Michael Lee's Train of Thought

The content of this video is actually NOT surprising to those of us that work on SF Conventions. After all, in events like CONvergence almost everyone PAID to be there. We couldn't do the convention without everyone *wanting* to do it and volunteering.

Obviously the challenge with something like this is that we do that project in our "free time" -- I use vacation days on the convention, and spend my nights and weekends on the project. And to some extent, the same thing is true with the Free Software movement and things described in books like Free: The Future of a Radical Price. The challenge is how to work out a way that you can make a good, solid, 21st Century living with it -- and not just at places like Google, which come close to this -- but in more environments around the world.



Oh -- and if you're looking for something to do for CONvergence 2010, we're looking for people to help us with our Harmonic CONvergence music/performance stage, and more people to be sub-heads (with a possibility as a future head) of CONvergence Programming for managing our panels and discussion sessions.

Labels: business, convergence, fandom, technology

I was intrigued to read Brad Templeton's thoughts On worldcon and convention design. While I don't have a strong interest in Worldcon -- I've never gone, and it's at a price point that I'd have other things that I'm more likely spend my money to attend.

But there are definitely interesting points there. We used sched.org at CONvergence this year and had a positive experience with it, though I think the assumption that Brad has that it can replace a printed schedule -- even with a printable stand -- is very unlikely based on my experience. But using something like sched.org can potentially help with the production of a printed schedule.

I don't agree with every point in the article -- but that doesn't mean that they aren't interesting points to consider.

Zombies are now showing up on Countdown with Keith Olbermann...with a reference to the study of the spread of Zombies as disease, but much of it turned into apartisan plug for the Zombie Survival Guide.

Labels: politics, zombies

I think the interesting thing has been following this story through the media sphere -- spreading from website to website, radio show to radio show.

It is now on NPR:


What we now need is a mathematical model for the spread of a news story like this -- How does something like this go from math paper, to Boing Boing, to the BBC and NPR. How long does it take to "spread"?

Labels: geek, math, zombies

I'm happy to see that the LASFS Clubhouse interview we asked the LASFS for has shown up on our League of Wonders site. One of the reasons why is it is nice to see how it has been done in other areas!

And video is always nice to add to a site...

Labels: community center, fandom, geek, minnesota

Well, probably not mine!

Felicia Day (perhaps best known from Dr Horrible) has a new video, in support of her other web series, The Guild. If you've spent some time in World of Warcraft, you probably already know about it.

Labels: games, music, whedon, wow, youtube

I'm very interested to see this new 'it just works' feature from Google -- I know that I've had some frustrations with Google Groups and Calendars in the past, and sharing with calendars and sites is especially exciting.

Really, this changes nothing. But at the same time, it changes everything.

Not the official word (that went out to the voting members earlier this week) -- but my official word. At our last board meeting of the Minnesota Society for Interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy we decided 12-0 (and the incoming 2 directors agreed as well) to spin off CONvergence from MISFITS, with the details to be worked out by January 1, 2010. Revenue donation will continue at current levels at least through the 2011 convention cycle. And we expect an active partnership between CONvergence and MISFITS for many years in the future.

I was in favor of this for a variety of reasons -- I've been actively involved with both CONvergence and MISFITS from very early on. (I don't quite get to be called a founder, but I was an early adopter.) I care passionately about both organizations, and am very proud of what we have done together. I've seen both organizations grow, mature, struggle, develop, and work together for many years. And I want them both to continue to do so as partners for many years in as successful a manner as possible.

I expect and will work to see that to continue -- and I am personally committed to an ambitious direction for the future as part of this process. The idea here is to build on our successes, support each other -- but then also get out of each other's way and not micromanage either. And let us all be the fantastic, imaginative, exciting community that I know that we are and will be.

There are a lot of details to work out. Lots of details. We'll have FAQs, meetings, discussions, arguments, decisions and paperwork to do.

But it is going to be exciting.

Labels: convergence, fandom, geek, minnesota, misfits, scifi