Some people seem to think that the only reason someone would want to encourage new people into fandom is because it will create bigger conventions, be good for fandom, etc. These things may happen, but they are only side effects of welcoming in more people. I could do a big diatribe on growth versus stagnation. I could talk about how it's really
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Paula, the president of Austrek at the time, took me under her wing when I arrived. I was actually there because I'd seen an article in The Age where she was interviewed about the club. If she hadn't I probably would have managed (and still become the secretary the following year, when it had over 1000 members!), but I could understand that a lot of people wouldn't.
I think because a lot of SF fans are a bit (or a lot) shy, they tend to cling to people they know, even in what has become a 'safe' environment, which makes it even harder for new shy people to break in than if we were more 'average' overall in terms of outgoingness.
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And on a personal note, I would have never had your friendship, something which means a lot to me.
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Can't imagine what my life would be like now without fandom and the people within it! Even though I don't go to many of the events these days, I still see the people quite frequently.
I remember feeling a bit lost socially my first year of my Music degree, as I wasn't really interested in the whole going to the pub and getting pissed thing. The previous three years I'd been in a good social group at another uni, but that didn't really continue on.
So the timing was just right to lauch myself into a new social sphere.
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And now that I think about it, maybe that should be a feature of those panels. Something like:
"Who here is an experienced con goer who wants to make the first timers welcome?"
"Where will you be, what will you be doing?"
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Or something like that, anyway...
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But it was two years before I went back! And that was only because I had other reasons to be on campus, and wanted somewhere other than on my own on an oval somewhere to eat my lunch.
I can't imagine my life had I not gone back. Pretty much my entire social circle (including livelurker) arose from that.
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(and I'd be a mite bit richer after every Auction if you had run out of the shop ;p )
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