There was a single person I couldn't sort things out for at expo, a mistake I made (And held my hand up to), and they sent a ranty response, it would be unprofessional to send a rant in response to their rant, thereby engaging in Rant to Rant combat, so this is the response I didn't send......
-------------
-------------
We're volunteers, all of us, we do this because we love the hobby, and in the years we've been running we've taken it from a convention of less than a thousand to an expected attendance of ten thousand, every penny that gets made at Expo goes back into making it bigger and better the year after, and that's why it's doing what it's doing, that's why there's more than three hundred games running this year.
You presume the system is automatic and everything just happens? Well let me enlighten you Mr Wizard, the system isn't automated, because the computer doesn't know that you can't put Cthulhu next to Dungeon Bashing... so it requires a human to put these things in manually and make it so that atmospheric games don't run next to screamers, so everything, I say everything requires that I have a hand in it. This isn't like where you put sign up sheets up and then go find a table, this is booked months in advance and needs everything to be allocated, from disabled access to ensuring that the games aren't over booked.
We get hundreds of emails like this, ranging from "I want to change my game slot for the ninth time" To "I'm not coming, give me a refund", to "I didn't get the games I want, do something, DO SOMETHING." Every year, and every year we do our very best to make sure everyone gets what they want. Do you know what I was doing the weekend before this happened? I was in Plymouth organising another convention on my own time to promote the hobby, the weekend after? Another convention in the Ricoh Arena promoting the hobby.
Do I get paid anything for this?
No
Have I done everything I can to make this right?
Yes
Did I make one mistake in amongst everything else I was doing?
Yes
Do I see that my one mistake has caused you an issue?
Yes
Did I make that mistake in the course of getting you something you'd legitimately missed out on, which a computer would have just told you to feck off over?
Yes
Tell you what, take a look at www.millionwordman.blogspot.com, that'll show you just how busy I actually am doing these things, I deliver a professional service every year, and I do it for free, and just once in a while, I make mistakes. Funny thing, everyone else understands that I'm busy, that this isn't just the press of a button and everythings sorted, and for the most part, the answer is "It's okay John, I know you're doing what you can."
How many emails have I had ranting that they should have been prioritised over everything because what we do is easy?
How many emails have I had ranting that they should have been prioritised over everything because what we do is easy?
One
and I'll let you in on something, I was nearly killed last week and I'm feeling more than a little raw at the moment, so I'm probably just ranting back at you, but I'd appreciate it if you'd drop by the front desk when you come to Expo, because I'll be there, and you'll be able to see that I put my heart into this, every year, for more than three quarters of the year, and on the day, when everyone else can turn up and enjoy themselves and have fun at the biggest and best games convention in england, I'll be on the front desk working, sorting out problems, and making sure everyone else has a good time.
Because that's what I do, that's what I'm good for...
But a word of advice, Mr Wizard, when you turn up at that desk, you'd better have a flag, it had better be white, and you'd do well to have a mattress behind you in case your over inflated sense of self righteousness doesn't do well as a shield........
Big Kiss
Dodd
