Wiscon '08: The Year We Were Bitchy

[vito_excalibur]

Let me say at the outset that I love Wiscon, I always love Wiscon, and this year was no different. I am bitchier than usual about it this year for a number of reasons, including that four panels turns out to be just too many for me to be on, and that I didn't get organized enough to write my notes before I left, so I missed a lot of stuff I wanted

Comments

[merovingian]

My theory is, everyone who said "I have no idea why I'm on this panel" was not being humble or trying to flake out of contribution. They were recent alien abductees and in fact genuinely had no idea whatsoever why they were on the panel nor what had happened in the past few hours.

[vito_excalibur]

I am pleased to report that no one actually said this at Wiscon itself to my knowledge! It came up in the Mod Squad panel; it does happen more at other cons, where people get volunteered to be on panels rather than volunteering themselves.

However, I mentioned it because I myself have to fight down the impulse to say that at the beginning of every single panel I'm on. I sign up for panels because I like to talk. :) Right before the panel starts, when everyone is introducing themselves, I realize that at the front of the room are sitting four published academics and authors, and me; and it occurs to me that though I want to talk about the topic, I am rather unclear on what reason all the people in the room have to listen to me. So I sympathize with the urge to try & lower the room's expectations a little. Nonetheless, it is a bad bad urge & should not be indulged.

[merovingian]

I was at a panel where someone said it, and he proceeded to demonstrate that he was incredibly prepared and well-informed on the panel's subject. He had also prepared a reading and several samples to pass around.

I think maybe he was just being humble.