Conventions: Members Versus Customers

[kevin_standlee]

The post-Eastercon discussions going on in eastercon and elsewhere include the question of those people who attend conventions viewing themselves solely as "paying customers." I suggested we may need to start printing a fine-print contract on membership materials, the way sporting events and concerts do on their tickets, such as:

THIS IS NOT A TICKET. You are a member of this convention. This event is being organized entirely by volunteers who are working without compensation and who had to pay for their own memberships and travel expenses. While the organizers will make a reasonable effort to present this event in the way it is described in its written materials, they cannot guarantee that all things will happen as planned. By purchasing this membership you explicitly acknowledge that all functions are subject to change or cancellation with or without notice for any reason whatsoever.

This is only a rough first effort, but I think you get the idea. It is a little sad that I can say that I'm quite serious that we may really need to do this or face threats of litigation for "false advertising" and "breech of contract" with attendees.

Comments

[avt-tor.livejournal.com]

ou keep professing not to grasp a difference between friendly behavior and "polite stranger" behavior, which I find so bizarre and which puts you back on that other planet you claim to prefer to inhabit.


I agree that some SMOFs may not have complete social skill sets. I sure don't. I often make mistakes with people. I don't consider this to be a defect unique to conrunners, though.

I will say that if you have a problem with the way your friend treated you, I think that's an issue between you and your friend.

And, like many word-oriented geeks, in a stressful situation, I sometimes get fairly formal, wordy, and excessively precise with people if I perceive a lack of communication. The people who accept this flaw of mine are my friends. The people who don't are not. One of the things I like about fandom (and this isn't universal but it is common) is the way people accept each other's social quirks.

I've been on committees with a lot of annoying people. Not only do I not consider the committee to be the reason I work on conventions, I often tell my friends, "We're doing this for the membership, not for ."