redbird: closeup of me drinking tea, in a friend's kitchen (Default)
Redbird ([personal profile] redbird) wrote2006-12-12 07:32 pm

More anonymous concoms

[livejournal.com profile] minnehaha K posted last week [1], unhappy about the trend for con committees to sit behind email like chair@example.org and artshow@example.org with no name given.

A flyer for Lunacon turned up in the mail today. Two people working on the convention are identified: the Filk Mistress and the Regency Dance Master. Not, say, the chair, or the people running the dealers' room, art show, or registration.

The only reason I'm confident that there is a con chair is that she, he, it, or they takes credit for creating the convention flyer.

[livejournal.com profile] cattitude is poking around online as I write this, and reports that most of the articles on the website are credited to "chair" (still unnamed).

[1] Thanks for reminding me of who, [livejournal.com profile] fredcritter.

[identity profile] fredcritter.livejournal.com 2006-12-13 04:29 am (UTC)(link)

It was [livejournal.com profile] minnehaha K. Which isn't at all the same thing as saying "that was me," but it at least makes the identification in case you were curious.



I think there are good reason to have the email routed that way and I don't think most of it is really for the sake of hiding identities, but I do think that folks need to be reminded that it can have that appearance & effect and that at least some other folks really would like to know who are running things. For example, if I can pry the time loose from work, I'll always go to a Congenial chaired by Uncle Vlad, whereas if somebody else were to take over I would need to make inquiries before making commitments.

[identity profile] fredcritter.livejournal.com 2006-12-13 04:32 am (UTC)(link)
Add-on: Oh, you made exactly that point in reply to her post, didn't you? Ah well, good to know we're both on the same page...

[identity profile] catelynn.livejournal.com 2006-12-13 05:40 am (UTC)(link)
As someone who is running a different conference...this is an interesting point. We did use the anonymous email addys but it might be nice to have a name/face to the address.

I also got the lunacon flyer today and do not remember seeing anyones name on as any area leads.

[identity profile] volund.livejournal.com 2006-12-15 08:45 pm (UTC)(link)
... the chair will be someone I want not to be in the same county as, let alone the same con suite

For Lunarians/Lunacon, a distinct and very real possibility in some previous years.