Why is there such a gap between academic work and reality? Something I've wondered about too. It isn't unique to IFCA's conferences, especially.

One reason is the academic conference structure: Academics are rewarded according to peer-review work at accepted conferences, so the committees tend to be stuffed full of academics, who work the favour-trading network of peers. You have to be in it to win it (both the network and the committees), and there is hence little room for any outsiders. Check the papers committee of any conference and count up the university to corporates ratio, it's in the 20:1 area.

And not a single small-company representative will be found in the conference selection committees. Not one! Which excludes most real world digital cash systems at a stroke.

WebMoney was just such a small company when it presented at EFCE, and it also caught me by surprise. I fell into the trap and didn't give it the attention it deserved. Primarily because it was not academically novel, the guys presenting it were out of their elements, and it was competitive to my own work. Silly really, as I of all people should have known that business was not about sex appeal.

It was FC2008. According to the report at the general meeting of IFCA, there will be a much stronger business component at FC2009.

I would also like to give credit where it is due:
The presented paper was co-authored with Ms. Nadzeya Shakel, who has a background in international private law and is doing her PhD on the topic of internet law.
Also, both pictures above are due to her.