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I’ve just been to the Seattle Worldcon- virtually, anyway. I wish I could say I got to a lot of panels, but I didn’t. The virtual option has been around since ConZealand, which was entirely virtual due to COVID. I think that and the Glasgow Worldcon last year were the best. They ran smoothly and you could click on a link and be in the panel. Furthermore, if you missed something you wanted, they were mostly recorded and they were available as long as till the end of the year.
Alas, though there were some wonderful looking panels, I couldn’t get in. I don’t know why, because others seemed to manage. The technical folk were kind and patient and very helpful.
But every time I wanted to get in, I had to send for a link, which is fine, except that the link didn’t get me far. I clicked into the portal, and found myself back on the entry page. I tried to use the app with the panels listed, which also sent me back to the portal page. The lady doing the tech stuff set up a link that was supposed to get you out of a loop. It didn’t. Finally, she got me in via a session number link. I thought the problem was fixed when she sent me a full list of panels with session numbers, only to find that they no longer worked. Apparently they had remade the whole stream and nobody had told my lovely tech lady. So I missed the last two panels I was hoping to attend.
And the replay function didn’t work. They said they would get it going and announce when it’s fixed, but not so far. If/when they do get it up, it will only be available for about two weeks. I suspect it won’t be up at all. Everyone organising a convention has their own life, after all, and jobs to go back to. I remember how exhausted I was after Aussiecon 3, where I was working on the children’s program. And I had to go back to work the next day!
I did manage to see a panel on African SF and another on fan fiction. I bought a book of African SF short stories, the only book I bought this weekend.
The fan fiction panel was interesting, though I was shocked to hear that many people are monetising it. Fan fiction is using other people’s universes, after all. It can be fun to write, but you aren’t supposed to make money out of it. I know how I’d feel if it was my work being monetised. The people doing the panel didn’t seem bothered by it. After all, the argument went, if artists can make money out of it, why not writers?
I think they may have missed the point. One of them said, though, that she was being approached by professional artists asking for commissions! She said no.
I remember the days of print fanzines. Okay, we sold them, but only because you had to print them out and postage wasn’t free, after all. You weren’t supposed to do that, but people did. I never made a profit out of it. Nobody was paid for their work; you gave them a free contributor’s copy. Mind you, I once was asked by a Star Trek club if they could publish one of my longer stories as a fanzine, but they wouldn’t give me a free copy, so I said no.
These days they can post it on line, and it’s hard to find out if money has been paid.
The panel also talked about podcasts of fan stories. I’ve only listened to one, which was very well read. Podcasters were advised to ask for permission before doing that. Well, duh!
Well, that was my Worldcon experience. At least I got the Hugo Awards shortlisted works as my souvenir. It was worth the membership fees paid. I haven’t checked for the winners yet, but will share with you when
I do.
It’s after 10 pm here, so good night!
