Hypothetical Aspies Central Convention

[Sportster]

. . .

 

[paloftoon]

I think an idea like this would be more feasible by starting off with an already established convention. AC could consider being a sponsor for other conventions except AC does not have that kind of funding to upstart like that. The convention's location should probably change year to year if you want to try to maximize who could attend from AC. Most likely, you'd want to start off near big city locations to maximize your numbers too and reach most people, as a successful convention will need to have at least enough people to make it run.

 

[umbrellabeach]

I love the idea but I don't think I'd be able to make it.

 

[westrain]

Same here like the idea probably wouldn't able to afford to go

 

[Manuheleku]

It's a great idea, but travel is the issue. I personally don't like flying, also it's expensive. I like the idea of joining up at an existing convention, that would be a good way to start and see if the interest is there.

 

[King_Oni]

From my experience it's hard to cater to everyone on the spectrum. It's a hit and miss in that we all have our issues and it might be too busy for some, too much too travel for others, not geared towards interests for others... it would need to be such a broad coverage it's not really practical.

A few years back I went to a... well, convention is a big word, but for the sake of it, let's call it that, which was at Autism awareness day. I managed to hang around for roughly 10 minutes. It was crowded, overly active, everything was too close to eachother, it didn't cover a spectrum of interests (mostly IT and not everyone on the spectrum is good with tech).

And consider the event ran for a day, 11 am till 8 pm or so, with guestspeakers and all kinds of stuff, I just couldn't justify hanging around half the day for a few more interesting speakers.

THe upside was, that it was free. So not hanging out that long wasn't an issue, yet if I had a ticket I would've been a bit irked by the way it was set up.

 

[Ste11aeres]

Neat idea; not sure if I'd actually participate, though. I have doubts about whether it would be actually feasible, since AC member are scattered around the globe, mostly with very little money. (Even if the event itself were free, travelling requires money).

 

[Destination Unknown]

Not being an outgoing social type person, I don't see myself going anywhere to be around a bunch of people no matter what the reason is. I doubt that I'd fit in with a group of aspies any better than a group of NT's, but hey, that's just my spot on the spectrum.
But Huntsville would be good. After I duck out to get away from the crowd I'd get some barbecue, check out that botanical garden, go to the new NSS headquarters, and a few other things.

 

[Bellatrix]

I’d like to see it centrally located like Huntsville, AL.

It would be a great idea except for one thing; so many of us do not live in the U.S. I know, let's have it in Creswick, Victoria, Australia! Now that is 'centrally located'.

 

[Bellatrix]

Big nasty spiders? More of a myth than anything else. I've never been bitten by one myself, and I don't personally know anyone who has. So much that others believe about Australia simply isn't true.

 

[Nitro]

It would be a great idea except for one thing; so many of us do not live in the U.S. I know, let's have it in Creswick, Victoria, Australia! Now that is 'centrally located'.

A $2,000 fare to get to the "central" location is a bit more than I am willing to part with just to see my AC friends in one place

 

[S0093679]

I think its a great idea, but not very practical. Id struggle to attend a local event, no chance abroad.

 

[Mia]

Considering it's a twenty-one hour flight to Melbourne from my location, Bellatrix it would have to be something I would really want to do. :|

How about the central US or a Caribbean island or somewhere in Europe?

 

[Vinca]

I like the idea of an AC convention.

I imagine a room full of computer screens on wheels, like the ones in the photo below. AC members could connect to their own screen. There would be the option to have a real time image of themselves, like sykpe, so others could see them or just their AC avatar and name displayed on the computer screen. They'd also be able to navigate the 'screen on wheels' so they could 'mingle' with whomever they wanted. The idea's probably not practical, and likey prohibitively expensive, however, it would get around the need to travel and imagining it makes me smile .

 

[clg114]

I would really love to meet most of you in person, however I would be most comfortable meeting you one at a time.

 

[Destination Unknown]

It would be a great idea except for one thing; so many of us do not live in the U.S. I know, let's have it in Creswick, Victoria, Australia! Now that is 'centrally located'.

OK, i'll probably never be going to Australia for any other reason. I'm in!

 

[Bellatrix]

I like the idea of an AC convention.

I imagine a room full of computer screens on wheels, like the ones in the photo below. AC members could connect to their own screen. There would be the option to have a real time image of themselves, like sykpe, so others could see them or just their AC avatar and name displayed on the computer screen. They'd also be able to navigate the 'screen on wheels' so they could 'mingle' with whomever they wanted. The idea's probably not practical, and likey prohibitively expensive, however, it would get around the need to travel and imagining it makes me smile .

A better idea. A convention where not only are ALL forms of communications technology banned, but where the mere mention of such devices is as well. A convention where people are compelled to actually talk to the person in front of them, rather than via text, or tablet, or telescreen, or some other Heath Robinson/Dick Tracy contraption.

If we were to do this your way the only thing we would wind up achieving would be for the "normals" to have their belief reinforced that we are all socially-inept computer geeks, and we don't want that.

 

[Nitro]

A better idea. A convention where not only are ALL forms of communications technology banned, but where the mere mention of such devices is as well. A convention where people are compelled to actually talk to the person in front of them, rather than via text, or tablet, or telescreen, or some other Heath Robinson/Dick Tracy contraption.

If we were to do this your way the only thing we would wind up achieving would be for the "normals" to have their belief reinforced that we are all socially-inept computer geeks, and we don't want that.

My interactions with the entire world is what made me what I am today.It is impossible for me to think that a perfect spectrum world could exist,all humans are different,not just those who have autism

I wasn't aware of the autism spectrum until very late in life,so I never had the chance to know what made me different,let alone worry about what others thought of me. If some view me as a technogeek,then so be it.A lot of the "normal" world sought my talents and abilities,to turn my back on them now would serve me no purpose and would have only left me wallowing in sorrow instead of being on top of my game. You must be very careful to not generalize how you would appear to others when a part of your peeve is that others will do the same to you. If you don't like technology,then why do you choose to use it here? Is it because you are actually what you fear you will appear to normals or is it because you seek information? Information and technology often go hand in hand...

Traveling the world for a few fleeting glimpses of how others are in person is highly restrictive,expensive for many and reinforces the image that we are in fact a very different and unaccepting of others if "outsiders" were to happen upon us in our own private setting.

An us and them mentality will only serve to show how impossibly inflexible some can be and nothing more.

 

[Vinca]

A better idea. A convention where not only are ALL forms of communications technology banned, but where the mere mention of such devices is as well. A convention where people are compelled to actually talk to the person in front of them, rather than via text, or tablet, or telescreen, or some other Heath Robinson/Dick Tracy contraption.

If we were to do this your way the only thing we would wind up achieving would be for the "normals" to have their belief reinforced that we are all socially-inept computer geeks, and we don't want that.

I agree that there are pros and cons to all AC convention ideas and the lack of face-to-face verbal communication could a con for some.

If I were at an AC convention in person, I think I'd be most comfortable watching others interacting, from a distance, with an occassional one-to-one conversation. Playing in-person versions of the games on AC would be fun, and probably the the form of social interaction I'd feel most comfortable with eg Word Association - a group of people sat in a circle, each taking it in turns to come up with a word associated to the last one mentioned.

What else, apart from being located in Australia and a communications technology ban, would your ideal AC convention include/not include ?

 

[Bellatrix]

If some view me as a technogeek,then so be it.A lot of the "normal" world sought my talents and abilities,to turn my back on them now would serve me no purpose and would have only left me wallowing in sorrow instead of being on top of my game. You must be very careful to not generalize how you would appear to others when a part of your peeve is that others will do the same to you. If you don't like technology,then why do you choose to use it here? Is it because you are actually what you fear you will appear to normals or is it because you seek information? Information and technology often go hand in hand...

The reason I wrote what I did above was to make the point that many of us - quite a large percentage, actually - don't have much interest in the things that many associate with us (i.e. computers, and technology in general). I use the internet only because there are certain things I cannot do without it (ex. check my emails, visit AspiesCentral), but apart from that I have to confess to being in the 1980's when it comes to such things. It's not that I "don't like technology", it's just that I see it for what it truly is: a means to an end, not an end in itself. We use technology to help us to accomplish whatever it is that we wish to achieve, but we must never allow it to become such an overwhelming aspect of our lives that we can't even go for a few hours without checking our "Facebook" page (I don't belong to Facebook, by the way, because I knew from the very start that I would never actually need it).

Certain people, for better or worse (usually worse), associate certain things with being "on the spectrum", and being obsessed with science and technology is one of those things, but speaking for myself I usually find such things rather boring. I like classical physics, that's true, but I can't stand the hyperbole and bad reporting of discoveries made in A.I., cosmology and Q.M., and actually like other things more (like Byzantine history).

As for your observation that "information and technology often go hand in hand" - the information that is found in archaic encyclopaedias from 40 years ago (in book form, of course) is often more useful and reliable than anything one can find on the internet. 'Wikipedia', although useful when you've got nothing else, is not known for being scholarly. Anyone can edit the entries, and most of what is found on the internet is actually opinion and gossip, not truth. One needs to be highly discerning when it comes to what one can find on it, but most people aren't, and that is why there are so many kooky conspiracy theorists around these days.