BP Admin: Discussion Panel FAQ
Hiya! I'm nos4a2no9, your friendly neighbourhood Discussion Panel organizer for bitchinparty, and this post will explain the whys/wherefores/what-the?s of the panel selection process for the con.
Please Note: This is NOT the post where you suggest panel topics. That'll be coming right up, so hold on to your hat while I explain the ground rules and further mix metaphors.
I'm following misspamela's lead here, since she did a great job of organizing the discussion panels at MJ last year. Those of you who attended MJ probably remember how the panel selection process worked - it'll be the same song here with a slightly different tune.
Right after this post I'll start the panel suggestion thread. Anyone can post a suggestion, even if they're not attending the Seattle con. So ask around! Pimp the post! The more options we have, the better the panel representation will be!
Panel suggestions will stay open for two weeks (until January 15th). After that I'll close the thread, and start breaking the suggestions down by fandom (due South, RPS, Supernatural, etc) and type (meta, actor appreciation, how-to, yadda yadda). Then I'll make polls where you can vote for your favourite panel topics. The results will be tallied by my highly-trained team of mutant super monkeys (or Excel spreadsheets, whichever) and I'll schedule the panels and announce the results!
The panels are chosen by you. You'll be voting for your favourite topic within its category, and majority will rule. It's fair, easy to determine a winner, and it'll keep me from going mad with power. (All limb amputation panels, all the time). If there are X number of panel slots and Y number of small fandoms, you'll be voting for the fandom you most want to see represented. If enough people vote for Dante's Cove over Torchwood, the majority wins and we'll have to discuss John Barrowman's essential hotness at the hotel bar instead.
Need more detailed info? I thought you'd ask, so here's the Seattle Con Panel FAQ.
Q: What the heck is a "discussion panel"?
A discussion panel is a loose, informal chat about a particular issue. It's not meant to be a lecture, or a serious academic discussion of, say, the socio-economic inference in Sam Wincester's choice of hair gel. There is a moderator, who helps guide the discussion, but it's meant to be a fun and low-pressure discussion about stuff that interests you and your fellow fen.
Q: So what does the moderator do?
Like I said above, a mod simply guides the discussion. There were a few moderators at MJ who brought visual aides, handouts or props to get people involved, but generally modding is more like being chairperson at a meeting. Mods have five main duties:
1. Introduce the topic, and get the conversational ball rolling
2. Help the participants stay on topic (necessary when dealing with a group of fangirls)
3. Fuel the discussion by asking/soliciting questions from the audience
4. Try to make sure everyone gets a turn and that everyone stays polite ("No throwing things, guys!")
5. Wrap things up on time and make sure the room gets cleared before the next panel starts.
Q: How are mods chosen?
The person who suggested a topic gets first dibs. If you've suggested a topic but are skeered or not really interested being a moderator, just let me know and I'll throw the topic out there in a general post to snag a volunteer mod. You're more than welcome to have a co-mod (or, hell, a couple of co-mods) particularly for a divisive issue like, "Just How Hot is CKR?"
Q: What should my panel suggestion look like?
Your suggestion should be focused, snappy, and involve an interesting topic that people can imagine actually discussing/debating. Remember, people will be voting on a topic title, so longwinded explanations (like this entire post) won't fly. Please try to make your suggestions specific.
Bad examples:
SGA
Harry Potter
Last Night
Diefenbaker
Rodney
due South
Good examples:
Wincest: So Wrong It's Right
When Kowalski Bottoms
Duck and Dan: Soulmates, or Better as Friends?
Also, try to avoid panels that are about your specific kinks.
Bad: Why I Love Threesomes!
Good: What Character Would You Most Like to See Participate in a Threesome?
What about meta?
Meta takes many forms: there's fandom meta (trends, cliches, the history and the future of a fandom, etc) and writing meta (how-to guides, instructional or craft-based topics) just to name a couple of the more obvious divisions. I'll do my best to distinguish between these categories when it comes time for voting, and I'm hoping that we'll have a good selection of all meta types to compliment the fandom-based discussion panels.
If something's not clear or you need more information, please speak up in reply to this and I'll do my best to answer.
Okay, coming right up: make your panel suggestions!
Please Note: This is NOT the post where you suggest panel topics. That'll be coming right up, so hold on to your hat while I explain the ground rules and further mix metaphors.
I'm following misspamela's lead here, since she did a great job of organizing the discussion panels at MJ last year. Those of you who attended MJ probably remember how the panel selection process worked - it'll be the same song here with a slightly different tune.
Right after this post I'll start the panel suggestion thread. Anyone can post a suggestion, even if they're not attending the Seattle con. So ask around! Pimp the post! The more options we have, the better the panel representation will be!
Panel suggestions will stay open for two weeks (until January 15th). After that I'll close the thread, and start breaking the suggestions down by fandom (due South, RPS, Supernatural, etc) and type (meta, actor appreciation, how-to, yadda yadda). Then I'll make polls where you can vote for your favourite panel topics. The results will be tallied by my highly-trained team of mutant super monkeys (or Excel spreadsheets, whichever) and I'll schedule the panels and announce the results!
The panels are chosen by you. You'll be voting for your favourite topic within its category, and majority will rule. It's fair, easy to determine a winner, and it'll keep me from going mad with power. (All limb amputation panels, all the time). If there are X number of panel slots and Y number of small fandoms, you'll be voting for the fandom you most want to see represented. If enough people vote for Dante's Cove over Torchwood, the majority wins and we'll have to discuss John Barrowman's essential hotness at the hotel bar instead.
Need more detailed info? I thought you'd ask, so here's the Seattle Con Panel FAQ.
Q: What the heck is a "discussion panel"?
A discussion panel is a loose, informal chat about a particular issue. It's not meant to be a lecture, or a serious academic discussion of, say, the socio-economic inference in Sam Wincester's choice of hair gel. There is a moderator, who helps guide the discussion, but it's meant to be a fun and low-pressure discussion about stuff that interests you and your fellow fen.
Q: So what does the moderator do?
Like I said above, a mod simply guides the discussion. There were a few moderators at MJ who brought visual aides, handouts or props to get people involved, but generally modding is more like being chairperson at a meeting. Mods have five main duties:
1. Introduce the topic, and get the conversational ball rolling
2. Help the participants stay on topic (necessary when dealing with a group of fangirls)
3. Fuel the discussion by asking/soliciting questions from the audience
4. Try to make sure everyone gets a turn and that everyone stays polite ("No throwing things, guys!")
5. Wrap things up on time and make sure the room gets cleared before the next panel starts.
Q: How are mods chosen?
The person who suggested a topic gets first dibs. If you've suggested a topic but are skeered or not really interested being a moderator, just let me know and I'll throw the topic out there in a general post to snag a volunteer mod. You're more than welcome to have a co-mod (or, hell, a couple of co-mods) particularly for a divisive issue like, "Just How Hot is CKR?"
Q: What should my panel suggestion look like?
Your suggestion should be focused, snappy, and involve an interesting topic that people can imagine actually discussing/debating. Remember, people will be voting on a topic title, so longwinded explanations (like this entire post) won't fly. Please try to make your suggestions specific.
Bad examples:
SGA
Harry Potter
Last Night
Diefenbaker
Rodney
due South
Good examples:
Wincest: So Wrong It's Right
When Kowalski Bottoms
Duck and Dan: Soulmates, or Better as Friends?
Also, try to avoid panels that are about your specific kinks.
Bad: Why I Love Threesomes!
Good: What Character Would You Most Like to See Participate in a Threesome?
What about meta?
Meta takes many forms: there's fandom meta (trends, cliches, the history and the future of a fandom, etc) and writing meta (how-to guides, instructional or craft-based topics) just to name a couple of the more obvious divisions. I'll do my best to distinguish between these categories when it comes time for voting, and I'm hoping that we'll have a good selection of all meta types to compliment the fandom-based discussion panels.
If something's not clear or you need more information, please speak up in reply to this and I'll do my best to answer.
Okay, coming right up: make your panel suggestions!