From: "Ted White" <twhite8 at cox.net>
To: "WSFA members" <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Re: Re: Re: Capclave Attendance
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 19:07:00 -0500
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

----- Original Message -----
From: "Strong, Lee" <strongl at sddc.army.mil>
To: "'WSFA members'" <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 2:16 PM
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Re: Re: Capclave Attendance

> Good comments.
> A long time reader's perspective:  Different people go for different
> reasons.  My perception is that a lot of people go for the parties --
which
> do very little for me because I perceive the science fictional content of
> parties to be low.  I enjoy the hucksters' room, movies and panels as
well
> as talking to friends.  To me, books, movies and discussions **are**
science
> fiction.  On the other hand, I have heard people say from the Disclave
> podium that hucksters' rooms, movies and panels are cotton candy for the
> masses, not the true reason for cons.
> An alternate historian's perspective:  Great idea for an alternate
> history track.
> A semi-professional surveyor's perspective:  There are ways to
> survey the opinions of potential attendees but they require time and
energy
> if not money, and I haven't heard anyone volunteer for the job.
> A lot depends on who we are, what we want to do, and who we want to
> attract.

Fandom was, and maybe still is, a community.   Conventions used to draw
entirely upon that community for membership.   At some point, probably in
the '70s, conventions became much larger and ceased to draw upon the
community of fans except for the core group of attendees -- those who
showed up every year.

As far as I'm concerned, the rest of the attendees are warm bodies.

--Ted White