From: Michael Pederson <mike at nthzine.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Shocking News! Sci-fi conventions are luring fewer fans
Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2004 16:17:31 -0500
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

Very true. And this article doesn't mention that anime cons are getting
larger and larger every year. Plus DragonCon and San Diego Comic Con
have both topped out at over 30,000 people the past few years. SF
fandom is larger than ever. It's just become very very very different
than the fandom that we all grew up with.

Michael D. Pederson
Publisher/Editor
Nth Degree

On Nov 4, 2004, at 4:08 PM, Michael Walsh wrote:

> I think not.
>
> Look at the numbers for Worldcon in the US.  See:
> http://www.wsfs.org/wclist.html .  The US numbers for the last decade
> are variable but rarely below 5000 bodies.
>
> Having read the article . . .well, maybe it's the media fans that are
> finding lonely joy in front of their glowing monitors.
>
> One the big differences between "traditional" cons like
> Disclave/Capclave - and even the multi-ring circus of Balticon and the
> biggest sf circus of Worldcon - and media cons, is that we sell
> "memberships", they sell "tickets".
>
> And whatever the reasons for Capclave's dwindling attendence, I really
> don't believe it's folks gawking at their monitors.