The con is ruining our fun!

Started by PyronIkari, May 29, 2008, 09:46:36 PM

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PyronIkari

Or is it?

I actually had 3 different people from press talk to me about this as it was brought up at my panel (by a guy I couldn't understand).

The major question was "how do you feel about glomp me signs and the such being banned? Do you think cons are trying to kill fun for its attendees"?

A lot of people the past year have been complaining that conventions are trying to ruin the fun of the attendees by being stricter on its rules. To be honest, Fanime is one of the more lax'ed con when you compare with other cons banning signs completely, not allowing any kind of weapon or anything that remotely can be considered a weapon on the con floor.

Now the basis of this is that, attendees feel that their freedoms are being taken away to enjoy themselves, but what they don't realize(or attempt to even think about) is why conventions have had to put up rules and be more strict in enforcing them... Don't quote me on any of this as I may be slightly off(but I have a pretty basic grasp).

Convention centers are being harsher on the cons that are taking place there. Things like underaged drinking, sexual harassment, even sexual abuse/molestation cases have been springing up at conventions. There was an incident at fanime last year involving sexual harassment(and more) that was kept pretty under wraps. Numerous cases of attendees puking and passing out on convention floors from alcohol/drugs and the such, many of them underaged. Numerous cases of people passing out due to exhaustion, lack of food, and many other things.

People running away from home to attend conventions across country, with little to no money, no hotel room, and no way home.

Malicious attacks on conventions by attendees(HI ACEN!). Attendees harassing other attendees to extreme levels(blocking off entrances, taking up elevators and not leaving them, barging into hotel rooms).

Many of these seem like extreme cases, but they are a lot more common place than most think. I advocately faught to get "glomp me" signs banned, and my reasoning was that I've been harassed many times by people with these signs, and I've seen people disgusted, and even worse, hurt by people. Holding a sign is not an excuse to glomp someone else walking by.

Cons are cracking down harder, and it isn't to ruin fun. Fanime especially doesn't want to limit or restrict it's attendees (as staff argued with me quite about on the subject), but they did have to give in to some things...

TO PROTECT THE ATTENDEES.

Conventions cannot control everything the attendees do, and the rules that are made, usually, exist because something bad happened from the action that the rule prohibits. The rules do not limit people to an extreme, they're still free to have fun and enjoy themselves, they just need a little more basic understanding and self-control.

I went to a lot of Fanime meetings this year, and friends from other conventions talk to me all the time about the state of their conventions.

Glomp me signs are banned... so what? Doesn't mean you can't do it, just do it responsibly. A bunch of people ruined carrying signs for people, don't be one that ruins something else for others.

Kazuko

Fer serious I agree with pyron on this, Cons cant controll everything and You rather be safe than sorry right? so when something is not allowed lets not BAWW about it but rather be glad since well you dont want to be on the stretcher or in a copcar right?

Zee

I agree with you, Pyron.  Even with the signs banned and glomping not allowed without permission, a friend of mine was injured at the con due to an overzealous staff member glomping her at full running speed.  So yeah.  No more encouragement, please.

weirderraindrop

Yea...those signs were kind of annoying as well after a while.  Nobody wants to pay .25 cents to glomp you dude...>_>

However, I remember many a time glomping someone who really just wanted some attention and a hug.

I love free hugs. :3

...not sure why I posted this... xD

edendreams

I as well agree. Rules are established for a reason. I talked with the sword dealer at the con who told me about why san diego con can't have any weapons. It's true that people who can't seem to behave themselves will ruin the fun of others by causing rules to be made and enforced, But in no way is that the fault of the con. Personally I've never hugged someone with a glomp me sign I love to hug but i don't feel the need to fly across the room with tackling force to do so... (unless it's to loktera XD then it's just funny).

If anything Fanime is the best controlled con (i haven't been to many though i am impressed by this one.)

ANyway ^-^ I'm all for making fun safe

a little art by me ^-^

Nyxyin

Quote from: PyronIkari on May 29, 2008, 09:46:36 PMThe major question was "how do you feel about glomp me signs and the such being banned? Do you think cons are trying to kill fun for its attendees"?
What are they talking about?  I didn't see anything at all about glomp signs and such being banned at Fanime?  At least, they're no more banned this year than previous years.  I saw "no running" in the code of conduct thing, which prevents people from glomping, and there's still "no [disorderly conduct such as] soliciting", but I'm pretty sure I've seen both those rules in previous years.  As far as I can tell, there is nothing new in the rules.  I think the only difference is that the code of conduct appeared on signs around the convention rather than just being in the program book.

PyronIkari

Quote from: Nyxyin on May 29, 2008, 10:27:31 PM
What are they talking about?  I didn't see anything at all about glomp signs and such being banned at Fanime?  At least, they're no more banned this year than previous years.  I saw "no running" in the code of conduct thing, which prevents people from glomping, and there's still "no [disorderly conduct such as] soliciting", but I'm pretty sure I've seen both those rules in previous years.  As far as I can tell, there is nothing new in the rules.  I think the only difference is that the code of conduct appeared on signs around the convention rather than just being in the program book.


For those that don't understand.

Solicitation is the act of offering services/goods or trying to get services/goods.

A "glomp me" sign is sollicitation.

Jun-Watarase

Damn those Fanimu-staffs trying to ruin my fun! I DO WHATEVA I WANT. >:[

SPINZAKUUUUU!!

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Kaura117

Well, this is all well and good, but I think it would also be prudent to include a note that mutual agreement to glomp falls outside of the general "NO GLOMPING" policy? Consent! A ban on "GLOMP ME" signs is not the same thing as a ban on glomping, though the attitudes expressed herein this thread so far can easily be construed as to imply such. If there is mutual consent, just make sure you don't indirectly tackle other congoers!

(Also, code of conduct signs all around the convention was an awesome idea and should be made even easier to find next year. Say, on the reverse side of the cosplay group schedules?)

SOawesomeness

I had a guy walk up to me this year and spread his arms out for a hug... I thought that was fine... If someone glomped me without permission, I would have redirected that person to an SOS as soon as I could. o.0
I'm all for consent for physical-ness if it's within legal boundaries. ^^
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Jun-Watarase

Quote from: Kaura117 on May 29, 2008, 10:42:24 PM
Well, this is all well and good, but I think it would also be prudent to include a note that mutual agreement to glomp falls outside of the general "NO GLOMPING" policy? Consent! A ban on "GLOMP ME" signs is not the same thing as a ban on glomping, though the attitudes expressed herein this thread so far can easily be construed as to imply such. If there is mutual consent, just make sure you don't indirectly tackle other congoers!

(Also, code of conduct signs all around the convention was an awesome idea and should be made even easier to find next year. Say, on the reverse side of the cosplay group schedules?)

Gee, I'm against unconsentual glomping and whatnot, but I hope no one was implying a ban on glomping altogether. Hopefully that the Fanime community doesn't go so far out of hand where staff is pushed to such extremes. A ban on glomping would make things very uncomfortable, as it'd pretty much sum up to restricting physical contact in general. A ban on signs is very much different, but as for everything else pertaining glomping and the like, the key solution is respect, e.g. asking before doing so.

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Kaura117

Quote from: Jun-Watarase on May 29, 2008, 10:46:27 PM
Quote from: Kaura117 on May 29, 2008, 10:42:24 PM
Well, this is all well and good, but I think it would also be prudent to include a note that mutual agreement to glomp falls outside of the general "NO GLOMPING" policy? Consent! A ban on "GLOMP ME" signs is not the same thing as a ban on glomping, though the attitudes expressed herein this thread so far can easily be construed as to imply such. If there is mutual consent, just make sure you don't indirectly tackle other congoers!

(Also, code of conduct signs all around the convention was an awesome idea and should be made even easier to find next year. Say, on the reverse side of the cosplay group schedules?)

Gee, I'm against unconsentual glomping and whatnot, but I hope no one was implying a ban on glomping altogether. Hopefully that the Fanime community doesn't go so far out of hand where staff is pushed to such extremes. A ban on glomping would make things very uncomfortable, as it'd pretty much sum up to restricting physical contact in general. A ban on signs is very much different, but as for everything else pertaining glomping and the like, the key solution is respect, e.g. asking before doing so.

Well, yes. I definitely hope things never go that far- I like it when I get glomped, personally, as it's not as if I've a particularly delicate build (countless consecutive generations of soldiers and farmers- we might be common, but we'll kick yer arse!), and friendly attention's always heartening (especially from girls. =D). But I figured that it'd be prudent to add a counternote to the general attitude expressed so far.

It's always good to express the full extent of an issue, isn't it? Getting the right message across to a crowd means expressing not just what's wrong, but what's right.

Jun-Watarase

Quote from: Kaura117 on May 29, 2008, 10:53:16 PM
Quote from: Jun-Watarase on May 29, 2008, 10:46:27 PM
Quote from: Kaura117 on May 29, 2008, 10:42:24 PM
Well, this is all well and good, but I think it would also be prudent to include a note that mutual agreement to glomp falls outside of the general "NO GLOMPING" policy? Consent! A ban on "GLOMP ME" signs is not the same thing as a ban on glomping, though the attitudes expressed herein this thread so far can easily be construed as to imply such. If there is mutual consent, just make sure you don't indirectly tackle other congoers!

(Also, code of conduct signs all around the convention was an awesome idea and should be made even easier to find next year. Say, on the reverse side of the cosplay group schedules?)

Gee, I'm against unconsentual glomping and whatnot, but I hope no one was implying a ban on glomping altogether. Hopefully that the Fanime community doesn't go so far out of hand where staff is pushed to such extremes. A ban on glomping would make things very uncomfortable, as it'd pretty much sum up to restricting physical contact in general. A ban on signs is very much different, but as for everything else pertaining glomping and the like, the key solution is respect, e.g. asking before doing so.

Well, yes. I definitely hope things never go that far- I like it when I get glomped, personally, as it's not as if I've a particularly delicate build (countless consecutive generations of soldiers and farmers- we might be common, but we'll kick yer arse!), and friendly attention's always heartening (especially from girls. =D). But I figured that it'd be prudent to add a counternote to the general attitude expressed so far.

It's always good to express the full extent of an issue, isn't it? Getting the right message across to a crowd means expressing not just what's wrong, but what's right.

Yus. o/

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edendreams

again i'm not bothered by hugging random people it's the whole forcefulness behind it sometimes. Lol

I do have to laugh about the sexual harassment claim XD DIDn't I get GRABBED upon introduction? Lol

a little art by me ^-^

Jun-Watarase

Quote from: edendreams on May 29, 2008, 10:56:31 PM
again i'm not bothered by hugging random people it's the whole forcefulness behind it sometimes. Lol

I do have to laugh about the sexual harassment claim XD DIDn't I get GRABBED upon introduction? Lol

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

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Tony

Bleh. Having this title makes responding very tricky.

Basically, Mikey's got it; we're not trying to ruin anyone's fun, but we also want to make sure the environment is safe.

Personally I think there are things going on that are stupid - and I've done some of them ;D - but I'm not going to make an issue about it unless there's a good reason to do so. That's kind of FanimeCon's culture.
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Kaura117

Quote from: Jun-Watarase on May 29, 2008, 10:57:25 PM
Quote from: edendreams on May 29, 2008, 10:56:31 PM
again i'm not bothered by hugging random people it's the whole forcefulness behind it sometimes. Lol

I do have to laugh about the sexual harassment claim XD DIDn't I get GRABBED upon introduction? Lol

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

...by Eris did I miss a lot of stuff this year.

No matter. Making up for it in 09, even if it means downing enough caffeine to kill a hippo.

edendreams

Quote from: Jun-Watarase on May 29, 2008, 10:57:25 PM
Quote from: edendreams on May 29, 2008, 10:56:31 PM
again i'm not bothered by hugging random people it's the whole forcefulness behind it sometimes. Lol

I do have to laugh about the sexual harassment claim XD DIDn't I get GRABBED upon introduction? Lol

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

XD HAHAHAHA

a little art by me ^-^

heeroyuy135

However, there are cons out there, especially ones in the Midwest and East Coast, that actually do allow airsoft weapons on the con floor. I've seen a ton of cosplays from like ACEN that have airosft weapons, the same weapons that would be banned from the likes of Fanime and Anime Expo. I did touch briefly on this before the con, and I would like to again.

Kaura117

Quote from: HeeroYuy135 on May 29, 2008, 11:06:17 PM
However, there are cons out there, especially ones in the Midwest and East Coast, that actually do allow airsoft weapons on the con floor. I've seen a ton of cosplays from like ACEN that have airosft weapons, the same weapons that would be banned from the likes of Fanime and Anime Expo. I did touch briefly on this before the con, and I would like to again.

Proper airsoft? You mean the sort that are indistinguishable to the casual observer from real guns, except for the orange tip?

I think there might be state laws that prevent the convention from allowing them, actually. Not completely sure, though, but this is California we're talking about.

There was a bill in the House that made it so that ammo manufacturers'd have to print individual serial numbers on each bullet casing. That's how insane we are about gun control- and I mean insane, given the absolute uselessness of such a bill.

But now you've got me ranting...