We're glad you're interested in Vividcon! Here's some information you may find useful.

Vividcon originated from a particular tradition of small, intensely analytical and also exuberantly freewheeling, slash- and queer-friendly fan conventions, and we think it still feels like that. But the con has grown and changed in some ways, and vidding has grown and changed in many more. We've been asked to write up some information about what the con is like and what you can expect at it; that's what this is. (This document supplements the at-con rules given in the program book, but doesn't replace them.) Please don't hesitate to ask if you have questions!

1. Vividcon is a con for anyone who likes vids.
2. Vividcon is for both gleeful enjoyment and analytical critique.
3. Vividcon is public. Mostly.
4. Vividcon is largely female, but everyone is welcome.
5. Vividcon does not use warnings.
6. Vividcon wants to be accessible.
7. Vividcon is social!
8. Vividcon wants all its members to feel safe and comfortable.
9. Vividcon wants all kinds of vids.
10. Vividcon thanks you for reading through this document!

I. Vividcon is a con for anyone who likes vids.

We are not a con specifically for vidders. Many of our members, and nearly half of our concom (staff), have never made a vid. Although a few of our program items may be specifically intended for vidders or would-be vidders, most are not, and many are about aspects of watching and appreciating and discussing vids.

We are not a con for a tight clique in which everyone knows everyone. Some people do come often and count on seeing friends there, but each year, about a quarter of our members are coming to their first Vividcon ever. The con's intensity and energy may feel overwhelming if you're shy, but we encourage you to say hello, speak up in panels, and enjoy yourself; or to sit quietly watching vids, nibble a brownie in the con suite, and enjoy yourself that way. Our volunteer coordinator wants to remind you that offering to help at the con is a great way to meet people and feel useful!

II. Vividcon is for both gleeful enjoyment and analytical critique.

We love vids! And we believe that it's often interesting to analyze things you love. Vividcon is a place for both squee and discussion, for both exuberant dancing to vids and sober consideration of their achievements and flaws. We understand that it can be hard to hear someone say something harsh about your vid, or your friend's vid, but it is not a violation of Vividcon mores to say publicly, in a panel or a vid review, "I hated that vid" or "That vid sucked." If you say something like that, though, be prepared to be asked why -- what it was about the vid that you disliked, and why.

On the other hand, it certainly is against Vividcon mores to say "That vidder sucks," and we expect panel moderators to shut any such comments down. We're critiquing vids, not people.

We take vids seriously, and we expect people to want to pay attention to them! We ask that you not talk, sing along, use any electronic device that produces any light or noise, or do anything else during a vidshow that will disrupt the viewing experience of the people around you. If you need to leave the room, please wait until the brief pause between vids if at all possible. When you want to come back in, you'll push the signal button at the door, and the volunteer inside will open the door for you when the currently playing vid has ended.

The exceptions to this are the Premieres overflow room, where talking and moving around is fine; the Karaoke vidshow, which is all about laughing and singing along; and Club Vivid, our vid dance party, which is full of noise, lights, and movement or we're doing it wrong! The con suite has a TV and DVD player, and you're welcome to watch vids there whenever it's open, but other people will certainly be talking and moving around while they're playing; if you want a hushed, vidshow-like environment outside of a vidshow, you'll be better off signing the disc out and watching it in your room. And of course if a panel moderator shows a vid during their panel, they may ask for silence, or talk over it to point things out, or stop and start it: whatever fits the panel's needs.

III. Vividcon is public. Mostly.

Many attendees write up con reports, often including descriptions of what was said in panels (or worn at Club Vivid) as well as of vids. You may be quoted, either with or without your name (as shown on your con badge) attached. This is not a violation of Vividcon mores; what happens at Vividcon need not stay at Vividcon. However, we do want to protect our members' privacy, and that means that certain kinds of public reporting are not okay.

Do not quote or identify anyone by any name other than the one that was on their badge (including an LJ or other journal name), unless you are absolutely certain that they are okay with another name being used. However, it's not uncommon for people to use one name face to face in conversation, but prefer to be referred to by another one in print and on the Internet; don't assume that a conversational name is fine to use in a con report or an account of your weekend. And if you yourself want to be identified with a name other than the one you're using in conversation, let people know that! You might note it on your name badge, for instance.

If you are taking pictures, remember that not everyone wants to be photographed. Do not take pictures of anyone who hasn't given you permission, and do not put con photos online, even without names attached, unless you have your subjects' separate permission for that. Because the Club Vivid dance room is so crowded and busy, we ask that you not take pictures in it at all; it's too difficult to ensure that only your subjects are in them, and it may make nearby fans feel uncomfortable or constrained.

Also, you may not record con program events (by audio, video, or both). You can take notes, liveblog, or tweet from panels (but not vidshows! See above) and the con suite, but please be considerate of your fellow congoers. Liveblogging must not be anything like a running realtime transcript: people may say things face to face, such as details of their nonfannish lives, that they do not want in print; or they may say something wrong or offensive and then retract, clarify, or apologize. It's a much better idea to take notes and post later.

IV. Vividcon is largely female, but everyone is welcome.

We welcome all our members, including men and women, trans and cis folk, and people not on a gender binary. Historically, however, our membership has been primarily cisgendered women. You can expect the con to feel a lot like "female space," whatever that may mean from moment to moment.

There are two public bathrooms in convention space. Depending on what seems likely to be most useful to our membership in a given year and on what the hotel will let us do, they are likely to be labeled some subset of Men, Women, and Anyone. You are welcome to use any bathroom that you feel is appropriate to your gender or overall presentation (even if that changes over the course of the weekend). However, please don't use one that isn't. If neither is labeled in a way that you feel makes it appropriate for you to use, or if the appropriate bathroom for you is also appropriate for others whom you'd rather not share with, you'll need to go back to your hotel room to use the bathroom, and we apologize for this. We'd like to hear about how we might be able to better serve your needs, but we also ask you to remember that we may not be able to meet everyone's needs with only two public bathrooms. There is always at least a ten-minute break between program events, so if you need or choose to go back to your hotel room, there should be enough time for you to get back for the next event.

Conversely, please assume that any VividCon member you see going about their business in a public bathroom has a right to be there, even if their being there is a surprise to you. If you really feel there is a problem, talk to a concom member; don't confront them on the spot.

If you're not sure what pronoun to use in referring to someone, especially in public (say, if you're speaking in a panel and find yourself stuttering "Pat said earlier that she -- uh, he -- uh..."), you can always ask politely what the person prefers, or use their name every time, or use "they." If someone uses a pronoun for you that you'd rather they didn't, go ahead and correct them politely if you want to. You are welcome to note your preferred pronoun on your name badge.

V. Vividcon does not use warnings.

We neither provide nor require warnings of any kind on vids. You may see or hear things that give away spoilers or that repulse, offend, frighten, or even trigger you. If there is something you do not want to see or hear, check the vid descriptions in the program book ahead of time; if they don't suffice, you may be able to find someone who has seen the vid already and can help with your concerns. You can also contact the VJ of a particular show you have concerns about, or write to access@vividcon.com to ask for more information, and we'll try to give you the information you need. However, vidders may not want to give out any advance information about a premiering vid, and it is not a violation of Vividcon mores for them to refuse to do so. If you choose to keep your eyes closed during a vid, you can ask people about it afterward and borrow the show disc from the con suite if you decide you want to see it later.

Of course, individual vidders may choose to incorporate warnings in their vids, and panel moderators may ask people not to spoil recent plot developments in a show being discussed; that's up to them. And if someone says something in a panel that someone else finds offensive, they may well say so. Panel moderators are responsible for keeping panels on topic and keeping any disagreements or conflicts in them from becoming hostile; disagreement and conflict are certainly not violations of Vividcon mores in themselves.

VI. Vividcon wants to be accessible.

This portion of our policy is undergoing revision. For information on accessibility at the 2010 con, please see this post on the VividCon Livejournal.

We describe there some of the accommodations we can make and assistance we can offer, and we'd be glad to describe the con space and the challenges it may pose in more detail; please contact us at access@vividcon.com with questions or concerns.

VII. Vividcon is social!

Con program events start sharp on Friday morning, so most people arrive on Thursday. People will be saying hi and hugging in the lobby, concom will be hauling equipment and sorting out paperwork, and toward the evening we'll be setting up early registration in the second-floor atrium (the center of con space). A crowd of people generally collect, hanging out and talking. Come pick up your membership packet and join us!

Many people hold informal room parties during the con, especially in the evening. Some of these may be announced publicly, usually by a note on the announcement board in the con suite, and such a party is always open to anyone who wants to come. Some people also just prop their hotel room door open to indicate that they're open to con members dropping in; if you wander the halls and hear vids and voices, and the door is open, it's not a violation of Vividcon mores to knock, peek in, and say, "Hi, I was hoping to find some people to hang out and watch vids with?" Of course, they may only have had the door open because the pizza was about to arrive, so if they say "Oh, sorry, we're not actually an open party," just say "Whoops, okay" and move on, secure in the knowledge that you haven't done anything inappropriate.

Sometimes we print up door hangers for people to put on their doorknob to indicate an open party. If you see such a hanger, it's entirely legitimate to knock even if the door is closed.

If you're having a room party, therefore, post it in the con suite, leave the door ajar, or use a door hanger if you want to welcome people! And, you know, don't if you don't.

VIII. Vividcon wants all its members to feel safe and comfortable.

We know that some of the policies described above, particularly our refusal to require or guarantee warnings and the value we place on frank discussion of dislikes as well as likes, may distress some fans. In that sense, we're not a "safe space." However, we want everyone to be as comfortable as they can, in the context of these policies! We approve of conversation, debate, and the airing of different points of view, but we expect our members to treat each other with respect, and we will not tolerate abuse or harassment. We love the fact that people dress for Club Vivid in everything from wild costumes to cocktail dresses to jeans and T-shirts to pajamas, but we expect everyone to respect one another's boundaries both during the party and at all other times. If someone's words or actions make you feel threatened or unsafe during the con, please tell a concom member as soon as you can, and we'll do our best to make things right. We reserve the right to cancel the membership of someone who behaves badly enough.

IX. Vividcon wants all kinds of vids.

VividCon is an equal opportunity con. Our goal is to give vidders and vid fans a place where they can share and see a wide range of vids. We do not judge or discriminate against vids for genre, sexual orientation, source, fandom, age, technique, or even if we think they're in poor taste or badly made.

Because adult material is accepted, VividCon is intended for adults only, and attendees must be over 18. Please be aware that you may, and most likely will, see such material in various vidshows and panels. You may also (horrors!) see vids that you don't like. It's all part of the deal.

Boring legalese: the concom officially reserves the right to not show any vid for any reason whatsoever. In practice, we will actually only use this to avoid showing vids that we think are going to create serious liability issues for us, and if we do have to use it (we've never had to so far), we will discuss our concerns privately with the vidder first.

X. Vividcon thanks you for reading through this document!

We hope that we have managed to address any concerns you may have. If you have questions or want to discuss anything further, you are welcome to write to us:

vividcon@vividcon.com -- for general questions
access@vividcon.com -- for questions about accessibility and special needs
vvctech@gmail.com -- for technical questions about vid uploading, etc.

You can also directly contact the concom member in charge of a particular aspect of the con; our names, email addresses, and areas of responsibility are listed on the staff page of the con website.

If you'd like to get perspectives and input from the larger Vividcon and vidding community, as well as the concom, you can post a question or comment to the con's LiveJournal or mailing list.

Thank you for your interest in Vividcon! We hope to see you there.