Hopefully this is the BYOC thread he meant for posting our experiences in.
This is my third PAX and my third BYOC, and I thought everything was pretty much on par with the previous experiences (that is to say, excellent) except for one disquieting (literally) thing: the incessant music.
I also use BYOC as a staging area for my other adventures, and after wandering the expo hall it's nice to be able to sit down and rest, but with dubstep blaring from a speaker not 10 feet away, it wasn't very restful.
On a similar note, the announcements about games and tournaments, since they were only being sent through those couple of speakers, were always jarring where we were sitting. "If anyone has headphones on and can't hear..." was the biggest joke among my group all weekend because even with Bose noise-cancelling headphones playing TF2 at top volume Ludwig Von Effing Beethoven could hear the announcements.
That is my only possible complaint, however. From check-in to security to assistance to check-out everything was run impeccably well. Thank you, PC/BYOC Enforcers for a job consistently well done.
I kinda liked the music, but I imagine if you were closer to it it might have gotten annoying. And by annoying I mean horrifying. I was at the rear, and it was a little loud for my tastes, but I kinda found that it kept the energy going for me. Yes, maybe music in my headphones could have done this as well. But it's...not the same? So I guess I'd suggest that if they want to do this, go with more speakers and lower volume. Because that's so easy to do, right?
Loved the monitors that were up, too.
Check-in was...long. Not sure what I'd have done to improve it, most of the things I thought were the problem as I waited in the line wishing I could get set up to watch the keynote pretty clearly weren't when I got there. It just is what it is. Still did a great job, and everybody stayed pretty positive.
This was my first year in BYOC, and I'll be back if I can get a pass, because it was awesome. I didn't spend as much time there as I'd have liked to, I think I'll spend more next year. The couple local games I participated in were a blast, and just seeing the same few peeps around my table regularly was kinda spiffy. Made an excellent home base.
This isn't really a suggestion for how the BYOC area itself should run, more for registration, but just a thought. Am I crazy?
yes, this was the thread in question, sorry for not linking it, I'm on a plane :P
EXCUSES EXCUSES
Seriously, though, loved BYOC so much. I kept calling it "the VIP" to all my friends, though. Funny part was I had to slum it in PC Freeplay a few times to hang out with them, which felt silly.
Check-in was...long. Not sure what I'd have done to improve it, most of the things I thought were the problem as I waited in the line wishing I could get set up to watch the keynote pretty clearly weren't when I got there. It just is what it is. Still did a great job, and everybody stayed pretty positive.
And people think I'm crazy for getting in line for BYOC at 6am each year. Now you know why I do it! Going to BYOC around 9:30am in um, PAX09 I think and having to wait until 11:30~ to do stuff was not a fun first day of PAX. Although now that they have closed off the Annex entrance I might just do BYOC check-in at noon or something when the line's all gone.
This is to prevent people from line hacking their way into the Expo Hall before everyone else that has been waiting patiently in the queue room.
Why don't we just only let people with BYOC badges in through that entrance? I don't particularly care if I'm a little late getting into the expo hall, it just seems like a neater idea.
Was this policy kept during all four days? I know it held on Friday, but was it done during Sat/Sun/Mon? I know Sunday I was in the main Expo Hall line (one of first 10 people), booked it to a booth to get in line, and the person in front of me said he got in via the BYOC entrance.
Also, on Friday the announced time to open the annex entrance was 10:20, but at 10:20 they bumped the time to "unannounced" and opened it around 10:35.
Some fucker(s) stole a bag of merch I had left at my seat under the table (from the capcom booth, including my meat pillow ). My fault for leaving it there thinking it would be safe enough with it out of sight but meh. Also lost a mophie battery pack that was plugged into my computer charging while I was walking expo. Figured things actually plugged into a computer would be safe but also meh.
I will wheel in a safe next time and chain it to like 6 tables.
Was this policy kept during all four days? I know it held on Friday, but was it done during Sat/Sun/Mon? I know Sunday I was in the main Expo Hall line (one of first 10 people), booked it to a booth to get in line, and the person in front of me said he got in via the BYOC entrance.
Also, on Friday the announced time to open the annex entrance was 10:20, but at 10:20 they bumped the time to "unannounced" and opened it around 10:35.
A little clarity. It was communicated to us room managers a few days before PAX that the expo entrance in the PC Room would have a different time frame to open. Basically, last year, it was noted that people were thinking that they could bypass the expo hall line in the queue room by going straight to the PC Room. We were told 10:30 AM each day, and we did monitor that each day.
However, PA nor Enforcers, actually have any control over that entry point. We're just doing what we're told, so that can lead to confusing information if there are other factors to consider. One such factor is WSCC Staff (Greencoats) have authority over everything we can do. So, what occurred, is that no one told US that the clock reach 10:30AM wasn't the litmus test to check if attendees could go up the escalator to the Expo hall.
Instead, the Greencoats over in the Queue Room were communicating to the Greencoats in the PC Room the specific point in time that the entire queue room had entered Expo. Upon such time, they allowed the PC Entrance to open. On Friday Morning it was 10:25ish. On Saturday Morning it was 10:15ish. On Sunday it was almost 10:30ish.
So, we couldn't actually give exact information. I will make sure that the Enforcers in the Annex will have a clearer understanding of similar policies such as that, during the next PAX.
BYOC was great like always -- and although Gamma had some big red shoes to fill, he did a good job. The biggest improvements over previous years was Internet (1000% better), TV screens on the walls, and the tournaments were great! I really liked the idea of having a special raffle for games of the hour and other tourneys, so you had a better chance of winning by just participating.
Things that weren't as good was the midnight closing (it'd be nice if we could keep BYOC open til 2am, with same rules used in the morning to open at 8am), the music was repetitive and dubstep. ugh. And registration was long and seemed more convoluted than previous years. The most glaring issue still remains the security around checkin/checkout. I was able to take my backpack out every day without being checked and no passive alarm went off. In essence, the barcodes don't provide any type of real security.
Also, wanted to point out the glaring hypocrisy regarding chairs and 'firecode'. Apparently the rules can be broken if a sponsor brings in chairs to PC freeplay, or if you're Blaine. The WSCC and Seattle Fire Marshal have both confirmed to me that they have no problem with rolling chairs, and yet PA (Dave) insists they were told they couldn't have them. Its a slap in the face to see chairs this year when the few of us (between 4-6 people total) who used to bring in chairs for years were denied.
But in all, BYOC was as awesome as ever, and besides a few little nit-picks, it was great.
Was this policy kept during all four days? I know it held on Friday, but was it done during Sat/Sun/Mon? I know Sunday I was in the main Expo Hall line (one of first 10 people), booked it to a booth to get in line, and the person in front of me said he got in via the BYOC entrance.
Also, on Friday the announced time to open the annex entrance was 10:20, but at 10:20 they bumped the time to "unannounced" and opened it around 10:35.
A little clarity. It was communicated to us room managers a few days before PAX that the expo entrance in the PC Room would have a different time frame to open. Basically, last year, it was noted that people were thinking that they could bypass the expo hall line in the queue room by going straight to the PC Room. We were told 10:30 AM each day, and we did monitor that each day.
However, PA nor Enforcers, actually have any control over that entry point. We're just doing what we're told, so that can lead to confusing information if there are other factors to consider. One such factor is WSCC Staff (Greencoats) have authority over everything we can do. So, what occurred, is that no one told US that the clock reach 10:30AM wasn't the litmus test to check if attendees could go up the escalator to the Expo hall.
Instead, the Greencoats over in the Queue Room were communicating to the Greencoats in the PC Room the specific point in time that the entire queue room had entered Expo. Upon such time, they allowed the PC Entrance to open. On Friday Morning it was 10:25ish. On Saturday Morning it was 10:15ish. On Sunday it was almost 10:30ish.
So, we couldn't actually give exact information. I will make sure that the Enforcers in the Annex will have a clearer understanding of similar policies such as that, during the next PAX.
Yeah whoever I talked to that SAID he got in by BYOC got in at or before 10:00, so I'm sure it was just a backup excuse he had so he wouldn't have to say how he really got in line that quickly. Thanks for the explanation.
Some fucker(s) stole a bag of merch I had left at my seat under the table (from the capcom booth, including my meat pillow ). My fault for leaving it there thinking it would be safe enough with it out of sight but meh. Also lost a mophie battery pack that was plugged into my computer charging while I was walking expo. Figured things actually plugged into a computer would be safe but also meh.
I will wheel in a safe next time and chain it to like 6 tables.
That is some terrible news. You were literally surrounded by your friends, and the other side was me directly accross, my good friend @Mighty, and a nice lady playing MMOs all weekend. And behind you was a reserved group. Considering under my table had stuff too, like Magic's FTV:20 and an nvidia shield, it's pretty terrible something like that would happen.
Also, wanted to point out the glaring hypocrisy regarding chairs and 'firecode'. Apparently the rules can be broken if a sponsor brings in chairs to PC freeplay, or if you're Blaine. The WSCC and Seattle Fire Marshal have both confirmed to me that they have no problem with rolling chairs, and yet PA (Dave) insists they were told they couldn't have them. Its a slap in the face to see chairs this year when the few of us (between 4-6 people total) who used to bring in chairs for years were denied.
A moment about chairs. I don't think anyone has said that it's against WSCC or Fire Marshal rules that rolling chairs are not allowed specifically. It is however, a BYOC rule for a couple of reasons of which do hinge on safety, which can then be inferred as being set by the ConCenter, but are actually not.
EDIT: I just looked up at the BYOC FAQ, and it actually says WSCC, so that is most definitely both a typo and/or an incorrect inference. >.>
The rule is: You can't bring your own chair into BYOC.
Our reasons:
- Minimize the amount of items attendees need to bring in. If it's not already enough to lug computers and monitors through a convention center without using a cart, the addition of bringing in a chair will cause for unnecessary traffic. Besides, the convention center provides chairs, so chairs are not even required.
- Minimize the number of things that could block aisles and passageways. This is our own, going over the top, for safety rule. If you bring a chair in, you might be enticed to want to try and take it with you in the event of an emergency. OR, the extra chairs not used might pile up and become an immovable force. Either way, it's the same rule that we use when preventing things like large coolers, boxes, etc. into BYOC.
When Haworth approached us about putting chairs at the PC Freeplay area, we looked at where we could put them, and told them the only place we would allow them is up front (where you saw them). That was because we looked at safety and realized they would've been in the way if in the middle of the aisle, and would've been blocking a back exit and been up against the wall, if near the back.
Putting them where we put them allowed them to show off their product, attendees had the chance to sit in them, and were enough out of the way in the open that they could easily be pushed away in the event of an emergency.
The whole time, we were keeping the safety of our attendees as our top directive. I apologize if you felt that was being hypocritical.
The only thing you should consider when saying people don't "need" chairs is that at least some folks might have legitimate back issue or arm/wrist issues where an adjustable/personal chair would be important to them. Basically, the chairs and tables provided weren't great, from an ergonomics standpoint, and it can be an issue for some people.
The only thing you should consider when saying people don't "need" chairs is that at least some folks might have legitimate back issue or arm/wrist issues where an adjustable/personal chair would be important to them. Basically, the chairs and tables provided weren't great, from an ergonomics standpoint, and it can be an issue for some people.
That's a good point and one that I'll investigate for the next PAX. Off the cuff, I'd say that if you have a medical badge, and you bring your own chair in, no one is going to give you any problems. However, I'll have to double check that assertion.
The only thing you should consider when saying people don't "need" chairs is that at least some folks might have legitimate back issue or arm/wrist issues where an adjustable/personal chair would be important to them. Basically, the chairs and tables provided weren't great, from an ergonomics standpoint, and it can be an issue for some people.
That's a good point and one that I'll investigate for the next PAX. Off the cuff, I'd say that if you have a medical badge, and you bring your own chair in, no one is going to give you any problems. However, I'll have to double check that assertion.
Yeah, but I doubt they'll give a medical badge, nor would I want one, for something like carpal tunnel or arthritis. But I know I was hurting pretty bad after a pretty short time at the table, just because the chair/table height wasn't right for me. Whereas at home and work I have a nice adjustable office chair, and an adjustable desk.
Not like it's something I can't deal with, or just spend less time at a stretch there...but just wanted to make sure it was something you guys were considering as a potential issue. As with a lot of things at the con as a whole, it's entirely possible that there simply isn't a great solution.
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ArminasStudent of LifeSF, CARegistered Userregular
Some fucker(s) stole a bag of merch I had left at my seat under the table (from the capcom booth, including my meat pillow ). My fault for leaving it there thinking it would be safe enough with it out of sight but meh. Also lost a mophie battery pack that was plugged into my computer charging while I was walking expo. Figured things actually plugged into a computer would be safe but also meh.
I will wheel in a safe next time and chain it to like 6 tables.
During cleanup, we found an attendee's Capcom meat pillow and it was vaguely in the area you were sitting at. Although, having used a cane all throughout PAX, I ended up leaving after there weren't any more tasks I could do while sitting down. I last saw said meat pillow sitting in a pile of Enforcer belongings. Perhaps one of the other Enforcers running BYOC knows what happened to said meat pillow? Not sure if it was actually yours or not though.
Some fucker(s) stole a bag of merch I had left at my seat under the table (from the capcom booth, including my meat pillow ). My fault for leaving it there thinking it would be safe enough with it out of sight but meh. Also lost a mophie battery pack that was plugged into my computer charging while I was walking expo. Figured things actually plugged into a computer would be safe but also meh.
I will wheel in a safe next time and chain it to like 6 tables.
During cleanup, we found an attendee's Capcom meat pillow and it was vaguely in the area you were sitting at. Although, having used a cane all throughout PAX, I ended up leaving after there weren't any more tasks I could do while sitting down. I last saw said meat pillow sitting in a pile of Enforcer belongings. Perhaps one of the other Enforcers running BYOC knows what happened to said meat pillow? Not sure if it was actually yours or not though.
Yeah, I heard from others that there was a capcom bag found during cleanup but I dont know what happened to it beyond that.
I am not too terribly beat up about it. Just sucks.
Some fucker(s) stole a bag of merch I had left at my seat under the table (from the capcom booth, including my meat pillow ). My fault for leaving it there thinking it would be safe enough with it out of sight but meh. Also lost a mophie battery pack that was plugged into my computer charging while I was walking expo. Figured things actually plugged into a computer would be safe but also meh.
I will wheel in a safe next time and chain it to like 6 tables.
That is some terrible news. You were literally surrounded by your friends, and the other side was me directly accross, my good friend @Mighty, and a nice lady playing MMOs all weekend. And behind you was a reserved group. Considering under my table had stuff too, like Magic's FTV:20 and an nvidia shield, it's pretty terrible something like that would happen.
Yeah, the lady next to you was actually the rep for ventrilo who I have known since.... 2006?
I am sure it wasnt anybody who was around me. Neither of the things were high ticket items like a computer.
It was originally stated in 2011 that the Fire Marshal was the reason behind it, and BYOCs hands were tied. Its annoying to be lied to. Thank you for clarifying that it is the decision of lanfest/byoc and not the WSCC or Fire Marshal (Who by the way does not see it as any more unsafe than having the non-rolling chairs, as long as it isn't irregularly large)
The first reason is somewhat inaccurate. The 10 or so people who brought chairs in did it because they rolled, and thus could use it to wheel their equipment in and not have to stash a dolly somewhere else. It was innovative and worked between 2006 and 2011 with no issues.
The second reason, while I appreciate the attention to safety, there is plenty of room in the Annex between chairs, and as long as they aren't 'game of thrones' sized, they should be fine. As others have stated, having a chair for ergonomics is very important to me, since I do programming for my day work. Its as big of a part of my desk setup as my monitor, mouse, and keyboard.
Simply stated, the rule is silly and seemed to be ill-conceived by someone who was overzealous on safety. It should be re-examined.
Some fucker(s) stole a bag of merch I had left at my seat under the table (from the capcom booth, including my meat pillow ). My fault for leaving it there thinking it would be safe enough with it out of sight but meh. Also lost a mophie battery pack that was plugged into my computer charging while I was walking expo. Figured things actually plugged into a computer would be safe but also meh.
I will wheel in a safe next time and chain it to like 6 tables.
That is some terrible news. You were literally surrounded by your friends, and the other side was me directly accross, my good friend @Mighty, and a nice lady playing MMOs all weekend. And behind you was a reserved group. Considering under my table had stuff too, like Magic's FTV:20 and an nvidia shield, it's pretty terrible something like that would happen.
Yeah, the lady next to you was actually the rep for ventrilo who I have known since.... 2006?
I am sure it wasnt anybody who was around me. Neither of the things were high ticket items like a computer.
Aw, man! Someone jacked your meat pillow?! That thing was awesome.
Hopefully, it was just lost, and not stolen, and it gets returned to you.
Man if I knew a vent rep was next to me I would have heeled geeked out. Been using that program for what? Ten years now? I would have had her sign my badge or something awkward like that
edit- heeled = geeked dumb phone auto correct
PikaPuff on
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S2000GanSpartan-Rogue Class, Red SquadBellevue, WARegistered Userregular
I had a great time in BYOC this year. My ONLY complaint is that they woudlnt let me in between 9 and 10am on any day other than Friday...
Would have been nice if the music hadnt been playing nonstop but I didnt think it was too loud so wasnt a big deal to me.
Was awesome that you guys were giving out keys for some of the games!
Sadly I missed some of them and wasnt able to play with my friends who had gotten keys.
Most of my complaints with PAX are related to the expo hall getting too crowded and Swag quality going down.
Man if I knew a vent rep was next to me I would have heeled out. Been using that program for what? Ten years now? I would have had her sign my badge or something awkward like that
The guy that makes vent is usually there but he was busy with work this PAX and wasnt able to go.
I could point them out for you next time if you want. They are very nice folks.
In regards to the music, it didn't bother me at all while I was at PAX, however now I can't upload the videos I took in the PC area to YouTube without there being copyright restrictions on them.
Every time you write parallel fifths, Bach kills a kitten.
3DS Friend Code: 2707-1614-5576 PAX Prime 2014 Buttoneering!
Wow, now that's something I'd not have considered at all.
FWIW this would probably fall under fair use. And theoretically they're supposed to consider fair use before issuing a takedown. But yeah, that adds headache.
Wow, now that's something I'd not have considered at all.
FWIW this would probably fall under fair use. And theoretically they're supposed to consider fair use before issuing a takedown. But yeah, that adds headache.
Well, as they state pretty plainly in their docs, fair use is determined in a court of law when you litigate it, not by any random private entity. When you click the "This is totally fair use" button, the other guys then get a button that says "Nuh uh!" that they automatically press. You are then welcome to sue the record company to get it reversed. I enjoyed BYOC...but not THAT much.
Every time you write parallel fifths, Bach kills a kitten.
3DS Friend Code: 2707-1614-5576 PAX Prime 2014 Buttoneering!
Wow, now that's something I'd not have considered at all.
FWIW this would probably fall under fair use. And theoretically they're supposed to consider fair use before issuing a takedown. But yeah, that adds headache.
Well, as they state pretty plainly in their docs, fair use is determined in a court of law when you litigate it, not by any random private entity. When you click the "This is totally fair use" button, the other guys then get a button that says "Nuh uh!" that they automatically press. You are then welcome to sue the record company to get it reversed. I enjoyed BYOC...but not THAT much.
Awww come on Jon! What's BYOC without a really great lawsuit and court experience?? I kid I kid... That said, YouTube must have been sued hard at some point to implement such an efficient identification system.
Wow, now that's something I'd not have considered at all.
FWIW this would probably fall under fair use. And theoretically they're supposed to consider fair use before issuing a takedown. But yeah, that adds headache.
Well, as they state pretty plainly in their docs, fair use is determined in a court of law when you litigate it, not by any random private entity. When you click the "This is totally fair use" button, the other guys then get a button that says "Nuh uh!" that they automatically press. You are then welcome to sue the record company to get it reversed. I enjoyed BYOC...but not THAT much.
Awww come on Jon! What's BYOC without a really great lawsuit and court experience?? I kid I kid... That said, YouTube must have been sued hard at some point to implement such an efficient identification system.
IIRC the ruling was that fair use must be considered before taking down. Her suit for damages (from having her video frivolously taken down) is, IIRC, pending.
Big pain in the ass.
You could pretty easily add noise and such to fake out auto-detection. Hell, the floor noise may already be enough. But if it gets noticed and taken down, you've got a hassle ahead of you.
Wow, now that's something I'd not have considered at all.
FWIW this would probably fall under fair use. And theoretically they're supposed to consider fair use before issuing a takedown. But yeah, that adds headache.
Well, as they state pretty plainly in their docs, fair use is determined in a court of law when you litigate it, not by any random private entity. When you click the "This is totally fair use" button, the other guys then get a button that says "Nuh uh!" that they automatically press. You are then welcome to sue the record company to get it reversed. I enjoyed BYOC...but not THAT much.
Awww come on Jon! What's BYOC without a really great lawsuit and court experience?? I kid I kid... That said, YouTube must have been sued hard at some point to implement such an efficient identification system.
IIRC the ruling was that fair use must be considered before taking down. Her suit for damages (from having her video frivolously taken down) is, IIRC, pending.
Big pain in the ass.
You could pretty easily add noise and such to fake out auto-detection. Hell, the floor noise may already be enough. But if it gets noticed and taken down, you've got a hassle ahead of you.
The song was easily picked up in the middle of a twenty minute video as I walked around. In this case, it's not blocking me from uploading it, it's just requiring ads. I just wanted to let folks know a downside to having the music.
Every time you write parallel fifths, Bach kills a kitten.
3DS Friend Code: 2707-1614-5576 PAX Prime 2014 Buttoneering!
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I kinda liked the music, but I imagine if you were closer to it it might have gotten annoying. And by annoying I mean horrifying. I was at the rear, and it was a little loud for my tastes, but I kinda found that it kept the energy going for me. Yes, maybe music in my headphones could have done this as well. But it's...not the same? So I guess I'd suggest that if they want to do this, go with more speakers and lower volume. Because that's so easy to do, right?
Loved the monitors that were up, too.
Check-in was...long. Not sure what I'd have done to improve it, most of the things I thought were the problem as I waited in the line wishing I could get set up to watch the keynote pretty clearly weren't when I got there. It just is what it is. Still did a great job, and everybody stayed pretty positive.
This was my first year in BYOC, and I'll be back if I can get a pass, because it was awesome. I didn't spend as much time there as I'd have liked to, I think I'll spend more next year. The couple local games I participated in were a blast, and just seeing the same few peeps around my table regularly was kinda spiffy. Made an excellent home base.
This isn't really a suggestion for how the BYOC area itself should run, more for registration, but just a thought. Am I crazy?
EXCUSES EXCUSES
Seriously, though, loved BYOC so much. I kept calling it "the VIP" to all my friends, though. Funny part was I had to slum it in PC Freeplay a few times to hang out with them, which felt silly.
Oh, speaking of... Was this policy kept during all four days? I know it held on Friday, but was it done during Sat/Sun/Mon? I know Sunday I was in the main Expo Hall line (one of first 10 people), booked it to a booth to get in line, and the person in front of me said he got in via the BYOC entrance.
Also, on Friday the announced time to open the annex entrance was 10:20, but at 10:20 they bumped the time to "unannounced" and opened it around 10:35.
I will wheel in a safe next time and chain it to like 6 tables.
A little clarity. It was communicated to us room managers a few days before PAX that the expo entrance in the PC Room would have a different time frame to open. Basically, last year, it was noted that people were thinking that they could bypass the expo hall line in the queue room by going straight to the PC Room. We were told 10:30 AM each day, and we did monitor that each day.
However, PA nor Enforcers, actually have any control over that entry point. We're just doing what we're told, so that can lead to confusing information if there are other factors to consider. One such factor is WSCC Staff (Greencoats) have authority over everything we can do. So, what occurred, is that no one told US that the clock reach 10:30AM wasn't the litmus test to check if attendees could go up the escalator to the Expo hall.
Instead, the Greencoats over in the Queue Room were communicating to the Greencoats in the PC Room the specific point in time that the entire queue room had entered Expo. Upon such time, they allowed the PC Entrance to open. On Friday Morning it was 10:25ish. On Saturday Morning it was 10:15ish. On Sunday it was almost 10:30ish.
So, we couldn't actually give exact information. I will make sure that the Enforcers in the Annex will have a clearer understanding of similar policies such as that, during the next PAX.
Vapok
Please give us your thoughts and opinions about this years BYOC! I'd love to hear what you have to say about it!
-- PLEASE DO NOT START NEW THREADS -- Simply say it here. Or else @zerzhul will activate @Geth, and you don't want that.
Vapok
Things that weren't as good was the midnight closing (it'd be nice if we could keep BYOC open til 2am, with same rules used in the morning to open at 8am), the music was repetitive and dubstep. ugh. And registration was long and seemed more convoluted than previous years. The most glaring issue still remains the security around checkin/checkout. I was able to take my backpack out every day without being checked and no passive alarm went off. In essence, the barcodes don't provide any type of real security.
Also, wanted to point out the glaring hypocrisy regarding chairs and 'firecode'. Apparently the rules can be broken if a sponsor brings in chairs to PC freeplay, or if you're Blaine. The WSCC and Seattle Fire Marshal have both confirmed to me that they have no problem with rolling chairs, and yet PA (Dave) insists they were told they couldn't have them. Its a slap in the face to see chairs this year when the few of us (between 4-6 people total) who used to bring in chairs for years were denied.
But in all, BYOC was as awesome as ever, and besides a few little nit-picks, it was great.
A moment about chairs. I don't think anyone has said that it's against WSCC or Fire Marshal rules that rolling chairs are not allowed specifically. It is however, a BYOC rule for a couple of reasons of which do hinge on safety, which can then be inferred as being set by the ConCenter, but are actually not.
EDIT: I just looked up at the BYOC FAQ, and it actually says WSCC, so that is most definitely both a typo and/or an incorrect inference. >.>
The rule is: You can't bring your own chair into BYOC.
Our reasons:
- Minimize the amount of items attendees need to bring in. If it's not already enough to lug computers and monitors through a convention center without using a cart, the addition of bringing in a chair will cause for unnecessary traffic. Besides, the convention center provides chairs, so chairs are not even required.
- Minimize the number of things that could block aisles and passageways. This is our own, going over the top, for safety rule. If you bring a chair in, you might be enticed to want to try and take it with you in the event of an emergency. OR, the extra chairs not used might pile up and become an immovable force. Either way, it's the same rule that we use when preventing things like large coolers, boxes, etc. into BYOC.
When Haworth approached us about putting chairs at the PC Freeplay area, we looked at where we could put them, and told them the only place we would allow them is up front (where you saw them). That was because we looked at safety and realized they would've been in the way if in the middle of the aisle, and would've been blocking a back exit and been up against the wall, if near the back.
Putting them where we put them allowed them to show off their product, attendees had the chance to sit in them, and were enough out of the way in the open that they could easily be pushed away in the event of an emergency.
The whole time, we were keeping the safety of our attendees as our top directive. I apologize if you felt that was being hypocritical.
Vapok
The only thing you should consider when saying people don't "need" chairs is that at least some folks might have legitimate back issue or arm/wrist issues where an adjustable/personal chair would be important to them. Basically, the chairs and tables provided weren't great, from an ergonomics standpoint, and it can be an issue for some people.
But it's all a balancing act, to be sure.
That's a good point and one that I'll investigate for the next PAX. Off the cuff, I'd say that if you have a medical badge, and you bring your own chair in, no one is going to give you any problems. However, I'll have to double check that assertion.
Vapok
Yeah, but I doubt they'll give a medical badge, nor would I want one, for something like carpal tunnel or arthritis. But I know I was hurting pretty bad after a pretty short time at the table, just because the chair/table height wasn't right for me. Whereas at home and work I have a nice adjustable office chair, and an adjustable desk.
Not like it's something I can't deal with, or just spend less time at a stretch there...but just wanted to make sure it was something you guys were considering as a potential issue. As with a lot of things at the con as a whole, it's entirely possible that there simply isn't a great solution.
During cleanup, we found an attendee's Capcom meat pillow and it was vaguely in the area you were sitting at. Although, having used a cane all throughout PAX, I ended up leaving after there weren't any more tasks I could do while sitting down. I last saw said meat pillow sitting in a pile of Enforcer belongings. Perhaps one of the other Enforcers running BYOC knows what happened to said meat pillow? Not sure if it was actually yours or not though.
Yeah, I heard from others that there was a capcom bag found during cleanup but I dont know what happened to it beyond that.
I am not too terribly beat up about it. Just sucks.
Yeah, the lady next to you was actually the rep for ventrilo who I have known since.... 2006?
I am sure it wasnt anybody who was around me. Neither of the things were high ticket items like a computer.
I'd like to think theft wouldn't be a problem in there. I never really considered that somebody might steal my merch.
The first reason is somewhat inaccurate. The 10 or so people who brought chairs in did it because they rolled, and thus could use it to wheel their equipment in and not have to stash a dolly somewhere else. It was innovative and worked between 2006 and 2011 with no issues.
The second reason, while I appreciate the attention to safety, there is plenty of room in the Annex between chairs, and as long as they aren't 'game of thrones' sized, they should be fine. As others have stated, having a chair for ergonomics is very important to me, since I do programming for my day work. Its as big of a part of my desk setup as my monitor, mouse, and keyboard.
Simply stated, the rule is silly and seemed to be ill-conceived by someone who was overzealous on safety. It should be re-examined.
Aw, man! Someone jacked your meat pillow?! That thing was awesome.
Hopefully, it was just lost, and not stolen, and it gets returned to you.
edit- heeled = geeked dumb phone auto correct
Would have been nice if the music hadnt been playing nonstop but I didnt think it was too loud so wasnt a big deal to me.
Was awesome that you guys were giving out keys for some of the games!
Sadly I missed some of them and wasnt able to play with my friends who had gotten keys.
Most of my complaints with PAX are related to the expo hall getting too crowded and Swag quality going down.
The guy that makes vent is usually there but he was busy with work this PAX and wasnt able to go.
I could point them out for you next time if you want. They are very nice folks.
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FWIW this would probably fall under fair use. And theoretically they're supposed to consider fair use before issuing a takedown. But yeah, that adds headache.
Well, as they state pretty plainly in their docs, fair use is determined in a court of law when you litigate it, not by any random private entity. When you click the "This is totally fair use" button, the other guys then get a button that says "Nuh uh!" that they automatically press. You are then welcome to sue the record company to get it reversed. I enjoyed BYOC...but not THAT much.
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Awww come on Jon! What's BYOC without a really great lawsuit and court experience??
Vapok
Still pending.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viacom_International_Inc._v._YouTube,_Inc.
YouTube is winning at the moment, pending appeal.
Then there's the relevant case regarding takedowns for fair use in home video.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenz_v._Universal_Music_Corp.
IIRC the ruling was that fair use must be considered before taking down. Her suit for damages (from having her video frivolously taken down) is, IIRC, pending.
Big pain in the ass.
You could pretty easily add noise and such to fake out auto-detection. Hell, the floor noise may already be enough. But if it gets noticed and taken down, you've got a hassle ahead of you.
The song was easily picked up in the middle of a twenty minute video as I walked around. In this case, it's not blocking me from uploading it, it's just requiring ads. I just wanted to let folks know a downside to having the music.
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Definitely agree, and something to be considered.