Another call for Enforcers. I wonder how many have signed up so far and confirmed as Enforcers.
There is definitely a shortage. You would think with badges selling out that more would enlist. But that kind is going to be a lower quality kind on average.
I am very tempted, but PAX is supposed to be a family vacation this year. If anything winds up happening to those plans and I end up in Boston as a free agent as a result, I'm going to see what I can do to pitch in. If not, next year for sure.
Given the obvious real need for additional Enforcer volunteers, I am tempted to step up and volunteer, but since I had no plans to attend PAX East I have no hotel plans arranged. This is why I am concerned that they are still so desperate, at this point their best hope is for people that had plans to attend already to decide to alter their plans and switch to enforcing, rather than trying to recruit people that weren't going to come to this PAX East at all.
1. A big dropoff of regular Prime Enforcers taking up the Black at East this year.
2. A number of current East Enforcers dropping out due to feeling marginalized compared to the Prime Enforcers.
3. An increased need for Enforcers with the likely increased attendance cap.
It all boiled down to:
1. Over-reliance on Prime Enforcers.
Flying cross-country costs enough in time and money that the benefits of Enforcing are a drop in the bucket: might as well just have fun and enjoy PAX if one is putting forth that much effort. There was no way the number of people who Enforced cross-country could be maintained except at the higher levels of responsibility.
2. Lack of a strong East-coast Enforcer community.
Prime Enforcers come from a smaller geographic pool on average, and have close physical ties. East draws from an order of magnitude more major cities, and thus lacks the physical aspects of that community. Coupled with the shorter time it's existed at all, there isn't the support network and peer pressure that leads one to do it every year.
I mean in two years the con sold out and has over 20k people attending. How many years has Prime been going on? I couldn't even imagine the logistic nightmare east presents especially on the recruiting end.
The room reimbursement model strikes me as a little strange, since it really provides no benefit to having Enforcers share rooms. I think if you created a financial incentive for Enforcers to room together, you'd also create the environment that would foster the growth of an East-coast Enforcer community.
Given the obvious real need for additional Enforcer volunteers, I am tempted to step up and volunteer, but since I had no plans to attend PAX East I have no hotel plans arranged. This is why I am concerned that they are still so desperate, at this point their best hope is for people that had plans to attend already to decide to alter their plans and switch to enforcing, rather than trying to recruit people that weren't going to come to this PAX East at all.
I got a spot in the Westin that you could take up if need be
Also on enforcing, if I didn't get approved for the panel at AB I would be tempted to give the call, the experience alone would be worth it. To all the fellow Enforcers are they flexible with the enforcing schedule for people in by circumstance?
What they really need to do is make sure a good amount of their second in command to the department heads are east coast. Start helping them get up to speed and into the process outside of the con and let them start drawing in people they know and trust. They need to get to a point where they have heads of departments that are just for that particular con and not both. Otherwise they will have a large turn over rate (burn out rate) of Prime AND East higher ups as well... which could be disastrous.
My room has space in it. I did the math, we can fit a few hundred people in the available space and still have enough room for people to comfortably walk to the door/bathroom. People will have to be stacked up like cord wood though.
Don't, you're flying across the country for this. Asking you to then work is just too much.
Yeah. Overall, my desire to want to hang out with everyone and experience PAX as an attendee is too high.
@Coldguy, they normally stick you with one preferred shift 9AM-3PM, 3PM-9PM, 9PM-2AM. However, they may be flexible or you can switch shifts with other Enforcers.
I'd like to enforce at some point, but it's so far away and I'm spending quite a bit of my money/vacation days/effort just to go. One day... but probably not today.
I can think of only a few things that would change my mind this late in the game.
Hey Bar Crawl thread is up on the official forums. I guess nobody here is interested? It's incredibly awesome.
I've been to the Pokecrawl both times, and it's so much fun. Our team leader was a cool enforcer from Seattle that we wound up hanging out with all weekend, and have plans to chill with again this year.
Even if you aren't a big drinker, if you aren't from the area I'd recommend going anyway because it's kind of an impromptu Boston tour. Last year it was held in the Faneuil Hall area, home to some unique locations like the impressive Holocaust Memorial, the original Cheers bar, and some of the oldest taverns in the country where the Founding Fathers plotted the revolution.
That being said, if you are coming in early or staying late in Boston, there's a lot of cool stuff to do if you have the time.
If you like American History, you can't beat the Freedom Trail, a 2.5 mile free walking tour of the city that covers most of the historical landmarks from Bunker Hill to the cemetery where the founding fathers were buried (the only bar in the country where you can drink a Sam Adams while looking at the grave of Sam Adams) to Paul Revere's Old North Church. Or for the lazy, there are the Duck Tours, which are guided tours in an aquatic vehicle that will drive around the city and then take you right into the Charles River. It can be sort of touristy, but still a fun, quick way to see the city.
And if it's still too cold to go outside, the Museum of Science and the New England Aquarium are always a lot of fun with cool exhibits, especially if you have kids. And the Museum of Fine Art is apparently going to be hosting an exhibit about Japanese influences in American Art starting in March.
We are on Team Blue - Silver side. My friend made the Team Blue T-Shirts over the past two years, and I was conscripted into doing a lot of the iron-on work.
I am Red-Silver this year, I was Yellow-A last year. I had an umbreon hat most of the night. This year I will likely return with said hat... or maybe a cloak. I would be honored to give you my ultros hat if you would want it. You would have to earn it of course, in the appropriate challenge.
I've missed the keynotes since 2009, so I'm honestly ok with still not going. Perhaps this gives more incentive to check the Expo Hall first or see what sort of Tournaments in Tabletop are available. Remember, the first tournaments on Friday will give you a good chance of winning because barely anyone shows up because of the other things going on.
Well I never played Prince of Persia, so you take a guess. I really have only known of one Keynote speaker before they were ever announced to be a speaker, and that was Wil Wheaton.
I am Red-Silver this year, I was Yellow-A last year. I had an umbreon hat most of the night. This year I will likely return with said hat... or maybe a cloak. I would be honored to give you my ultros hat if you would want it. You would have to earn it of course, in the appropriate challenge.
You don't need to give up your Ultros hat, but thank you for the offer - though I will still accept whichever challenge that you choose to throw down.
Oh no, I'd love to give you the hat. I don't really wear that hat. I let that hat wear another hat sometimes. But I'd be quite happy to give you the hat, especially if you would appreciate it.
And further, we could quite easily make a contest of it. Of course, this hinges on our teams meeting in honorable combat. Perhaps we could make it a wager, if you wish.
And if, say, that hat happened to return for another round in following years... well... I wouldn't be opposed.
Comments
I am very tempted, but PAX is supposed to be a family vacation this year. If anything winds up happening to those plans and I end up in Boston as a free agent as a result, I'm going to see what I can do to pitch in. If not, next year for sure.
If you do become an Enforcer, you may be able to get partial reimbursement for your stay there as long as you're put on the room. Just a thought.
Also in regards to all of this, part of me feels guilty because I know I could become an Enforcer again and help out, but I really don't want to.
1. A big dropoff of regular Prime Enforcers taking up the Black at East this year.
2. A number of current East Enforcers dropping out due to feeling marginalized compared to the Prime Enforcers.
3. An increased need for Enforcers with the likely increased attendance cap.
It all boiled down to:
1. Over-reliance on Prime Enforcers.
Flying cross-country costs enough in time and money that the benefits of Enforcing are a drop in the bucket: might as well just have fun and enjoy PAX if one is putting forth that much effort. There was no way the number of people who Enforced cross-country could be maintained except at the higher levels of responsibility.
2. Lack of a strong East-coast Enforcer community.
Prime Enforcers come from a smaller geographic pool on average, and have close physical ties. East draws from an order of magnitude more major cities, and thus lacks the physical aspects of that community. Coupled with the shorter time it's existed at all, there isn't the support network and peer pressure that leads one to do it every year.
I mean in two years the con sold out and has over 20k people attending. How many years has Prime been going on? I couldn't even imagine the logistic nightmare east presents especially on the recruiting end.
Also on enforcing, if I didn't get approved for the panel at AB I would be tempted to give the call, the experience alone would be worth it. To all the fellow Enforcers are they flexible with the enforcing schedule for people in by circumstance?
This gets back to my problem of the east-west cross over.
@Coldguy, they normally stick you with one preferred shift 9AM-3PM, 3PM-9PM, 9PM-2AM. However, they may be flexible or you can switch shifts with other Enforcers.
I can think of only a few things that would change my mind this late in the game.
Even if you aren't a big drinker, if you aren't from the area I'd recommend going anyway because it's kind of an impromptu Boston tour. Last year it was held in the Faneuil Hall area, home to some unique locations like the impressive Holocaust Memorial, the original Cheers bar, and some of the oldest taverns in the country where the Founding Fathers plotted the revolution.
That being said, if you are coming in early or staying late in Boston, there's a lot of cool stuff to do if you have the time.
If you like American History, you can't beat the Freedom Trail, a 2.5 mile free walking tour of the city that covers most of the historical landmarks from Bunker Hill to the cemetery where the founding fathers were buried (the only bar in the country where you can drink a Sam Adams while looking at the grave of Sam Adams) to Paul Revere's Old North Church. Or for the lazy, there are the Duck Tours, which are guided tours in an aquatic vehicle that will drive around the city and then take you right into the Charles River. It can be sort of touristy, but still a fun, quick way to see the city.
And if it's still too cold to go outside, the Museum of Science and the New England Aquarium are always a lot of fun with cool exhibits, especially if you have kids. And the Museum of Fine Art is apparently going to be hosting an exhibit about Japanese influences in American Art starting in March.
What team are you on?
We are on Team Blue - Silver side. My friend made the Team Blue T-Shirts over the past two years, and I was conscripted into doing a lot of the iron-on work.
I've missed the keynotes since 2009, so I'm honestly ok with still not going. Perhaps this gives more incentive to check the Expo Hall first or see what sort of Tournaments in Tabletop are available. Remember, the first tournaments on Friday will give you a good chance of winning because barely anyone shows up because of the other things going on.
And further, we could quite easily make a contest of it. Of course, this hinges on our teams meeting in honorable combat. Perhaps we could make it a wager, if you wish.
And if, say, that hat happened to return for another round in following years... well... I wouldn't be opposed.