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Tech Conferences Moving North as Trump Policies Turn Off Attendees (financialpost.com)
The Collision Conference, one of North America's most influential technology gatherings, tweeted on Tuesday: "We've got some news. It's about Toronto. But we'll let Justin Trudeau tell you about it." What followed was a video in which the prime minister announced that Collision, which typically boasts 25,000 attendees, will be coming to Canada in 2019. From a report: "I'm happy you chose Toronto to host North America's fastest growing tech conference for the next three years, but I have to say, I'm not completely surprised," Trudeau said. "Toronto is a key global tech hub and an example of the diversity that is our strength." And Collision is not alone in coming north. At least two other major technology conferences have recently made the decision to relocate to Canada, lured in part by Toronto's burgeoning tech sector, but also driven by travel restrictions imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, policies that have left organizers scrambling to accommodate those who can't visit the United States.
In mid-April, Creative Commons, an international non-profit dedicated to the legal sharing of digital content, held their global summit in Toronto for the second year in a row. "The political climate in the U.S., specifically the open hostility from the current administration towards many international communities, and the anxiety from those we work with about how they might be treated was definitely a deciding factor," said Ryan Merkley, CEO of Creative Commons. "What's most unfortunate is that this approach is so inconsistent with the views of the many collaborative communities we work with every day in the U.S."
At Access Now, a non-profit that organizes the RightsCon digital rights conference, Trump's travel ban on seven predominantly Muslim countries hit close to home. "One of our interns at the time was an Iranian citizen with a U.S. green card, and she wasn't able to leave the country to go to Brussels to help us organize the (2017) event," RightsCon director Nick Dagostino said. For years, RightsCon has alternated between San Francisco and a series of global venues, and after last year's event in Brussels, heading back to California would have been the natural choice. But then, people started telling Access Now that if the event happened in the U.S., they wouldn't show up.
In mid-April, Creative Commons, an international non-profit dedicated to the legal sharing of digital content, held their global summit in Toronto for the second year in a row. "The political climate in the U.S., specifically the open hostility from the current administration towards many international communities, and the anxiety from those we work with about how they might be treated was definitely a deciding factor," said Ryan Merkley, CEO of Creative Commons. "What's most unfortunate is that this approach is so inconsistent with the views of the many collaborative communities we work with every day in the U.S."
At Access Now, a non-profit that organizes the RightsCon digital rights conference, Trump's travel ban on seven predominantly Muslim countries hit close to home. "One of our interns at the time was an Iranian citizen with a U.S. green card, and she wasn't able to leave the country to go to Brussels to help us organize the (2017) event," RightsCon director Nick Dagostino said. For years, RightsCon has alternated between San Francisco and a series of global venues, and after last year's event in Brussels, heading back to California would have been the natural choice. But then, people started telling Access Now that if the event happened in the U.S., they wouldn't show up.
Being that the loonie is about $0.78 to the greenback.
Except Trumps rhetoric has accelerated it. The companies may had tried to move it out of the US. But for the most part people around the world wanted to Visit the Mighty United States, not the Luigi Second Player country Canada. So these companies stayed in the US. Trump with his anti-forger rhetoric has made the United States seem unwelcoming to these foreign visitors. Even if there isn't any additional policy, the rhetoric and tweeting from the guy in charge, make the United States unwelcoming.
Now Trump was technically elected by the populous so this means there are a lot of citizens with this belief, which will not help people make the decision to go to and invest in the US or not.
Is it 100% Trumps fault... No, but he is a reflection of America and its values on the whole. A lot of this stuff happened during Obama and Bush. Partially due to 9/11 fear, Middle eastern Wars, followed up by the Great Recession. So with 9/11 we have an enemy and we "know" how they look like. Then when the recession hit everyone is fighting for work, so having additional competition isn't welcomed.
The Recovery of the Recession (which I will blame on Obama) wasn't very spread out, they were clear winners and looser, So while the economy was gowing there was a population who couldn't be lifted off their butts, mainly due to policies that do not understand that demographic. Who has been suffering for much longer are more apt to stay angry and lash out with additional stupid.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
Great ideas and people come from all over the world. You'd know that it you weren't a crypto-racist with associated blinders.
I mean seriously. how many people coming to these conferences are in the handful of countries on the travel ban? I cant imagine its that many. This is just virtue signaling at its finest.
have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
The "muslim ban" countries are those that do not effectively cooperate with background checks necessary to grant a visa. That's all.
Kind of funny punishing one of the states most vocal against President Trump.
It isn't like there is a different set of federal customs and border control agencies for california.
And calling it punishment is supremely narcissistic. Its not punishing anyone to spend your money where you feel most appreciated.
Perhaps that is true. However, there is also the issue that visas in general are harder to get even if you're not on the travel ban. I am an American, living in France and I know that some of my colleagues do not want to travel to the US (for business or pleasure) due to the hassle. This has to be reducing the number of people who want to visit for any reason. This type of feedback probably gets back to the people who run conferences and may have an effect on where they choose to hold them.
I know from personal my own travels that entering the US (even as an American) is a worse experience than entering France. The American border control just seems hostile - the way they question people, etc. I always feel unwelcome when returning despite their big signs saying "Welcome to the US". When entering France they just glance at the passport, stamp it and let you through (I'm sure they already pre-screened me somehow). Note that the hostility also exists when entering the UK- perhaps it is a general Anglo-Saxon problem.
The Electoral College BTFO'd that sentiment. Just as they did about 5 more times in American history when the popular vote didn't favour the same candidate for President.
This is a rare decision for the Electoral College, but it's still normal for the United States government so far as I can tell. That's why all this kicking and screaming about Trump is annoying. Like no President has been caught doing potentially criminally bad things before, like no President was a divisive character before, that no President made stupid mistakes either in the past or during the presidency itself?
Work with the asshole instead of against them if you can't find solid evidence for impeaching, because otherwise you're only stalling the progress of *your own country* by fighting them every step of the way instead. It's a waste of time and taxpayer money if you're fighting about anything but how the country should move forward and progress.
Are these politicians so privileged that they've never had to work for a boss they hated?
Since Bush. This all started with 9/11.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
The people that parade this talking point really don't understand the ban. Including the people that mod you up.
Do the governments of those countries help the US properly vet any would-be traveler to the US? If not they are banned. If they do help and that help is up to at least some standard of what the US does then they are not banned.
The US has laws against existing criminals this ban was about the governments of nations that do not do the bare minimum in helping the US ensure that criminals do not come here.
IOW, the ban is for countries that are A) hotbeds of terrorist activity and B) governments not doing the bare minimum to help the US prevent those terrorists from traveling to the US.
I hate to defend Trump on anything, but why are we blaming or crediting him at all, when he didn't make the list? The list was the list of "countries or areas of concern" created by the legislature in 2015 and signed by president Obama years before Trump took office. It simply has nothing to do with him.
The "ban" wasn't bad because the country list made no sense, and it wasn't bad because it targeted Muslims. The ban was bad because it provided no due-process of law, and prevented people from re-entering the country when they already had travel visas and booked flights to return home to the US. Some people found out about the ban only when they landed and were turned away. It was stupidly written, and even his own cabinet admitted it.
P.S. I had to confirm that before daring to post it, so here are my sources:
http://www.politifact.com/wisc...
and
https://www.snopes.com/fact-ch...
It looks like it's hard to visit Iran from several countries (US, UK, Isreal) unless in a group or approved business as well.
And "Admission is refused to women not wearing Islamic head cover, scarf, long sleeves and stockings."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
It's funny how so many countries that have so many restrictions in their own countries still feel able to judge the US for having a fraction of the restrictions.