>>10 Isn't it obvious? For one, the atmosphere of conventions is obnoxious by any reasonable person's standard. Crowds, loud noises, different smells, the sight of other people: all commonplace at conventions. Literal AIDS for your senses. And for what? Pointless, unprofessional "panels"? Vomit inducing 3dpd garbage like cosplay or e-celebrities? Unbridled vanity, stupidity, and materialism on full and open display? None of this is desirable. None of it is worthwhile. Most of it is, in fact, horrifying.
And that's not even breaching the fact that conventions are, of course, typically attended by people with a proclivity for in-person social interaction (that's why they're gathering after all). These people are far more likely than their digital-comfortable counterparts to understand the media or art in which they indulge as a means towards participation in a social circle or "community." Speaking personally, I do not want or intend to interact with those who take a primarily "meta" interest in their hobbies. For a discussion of an artwork (or for a community based around an artwork) to be worthwhile, the work itself should retain primacy at all times. Once you've deviated from that, you're already lost. social elements should therefore be limited to the extent possible. Cons spotlight sociality and are a step in the wrong direction.
Keep in mind I'm basically referring to media conventions with a "nerd" bent (anime, vidya, etc.) according to the American model, a.k.a. literal cancertastic trash. Of course there are other convention cultures that are slightly better, like the Japanese sokubaikai culture, but even these come with their own huge share of issues.
Isn't it obvious? For one, the atmosphere of conventions is obnoxious by any reasonable person's standard. Crowds, loud noises, different smells, the sight of other people: all commonplace at conventions. Literal AIDS for your senses. And for what? Pointless, unprofessional "panels"? Vomit inducing 3dpd garbage like cosplay or e-celebrities? Unbridled vanity, stupidity, and materialism on full and open display? None of this is desirable. None of it is worthwhile. Most of it is, in fact, horrifying.
And that's not even breaching the fact that conventions are, of course, typically attended by people with a proclivity for in-person social interaction (that's why they're gathering after all). These people are far more likely than their digital-comfortable counterparts to understand the media or art in which they indulge as a means towards participation in a social circle or "community." Speaking personally, I do not want or intend to interact with those who take a primarily "meta" interest in their hobbies. For a discussion of an artwork (or for a community based around an artwork) to be worthwhile, the work itself should retain primacy at all times. Once you've deviated from that, you're already lost. social elements should therefore be limited to the extent possible. Cons spotlight sociality and are a step in the wrong direction.
Keep in mind I'm basically referring to media conventions with a "nerd" bent (anime, vidya, etc.) according to the American model, a.k.a. literal cancertastic trash. Of course there are other convention cultures that are slightly better, like the Japanese sokubaikai culture, but even these come with their own huge share of issues.