Posted by
gsmiley
Gen Con stated precisely the correct policy in 2021 of "following the guidance of the CDC, and continuing to work with local Indy officials including the Marion County Public Health Department."
new health update:
mikeboozer wrote:
Removed both posts...banning is next. Then locking I suppose.
I just don't see why you have to get testy and sarcastic folks.
We will make our decisions when we do. We understand that many of you have questions and want to know as soon as possible. We want to tell you asap, but there is a lot that goes into that.
We also understand that their are people on both sides of the issue.
Mike
Removed both posts...banning is next. Then locking I suppose.
I just don't see why you have to get testy and sarcastic folks.
We will make our decisions when we do. We understand that many of you have questions and want to know as soon as possible. We want to tell you asap, but there is a lot that goes into that.
We also understand that their are people on both sides of the issue.
Mike
Hey Mike, I agree we need to be respectful, but I do understand why people do get testy, and that is because we all LOVE Gencon. For me personally, it has been a part of my life for over 20 years. I was bummed when 2020 was cancelled, loved when it came back in 2021 (even limited), so now not knowing if it will work for our group or if it would be worth it, does causes stress. I understand you all are working hard to plan, and to you it might be "almost 3 months", but to us that it is "only 3 months".
And to those that say "well don't go" I say again we love Gencon, and so we are trying to make it work, but we also can't afford to lose money if it doesn't. Thanks.
Posted by
marimaccadmin
Oh I assure you, to us it is ALSO only 3 months. :)
We absolutely get that people are super invested in Gen Con, and love it, I'm the same; but if we can't be respectful when discussing a topic, we can't discuss it. I know everyone's got strong opinions about this, and that's fine; just don't be mean to other people, and keep it civil is all Boozer is asking. If we can't do that, we have to stop the conversation.
Marian McBrine
Event Manager
Gen Con LLC
msteffek wrote: to you it might be "almost 3 months", but to us that it is "only 3 months".
More importantly, it's only one month to the badge-refund deadline. It looked like a lot of the anger last year was about big hosts (e.g. True Dungeon) cancelling when it was too late for attendees to get their money back.
marimaccadmin wrote:
Oh I assure you, to us it is ALSO only 3 months. :)
We absolutely get that people are super invested in Gen Con, and love it, I'm the same; but if we can't be respectful when discussing a topic, we can't discuss it. I know everyone's got strong opinions about this, and that's fine; just don't be mean to other people, and keep it civil is all Boozer is asking. If we can't do that, we have to stop the conversation.
Marian McBrine
Event Manager
Gen Con LLC
Oh I assure you, to us it is ALSO only 3 months. :)
We absolutely get that people are super invested in Gen Con, and love it, I'm the same; but if we can't be respectful when discussing a topic, we can't discuss it. I know everyone's got strong opinions about this, and that's fine; just don't be mean to other people, and keep it civil is all Boozer is asking. If we can't do that, we have to stop the conversation.
Marian McBrine
Event Manager
Gen Con LLC
Thanks Marian, and I agree you can disagree and be respectful. My group has different opinions on this and many other things, and we have great discussions.
msteffek wrote:
Hey Mike, I agree we need to be respectful, but I do understand why people do get testy, and that is because we all LOVE Gencon. For me personally, it has been a part of my life for over 20 years. I was bummed when 2020 was cancelled, loved when it came back in 2021 (even limited), so now not knowing if it will work for our group or if it would be worth it, does causes stress. I understand you all are working hard to plan, and to you it might be "almost 3 months", but to us that it is "only 3 months". And to those that say "well don't go" I say again we love Gencon, and so we are trying to make it work, but we also can't afford to lose money if it doesn't. Thanks.
mikeboozer wrote:
Removed both posts...banning is next. Then locking I suppose.
I just don't see why you have to get testy and sarcastic folks.
We will make our decisions when we do. We understand that many of you have questions and want to know as soon as possible. We want to tell you asap, but there is a lot that goes into that.
We also understand that their are people on both sides of the issue.
Mike
Removed both posts...banning is next. Then locking I suppose.
I just don't see why you have to get testy and sarcastic folks.
We will make our decisions when we do. We understand that many of you have questions and want to know as soon as possible. We want to tell you asap, but there is a lot that goes into that.
We also understand that their are people on both sides of the issue.
Mike
Hey Mike, I agree we need to be respectful, but I do understand why people do get testy, and that is because we all LOVE Gencon. For me personally, it has been a part of my life for over 20 years. I was bummed when 2020 was cancelled, loved when it came back in 2021 (even limited), so now not knowing if it will work for our group or if it would be worth it, does causes stress. I understand you all are working hard to plan, and to you it might be "almost 3 months", but to us that it is "only 3 months". And to those that say "well don't go" I say again we love Gencon, and so we are trying to make it work, but we also can't afford to lose money if it doesn't. Thanks.
Exactly, this will be my 27th Gencon in a row and the family vacation for the last 19 with my kids. My kids consider it their favorite week of the year.
sgibson260 wrote:
joho wrote:
I’m one of the majority that would like masks requirements to be in place.
And I'm one of the (I believe) majority that wants mask requirements removed. Just like we will see four feet outside the doors to the convention center, and at restaurants and hotels all over downtown Indy.I’m one of the majority that would like masks requirements to be in place.
Hey Gen Con, this is a fact we could put to the test. Do another poll and make the results public! :)
samlamiam wrote:
Hey Gen Con, this is a fact we could put to the test. Do another poll and make the results public! :)
I believe the poll would be flawed. A poll was conducted at the time when the public transportation mask mandate was lifted. Some 56% of those polled supported mask mandates on public transportation, with only 20% opposed, and the rest with no opinion. I had an business trip the next week, so I was interested to see how things were going at the airport.
sgibson260 wrote:
joho wrote:
I’m one of the majority that would like masks requirements to be in place.
And I'm one of the (I believe) majority that wants mask requirements removed. Just like we will see four feet outside the doors to the convention center, and at restaurants and hotels all over downtown Indy.I’m one of the majority that would like masks requirements to be in place.
Hey Gen Con, this is a fact we could put to the test. Do another poll and make the results public! :)
Less than 5% of people in the airport had masks on. Statistically speaking, it should have been around half. People are willing to require masking of others, but don't feel the need to do it themselves. Don't take this as pointing fingers at anyone here; it's just that there was a major disconnect between the polling and what people actually did.
My view is, let people make their own judgements on risk. Please don't mandate it for everyone based on anecdotal evidence, or polling that doesn't represent actual behavior.
toxic_rat wrote:My view is, let people make their own judgements on risk.
Again, the risk is increased without masks and no one can say how many will be wearing them to judge the risk accurately.
Masks keep viruses out AND in. Wearing one puts fewer particles into the air when you exhale for someone else to inhale. Inhaling while wearing one cuts down the chance of something nasty getting in. Combined that reduces the risk a great deal.
donaldbain wrote:
getting too close to science. I believe there are many reputable published studies that show that masks do nothing to keep a room from being saturated with airborne particles within minutes.. best we just stay away from that... what I have seen is this, when I was in Seattle (I think it's fair to say it's a left leaning area and that most in that camp prefer more conservative covid approaches) three weeks ago on vacation and masks were optional at all indoor venues and only about 10% of people wore them. Anecdotal yes, but if the vast majority of attendees want to have masks as claimed, won't the majority wear them? I think most believe that 85% plus won't. People just don't want it. Look around anywhere in the US where they aren't required, even at game conventions. toxic_rat wrote:My view is, let people make their own judgements on risk.
Again, the risk is increased without masks and no one can say how many will be wearing them to judge the risk accurately.Masks keep viruses out AND in. Wearing one puts fewer particles into the air when you exhale for someone else to inhale. Inhaling while wearing one cuts down the chance of something nasty getting in. Combined that reduces the risk a great deal. 
donaldbain wrote:
toxic_rat wrote:My view is, let people make their own judgements on risk.
Again, the risk is increased without masks and no one can say how many will be wearing them to judge the risk accurately.Masks keep viruses out AND in. Wearing one puts fewer particles into the air when you exhale for someone else to inhale. Inhaling while wearing one cuts down the chance of something nasty getting in. Combined that reduces the risk a great deal. There is a risk anytime you go out of catching something and there comes a time when you got to judge what an acceptal risk your willing to take because this time next year the chances of getting covid will prob be no lower then it is now, there has to be a time when you lean back into normal life.
Don't get me wrong I am pro mask but I like to decide for myself if I need to wear one and with everyone vaxed I fell comfortable going without mask most of the time, it will be outside gencon that I worry the most. :)
Anecdotal yes, but if the vast majority of attendees want to have masks as claimed, won't the majority wear them? I think most believe that 85% plus won't. People just don't want it. Look around anywhere in the US where they aren't required, even at game conventions.
Garycon was a perfect example and they were supposed to be worn there, but it was not really enforced so people choose not to wear them. It's been over 2 years and we are to the point where people should be able to make the best decision for themselves. There have been plenty of large events going on with out any restrictions for a while now and everything has been just fine in most cases.
If you are still that concerned about catching covid maybe you shouldn't be attending a convention with 40k plus people. No matter what restrictions are in place there will always be a chance to catch it, look at the White House Correspondents Dinner a few weeks ago, even with requiring vaccines, and same day testing a handful of people still caught it there.
papabees wrote:
That said, were I wearing the Gencon CEO hat I would have only stated that we were going to follow CDC and local health guidelines so that if the CDC did pivot, I'm not left holding the bag. This is still the biggest head scratcher for me. If they don't state a policy that will be in place for sure before the cancellation deadline they risk pissing off some segment of their customer base for feeling like they got the bait and switch. If they just said "we'll do what the CDC tells us" I think the large majority of customers would understand ( maybe not love) that position and be fine spending their money. donaldbain wrote:
getting too close to science. I believe there are many reputable published studies that show that masks do nothing to keep a room from being saturated with airborne particles within minutes.. best we just stay away from that... what I have seen is this, when I was in Seattle (I think it's fair to say it's a left leaning area and that most in that camp prefer more conservative covid approaches) three weeks ago on vacation and masks were optional at all indoor venues and only about 10% of people wore them. Anecdotal yes, but if the vast majority of attendees want to have masks as claimed, won't the majority wear them? I think most believe that 85% plus won't. People just don't want it. Look around anywhere in the US where they aren't required, even at game conventions. toxic_rat wrote:My view is, let people make their own judgements on risk.
Again, the risk is increased without masks and no one can say how many will be wearing them to judge the risk accurately.Masks keep viruses out AND in. Wearing one puts fewer particles into the air when you exhale for someone else to inhale. Inhaling while wearing one cuts down the chance of something nasty getting in. Combined that reduces the risk a great deal. 
general lopez wrote:Garycon was a perfect example and they were supposed to be worn there, but it was not really enforced so people choose not to wear them.
This "fact" has been repeated several times, but it has been highly exaggerated. Obviously some had a very different experience than me, but masks were widely worn in all the events I attended. During the D&D tournament and other games I played, everyone at my tables wore masks. I attended several seminars, and everyone wore masks except usually the presenters who needed to project their voice at the front of the room. (Unfortunately, I know that two of those presenters fell ill after Gary Con, but thankfully it was the usual con crud and not COVID.)
Where masks weren't often worn was in the bar and restaurant areas where people were eating and drinking. People would also often take off masks when taking photos with friends.
But to say people didn't wear masks at Gary Con is demonstrably untrue. From my observations, most people wore masks the vast majority of time they were supposed to.
austicke wrote:
This "fact" has been repeated several times, but it has been highly exaggerated. Obviously some had a very different experience than me, but masks were widely worn in all the events I attended. During the D&D tournament and other games I played, everyone at my tables wore masks. I attended several seminars, and everyone wore masks except usually the presenters who needed to project their voice at the front of the room. (Unfortunately, I know that two of those presenters fell ill after Gary Con, but thankfully it was the usual con crud and not COVID.)Where masks weren't often worn was in the bar and restaurant areas where people were eating and drinking. People would also often take off masks when taking photos with friends.
But to say people didn't wear masks at Gary Con is demonstrably untrue. From my observations, most people wore masks the vast majority of time they were supposed to.
general lopez wrote:Garycon was a perfect example and they were supposed to be worn there, but it was not really enforced so people choose not to wear them.
This "fact" has been repeated several times, but it has been highly exaggerated. Obviously some had a very different experience than me, but masks were widely worn in all the events I attended. During the D&D tournament and other games I played, everyone at my tables wore masks. I attended several seminars, and everyone wore masks except usually the presenters who needed to project their voice at the front of the room. (Unfortunately, I know that two of those presenters fell ill after Gary Con, but thankfully it was the usual con crud and not COVID.)Where masks weren't often worn was in the bar and restaurant areas where people were eating and drinking. People would also often take off masks when taking photos with friends.
But to say people didn't wear masks at Gary Con is demonstrably untrue. From my observations, most people wore masks the vast majority of time they were supposed to.
There are plenty of pics and videos out there showing the gaming areas with most tables unmasked, the Adventures league D&D room was one area that did have good compliance. Alot of tables were taking votes on whether to wear them or not before they started. The GaryCon group had multiple threads of people complaining about the lack of mask wearing or and it not being enforced, and the convention staff pleading with people to wear them. Even the auction and wedding two big events and there were only a couple people wearing mask, don't believe me go look at the pics and vids of those events.
Posted by
cinnibar
You're welcome to try to vote down Gen Con's rules at a table and I will be very welcome to call over a marshall to enforce them. Possibly by removing the badge and escorting off the property, same as any other chronic rulebreaker.
Posted by
quarex
It is also relevant to the Gary Con experience, as I mentioned before, that the literal hosts of the event were never wearing masks despite ostensibly requiring it. Yeah, at that point I am sure some people took their masks off out of sheer annoyance about the hypocrisy.
(I left mine on; I still wear one everywhere, hoping beyond hope that I finally encounter someone unhinged enough to start yelling at me, but I imagine those types of people are incredibly rare in everyday encounters)
Don’t believe, post links to established medical site.
austicke wrote:
This "fact" has been repeated several times, but it has been highly exaggerated. Obviously some had a very different experience than me, but masks were widely worn in all the events I attended. During the D&D tournament and other games I played, everyone at my tables wore masks. I attended several seminars, and everyone wore masks except usually the presenters who needed to project their voice at the front of the room. (Unfortunately, I know that two of those presenters fell ill after Gary Con, but thankfully it was the usual con crud and not COVID.)Where masks weren't often worn was in the bar and restaurant areas where people were eating and drinking. People would also often take off masks when taking photos with friends.
But to say people didn't wear masks at Gary Con is demonstrably untrue. From my observations, most people wore masks the vast majority of time they were supposed to.
general lopez wrote:Garycon was a perfect example and they were supposed to be worn there, but it was not really enforced so people choose not to wear them.
This "fact" has been repeated several times, but it has been highly exaggerated. Obviously some had a very different experience than me, but masks were widely worn in all the events I attended. During the D&D tournament and other games I played, everyone at my tables wore masks. I attended several seminars, and everyone wore masks except usually the presenters who needed to project their voice at the front of the room. (Unfortunately, I know that two of those presenters fell ill after Gary Con, but thankfully it was the usual con crud and not COVID.)Where masks weren't often worn was in the bar and restaurant areas where people were eating and drinking. People would also often take off masks when taking photos with friends.
But to say people didn't wear masks at Gary Con is demonstrably untrue. From my observations, most people wore masks the vast majority of time they were supposed to.
Just an anecdote, but we attended 9 events at Gary Con and wore masks at 4 of them, all in the larger rooms. Most telling was the mask-wearing in the halls and common areas, which was maybe 25%. That speaks volumes about how most attendees felt about masking. Hilariously, the event organizer can be seen mask-less in about 50 photos on the Facebook page. Masks for thee, a toothy grin for me, apparently.
Our vaccines worked. We're fine.
donaldbain wrote:Don’t believe, post links to established medical site.
we have been told not to do this. If you want to PM me, I'm happy to send them.
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