Anime Detour 2010: We Survived It

[revolutionaryjo]

I was going to make a big long post about this, but I'm just not up to it. I've thanked the people I sincerely wanted to thank for all the highlights of the weekend and talking about everything that went wrong just feels like beating a dead horse. We live, we learn, we move forward and make things better. So suffice to say that this year was a

Comments

[dejana]

I've frankly been shocked at the amount of positive comments I've been seeing from attendees because I really thought this year was in the toilet. Go Detour for being so awesome at keeping the drama from becoming public knowledge. We're like MiB that way.

[revolutionaryjo]

I've had my ear to the ground as far as feedback goes for probably the last five years now, and weirdly it seems like when it feels like the con is falling down me, attendees are by and large happy with the way things went. When I think everything went swimmingly, I get blindsided by complaints. Could just be a me thing though, setting my expectations too high or low.

But yes, go Detour!

[wombat_socho]

I think staff tends to be most aware of problems in their own area or drama that leaks into their area, and the natural human assumption is "If things things are okay for me and I'm not hearing about any drama, then we must be doing okay!" Meanwhile, in the other end of the hotel, all hell is breaking loose...

So, skeevy guys are wandering around bothering our young ladies. Sounds like it's been too long since stuckintraffik pulled somebody's badge, IYKWIMAITYD. I'm all in favor of harsh public responses to harassment; if people can't get it through their thick heads that when staff says to keep your hands to yourself, they mean it, then it's time to unlimber the clue sticks and make a horrible example out of somebody.

[revolutionaryjo]

While badge pulling may be necessary for the more heinous examples, it's more important to build a positive awareness within the community that that kind of thing is just not done. If you see someone harassing someone else, break through the "someone else's problem" bubble and ask if they're all right or need any help. Or just tell the dude "Hey, knock it off. That's not cool." I think some of these people just don't know any better.

[wombat_socho]

Totally agree that building the positive awareness is important; you don't want people to be harassed or be harassing. Unfortunately some people are a little slow on the uptake - they already know better, but in the absence of enforcement, they're going to see if they can get away with it. Which is when the velvet glove needs to come off the iron fist, imo. Staff also needs to be reminded that having that badge means they don't have to wait for security to show up before wading in.