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SXSW Cancelled Due to Coronavirus

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Re: SXSW Cancelled Due to Coronavirus

#71

Post by guiambros »

jonknee wrote: post #24
shreyshrey wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What I am hearing is SXSW cannot get the insurance payout if they unilaterally cancel the event. Thatswhy they have waited the city and Austin Public Health to make the decision for them. Same thing with SaaStr as well - They waited for the Santa Clara county to make the decision.

That's the rumor, but the statement they put out was absolutely ridiculous and in no way required for insurance. The organizers were willing to put people at risk for profit.

Well, there goes the theory of waiting to cancel to collect insurance [1]...

This makes the delays even more incomprehensible. Seems it wasn't greed after all; it was just sheer irresponsibility.

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22509322

Re: SXSW Cancelled Due to Coronavirus

#72

Post by austhrow743 »

Trasmatta wrote: post #50
cloakedarbiter wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here was SXSW's statement on the cancelation. > The City of Austin has cancelled the March dates for SXSW and SXSW EDU. SXSW will faithfully follow the City’s directions. We are devastated to share this news with you. “The show must go on” is in our DNA, and this is the first time in 34 years that the March event will not take place. We are now working through the ramifications of this unprecedented situation. As rec…

I find their statement a bit irritating...they're basically saying "if it weren't for the city, we would have still done it, screw any consequences".

If the public health authority that they're within the jurisdiction of says closing wont help, then it seems weird to say it's a "screw the consequences" move. More of a "we've been told there wont be consequences" move.

Re: SXSW Cancelled Due to Coronavirus

#73

Post by shreyshrey »

shreyshrey wrote: post #18
ProfessorLayton wrote: post #6

One interesting tidbit here is that the mayor made the call to cancel the event, not SXSW themselves. I understand the organizers stand to lose _a lot_ from cancellations, but this still seems like bad optics. Unrelated, but I have three big events I booked long ago that I'm either becoming weary of attending, or fear that they will be cancelled and I'll be on the hook for the hotel and other accommodations. One of t…

What I am hearing is SXSW cannot get the insurance payout if they unilaterally cancel the event. Thatswhy they have waited the city and Austin Public Health to make the decision for them. Same thing with SaaStr as well - They waited for the Santa Clara county to make the decision.

Just got this email from SXSW: https://www.airsend.io/images/sxsw_deferral.png

2020 registrants can opt to defer to 2021,2022 or 23

Re: SXSW Cancelled Due to Coronavirus

#74

Post by amanaplanacanal »

ajross wrote: post #53
tomerico wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s a very speculative statement. It’s quite possible that the Virus spread will stop as the weather warms up.

Viruses don't care about the weather. The reason we catch more diseases in the winter is just that we spend more time indoors, physically nearer to other people. That will probably be true of COVID19 too, but the existing transmission numbers (which, to be fair, are still noisy and hard to say anything definitive about) are like an order of magnitude higher than you get for flu transmission. Summer isn't going to do…

> The reason we catch more diseases in the winter is just that we spend more time indoors, physically nearer to other people.

I believe that is just one theory of several possible. We don't really know why respiratory infections go down in the summer.

Re: SXSW Cancelled Due to Coronavirus

#75

Post by true_religion »

Trasmatta wrote: post #50
cloakedarbiter wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here was SXSW's statement on the cancelation. > The City of Austin has cancelled the March dates for SXSW and SXSW EDU. SXSW will faithfully follow the City’s directions. We are devastated to share this news with you. “The show must go on” is in our DNA, and this is the first time in 34 years that the March event will not take place. We are now working through the ramifications of this unprecedented situation. As rec…

I find their statement a bit irritating...they're basically saying "if it weren't for the city, we would have still done it, screw any consequences".

I think when it comes to public crisis, decisions like this should be made by the public as a whole, and in a democracy that means the elected government.

Private individuals shouldn’t have to parse health statistics or educate themselves to the level of virologists. Instead the government should do this work, and issue a decree. If not this, then when will government be useful?

Re: SXSW Cancelled Due to Coronavirus

#76

Post by ajross »

amanaplanacanal wrote: post #74
ajross wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Viruses don't care about the weather. The reason we catch more diseases in the winter is just that we spend more time indoors, physically nearer to other people. That will probably be true of COVID19 too, but the existing transmission numbers (which, to be fair, are still noisy and hard to say anything definitive about) are like an order of magnitude higher than you get for flu transmission. Summer isn't going to do…

> The reason we catch more diseases in the winter is just that we spend more time indoors, physically nearer to other people. I believe that is just one theory of several possible. We don't really know why respiratory infections go down in the summer.

There are lots of unknowns in this space, but no, that model is pretty well accepted. Surely there are lots of contributing factors.

But regardless, the point was that transmission of normal, already-circulating viruses is limited both by the number of transmission events and the much lower chance of infection. But a novel virus has a MUCH higher chance to hop on any given event, so in practice it's rate of spread is limited not by the chance of "catching" the bug but just by its own incubation period. Stuff like winter/summer changes on the margin aren't going to change anything.

Re: SXSW Cancelled Due to Coronavirus

#77

Post by mandelbrotwurst »

excerionsforte wrote: post #45
komali2 wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What standing would an infected person have against SXSW or the city of Austin?

Your government at all levels are responsible for public safety. If you harm public safety (in)advertently, you can definitely expect lawsuits your way. Lawsuits are a matter of dispute. It does not matter if one "wins" or "lose".

That whether you've won or lost is subjective does not mean it doesn't matter.

Re: SXSW Cancelled Due to Coronavirus

#78

Post by tapatio »

zaroth wrote: post #65
ncallaway wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This makes absolutely no sense at all. Given this line of reasoning, wouldn't it make sense to also not put seatbelts in automobiles? After all, it's not the most likely way to die. Should we bother looking both ways before crossing a street just because there is a low volume of pedestrian deaths? No, that's patently absurd because we have the capacity in this world to prepare for more than just the modal outcome. To…

I think the strongest possible interpretation of the comment is more along the lines of... does the cost/benefit of this decision really line up? Cancelling a $350 million event means people are not getting paid, maybe those people will not be able to afford rent next month, or groceries next week. Eventually, the cost is borne by those who are least able to shoulder the burden. It's flu season, but we still hold eve…

Exactly, you explained it much better than I could.

Re: SXSW Cancelled Due to Coronavirus

#79

Post by tapatio »

zzzzzzzza wrote: post #57
tapatio wrote: post #40

The average American will die of cardiovascular disease, not the coronavirus. Rather than stock up on rice and masks and cancel events, people should address what’s most likely to kill them.

heart disease is actually one of (if not the) top comorbidites of covid19. So maybe covid will get you before your heart can.

Lol, true.
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