I don’t think every complaint needs a solution. I think it’s worthwhile if you have ideas to list them clearly, and not make a probably slightly distressed reader/board member have to pull out the “fixes” – but that’s just me.

For PASS, if the BoD has overwhelming factors that require the Summit to be in the same place, then it doesn’t matter what the answer is – take that question off the table. Focus the questions on what you really need guidance with, or don’t survey at all.

Christian rocks. (Again, not because he’s my boss. He’s stuck with me regardless.)

I am late to this party. As an independent observer I would recommend that PASS abandon transparency plans for the moment and go closed door ‘benevolent dictatorship’. I do believe that PASS’s intentions are good, and that they do want the best for and believe they are acting in the best interests of the community. However, there does appear to be a lack of a cohesive strategy, and watching it play out on the blogs, and in the comments of blogs, while entertaining, probably does not reflect that well on the organization right now. I would disagree with Brent on hiring the survey organization. I’d say that was a waste of money because really you had already made the decision to stay in Seattle. If you know what answer you want then there’s no point putting together a great survey :)(PS – I have been guilty of this before)

And so this isn’t taken as criticism without offering a solution here’s my recommendation:

– identify your key target audience (in my opinion this is your chapter leaders)
– do everything you can to make that target audience successful (if it’s chapter leaders help grow their attendance at user groups and SQL Saturdays), provide them a platform to get the word out, negotiate good rates with different providers of services, give them top notch material to re-purpose. (train the chapter leaders on presentation techniques, how to put on a great event etc.)
– you widen the pool of PASS HQ evangelists, you get more news out and input back from different groups.
– you become no longer reliant on a single event, but make the tons and tons of events that go on around the world every month more impactful.

Just some thoughts from someone interested, but not in the DBA club.