Worldcon Day 5: An Apology
Aug. 27th, 2006 10:51 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kevin_standleeI don't always realize the impact of what I'm saying. Last night during the brief -- maybe 30 minutes -- I was out on the party floor after Match Game, I was informed that something I said while presiding over the Site Selection Business Meeting was taken far differently than I intended. While thanking the bidders on the 2008 Site Selection, what I apparently said was that I congratulated the bidders for a "reasonably well-run campaign." This made at least one of the non-winning bids feel very unhappy with me for downgrading their performance with the "reasonably" modifier.
Now there are two things that went wrong here. First, I've been known to describe the Worldcon I chaired as "reasonably well-run," and that this was the best we could have expected. Second, and more importantly in this case, in reviewing my thoughts at the time, I think what I meant to congratulate the bids for was a "reasonable, well-run campaign." I hope other people see the distinction I do here, and how easy it was to accidentally run them together while speaking.
I have to deal with so many unreasonable people in fandom that my telling people that they are "reasonable" should be taken as a compliment. Perhaps it's sad that this is the case, but I do mean it.
In any event, I took the opportunity last night while eating one of the last of the Chicago Hot Dogs to apologize to their committee and supporters, and I'm taking the same opportunity here to apologize to the Columbus and Denver Bid Committees and to anyone else I offended by my hasty, run-together, mal-punctuated comments, and assure you all that I was attempting to issue a compliment, no matter how mediocre I ended up sounding.
Now there are two things that went wrong here. First, I've been known to describe the Worldcon I chaired as "reasonably well-run," and that this was the best we could have expected. Second, and more importantly in this case, in reviewing my thoughts at the time, I think what I meant to congratulate the bids for was a "reasonable, well-run campaign." I hope other people see the distinction I do here, and how easy it was to accidentally run them together while speaking.
I have to deal with so many unreasonable people in fandom that my telling people that they are "reasonable" should be taken as a compliment. Perhaps it's sad that this is the case, but I do mean it.
In any event, I took the opportunity last night while eating one of the last of the Chicago Hot Dogs to apologize to their committee and supporters, and I'm taking the same opportunity here to apologize to the Columbus and Denver Bid Committees and to anyone else I offended by my hasty, run-together, mal-punctuated comments, and assure you all that I was attempting to issue a compliment, no matter how mediocre I ended up sounding.
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no subject
Date: 2006-08-28 05:53 am (UTC)-Sheepishly
P.S I should have stuck with a "a small business meeting". But, at least I got a hat out of it. And I bet A2010 got some free "publicity".
P.P.S. Don't worry about it. I suspect my words will live to haunt longer.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-28 06:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-02 05:27 am (UTC)