tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post4630090018771078484..comments2024-03-10T05:26:42.148-04:00Comments on My Biased Coin: Guest Post: Giorgos Zervas from WSDMMichael Mitzenmacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738274256402616703noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post-46680280125001763532010-02-05T11:20:56.218-05:002010-02-05T11:20:56.218-05:00Mark,
I totally agree about the value of interact...Mark,<br /><br />I totally agree about the value of interacting with students, ie, future colleagues. <br /><br />Off to find some Belgians and <a href="http://twitter.com/RohiniSrihari/status/8681888217" rel="nofollow">people with missing chargers</a>:)Giorgos Zervashttp://cs-people.bu.edu/zg/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post-4616248468345289152010-02-05T10:55:57.690-05:002010-02-05T10:55:57.690-05:00I haven't yet mastered the subtle art of confe...I haven't yet mastered the subtle art of conference networking, but I have figured out a few things that work. In particular, other students are much more approachable, so start up with them and they can introduce you to their advisors. Although personally I think other students are as good if not a better resource than professors...<br /><br />More low hanging fruit: foreigners. That academic who flew in from Belgium and is now wandering around the coffee room with a lost look? Give them a smile and invite them to your table. Do this enough and you can start up your own crowd around you which will then organically attract others.<br /><br />Not much, I know, but this is what I've been able to figure out at the half-dozen or so conferences I've been to. Smaller conferences are easier; if it weren't for serendipity, I would've spent OOPSLA '08 without making a single contact. As it happen, a recent CMU PhD left his laptop charger and noticed that I had the same laptop. Grateful for my help he introduced me to all of his student buddies and completely changed the course of the conference for me (for the better).Mark Reitblatthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02844686872298320790noreply@blogger.com