Well one nice thing about a conference is that an individual  can only  
take over one room not a whole topic for a group. Conrad has made his point  
but many of us still enjoy personal contact  and a break.
 
 I have not attended for several years but for many of the same  reasons of 
time and money. I did not finish my PhD because of work kids and  money 
...so what its the life you choose the rationalizations and  compromises.
 
I got my first real job at a SHA meeting. We drove  and slept in my VW van 
across several states bummed food from each other and  generally survived to 
continue to work at low pay in order to follow a  profession that brings 
mystery and awe to the general public  who wonder  how we are so lucky to be 
archaeologists and actually get paid.
 
Parker