Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 09:51:54 -0400
From: "Michael Walsh" <MJW at press.jhu.edu>
To: <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Worldcon - attendance vs. membership
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

> sfbookfan at yahoo.com 8/22/2005 9:41:52 AM >>>
>> --- "Keith F. Lynch" <kfl at KeithLynch.net> wrote:
>> > Michael Walsh wrote:
>> > > Here:
>> > http://www.interaction.worldcon.org.uk/members.htm
>> >you can search using state name abbreviations, such
>as > MD, DC, VA to see who
>> > > were members, a number of folks with attending
>> were able to make it.
>> >
>> > Thanks.  Also thanks to Rich and Bob.  By
>comparing our WSFA
>> > attendance data to that URL, and from other
>> sources,
>> > here's the
>> > semi-final list of past and present WSFAns at the
>> > Worldcon, which
>> > I intend to publish in the next WSFA Journal:
>
>Keith,
>
>You're clearly confusing having a membership with
>actual attendance.  One can have an attending
>membership of a convention without attending and many
>WSFAns did just that.  In fact the GoH had an
>attending membership and was unable to attend.
>
>Just what is the purpose of publishing a list of
>WSFAns who may or may not have attended this WorldCon
>in the WSFA Journal?  If you can't vet it any better
>than equating an attending membership with actual
>attendance, then it is not an accurate list.  Why
>publish an inaccurate list?

"A list of WSFAns who really, really, really wanted to go to Glasgow.
& many, but not all, did."

mjw