tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post181583941456618757..comments2024-03-27T19:58:17.387-05:00Comments on Computational Complexity: Do conference build community? (joint post)Lance Fortnowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06752030912874378610noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-46569272185864964462010-10-29T22:04:04.370-05:002010-10-29T22:04:04.370-05:00I was at the recent FOCS 2010. While I found it mo...I was at the recent FOCS 2010. While I found it more easy to socialize with graduates, because they were closer to my age and we had more in common to talk about.<br /><br />However, I did approach a couple of professors and they didn't shun me, however I found it difficult to talk to them.<br /><br />I also didn't want to spend their time, since I didn't have any research to share with them.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09364120444779754928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-81491405145982609482010-10-28T18:05:42.312-05:002010-10-28T18:05:42.312-05:00I guess we should all try the 'Grigori Perelma...I guess we should all try the 'Grigori Perelman' approach...<br />It seemed to have worked just fine, imagine how happy this guy is without know that in fact there is a community at all!?!?!?!?<br />We need more Grigoris e less Gs and Ls!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-82722299295089405922010-10-28T16:47:29.462-05:002010-10-28T16:47:29.462-05:00In my mind, conferences contribute significantly t...In my mind, conferences contribute significantly to a feeling of community. Getting together with a group of people that are interested in what I'm interested, and hearing new ideas and new directions are of utmost importance. Everybody is talking about the "socializing" and that is very important (I very much enjoy catching up with people at conferences), but its not the main issue of community as I see it.Yehuda Lindellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-37672973487997361192010-10-28T15:53:46.059-05:002010-10-28T15:53:46.059-05:00yes theory people don't want to talk to you un...yes theory people don't want to talk to you unless you become one of "them". for that, you need to publish a few stoc/focs. before that they think you are not worth talking to. all other communities are much more approachable, which is probably why they have a greater impact to CS.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-29418495855570854732010-10-28T15:35:18.792-05:002010-10-28T15:35:18.792-05:00I have had good experiences as a grad student at t...I have had good experiences as a grad student at theory conferences (and as a non-grad student too!) Probably many of these were because someone introduced me to other researchers. However, I want to share a story from STOC 2003.<br /><br />I had just finished my first year as a theory grad student and even then, Madhu Sudan was a hero of mine. Madhu was at STOC to give a talk and all the while I "plotted" to go and introduce myself. Finally, I did spot Madhu alone and went and introduced myself. Madhu was super nice and we did some chit chat (where I was at that time (at Austin) etc.) All the while I was furiously trying to think of a technical question so as not to "waste" Madhu's time. I did manage to blurt out a somewhat inane question about his talk (it was on list decoding of some product type codes for a random noise model). Madhu was *very* gracious and very politely answered my question with utmost seriousness. After answering my question, he very politely said he had to talk to Luca and then went off.<br /><br />I've had many other conversations with Madhu since then but the first one definitely sticks out for me.Atri Rudrahttp://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~atri/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-7008390751924937532010-10-28T14:40:02.979-05:002010-10-28T14:40:02.979-05:00My experience is that the theory professors are mo...My experience is that the theory professors are more interested in talking to people they already know.<br /><br />I did make a lot of connections to other students though whenever I went to STOC/FOCS - that was nice.<br /><br />I have found the machine learning professors more open to talking with students and "outsiders". (Those are the only two communities I have experience with - I don't know what its like in databases/networking/OS etc)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-53618779083623130502010-10-28T11:26:48.436-05:002010-10-28T11:26:48.436-05:00Good point!
What I really mean is are the confere...Good point!<br /><br />What I really mean is are the conferences<br />a good way for people to meet people so that we all tend to know each other.<br /><br />Community may be the wrong word.<br /><br />GASARCHGASARCHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06134382469361359081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-37748797667059398662010-10-28T11:14:11.491-05:002010-10-28T11:14:11.491-05:00What exactly do you mean by "community"?...What exactly do you mean by "community"? Your anecdotes seem a lot more about how you were introduced to people than any actual sense of your thoughts on the topic.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-64262112057278093442010-10-28T11:02:33.560-05:002010-10-28T11:02:33.560-05:00I also went to STOC 2010 and didn't feel like ...I also went to STOC 2010 and didn't feel like professors were interested in talking with me at all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com