PSA: Yes, there is an Arisia

Word is going around that fancons.com is claiming that Arisia is cancelled. I don't know if anyone pays any attention to that site, but just to be clear: that's just plain untrue. They have apparently decided that virtual conventions aren't actually conventions, and therefore all conventions that are doing the responsible thing and going online this year are listed as "cancelled". (As for why they choose that, over the objections of the organizations in question, your guess is as good as mine.)

The reality is that everybody is hard at work to produce a great convention this year. The "Remote" team that I'm heading has spent the past several months building an open-source software platform to tie together all of the components, and most of the activities you expect will be there, albeit in online forms -- lots of panels, events like the Masquerade and this year's Mrs. Hawking show, Art Show, Dealers, lots of social hangout, and so on. (It even looks like there will be a Duck Hunt.) It won't be the same as usual, but it should be a lot of fun.

So if you're available, come check it out. It's the weekend of Martin Luther King Day as usual -- Jan 15-18 -- and the pricing this year has been adjusted to reflect the fact that we don't aren't renting a hotel. (Zoom is by no means free, but it's cheaper than a ballroom.) There's also a $0 price point available, since a lot of folks are having a hard time: this year is sort of "pay what makes sense for your circumstances".

Hope to see you there!