From: "Ted White" <twhite8 at cox.net>
To: "WSFA members" <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Capclave
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 21:51:50 -0400
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

----- Original Message -----
From: "Keith F. Lynch" <kfl at KeithLynch.net>
To: "WSFA members" <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Sent: Monday, October 18, 2004 7:40 PM
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Capclave

> "Ted White" <twhite8 at cox.net> wrote:
>
> >> You missed an excellent con.
>
> > Really?  By what standards?  I heard a lot of complaints.
>
> I enjoyed it.  And I heard few complaints at the official gripe
> session or elsewhere.  (I took notes at the gripe session, and I will
> type them up soon.  Does anyone have a preference whether I should do
> them or the meeting minutes first?)

I didn't attend that, and I doubt many who did gripe stayed around for it.

> It's true that every Capclave has been smaller than the previous.
> This is an ominous trend, and I'm not the only WSFAn interested in
> finding a way to reverse it.
>
[...]
>
> I too hope that next year's guests of honor re-energize the con, and
> that the $1000 being spent on Capclave publicity at this year's World
> Fantasy Convention in Arizona will help attract more out-of-town fans
> and pros.

One important change should be the Program Book (or booklet).  I know Jim
has a lot of other things on his mind, and maybe didn't have the time --
and I'd glad this year's was better than last year's, which didn't have
space for my piece on Phil Klass (I gave him a printed-out copy of the
piece, for which he thanked me) -- but attention has to be paid to small
details, like copyright notices.  Any time we publish a piece of fiction
(by the GoH or anyone else), it should carry either a current copyright
notice, or, if it's a reprint, the original copyright notice.  A failure to
do this has legal consequences and just makes WSFA/Capclave look bad.

Beyond that, it's inexplicable that any modern, computer-typeset
publication should be set in Courier and look typewriter-written.  Not only
is it space-wasteful, it looks cheaper and sloppier.  And I really could
have used a table of contents in the booklet.  Plus, there is no reason to
call announcements "Errata," which they were not.

> Even though there were some problems with the hotel (such as the hotel
> staff inexplicably unlocking the dealer room at 6:30 am Sunday, and a
> spectacular short circuit at about 5 pm that afternoon), I hope we can
> remain with the same hotel and the same weekend for a few years, since
> a change in either one tends to decrease attendance.

Getting to the hotel involves learning an almost Byzantine route (and
leaving to get back on eastbound Route 7, a different route, as well) for
those of us who use cars -- but, once I learned that the hotel (despite
hints to the contrary on its website) was on the north side of Route 7, I
grew fond of its location, which is relatively convenient to Falls Church
(where I live).  I notice that the location of the next Capclave is "TBA,"
but I rather hope it is in the same location.

--Ted White