Now that Dragon*Con 2009 is part of the history books...

[thedrunkenjedi.livejournal.com]

...as a follow-up to a previous post from a few weeks back, "Has Dragon*Con become too big for its own good?".

There was no real consensus-one way or another-but we left off promising to revisit the question after the *Con.

So, again, now that D*C '09 is a thing of the past, what is opinion of all who attended '09-and at least one additional year for comparison? I'll chime in with my take on things once a few responses come through.

Comments

[ornerybitch.livejournal.com]

I show my badge to anyone so seldom it is becoming a question of why I buy one every year.

My boyfriend and I were in the art show filling out registration to be bidders and there was a girl next to us doing the same, wearing very trendy clothing. She seemed out of place, but nerds can love crazy fashions too. She asked one of the volunteers what was the spot asking for a badge number about...because the volunteers let her in without checking to see if she had a badge. She seemed interested in some of the art because she asked where she could go buy a membership so she could bid, who knows if she actually did though.

After that I was also wondering why I even bothered with a badge and waiting in the long line when they just let some random person wander through. If people at the door aren't even checking for badges, why are they so up in arms about counterfeiting?

[ewesername.livejournal.com]

Really??? Every time I went into any dealer room or large conference room my badge was checked. Plus, for what is a very cheap admission fee you get an insane amount of programming. The people who organize the event bust their asses and do not get very much in return; if you don't think you should have to pay then you shouldn't even be coming.

[ornerybitch.livejournal.com]

Well that's an awfully defensive response to me venting my frustration of the lack of badge checking I experienced. There were plenty of other places I went where people didn't check for mine either. I'm willing to pay to get in, but it starts to feel ridiculous when things like this happen so we complain. Remember, it's just the internet.

[paradisacorbasi.livejournal.com]

I got my badge checked every time I went into some event or room or another too. I'm surprised that you had such an experience where somebody just sashayed in sans badge.

[garybaldy.livejournal.com]

If i may ask what events, panels or tracks did you not get a badge checked.

Security does not have a large enough staff to cover every door. So only the most popular events get badge checkers. A guest that only has interests in the smaller tracks & events is likely to rarely ever get a badge check.

[ornerybitch.livejournal.com]

As you said, I do smaller panels, so it was mainly the dealer and exhibition halls. Sometimes I'd get checked, other times I'd forget I put it in the bag I was carrying and no one asked me why I didn't have one on. I'm not one of the ones who shows up and waits in a huge line to squeeze in there either. Thankfully after that first incident with the art show, they started paying more attention there.