Pictures used in Paul Burton's talk at the EECI conference in Brooklyn created quite some noise. People who attended the conference could listen to the words that accompanied the pictures: words that showed passion, vision and personality. But we all know the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words". It were the pictures that caused the noise, offended or made people raise their eyebrows.
Organizing conferences means that I feel responsible to make every attendee feel welcome, happy and inspired. The most important goal of the EECI conferences is to get the community together, to connect and see the faces behind the web, and to have fun! The pictures and the criticism affected that atmosphere. And not in a positive way.
Be assured I take this seriously and I feel pretty lousy about it. I realize that organizing an event is more than choosing a venue, building content and providing coffee. I apologize and accept responsibility for the incident and it's negative effect on the atmosphere, inside and outside the conference room. We were thrilled to have so many community members present in Brooklyn and we will do everything we can to make this diverse group of people feel at home in every future conference.
With respect for their frankness and openness, I have read the personal comments from Paul Burton and Leslie Camacho. Their reflections, as well as the comments, serve as good "food for thought".
Robert Eerhart
Founder of EECI.