(no subject)

[soc_puppet]

Currently getting news of a second convention pulling at least part of the ACen shit: The higher-ups decided to make the con masks-optional and go public with the news without consulting the rest of the staff. The major difference here so far is that there's still a good chunk of time before the convention in question, so people should be able to alter their travel and hotel plans more easily.

I am also hereby advising all people who wish to attend or staff a convention to check said convention's Covid policies weekly, because this happening twice is... distressing, to say the least.

Edit: Apparently it was already announced on social media, even though it's still not on the con's official front page as of 22:00 today and the staff haven't gotten an official email about it yet, so I don't feel bad letting everyone know:

The con in question is AnimeIowa.

Yes, the con I've been staffing since 2007. No, I'm not pleased about this.

Comments

[chanter1944]

I am suddenly that much more grateful to WisCon's Covid safety staff, both in policy and in practice. Holy frak.

[soc_puppet]

Hard same on that.

[mistressofmuses]

Ugh, I am so sorry.

That is really frustrating and upsetting, and I hate that they didn't even let you (staff) know.

[soc_puppet]

I've been fighting some of the execs over this on Discord for what feels like hours and I honestly want to cry.

It's in our bylaws that they have to let us know about big decisions by email! They didn't even let us know it was being discussed before they made the decision and went public with it! I am... I just... I can't.

[mistressofmuses]

Ugh, I am so sorry. I don't blame you for being so upset. You deserve to be!

And that's extra garbagey that it's in the bylaws and they... just didn't care. That kind of situation is horrible, because there's a certain amount of just "what do you do about that?" if they break those rules, who do they answer to? It certainly erodes any sense of trust.

Ugh. All of that is awful.

[soc_puppet]

Well, on the plus side, as of about two hours ago, it's not going to be awful to me personally anymore. I feel bad for the attendees and other staffers, but I did all I reasonably felt I could, and when that didn't work I tendered my resignation.

To the entire staff list. So everyone would know that I was quitting and exactly why.

I wanted my last act as AnimeIowa staff to be doing what the exec hadn't, by making absolutely sure that the rest of staff knew that the mask mandate was no more, and that we hadn't been informed before it went public.

[mistressofmuses]

I'm so sorry. You've cared so much for the con and done so much to support them as a staff member. I'm extremely sorry it had to end like that, but I also very much admire you sticking so strongly to your principles and making sure that EVERYONE was aware of the decision they hadn't felt the need to be open about.

[soc_puppet]

I enjoyed my time there for a very long time, and I don't regret the contributions I've made over the years. I'm a little bit worried that I left without finding a new Accessibility head, but I suppose that's the Execs' job now. If they even want to keep Accessibility as a thing for the con. I do hope they don't decide to tear it down just to spite me, since I was the one who even decided we needed to do anything about it in the first place, but, well. Not much I can do about that now. I did email a staffer who has expressed interest in Accessibility before with an offer to share my notes, at least.

And I do think of a good number of the staff I left behind as friends. They deserve to be informed.

[mistressofmuses]

That is their problem now, though I hope it's something they do take seriously and continue to care about.

I hope you get the opportunity to bring your experience with Accessibility to someplace else, and I'm glad you'll be able to share your knowledge with someone else if they wind up possibly taking some of that over for AnimeIowa.

I'm still so sorry that the Execs pushed it to that point.