Alright. This is half a gripe and half of a plea for the future. I hope, next year, we can get everyone that attends the convention to actually buy badges. People who don't are only hurting the convention. There's a few instances involving people not buying badges that ended up really rankling my nerves, and well... Support the con! Yay?

Meh. There's no real way to make this more eloquent. And this probably isn't going to get out to the moochers anyway. But, to everyone who DID buy the badges, THANK YOU! And thanks so much to everyone who was understanding about the registration issues on Friday, and totally nice to us poor table sitters whose heads were spinning trying to get everyone through as quickly as possible. For that, I am grateful.

You deserve E-cookies.

Maybe, if they happen to have the entire hotel for the con, as well, have someone at the very front door to guide people where they need to go to get a badge?

I don't know, I just thought I'd try to help ...

Well... Really. No one ever checked.
I was asked for my ID once trying to go into one of the Hentai rooms, but no one ever checked for my badge (which I was actually never wearing). Once you realize that, it really doesn't make you want to get one, y'know?

I'm not saying you should frisk people and give em hell whether or not they have a badge, but as there were people standing in the doorways, apparently guarding the rooms, tell them to check for badges? Isn't that what they're there for?

Even if it's concealed on your costume (I usually have it strapped to my leg at other cons) you can still motion to ask to check for the badge. It's worked at every other con I've been to, and seemingly every other con anyone else has been to.

I got checked at the dealer room. That's about it.

i was only asked for my badge when i tried to enter the dealer room starting around 3pm on saturday.

I was asked for my badge 3-4 times on Saturday going into the Dealers Room. That was about it, though.

I was checking badges when I was sitting rooms. I do regret that other staffers weren't.

EDIT: And thinking more, really, I would hope that people would have the personal integrity to buy the badges whether or not people are checking at every bloody panel.

There ought to be at least a few people who remember getting checked for badges before the Protomen concert, because I was in the line of Imposing and Authoritative Staffers outside the door, saying "Got your badge?" over and over. ^_~

Integrity is ideal.

If you're basically (I realize some staffers checked badges) offering up a free con, yet have an optional badge for $30, who the hell is going to buy one?

.... Staffers WERE checking badges. You say you realize this, but then you say 'hay free con!'

I have never, ever been to a convention where at every single panel people checked badges. Maybe I've been going to the wrong conventions, I don't know, but it's always the dealers room, 18+ panels, and a couple of the big ones.

It's not offering up a free con.

There is no use fighting this issue anymore. The fact of the matter is we'll be nazi's about badges next year. In the past we've always made a point of trusting you guys where ever and whenever possible, but since a lot of people are bringing this up, I guess it's time for a change. Especially if people are starting to think that they should just not pay in general. Since we DO need money, and since people are starting to talk about taking advantage of our trust, we'll badge-check the hell out of you guys next year. Until then I don't see much point in arguing about it or getting defensive over it.

Badge check all you want really. I pre-reg'd, and I got my badge. I wore it the entire time. And I'll do so next year too. Make's little difference to me.

and here I want to point out one thing... the bold and underlined words...

"...we'll be nazi's about badges next year"

For me the badge situation was well dealt with. True they only checked at dealers room, rave,masquerade, panels.. and such. But I don't know if we need to over do it. If we're down stairs in the lobby playing games or doing THE THRILLER.. I don't think a staffer should stop everyone's fun just to see if you bought a badge.. from time to time sure but be careful what you wish for.

I think its funny that staffers had red bans... :ph43r: Talk about serious NAZI'S!

Maybe the only problem was people getting to sneak around because of not enough staffers? who knows. I mean seriously.. I would love to see the con staff hold staffers at the edge of the atrium lobby and kick people out of the area because they don't have a badge... ((rethinks)) crap. I forgot my badge and then I had to go get it... ... ... LOVE AND PEACE PEOPLE! :2cents:

Buying badges = money for better guests and con next year ^_^

<3 Kyo

I never bought a badge, but, then again, I never did anything at the con. 90% of my time was in the hotel room, and the rest involved food runs or gathering the group in the lobby for food runs.

A friend and I actually ended up standing outside of 2 panel rooms on Saturday and my friend asked people to show badges before he would let them into either of the panels. So, hey, you had some free staff for about 10 minutes while we tried to figure out where our group members were.

Surprisingly, I found few people without badges.

Well I bought a badge....it wasn't the pre-reg one I wanted but I can only blame a certain procratenater in my family for that. :P I also kept it on me at all times except when I took my jacket off in the game room because it was restricting my movement on the wii. But come to think of it I did see quite a few people without badges. Mainly in the hotel lobby but I did see some. Well maybe next year I will try to help out like Lady and Miccy did. It will give me another reason to stay away from the game room. ;)

Well, my case is that why have gophers if you really don't care if they just sit and not check badges (granted I guess some of the ones who didn't say anything might have just SEEN the badges and not bothered to ask)?

Either have no gophers to check or tell them to check every single person.


And honestly, I really don't care what you do cause I always buy a badge at a con...so even if you are Nazis, it won't be a big deal to me.

Yeah, that could be it. I didn't exactly ask for badges if I could see them; it doesn't take more than a glance.

Odd. Last year, you guys seemed to check badges all the time. This year, you guys seemed to not ask for them as much. My entire time there, I wasn't asked for my badge at all...unless my hanging around with Susan had a lot to do with it or something...