From: "Ernest Lilley" <elilley at mindspring.com>
To: "'WSFA members'" <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Shocking News! Sci-fi conventions are luring fewerfans
Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2004 18:10:55 -0500
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

I agree that literary cons don't have to dwindle. But I do think that
brining in new blood is a good thing. I'd like to see a strong literary
core with tie in programming to extend our reach.

Ernest

ern at e357.net / (703) 371 0226 hm/cell

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Walsh [mailto:MJW at press.jhu.edu]
Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2004 4:09 PM
To: WSFAlist at WSFA.org
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Shocking News! Sci-fi conventions are luring
fewerfans

> elilley at mindspring.com 11/4/04 3:51:18 PM >>>
>Ok, like we knew this already, ant this article is talking about
media
>cons mostly...but we still have to talk about it as it regards
CapClave.
>
>Ern
>
>Sci-fi conventions are luring fewer fans
>Thursday, November 04, 2004
>By RAY KELLY
>rkelly at repub.com
>
>The technological advances once dreamt of by fantasy lovers are now
>killing science-fiction fan conventions.
>
>In today's wired world, sci-fi fans e-mail each other and discuss
their
>favorite shows on message boards, chat on-line with actors and
authors,
>and buy autographed mementos on eBay.
>
>As a result, conventions, a sci-fi staple of the 1970s, have dwindled
in
>number and attendance, said Paul Aldred, organizer of this weekend's
>United Fan Con at the Springfield Marriott.
>
>More...
>
>http://www.masslive.com/living/republican/index.ssf?/base/living-2/1099
4

>90605324210.xml
>

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.

mjw