4 ms·

All the conferences in my field have literal security guards checking the badges that are only handed out after paying hundreds of dollars to register.

• modeless 8y ago
  Of course, but you don't need to attend the conference to read and benefit from the research, and that's the important thing. The journal business model usually requires restricting access to the research, while the conference business model still works when the research is free.
  • dingo_bat 8y ago
    There must be some benefit to attending conferences, otherwise why would scientists attend them?
    • modeless 8y ago
      That's the whole point. Conferences can provide a benefit worth paying for without putting the research itself behind paywalls like journals do.
    • setzer22 8y ago
      Yeah, but it's usually more about a chance to socialize with other people in the field. It's also interesting to hear other people's talks that serve as a "teaser" for what's in the paper.
  • flor1s 8y ago
    Except that conference proceedings can be exactly like a journal, i.e. you often need to pay to access them.