some thoughts on why I don't think I'd visit Readercon, now

[hawkwing_lb]

So I was thinking about maybe going to Readercon next year, if it turned out that the incoming funds gave me enough leeway to fly to Boston. People had told me it was awesome.

After this?

Nope. Definitely not conventioneering. My handful of experiences with Organised Fandom En Masse in the past have proved tremendously alienating. I've no intention of coupling that with a convention whose managing board can't even be arsed to explain why it isn't following its own stated policies on harrassment. (Zero-tolerance policies have their own problems, but a two-year ban isn't even a slap on the wrist. And zero-tolerance is the policy they have. Retroactive rewriting is not good.)

Which is sad, because flights to Boston are cheap, relatively speaking, and so many lovely people who I'd like to see live in the Americas and get together for conventions.

Maybe there should be an alternate party. In protest.

Comments

[boxofdelights]

You might like Wiscon.

[hawkwing_lb]

Flights to the middle of the continent are more expensive than flights to the edge, alas.

[anne]

Oh, it's worse than that: here's the official statement. http://readercon.livejournal.com/21805.html

[hawkwing_lb]

Ah, gods. So he's going to learn the error of his ways, is he? And all ladies should feel perfectly safe when he convinces the concom he's reformed?

In all likelihood, he's just learned to pick more vulnerable, less well-known and less assertive victims.

[anne]

...you're OK with cheapo hotels, right, they don't have to be fancy? I'm thinking however many of us show up, sitting in a room talking about books might be fun. No programming unless we feel like it?

[hawkwing_lb]

The cheaper the better, in fact. As long as it's not so cheap it has cockroaches: I draw the line somewhere. :)

The only event I have ever organised where more than three people turned up was an academic talk, so I'm easy. Book roundtable!

[anne]

That...might actually be something I could organize. Boston, or somewhere else? And when?

[hawkwing_lb]

I'd better not miss my Progress Assessement next May-June. I should know if I'll have enough money in the bank for a transAtlantic trip by the New Year. So July?

Hmm. July would work better probably, and you'd have the advantage of being able to schedule the bookroundtable around the time of Readercon - either directly opposite, or partially overlapping.

But should see who else is interested...

[anne]

More people read you, I think, though I could probably find some people from Ravelry.

[hawkwing_lb]

Mm. Yes. Maybe hang out in Boston and then catch a sleper train to Montreal? Party in two countries?

And a train?

I'll put out a call for interest when I get back from Greece. I think by then most people who are attached to Readercon will have decided how they're going to react by then.

[fadeaccompli]

I would totally fly to a mini-con of cool people in Boston over the summer, if such a thing occurred. Just saying.

[anne]

Curiosity leads me to ask: in addition to or instead of 4th St?

[fadeaccompli]

In addition to, I think; it would depend on how close the two events were to each other, and who was going to be at each, and what else was going on during that summer financially and time-wise. But "in addition to" was what I had in mind.

[anne]

That'll make a difference, then. ;-) I wonder how many other not-Readercons there are going to be...

[kore]

Aww, that sounds fun. Stupidly I live on the left coast.

[hawkwing_lb]

<--European side of the ocean. :)

[kore]

I could FEEL my blood presure spike when I read that. Sincerely. Oh my fucking God. It would have been better for them to just keep stonewalling and not say anything, rather than say THAT.

[hawkwing_lb]

I can't say I disagree.

[kore]

It was....wow. As Nick Mamatas pointed out over on LJ in his response to that, so they assumed total intent on the part of the schizophrenic and banned him for life and the actual predator gets off because he said "Sorry" to the right people? Jeeeeeeeeeeeesus.

[kore]

Also man, I know rosefox loves Readercon, but I have to say she's doing her whole "If you love #readercon and disagree with the board's decision, pls consider volunteering to join the concom and help fix the con's problems" schtick at THE WORST TIME right now. Volunteers (especially probably female volunteers) shouldn't have to be the ones to fix this.

Gahhh.

[hawkwing_lb]

Mmm. Honestly? This is the kind of PR fuckup that has ruined Readercon's public image. It'll take a decade of hard work at least before it'll be able to live this down. And a whole new board.

The people who have sunk time and energy into making the con a good place? Have just been horribly betrayed.

[kore]

Well, there was also this exchange, which....yeah.

rosefox.livejournal.com/1763288.html

If this was "put on the agenda wiki" a week ago and this is the response just now....yeah. (And the baord's response is CLEARLY only because glvalentine made public the decision when they told her, and people were really upset about it, anyway. Otherwise it might just have kept on being on the agenda wiki....forever!) I mean, I really can understand someone not wanting to just walk away from their baby, but....yeah.

(Also I just think there's a big difference between....'where people treat one another with respect and courtesy' and 'appropriate consequences for repeated harassment.' I don't know.)

[hawkwing_lb]

Mmm.

Personally? I think substantiated reports of harassment merit a five-year ban in the first instance, a ten-year ban in the second, and a lifetime ban in the third. That lets a 20-year-old Nice Guy learn better by the time he's 35. But shit, Readercon, that's not how you wrote your policy.

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm not impressed.

Over on the DW side, we're mooting the idea of having a protest party instead of going to Readercon... (I did so want to go, since I'd heard nothing but reasonably good things until now.)

[fadethecat.livejournal.com]

*sets something on fire in protest*

God. I don't want to do that tired cynical "Oh, I'm not shocked" thing, but I'm sort of appalled at how unsurprised I am. BNF (who's not even all that fucking B from where I'm standing) does something and gets a slap on the wrist because, sheesh, it was just a misunderstanding, girls! It's so...typical of fandom. There are already people wailing that those who don't like this are lacking in compassion because, gee, you gotta give people a chance to grow and improve themselves and get better!

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

People can grow and improve themselves. If they violate standing policy, however, they should do their growing and improving in a different venue.

But fuck. I'm just pissed that once again, women get thrown to the wolves. I was thinking hopefully about going to Readercon this coming year.

Sigh. Maybe I will just have to visit Texas instead. :P