Entry tags:

DashCon or DashConned?
*So... is there any chance of a write up on DashCon happening? Because I am hearing rumours of it being spectacular, but have been completely unable to find much because Tumblr is terrible.

Thank you FW for coming through:

DashCon is a convention run by... possibly 17 year olds that was supposed to be a celebration of all things Tumblr Fandom. Unfortunately, things got sketchy quickly when con-goers were herded into the convention ballroom and told that they needed to raise $17,000 by 10 PM or the con would be shut down.

Donations poured in, though anons reporting from DashCon appear skeptical.

Questions arose. Skepticism continues to mount despite DashCon "response".

Popcorn continues to be consumed, as ONTD gets in on the action.

There's some positive word on the street from DashCon is a bit of a mixed bag. From the curt to the effusive.

More sources in the comments since I am having trouble keeping up reading and adding them all at the moment.

Edited to add:
A statement from Welcome To Night Vale about why they dropped out.
More on WTF is Wrong with DashCon in list format.

7/14/2014 - DashCon carnage continues (Sorry if I miss something but you guys are still awesome at bringing the links):
* Baker Street Babes (who were initially curt but polite about DashCon) reveal that DashCon did not in fact "take care of" their previously comped room that became a room they had to pay for that was a computer glitch that is now again having to be paid for by the Baker Street Babes.
* The Random Act - Misha Collins' charity has disavowed all knowledge of DashCon fundraising in their name.
* Mark Reads had a pretty good time, and debunks several of the rumours re: DashCon.
* DashCon stories have hit Jezebel and io9, though given current state of Gawker sites, they're basically Tumblr/meme curators by this point, so YMMV on relevance.
* DashCon organizer cries. I guess this is supposed to be guilt-inducing? Are these people too young to remember that we eat our young around here. Not linking because not 100% sure if the rumours that they are underaged are true.
* There was NO PUBLIC MASTURBATION at the BDSM panel. The fact that I even had to say this just tells you everything, doesn't it?
* The WTNV confirm they took in Noelle Stevenson. Dammit fandom_wank, I had to figure out how to direct link to tweets for you.
* Practically nobody believes DashCon's staff saying WTNV "just walked".
* Best "masterpost" of DashCon debacle I've seen on Tumblr. Now with corrections.
* Linkdump by mindset
* DashCon staff ~~AMA~~ just venting on 4Chan

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to collapse.

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

jkefka
2014-07-14 04:23 pm UTC (link)

My god this gives me such a schadenboner. I've been tracking this clusterfuck as it's passed by my dash over the last couple days and it's gotten even crazier.

I'm going to go a complete non sequitur and talk about some occasionally detestable, but importantly competent, people. Penny Arcade, at the first PAX, had no fucking clue what they were doing. They had never run a con, and the only people they contacted for their expertise basically gave them no help whatsoever. The first PAX was, by all reports, very disorganized and had a lot of problems, but they managed to make it work, with competent volunteers and the willingness to nearly kill themselves to make it all happen. PAX is now a massive juggernaut of a convention and probably the most fun you can have as a gamer of any type.

Now, not everybody has a Robert Khoo to get them there, but the "it's a first-year con, you have to expect some bugs" excuse has limits. Every con had a first year. The ones that are still around managed to make it work. This level of failure is exceptional, and I'm genuinely impressed at the number and severity of fuckups.

Of course, I would have started running for the hills at "unofficial Tumblr convention", mostly because I have no faith in the tumblr userbase's ability to do anything with a unified goal.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

argylespy
2014-07-14 07:30 pm UTC (link)

I actually just made a post on Tumblr comparing it to Asbury Park Comic Con's first year when it was held in a bowling alley/venue with a max capacity of 350 people for single day and was free admission. And three years later they just booked space in a hotel, expanded it to two days, and are charging $30 for a weekend pass and last year they had an attendance of 3,800.

And this was a convention started by industry professionals.

I don't understand how these people came up with their overblown expectations.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

	tez 2014-07-14 07:57 pm UTC (link)
	"Schadenboner" is one of the best terms I have ever heard for both its usefulness and descriptiveness. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	catremistrae 2014-07-16 03:46 am UTC (link)
	I am going to have to work "schadenboner" into a conversation sometime this week. (Reply to this)(Parent)

evanwaters
2014-07-26 07:19 am UTC (link)

That really is where the problem starts for me- there's no focus to the idea of a "Tumblr convention", even more so than the various geek cons out there. So already you're committed to a convention about... stuff, basically. Bronies? Sure! Supernatural? Okay! Political theory! Kink! Night Vale! Cat gifs! Funny Youtube videos!

So no focus, nobody with any experience planning events- I'm honestly surprised it got to the point that there was a convention for people to be disappointed in.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

(Read comments) -