PAX Prime is now objectively, in basically every way possible, better than PAX East. I probably wouldn't attend East anymore if I weren't Enforcing/Speaking, to be perfectly honest.
I certainly wouldn't attend Anime Boston if I weren't speaking.
The number of people I see defending the bag checks, in the name of security, is really, really disheartening.
It used to be of the greatest insult to be called a coward. Our society now sees bravery and courage as foolishness and being afraid as prudent and reasonable. To be afraid of a terrorist should be viewed almost as negatively as actually being a terrorist.
Honestly, most of those folks probably aren't pro-security so much as they are habitual apologists using pro-security arguments because context. If there were controversy over PAX have lax security, they would probably parrot anti-security arguments in the same way. To give an example, lemme be an apologist for those commentators.
Most of the random people making comments aren't engaged enough for their off-hand comments to really be representative of their character. The cowards here are the center and the city officials who are pushing this; they put on the security theater not to help anyone (because they are well aware it is theater) but rather so that if something terrible does happen, they can point to the basic steps they've taken to keep their jobs. That kind of cowardice is the truly despicable sort.
The number of people I see defending the bag checks, in the name of security, is really, really disheartening.
It used to be of the greatest insult to be called a coward. Our society now sees bravery and courage as foolishness and being afraid as prudent and reasonable. To be afraid of a terrorist should be viewed almost as negatively as actually being a terrorist.
I really want to play the "well if your city got bombed you'd have bag checks too" but I know where both you guys are from....
Sketchbook, you do have a point here. I noticed the same thing with the midnight closing: there is a blindly pro-PAX crowd that will be apologists for any bad move PAX makes. I don't think it was ever really obvious because bad moves by PAX are quite rare. Maybe the "PAX can do no wrong" crowd is a knee jerk reaction to the silly "PAX can do no right" crowd that got so much play online over the past few years. Neither are right. PAX is still a top notch con (East now being the redheaded stepchild), but there's no reason to put positive spin on obviously bad news.
I would go to PAX prime if the quantifiable, hard benefits of that event over PAX East, for me, justified the cost of flying across the country vs driving an hour and a half. In fact I'd likely be driving to Boston in the first place to get to PAX Prime so... that may tell you something.
As-is... it's a good expo. I enjoy the 'trade-show' aspect of it despite loathing to actually wait in any lines or engage any vendors.... I just enjoy soaking in the boothage. But with games and everything else it's a fun time.
It has problems, bag checks and other shit is lame, but personally I don't really care about the current issues much; they are a slippery slope maybe? But as-is it's not a deal breaker or anything of the sort and it'll be fun.
1 4 days long 2 Hotel gaming everywhere 3 Amazing food with zero wait everywhere 4 All hotels within a trivial walk of the convention center 5 Much better tabletop spaces 6 No security theater 7 Actually in a real part of a city, rather than an airport/warehouse wasteland 8 PAX Dev is also there
It is my full intent to buy max badges if I'm able to get in the Lottery Ticket queue to sell at face to FRCF peeps here. Anyone else willing to do that mitzvah?
It is my full intent to buy max badges if I'm able to get in the Lottery Ticket queue to sell at face to FRCF peeps here. Anyone else willing to do that mitzvah?
1 4 days long 2 Hotel gaming everywhere 3 Amazing food with zero wait everywhere 4 All hotels within a trivial walk of the convention center 5 Much better tabletop spaces 6 No security theater 7 Actually in a real part of a city, rather than an airport/warehouse wasteland 8 PAX Dev is also there
For all of the bad news we've been hit with regarding PAX East, the antsy factor is ramping WAY up today. Still gonna be a PAX. Still gonna have a great time.
Probably my last PAX for a while. Cutting my convention going down to 3 cons a year from now on and PAX east is getting cut. So I hope it's fun :-p still waiting on where I'll be enforcing.
For all of the bad news we've been hit with regarding PAX East, the antsy factor is ramping WAY up today. Still gonna be a PAX. Still gonna have a great time.
I just want to know how much their bag check is going to ruin my mornings. That's the one unknown that's pissing me off.
Comments
I certainly wouldn't attend Anime Boston if I weren't speaking.
The core issue is that people suck at decision-making under uncertainty.
Most of the random people making comments aren't engaged enough for their off-hand comments to really be representative of their character. The cowards here are the center and the city officials who are pushing this; they put on the security theater not to help anyone (because they are well aware it is theater) but rather so that if something terrible does happen, they can point to the basic steps they've taken to keep their jobs. That kind of cowardice is the truly despicable sort.
As-is... it's a good expo. I enjoy the 'trade-show' aspect of it despite loathing to actually wait in any lines or engage any vendors.... I just enjoy soaking in the boothage. But with games and everything else it's a fun time.
It has problems, bag checks and other shit is lame, but personally I don't really care about the current issues much; they are a slippery slope maybe? But as-is it's not a deal breaker or anything of the sort and it'll be fun.
There will be legit storefronts selling all kinds of Mary Jane is various types if consumption.
1 4 days long
2 Hotel gaming everywhere
3 Amazing food with zero wait everywhere
4 All hotels within a trivial walk of the convention center
5 Much better tabletop spaces
6 No security theater
7 Actually in a real part of a city, rather than an airport/warehouse wasteland
8 PAX Dev is also there
LotteryTicket queue to sell at face to FRCF peeps here. Anyone else willing to do that mitzvah?Even if it's terrible, PAX!
Even if it's terrible, P A X!