Forum:SH:Wookieepedia at Celebration VI

Yes, Celebration VI is still nine months away, but it's time to get organized. Last time, we missed the deadline to apply for a table because we were too late getting organized. This time around, the deadline is even earlier. So let's get cracking!

Dates and location
August 23rd-August 26th, 2012. Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida

Useful links
Add to as necessary.


 * Official website
 * Fan Table application
 * Fan Panel application

Will be there

 * 1) Haven't purchased my ticket yet because I'm making plans to turn this into a three-week vacation if I can afford it, but I'll be there.  Master Jonathan &mdash; Jedi Council Chambers Monday, November 21, 2011, 19:23 UTC
 * 2) I have a Trivia World Championship bronze medal to defend.  DD97 Which bear is best? 23:59, November 21, 2011 (UTC)
 * 3) I am definitely going to attend Celebration VI and already have my ticket. --C-3P0 13:50, February 13, 2012 (UTC)
 * 4) I will be there. I live in southwest Georgia so it's only a 4 hour drive plus I will have a refund check from school so I will be there unless something dire happens. --Stlnprfln 10:00, April 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * 5) I just now booked my flight. I am now officially a definite.  Trak Nar  Ramble on 02:41, June 4, 2012 (UTC)

Unsure but interested

 * 1) This is a maybe possibly based on what happens by next year. I'm to be doing research hopefully on another continent close to this time, so maybe I can work things around? I really feel I need to make up for not attending CV, especially if we get another table and/or event going. I do appreciate seeing that we are getting on this now. --  Riffsyphon  1024 02:02, November 23, 2011 (UTC)
 * 2) The only way I can attend is if I tag along on a road trip from Pennsylvania to Florida.  Else, it just won't be financially feasible and purchasing tickets ahead of time is out of the question.  However, since I have nine months to save up some scratch, I'll try.   Trak Nar  Ramble on 02:19, November 23, 2011 (UTC)
 * 3) Hopefully. This is a tentative sign-up since next summer is going to get really busy for me in RL. I've been slightly planning on this trip since Celebration V ended, so hopefully I'll be able to pull it off. If I do make it, I will probably be able to mind the table for at least a little while, pending what is going on and what we decide to do with the table.-- Cal Jedi Infinite Empire.svg (Personal Comm Channel) 22:31, November 21, 2011 (UTC)
 * 4) *I've moved my name to here, since it seems more appropriate to my situation.-- Cal Jedi Infinite Empire.svg (Personal Comm Channel) 03:05, November 23, 2011 (UTC)
 * 5) I'm going to have to be a heck of a lot more employed by then for it to be a possibility. And if I *am* employed, I then have to turn right around and get time off to go . . . so not getting my hopes up. jSarek 10:45, November 23, 2011 (UTC)
 * 6) *Might be helpful to know just how much this will cost the average con-goer, and of course the price goes up the farther away they are from Florida (during tourist season). --  Riffsyphon  1024 03:29, November 24, 2011 (UTC)
 * 7) **Last year, the total cost for me was around $1,600, which included the cost of driving 2,000 miles round trip, five nights in a slightly upscale hotel in Orlando, two nights (one each way) in a motel room in Georgia, meals, tickets to both the convention and the Last Tour to Endor event, and a couple of expensive purchases (an overpriced bowling shirt that turned out to be too big for me and a Force FX lightsaber).  Master Jonathan &mdash; Jedi Council Chambers Thursday, November 24, 2011, 04:35 UTC
 * 8) ***Let's scale that down to bare essentials here. Assuming people fly to Orlando, and room together (which is highly recommended, especially those that have done this before or know others going), and buy nothing extraordinarily expensive, then we're looking at what for ballpark? --  Riffsyphon  1024 07:47, November 25, 2011 (UTC)
 * 9) ****Having neither flown anywhere nor roomed with anyone else in my life, I can't help ya there.  Master Jonathan &mdash; Jedi Council Chambers Friday, November 25, 2011, 16:19 UTC
 * 10) It's in Orlando again, which is where I live and I'm definitely interested in going but we'll have to see as it comes closer.  OLIOSTER  (talk) 02:04, November 27, 2011 (UTC)
 * 11) Probably not, but I'd definitely love to. We'll see as it gets closer. I'm moving off to college around that time, so I really have no idea. Money is a huge factor too. MasterFred Commerce Guild.svg(Whatever) 19:31, December 7, 2011 (UTC)

Not interested

 * 1) Too far, it's Florida, August 23-26 is bad scheduling, and $$$. ;)  JangFett  (Talk) 21:48, April 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * 2) Why did they pick to do this the week my fall classes started?-- Exiled Jedi  Oldrepublic crest.svg (Greetings)  14:30, May 8, 2012 (UTC)
 * 3) Nope. ' Biggestleo ' (Meeting Room) 02:11, June 11, 2012 (UTC)
 * 4) I would love to go, but unfortunately I live in the wrong part of the country. Let me know if they have it in Detroit or Chicago next year. --The Great and Grand Count Mall!(Bow down before me!) 12:48, July 6, 2012 (UTC)

Wookieepedia table
OK, this is the big thing. Last time the deadline to apply for a table was May 2, and we missed that because we didn't really start getting organized until a week later. This time around, the deadline is February 27. Got that? From the time I created this page, we barely have three months to figure out what we want to do. Application links are in the "Useful links" section above.  Master Jonathan &mdash; Jedi Council Chambers Monday, November 21, 2011, 19:23 UTC

Questions to answer:
 * Who's going to file the application? Probably best for that to be done by an admin or bureaucrat.
 * If we get a table, who's willing to staff it? We must have somebody at the table at all times the convention hall is open.
 * I'll certainly be willing to pay my dues for a few hours.  DD97 Which bear is best? 00:09, November 22, 2011 (UTC)
 * What do we want to have at the table? We get one electrical outlet, but I don't know if we get Wi-Fi access. If we do, it would probably be a good idea to have a laptop at the table so we can show people the site. I'm willing to loan my laptop to the cause if no one else will.  Master Jonathan &mdash; Jedi Council Chambers Monday, November 21, 2011, 19:23 UTC
 * SO, we've gone from three months to three weeks. Is this just not in the cards?  DD97 Which bear is best? 22:21, February 6, 2012 (UTC)
 * It's on the agenda for discussion at the Mofference this Saturday night. &mdash;MJ&mdash; War Room Tuesday, February 7, 2012, 05:10 UTC
 * I do hope we make some headway with the Mofference discussions tonight. See you there! --  Riffsyphon  1024 11:31, February 11, 2012 (UTC)
 * I apologize. I was unable to make the Mofference last minute. It appears there was some leeway in this however. --  Riffsyphon  1024 09:15, February 12, 2012 (UTC)

Volunteer signups
If we're going to have a table at all, we need enough people to staff it throughout the entire convention (a total of 34 hours). If you are going and willing to staff the table, please sign below and indicate the maximum number of hours you are willing to volunteer. We're not signing up for specific shifts yet; that will come when the panel schedule is released. If you're planning on going but not 100% sure you'll be able to make it, please say so when you sign up so I can take that into account. Volunteers are expected to have demonstrated at least a moderate commitment to Wookieepedia and have a working knowledge of our policies demonstrated through editing, as they will need to show visitors around and possibly show them how to edit. Additionally, all volunteers are expected to work their fair share of time at the table; although reasonable efforts will be made to make everyone available to attend the panels or other events they wish to attend, understand that somebody must be at the table at all times, and this means not everyone can go to a panel at the same time. You may have to "bite the bullet" and skip that panel you wanted to attend in order to staff the table. Do not flag yourself as receiving an exhibitor pass; only, the table coordinator, may do that.


 * 1) I'm willing to work as much as needed, but I want time to be a regular convention-goer as well. Master Jon (Holocomm) Sunday, February 12, 2012, 04:51 UTC
 * 2) Still willing to put in a few hours on a few days.  DD97 Which bear is best? 18:07, February 12, 2012 (UTC)
 * 3) If you need more volunteers, I can pitch in a few hours, but like Master Jon I do not want to be at the table all the time. --C-3P0 13:50, February 13, 2012 (UTC)
 * 4) Even though my presence largely hinges on whether or not I'll be able to even afford to go, I would gladly pitch in some time at the table.  So, who's volunteering to give me a lift to Florida? :D  Trak Nar  Ramble on 09:26, February 18, 2012 (UTC)
 * I can volunteer. Flexible with hours. I too want to be able to explore the convention but seeing as I am there for all 4 days & I don't take long to look around, I can work pretty much anything needed. Stlnprfln 10:00, April 4, 2012
 * Struck by table coordinator. User has made no edits outside of his/her userpage and this page and has not demonstrated any commitment to the site or any knowledge of our policies. &mdash;MJ&mdash; Holocomm</b> Tuesday, May 8, 2012, 00:10 UTC
 * While stlnprfln only recently created a profile on Wookieepedia, he represents the support of our website, swpocketmodels.com, for WP at CVI. He will be assisting me during the time up to the event in the editing and promoting of articles on this site in respect to canon material pertaining to what is found in and relating to content our site officially promoted&mdash;which will evidence his competency for assisting at the booth. As you were considering asking TFN members to assist&mdash;who would not necessarily be qualified by the guidelines above&mdash;I would like to think that SWPM would be given just consideration. I understand that his profile and edit history are virtually nonexistent, but that will change after final exams are done in a week or two. &mdash; Gethralkin  Hyperwave 03:59, May 9, 2012 (UTC)
 * Understood. I was not aware of that background. However, I need to see myself that he understands how Wookieepedia works. I'll check his contribs occasionally and reinstate him to the list if/when I see the evidence in his contribs. A few hundred edits or so and maybe a status article or two should be sufficient. &mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> Holocomm</b> Wednesday, May 9, 2012, 04:09 UTC

General discussion
Right now, we have three "for sure"s willing to work the table and one "maybe". That's not enough. I would like to have at least five to six who are committed to going in order to submit the application; this is to ensure that we still have enough in the event somebody has an emergency at the last minute and can't make it and that everybody has time to be a regular convention-goer. I would really like for us to be represented at the convention, but only if we can get enough people. The deadline to submit the application is 11:59 PM ET tomorrow night, so we have about 25 hours. I would need an hour or so to prepare the application, and I don't want to be rushed by doing it at the last minute. Therefore, I'm going to give this until 7:00 PM ET tomorrow (midnight UTC) before I decide to not submit the application. Thanks. &mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> Holocomm</b> Monday, February 27, 2012, 03:55 UTC
 * I would love to help, but I honestly have no idea if I'll be able to make it. If I can manage the trip, I will definitely volunteer some time at the table. MasterFred Commerce Guild.svg<sup style="color:green">(Whatever) 05:22, February 27, 2012 (UTC)
 * OK, that gives us two "maybe"s. I'm willing to submit the application with just four "for sure"s if there are enough "maybe"s to reasonably assume that at least one of them will make it, but I'm not sure about doing it with just three "for sure"s like we have right now. I'm holding out hope that we can get a couple more to commit before the deadline. &mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> War Room</b> Monday, February 27, 2012, 06:34 UTC
 * I will be pinching pennies these coming months, so I hope I can become a "for sure," but this month... I can't say for certain. I have bills and a security deposit to pay, and an apartment to move into. :/  The biggest obstacle for me is money for travel expenses and for the tickets.  Since, if I can go, I intend to share lodging (let's cram six Wookieepedians in one room!), that will help save some money.  Most of the cost will be travel expenses, which until I can be reasonably sure that I will be able to save up for it, it relegates me to the "maybe" slot.  Trak Nar  Ramble on 06:46, February 27, 2012 (UTC)
 * It would be very sad if we could not get a table because there are not enough volunteers. MJ, have you thought about reaching out to the folks at TheForce.net and Forcecast? They had a rather large area at C5 and maybe they would share with us a table to put Wookieepedia leaflets on and where we could stand part of the time, whenever one of our volunteers is available. --C-3P0 16:58, February 27, 2012 (UTC)
 * That's an idea I hadn't thought of. Assuming TFN has already applied for a table, that's something I could possibly discuss with them later and wouldn't necessarily have to be done by the application deadline, which is now less than 12 hours away. I'll look into that in the next couple of weeks if we don't get more volunteers in the next few hours. &mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> Jedi Council Chambers</b> Monday, February 27, 2012, 17:06 UTC

Alright, after thinking it over, I went ahead and submitted the application with the following note attached: Due to the economy and the early application deadline, we are not yet sure if we will have enough users attending to man the table as many users are still trying to figure out whether or not they will be able to come up with the money to make it to Orlando. I think we can do it, but this application is contingent upon obtaining enough volunteers to staff the table. If we are not able to get enough volunteers by one month before the convention, we will have to cancel the table. We'll see if that passes muster with them. They'll respond by March 1, whether we're accepted or not. &mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> Jedi Council Chambers</b> Monday, February 27, 2012, 23:00 UTC
 * And I already got a reply from Mary Franklin, who's glad we want to come back. I don't know whether that's an official acceptance or not, but I'll ask for clarification if I don't hear anything else by Thursday. &mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> Holocomm</b> Monday, February 27, 2012, 23:04 UTC
 * One month prior to the convention? By that time, I think I can say I'll be a "for sure."  I'm gonna be doing a few things to help me save up some money (food stamps), and my folks will also be able to help me out with groceries, so that will help me save some money.  I'd happily man the table for as long as I'm needed, though at some point, I plan to start peddling my portfolio.  Hell, I plan to peddle my portfolio at the table.  Saving up for this has more priority than anything else as this may finally be my big break and I may finally get noticed by a publisher.  Trak Nar  Ramble on 06:43, February 28, 2012 (UTC)
 * OK, I got another email, this one a canned response saying that they'll get back to me with our status by Thursday or Friday, so it's safe to say we haven't been formally accepted yet. I'll keep you guys updated. &mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> Training Room</b> Tuesday, February 28, 2012, 22:51 UTC
 * OK, we are accepted. I received the confirmation email this morning. I'm going to do occasional pushes for more volunteers via the sitenotice and community corner (probably about one week per month) to try to get enough to staff the table. Signups for specific time slots will open once we know the panel schedule so that hopefully everybody can schedule around the panels they want to attend. &mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> <b style="color:red; font-variant:small-caps;">Council Chambers</b> Friday, March 2, 2012, 20:04 UTC
 * Mary's pretty helpful. I did some e-mail back-and-forth with her back when we did Celebration IV. She's the go-to person if you have questions that need answered by the event organizer. :) Atarumaster88  Jedi_Order.svg ( Talk page ) 02:18, March 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * This is good news to hear, MJ. Your perseverance is the reason we have a chance at representing ourselves at a Celebration again. Oh and happy anniversary. :) --  Riffsyphon  1024 07:11, March 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * If you guys are interested in getting the Wookieepedia/CUSWE banner we used back at C4, Bob Vitas is the guy to talk to, since he was supposedly going to hold onto it. Shoot me an email if you need help getting a hold of him. I imagine we can arrange shipping it to one of the table leaders. I would also definitely recommending having something physical to show off at the table, so it's not just a plain old table with a single boring laptop sitting on it. I should still have some laminated printouts we did for C4. We also did a bunch of "brochures" last time with a handful of articles and site info on them. —Xwing328 (Talk) 00:18, April 1, 2012 (UTC)
 * Yeah, this has been on the back burner for a while. I'm planning on doing some more work on this next week, including another push for volunteers via the sitenotice and community corner. I'll look into the banner and other stuff. Since the banner has CUSWE on it as well, I might see if Bob wants to combine with us again, otherwise a new banner with CUSWE would be needed. As for printouts, it might be worth recreating those with the current versions of articles, which are likely to be in much better shape five years later. I'll probably send you an email this week for some more details on this stuff. <b style="color:navy; text-decoration:underline; font-family:serif;">&mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> <b style="color:red; font-variant:small-caps;">Training Room</b> Sunday, April 1, 2012, 01:59 UTC
 * If you need assistance on the history of Wookieepedia up to this point, I can go through the archives and pages for some morsels that we can use. Plus if you want to run a slideshow of photos, they can include shots we took at Celebrations IV and V. --  Riffsyphon  1024 03:57, April 2, 2012 (UTC)


 * After a long delay, I'm getting back into this. Once I have my own travel plans finalized later this month, I'll start looking into what it will take to get a new banner and printouts. Also, we do get four free exhibitor passes with the table. I'm taking one as the coordinator and I've offered the second to Trak, so that leaves two (three if Trak can't go). If you would like one, let me know here. I would prefer to give them to volunteers who either 1) are administrators and/or 2) might not otherwise be able to afford to go (since those receiving exhibitor passes do not need to purchase a regular pass). You must volunteer for the table in order to be eligible for an exhibitor pass. <b style="color:navy; text-decoration:underline; font-family:serif;">&mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> <b style="color:red; font-variant:small-caps;">Holocomm</b> Tuesday, May 8, 2012, 00:10 UTC


 * Giving this thread a bump. We have about a month and a half and we still need volunteers!  I had updated the site notice to reflect this, and I'm debating starting a topic on TFN to hopefully net some volunteers.  I'm willing to put in long hours if it comes to it, though at some point, I would like to peddle my portfolio.  Trak Nar  Ramble on 09:26, July 6, 2012 (UTC)
 * If we get no more volunteers and Mr. Unpronounceable Random Consonants doesn't show any commitment to the site (his only 100 mainspace edits were all back on May 9 and appear to consist entirely of adding Cr to articles), then with four volunteers we're looking at roughly 2 to 2.5 hours per person per day to staff the table with the minimum of one person at all times. With that, it's a given that people are going to be alone at the table frequently. <b style="color:navy; text-decoration:underline; font-family:serif;">&mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> <b style="color:red; font-variant:small-caps;">Jedi Council Chambers</b> Saturday, July 7, 2012, 02:27 UTC
 * Well, WEIRDGREENMAN did say he'd drop by if need be. I've seen him edit here off and on, he could help take some of the workload off of us.  Though, only two and a half hours?  I was ready to start putting in four solid! :P  Trak Nar  Ramble on 02:45, July 7, 2012 (UTC)
 * Yeah, that's based on ten hours per day including morning set-up and evening tear-down (the exhibit hall is open for nine on Thursday through Saturday). Sunday will be a little less due to the exhibit hall closing a couple hours earlier, but I'll need somebody to help with complete tear-down at closing time since I'm not coming in on Monday to do so. <b style="color:navy; text-decoration:underline; font-family:serif;">&mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> <b style="color:red; font-variant:small-caps;">Training Room</b> Saturday, July 7, 2012, 02:53 UTC
 * I'll be flying back on the 27th, so I can help with the tear-down. I'll need something to do, anyway... aside from scrounging the floors for anything interesting that people dropped. :P  Trak Nar  Ramble on 03:01, July 7, 2012 (UTC)

Wookieepedia panel
This may require a bit more discussion. Do we want to apply to do a panel of some kind? The deadline is the same as it is for a table. We're probably the ideal people to do a trivia contest, so that would probably be the best way to go here unless somebody else has a better idea. Thoughts?  Master Jonathan &mdash; Jedi Council Chambers <sub style="margin-left:-11.75em;">Monday, November 21, 2011, 19:23 UTC
 * As far as trivia, Kevin Liell intends to host the "Celebration VI Star Wars Trivia World Championship" again. We could look into working in conjunction with him on that.  DD97 Which bear is best? 00:07, November 22, 2011 (UTC)

With the struggle to get people for the table, I opted to skip this. We will not have a panel. <b style="color:navy; text-decoration:underline; font-family:serif;">&mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> <b style="color:red; font-variant:small-caps;">Holocomm</b> Tuesday, February 28, 2012, 18:00 UTC
 * Or maybe we will. In the acceptance email for the table, Mary Franklin asked if we want to do any programming. I've inquired about a trivia contest; we'll see what the response is. <b style="color:navy; text-decoration:underline; font-family:serif;">&mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> <b style="color:red; font-variant:small-caps;">Council Chambers</b> Friday, March 2, 2012, 20:04 UTC


 * Any updates on this, MJ? --  Riffsyphon  1024 11:07, May 17, 2012 (UTC)
 * I've ruled out a full panel for the general public, since Kevin Liell is indeed bringing back his trivia contest. However, Mary put out a call earlier this month for interested clubs to provide activities for the Family Room. I was thinking we might be able to put together a trivia contest for the kids in there. Any recommendations on how to go about that? The kids would range from very little to 11 years old, but we could specify the age range for our activity (e.g. "recommended for ages 8 to 11"). Lucasfilm will provide prizes. We would be looking for something that lasts a half hour to an hour. I haven't committed to it yet because ideally I'd like to see more table volunteers first, but I'm open to ideas on format and types of questions right now. <b style="color:navy; text-decoration:underline; font-family:serif;">&mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> <b style="color:red; font-variant:small-caps;">Holocomm</b> Thursday, May 17, 2012, 14:11 UTC

Other discussion
General questions/comments not related to a specific section above go here.


 * My idea is that, if possible, we get at least one of the laptops hooked up to the IRC under a special Nick, perhaps something to the effect of "Wookieepedia-VI". In that way, every Wookieepedian across the world can still be at Celebration VI in a sense, if they log in to IRC. The Wookieepedians that could not make it could keep in contact with the other Wookieepedians that are there, sharing ideas and maybe even having a chance to get Leland Chee or some other VIP on the IRC to talk with us. Comments, questions, criticism on that idea?-- Cal Jedi Infinite Empire.svg (Personal Comm Channel) 22:29, November 21, 2011 (UTC)
 * That's a good idea.  Master Jonathan &mdash; Jedi Council Chambers <sub style="margin-left:-11.75em;">Tuesday, November 22, 2011, 01:36 UTC
 * Thanks. :) We'll have to work out more of the details of the idea once we find out about if we'll have Wi-Fi access, someone to keep an eye on the IRC, etc.-- Cal Jedi Infinite Empire.svg (Personal Comm Channel) 01:44, November 22, 2011 (UTC)
 * If someone buys my ticket I'll go. :) Seriously though, as much as I'd like to go...yeah, not happening.  Chack Jadson  (Talk) 02:05, April 3, 2012 (UTC)
 * Okay, since I'm still leaving my name as tentative, I'd still like to prepare ahead of time for table duties. What all would the volunteers be doing?  I need to know what kind of things to say, so I can prepare a loose script ahead of time.  Thinking on my feet is not my forte.  Trak Nar  Ramble on 03:29, May 19, 2012 (UTC)
 * Basically, show them around the site, what we do, etc. I'm going to create a special account for use at the convention so we can show the site in Monobook and edit. Show them how simple it is to make an edit; hit Special:Random until you find a typo and help them fix it. You'll of course have to supervise visitors to make sure they don't vandalize (I'll create the account far enough in advance that's it's autoconfirmed and have someone put an exception in the super-semiprotection filter for it). Encourage them to sign up on the spot if they want to, and walk them through the account creation process and show them how to change their skin to Monobook if they want to. There may also be brochures about the site that people can take, as well as a few laminated printouts of GAs/short FAs that they can look at (but not take). There may be more; I haven't finalized anything yet. <b style="color:navy; text-decoration:underline; font-family:serif;">&mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> <b style="color:red; font-variant:small-caps;">Training Room</b> Sunday, May 20, 2012, 01:23 UTC
 * Silly question: So we would have an account probably titled "Celebration VI User" to act as our testbed? Would people have access to that account after the con or is the supervision at the table basically going to keep them logged in and that they have no way of knowing what the password is for that account? --  Riffsyphon  1024 08:06, May 20, 2012 (UTC)
 * All staffers will be given the password to the account so they can help a newly registered user adjust their skin settings and subsequently log back into the convention account. Following the convention (i.e during teardown Sunday evening), I will change the password to something only I know and ask an admin to permaban the account since it will no longer be of any use. Those two steps should prevent any abuse post-convention. <b style="color:navy; text-decoration:underline; font-family:serif;">&mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> <b style="color:red; font-variant:small-caps;">Jedi Council Chambers</b> Sunday, May 20, 2012, 13:21 UTC
 * Oh, also I will likely set up a Freenode account for the convention that would be used in the same way, enabling staffers to chat with others not at the convention. Like the wiki account, the password will be changed post-convention. <b style="color:navy; text-decoration:underline; font-family:serif;">&mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> <b style="color:red; font-variant:small-caps;">Training Room</b> Sunday, May 20, 2012, 13:25 UTC
 * More silly questions... We're making brochures? Are these already made?  Or, do they still need to be designed?  Who will be covering the cost of printing?  Also, should volunteers wear whatever shirts/costumes (if you're a cosplayer) they want or will we be getting Wookieepedia shirts?  What else will we be doing?  I have a portfolio that I plan to peddle at some point, and if any published artists or even publishers come by, they may be roped into looking at my portfolio. :P  Trak Nar  Ramble on 05:55, May 22, 2012 (UTC)
 * As for costs, there may be a call for small ($1 to $5) donations via sitenotice if the administration is cool with that, but otherwise it will probably come out of my pocket. I know I can get black and white printing at The UPS Store for 8 cents per page; I don't know what they charge for color printing. I need to look around and get prices on the banner and figure out how many brochures we'll need (I'm thinking 1,000, but that might be way off either way). I'm also waiting to find out what the cost of Wi-Fi is going to be (it doesn't come free with the table and has to be ordered from the convention center). I haven't even begun to design anything yet; I intend to have a rough draft ready within the next couple of weeks. To keep costs down, there will be no Wookieepedia shirts, so wear whatever you want (I do intend to create simple nametags for identification). As mentioned above, I'm considering doing a trivia contest for the kids in the family room, and need opinions and ideas on that. Any other questions? <b style="color:navy; text-decoration:underline; font-family:serif;">&mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> <b style="color:red; font-variant:small-caps;">Council Chambers</b> Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 15:33 UTC
 * Pricing: I checked my local printing shop. The banner is going to be the expensive part. An 8' × 2' banner will cost at least $150, depending on the amount of colors. A 6' × 2' banner would be at least $110. Black-and-white copies (for the brochures) are 4 to 4.5 cents each for 1,000 or more. Color printouts for hard copies of sample articles (if I decide to go that route) can be done on my home printer and can then be laminated for $2.00 to $2.50 per sheet. I need to contact the place to see how much extra duplex printing would be before I can calculate a total price, plus I need to shop around a bit to see if anyone has lower prices. <b style="color:navy; text-decoration:underline; font-family:serif;">&mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> <b style="color:red; font-variant:small-caps;">War Room</b> Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 21:19 UTC
 * Hm. Well, at some point, I'll be heading to Staples to do some printing of my own, want for me to check their banner rates?  Trak Nar  Ramble on 04:38, May 23, 2012 (UTC)
 * Found their prices online. Much cheaper; we can get an 8' × 2.5' banner for $70. I'll look into their printing prices later, as it appears you need a completed file to get their prices online. I also need to look into Office Depot, The UPS Store, and FedEx Office. <b style="color:navy; text-decoration:underline; font-family:serif;">&mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> <b style="color:red; font-variant:small-caps;">Holocomm</b> Wednesday, May 23, 2012, 17:32 UTC
 * Don't forget OfficeMax. I've gotten full-color glossies printed there for super-cheap!  Too bad there's not an OfficeMax nearby, I have to rely on my local Staples, and while they love it when I get my prints there, they gouge me good for the price.  If they love my work so much, they should give me a discount. :P  Trak Nar  Ramble on 03:18, May 24, 2012 (UTC)
 * I've actually never heard of OfficeMax (or at least don't recognize the name right away), but I'll look into them as well. <b style="color:navy; text-decoration:underline; font-family:serif;">&mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> <b style="color:red; font-variant:small-caps;">Council Chambers</b> Friday, May 25, 2012, 17:56 UTC
 * Just wanted to toss this out there: I think a decent smattering of Featured and Good articles on display that contain shining formatting and imagery would be good to have cycling through on a stand-alone screen (as large as can be obtained). A screen on a stand/pole above the level of the attendees would be ideal&mdash;especially if the screen is large enough. That way, it will attract attention along with a banner to identify the booth. &mdash; Gethralkin  Hyperwave 04:28, May 25, 2012 (UTC)
 * That would be nice, but I don't have boatloads of money to throw at the table. It's going to be difficult just to come up with money for the basics, and the only reason we can even have a good laptop in the first place is because we're using mine that I use every day. Unless someone already has all of the necessary materials and can bring them to the convention, I don't think I'll be able to do anything with that idea. <b style="color:navy; text-decoration:underline; font-family:serif;">&mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> <b style="color:red; font-variant:small-caps;">Council Chambers</b> Friday, May 25, 2012, 17:56 UTC
 * To help with cost, I'll get my GAs printed and laminated when I go to do my other printing. Once the brochures are designed, you could send the files my way and I could see if I can get some prints made as well, depending on cost.  I'm trying not to spend too much money, trying to save what I can, but after the biggest hurdle, airfare, is taken care of, then I can be a little less stringent.  I also have some large paper at my disposal, on a very large sketchbook that holds ink very well.  I also have a T-square, and other fun art supplies.  I can hand-letter a 14 x 17 sign.  Trak Nar  Ramble on 06:52, May 26, 2012 (UTC)
 * Got another question. What if, for whatever reason, we encounter people at the table who are more or less disruptive and overall belligerent for whatever reason (perhaps they were blocked, or they are simply trolls or what have you).  How do we handle such people?  I'd like to know beforehand, in case such a situation arises.  It may seem unlikely, but people are unpredictable and I'd like to be able to handle such a situation with tact, rather than crawling under the table to grab their ankles and force them to the floor.  Trak Nar  Ramble on 06:02, June 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * At Celebration IV, we got visited by an infamous former editor, with whom I had the indescribable delight of explaining why he'd been permanently banned from the site. The situation was further complicated by the fact I had been on Wookieevacation when his ban actually occurred and thus didn't know what the final straw was that earned him the permaban, and by certain other factors which I won't elaborate upon here for privacy reasons. The only advice I can give is to be as polite and professional as possible, no matter what happens on the other side of the table. The vast majority of Star Wars fans are pretty decent folk, even if they've needed disciplinary action here (how people behave on the Internet is often far more aggressive and dumb than in person), and if it turns out that someone IS aggressive or dumb enough to cause a commotion, well, that's what the Security folks (and, hopefully, your fellow boothmates, and fellow fans at neighboring booths) are there for. In this user's case, in as even a tone as possible, I explained that his behaviors had been disruptive, and though I had not personally been onsite at the time of his ban, I was confident that my fellow administrators had made a proper judgment based on my own experience with his earlier behaviors. He pressed the issue, I reiterated my points and mentioned specific policies that I thought it was likely he had violated, and finally his father stepped in, gently pointing out to his son that his question had been answered, ending a very uncomfortable moment. jSarek 08:11, June 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * In short, smile, nod, point out why they were blocked and policies to supplement the argument and exhibit the unwavering patience of a saint? Hoo boy, are my meds up to the challenge?  We shall see...  Trak Nar  Ramble on 08:15, June 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * Well that is the trick, isn't it? For years we've been separated by distance, but now with another booth opportunity, people who may choose to voice their opinion will be able to do it face to face. Now we don't need to hide ourselves, and as previously noted, if things are done with tact and professionalism, we should have nothing to worry about. And Trak, thank you for deciding to represent us this year. :) --  Riffsyphon  1024 08:40, June 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * Oh yes, that takes the weight off of my shoulders entirely. I'm far more relaxed now. :P  Trak Nar  Ramble on 08:59, June 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * A new thread has been started to seek comments on the rough draft of the brochure. See Forum:SH:Request for comments: CVI brochure and comment there. <b style="color:navy; text-decoration:underline; font-family:serif;">&mdash;MJ&mdash;</b> <b style="color:red; font-variant:small-caps;">Training Room</b> Monday, June 4, 2012, 16:36 UTC