Poll #1126629 In-person Meetings
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

I went to Arisia and...

For those dialing in late, it was just discovered last week that the "terms and conditions" associated with the invitation of the creator of Something Positive (or S*P) to participate at Arisia had been left hanging and never resolved. The result was that Mr. Millholland believed that the convention was still working things out, and was planning to attend--while the Programming Division Head assumed that he was no longer interested in attending. Mr. Millholland posted a rather upset blog entry claiming that he had learned--second-hand--that he had been "disinvited," and that he wouldn't be attending. I'm vastly paraphrasing other's words here--hopefully this is a fair, if concise, summary.

Some fans--on both sides--took this quite personally. I was going to reply to one in particular, this comment, in which lizreay said: "What a jerk. Some people need an attitude adjustment. With a large wrench." After much consideration, I decided not to stoke the flames in anyone's journal but my own.

Here's what I wrote:

Subject: Look in the mirror. Oh, hey! There's one!

Do you think there's anyone in the world who feels worse about this than the people at Arisia responsible? If you have any doubt, read their own words, here and elsewhere.

“Before you speak, think -Is it necessary? Is it true? Is it kind? Will it hurt anyone? Will it improve on the silence?” --Sri Sathya Sai Baba

lizreay, it's really easy to sit behind your screen and talk about "attitude adjustment"--with "a large wrench," even. Yes, there was really poor execution on this. I can tell you sincerely--from my direct and personal experience with the dozens of Arisians I've known--that this contretemps didn't result from any "attitudinal misalignment."

I don't speak for the convention or the corporation; I speak only for myself. That said, when valid criticism of my favorite convention and the hard-working people who run it crosses the line and becomes a vituperative attack, I will stand up and make myself counted in opposition. If that makes me a "fanboy," then so be it. I'm a fanboy. You know what else I've always been a fan of? S*P. I'll never be a fan of self-righteous, thinly-veiled threats of violence.

I'm proud to have been a volunteer, a staffer, and a member of the corporation, and I will continue to do so.

Poll #907523 Post-Arisia Roll Call
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

I saw HappyPete at Arisia

HappyPete saw me at Arisia

I saw and/or recognized HappyPete after he got his near-buzz haircut while at-con

We are here.  Q has already been to Fast Track, and apparently finds it good.

Tired.  Going to sleep.  More con tomorrow.

Well, it's time once again to start planning for Arisia. I had to bail on my pre-con job--I just wasn't getting it done, and wasn't seeing it happening in the time available. So, I guess I'll "work for a living" at the con, proper, again.

So, in that vein: what would you like to hear me talk about? [Feel free to also offer me hard currency to keep quiet about something--but you might not want to put that in an LJ comment.]

If you're a program participant, what panels or program items are you planning to be on that you'd like me to sign up for, too? Are there any that you want to "plug" for me, Q, or prettypammie to try to attend, even if I'm not participating?

There's no need for you to Google these or look them up--that's my next step. Just working my LJ-network to see if any of you might already know how to reach one or more of the following organizations:

Broken Mirrors Press
Fleer Entertainment Group, Inc.
Scolar Press
Fusion Video
Mayfair Games Inc.
RPGA Network
Carroll & Graf Publishers
Celadon Press
Space Frontier Society of New York
CARDZ Distribution, Inc.
Tattersall Publishing

The address I have for them is not valid and no forwarding address was immediately available.