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Rant - Oklacon Headaches - semi important for Oklacon-goers
12 years ago
General
>>>>EDIT - Registration issue resolved: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5156660/ <<<<
>>>>EDIT - Registration issue resolved: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5156660/ <<<<
>>>>EDIT - Registration issue resolved: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5156660/ <<<<
Recently I've been trying to resolve things with Oklacon in regards to Werewolf and convention registration. Let's just say things are NOT going well. Aside from the usual slow contact when it comes to furry conventions, last year there was some MAJOR drama: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/3955586/ which has still not blown over. I suspect it will cause several issues throughout the convention as I have no tolerance for being treated like shit over something that exists only in someone's imagination. That said, I have still decided to run Werewolf (and ONLY Werewolf) this coming Oklacon.
But here's where the problems come in. I started trying to contact them August 14th. On August 17th, I was directed to the person assigned to replace me.
On August 17th, I contacted him, receiving a reply on August 18th. The conversation actually went rather well. I was told I could be the one in charge of Werewolf, and he even made a deck purchase. Yays! Of course, I have NO clue who I'm talking to or who they are in regards to Oklacon staff because such things are rarely communicated. Last communication was August 19th with most things resolved. On August 27th, I e-mailed him about comped registration. Despite what records show, I could swear I was comped on my reg at least once of the last two years.
Anyway, here's where things start to become a headache. I received no e-mail back from him. I re-emailed September 9th, getting a shortly worded not-my-problem type reply shortly after. Alright, I'm off to talk to someone else at Oklacon. I get put in touch with Daxter. Now, I like Daxter. He's a cool guy, and he's been one of the few staffers to not treat me like dirt in the last 5 years. I mean, I know I'm a pain in the butt but really, I don't ask for much.
I email him September 14th, saying I've taken over for Werewolf, and am seeking comped registration. It isn't until September 19th that I get a reply, but replies are timely for that entire day, getting MOST everything resolved. He's stated that he'll do his best to keep other staffers out of my way, and it was resolved that, for whatever reasons, comped registration would not be provided despite putting in 30 hours of 'volunteer' work last year, and planning to put in another 20+ volunteer hours this year. Why not? Because I'm not running Pred Prey this year. Riiiight. This is, mind you, other people telling Dax what to say to me.
A deal is cut, and I am to pay half the price. I resolve to not be a hard-ass about things, and accept the $19 registration fee. This conversation is wrapped up by me on September 20th. I then realize that I'm not getting any guidance in regards to how I need to go about actually PAYING for this reduced pre-registration rate. Nothing in the e-mail chain was ever said about procedure. The last convention I worked with, a local board game convention, was very straight forward. "Sign up at the site, and when it comes to paying, just ignore that part. Simple as that." So I sent another email on September 24th that said:
"Let me know where to send that $19 and how to go about all of it. :) *goes to work on Flyer*"
I did not receive a reply. At all.
My next contact with him was October 6th, when I e-mailed him again, to confirm one last time that nothing had happened to the scheduled times for Werewolf (because this stuff frequently will randomly change without contacting the event coordinator -- at least it's been known to happen at various cons) as well as the following line about pre-registration:
"And as far as pre-registration goes. I have not done that yet as I need a final go ahead from you, including how I should go about it / what process you want me to use. Please write me back so we can take care of that."
I did not hear back from him until October 7th, where I am told that pre-registration is closed and I will be forced to pay an additional $10.
W
T
F
... Apparently their pre-reg closed on October 2nd. Several weeks after our discussion, several days after the previous time I tried to ask for help with the procedure. I have been trying hard to get everything resolved and all delays in communication outside of my personal delay during the transition of communicating with the previous person and communicating with Dax have been outside of my control. I have been more than willing to accept their terms, and now I'm being punished for something that I have no control over.
This convention really seems to have many people that hate me. I'm not trusted, I've been called a thief, I've been treated like dirt. I know I was a bit of an ass in the past. I know I've had some of my share of drama at the convention in earlier years (4-6 years ago), but I've been a respected entertainer that's putting HIS pocketbook on the line for entertaining others. Yet they are doing everything they can behind the scenes to make this a living nightmare for me.
I simply want to attend the convention, stay as far from any of the staff and any of the events as possible, and spend the night-time half of my convention entertaining those that attend who have respected me in the past and supported my creative venture -- Werewolves of the Dark Arts. Why is this so difficult?
Did you know that every other convention I have been to has had NO issues whatsoever in fully comping my registration? Did you know that I only eat two of the however-many meals that Oklacon serves because the rest are too early or have dietary issues for me that cause me to avoid them? I bring my own food. I could even do-without on the meh selection of entrees that they decide to boil up. It's not stuff I'd normally eat anyway. The convention costs them next-to-nothing for me to be there, and my attendance helps to entertain 20+ attendees on a nightly basis. So WHY is it that this doesn't qualify as enough to comp me on registration when for EVERY other convention, running that much stuff for the con is an automatic comped registration? WHY is this such a headache with this specific convention???
Also, many of you know, I subsist on government income. Disability for Aspergers. I don't have much money to spend, and I spend even less on travel these days than in the past. I've begun to take tips at local Werewolf events just to make sure that my entertaining of others doesn't cut into my personal finances. I really need the comped registration when it comes to these things; every bit helps me.
*SIGH*
I guess I'm done ranting. Any suggestions on what I should do? I really don't think I should be forced to pay the extra $10 for something that is entirely the fault of delayed correspondence, and to be honest I still don't think I should be paying a single dollar to the convention that treats me like a criminal despite busting my ass harder than at any other convention in the past. I'll pay the $19 if needed but I see no reason I should be forced to pay at-the-door pricing for THEIR mistake.
>>>>EDIT - Registration issue resolved: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5156660/ <<<<
>>>>EDIT - Registration issue resolved: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5156660/ <<<<
Recently I've been trying to resolve things with Oklacon in regards to Werewolf and convention registration. Let's just say things are NOT going well. Aside from the usual slow contact when it comes to furry conventions, last year there was some MAJOR drama: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/3955586/ which has still not blown over. I suspect it will cause several issues throughout the convention as I have no tolerance for being treated like shit over something that exists only in someone's imagination. That said, I have still decided to run Werewolf (and ONLY Werewolf) this coming Oklacon.
But here's where the problems come in. I started trying to contact them August 14th. On August 17th, I was directed to the person assigned to replace me.
On August 17th, I contacted him, receiving a reply on August 18th. The conversation actually went rather well. I was told I could be the one in charge of Werewolf, and he even made a deck purchase. Yays! Of course, I have NO clue who I'm talking to or who they are in regards to Oklacon staff because such things are rarely communicated. Last communication was August 19th with most things resolved. On August 27th, I e-mailed him about comped registration. Despite what records show, I could swear I was comped on my reg at least once of the last two years.
Anyway, here's where things start to become a headache. I received no e-mail back from him. I re-emailed September 9th, getting a shortly worded not-my-problem type reply shortly after. Alright, I'm off to talk to someone else at Oklacon. I get put in touch with Daxter. Now, I like Daxter. He's a cool guy, and he's been one of the few staffers to not treat me like dirt in the last 5 years. I mean, I know I'm a pain in the butt but really, I don't ask for much.
I email him September 14th, saying I've taken over for Werewolf, and am seeking comped registration. It isn't until September 19th that I get a reply, but replies are timely for that entire day, getting MOST everything resolved. He's stated that he'll do his best to keep other staffers out of my way, and it was resolved that, for whatever reasons, comped registration would not be provided despite putting in 30 hours of 'volunteer' work last year, and planning to put in another 20+ volunteer hours this year. Why not? Because I'm not running Pred Prey this year. Riiiight. This is, mind you, other people telling Dax what to say to me.
A deal is cut, and I am to pay half the price. I resolve to not be a hard-ass about things, and accept the $19 registration fee. This conversation is wrapped up by me on September 20th. I then realize that I'm not getting any guidance in regards to how I need to go about actually PAYING for this reduced pre-registration rate. Nothing in the e-mail chain was ever said about procedure. The last convention I worked with, a local board game convention, was very straight forward. "Sign up at the site, and when it comes to paying, just ignore that part. Simple as that." So I sent another email on September 24th that said:
"Let me know where to send that $19 and how to go about all of it. :) *goes to work on Flyer*"
I did not receive a reply. At all.
My next contact with him was October 6th, when I e-mailed him again, to confirm one last time that nothing had happened to the scheduled times for Werewolf (because this stuff frequently will randomly change without contacting the event coordinator -- at least it's been known to happen at various cons) as well as the following line about pre-registration:
"And as far as pre-registration goes. I have not done that yet as I need a final go ahead from you, including how I should go about it / what process you want me to use. Please write me back so we can take care of that."
I did not hear back from him until October 7th, where I am told that pre-registration is closed and I will be forced to pay an additional $10.
W
T
F
... Apparently their pre-reg closed on October 2nd. Several weeks after our discussion, several days after the previous time I tried to ask for help with the procedure. I have been trying hard to get everything resolved and all delays in communication outside of my personal delay during the transition of communicating with the previous person and communicating with Dax have been outside of my control. I have been more than willing to accept their terms, and now I'm being punished for something that I have no control over.
This convention really seems to have many people that hate me. I'm not trusted, I've been called a thief, I've been treated like dirt. I know I was a bit of an ass in the past. I know I've had some of my share of drama at the convention in earlier years (4-6 years ago), but I've been a respected entertainer that's putting HIS pocketbook on the line for entertaining others. Yet they are doing everything they can behind the scenes to make this a living nightmare for me.
I simply want to attend the convention, stay as far from any of the staff and any of the events as possible, and spend the night-time half of my convention entertaining those that attend who have respected me in the past and supported my creative venture -- Werewolves of the Dark Arts. Why is this so difficult?
Did you know that every other convention I have been to has had NO issues whatsoever in fully comping my registration? Did you know that I only eat two of the however-many meals that Oklacon serves because the rest are too early or have dietary issues for me that cause me to avoid them? I bring my own food. I could even do-without on the meh selection of entrees that they decide to boil up. It's not stuff I'd normally eat anyway. The convention costs them next-to-nothing for me to be there, and my attendance helps to entertain 20+ attendees on a nightly basis. So WHY is it that this doesn't qualify as enough to comp me on registration when for EVERY other convention, running that much stuff for the con is an automatic comped registration? WHY is this such a headache with this specific convention???
Also, many of you know, I subsist on government income. Disability for Aspergers. I don't have much money to spend, and I spend even less on travel these days than in the past. I've begun to take tips at local Werewolf events just to make sure that my entertaining of others doesn't cut into my personal finances. I really need the comped registration when it comes to these things; every bit helps me.
*SIGH*
I guess I'm done ranting. Any suggestions on what I should do? I really don't think I should be forced to pay the extra $10 for something that is entirely the fault of delayed correspondence, and to be honest I still don't think I should be paying a single dollar to the convention that treats me like a criminal despite busting my ass harder than at any other convention in the past. I'll pay the $19 if needed but I see no reason I should be forced to pay at-the-door pricing for THEIR mistake.
There's a reason other cons don't like working with or helping Oklacon, they've dug their own graves with bad staff and volunteer PR.
Wild Nights tends to at least want me there, but they have too small of an event space. *shakes head* I wasn't able to get it to work for me in past years, and aside from super-awesome cons like Fiesta, I don't really do anything at the cons I go to anymore except for running Werewolf. So without that experience being really awesome, I find that I can't be motivated to go somewhere if I'm not given the tools I need to run successfully.
One other funny thing is that I have been told that 'membership is down from previous year(s), yet I've never heard this crap about 'A-frame space is full, don't come if you're not willing to buy rent a motel' (not directed at me, I am being granted A-frame 1's upstairs) as mentioned on the website. Dowhatnow? o.o; And that's supposedly one of the reasons they aren't willing to comp me is because of some imaginary budget that I won't even be interfering with because I don't want to eat their ****ing food. :/
A public apology over being called a thief would be nice, but he still believes I have a NEED to steal from them for supplies. .... Why the hell would I do that??? I have more than enough supplies for TWO back to back games using completely different materials!!! I don't NEED their shit. Conversely I offered to sell them my set of gear in the past and they refused the offer. Pfffff. Fine whatever. Good luck with Pred Prey this year, enjoy feeling the pain I've felt the last three years trying to organize it in the same awesome way. ENJOY TEH FACE PAINTZ and lack of enough beads, etc. lawllll.
Really though, not my problem anymore. They dug that grave last year when they had the nerve to treat someone ragged and brainfried with accusations of theft. YEAH, I'M FUMBLING ON MY WORDS, WHY THE HELL DO YOU THINK THAT IS??? IT'S MONDAY AND I FEEL LIKE SHIT AND I JUST WOKE UP. Ugh...
>>>Tobias, I have gone through hoops to get things where they are, I can't make any more exceptions for you else I'd have to do the same for every other comp request we have. Your outstanding registration balance is $30. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Yeaaaah. Had I been replied to a week BEFORE pre-reg closed instead of a week AFTER, maybe we wouldn't be HAVING this conversation. Ugh. Why the hell am I being punished for someone else's screw up? I am doing what I do for all other cons, which is wait until I'm specifically told to do something because of all of the weirdness surrounding it. Why?? Because every con does things differently enough that I need someone to tell me how THEY want it done.
Part of me feels like they just want to force me to pay as much money as possible so they can 'regain the costs of the stuff I stole' that I never stole. That's part of why I'm so against this in the first place.
K Fox (yes, I'm bringing my laser pointers again. :P)
Yessir.
The way they changed volunteer comping last year was ridiculous. 30 hours was not enough to get comped. A LOT of complaints were gotten from that, and I think things are being made easier this year, but I'm not sure if it'll happen. They're bad about posting that info on the website.
The OAAA *technically* got dissolved because of legal reasons pertaining to the business agent's (the president) name and address never being updated with the state, which is required by law. This is because it required a vote to change the address, and some people kept amending unrelated stuff that nobody wanted happening to this must-pass piece of legislation, so it never passed. Some attempts were made to pass the business agent update, alone, but amendments only required a second to be added, and always happened. I don't know if the people responsible for this are the same people who give you the most problems, but it wouldn't surprise me.
On a Wild Nights side note, the park is hoping to have some of those closed off buildings renovated by next year, and we can use them for additional event space. We also have three garage tents, now. So there's that space, too.
I want Oklacon to get better. It was my first furry con, and it saddens me to see it in this state. I know it can be better because I've seen it. I'm hoping to get more involved, and try to heal it from within. We'll see how that goes...
Also I've heard from a few people that Blue Otter is 'one of the saner people staffing it to deal with'. I've indeed had fairly good experiences with him in the past, I just have a hard time trusting anyone from the convention at the moment.
I heard that there was a tent with a lot of space for Werewolf at Wild Nights this past year. I'm certainly considering attending again, as the lack of proper event space was my only real reason for opting out of the con.
Last year's con was great, until the very end when I was suddenly being called THIEF over something I had no reason to steal in the first place.
Realize the situation though. You and another individual both bought identical sets of Predator and prey gear. You both brought them to the convention, the event finished, and then there was only one set of gear you were in possession of. To the person who is down what they brought, and not having seen you with your gear before it, nor the gear side by side, it's a logical assumption. You would think it if the con had your gear at the end of the event. And I'm sure this same journal would have been brought up as a result with the roles reversed.
Now, you know my opinion of it, and I feel like I know you well enough to say that you wouldn't nor have a reason to steal it. And I also feel that the individual involved had no motivation to do so without his full belief that it was his. But please understand though that what you got was the thoughts of one person, not a convention.
And also realize that my decision on the compensation was based on fairness to other attendees and the good of the convention as best as I can determine from my new position. I had many people contact me after pre-registration asking where they could pay the $39 price. It would be unfair of me to tell them they have to pay the difference and make exceptions for another.
Additionally, the reason our convention's pre-registration closes much earlier in relationship to the actual convention date is because we have to pay our venue that far in advance for the space. In addition, merchandise purchasing happens that early in the game. When we have to make extra trips for food because of an overwhelming at-the-door attendance, and don't have the funds to purchase in bulk at a discount ahead of time, the con can't pass the buck for limited reprints of shirts nor non-bulk versions of food. The heightened costs have to be passed to those who are registering after initial purchasing. I acted of my own accord, and I know that you know I have no grudge against you. If you would like to ask the other attendees I had to say no to if they think it's fair that they have to pay the at-the-door pricing versus you getting the discounted rate, I will put you in contact with them, and if they tell me it's fair, and they don't care you get it cheaper, I'll give you the comp. But until each attendee says so, I won't do it.
And while it is the opinion of one person, that person is one of the people who runs the convention. As you stated. However it was an accusation in public around other staff members. It may as well have been a personal attack from the convention in terms of how I feel. Additionally, someone said 'Oh here's our stuff right here' during the time I was being accused. He immediately backpedaled by saying something like 'oh it was last year that stuff had wandered off' or something. I distinctly remember them locating some sort of predator prey related bag during the time I was being accused. Also, your gear is not identical, I BELIEVE I have seen the bandanas (unless I'm confusing this with Wild Nights; possibility is there) and they were subpar on quality/size or something. As far as beads and shower hooks, I have a specific way of storing them before using them. I would have only used the items that were prepared the way I prepare things. No one else was involved in the initial arrangement before the distribution. Everything was loaded up into bags at the end because I was exhausted and I only bothered with washing bandas. Every bandana was the same brand; bandanas of my own usage. He asked what the random bag of hooks and beads was and because I NORMALLY clean up and restore the beads, I was entirely confused that last day at what that bag was. It took me more than a moment to realize I had not cleaned it up.
On one note, I will state, I have not actually gone through my bag of supplies. I have had no reason to, and I do intend to do so before the convention, both folding the washed bandanas and sorting beads. If I happen to run across more than I know I should have, I will fully own up for all of this drama. But I am almost certain that's not the case.
As for these others asking for pre-reg price, are these others also people who have been in contact with you for over a month stating YES with certainty they are attending and trying their best to get registered? Because that's my personal situation. I've been trying to get registered since over a month ago. At a previous over-30-hours-required stance on comped registration, fine, I get why it's only a partial discount. But I effectively pre-registered by stating my intents with you around a month ago. That's what the current issue is about. I refuse to be penalized by slow communication on someone else's hands. :<
Trust me about the heal within, That's exactly the reason I'm on board right now. I want things to be fixed, and that is why I have done everything that I can to a point that isn't detrimental to the con to comply with requests such as Tobias'. Sure, I've made some decisions and exceptions that the other board members haven't been happy with, but I'm on board for a reason, and I'm doing it to improve the con.
While I wasn't part of OAAA, I did read the original charters and bylaws, and have heard stories from both sides of the issue that caused the break. In my personal opinion (which has a Robert's Rules and bylaws oriented background), I agree that the original charter for OAAA could be incredibly problematic for running a convention. as far as small decisions requiring a quorum vote of all constituents.
The fact of the matter is people who run conventions should be open to suggestions from any and all attendees. What con goers have to understand, however, is those staff and board members then must act upon what is best for the con as a whole. For example, people have suggested that Oklacon has become stagnant. I don't feel the same way, but myself and a couple other new staff members have gone out of our way to ensure that there are new events and ideas at Oklacon this year that take advantage of both our venue and unique type of convention. Using those, we've ensured there are things you won't be able to get anywhere else.
returning to volunteer hours, Drazil is doing a revamp to ensure there are opportunities that don't take up your whole convention that get you multiple hours for an hour of work, such as kitchen work, bathroom cleaning, and takedown. These are things people don't want to do, but think of it as a weighted volunteering (things you'll get double hours for).
Let me know if you have any questions!
It's nice to know more people are trying to make Oklacon better. I don't think it's gotten stagnant, either, but new events are always nice. I'll have to try to check some of them out. I was there for the last year of the OAAA, and have been involved with MESA (the organization that runs Wild Nights) since almost the beginning. It has it's issues, especially the OAAA, but it's been easier for me to get involved with member run cons. I've helped out at Oklacon since the dissolving of the OAAA, and am on staff at Furry Fiesta, but I don't really feel like I'm involved with the running of them like with the OAAA and MESA. That may just be me.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to a hopefully drama-lite (because we all know con's can never be drama-free) Oklacon.
As far as the member run con, we would LOVE for this to be member-run. Here is the issue. There are tons of people who want cons to run a certain way, but they don't use the opportunities we give them to leave feedback or be part of the convention. Hell, honestly we are struggling to find people who want to actually be involved. We would love to have people's input on theme, events, and other convention related things, but as it is, we get few to no responses on our social media sites, people don't fill out the survey. No one wants to be part of the Oklacon street team, which is the main driving force behind non-board input. It's really frustrating because we would LOVE to make the convention just how people like it, but never can because people won't tell us what the issues are.
For example, Tobias here is one of the few who has actually come to me with issues he has. Now I can't kick a staff member out because one convention member had an issue with him. But we do understand his frustrations and are working to make sure things such as this don't happen again. I also understand his frustrations with the comp situation, but much as with democracies, one members rights end where another's begin. I can't offer a comp to someone I don't have documentation for and tell the others who may have worked equally as hard they don't get the comp. Additionally, as far as the communication portion, I went through the e-mails and made sure I left no communication to say wait to register to make sure it wasn't a mistake. I will fully own up to anything that is a mistake on my part, or a mistake on behalf of another staffer if I feel the factual evidence outweigh's whomever's hardheadedness. That's just the correct way to run a convention.
Other concerns I've heard are "what does oklacon offer that I can't get at other conventions?" I list off things, and am told "well... eh... whatever." I've heard that the convention is stagnant and am told to offer more events. Not what events they'd like to hear. I get a lot of "do this" but no one willing to help come up with the solutions. :( While I am working hard to ensure that this convention is fun for all attendees, I'm both entering a new role and still feeling out my boundaries and restrictions. I'm still learning.
tl;dr:
People who want to offer criticism for the convention, PLEASE offer me more information than just saying something sucks. I want to know how to fix it in a way that's good for you! Not something I can throw into the works and hope it is successful. XD
As for possible solutions, this is a problem that I know Wild Nights is also struggling with, so I'm not sure. Making info about the OST more easily findable might help. Having event planning meetings on skype, or something, announced on the webpage could also help. Beyond that, I'm not really sure. I know I've been the only person to show up to the volunteer rally the past two years, so maybe people are just lazy?
I don't think that was the whole reason OAAA dissolved, given I kept hearing this "We can't reach quorum! We'd need 135 people in one place!" excuse thrown around left and right.
Oklacon was my first furry con too. I'm a fan of fixing what's broken, not throwing it away. However, I'm also a realist. I see Oklacon's current status as being what they call in medical lingo CTD, or "Circling the Drain". They're still supporting a dead charity whose corrupt management violated IRS tax law and USDA safety regulations about the feeding of large cats left and right (which got a man on staff killed, making them guilty of manslaughter) and deserved to be shut down.
I have my own negative opinions of the OST. I see it as uncredited, unpaid labor for Fuzzy Productions. Oh, they may give you OST T-shirts and baseball caps, but isn't that just free advertising for the con? I wouldn't want to spend money and resources going cross-country to other conventions, setting up and tearing down room parties, etc. for a pat on the back and a lousy T-shirt. But maybe that's just the nature of volunteer work.
As far as OST being unpaid labor for Fuzzy productions, it's true, but as a member of fuzzy productions, I don't get paid, Heck, I had to pay a small investment. This convention is completely volunteer run, but the basis for people being on OST and the board is for people to take initiative. Hell, I was a volunteer last year only by chance, and because people saw that I had drive and a passion for putting the event together, they asked if I'd like to be more involved.
Private note sent as well.