WisCon 43: Day Three

I survived my first modding experience! The panel was called "The Rise and Fall of Tumblr"; in the words of the panel description, we discussed "the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of this Blue Hellsite", and I felt like we got a good balance of all three of those aspects. Before the panel started, I suggested to the other panelists that we start with other aspects of the site and community before we got sucked in to talking about the adult content ban; in an hour and fifteen minute panel, we started discussing the ban around half an hour in, and ended up with about 20 minutes for questions, and that felt about right. The hashtag was quite active, and I recommend checking it out.

My second panel on social media was immediately afterwards in the same room, but it was a different enough collection of people and topics that it didn't feel like a rerun of the same panel, or a single panel spread across two sessions. Unfortunately not too much Twitter action on that one, but I enjoyed being on the panel.

That was the end of my official programming, but I attended one more panel: Fanfiction: Threat or Menace, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the AO3. The framing of this panel was interesting -- it was a reunion of folks who had been on a fanfic panel in 2008, at a time when the larger WisCon community tended to be more hostile to fic. The panelists started out by reading the original panel description aloud, and boy, it was a doozy. They started out by discussing the questions raised in the original description, then moved on to talking about today's fandom community and AO3, and it was a great conversation, with a good amount of audience participation. Hashtag is here.

Tonight was dessert salon and Guest of Honor speeches. I wore the same outfit that I wore to the Hugos in Kansas City, along with the dragon pendant I ordered at Worldcon, and they matched amazingly well. Desserts were tasty, speeches were AMAZING, and I know I always say this but I highly recommend checking them both out once the transcripts (and videos?) are eventually posted -- Charlie Jane Anders's speech, especially, would be best experienced in video if it becomes available. The Tiptree Award presentation was particularly nice this year, because the winner was a story that had been translated, and the translator was also recognized, which is so important. Then next year's guests of honor were announced: Rebecca Roanhorse and Yoon Ha Lee! They should be fantastic, I am excited to see them both.

After a bit of room hangout, I decamped here, both to write this and to get some downtime -- I've been pretty much on the go since I got up this morning, so it's good to start winding down. Going home tomorrow -- not ready, so ready, as usual.

WisCon 43: Day Four

Well, it had to happen someday: the con crud has found me. (I don't count two years ago, because that time I already knew I was sick when I arrived.) I had felt it maybe coming on later in the day yesterday, but today the cold is well and truly here. I suppose it could be worse timing, but I was sad to essentially miss the last day of the con -- I went to no programming, just quickly dropped by the signout, and spent a good chunk of the morning just lounging in the area underneath the stairs up to the second floor. I will say, that might be my favorite spot to lounge at WisCon. It's a little out of the way, much quieter than the main lobby when things are going on, and you're out of the flow of traffic, but a lot of traffic still comes by you, so you can still say hi to people and feel like a part of things if you like. Now I am in the airport, sitting with another WisCon attendee who I've never met before but we realized while waiting for the hotel shuttle that we were on the same flight. It's nice to have company since the flight is delayed by two or three hours (depending on whether I believe what the United notification says, or what the gate agent told us). At least I'm not going through Chicago this year, because there is Weather in the Midwest, and something like three flights in a row have been cancelled. (The line to rebook is pretty epic. In their shoes, I might consider renting a car.)

So I don't have much to say about today, specifically, but I am pleased to report that I enjoyed my time at the con very much. Especially since I missed FogCon this year, it was excellent to reconnect with the community and the people, and of course to spend time with my group of friends who come. I hope to see you all again, next year if not before!