>>>That way many more people could participate (especially in the remote countries).
>>>
>>>I propose a free event using only bandwidth and time allocated for presentation and Q&A. A much smaller fee could be paid to a website like the one OFUG uses for online window/desktop sharing. Many more people from around the world and in multiple languages could present that way. And the videos could be put up on YouTube afterward for general consumption.
>>>
>>>You could accept donations to help cover the online expenses (those you'd have for the commercial sharing site like join.me).
>>>
>>>----------------------
>>>In the FoxShow #77 you asked for why we wouldn't be attending.
>>>My reply:
>>>
>>>"I will not be coming. Too expensive.
>>>
>>>Also, I think in 2013 there are online possibilities that weren't available even a few years ago. Join.me, TeamViewer, these offer multi-viewer connections for reasonable fees -- especially for the duration of a few day event. And even YouTube could be used where presenters record their presentation in advance, edit, put it up the exact way they want, and then because it's on one channel to have it all in one centralized location as a resource, and then allowing for Q&A to happen in a similar fashion through video responses, and if there's enough interest to do a live Q&A on various topics.
>>>
>>>There are a lot of possibilities beyond the old style big event fly-ins."