Con-clueless
May. 29th, 2004 01:16 pmI've been to exactly two SF cons ever -- a Worldcon (Noreascon II, in Boston in 1981) and a local one (Baycon, in 1991). I've never really gotten the impetus... both times I went for just a day membership, didn't know anyone there, sat in on some panels, walked around the dealers' room and bought stuff, and watched people dressed up in costume walk around. It was okay, but I felt very much like an observer at some other community's event, missing the signals and important cues. I didn't stay around in the evenings, since I knew no one and wasn't staying there overnight.
This weekend, many local friends are going to this years' Baycon, which reminds me of the difference in my perception of such events compared to theirs. There must be *something* which draws them back, year after year... I understand intuitively an attraction to Burning Man, say, even having never been there, because of the parallels with camping during field work. But I'm still mostly con-clueless.
That said, I did visit Baycon briefly yesterday, going over to give![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
questioner a hair-check in her room before the festivities. I wasn't thinking and wore a NASA shirt -- actually, my "SETI Signal Detection Team -- Arecibo'92" polo shirt. Which then resulted in my being stopped and queried twice just between the elevators and parking lot, once by two attractive women with "guest" badges ("I'd like to work there, too!") and another time by some older guy with a mustache and about ten ribbons on his badge -- an organizer of some sort. I suppose that wearing work-related stuff is actually a button-pushing kind of display, in that environment. LOL... I guess that my project-patch-covered NASA flight jacket would be practically fetish-wear, over there. Or maybe not... I still don't really understand the con-cultural values. Anyway, hopefully my friends will enjoy themselves while I'm out at Costco or weeding this weekend. ;-)
This weekend, many local friends are going to this years' Baycon, which reminds me of the difference in my perception of such events compared to theirs. There must be *something* which draws them back, year after year... I understand intuitively an attraction to Burning Man, say, even having never been there, because of the parallels with camping during field work. But I'm still mostly con-clueless.
That said, I did visit Baycon briefly yesterday, going over to give
questioner a hair-check in her room before the festivities. I wasn't thinking and wore a NASA shirt -- actually, my "SETI Signal Detection Team -- Arecibo'92" polo shirt. Which then resulted in my being stopped and queried twice just between the elevators and parking lot, once by two attractive women with "guest" badges ("I'd like to work there, too!") and another time by some older guy with a mustache and about ten ribbons on his badge -- an organizer of some sort. I suppose that wearing work-related stuff is actually a button-pushing kind of display, in that environment. LOL... I guess that my project-patch-covered NASA flight jacket would be practically fetish-wear, over there. Or maybe not... I still don't really understand the con-cultural values. Anyway, hopefully my friends will enjoy themselves while I'm out at Costco or weeding this weekend. ;-)
