Everything is so casual at CS Conferences. Why charge exorbitant registration fees? [D]

Reddit r/MachineLearning / 4/25/2026

💬 OpinionIdeas & Deep Analysis

Key Points

  • The author criticizes the tone and standards at some CS conferences, arguing that the experience feels too casual and not sufficiently rigorous.
  • They claim this issue was visible at ICLR, citing empty poster boards and a less engaging presentation format.
  • The piece highlights dissatisfaction with virtual oral talks being delivered as pre-recorded videos, calling it unnatural compared with traditional live presentations.
  • The author questions why attendees should pay high registration fees if the event format and execution are perceived as low-quality.

Why would anyone pay large amounts of registration fees and end up with empty poster boards and virtual presentations. Saw this happening at ICLR. Everything feels so casual and ignorant. No strict standards. Virtual oral talks are pre-recorded videos felt so unnatural.

submitted by /u/casualcreak
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