Ytterbium! Eastercon 70
Apr. 25th, 2019 09:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
luckykaaYtterbium is the 70th element on the periodic table. This was the 70th Eastercon. Hence the name.
I usually find Eastercons a bit of a mixed bag. This was no exception.
Something that I do find is a problem is that Eastercon is a little stuck in its ways. While the science track is good and the event is very well organised and run, new media seems to have competely passed it by. RPGs might get a mention, and so might Doctor Who, but nothing on youTube, video games, or even comics. It is mainly a literature convention, but not exclusively. Ultimately it's probably because the people who run it aren't really aware of that, but it does tend to mean there aren't many younger members. The convention is a little grey haired.
Was also disappointed that there wasn't much costuming stuff. No costume competition. No panels. Chaos Costuming is no more because the guy who usually organised it felt he was being taken for granted a little. No real encouragement of dressing up. There were Hall Costume tokens but nothing else. I wanted to show off my rocket pack but never really felt there was an opportunity.
The science track was great! I got to see an Enigma machine up close and personal. There was an enjoyable talk on science of the movies by Rachael Livermore, and an introduction to Arduino microcontrollers. So that was cool! Also Francis Hardinge was there and I hadn't seen her for years. Also there was a real Ale bar and options for cheap food (because Eastercon organisers know that these things are negotiable). We had entertainment from Playing Rapunzel and Mitch Benn, both of whom were great. I had to bribeflickums to stay for Mitch Benn but she seemed to enjoy it. I certainly did.
It was nice to stay in a hotel with a gym and a pool. Took advantage of both.
So that was that. It was an enjoyable enough weekend, but not really sure how I feel about it. I don't quite have the sense that I want another one next week that I feel I ought to have.
Highlight was catching up with friends. Lots of people I don't see very often were there. Also I did like learning about Arduinos and seeing an Enigma machine. Have taken the plunge and bought myself an Arduino or three.
I usually find Eastercons a bit of a mixed bag. This was no exception.
Something that I do find is a problem is that Eastercon is a little stuck in its ways. While the science track is good and the event is very well organised and run, new media seems to have competely passed it by. RPGs might get a mention, and so might Doctor Who, but nothing on youTube, video games, or even comics. It is mainly a literature convention, but not exclusively. Ultimately it's probably because the people who run it aren't really aware of that, but it does tend to mean there aren't many younger members. The convention is a little grey haired.
Was also disappointed that there wasn't much costuming stuff. No costume competition. No panels. Chaos Costuming is no more because the guy who usually organised it felt he was being taken for granted a little. No real encouragement of dressing up. There were Hall Costume tokens but nothing else. I wanted to show off my rocket pack but never really felt there was an opportunity.
The science track was great! I got to see an Enigma machine up close and personal. There was an enjoyable talk on science of the movies by Rachael Livermore, and an introduction to Arduino microcontrollers. So that was cool! Also Francis Hardinge was there and I hadn't seen her for years. Also there was a real Ale bar and options for cheap food (because Eastercon organisers know that these things are negotiable). We had entertainment from Playing Rapunzel and Mitch Benn, both of whom were great. I had to bribe
flickums to stay for Mitch Benn but she seemed to enjoy it. I certainly did.It was nice to stay in a hotel with a gym and a pool. Took advantage of both.
So that was that. It was an enjoyable enough weekend, but not really sure how I feel about it. I don't quite have the sense that I want another one next week that I feel I ought to have.
Highlight was catching up with friends. Lots of people I don't see very often were there. Also I did like learning about Arduinos and seeing an Enigma machine. Have taken the plunge and bought myself an Arduino or three.
