Conventions

I volunteer for local SF/F convention Norwescon, and occasionally go to other cons when I can.

Norwescon Preplanning

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As part of yesterday’s Norwescon planning meeting, I sketched out a basic idea of the events that I’m going to concentrate on being around to photograph for at least some portion of the event — which also necessarily ends up as a rough map of where I’ll be at any particular time during the con. With everything that’s going on, I can’t guarantee I’ll be at each of these events for the entire scheduled time. Still, I’ll be doing my best to catch as much as I can. It’s shaping up to be a busy weekend, but one that should be a lot of fun.

Thursday

  • 1pm-3pm and 4pm-6pm: Thrill the World Dance Class, Maxi’s Ballroom: On October 26, 2009, 22,596 people worldwide participated in the 4th annual Thrill the World event dancing to Michael Jackson’s entire Thriller song; yes, the entire 5 minutes, 58 seconds. Anyone in reasonable shape can learn this dance! If you’re a little awkward – hey, you’re a zombie! Dress comfortably and wear shoes you can dance in. We will teach the entire dance in each session. Thursday night at the end of the zombie walk, you are encouraged to join in as we perform this for the crowd at the dance! (I may stop into one or both of these at some point during the class.)

  • 5pm-7pm: Guest of Honor Banquet, Grand Ballroom 2: Dr. John G. Cramer, Corey Doctorw, Caren Gustoff, David Hartwell, Lelsie How, John Jude Palencar, Vernor Vinge

  • 7pm-8pm: Opening Ceremonies, Evergreen 1 and 2: William Sadorus(M), Dr. John G. Cramer, Cory Doctorow, David Hartwell, John Jude Palencar, Vernor Vinge

  • 8pm-9pm: Zombie 101, or Walk, Zombies, Walk, Grand 2: Shamble yourselves down to Grand 2 to learn what it takes to be a zombie. Our zombie pros will teach you how to move, think, and act like a zombie. There will also be people available to apply basic zombie makeup to help you achieve that zombie feel. Wear old clothes and get in the spirit, because this is the start of the 1st Norwescon Zombie Walk. Feel free to come already zombified.

  • 9pm-11pm: 1st Norwescon Zombie Walk, Grand 2: Join us here to be a part of the 1st Norwescon Zombie Walk; take over the halls of the Doubletree. Zombies will shamble around the con, ending up in the dance where they can take part in the Thrill the World zombie dance to Michael Jackson’s entire “Thriller.” Please see the earlier panels today that will teach the Thrill the World dance if you wish to learn it in advance.

  • 9pm-2am: Thursday Night Dance, Grand 3: Join us for a Tour of a House of Horrors as DJ Irah hosts a night of frights and delights. Watch out for zombies on the dance floor as they “thrill” us with their moves, dancing to music from back in the day up to today’s hottest hits.

Friday

  • 12pm-2pm: Courage: The Series – A Firefly fan series panel and episode premier, Grand 3: A two hour panel with the entire cast of the new fan series, Courage, based on Joss Whedon’s Firefly universe. Ask the cast questions and get to see special footage followed by an episode premier! Attending cast include: David Townsend (Director), Chris Kimball (Director/Producer), Justin Rister (Creator/Actor), Phil Delorenzo (Actor), Daniel Wolf (Actor), Aimee Binford (Actress), John Branch (Actor), and Alyssa Roerenbeck (Actress).

  • 1pm-2pm: Interview with John Cramer, Evergreen 3 and 4

  • 1pm-3pm: Gothic Tea Party, Presidential Suite: What is a Gothic Tea Party? Don’t be left in the dark, stop by and find out.

  • 4pm-5pm: Autograph Session #1, Evergreen 3 and 4: Alexander James Adams, Alma Alexander, Bethalynne Bajema, Richard Baker, Steven Barnes, Arthur Bozlee, Andy R. Bunch, Alan M. Clark, Greg Cox, Dr. John G. Cramer, Cory Doctorow, Elton Elliott, James C. Glass, Todd Lockwood, Lisa Mantchev, John Jude Palencar, John A. Pitts, Mark Rahner, Leo Roberts, Merrillee Schedin, Jeanne C. Stein, Eric James Stone, Jeff Sturgeon, Vernor Vinge, Jaye Wells, Saje Williams

  • 4pm-7pm: Single Pattern Contest Judging, Olympic 1: Closed Judging session for the Single Pattern Contest entries. Judges and pre-registered participants only.

  • 7pm-8:30pm: Philip K. Dick Award Ceremony and Reception, Grand 2: William Sadorus(M), Carlos Cortes, Dr. John G. Cramer, Cory Doctorow, Daryl Gregory, David Hartwell, Ian McDonald, John Jude Palencar, Vernor Vinge

  • 9pm-11pm: Fannish Fetish Fashion Show, Evergreen 1 and 2: We want…Flesh! Flesh for fantasy. Surrender your flesh to your fantasies of delicious latex and lustful corsets. The Fannish Fetish Fashion Show is at it again! This year there is magic in the air, mystery around the corner, Tempting Tarts Burlesque and a few surprises hidden up our sleeves (or is that tucked away snug under that bustier?). You know you want to take a peek… (18+ with ID)

  • 9pm-1am: Match Game, Cascade 9 and 10: Get ready to match the stars! In this SF/F- themed version of the classic Match Game game show, contestants will be randomly selected from the audience to compete in guessing how our panel will complete fill-in-the-blank questions such as ‘Captain Kirk has the biggest [BLANK] in Starfleet!’ Prizes include book packages worth more than $100, gift certificates to selected Norwescon dealers, and a membership to next year’s Norwescon. All contestants will also receive “Lovely Parting Gifts.”

  • 9pm-2am: Stardance, Grand 2 and 3: Come on down to Bartertown, that outpost of civilization on the edge of the apocalypse. Leave your weapons behind and be careful not to pick a fight or you might find yourself facing death in the Thunderdome! DJ’s Girly Girl and Black Maru play music to accompany the end of the world as we know it.

  • 10pm-2am: Weird Tales Night, Maxi’s Lounge: Ready for an exciting night of music, drinking, dancing and literature? Yes, literature. Weird Tales is sponsoring tonight’s party in Maxi’s Lounge on the 14th floor. This is Norwescon’s first year with exclusive use of Maxi’s Lounge; help make it a huge success by joining Weird Tales and your friends up in our new space. Weird Tales and their fabulous authors will be providing the night’s entertainment. It is 21 and over, with ID and Norwescon badges required. You must match your ID, so watch the makeup and masks. Weird Tales promises to give you a thrilling time you won’t soon forget, so join us for the inaugural night in Maxi’s Lounge. (21+ with ID)

Saturday

  • 10am-5pm: 501st Charity Photo Shoot, Rotunda 2: Have you ever wanted to have your picture taken with Darth Vader and/or Storm Troopers on the Death Star? Your dreams can come true; the 501st Legion is back again, but in a new location. You can find them in the second floor Rotunda where a photographer will take your picture in front of a backdrop of the Death Star. Your picture will be printed out on-site, ready to show off to your friends! This year all proceeds will be donated to Clarion West, a charity that provides high-quality educational opportunities for writers of speculative fiction at the start of their careers. Norwescon is very excited to be sponsoring Clarion West this year as it is dear to many of our panelists and guests.

  • 11am-1pm: Star Trek: Phoenix Premier, Grand 2: Star Trek: Phoenix is returning to Norwescon! Cast and crew are coming back to share the premiere in a special fan screening of the Phoenix pilot, ‘Cloak & Dagger,’ on April 3. The pilot takes place in 2422, one year into the USS Phoenix’s maiden voyage. After a major attack on the ship, the captain and crew launch a mission to rescue an away team stranded on the remote planet Katrassii Prime. But, the closer they get to rescuing their shipmates, the more they become entangled in the secrets contained on the perilous, hostile planet. A “Making Of” documentary and a Q&A session featuring cast and producers follow the screening. Star Trek: Phoenix is a fan-based series set 42 years in the future from Star Trek: Nemesis.

  • 1pm-2pm: Autograph Session #2, Evergreen 3 and 4: John P. Alexander, Carol Berg, David Boop, SatyrPhil Brucato, Ted Butler, Bruce R. Cordell, Dr. John G. Cramer, Jeff Davis, A.M. Dellamonica, Cory Doctorow, James Ernest, Yasmine Galenorn, Daryl Gregory, Jeff Grubb, Eileen Gunn, Brandon Jerwa, Jak Koke, Ian McDonald, John Jude Palencar, Kevin Radthorne, Ken Scholes, Lorelei Shannon, Jack Skillingstead, G.Robin Smith, S. J. Tucker, Vernor Vinge, Gareth Von Kallenbach

  • 2pm-3pm: Autograph Session #3, Evergreen 3 and 4: Myke Amend, Brenda Cooper, Dr. John G. Cramer, Cory Doctorow, S. Joe Downing, Roberta Gregory, Mark Henry, Jean Johnson, Rosemary Jones, Mary Robinette Kowal, G. David Nordley, John Jude Palencar, Joshua Palmatier, Adrian Phoenix, Cat Rambo, Sean K Reynolds, Renee Stern, Ben Thompson, Amy Thomson, Vernor Vinge, Rob Welch

  • 3pm-4pm: Interview with Vernor Vinge, Evergreen 2

  • 6pm-8pm: Babel, Presidential Suite: Come join representatives from local fannish clubs and learn about opportunities to help your community while having fun! Several of our local fan groups will be available to fill you in on what their club does. If you’ve always wondered what these groups do, come meet them, and find out!

  • 8pm-10pm: Masquerade Photo Shoot, Lobby: (I won’t be shooting the Masquerade itself; rather, I’ll be in the photo pit set up in the lobby, taking shots of Masquerade entrants and as many hall costumes as we can haul over to the backdrop.)

  • 9pm-2am: Star Trek: Phoenix Night, Maxi’s Lounge: Beam up to Maxi’s Lounge and have some drinks with your fellow congoers! This fabulous event will be sponsored by Star Trek: Phoenix so prepare to boldly go where no congoer has gone before. Make sure you bring your Norwescon badge and your photo ID (21 and over). The drinks will be out of this world and the music hopping, so don’t miss your opportunity to be part of this brand new event. (21+ with ID)

  • 10:30pm-3am: Saturday Night Hoedown, Grand 2 and 3: Put on your best square dancing shoes and help put Norwescon to bed with mc300baud and his eclectic collection of tracks. Expect the unexpected as he spins rave, wave, goth, alternative, electronica and more late into the night and won’t let up until the cows come home.

Sunday

  • 10am-2pm: Fannish Flea Market, Grand 3: Love to go to flea markets and garage sales? Ever wished they had more fannish stuff? The SFFM is everything you have wished for: Norwescon attendees clear out their houses of stuff they don’t want, and it is all here for you to buy or barter for. Bring your cash and check out the bargains and incredible stuff people are getting rid of.

  • 11:30am-2pm: NWC 33 Art Auction, Grand 2: The Norwescon Art Auction will be a fun and exciting battle for most desired works of art from this year’s art show. And if that isn’t enough, come help support our two charities this year, Clarion West and Northwest Harvest, by bidding on art, jewelry, and other objects of interest that have been donated by our dealers, professional guests, and fans to support these two great organizations!

  • 2pm-4pm: Fandance Film Festival, Evergreen 1 and 2: In its eleventh year, the Festival is a celebration of low- and no-budget cinema, brought to wondrous lurching life by amateur filmmakers from all around the Pacific Northwest. More than just the movies, this 120-minute extravaganza of entertainment also includes the filmmakers regaling you with terrifying tales of their productions. Be there or be a regular right quadrilateral! The Fandance Film Festival is the final terrifying phase of the Let’s Make a Movie Workshop, in which participants walk through every step of making a movie, from conception to the premiere of the finished product. This year at Norwescon marks the eleventh installment of the Let’s Make a Movie Workshop!

  • 5pm-6pm: Closing Ceremonies, Evergreen 3 and 4: William Sadorus(M), Dr. John G. Cramer, Cory Doctorow, David Hartwell, Tracey Knoedler, John Jude Palencar, Vernor Vinge

Geek Appreciation

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Things I love about the geek community: within the first half hour of Saturday’s Norwescon planning meeting, I was complimented on my shoes (black converse with a white “hawaiian monkey skull” design that looks vaguely Grateful Dead-ish), my belt (the Utilikilts airplane belt), and my shirt (Frakkin’ Toasters). The utilikilt, however, was too everyday and normal for this crowd to be worthy of mention. This greatly amused me.

(I actually did get a compliment on the Utilikilt as well, toward the end of the meeting. This left only my socks and undershirt as uncomplimented wardrobe items by the time I left. I may not be a conventional dresser, but apparently I’m a pretty snappy dresser…at least by geek standards!)

Also: regular slips when mentioning URLs and e-mail addresses due to the recent change from a .net to a .org address, with accompanying cries of “ORG…(asm)…!” from the peanut gallery. The only meeting I’ve ever been to with that many public (dot)org(asmic) cries. Hilarious.

Also nice: a meeting that not only progresses on schedule, but ends a full hour earlier than planned. Impressive organization, and a nice job of keeping the meeting on track even with fairly regular outbreaks of geeky silliness and rabble rousing.

This is my first year getting involved with Norwescon beyond showing up and snapping pictures, and I think it’s going to be a fun experience.

Norwescon on Flickr

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(This post is cross-posted from the Norwescon LiveJournal community.)

Greetings all!

Just a quick notice that Norwescon is expanding its presence on Flickr. First off, there is now an official Norwescon account, where photos from Norwescon’s official cadre of photographers (of which I’m quite happy to say I’m now a part of) will be uploaded, along with those photos from previous years which have been so kindly contributed by congoers past.

Additionally, we’re working on making it easier for people to contribute and share their memories of cons past (and future). For some time now, the Norwescon Group has existed as a single catchall group for photos taken at the ‘con (and thanks are due to blacklightkeys and nickewing for originally setting up the group). As nice as that’s been — and it’s certainly not going away! — as more cons go by and the group pool grows, it becomes harder to dig through to find photos from a particular year.

So, while the big, catchall group will continue to exist, we’ve now created a number of individual groups, one for each past Norwescon. If you’ve contributed shots to the Norwescon group on Flickr already, feel free to add them to the appropriate group for the year they were taken! If you have old photos from cons past, scan ’em, digitize ’em, upload ’em, and add ’em! We’re really looking forward to re-discovering old favorite photos, and (hopefully) finding new treasures as the groups start to grow!

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Official Norwescon Photographer

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As most who pay much attention to my ramblings know, I’ve spent three out of the past four years wandering around Norwescon taking pictures (29, 30, and 32). A couple of weeks ago I got an invitation from the Norwescon 33 publications director asking if I might be interested in the con photographer position. I, of course, said that I was very interested, and we agreed to meet at today’s Volunteer Appreciation Picnic.

So, today I showed up at the picnic, chatted with Adrienne for a bit, and signed on as photographer for Norwescon 33! This will be pretty low-key for most of the year, getting shots of various meetings and Norwescon promotional events as they happen, and then be pretty intensive (but fun!) during the con itself, adding getting official shots of key events (the opening ceremonies, panels with the guests of honor, the Masquerade, the Fetish Fashion Show, etc.) as well as the usual candids and hall costumes that I’ve been doing on my own. I’m really looking forward to this, it’s a great way to combine interests and have a lot of fun doing it!

So that’s my little happydance for the day. Woohoo!

Norwescon 32 Wrapup

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It took roughly a week to get here, but really, I don’t figure that’s too bad, given my usual photowhoreish ways. Trust me, if I’d been employed (i can haz job now, plz? kthkxbye) it would have taken a lot longer than a week.

Still and all, just a few minutes ago, the last of my shots from Norwescon made it up to Flickr. There are three sets, one each for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and, of course, there are many more pictures from other attendees in the Norwescon Flickr group.

Thursday

Weapon Policy, Norwescon 32

Thursday was a nice, low-key start. I hadn’t actually figured on going at all on Thursday this year, but seeing as how I have a lot more free time than usual right now, I figured I might as well swing by. I dropped Prairie off at work in the morning so I could have the car, and headed over to the hotel about noon. Thursday definitely feels like the “slow day” of the ‘con, and I didn’t end up taking very many pictures. Mostly just wandered around, checked things out, poked my head into a panel or two, and that was it. Five o’clock rolled around and I bailed out to go get Prairie from work and head home.

Friday

Group Shot, Steampunk Fashion Show, Norwescon 32

Friday I arrived just in time for my one planned ‘event’ of the day, the Steampunk Fashion Show, hosted by the devious minds behind the upcoming Steamcon. Lots of great outfits! Unfortunately, I felt like I was struggling a bit with the photos, as the lighting in the ballroom was horrid. I still managed to at least get decent shots of nearly everyone who made it onstage, so it’s not a failure at all…I’m just my own harshest critic, as always.

After the fashion show it was back to wandering, grabbing a few shots of hall costumes, and sitting in on a couple of panels. I jokingly tweeted that the “What is Goth?” panel turned into “Hey, we’re not at the clubs and can hear each other without yelling!”…which wasn’t entirely untrue, as there was much amusement that nearly everyone in the room already knew each other to some degree from the scene. We did manage to turn it into more of a discussion about how people found the goth scene, how it’s changed over the years, and where it may be going as the ‘elder goths’ give way to a new generation.

Seven o’clock was my self-imposed curfew that night, so out the door I went to rest at home and ensure that I’d have as much energy as possible for the next day.

Saturday

Jack and Lilly, Norwescon 32

This was the big day: rolling in around noon, rolling out whenever I was exhausted and had to disappear before I fell over. No panels for me today, Saturday is all about the costumes — and as always, such incredible costumes!

Featured above is one of my three favorites from this year. I’ve long blamed thanked Ridley Scott’s 1985 fantasy movie Legend, and specifically the scene where Darkness tempts Lilly with food, dance, and that incredible dress, for being one of my first proto-goth influences. I have absolutely no compunctions at admitting that as soon as I saw Jack and Lilly wandering around, I got a total con-crush on her!

My other two favorite outfits: Firefly/Senrenity’s Wash, impaled on the ship support beam and sporting a “Screw You, Whedon” sign; and the bounty hunter sporting Jar-Jar Binks’ head on a pike.

Screw You, Whedon, Norwescon 32 Jar Jar Hunter, Norwescon 32

Since I’ve been running the @norwescon Twitter account, at the suggestion of @empsfm, I’d kinda-sorta-not-very-competently organized a joint ‘tweetup’ for @norwescon, @empsfm, and @seattlegeekly. Since I hadn’t even thought ahead enough to have some sort of sign announcing our presence, a few people couldn’t find us, and it ended up being kind of sparsely attended, but I still had a good time chatting with Shannon and Matt from Seattle Geekly, @ghouligan (Barry), and @jacinda. Sorry to anyone who missed us, I’ll do better at this whole “organizing” thing next year!

After the tweetup and another few hours of hall costume hunting, it came time to stake out my spot for the post-Masquerade photo area. There’s always a limited amount of space and a lot of people who want to take pictures, so I’ve found that it’s best to start hovering in the lobby area around 6pm-ish. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the t-shirt vendor started packing up and the official photography team started setting things up. My (not-so-)nefarious plan worked, and I was able to get a choice spot just left of the centerline behind the official photographers’ line of chairs.

And there I stood for the next three hours, as costume after costume paraded in front of us. So much great work on them all, from the hall costumes that were shanghai’d into posing to the Masquerade entrants posing for us after their time on stage. Of course, three hours is a long time to stand in one place and hold a camera up, so once the final Masquerade costume made it through, I stumbled away to sit and recover for a bit.

After some time to regain feeling in my arm, I started wandering, and spent some time running around with artvixn, helix90, and their friend Nell, who were on a quest to visit some of the hall parties. We made a swing through the Merchants of Deva party, then they all went off to find a rumored scotch tasting while I went down to the Saturday Night Hoedown, as I knew I had to drive home in a bit (oh, and I’m a total wuss drinker) and didn’t have much interest in the scotch.

The Hoedown kicked off (a little late, but I believe that’s par for the course), the floor filled pretty quickly, and I spent a good hour or so making laps around the outside of the dance floor with my camera. It wasn’t terribly long, though, before I really started to realize just how tired I was, and decided it was time to head home. Not long after midnight, then, I packed up, took one last look at the revelers, and bade another Norwescon goodnight.

Norwescon 32: My (Preliminary) Schedule

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While I’m not at all happy to be unemployed, I have to admit that it does make some things pretty convenient. I’m making a decent houseboy, dealing with the dishes and housecleaning, which Prairie appreciates. Since Prairie and I are both here in the mornings, we’ve been really enjoying having nice leisurely breakfasts together. And this weekend, it means that for the first time, I’ll be hitting three days of Norwescon, adding a few hours today (Thursday) to my usual Friday/Saturday run.

My basic plan:

  • Thursday: drive in, arrive sometime around noonish, leave around 5:30 to pick Prairie up from work.
  • Friday: bus in, arrive sometime around noonish, leave and bus home sometime in the evening (probably sometime between 6-8pm or so).
  • Saturday: drive in, arrive sometime around noonish, stay until I get exhausted. This counts as my “going out” night for the month.

I’ve gone through the Norwescon programming grid and identified the panels that I’m most interested in possibly checking out. What follows is a rough idea of where I might be over the next few days, though for most of these, there’s no way I can guarantee exactly where I’ll be at any given moment. Since a lot of the fun I have is grabbing photos and socializing, there’s a lot of mutability in my schedule.

Click through to see where I may (or may not) end up over the next few days…

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Norwescon Tweetup

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A couple months ago, I started up an (unofficial) @norwescon Twitter account as another avenue for disseminating Norwescon info to the masses. The account is mostly automated, mirroring links to anything that pops up in the norwescon LiveJournal community or in the Flickr group, but I’ll occasionally toss things in that seem to be on-topic and of interest.

Earlier this week, @EMPSFM asked if I was planning any sort of ‘tweetup’ during the ‘con. I hadn’t thought about it, but it seems like a good idea.

So, barring any unforeseen complications, I’m tentatively choosing 3pm on Saturday afternoon as a good time — early enough in the day that it won’t interfere with any of the big evening activities, late enough that most congoers should have arrived. The location is still to be determined: unless someone out there has a good spot in mind (somewhere in the public areas, this is far too last-minute, unofficial and slapdash to have an actual room available), I’ll scope out the common areas on Friday to find a decent place.

If you’re a congoer and already following @norwescon, you’re welcome to show up! If you’re on Twitter but not following @norwescon, follow and show up! If you’re not on Twitter…either sign up and show up, or just show up. It’s not like we can stop you. :)

  • 1st Annual Norwescon Tweetup
  • Saturday, April 11
  • 3 PM
  • Location to be determined

Questions, comments, words of wisdom? Fire ’em at me!

The Norwescon Outfit I Didn’t Make

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…because I have been short on time, money, initiative, know-how, or various combinations of all of the above.

What I wanted to do: prove that Starfleet’s more advanced mindset extended to sexual discrimination and choices in clothing. Just because all we’ve seen so far is slacks for men and women and (mini)skirts on women, I’m sure that doesn’t mean that that’s all there is.

(Note: actually, in first season TNG, there were a few men in unbifurcated uniforms, as evidenced by this Wikipedia mention and this slightly confused fan. However, these ‘skant‘ uniforms pretty much disappeared by the second season.)

The USS Utilikilt
The USS Utilikilt
The plan: customize a TOS Starfleet tunic and an Original Utilikilt (or even Workman’s or Survival, but those were even further out of my theoretical budget) with the logo you see to the right.

In order to find a way to work in the Utilikilts logo, I figured the uniform would have to be TOS style, when the insignia within the delta shield changed depending on the ship the crewmember was assigned to and before the standardization on the Enterprise’s ‘starburst’ central insignia. I wanted to use this design to create a custom patch in color (with the traditional gold background) for the tunic, plus one in black and white to go on the rear pocket of the Utilikilt.

Unfortunately, a number of things got in the way of completing (or even starting on) this project, from simply not having the money to drop on the tunic, a new Utilikilt, or having the custom patches made (and this was before I got laid off), to the Utilikilts people being swamped with work and unable to work on a custom kilt request at that time.

Still, this is what I wanted to do for this year’s Norwescon…and, to be honest, I still think it’d be fun to do it at some point in the future. I don’t know (and, to be honest, kind of doubt) if I’ll ever get around to it, but it’s fun to have it rattling around in my head.

Good Twitter Marketing is Communication

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I’ve been having fun over the past couple of weeks playing with a bit of unofficial marketing via Twitter for a couple of the local conventions. I’ve been using Twitter (djwudi, if you didn’t know already) for some time now, and I’ve been seeing a number of different companies and organizations picking up Twitter accounts, some of whom seemed to use it successfully…some of whom, less so.

To me, possibly the single most important aspect to marketing successfully on Twitter — and keep in mind that I’m not a marketing wonk in any way, I’m just an opinionated geek with a Twitter account — is having a real person behind the account. Just as people prefer to call a business and speak to a person rather than an automated machine, I like to know that there’s a real set of eyeballs paying attention to a Twitter account, and it’s not merely an automated receptacle echoing an RSS feed. Many companies seem to see Twitter as little more than an RSS reader for people who don’t grok RSS readers, and that’s a rather sad outlook.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with feeding RSS feeds into Twitter accounts. I’m doing that very thing myself, in fact. However, that shouldn’t be all that is done with the account.

Right now, I’m managing two Twitter accounts for local conventions: norwescon (for Norwescon) and steamcon (for Steamcon). Both of these are unofficial (i.e., I’m not actually involved with the production of either ‘con, but just do this because I can and because it’s fun to play with this stuff), but the Steamcon account is slightly less unofficial…that is, I’ve received a nice thanks from the Steamcon Powers-That-Be along with a link on their homepage to the Twitter account. Both accounts are somewhat automated, using Twitterfeed to pipe in RSS feeds. However, I also take care to make sure that neither account is a simple infodump.

Here’s the steps I’ve taken so far:

  1. Use multiple sources.

    Each account actually has multiple RSS feeds contributing content. For Norwescon, that’s the LiveJournal group, the Flickr group photo pool, and the Flickr group discussions; likewise, Steamcon gets their LiveJournal group, their Flickr group photo pool, and their Flickr group discussions. At the moment, there’s very little activity on Flickr, and most of the posts come from announcements on LiveJournal, but the Flickr feeds will come in handy post-con.

  2. Find the people that might be interested.

    I knew that since these weren’t official accounts, the chances of people stumbling across them were pretty slim. So, rather than just set them up and toss them into the electronic wind of the ‘net to see if they caught anyone’s eye, I set up two Twitter searches and subscribed to the RSS feeds. I use the same syntax for each search, just changing the name of the ‘con: norwescon -from:norwescon. This shows me any Tweets mentioning the ‘con, while excluding those sent by the Norwescon Twitter account (I originally also appended -"@norwescon" to exclude reply Tweets, as those have their own tab in the Twitter interface, but I’m finding it handy to have those included in the RSS feed as well). When I see someone’s tweet pop up, I take a look at their Twitter account, and if they look like they’re interested, I follow them.

  3. Interact!

    As evidenced by how I started this post out, I think this is the most important of the three. Rather than letting the RSS feeds take care of everything, I check in on the accounts myself off and on when I can. Admittedly, it’s not as often as I check my personal Twitter account, but it’s often enough that I can catch mentions, reply to any Tweets directed to the account, and so on. I also post Tweets myself when I find something interesting or worth sharing that fits the theme (such as Star Trek corsets or steampunk Lego). Any indication that there’s a real personality behind the account handle is good, and is more likely to get not just subscribers, but active subscribers. Twitter should be a conversation, not a lecture.

In the end, I’m having a lot of fun with this little experiment. It seems to be working well enough — the Norwescon account is up to 40 followers just through my dinking around and word-of-tweet, while the Steamcon account is now up to 38, most of whom have just shown up in the past two days after the Twitter logo and link hit the Steamcon website. Not huge numbers by many estimations, but both accounts are relatively new, and I’m sure both will continue to grow as the cons get closer and as word continues to spread.

Now if only I could figure out how to get paid for this kind of stuff full-time, instead of doing it for free during lunch breaks and evenings at home! ;)