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Re: Dragoncon

Postby 4ofSwords » Mon Oct 22, 2012 7:58 am

CrimsonFangX666 wrote:Information please? Where is it held? What time of year? Is it free to attend? What's it about? EVERYTHING! I'm very interested. 8O :gulp:


To add to what the Emperor said - it's not free. You can buy tickets at the door for full price (something like $50 a day, or $120 for the weekend, but I haven't checked door prices recently), or you can pay for weekend tickets in advance. For your first time I'd recommend just going for a day (Saturday - make sure to get there early and watch the parade!), since it can be a little overwhelming, even for con-savvy folks.

Instead of being held in a single convention center, the convention is held in the ballrooms of five different hotels, so the whole downtown kind of turns into a festival for the weekend as people in costume are mobbing about the sidewalks and crosswalks.

People go for a lot of different experiences. Some people hang out in the hallways, taking picture of people in costume (and there are a lot of them, some with really excellent costumes). Some people (like me) spend the whole weekend in tracks, of which there are dozens - science related, fandom related, hobby related, etc. There's the requisite dealers' hall and artists' alley, there are lots of opportunities for signatures with sci-fi/fantasy celebrities, a burlesque show, more parties than you can shake a stick at (both official and un-), board/RPG/LARP gaming, a robot battle... etc.
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Re: Dragoncon

Postby Enigma » Mon Oct 22, 2012 8:24 am

I went in 2009 and 2010 (and have met Seru there), and although I couldn't afford to go these last two years, I'm already set to go again for 2013. It's a blast, and a mix of sci-fi, fantasy, comics, horror, video games, anime...just about everything. It hasn't gotten to 70,000, but it's close; official number of attendees for 2012 was 52,000. I think it was in the 40k's the last year I went, so it rises steadily. There's basically four levels of attire.

1- Standard clothing. Normal, everyday clothes. Wouldn't even know the person was there for the con, if not for their admission badge.
2- Fandom clothing. Star Wars shirt, one of those orange beanie hats from Firefly, cheap pair of welding goggles, something that makes it clear one is a fan of something and very likely a con-goer, but still pretty much usual attire.
3- Simple costume. I use the word "simple" loosely, but essentially any costume that was put together....the best a person could do. I tend to fall in this category. I've put some time and money into my steampunk attire, and it evolves, but it doesn't really hold a candle to some. The first year I went my costume was literally made of clothes I already owned and growing a goatee, plus an eight dollar plastic axe.
4- Complex costume. The insane, over the top, spent years and hundreds (or thousands) of dollars in the making, did your own welding, etc.

The line between these blurs, of course, and one shouldn't feel obligated to go for any specific level. This is just my own observation. I have a blast in costume myself, and have enjoyed both watching and walking in the parade.
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Re: Dragoncon

Postby Emperor_Palpatine » Thu Mar 14, 2013 9:39 am

Got my tickets! This year is gonna be awesome. Anyone else going?
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Re: Dragoncon

Postby 4ofSwords » Thu Mar 14, 2013 11:39 am

Yup! This year I got my pass right after the event when they were very cheap.
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Re: Dragoncon

Postby Emperor_Palpatine » Wed Mar 20, 2013 1:55 am

Awesome. Anyone know of anything super exciting yet?
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Re: Dragoncon

Postby Emperor_Palpatine » Wed Aug 28, 2013 11:39 pm

I'm going tomorrow! Anyone else coming?
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Re: Dragoncon

Postby sansuki » Thu Aug 29, 2013 12:03 am

Flight's tomorrow. Got my Convention Outfits (drab, monochrome, as un-attention-attracting as possible) ready, got my mind right, ready for four days of fun.
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Re: Dragoncon

Postby 4ofSwords » Thu Aug 29, 2013 11:41 am

I'm local, so I'll just be driving in first thing tomorrow. I just have to remember to park closer to the Westin this time. I'm always parking as far away as possible, it seems.
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Re: Dragoncon

Postby sansuki » Fri Aug 30, 2013 5:10 am

Heads up- the automated barcode scanner for preregistration died yesterday afternoon, and for most of the evening the line to get your badge was well over an hour; showing up early today is advisable!
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Re: Dragoncon

Postby 4ofSwords » Fri Aug 30, 2013 6:26 am

Thanks for the heads up!
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Re: Dragoncon

Postby 4ofSwords » Sat Aug 31, 2013 11:24 pm

How's it going for y'all? Able to get into what you were hoping for? Having fun? How was the parade? I missed it this morning.
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Re: Dragoncon

Postby 4ofSwords » Sun Sep 01, 2013 7:44 am

9 years of living in Atlanta and I still can't guess at the traffic. Oh well.
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Re: Dragoncon

Postby MisterFinch » Sun Sep 01, 2013 8:40 am

I wish I could have gone, myself, but I am far too busy this year. x.x
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Re: Dragoncon

Postby sansuki » Mon Sep 02, 2013 12:42 am

I'll do a full Reaction Post like I did last year after my con experience, but here's a preview circa 2 AM Monday morning:

I hate steampunk.
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Re: Dragoncon

Postby 4ofSwords » Mon Sep 02, 2013 8:13 am

Well, I for one look forward to that! :)

Especially as someone who spent 65% of the weekend in the Westin.
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Re: Dragoncon

Postby miranda_dragon » Mon Sep 02, 2013 8:19 am

I don't even think I ended up setting foot in the Westin. x_x
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Re: Dragoncon

Postby 4ofSwords » Mon Sep 02, 2013 8:27 am

miranda_dragon wrote:I don't even think I ended up setting foot in the Westin. x_x


Judging by the lengths of the lines, I thought con membership actually required that you come to either the Jim Butcher or Walking Dead panels. So maybe you dodged a bullet!
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Re: Dragoncon

Postby sansuki » Mon Sep 02, 2013 7:34 pm

Dragoncon 2013- A List Of Tenuously Connected Thoughts

This is going to be rambly, because it is seven PM the day that Dragoncon ended. I have had 3 actual meals in the past 96 hours, over 50 of which were spent in various actual factual convention related activities and well under 20 of which were spent sleeping- at some point, reason fades and sanity flees, but that's okay since Dragoncon is not the place where I go for rationality. Apologies to the Skeptics track. It may also veer towards the squishily personal, in which case I apologize to you too.

I have, as the saying goes, 'nothin' but love' for Dragoncon right now. It's... a homecoming, really. I mentioned on a blog post that my first Dragoncon in 2001 is what more than any other single thing turned me into a nerd; my last DCon came somewhere not long after graduating college and the dual ending gave much more finality to a change in periods of my life than it may have warranted. And now at last, at long last, only by accident and unwillingly but at last- I came home. This is going to sound terribly silly- from the moment I deplaned at Hartsfield International and stepped into the MARTA station, I felt as though the weight of near a decade's memories and nostalgia were on my shoulders. Stop by stop I went through the city, memories rousing with each station. Someone stepped on the train, heading for the convention, and we had a brief conversation; I stepped off to get my badge, and three hours later had it and a hotel room far from the convention. On Friday I stepped into the Hyatt bright and early; it was a beautiful day, I saw stormtroopers, and all my worries vanished. I was where I needed to be, though I didn't know I needed to be there until I came.

There can be a feeling of wistfulness about a convention like this. Lots of people have reason; the volunteers are missing things they want to do to help other people do them (this should never be forgotten; each volunteer (I was, once, and only once) gives up 25 hours over 4 days for sparse perks and plentiful abuse. Even when a volunteer is being a dick, I love them despite that.), many guests are reliving the glory days, many attendees are as well. The guests get money; the attendees get nostalgia. It can get to be an uncomfortable relationship at the core of any convention with those aspects that look back, but isn't an unhealthy one at heart; it's wistfulness once more. And as the convention draws to its sleepy close on Monday, everyone is wistful because the dream is going back to sleep and reality is coming again. On Sunday night at midnight I sat in the Hilton and watched the last few Masquerade contestants and those costumed people without the confidence (or arrogance!) to compete file by, fatigued smiles on their faces. When you understand the feelings in that scene on the part both of bystanders and guests, you understand how people like me cope with conventions.

Early on on Friday night, I saw a young man in a piranha plant costume, and he was manifestly confused and overwhelmed. Sunday morning, I saw a guy with a Mario question block on a fishing pole; when people punched it lightly, he threw a fake coin at their feet. As Cosby might say, I told you that story so I could tell you this one- while I was peoplewatching in the Hilton, as the convention ground on towards its final day, those two people ran into each other. They looked at each other- I heard no words, nor saw lips moving- and they began to work together. People had to avoid the immobile piranha plant costume to hit the block to get a thoroughly useless coin. Why would they need to talk? Both had played the same games, had thought the same thoughts at some point. Now they were at Dragoncon, and they both understood instinctively how the two of them should interact with each other. Is that a beautiful thing? I don't know. It's a fandom thing though, and I'll call it beauty until a better word comes.

What else can I say about costumes? There is a paradox that some never recognize about these conventions that it took me until after I stopped attending and grew up a little to fully accept. A convention is a place where you can, though certainly don't need to, be Yourself. Yourself without all the masks, the faces you build to meet the faces that you meet, the shields to hide behind. It's not, God knows, that convention attendees are better, or smarter, or wiser or more accepting. If I had to put it in words, I'd say it's more that everyone there is there for a specific reason that binds them together, some pursuit of geekery (Or as one panelist redefined that word, unrestrained intellectual curiosity) that simply isn't possible in day to day life. It's the people who look normal though, who dress as they would every day- the people like me, ever since 2002- that are most in costume, and the people in the most outrageous costumes that reveal the most about themselves (and the most flesh sometimes) and open themselves up. The people who choose to look different are the ones who are opening themselves up the most; those who make no changes are the ones who keep themselves the furthest away. The push this year in rules was 'costuming is not consent'- that is, you cannot assume any willingness from someone to do anything, even getting their picture taken, just because they are in costume. I had to stifle the urge to shriek in joy that finally the powers that be Got It. I wish like hell they had a decade ago.


Somewhat less lyrical thoughts probably more close to what people thought they would get in a post like this

You know what? Let's start with Steampunk. Look, I love alternate history, it's one of my bigger read-for-pleasure hobbies. When I saw there was an entire Alternate History track, I was giddy. And then I realized the entire fucking thing was Steampunk, with arguably one panel dealing with non-anything-punk alternate history. What the hell is going on here? Did one guy who just really loves steampunk get to be director of the track and then packed it with the stuff he likes? I mean, that's not a bad thing, but if we're gonna do that rename the track the Steampunk Track- I have nothing against steampunk per se despite an earlier comment, really- and let people like me have a session or two on alternate history in a literature track, maybe. Also, I think almost everything steampunk looks silly, but I recognize that it is simply not For Me (tm). No worries.

FURSUITERS! My god, my god, my god. To wear a full body fursuit for any amount of time in Atlanta in summer requires an amount of lunacy and dedication I find stunning. You people have enough of both to be interesting. I will never, ever say a word against anyone who does that, or wears a spandex body suit in the parade, or such. Fursuiters, though, I love you guys, I want to have your babies, et cetera et cetera, but... and I've fought this war before... please, if you put that much effort into a suit, could you have a tail that isn't a stiff club sticking awkwardly out of your lumbar region? Make it sway. This is what you call a personal plea, and goes for all tail-wearers. Swish swish, you guys? Please? ...also? If you're going to enter the masquerade (costume competition), don't just show up in a fursuit. Do something that separates you. I see you, daedric-armor-wearing werewolf. It's good I was in the overflow session, because I might have tried to rush the stage and do something immoral with or to you. No, not really.

To the people in the masquerade overflow session who dreamed themselves to be mystery science theater 3000 cast members: You aren't. Every contestant, even the Lupin III whose plans went way, way awry, has more courage for getting up there than your sorry ass, and booing them or whistling the imperial theme to try to summon the stormtrooper to get them offstage is classless as hell.

Dear Everyone: I think it's legal to stab someone who stops in the middle of a walkway with no warning to take a picture or have a picture taken. I dunno. But I do know I'd have alibis if I did it.

Dear Smartphone Users: C'mon. If you're in line for an hour, throw everyone a bone and socialize with the people near you instead of playing fruit ninja.

The people who run DragonconTV are psychotic, and also national treasures.

The people who run the consuite- the same comments apply as for the people who run DragonconTV. I got a salad! A fucking salad, at dragoncon, in the hospitality suite! Do you have any idea how happy I was?!

All people asking questions of celebrities... guys, this is my cri de coeur; don't ask shitty questions. If you're asking a Game of THrones actor who just said he only read the parts of the script he was in, don't ask him about parts of the script he wasn't in. Don't ask questions they can't answer (I see you, Game of Thrones spoiler seekers) or questions they won't answer (spoiler alert: literally every actor is going to say that everything is lovey dovey on set and all the actors are friends. This is not the case, because they are people, and people will be people. They won't say because that's not your business, so don't ask) or requests for personal attention (get in the walk of fame like everyone else and don't keep someone else from asking something interesting). I endorse giving track volunteers tasers and authority to prod people who ask shitty questions. I am a harsh soul.

Holy shit, the convention literally doubled in population while I was away. Still similar crowd density though, thanks to the new hotels.

I didn't set foot in the Westin. No regrets, not now not ever. Same to you, Sheraton. All the skybridge walking? ALL THE SKYBRIDGE WALKING.

Humidity and heat together hurts more than I remember it hurting. Conversely, people reacting to a light shower as though it were the end times and clustering together under an umbrella appearing as though they thought the rain was actually lava made me laugh to myself as I wandered through the rain with a San Franciscan's insouciance.

I left the convention on Saturday at the same time 70,000 college football fans left their game at the Georgia Dome. I am convinced that 90% of the latter were riding northbound MARTA trains past me down in the bowels of muggy, wretched Peachtree Center, and neither god nor science can sway this belief. That trip was unpleasant.

To everyone else who was going to be in the cancelled team trivia competition: YOU BEST BE GLAD IT GOT CANCELED, BECAUSE HULKAMANIA WAS ABOUT TO BE UNLEASHED ON YOOOOOOOU but seriously I was all hyped to wreck faces and then it didn't happen :( consoled myself by beasting another less fun trivia panel though.

I still hate every band at Dragoncon, and will never stop.

There is nothing sadder than a great panel almost nobody attended in a convention where less interesting panels had lines an hour in advance.

In all, I am going to have one HELL of a painful decision about whether I go to Dragoncon or PAX next year. PAX won't open and then very quickly close registration until April or so, by which point most of the panels are set, volunteer picking well underway, and no hotel to be had within walking distance for love or money. If I'm gonna go to dragoncon, I have to decide that before taking a shot on PAX. So which will it be? PAX has gutted the gaming content of Dragoncon, which hurts, but PAX doesn't have anything else. I am legitimately torn, and need to badly do some soul searching over the next month.

One thing, though; compared to when I left there were far, far, FAR more women, and far less crudity and rudeness. It was almost a different convention, and I started to feel guilty and selfconscious about my deliberately self-abnegating camouflage designed to keep me from being noticed. If I go to DCon next year, I probably won't wear a costume. I probably won't wear beige again either.
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Re: Dragoncon

Postby 4ofSwords » Mon Sep 02, 2013 9:14 pm

What a fantastic read! I'm really glad you enjoyed it. Somehow, now that I'm a Georgian, I feel personally personally proud of DragonCon in a way that I always mocked people for feeling for their local sports teams... even though I don't think I'll be going back next year. We'll see.

There were a few things I wanted to reply to:

sansuki wrote:You know what? Let's start with Steampunk. Look, I love alternate history, it's one of my bigger read-for-pleasure hobbies. When I saw there was an entire Alternate History track, I was giddy. And then I realized the entire fucking thing was Steampunk, with arguably one panel dealing with non-anything-punk alternate history. What the hell is going on here? Did one guy who just really loves steampunk get to be director of the track and then packed it with the stuff he likes? I mean, that's not a bad thing, but if we're gonna do that rename the track the Steampunk Track- I have nothing against steampunk per se despite an earlier comment, really- and let people like me have a session or two on alternate history in a literature track, maybe. Also, I think almost everything steampunk looks silly, but I recognize that it is simply not For Me (tm). No worries.

I would never argue a matter of personal taste. I've spent about half my time for the last 4 years in the AltHistory tracks, but I'm not replying here to defend it or say everyone should like it. But... "Did one guy who just really loves steampunk get to be director of the track and then packed it with the stuff he likes?" Sorta. I've been going to Dragoncon for five years now, and the second year - the first time I went to an AltHistory course - it was just because I wanted to get out of the parade route crowds, and it was the first year the Westin had been added (I think), and I thought to myself, "I love Harry Turtledove!" I ended up staying there most of the weekend. As best as I can tell, the Alt.History track was basically 'banished' to the Westin because they were taking up space elsewhere and nobody else wanted to be far from the main H-M-H drag. I believe that was also the first year there were any serious Steampunk panels (a couple), and they -EXPLODED-. The rest of the AltHistory sessions were a handful (2 dozen or less) old fellas and me. I loved it all, but it was really my first serious exposure to Steampunk, and I loved it just as much as the AltHistory in exactly the same way as I love Star Wars as much as I love Clarke and Sawyer. The next year was about half-and-half. The year after that they handed over the track to a new track director who was completely a steampunk guy and knew nothing about Steampunk, and the only real AltHistory sessions planned were either planned around a big author like SM Stirling (and his 1632) or were thematic sessions, like AltHistory and Magic (with mostly steampunk authors). There were still probably a half-dozen to a dozen legitimate AltHistory Sessions this year, as long as you didn't mind a heavy inclusion of Steampunk/Victoriana (like the Oz session). If you're really looking for them, you just have to watch out for tracks moderated by vets like Katherine Hinds or including authors like Resnick or Sterling (or DB Jackson with his Thieftaker series, but he mostly gets lumped in with Steampunk for the marketability).

They probably -will- just make it a Steampunk track soon, if not next year. This year they split SFF into Sci-Fi Lit and Fantasy Lit (and wrapped tracks like Wheel of Time and Pern into Fantasy, and even then it still barely had enough content to make it through the weekend), and split Dark Fantasy into Horror and Urban Fantasy (much to the delight of both the goth crowd and the elderly paranormal romance readers, I'm sure). I wouldn't be surprised if next year AltHistory becomes Steampunk, and AltHistory goes off to fight for a tiny room in the bottom floor of the Hyatt or joins forces with another track. Maybe it can Wondertwin with Doctor Who.

sansuki wrote:FURSUITERS! My god, my god, my god.

I'm -especially- impressed that they put up with it all despite all the grumbling and snide comments and eye-rolling they get. It's amazing, despite the popularity of the Burlesque show and the late-night LBGTQ panels, how much people still sneer at furs. The first year I was standing in line in front of a couple of Army guys on leave from Fort Benning, and we were having a great conversation about the relative merits of Felicia Hardy and Selina Kyle until they noticed a fursuiter walk by. It was actually kind of cool how quickly they backed down from all the snickering and 'fag' etc. after a quick appeal to reason and their recent comments regarding BlackCat.

sansuki wrote:Dear Smartphone Users: C'mon. If you're in line for an hour, throw everyone a bone and socialize with the people near you instead of playing fruit ninja.

Honestly, I think they -are- throwing people a bone. I look at it as a strong indicator of social liquidity. Chances are, if they're removing themselves from social viability, it's the best for everyone. Some people are awkward conversationalists.

sansuki wrote:I didn't set foot in the Westin. No regrets, not now not ever. Same to you, Sheraton. All the skybridge walking? ALL THE SKYBRIDGE WALKING.

I'm pretty bad about letting myself get comfortable in a niche and staying there, but since my son is just starting to get old enough that he might want to go to DragonCon himself in a few years and he is NOT going to have any interest where I do, I made a point of attending sessions in every hotel (and on different floors when I could) so I could get familiar with them. I didn't regret it. Getting outside and getting the heart beating again between sessions was great. Of course, working from home might make this a rare treat for me, so I may have an unusual bias.

sansuki wrote:Humidity and heat together hurts more than I remember it hurting. Conversely, people reacting to a light shower as though it were the end times and clustering together under an umbrella appearing as though they thought the rain was actually lava made me laugh to myself as I wandered through the rain with a San Franciscan's insouciance.

Hahaha. It's funny until they do it on the highway. People in cars with perfectly adequate wipers and headlights stop under the overpasses on highways - sometimes IN TRAFFIC LANES - when it rains heavily enough to bump up to the next wiper setting. And it's not like it doesn't rain a lot here. I'm from SoCal - we get a ton more rain here, and people act like they're all made of sugar.

sansuki wrote:There is nothing sadder than a great panel almost nobody attended in a convention where less interesting panels had lines an hour in advance.

Yes. Yes there is. A decent smartphone app with a few flaws being updated to completely fucking fail in the middle of a packed Sunday so it crashes anytime I try to view my schedule. It almost made me shed a tear. -That-'s sad.

sansuki wrote:One thing, though; compared to when I left there were far, far, FAR more women, and far less crudity and rudeness. It was almost a different convention, and I started to feel guilty and selfconscious about my deliberately self-abnegating camouflage designed to keep me from being noticed. If I go to DCon next year, I probably won't wear a costume. I probably won't wear beige again either.

For what it's worth, when I heard they were promoting "Costuming is not consent" at DragonCon, I was a little surprised. Not because I think it's a bad message, but because as long as I've been going, I've been hearing such good things from people about DragonCon versus others. I don't know what makes DragonCon particularly special (or even if it is - I'm not in the best position to judge as given my age and gender and limited con experiences), but I don't think your experience here is unusual. I think it's a good con. :)
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Re: Dragoncon

Postby sansuki » Mon Sep 02, 2013 9:34 pm

4ofSwords wrote:What a fantastic read! I'm really glad you enjoyed it. Somehow, now that I'm a Georgian, I feel personally personally proud of DragonCon in a way that I always mocked people for feeling for their local sports teams... even though I don't think I'll be going back next year. We'll see.


Aw! I can already tell I'm going to spend the next month talking myself into going hog wild and all-in on Dragoncon, offering to help run panels, become a volunteer again, et cetera, only to have a crisis where I ask myself if I'm really ready to give up on PAX for the year!

I would never argue a matter of personal taste. I've spent about half my time for the last 4 years in the AltHistory tracks, but I'm not replying here to defend it or say everyone should like it. But...

*snip*

...I wouldn't be surprised if next year AltHistory becomes Steampunk, and AltHistory goes off to fight for a tiny room in the bottom floor of the Hyatt or joins forces with another track. Maybe it can Wondertwin with Doctor Who.


Now this is fascinating. I was actually considering offering to *run* a panel dealing with the history of alternate history or something similar if I commit to Dragoncon, or be a panelist if panelists are needed. If there is history where they didn't draw much, well, I'd probably still make the offer but I will ratchet expectations down markedly. It might be for the best if that fission does happen; it's never any fun for anyone when one track has two wildly tonally different things under its roof, such as when the Brit Track was 50% Whose Line Is It Anyway.

I looked through the program (the paper program, because I am a luddite) at the alternate history tracks, and I honestly couldn't find any but the one Linaweaver was chairing that gave the impression that it wouldn't be wall to wall steampunkish stuff. It massively turned me off to the point where I avoided the entire hotel, if just because I was fairly sure given what the program was selling that there wasn't anything For Me in the entire track. We'll see! That's one of about four panels/things/ideas I have on my list for offering to volunteer for should I pick Dragoncon. I actually ended up running a panel on accident and unintentionally back in... god, 2005 or so. Wasn't very hard, even though I was a last second fill-in for another fan who had a medical issue and the track director I'd been talking to earlier collared me and threw me behind the microphone. Compared to that, actually volunteering for one should be much more fun!

Edit: My addled brain just realized that one of the main things I should draw from that section of the post is that we both like alternate history. I am totally not tracking tonight. That's awesome! I personally tend to get... bored... by the entire Victorian era; my historical interests start tailing off around Napoleon and pick back up in WW1. The British Empire era just bores me to tears. I think I really flipped out when I saw a panel in the 'alternate history' track about... SHAVING WITH A STRAIGHT RAZOR. After that, subsequent panels were read through a haze of red.

sansuki wrote:There is nothing sadder than a great panel almost nobody attended in a convention where less interesting panels had lines an hour in advance.

Yes. Yes there is. A decent smartphone app with a few flaws being updated to completely fucking fail in the middle of a packed Sunday so it crashes anytime I try to view my schedule. It almost made me shed a tear. -That-'s sad.


*waves cane around, clutches her copy of the paper pocket grid*

As someone who has still successfully resisted getting a smartphone at all, I can't say I even noticed. My dear, sweet, precious schedule grid on dead trees with hand-staining ink is as valuable as rubies to me in my habits.

sansuki wrote:One thing, though; compared to when I left there were far, far, FAR more women, and far less crudity and rudeness. It was almost a different convention, and I started to feel guilty and selfconscious about my deliberately self-abnegating camouflage designed to keep me from being noticed. If I go to DCon next year, I probably won't wear a costume. I probably won't wear beige again either.

For what it's worth, when I heard they were promoting "Costuming is not consent" at DragonCon, I was a little surprised. Not because I think it's a bad message, but because as long as I've been going, I've been hearing such good things from people about DragonCon versus others. I don't know what makes DragonCon particularly special (or even if it is - I'm not in the best position to judge as given my age and gender and limited con experiences), but I don't think your experience here is unusual. I think it's a good con. :)


Oh god, it's *absolutely* better than the other conventions I've been to. Back in the day, it was about on the same level, but really in the past five years being a woman at PAX has taught me not to ever, ever get noticed if I don't want to spend the next while being... well, it's not a very friendly convention to people who are not in the strike zone of Gamer Culture that I've noticed. I have some really bad memories around the start of the 2000s with Dragoncon, which is why better vibes now struck me so strongly. Thanks for the compliment (at the start of the response) though!
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