Scalzi's Convention Harassment Policy...

[seawasp]

... seen here, seems an eminently sensible and admirable one, and I hereby state that I'll follow this rule too. Hopefully the one convention I'm actually invited to at the moment, Astronomicon, has one or will have one. I'll have to check.

Comments

[wizwom.livejournal.com]

It unfortunate, but almost every convention has a few overly friendly people.
The only danger is that a policy like this might lead to a hostile environment - for men.

[akicif.livejournal.com]

If by "overly friendly people" you mean the sort of entitled idiot who considers their rights are infringed because they have to treat people like people, the sooner we lose them the better!

[wizwom.livejournal.com]

No, I mean those who have rather poorly socialized, and are suddenly confronted by a social situation they are not ready for.
Generally, the type of people you refer to, the true misanthropic, are weeded out of conventions quite quickly. Even with no "harassment policy."

[martianmooncrab.livejournal.com]

I would like to see it as part of being issued your badge, you dont READ and sign it, no badge, no convention. Then there is absolutely no issue with not knowing the rules.

[wizwom.livejournal.com]

Nah, most conventions hold a "the badge is ours" policy; you remain in the convention space at the sufferance of the concom. And include weasel wording to the effect that there is no recourse if they take the badge.

[meril.livejournal.com]

I know a lot of men who love reading sff but refuse to go to cons because they've seen too many links about what sort of horrors go on at conventions. I know even more women who refuse to go for the same reasons

If fandom is that bad at turning off new blood, I expect offline fandom in a few years is just going to be filled with the same 100 or so reactionary asses who do this sort of thing. I'm glad there is a movement to prevent harassment, but the horse galloped all the way out of the barn and crossed the state line quite a bit of time ago.