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[msparticularity]

For the larger associations I am involved with, there are absolutely no replacements allowed for individuals who cancel, so a withdrawal leaves a gap in the schedule and means that someone else has lost the chance to present. . . . I'll definitely admit that this is likely a product of incredibly heavy-handed and inflexible administration in said organizations, but it's also the reality at the moment.

It seems to me that any gaps in the resulting schedule are the fault of the organization for having such a stupid rule.

Again I ask, why do so many of our professional organizations suck?

I have to admit that in the case of AERA I may have a tiny bit of sympathy on the no changes rule. Our average conference involves attendance and presentation by somewhere between 12,000 and 18,000 people. The scale, and the associated level of chaos, truly has to be experienced to be believed. Making changes to the schedule after it has been (incredibly painfully) built would truly create chaos, I'm afraid.

But they do also suck in many ways that are not even remotely comprehensible.

[august_leo]

I had the opportunity to be flaky recently but I don't think I was:

Several months ago I was invited to be part of a symposium for a conference in North America. I accepted and submitted my materials planning to go. In December I discovered I'd be 8.5 months pregnant that week and that's just too far to travel for my comfort, even if the doctor was ok with it. So, when I started telling people I was pregnant, I contacted someone else on the symposium, who happened to be on my dissertation committee. She agreed to give my talk for me. I'll get the powerpoint done, send it to her and we're going to meet over skype a week or so before the conference to make sure she's ok with everything. Then, I contacted the two co-chairs of the symposium, told them that I couldn't come because of the pregnancy but that another presenter who will already be there has agreed to give my talk for me, so the content of the symposium will remain as planned (which is important in this case). They were very appreciative that I took care of my own gap in the program/didn't create more work for them.

Might not work in all fields, but in my field people giving someone else's talk isn't unheard of.

Edited for typo.

[bread_pirate_naan]

Might not work in all fields, but in my field people giving someone else's talk isn't unheard of.

Best paper I ever heard was delivered by someone other than the author at our national meeting.  The author was a grad student, almost finished, but it was a humbling and terribly exciting at the same time.  Years later I am still talking about this paper.

The one panel I have pulled out of, I asked to have my paper read.  The organizer was more than happy to increase the time for the distinguished discussant to really have at it.

[msparticularity]

Might not work in all fields, but in my field people giving someone else's talk isn't unheard of.

Best paper I ever heard was delivered by someone other than the author at our national meeting.  The author was a grad student, almost finished, but it was a humbling and terribly exciting at the same time.  Years later I am still talking about this paper.

The one panel I have pulled out of, I asked to have my paper read.  The organizer was more than happy to increase the time for the distinguished discussant to really have at it.

Yes, this is also done sometimes at AERA as well--for exactly the kinds of reasons you describe here. Sometimes a grad student delivers a paper for a faculty member and/or a colleague or collaborator does it. This allows the panel to take place as planned, even though there is a bit of a gap afterward in Q&A if the original author cannot be present. To some degree this can be mitigated if the author is available via email to anyone who wishes to contact him/her later--and if cards with the contact info are easily available.

[lottie]

I hate it when people give their papers to someone else to read. My eyes glaze over and I start thinking about lunch. I'd much rather attend a short panel with two papers than sit through a grad student reading their advisor's paper.

[fiona]

I hate it when people give their papers to someone else to read. My eyes glaze over and I start thinking about lunch. I'd much rather attend a short panel with two papers than sit through a grad student reading their advisor's paper.

I agree. Not many presenters in my field are interesting speakers, anyway: they tend to use a professorial monotone. When reading someone else's paper, they alternate singsong with monotone, which is even worse.

I had to read someone else's paper once, and it was so boring and predictable that I could see the audience glazing. So I skipped most of the last third, and no one noticed or cared. There wasn't going to be any discussion, anyway, with the paper writer not there.

The Fiona

[august_leo]

I hate it when people give their papers to someone else to read. My eyes glaze over and I start thinking about lunch. I'd much rather attend a short panel with two papers than sit through a grad student reading their advisor's paper.

I agree. Not many presenters in my field are interesting speakers, anyway: they tend to use a professorial monotone. When reading someone else's paper, they alternate singsong with monotone, which is even worse.

I had to read someone else's paper once, and it was so boring and predictable that I could see the audience glazing. So I skipped most of the last third, and no one noticed or cared. There wasn't going to be any discussion, anyway, with the paper writer not there.

In my field, where everything is powerpoint so it's visually appealing (usually), it's not bad. I gave someone else's paper once. The person I chose to give one for me is a good speaker. I've never seen a grad student give an advisor's talk, though I've seen grad students give talks.