WSFS Misconceptions (Possibly #1 in a Series)

[kevin_standlee]

[This is not an official statement from the World Science Fiction Society. I am not President of WSFS, Inc. This is my personal opinion, not that of any organization, club, convention, committee, corporation, or other entity that I ever have been or currently am a member, officer, or employee. The WSFS logo is up there because I'm writing about WSFS.]

Somewhere along the way, it appears that people have got it into their heads that being listed on the Worldcon Bids page on the WSFS.org website implies either:

1. These bids have been officially approved and blessed in some way by an Official Central Board of Directors. This isn't true. As far as I know, none of them have even filed their bidding papers yet, although if I do get word of a 2026 bid actually filing (and time is almost up), I'll put links to the filings on the WSFS site.

2. Being listed on that page means that they've already been selected, and it's hopeless to say or do anything, because the decisions have already made. This of course is also not true. The lack of multiple bidders for most future years is a function of various things, but it has nothing to do with an equivalent to the International Olympic Committee having selected them and locked out anyone else.

I wish that people who think this, when given the actual way things work, would give some sort of explanation of why they think this way. Unless they would do so, all I can assume is that they think something like, "But that's how everything works. Nobody is allowed to do anything unless they are given official approval to do it by Central Strong Authority."

As of tonight, there is an additional statement on the bidding page that tries to make it more obvious.

None of the sites listed here have been selected to hold a Worldcon. Bids do not need any sort of "pre-approval" to announce a bid. Bids only become seated Worldcons upon selection by the members of the Worldcon two years before the year indicated.

I hope people read it.

[Again, this is my personal opinion, not an official statement from any organization, convention, corporation, or any other entity. Believe it or not, I really can have personal opinions that differ from any organization, etc. of which I'm a member. I am not the King of Worldcon, owner of Worldcon Intellectual Property, and Duke of the World Science Fiction Society. And I am very definitely not the Boss of the Hugos.]

Comments

[history_monk]

"The last of multiple" should presumably be "The list of multiple"?

[kevin_standlee]

Actually "lack" rather than "list." Fixed now. Thanks.

[voidampersand]

Looks like it's on the Worldcon.org website: https://www.worldcon.org/worldcon-bids/

Shorter version of "About WSFS": "It doesn't work that way."

[travelswithkuma]

thoughts W S F S ments wants smalls fishes soons

[billroper]

You're going to need to program that disclaimer onto a macro key on your computer. :)

[kevin_standlee]

OTOH, if I write it slightly differently every time, people might actually read it.

[kshandra]

And I am very definitely not the Boss of the Hugos.

There is probably a Hugo-Boss-the-designer-and-N@zi joke in there somewhere, but I am far too tired to make it at all, much less make it funny.

[scott_sanford]

I do like "Duke of the World Science Fiction Society" though. :-)

[kevin_standlee]

I was thinking how the Channel Islands are part of the British monarchy as the last piece of the Duchy of Normandy, so the traditional usage on the Islands is apparently to refer to their head of state (Currently Charles III) as "the King, our Duke" because those islands are not actually part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

(The things you learn when you travel to a SMOFCon on Jersey and pick up some of the books on the local history.)

[scott_sanford]

I've ingested the output of various map nerds holding forth on how bits of the United Kingdom and its associated entities are organized and, ah, not organized. It's a delightfully confusing pile of accumulated traditions.

If anyone starts talking about Hugo Award or WSFS business procedures being too complicated, you're welcome to try pointing them toward the selection process for Lord Mayor of the City of London. Good grief!

[kevin_standlee]

The WSFS MPC negotiated a settlement with Hugo Boss in Europe, via the MPC's European IP firm (at a low five-figure cost), to allow Worldcon Intellectual Property (the California nonprofit corporation whose board of directors is the MPC) to register "Hugo Award" in the EU (and the UK; it was grandfathered after Brexit). HB says they won't give out literary awards, and we won't make clothing with the word "Hugo" on it.

In other words, while it's funny in a way, it's also quite serious in another.

[kshandra]

All the more reason I’m glad I didn’t try. There are enough people with feet in mouths right now.