Plus, I think this image of a lonely new fan walking into a con looking to make friends is largely some kind of rescue fantasy.
Well, I went to my first con fairly cold - I was into SF, a SF con seemed like a reasonable thing to do.
It was deathly dull; I didn't know anyone, the easily approachable activities were fairly lame, and the experience was saved only in the sense that the stuff discussed on panels was new to me.
I went back a few years later in the company of some friends from my writing group - many of whom were long-time fannish con-goers - and had a blast.
So, recruiting to cons seems to best happen in the way you say - but only because the lone con-goer approach sucks.
(And, you know, I've heard tales of the lone con-goer being swept up happily into fandom. It happens, I guess, though I sometimes suspect I'm being told the one story several times.)
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Re: And another thing...
Date: 2008-03-27 12:50 pm (UTC)Well, I went to my first con fairly cold - I was into SF, a SF con seemed like a reasonable thing to do.
It was deathly dull; I didn't know anyone, the easily approachable activities were fairly lame, and the experience was saved only in the sense that the stuff discussed on panels was new to me.
I went back a few years later in the company of some friends from my writing group - many of whom were long-time fannish con-goers - and had a blast.
So, recruiting to cons seems to best happen in the way you say - but only because the lone con-goer approach sucks.
(And, you know, I've heard tales of the lone con-goer being swept up happily into fandom. It happens, I guess, though I sometimes suspect I'm being told the one story several times.)