[penguicon-general] Random Panel suggestion.

[Matt Arnold]

On 8/29/06, Greg <greg_b at rocketmail.com> wrote:
> And can it be done without showing how to actually bump locks.  I also
> have to question the appropriateness of such a panel in a
> sci-fi/computer con framework.  We seem to be diverging more and more
> from the original intention of Penguicon.  So far we've shown folks how
> to shoot guns, ride motorcycles and drink scotch, and now we want to
> show them how to pick locks.  Perhaps we should hold the con in Taylor.
>  They'd love this stuff.
>
For what it's worth, I have observed that Penguicon is every bit as
much a convention of fantasy literature, media, games, and comics as
it is of science fiction and Free/Open Source Software (all FOSS, not
just Linux). We have six themes; we just put two of them on top
billing in the ads. People are usually fans of more than one of these
six categories.

And then we have pulled in pretty much anything-- anything-- that a
subgroup of the various subgroups also likes, down to less and less
popular niches, like a network of connected interests. Each year we
explore a new far-flung branch of that network a little bit: Food.
Goth. Stuffed animal tea parties. Scotch. Guns. Linguistics.
Motorcycles.

So, in my personal opinion if Penguicon has been about something, it
has been about crossover. I've observed we'll give pretty much any fun
activity at least one shot, one time, if we think it will draw an
audience. As for me, I'm fine with that.

-Matt