Conferences are complex with breathtaking numbers of dependencies. Resolving a tiny symptom, with a possibly easy fix, can cause much bigger issues to bubble up. What was a small issue can turn into much larger one when fixed in isolation.
Whenever we see a need for change in a matter, we should have a look at the big (conference) picture, see what effects it will have, how it fits the guidelines of the conference, is a quantitative or qualitative problem behind it, etc.
G. K. Chesterton presented a principle in 1919, known as “Chesterton’s fence“, that reforms should not be made until the reasoning behind the existing state of affairs is understood:
“Don’t ever take a fence down until you know the reason it was put up.“
In particular in the early days after I got involved, I often felt like taking down what I considered old structures. Not always was I right, should have considered Chesteron’s fence.
