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Wil Wheaton's GenCon SoCal Recap

Mr. Wheaton (CleverNickName to you) had the chance to attend GenCon SoCal, the westerly companion to the event held every summer in Indianapolis. He writes, in his regular column at Suicide Girls, about the joys of a nerd in his natural environs. From the article: "I made my way over to the correct hotel, and finally felt like I was at one of the cons I remember. It was intimate, dimly-lit, and packed with people in costumes, people playing games, people napping on couches, and people doing the things that geeks do. I passed one guy gloating into his cell phone, 'So, I guess you're not picking up your phone after that humiliating defeat?' He was cleaning up the aftermath of a Magic: The Gathering duel. A pair of men passed me, heavily engaged in conversation. One of them said to the other, 'Not only is it a valid thought, it's a valid line of discussion!' I have no idea what they were talking about, but it certainly seemed, uh, valid to them. Four teenagers (two boys and two girls) walked in front of me as I crossed the lobby, one wearing a Cthulhu backpack. All of them were dressed in black pants, the boys with the obligatory flannel shirts unbuttoned over their T-shirts. " If you're worried about it, Wil's column is in a SFW part of the site. You can also read some of his editorial cuts on the WWdN In Exile blog.

35 comments

  1. Re:Wesley! by Lord+Kano · · Score: 1, Funny

    Oh - and meet me in the holodeck - we can live out our 'swordfighting' fantasy together.

    I presume that the loser would have to face Mr. Worf.

    Once you go Klingon... you have to go to sickbay.

    LK

    --
    "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
  2. Earth calling Zonk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Slashdot, none-news that's even more vapid than hello magazine? Did anyone think this was interesting enough to submit or are you skipping your meds again?

    1. Re:Earth calling Zonk by Sloppy · · Score: 3, Funny
      Did anyone think this was interesting enough to submit or are you skipping your meds again?
      I think it's interesting that some people visit SuicideGirls to read articles.
      --
      As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
    2. Re:Earth calling Zonk by 91degrees · · Score: 1

      I did.

      It's news for nerd. You're clearly not nerdy enough. It doesn't matter.

    3. Re:Earth calling Zonk by BandoMcHando · · Score: 1

      I think it's interesting that some people visit SuicideGirls to read articles.As they once read the articles and short stories in Playboy too, as I think they published stories by Artur C Clarke and Ian Fleming amongst others.

    4. Re:Earth calling Zonk by Talla · · Score: 1

      As they once read the articles and short stories in Playboy too, as I think they published stories by Artur C Clarke and Ian Fleming amongst others.

      It reminds me message I saw long ago on a mailinglist, with some statistics from Playboy or another of the high profile soft core web sites. On the bottom there were a few hits with lynx. One of the replies was "I guess some people really *do* read it for the articles".

    5. Re:Earth calling Zonk by elrous0 · · Score: 1

      gotta have something to do while you're waiting for the semen to dry

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  3. Hmm by My+name+is+Bucket · · Score: 2, Funny

    You know, I've never been to one of these, but they sound like fun. I'd only go to pick up chicks, though.

    1. Re:Hmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Stop cutting in on my game. It's the easiest way to get laid.

    2. Re:Hmm by geekoid · · Score: 2, Insightful

      you'll get modded as funny, but in actuality it's not a bad place to meet like minded ladies. The gender ratio is much closer these days then in the 70's/80's

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    3. Re:Hmm by Alan+Shutko · · Score: 1

      Unless it's changed in the last year, it's still a really, really bad ratio. It's probably up to 10% over the con. Certain niches have much better ratios, like LARPs.

    4. Re:Hmm by MsGeek · · Score: 1

      Anime fandom has changed the sex ratio at conventions permanently. Anime fans are pretty much half and half male/female (or is it Otaku/Otome?) ratio. Over the past few years I've seen more and more women and girls at San Diego Comic-Con. Anime Los Angeles reflects this half and half ratio almost perfectly. And of course, Yaoicon in San Francisco is something like 85% women, 5% gay males, and 10% either men in tow (spouses and significant others) or single guys looking to pick up Otome chicks. (The latter is really hard to separate out.)

      Gaming is still very y-chromosome oriented. However, I was once a girl RPG gamer, and I had lots of fun with it. If it wasn't such a time sink, I'd be more into it. However, this time when I'm in college I want to actually get an education. ^_^

      --
      Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
  4. You have got to love it... by LWATCDR · · Score: 4, Funny

    "l of them were dressed in black pants, the boys with the obligatory flannel shirts unbuttoned over their T-shirts. "
    The official uniform of none conformity.

    --
    See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
    1. Re:You have got to love it... by duckbillplatypus · · Score: 0, Redundant

      But isnt that conforming to the non conformist? It reminds me of the South Park Dance Comp. episode where the kid was such a non conformorist that he would not join the non conformists.

  5. Ph-eeezical impossiblity! by Ninjaesque+One · · Score: 0

    The Geek's natural habitat does not include people whose gender begins with a 'Fe'!

    --
    Ninjas and pirates. How piquant.
    1. Re:Ph-eeezical impossiblity! by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

      Unless it's "Fey", the common name of all spiritual forest beings like elves, pixies, dryads, nyads, sprites, thumblings, and Leprechauns with their shilaleighs (?) and pots of gold under the other end of the rainbow, god damn I wanna catch one and make him give me his pot of gold, or better yet, a wish, where I'd be just like

      Abort! Abort! You were not gonna just say "Spiderman" to piss people off and get a downmod! Abort mocking behavior!

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  6. Attn: Will!! True20 and Mutants and Masterminds by TechOgre · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Seriously! Best system(s) you can use. All my players (not hard-core gamers) love the system. Try it! Hell, I'm sure Green Ronin would be happy to provide you with a review copy.

    --
    We may, indeed, share 98% of our genes with chimpanzees, but then, we share 47% with cabbages.
  7. Ob. Simpsons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's Bi-Mon Sci-Fi Con!

  8. no way is it better by geekoid · · Score: 1

    then "Savage Worlds".

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    1. Re:no way is it better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      more than
      less than
      better than
      worse than

      and then
      we then
      I then
      she then

  9. Re:Wesley! by geekoid · · Score: 0

    Please I've seen worf fight..Puuussssy. Come on 3 ferengi?

    The last great Klingon(aka 'space orc') myth broken.

    Remember there are 3 myths in the ST universe:
    1) Vulcans don't lie
    2) Klingons have honor
    3) Humans don't 'interfere'

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  10. salmon by syrinx · · Score: 2, Funny

    Like salmon returning upstream. Only without the spawning opportunities.

    Seriously though, something like this is a good time if you are so inclined. Many years ago, I went to Origins several times, and it was great. It was in the summer though, so I left my flannel at home.

    --
    Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
  11. Re:Wesley! by Lord+Kano · · Score: 2, Funny

    ~~=====> - The joke

            0 - You
          _|_
            |
          / \

    --
    "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
  12. Re:SG? no thanks by Steinfiend · · Score: 1

    Erm, can you actually give some reasoning or thought behind your apparent loathing of SG and its staff? You use the word scum, then compare them to MySpace? MySpace allows for painful page design, hideous colors and mind-numbingly repetative 8 second music clips, as well giving every damn angst-ridden Emo teen out there a place to write "poetry" about slashing their wrists. All of these traits are definitely obnoxious, but I wouldn't say scummy.

  13. GenCon SoCal by ShakaUVM · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I went to GenCon SoCal again this year. Probably the best time I've had yet, even though I volunteered the whole time. I did, in fact, see the Cthulu backpacks walking around.

    I'm surprised they didn't get Wil Wheaton to do an autograph signing. During the first year of Gencon Socal they paid William Shater something like $400,000 to sign autographs, and nobody even bothered to show up for it (there was like a line of two people) -- the announcer on the PA system got increasingly desperate. "Mr. Shatner is now signing autographs." "Shatner is signing autographs now." "There is no line to get autographs from Mr. Shatner." "Mr. Shatner will be leaving soon unless more people show up to get autographs..." Etc. And no, I didn't get an autograph. I was busy.

    Year 2, they got Val Kilmer. Unbeknownst to anyone at Gencon, Val had (maybe still has) a female stalker that follows him to all his events. So when this shy fan of his (not the stalker) poked her head around a corner and took a flash photo of him, he flipped out, stopped signing autographs (after about five minutes, tops), went back to his hotel room and drank and drugged himself into oblivion for the whole weekend. Gencon staff kept knocking on his door ("Mr Kilmer? Mr Kilmer?"). He finally came out on Sunday, and asked people if the con was still going on or something.

    So yeah, after all that brilliance, Wesley Crusher would probably have been the best celebrity guest yet. (Oh, yeah. Our guest this year was that captain guy from Battlestar Galactica, who mainly just talked about how he tried to kill himself after the show got cancelled.)

    Wheeeeee...

    But I had a fun time running RPGA events (www.rpga.com), it was worth the travel and the sick people everywhere.

    1. Re:GenCon SoCal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If I ever become a celebrity, I'll use that excuse too

    2. Re:GenCon SoCal by elrous0 · · Score: 1

      The reason no one knew about Val's stalker is because she only exists in his head

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  14. Re:SG? no thanks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You don't consider Emo teens scum?!

  15. The Gamers by BDZ · · Score: 1

    Just wanted to mention, since I didn't see any reference to it in the comments so far, that the movie Wil mentions -- The Gamers: Dorkness Rising looks to be great. Movie site link: http://www.the-gamers.com/

    At least if the first one is anything to go on -- The Gamers (http://gamers.deadgentlemen.com/). Just watched it after downloading an avi of it and it has me sold on buying a DVD of it as well as the new one when it's out.

    If you're a gamer you must see it. Basically the movie goes back and forth between the game table and the in-game action. They do a good job of hitting all the "in" jokes in gamer circles.

    If nothing else, let this roughly recalled quote be your guide.

    DM: 'You're going to backstab him...with a siege weapon?!?'

  16. SFW?!? by dangitman · · Score: 1

    There's nothing Safe for Work about Wil Wheaton.

    --
    ... and then they built the supercollider.
  17. Re:Wesley! by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1
    Oh - and meet me in the holodeck - we can live out our 'swordfighting' fantasy together.


    Just make sure it's not one of Quark's sexy holodeck programs. I wouldn't wanna get into a "swordfight" with Worf in there!
    --
    (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.