Date: Mon, 21 Mar 2005 17:07:49 -0500
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
From: "Mike B." <omni at omniphile.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Why event attendance is down these days [was: Re:[WSFA] Re: Move along, move along.  Was: Worldcon & Capclave]
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

At 02:41 PM 3/21/05 -0500, chuckdivine wrote:
>On Mon, 2005-03-21 at 13:30, Mike B. wrote:

>> o work hours - lots of people are working more hours than in the past.  I
>> didn't make it to last Friday's meeting because I was working until about
>> 4am (I started at 9am...it was a really long day...).
>
>What's really depressing about the rise of workaholism is how
>ineffective it is at actually accomplishing tasks.  People in this
>country don't pay attention to how much being tired costs us.

In this case I fixed the problem in our NTP server that was caused by an
inadvisable change in the OS by HP in time to get it into the next build
for an upcoming beta release.

>Yes, I know I have lots of shortcomings.  But, when some abusive bully
>tries to force one of these death marches on people, I'm more likely to
>say "I can't do that -- damned few people can" and make it stick.  Yes,

I've done that before.  I once said, "No." to a retired 2 star general who
was in charge of development at the beltway bandit I was working for at the
time.  He'd asked if I'd work the weekend to get a problem fixed.  I was
already working 12-15 hour days during the week, had a GF in Richmond and
had plans for the weekend, and knew that even if we fixed the problem
they'd just change the design the next week (they'd done that several times
already...the reason we were behind) and I didn't plan to stay with that
company anyway...which is what I told him when he asked me, "Why not?"
Specifically I said, "Because I have plans to be with my girlfriend, and I
expect that relationship to last longer than any I have with this company."
 He just stared at me for a second, and then said, "Alright"...knowing that
that battle wasn't winnable as I was immune to all his weaponry and had
right on my side.  I was right too...though neither relationship ended all
that soon after the statement.  I got the problem fixed about 10pm Friday
night and left for Richmond...and they changed the design to nullify that
code the following Tuesday as predicted...

>there is a down side to that kind of rebellion.  But at least I'm still
>healthy and relatively sane.

It wouldn't have been rebellion in the case of last Friday.  Nobody told me
I had to work those hours.  I knew the schedule, and the dir. of eng. had
said that if we had to we could ship the beta with a "known problem" list
that included the NTP server.  I just wasn't willing to let *my* part go
out broken...and there was another part that had the same problem and could
use the same code, so I was also helping out a co-worker who needed time to
fit the fix code into his part too.

>Are SF fans more prone to this kind of behavior than others?  I won't
>pretend that any of my social groups represent the mainstream of
>America.

Me neither.  Back when alcohol was served at cons a few fans got smashed
(saw more pros in that state than fans anyway ;-).  A few more got silly
drunk.  The vast majority were very measured about their drinking, if they
drank at all.  Though I do still remember one fan (who shall remain Fred
Kuhn) passed out under the announcement easel by the Balticon con suite...I
remember mostly because someone had drawn an arrow pointing to him with the
words, "Can you draw this man?  If you can, you may have an exciting career
as a still-life artist!  Call 1-800-DRI-NKME now!"

>I haven't noticed the rise in con prices all that much.  Virtually every
>con (excepting Disclave) I've ever attended has required me staying in
>the hotel for the weekend.  They're also infrequent enough for me so
>that cons are not a major expenditure for me.

You and I make decent money these days...unlike back in the 70s (I
expect...certainly true for me!).  $45 for a con isn't a major problem with
a good income and no kids...hardly noticeable.  For someone making minimum
wage, it's something you have to save up for though.  The $3-$8 prices were
only 2-3 hrs work at minimum wage ($1.65/hour for my first Disclave), but
$50 is more like 10-15 hours at current wage rates (depending on
taxes...about $4.85/hour these days, right?).  That's a big increase.

>Interesting.  Crime and cost prevents me from living in big cities.  But
>not visiting them?  The chances of something bad happening -- at least
>in the better neighborhoods -- are just too low.

On my way to Balticon year before last I was two blocks from the
Wyndham...that street you take up to the one that passes in front of it, so
you can get down into the parking garage across the street.  I watched two
men yelling at each other, then as one picked up a city trash can/basket
and started beating the other guy over the head.  There were dozens of
witnesses and several stores to call the police right by them, and then the
light went green so I left them to it...but I didn't go wandering away from
the hotel.  I have no idea if those two knew each other or not, or why one
was trying to kill the other one in broad daylight with witnesses, but I
didn't feel like finding out if the attacker was an equal-oportunity
aggressor.  I just decided the neighborhood wasn't all that great and
limited contact with it to crossing the street to my car (and staying very
alert as I did so).  Did I mention that I don't like cities?  This is part
of the reason why...

>> o Being social isn't what it once was - since the 70s it's become much more
>> acceptable to be pushy about your personal likes and dislikes and insist

>I think these crusaders have managed to really damage society.

I agree, though there's been good come from it as well.  Being more aware
that not everyone is just like you is worthwhile, and being inclusive is
good for a society too...but you can't do just one thing.  There are always
side effects.

>It's
>interesting to note that the Hash -- with its explicit rejection of PC
>by people of all political stripes -- functions really well.  And seems
>to be thriving.

Fans used to be really tolerant and open to suggestions and adjusting
things for those with "special needs" (heck, we all fit that description in
one way or another ;-).  What seems to me to have changed is the
self-righteous hostility about demanding that (at times), and the thinness
of the skins that prompts it (sometimes).  It doesn't take very many such
experiences to shift the atmosphere, even if *most* people are much nicer
about it on all sides.

In the past someone would just have mumbled, "what a grouch!" (insert
appropriate wordage), someone else would have agreed, and everyone would
have realized that the anti-social behavior wasn't generally acceptable, as
they'd thought, and bonds of community would have been reinforced...while
folks were still made aware that whatever had caused the problem was a
problem for some and should be avoided if possible.  Now, with so many
thin-skinned people around and a general fear of being "un-PC" (sometimes a
rational fear in some jobs or situations), that doesn't happen, and
everyone is left feeling a bit lost and mildly angered with no acceptable
way to get rid of it, and wondering where the *next* blindsiding attack
will come from.  Sometimes anyway.  Other times I still hear, "What a
grouch!", or equivalent, so all is not lost. ;-)

-- Mike B.

--
I tried to drown my troubles - the little bastards learned how to swim!