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[totoro]

Well I've been hunting for the thread where there was quite a bit of nasty talk about a person who sent in an abstract for a conference and then wrote to tell the conference or panel organizers that they were not going to go.

This really should not be done.

Do not continue to send out abstracts willy nilly like that.

Send an abstract if you are going to the conference. At least in my field, to send an abstract is to commit to give the paper (some communications have begun to say this explicitly).

keep that in mind for the future.

People send abstracts all the time but then don't get funding to travel or don't get a visa or whatever. No-one gets upset about this in my areas.

[lottie]

Well I've been hunting for the thread where there was quite a bit of nasty talk about a person who sent in an abstract for a conference and then wrote to tell the conference or panel organizers that they were not going to go.

This really should not be done.

Do not continue to send out abstracts willy nilly like that.

Send an abstract if you are going to the conference. At least in my field, to send an abstract is to commit to give the paper (some communications have begun to say this explicitly).

keep that in mind for the future.

People send abstracts all the time but then don't get funding to travel or don't get a visa or whatever. No-one gets upset about this in my areas.

This. I don't get the hubbub about withdrawing from conferences. I wouldn't make a habit of pulling out of conferences,  but sometimes abstracts are due nearly a year before the conference and within that year circumstances (financial, personal, geographic, etc.) change. IOW, s*** happens, no biggie.

[amewa_silk]

Thank you everyone for your responses. 

Merce, yes.  I have seen several threads where, for good reason, people say nasty things about young scholars who pull out of conferences.

Hegemony, I like your style.  You are correct that I must be more confident and get to writing.  The paper must be written.  It is clear I have something new to say which has sparked interest, at least in the estimation of conference organizers.

My former prof agrees that the abstract is strong, but he encouraged my withdrawal, citing my 'brand' and that the topic is too 'deep.'  He also planted a seed of doubt about my capacity to accomplish writing three papers given the timeline.  That led me to believe that there is a problem with me, with the topic, or both. 

When you mirror it back to me, it does all seem bizarre.  Maybe I should go renegade, write in a bubble, and not let any former professors in on what I am doing.

[sagit]

Well I've been hunting for the thread where there was quite a bit of nasty talk about a person who sent in an abstract for a conference and then wrote to tell the conference or panel organizers that they were not going to go.

This really should not be done.

Do not continue to send out abstracts willy nilly like that.

Send an abstract if you are going to the conference. At least in my field, to send an abstract is to commit to give the paper (some communications have begun to say this explicitly).

keep that in mind for the future.

People send abstracts all the time but then don't get funding to travel or don't get a visa or whatever. No-one gets upset about this in my areas.

This very much depends on the type of conference.  In some of the conferences I regularly submit to, the slots for presenting are highly competitive.  So if someone drops out after the program comes out, it means that it is unlikely that anyone will be put into that slot.  That means that someone who otherwise could have been accepted, the person who dropped out had never submitted, does not get top present.  I can sympathize with travel visas and funding, but the proposers should also consider how their actions affects others.

[totoro]

Well I've been hunting for the thread where there was quite a bit of nasty talk about a person who sent in an abstract for a conference and then wrote to tell the conference or panel organizers that they were not going to go.

This really should not be done.

Do not continue to send out abstracts willy nilly like that.

Send an abstract if you are going to the conference. At least in my field, to send an abstract is to commit to give the paper (some communications have begun to say this explicitly).

keep that in mind for the future.

People send abstracts all the time but then don't get funding to travel or don't get a visa or whatever. No-one gets upset about this in my areas.

This very much depends on the type of conference.  In some of the conferences I regularly submit to, the slots for presenting are highly competitive.  So if someone drops out after the program comes out, it means that it is unlikely that anyone will be put into that slot.  That means that someone who otherwise could have been accepted, the person who dropped out had never submitted, does not get top present.  I can sympathize with travel visas and funding, but the proposers should also consider how their actions affects others.

People organizing an international conference need to take these things into consideration. In many cases you can only apply for funding or a visa once you have an accepted abstract. When I've organized a conference I have assumed that a certain percent of international people will drop out.

OTOH people need to to be responsible and let the organizers know as soon as possible and not just not show up...

[merce]

Well, well, well.

Lookey what I found today: The thread of the vent of Irresponsibles.


It sounds like you're in Totoro's field and people are a lot more chill but I'd mentioned it so when I saw it today I figured I should return to post it.

[amewa_silk]

Yes, that thread is prompted me to ask here about reasons why my prof might discourage my attendance.

[amewa_silk]

FWIW, I cancelled, but they can keep their pre-registration fees. 

I became intimidated by the suggestions that I needed to pass exams before I go to a big conference.  And I'm isolated, sans program, sans advisor, with some former professor feeding bizarre lines for which these forums could provide little explanation. 

Chastise me if you wish.

[merce]

Since you won't be applying to or attending a conference next week I don't think it really matters.  I don't think anyone's memory will last longer than a week...if that long.
You aren't "in the profession" yet so you don't have to worry about offending anyone and that is if anyone were to get offended.  Chances are your field doesn't mind having people say that can't make it shortly after acceptances are sent.

I'm seeing really young folks giving papers. People who are fresh out of college and not in programs yet. You've got no reason to feel it's too early to start.

[marzipants]

I think the professor's comments are pretty clear.  You're presenting on a topic (A) that differs from what you propose to study in the future (B).  Perhaps as a consequence of this, topic A is too "deep" for you to handle; you might have skated by with an abstract, but your prof worries that you can't elaborate on this for a longer paper.  Your prof likely sees a lot of potential pitfalls in your topic that you don't and doesn't want you to get burned at a big-name conference where top researchers on A will be in attendance.  Moreover, your presentation at a major conference will mark you as a "Scholar of Topic A" whereas you hope to become a "Scholar of Topic B."  Hence the branding problem, especially if you don't have an established track record in B.  And giving a weak presentation on Topic A in front of potential admissions committee folks will also not help your applications.