Second Life Community Convention 2006: SAN FRANCISCO!

I agree with you on that point. When I said that though, it was after he had explained the reasons why SF location was chosen this year and that next year this will be more regional. However, a vote by the community would have been a nice gesture

MJ

I believe he used the latest interrogation techniques, including rubber hoses, pliers and trained dolphins with friggin laser beams.

I do, and he's right.

If that is so, where do I live, huh, huh?!

I would like to see demographics please.

If the SL community has no active role in deciding the location, then it's not an SL Community Convention, it's an SL Limited-Restricted-Committee Convention. Even if the forums might be too small a sample in order to represent the community, there's other ways to get that info. Public requests for suggestions, a request dispensor at the Welcome Area (which I'd bet the Lindens would support), or even one at each of the infohubs. All of these options would give the SL community at large the opportunity to express their choice on preference.





That is exactly why San Francisco is the obvious NON location. It is already well served with SL-related events, trips, conventions, etc; it is and already has been a serious case of "been there, done that". The people who are within distance of SanFran has already had numerous occasions to be involved with SL-related events, and will likely have many more in the future. It's a no-brainer to see that there would greater service to the SL community to host it in a location where those who have not had that chance could have a possibility of going.


But then again....I'm getting a strong feeling the only 'community' in this 'community convention' is the organizing committee.


- Newfie

Demographics of SL users is not the only factor affecting the choice.

I'd like to also point out that *anywhere* in North America is inconvenient for SLrs on other continents. Next year I'll be lobbying for another city.

You do realize we're all on the East Coast, right?

Who are 'we'?

I know I'm on the east coast; I know (think) you're on the east coast.

Let's see, that's 2 people. Two people dont make an SL community.


- Newfie

Jeez..these folks are taking it upon themselves to do ALOT of work and help bring the RL folks behind SL avatars together for a great time, and they get slammed constantly for it? Chill out folks!

The last convention was ON THE EAST COAST, so what is unfair about this one being on the West Coast?? It makes sense to me and seems pretty damn fair. I didn't whine about last year's being on the East Coast. I just decided whether I could make it or not.

If you folks have a problem with the location selected, perhaps you should organize your own convention?

"We" as in the "organizers" that you quoted. I'm across the river from NYC, Jerry Paffendorf is in Brooklyn, Flip and Jenn are in Philly, Vala is in Maryland.

As I stated earlier, I was torn in the location as well - and as Flip stated, it stinks that there's no magic location in RL that's next door to everyone - but that's an aspect of RL that SL doesn't have to deal with.

(I may add, in an unrelated note, that we'll probably take on double or triple the number of organizers this year just to handle the volume of people and not spend every waking free hour for 2 months working on the con.)

Like has been repeatedly said, San Fran has been done over and over. There's more to the world than NYC and SanFran. And I'm pretty sure there's quite a few SLers out there in that 'more to the world' category.




It's amazing how often people use the 'if you dont like it, go do your own' cop-out line. I have a line for you. It's 'if you wanna call it a community convention, then involve the community. Otherwise call it the bunch-of-individuals-making-arbitratory-choices-without-basic-consideration convention'.

Dont like how I worded that? Well then start your own long-winded name for a convention.


- Newfie

David, that's not the point. The point is, if a group of people say that they are representing the community then do so with validity. If Linden Lab looks to this group as "represnting the community" that gives what they do and what they say some credibility. Well, I'm sorry, but selecting a city for the aforementioned reasons still isn't valid. You did not ask the community members what they would like to see happen. No official polls were taken, no unofficial polls were taken, and certainly no straw polls were taken. Is this another prime example of FIC at work?

Correct me if I am wrong about my vision of San Fransico. I havent gotten out much. Giggles!

I am not as leary about taking a trip to San Fransico. The thought of seeing that city seems more fascinating and "less crime". My vision is only that I may be shocked by same sex ppl holding hands etc. Oh and street cars. hehe if there are any there still. I vision townhouse style homes, on streets created on rolling hills.

[However, Since I live in a small town (grew up with population of 1,900 ppl) of farmers and now a new mall on the outskirts. I have to admit the new mall built on a blueberry field near our towns exit has brought in some strange folk. Psst, I have sat on a bench to watch these new types (to me) of ppl that I never knew existed. hehhe.]

So for me, New York seemed scarey to me and San Fransico doesnt.

GoldieFawn

This is 2006, there are planes, it is just as easy to fly from NYC to LA as it is from London to LA. It is not like people have to get on the Titanic and take 2 weeks to cross over and then hit an iceburg and die in the big pond. Good Grief.

David,

Oh good lord - asking why a more central location could not be chosen is hardly slamming them. My god, can no one ever ask a question or cricitize? Considering dates have not even been set yet, asking if it could be more centrally located for all people in the US is hardly slamming them. If the attitude is "if you don't like it, form your own convention" instead of taking input from the very community that this damn thing is supposed to represent, then I would gladly not go to it. They are not saints, they are event organizers. No one is crticizing them for their good deeds, simply discussing why certain choices were made.

Flipper posted like 90% of SL residents live in then San Fran area, numbers please? Just don't pull numbers out your ass and not expect people to ask questions. I believe Flipper told me sometihng like that yesterday. Since he seems to have access to these demographic numbers the rest of us don't, he could share. I thought we were a community?


Also why are you even posting about a convention, when you don't even have a date when it will be held?

Ayup and it was conveniently in NYC last year.
I'm not going to raise a huge dissent here but I kind of agree with the previous dissenters.

Here's a resource:
http://www.frappr.com/secondlife

LMAO, that's a very "thorough" source Hiro!

I didn't say it was. It's just an interesting sampling.

I don't see how you would ever gather the opinion of the entire SL community, but perhaps you know a trick to do that?

And I would think it logical that those doing the actual organizing and planning should have a say in where, when and how, since they are the ones doing all the work on it.

It's not like they are choosing Iraq or someplace. It's a beautiful city within the U.S., that is also the location of Linden Labs and offers tourists plenty to do.






Now it sounds as if you are saying a very small portion of the Second Life residents are "the community" because you can bet 99% of us have never "been there and done that" with SL-related events in San Fransisco.

I believe, due to modern transportation, that just about everybody can travel to SF if they have the time, money and/or inclination, just like any other city within the U.S. Some will live closer, and some further.




I'm getting a strong feeling that the people working to organize it for the community made a logical choice, and that there is no real way to get the entire SL's population to decide on any one location. As stated previously, S.F. seems like a good choice for many reasons. Hell, I'd rather have it in my home town, but I don't expect others to want it there. I'd rather go to Vegas for it, but I don't expect others to want that either. But I do like that they are having it on the West Coast this year, since it was on the east Coast last year.

I'm wondering if Flipper's statement that "there are more residents from the bay area than any other major metropolitan location" includes LL employees (and their alts). Remove that faction and where does SF stand amongst the user base?

The forums are not a good representation of the community milady. It's a very small and verbal minority. I would think that S.F. being on the West Coast, when last years convention was on the East Coast IS a valid reason. And since Linden Labs is located in S.F., and we haven't all had a chance to go hang out there, that it makes even more sense.

Polls weren't taken on the location last year either....

Well Cris, I'd have to disagree. I've seen some clear criticism going on. And yes, I am of the attitude that if this is being organized by non-Linden Lab employees, then they certainly have the right to pick the city, and that the city they picked makes sense for the reasons already stated.