Visions '91 USENET Gathering Update
Don Ducharme
really nifty idea of an informal gathering at Visions '91
of all the USENETters in attendance at the convention. To
facilitate making the idea into a reality, I posted an
article on USENET, inquiring as to whether anyone was
actually interested in the idea. After receiving a pretty
fair response, I wrote the Visions '91 staff regarding the
possibility of scheduling the meeting as a part of the
convention's activities and having it listed in the program
book.
Sometime later, I received a letter from Lisa Albergo.
Unfortunately, she thought I was requesting a panel. Now,
maybe someone out there in USENET land would like to do
such a panel on USENET, however, I don't. As I explained
to her over the phone, USENET isn't like a fan club. In
other words, we're not out to recruit new members. All I
was looking to do, was to allow people to meet others whom
they might have corresponded with or have read their posts.
What Lisa and I eventually came up with is that we, the
interested USENET people, will set a time and place for
ourselves. Lisa said we could put up notices in the hotel
advertising our time and meeting location, however, my
personal experience regarding conventions, hotels, and
posted flyers says don't count on it.
What I'm thinking right now, is that Friday night, either
before or after the Masquerade Ball, might be a good time.
If it's a bit late, like around 11:00 p.m. or 12:00 a.m.
(or even later), we could either: a) go out for drinks b)
go out for a late breakfast at someplace like Denny's, or c)
none of the above (suggest something).
As we still have almost two months before the convention,
there's still plenty of time for ideas and open discussion
on the best place and time to meet and what we want to do.
Post your thoughts if you think it's something we should
discuss or feel free to e-mail me with them. Regarding a
meeting place, most Who-oriented conventions have fan-made
display items such as Daleks or TARDISes about, these make
excellent, easy-to-find, unique meeting places. Certainly
better than asking everyone to meet in the lobby -- can you
pick out the USENET Doctor Who fans from the crowd of the
"regular" Doctor Who fans? I know I can't. :-)
--
Don C. Ducharme -- d...@jwt.UUCP (uunet!jwt!don)
mor...@iscsvax.uni.edu
Regarding a
> meeting place, most Who-oriented conventions have fan-made
> display items such as Daleks or TARDISes about, these make
> excellent, easy-to-find, unique meeting places. Certainly
> better than asking everyone to meet in the lobby -- can you
> pick out the USENET Doctor Who fans from the crowd of the
> "regular" Doctor Who fans? I know I can't. :-)
Oh sure, it's easy. Just look for the individuals with stooped shoulders,
glassy eyed stares, and rather precise finger movements - on second thought
that really doesn't help does it?
Just listen for key phrases like - e-mail, r.a.dw, alt., bitnet, ethernet,
any other net, .... then you will surely be able to pick them out.
Also if they have name tags, you might be able to recognize a few of the names,
it has happened to me at the most un-Doctor Who conventions.
> Don C. Ducharme -- d...@jwt.UUCP (uunet!jwt!don)
Siobahn (Shabang) Morgan
mor...@iscsvax.uni.edu
Anything BUT Denny's!
Matthew Farwell
>In article <1991Oct2.0...@jwt.UUCP>, d...@jwt.UUCP (Don Ducharme) writes:
>Regarding a
>> meeting place, most Who-oriented conventions have fan-made
>> display items such as Daleks or TARDISes about, these make
>> excellent, easy-to-find, unique meeting places. Certainly
>> better than asking everyone to meet in the lobby -- can you
>> pick out the USENET Doctor Who fans from the crowd of the
>> "regular" Doctor Who fans? I know I can't. :-)
>Oh sure, it's easy. Just look for the individuals with stooped shoulders,
>glassy eyed stares, and rather precise finger movements - on second thought
>that really doesn't help does it?
>Just listen for key phrases like - e-mail, r.a.dw, alt., bitnet, ethernet,
>any other net, .... then you will surely be able to pick them out.
Why doesn't everyone who reads rec.arts.drwho just wear a badge with 'I
am a geek' written on it???
Dylan.
--
dy...@ibmpcug.co.uk || ...!uunet!uknet!ibmpcug!dylan
C makes it easy for you to shoot yourself in the foot. C++ makes that
harder, but when you do, it blows away your whole leg - Bjarne Stroustrup
Don Ducharme
>In article <1991Oct2....@iscsvax.uni.edu> mor...@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
>Why doesn't everyone who reads rec.arts.drwho just wear a badge with 'I
>am a geek' written on it???
>
>Dylan.
I guess because many of us *aren't* geeks. Of course,
anyone who is, is more than welcome to do so.
Afterall, it's a free universe....in most parts, that is.
--
Mike Gardiner
In a message to All <02 Oct 91 01:21:43> Don Ducharme wrote:
> From: d...@jwt.UUCP (Don Ducharme)
> Organization: Private System -- Orlando, FL
>
> For those of you who are coming into this late, I had this
> really nifty idea of an informal gathering at Visions '91
> of all the USENETters in attendance at the convention.
> What I'm thinking right now, is that Friday night, either
> before or after the Masquerade Ball, might be a good time.
> If it's a bit late, like around 11:00 p.m. or 12:00 a.m.
> (or even later), we could either: a) go out for drinks b)
> go out for a late breakfast at someplace like Denny's, or c)
> none of the above (suggest something).
How 'bout this: At the Chicago WorldCon, there was held an @ party, that ran,
like most parties, for several hours. Anyone with an Internet address was
allowed in. Use a similar idea, decide ahead of time to have a party and
which night it will be on. Everyone who plans to go should know to look at
the central information board by the registrations desk to find out which room
the party is to be in. Since the fact of the party and the means of locating
it are set in advance, there should be no problem. (There may be too many
people for one room, but that is another issue.) This has some advantages, by
spreading out a party that runs for several hours, no one is forced to choose
netween events, unless they want to see things that conflict with all covered
hours.
I face this problem myself as likely hours for a short gathering are likely to
be blocked by something that I CANNOT skip, a party would solve the problem as
the coverage would allow me to be there before or after the other claim on my
time.
This is the only way I can think of to make it easy on everyone. If people
were interested, it could be an 'any-network' Doctor Who party, and the Fido
people could get involved as well. There is a certain amount of cross-over in
that.
End Suggestion.
On the point of recognizing Netters out of a crowd, a sticker on your badge
with a net address or a seperate badge for the purpose can help, somewhat.
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Mike Gardiner |"The game is never over, Doctor, and the prize is
m...@m-net.ann-arbor.mi.us | never won. Broken doors, broken dreams, it's all
m...@grex.ann-arbor.mi.us | the same thing. A doors' purpose is to conceal
00019...@mcimail.com | the contents of a room, and dreams are the doors
7627...@compuserve.com | of the mind." - Mysterious Figure, _Broken Doors_
1:120/116.42@FidoNet +---------------------------------------------------
Mike.G...@p42.f116.n120.z1.fidonet.org (Whew! That's a long one!)
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