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Messages - ewu

#2182
Registration / Re: Pre-reg vs. Early Reg
April 04, 2008, 12:06:52 PM
Early-reg still gets you in the pre-reg line...no long at-con lines if you reg now
#2184
Hey guys,

Thank you so much for recognizing that change takes much time and much planning. For those checking that little counter on the front Fanime page we are less than 60 days away from Fanime. Any ideas and implementations must be saved for future years as the logistics and coding are already underway and headed in a direction without Group Reg.

Now onto why we stopped doing group reg this year. It is a multi-faceted conundrum this group reg is.

The visual part that you and I may see:
Group Reg is clearly convenient for those that use it....when it works. The reg is fast and takes care of a grip of people in one fell swoop. Unfortunately, this expediency and inconvenience is shrouded in a cloud of issues that the staff need to address. If the group leader fails to bring the form for EACH badge we need to run through an extensive and exhausting confirmation process. When the badges are issued to the "responsible" parties, they are often lost or misplaced so the staff needs to go through the exercise of issuing a replacement badge. In addition to these inevitable situations, we have no way of checking IDs and ensuring the identities of those registered; we are further unable to maintain the safety of the members and are unable to provide that information when requested by law enforcement.

The behind-the-scenes action:
The amount of members that take advantage of the group reg program ranges from 2% to 5%, generously. When you have a few thousand members this amounts to a few hundred people that opt for this option. Since badges are printed in alphabetical order, the individual members must be pulled from the stacks to put together the group package. These are not pulled alphabetically but by the group, so for however many groups we have, we go through the entire collection of member badges that many times. The reg staff printing team only takes 2-3 days to print and laminate all the badges, but this exercise adds an additional 1-2 days to the process. Frankly, on its own, a 30% to 60% increase in badge processing time for 2% to 5% of the member base is not justified by the convenience. On top of that, none of the staff is paid. They are not compensated for the time they take off from work and school to prepare the reg process. We work hard to provide a good registration experience to our members, but the group reg was logistically inefficient. We hope to more effectively use our time to develop a better system.

What is the reg staff doing to improve your reg experience:
We are working hard to develop a new schemes to speed up registration and make it easier to go through this arduous albeit necessary process. We hope to bring to you a format that will make this the easiest and quickest reg for each and every single one of you. This year it was decided to focus on this matter and group reg was a casualty to this change.

What can you do as fans of Fanime:
Please continue to help us out with suggestions and ideas but do not expect an immediate change even if it is a good idea. The best thing you can do is bring these ideas with you and join us as staff. We are expecting a record number of people this year and are ever in need of more people that can care for our fans as much as the staff had cared for you in past years.

If you have any comments, questions or would like to join reg staff, please e-mail us at registrationATfanimeDOTcom

Thanks:)
#2185
pre-reg lines tend to be longer early in the con as people are here to enjoy the entire weekend's programs. So, as it gets later in the con the at-con registration gets longer for one day and other passes and the pre-reg lines dwindle. Though you may expect lines sat morn as many people like your friend work and can only come sat-mon.

Thanks and see you at con!
#2186
The loop I am not in....but

there may be special things with the promo code.....maybe priority or special treatment

and if it looks like capacity will be reached, one option would be to allow full weekend members priority, but all just sweet speculation:)
#2187
when awesome Tony says we have been exchanging e-mail he means 40 or 50 e-mails each about 3 gmail windows long.....yah

no official statements, but there MAY be changes.....but also with those POSSIBLE changes may come hiccups so please give us a break.

With Fanime and as with Anime Boston I am sure, we all try to make your experience as good as possible but stuff (read: sh*t) happens.

If you have awesome and FEASIBLE ideas shoot us an e-mail at registrationATfanimeDOTcom
#2188
Things in the Universe / Trolls...
February 28, 2008, 02:22:02 PM
If I could speak not as Fanime staff I would but I'm just connected at the hip to Fanime.....

Just something I thought was...good.

http://www.megfowler.com/2006/12/13/how-not-to-be-an-asshole-or-encourage-assholism-on-the-internet-a-handy-guide

Quote from: megfowler.com
how not to be an asshole or encourage assholism on the internet: a handy guide.

I've been noticing lately that more and more of my favourite bloggers are dealing with bizarre, angry commenters, weird email stalkers, and brazen plagiarizers. And the worst of the lot?

Bloggers who pen entire POSTS mocking the parenting skills or intelligence or ethics or eye color of their fellow writers.

It boggles the mind, really.

Not the notion that people can be odd, obsessive freaks — I learn that lesson each day on my commute — but rather that anyone would take the time and effort to make people they've never met feel vulnerable and attacked.

It's silencing people who have excellent voices, excellent hearts, and excellent minds.

Making them question their vocation as full-time writers, even, completely away from their writing on the web.

And it's wrong.

I've had my share of weird, presumptuous correspondents — some even abusive — and a few fairly shocking comments at my blog, but I guess I'm not much of a lightning rod.

No sex, no parenting, no religion, no politics.

Basically, this is a website about my need for more caffeine and my desire to live amongst penguins. Perhaps an entry or two about lip gloss?

And while many mental health professionals would have a field day navigating through my posts as a result, truly loopy people don't find much to freak out about. I'm not saying that it won't happen someday, but for now? I'm getting off easy.

But my friends — people who write brilliant and wise things on subjects that actually matter — are having to make major decisions about the safety of their families in response to those who feel that intimidation and abuse are their anonymous (or not-so-anonymous) rights on the Web.

It's completely ridiculous and unnecessary, and it needs to stop.

Now, I'm not naive enough to think that anyone will ever wrangle all the assholes into submission and calm the Internet into a state of semi-grace. It's a sad fact that there are too damn many jerks pounding away at their keyboards, taking sick delight in seizing power from people who actually have something to lose.

They're the ones making inflammatory and threatening comments, trying to create conflict where none is necessary. They're the ones who send vicious mail to mommy bloggers because they made some cosmic mistake like feeding their child a donut. They're the ones who take other peoples' pictures and writing and pass them off as their own. They're the ones who believe that debate is a bloodsport, whether it be political, social or anything in between.

They're the ones who infect peoples' screens with hate. They're the ones who use their OWN blogs to comment on how other people live/work/write/exist... and then send their anger zinging towards their targets with trackbacks.

It's censorship via intimidation, and a sad, sad end to too many positive forms of expression.

So.

Here's my set of thoughts — just in case you've happened by here and you might be one of these people OR you've ever considered being one of these people OR you've got these people lingering around your web site or your life — on how to not be a troll, how to not get bitten by trolls (as much you can avoid it), and how to make your website, well... unfriendly to the unfriendly.

I'm certainly not saying I'm an expert — on ANYTHING — but I believe these things with absolute conviction.

Take it with a grain of salt and a scotch bonnet pepper.

If you are a troll — OR if you're about to get angry on someone else's web site:


  • The existence of content you disagree with on the web is not an invitation to attack.
  • The existence of an email address is not an indication that someone is "asking for it."
  • Unless they mention you, they are NOT SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO YOU. They don't know about that thing that happened with your mom, or that you work at Wal-Mart. Take it easy, tiger.
  • Contacting someone outside of the normal bounds of their web site is flat-out unacceptable, unless you're been invited to do so. Their relative attractiveness is not an excuse.
  • If they don't contact you back, DON'T CONTACT THEM AGAIN. Don't assume the email got lost in the mail. Let it go.
  • If they ask you not to contact them, DON'T CONTACT THEM AGAIN. They said NO.
  • If you are offended by someone's blog entry or content and they make you genuinely angry to the point where you can only speak abusively, your comment is going to be worthless anyway. They (and their readers) are not going to change because you rant at them.
  • The only hope you have of convincing someone to agree with your point is to offer a non-threatening, well-reasoned response.
  • Non-threatening, well-reasoned responses NEVER include the following words or phrases: "I hope you die"; "Your mother must not have breastfed you"; "You are going to ruin your children"; "You are a major prick"; "I want to kill you"; and "I know where you live."
  • Sometimes NO response is your best bet.
  • "Teaching someone a lesson" is the weakest excuse for assholism on the Web.
    Being respectful to others is not "fawning" or "blowing smoke up their ass." It's common decency.
  • Check out the tone and the readership of the site you're at. If no one else is screaming f-words and threatening babies, it's likely that no one will appreciate that about your comment. If they are, however, go nuts.
  • If your comment gets deleted, that is a major red flag. Posting, "Hey, did you delete my comment?" or "Why did you delete my comment?" is basically just begging to get banned. Yes, they deleted it. You're a troll. Live with yourself. And if you're not, THEY STILL DELETED IT AND YOU CAN'T GET IT BACK.
  • If you can't be at a web site without getting angry, PRESS THE BACK BUTTON.
  • If you can't be at a web site without wanting to threaten someone, PRESS THE BACK BUTTON.
  • If you have been told you are no longer welcome at a web site, PRESS THE BACK BUTTON.
  • If the police have taken away your computer, GO LIE DOWN. SHHHH.

If you see a troll at someone else's website:


  • Your first instinct may be to defend the web site owner from the troll. But unless they have addressed the troll and encouraged you to do the same, ignore the troll. Trolls like attention. They like conversation. Ignoring them is like cutting off their air supply.
  • Do not engage in a debate with said troll if the web site owner asks you to stop. It's like arguing with someone's spouse on their behalf, except they're already having make-up sex and now you're just killing the mood.
  • Do not go to the troll's website and troll them. They will only torture you (or the owner of the web site at which you discovered them) all the more in return.
    Trolls that start out funny can get scary really fast. Keep that in mind before you wave your arms to get their attention.
  • All the arguments in the world will not convince a true troll. Assume all trolls are true trolls.
  • If the owner of the web site asks you to speak up on their behalf in their comments, stay reasonable, don't threaten, and don't match the troll's tone. Show them that such behaviour is foreign and unwelcome at the site in question. But maybe just stick with not doing it, regardless. Encourage the site owner not to do it, too, if at all possible. You're not going to win.
  • DO NOT WRITE AN ENTRY ABOUT THE TROLL OR THEIR WEB SITE ON YOUR BLOG. You've given the troll their DREAM post at that point, AND you're pouring gasoline on the fire. Or on the troll. Wait, that might be fun.
  • If you see a discussion heading towards troll territory — and it can happen with perfectly decent people who get carried away — just don't engage in it. Yes, you can say whatever you want. But no, it's not always the right time.

If you have trolls, or fear trolls:


  • I know it seems like a leap at times, but try not to write abusive things about other people, especially other people with internet access. Why be an asshole? Being an asshole on a micro level can get macro on you pretty damn fast.
    Besides — linking to people after writing abusive things about them? Makes you a troll. See above.
  • A well-reasoned critique on someone else's views is a different thing, but if they're a nutbar? They're going to go nutbar on you. Don't be shocked.
  • If someone makes a trollish comment, stop for a second before you respond. Did they mean to troll? Or are they confused? Some people are unable to articulate their meaning in appropriate ways, and sometimes it takes stepping back from the situation to realize that you're dealing with overpunctuation, not rabid anger.
    Don't put up your email address if you don't want emails. Or at the very least, put up a Gmail address you can easily abandon — don't send all your site mail to your main mailbox on the web.
  • Don't be afraid to delete comments or ban IP addresses. But don't make a giant deal of it, either. Simply state in your comment policy that you will eliminate abusive commenters, and that you'll do it at your discretion. It's your site. It's up to you.
  • If you love arguments in your comments and you encourage people to abuse one another — or you enjoy abusing others — you'll look silly complaining when it gets out of hand. Don't start what you are unprepared to finish.
  • Don't tell your troll that you're going to contact their workplace because you've got their IP. Want to see someone REALLY go bananas? Threaten their livelihood.
    Don't write posts about specifically abusive commenters — again, that's the attention they wanted.
  • If you can't get any perspective on the comments people are leaving — if you take things too personally and freak out — it's time to either take a break, or get someone ELSE to moderate your comments for you. Or take off comments. That's not the end of the world, either.


At the end of the day, everyone will lose their temper now and again, and write something that embarrasses them. It's just a matter of not making it a lifestyle choice.

Yeah, you have to be tough to stick around the web for long, but sometimes that's too much to ask — especially of people with families. Sometimes readers go too far. Most of the time, there's no excuse.

If you've been an asshole, apologize, and let it go. If the person ignores you, you did your part. You can't make them love you, as Bonnie Raitt says.

And please — for the love of all that is good and webby — remember that this is a big scary world full of horrible things.

Try not to be another scary or horrible thing.

Period.

#2189
Live Programming and Events / Re: Fanime Artist Alley 08
February 27, 2008, 09:37:22 PM
things are slow but we tell you what we can and what we know
#2190
Live Programming and Events / Re: Fanime Artist Alley 08
February 25, 2008, 07:40:41 PM
e-mail artistalleyATfanimeDOTcom....we'll check for you
#2191
Staff & Volunteers / Re: Staff Sign Ups
February 25, 2008, 07:40:05 PM
IT is working hard, give them time
#2192
Registration / Re: Badge Pick up
February 22, 2008, 06:32:56 PM
You will need to bring a state issued ID and the electronic "postcard". We CAN look you up if you only bring an ID, but it will take longer.

There are Reg times but they have NOT been established yet. It will probably be something like 3-evening on thurs and 8-8 on fri, sat, and sun. Mon will be something like 8-12 and 12-afternoon for 2009 pre reg....but these have NOT been established yet.

You don't really need to worry about your birthday if it is so close to con.

We will be printing badges sometime after pre-reg closes on Mar 31. Once they have been printed, you will not be able to change the information on your badge.

Cal ID link: http://dmv.ca.gov/dl/dl_info.htm#idcard

Any questions can also be directed to registrationATfanimeDOTcom
#2193
So do I. What is it Administrator Tony? Can you tell me please?
#2194
Registration / Re: Badge Pick up
February 19, 2008, 08:36:09 PM
Thanks for your concerns. Unfortunately, we have not been able to develop a compromise to the suggestions you have made.

As each and every staff member were once fans, we strive to make the fan's experience as great as possible. so please let us know the issue that you have and we will work together to make something work.

Our policies are set that way for numerous reasons and if you have a particular concern, we can find ways that will work for you yet still not disregard the reasons why we have our established policies.

In the end we need to make sure someone else does not get your badge that you paid for and that you are indeed who you are. The only way we can do that is with consistent form of identification that any staffer can recognize and also be able to identify as fake.

please let us know: registrationATfanimeDOTcom
#2195
Registration / Re: Badge Pick up
February 19, 2008, 03:11:20 PM
Quote from: Chewie on February 19, 2008, 08:39:21 AM
Are any of the changes you've "been discussing" going to be going into
effect or have you just moved onto "state ids, deal with it."?

Curious is all. We had a pretty good and idea filled debate going when
some of the staff told us to all but can it and that it was being
looked into. What was the result of the "looking into"?

Also, if someone has a passport and can't bring it, a photocopy should
be accepted. There are a plethora of reason why a young person (or
even children) shouldn't be carrying around a passport. Unless your
staff is blind you can spot a fake photocopy from a mile away.

Again, a simple yet effective compromise and it seems like it wasn't
even considered.


Edit - Also curious about Photo Bank ATM cards. Are they acceptable?

The changes we are discussing we aim implement in the following years,
MAYBE as early as next year, but the massive machine known as
Registration has started rolling and will stay the course till we can
start fresh next year.

As for the state issues IDs, we will hold firmly on this issue. It is
clearly our responsibility to ensure your badge does not find its way
into another person's hands as well as ensure the safety of all those
that attend the convention. We must stay off all possibilites of
forged or incorrect information.

It is very true that California establishments serving alcohol are
being encouraged to NOT take passports because they are not consistent
from country to country and thus easy to forge.

Chewie: I encourage you to join reg staff so that you may understand
our process better and be more able to contribute solutions that we
may implement effectively.

Thank you Moonblossom for a brief but enlightening look into the field of.....photoshop

Thanks Krnchichiri for your contributions on passports and bank cards.

Again, from my above post: Qualifying IDs include a drivers license, a
state identification (issued by the CA DMV under much the same process
of a drivers license, without the privilege of driving), passports,
and other IDs issued by a government.
#2196
From all indications it is a go for this year and they are actually looking for more maids. The best thing to do is to e-mail them and talk to them. maidcafeATfanimeDOTcom
#2197
Registration / Re: Badge Pick up
February 17, 2008, 01:53:56 AM
A state issued photo ID is an ID that is issued by a state but not an entity of the state.

Qualifying IDs include a drivers license, a state identification (issued by the CA DMV under much the same process of a drivers license, without the privilege of driving), passports, and other IDs issued by a government.

Forms of identification we do not accept are social security cards (no photo or identifying information), birth certificates (no photo), school ID (despite being from a public school, it still is not government issue, there is no identifying information on the ID, and no format that is consistent state-wide), library card (....not a friggen ID), and many other possibilities (credit card, insurance card, barnes and noble card, blood donor card, CA$H).

If you are in doubt, please e-mail registrationATfanimeDOTcom and ask.

a good guide: (assuming that you were hypothetically of age) If you can use it to purchase age controlled items or to get into a bar or club, then you can use it at Fanime (though California bars are now being encouraged not to accept passports because of their inconsistency across states)
#2198
http://www.sjdowntownparking.com/free_parking.php

Second & San Carlos Street Garage = happy
#2199
Live Programming and Events / Re: Fanime Artist Alley 08
February 03, 2008, 11:34:24 AM
We just got a new update. Please e-mail us again at artistalleyATfanimeDOTcom. We have had some internal issues that we have since now resolved. We apologize and thank you for your patience.
#2200
Registration / Re: Badge Pick up
February 02, 2008, 01:51:35 AM
There are many issues that we would run into. Agencies update security and identification measures and that is why they have expiration dates. If we took an ID 2 years expired, we would also be obligated to take an ID expired in 1973. Your biological indicators listed on the ID could change over that time period also.

I can go on and on about reasons why we have these policies but in the end these are the rules set by Fanime and we need to hold to them. If you have better solutions, please join our staff and help us make the reg process better. That way you also may better understand the process that our staffers go through to register a member and maybe shed some light on the reasons we do the things we do.

We strive to identify and implement change that will make Fanime better, but these changes must be reasonable and extensively reviewed before we can implement them. Our process comes from years of experience and we hope that the combination of this experience and new ideas will lead to a more efficient and streamlined registration.