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Comment by theboywho | Hacker News Reader

People suggesting to move conferences to other countries like France or Germany are wrong: you can't guarantee that your country is not going to turn into a US-like isolationist in the future. The US wasn't and your country is also only 1-government away from being one.

What we probably need is a new form of portable conferences where the location doesn't matter and/or is flexible and/or regime-proof. We should stop taking democracy and openness for granted.

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>you can't guarantee that your country is not going to turn into a US-like isolationist in the future

If it does, you can move the conference again. Just because it can change sometime "in the future" doesn't mean we shouldn't do it now.

I was referring to suggestions of EU as a final solution to the US issue. What you are referring to is to decide on hosting locations on a year to year basis, which joins my idea of portable conferences.

Umm just have the conference in a place that has a good climate for travel now. It's not like someone is arguing to have the conference in France because they will be a friendly democracy forever. Just now.

> It's not like someone is arguing to have the conference in France...

Not sure if you have read the comments but unless I'm mistaken that's exactly what people are pushing for: EU being a final solution to the US issue.

> Just have the conference in a place that has a good climate for travel now.

That's exactly the spirit of my suggestion for portable conferences, because I don't know if you are familiar with how conferences are organised but the location has always been constant in most of them, and it's even the defining point for some.

Maybe I was unclear: I mean't it's not like someone is arguing to have the conference in france forever. Just to have it somewhere where travel is easy now. Then next year where travel is easy then.

So yes - US conferences basically need to change to portable, fast. At least temporarily.

Completely agree with this. Based on historical cycles, we're probably heading into even more protectionist times ahead.

Another idea (which I'm sure is not going to be popular but is probably a pretty good one): choose countries where the head of the state is stable: eg. Open Kingdoms, like Morocco, where the royal family is there for more than centuries and has a history showing a welcoming attitude towards international gatherings / foreigners, or where most people can get in without needing a visa.

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