[sdpd] Some commnents...

["Robert E. Dinnebier" <robert.dinnebier...@uni-bayreuth.de>]

Some comments...,

in my opinion, there is a big difference between
an internet course and a workshop.
First of all, workshops are a good source for personal
contacts and it is always of great help to have the tutors
around (and not sitting some 1000 miles away).
This might change a bit with the general availability of
video conferencing but there is still a long way to go.

There has been an ongoing discussion for many years now
on wether to allow for commercial programs during scientific
workshops or not.  It is my opinion that if there are no
(or very few) equivalent and competitive freeware programs in
a new and interesting field like the structure determination using
global optimization algorithm in real space, it is better to allow for
commercial programs than just sitting and wait until freeware
is available. Having presentations/ exercises with several
competitive programs also enables the user to compare and
learn a lot on the (non-commercial) ideas behind the programs.

In addition, participants are welcome to bring their own data sets
and I am sure that most tutors will see it as a challenge to assist in
the structure solution.

The participants will not only walk away with some free programs
like GSAS, GUFI, EXPO2000, EOSFIT etc. but also with the
knowledge on how to use the different programs efficiently,
which is one of the main goals of the workshop.

Again, I want to point out that although "workshop" contains
the word "shop", the workshop is clearly non-profit
and requires many many hours of voluntary work to organize.

to Armel: You are cordially invited to give a lecture (+exercise ?)
on ESPOIR if you like. Just let me know.

All the best,

Robert.

> Armel Le Bail <armel...@fluo.univ-lemans.fr> on 25.06.2000 23:38:33
>
> Please respond to sdpd...@egroups.com
>
> To:   sdpd...@egroups.com
> cc:
> Subject:  [sdpd] Workshop announcement
>
>                     VII. Workshop Powder Diffraction
>                        Structure Determination and
>                                     Refinement
>                       from Powder Diffraction Data
>
>                                   October 4. - 8. 2000
>
>                                    University of Bayreuth
>                                Laboratory of Crystallography
>                                          Germany
>
>                                      Organized by the
>                               Powder Diffraction Group of the
>                           German Society of Crystallography DGK
>
> http://www.uni-bayreuth.de/departments/crystal/workshop2000/index.html

>
http://www.uni-bayreuth.de/departments/crystal/workshop2000/Programme/Detail/detail.html

>
>                  There are only few places left. Please register soon
>
> =======================================================
> Armel Le Bail
> http://www.cristal.org/course/
>
> PS- Some provocative opinions :
>
> If the organizers or some of the speakers would like to
> subscribe to the SDPD mailing list, things would be more simple.
> Using Internet is not developing so fast in science, curiously.
> Many people only want to speak during official conferences,
> or only want to write in regular publications. A way of life.
> Many speakers at the above workshop are representing
> commercial programs. You will have demonstrations, but
> you should not expect to go back home with a free version.
> Comments ?