From: "Keith F. Lynch" <kfl at KeithLynch.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Free online Balticon
Date: Fri, 22 May 2020 21:48:39 -0400 (EDT)

I attended -- or rather watched -- one presentation this evening.
At first I thought I was the only audience member, since there was
no audio or video from anyone else.  It was a good presentation, but
it felt like watching a YouTube video, not like attending a con.

I go to cons mostly for interactive events, especially unscheduled
ones.  This Balticon uses Discord for that.  I tried to use it, but
it insisted on knowing my birthday.  It claimed it needed it only to
ensure that I was over 13.

I'm not willing to provide my full birthday, as it could be used for
identity theft.  I don't trust Discord, or a rogue employee thereof,
not to sell it.  I tried giving just the year, but it insisted on the
month and day.  Since my birth year isn't 2007, they can tell whether
I'm over 13 by the year alone.

Either they're idiots or they're dishonest.  Nothing keeps someone
under 13 from lying about either their age or their birth year.

So unless someone knows of a workaround, it looks like I won't be
participating in the online Balticon after all.