Back from Readercon

[ckd]

Back from Readercon. Tired. Sniffling, which is allergies and/or a con crud cold. As usual, falling into the post-con "it's over? already?" blues...and looking forward to Worldcon.

Overall: This was another good Readercon.

Positives: I made it to several very good panels (which I have notes on and will put some reports together for). I got to see lots of great people I don't see often enough (and meet some new ones). I finally managed to get to the Korean BBQ place after years of not quite making it. (Mmmm, bulgogi.)

Negatives: There were too many people I didn't see: not everyone I would have liked to see made it to the con, and I didn't get enough time with several of the folks who did make it. The hotel Internet was $13/day and really bad; I heard enough complaints that I didn't even bother trying. I just used my cellphone data plan instead, and even shared it out over Wi-Fi for a few folks so they could get to sites that weren't working through the hotel wireless: you know, the really obscure and useless ones like Gmail. I was spoiled by the free and functional wireless at Fourth Street and Penguicon; if this had been either free or functional, I think a lot of people would have been at least marginally satisfied with it.

I'm really wary about the announced "no GoH, single track" plan for next year. It worked for Fourth Street, but that was between 1/3 and 1/4 the size of Readercon and probably would have been a problem had it been much larger. For the first time in a while I didn't pre-register for next year at the con, because I'm wondering if I'll want to go. Watching train wrecks isn't nearly as much fun when you're on the train.

I'm really glad I decided to (a) stay at the hotel again and (b) arrive Thursday. There was enough con on Thursday night and Friday morning to justify the extra day (to the detriment of folks who couldn't get there until after work Friday, unfortunately). I don't see going to a single programming track as likely to improve that issue either.

Comments

[asyouknow-bob.livejournal.com]

Thanks for finding me (...despite my forgetting to bring my identifying LJ photo...).

It was nice to meet you, and to match up a face with an LJ persona.

(And I still love your 'shark' icon.)

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

Just FYI, I created some groups on my Address Book and they synced perfectly to the phone. But the Smart Groups did not. Any thoughts? (Also, I can't seem to put a contact in a group on my phone, only on the computer.)

I really appreciate the help you gave me with this.

[ckd]

Looks like you can't sync smart groups directly, though you can kinda fake it. I also don't see any way to put a contact into a group or groups on the handheld. Maybe in 3.1.

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

Re: next year... wha wait huh wha huh? I didn't hear about that. That is very worrisome indeed.

[ckd]

The flyer for next year's con:

July 8-11, 2010
Burlington Marriott

Readercon 21
a.k.a. "Readerconcentrate"

This IS your father's Readercon¹

Guests of Honor:
You and all your friends²

Special Memorial Guests of Honor:
Philip K. Dick & Theodore Sturgeon

All profits from Readercon 21 will be donated
to the Paul Williams Fund
(see paulwilliams.com)

¹Like Readercons 1 and 2, Readercon 21 will feature a single track of programming
²Programming at Readercon 21 will be largely created by the attendees

www.readercon.org

Now, it's true that there is a long tradition in fandom of hoax bids/newsletters/etc, but I was handed this flyer at registration along with the program guide and souvenir book; later, when yuki_onna asked ericmvan if readings would be part of the main track or not, his response wasn't "oh, that's a hoax flyer" but rather "well, there might be a partial readings track" (IIRC).

[aedifica]

Based on a half-remembered comment of yours in mrissa's journal, does the fact that you're home from Readercon mean it's your birthday? If so, happy birthday!

[ckd]

'Twas Friday, actually[1]. Thanks!

[1] Which means I share a birthday with Nikola Tesla and Mr. Wizard. You could do worse.

[anisosynchronic.livejournal.com]

The thought of single track programming at Readercon does not elicit pleasure in me. On the other hand, I remember the continued-all-weekend on-going dialogue at a Readercon in Westborough which was between Jim Macdonald and Steve Brust with participation of a significant cast of contributing kibbitzers. I don't remember the formal program of that year, I do remember the dialogue's topic even ("Subtext exists and is real." "Subtext does -not- exist and it is NOT real!"

At least one person has referred to next year's Readercon as "a relaxacon Readercon."

[sethb.livejournal.com]

One track works for 4th St. because it was always intended to be that way (and 4th St. has a much better Con Suite). It's not clear whether Readercon will do the stuff it has to in order to make it work.

[stevendj.livejournal.com]

What I heard, is that the original plan was simply to cancel Readercon for at least a year or two because the concom was totally burned out, and somebody came up with the idea of a relaxacon version instead.

[coffeeandink.livejournal.com]

It was good to meet you! And thank you for the offer of relayed wireless, even though it didn't work out.