200 SMOFs A-Smoffing…

[kevin_standlee]

With some 215 members (as of Friday evening), this SMOFCon is really humming. This could have been very unfortunate had our social space been even the largest hotel suite. However, the social space is actually a hotel ballroom section, with lots of chairs, tables, couches, and plenty of room to socialize without feeling like we're in a mosh pit.

There are two tracks of programming: panel-type programming and round-table discussions and workshops. These are in adjacent hotel function rooms named "Middlebury" and "Wellesley." Just before programming started, they realized that they'd put the larger panels in the smaller room and vice versa, so they hastily hand-lettered signs. The hotel sign saying "Middlebury," for instance, said, "For SMOFCon purposes, WELLESLEY."

The programming started this afternoon with two panels I was very enthusiastic about attending. First was "The Words We Use," a discussion of fannish terminology and how it affects how we think about ourselves. A hot-button issue in the fandom where I spend most of my time, for instance, is over "membership" versus "ticket." We had enough material to go on for hours, but after 55 minutes, it was time for the next pair of panels, and Cheryl and I decamped next door.

Next it was a roundtable on "What Makes a Good Hugo Category," where we tossed in the results of the snap poll on SF Awards Watch. I think the group here generally agreed that the most-popular response at SFAW ("lots of quality works") was their highest priority as well. There were some other interesting discussions at this panel, but I'd rather you go read SFAW, where I think we'll see more developments later.

This led us to the dinner break. We originally were pointed at the Legal Sea Foods "Test Kitchen" in Terminal A of the adjacent Logan Airport. Unfortunately, the Test Kitchen is airside, so Cheryl and I walked around through to Terminal C to the main Legal Sea Foods, where we had an excellent seafood meal with large fannish contingents on both sides of us. (We had dithered over going out to dinner, and most of the people with whom we would have likely dined had either already left or were just coming back from their early dinners to which they went because they skipped the afternoon programming.

The evening social gets a separate entry.

Comments

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

I would have said it's not a hot-button issue in my fandom, since we're all agreed around here: "ticket" is wrong. But maybe that's what you mean by "hot-button issue."

[redneckotaku.livejournal.com]

There are anime cons (such as NY Anime Festival) that call their entrance passes tickets. NY Anime Festival is also an industry focused event. I hope Anime USA always call them Memberships

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

I know that. But that is outside of "my fandom."

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

True, you know that; however, there are an increasing number of people coming to events -- even events you might attend -- who don't see the distinction you're making. I certainly have seen people talking of buying "tickets" to Worldcon or World Fantasy Con or such.