From: Annie (annie@geekbabe.com)
Date: Tue May 06 2003 - 09:55:28 CDT
In this mailing:
Org List
Thanks, gang
Wrapping things up
Follow-up survey
Snags and hitches
Some concerns
Administrivia
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Org List:
This is the DLV 2003 Organizational Mailing List (dlvorg@geekbabe.com)
Replies to this message will be forwarded to the DLVORG list and not
the DLV-Announce or DLV-Discuss list.
Ongoing activity database appears on line at:
http://www.geekbabe.com/annie/org03arc/acts.html
Latest activity signup roster appears at:
http://www.drbbs.com/dmr/dlvroster.txt
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Thanks, gang:
I'm finally getting out of a major catch-up mode here, and I hope everybody
is now home and more or less recovered from DLV.
I would again like to thank everybody for doing what they did to make this
the largest and most successful DLV to date. Our final body count was 104
who made contact.
For the most part, things went well. I think we can work on the rough
spots so they will have minimal impact on DLV 2004 and years to come.
Overall, very good show, gang! :)
This mailing does have a few "negative" items. I think it's very important
to get these out and open the subjects for discussion.
Comments, ladies? (Gentlemen?)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wrapping things up:
I see the following as a plan of action for us to tie up any loose ends and
get ready for the almost-year of planning DLV 2004:
1. Any remaining discussion from an organizational perspective. What
worked? What did now work? What were the high points and the rough
spots?
2. Formal survey. See note below. I want this to go out in the mailing
this Sunday, allowing 2 weeks or more for responses to come in.
3. Forward looking thoughts with regard to DLV's to come.
4. Call for volunteers, and a clean-up of the DLVORG list. I see this
happening toward the middle or end of June, when we are done wrapping up
DLV 2003.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Follow-up survey:
This is now ready to test. Please check this out at the URL:
http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/dlv2003/dlv2003survey.html
If there's anything we should be asking which we are not, please let me
know, as it's very easy to add something now, but almost impossible once
the survey is underway.
You can go ahead and test it, but the results will not be recorded yet.
Yes, I do have one "control" item in there to test responses. :)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Snags and hitches:
Even though this year was a major success, I heard a lot more bitching
than I think I had in all other 6 years combined, and I think we had
more restroom incidents than we had in all other years combined.
I would like to comment about a few of these items ...
1. We had a few people who were definitely not happy. That couple from
Florida ... I don't really know what we could have done better on. I
think I bent over backwards for them, but apparently they were unhappy.
Oh well. I'm at a loss on this one. :(
2. The local person who was unhappy with registration and such. It
appears to me (as of this time -- jury still out) that she did not
follow procedure for registration. I'm still waiting to hear back from
one of my contacts at her ISP to see if I can identify any of the few
non-identifyable uncompleted registrations as coming from her, but it
appears to me she either did not read the registration instructions or
chose not to follow them. I'm writing up a summary on this one.
Update: I'm not gonna waste any more time on this one. Here's the note
I received:
+well, since i got left out of the festivities this yr i may not choose
+to participate anymore.... it was very thoughtless, inconsiderate and
+stupid for whatever reason..... if this is the slipshod way you are
+going to run your group.... please delete me.... janice
If anybody wants to make contact and try to patch things up, be my
guest. I've busted my @$$ to make this thing work, and crap like this
discourages me. I would much rather concentrate on the 98% who
appreciate our efforts than the maybe 2% who are jerks for whatever
reasons! :(
3. No-shows. I think we're gonna have to live with this. I think the
best we can do is use the numbers to adjust future expected headcounts
as we plan and go forward.
I received a few comments to the fact that they thought the limo tour
was not well-organized this year. BULL! It was not an organizational
issue, but the confusion was due to the fact that the no-show (or rather
the no-pay) rate was so high that the waiting list was exhausted and we
still had spaces left over. I think Monique did a great job putting this
together, and any blame for problems goes to those who signed up for it
and blew it off! Yeah I know, bitch-bitch-bitch!
4. Restroom. I didn't observe any of these first-hand or second-hand,
but from what people told me, most of these had a "but" in them, meaning
that they were not simply a mild-mannered appropriately-dressed t*
person quietly walking into facilities and using them discreetly and
appropriately.
One report stated one person was particularly in-your-face and obvious
to the civilians and hotel staff just prior to one of the incidents.
I know this is not what many of you want to hear, but people have to
keep in mind that if they want to be mainstream and use mainstream
facilities, they must dress and act mainstream. From what was told to
me, most of the people who were confronted were being quite obvious
about it.
5. Dress and deportment. I and a couple of the others received a number
of complaints from those who reported they were embarrassed in mainstream
public by the dress and behavior of some of our people. I observed some
of this myself, so I know these are not without merit.
I know some people are not gonna like this, but going forward, I and
some of the others will be asserting some authority with regard to this,
as it is those who follow our Conditions Of Participation and dress
guidelines that we most want to retain. For years we've suggested and
requested, but next year we will insist and require that our people
dress and act appropriately when in mainstream public.
98% of our people dressed and behaved properly. The others will have to
learn to do so. In most cases, I don't think this is cluelessness, but
having a clue and choosing not to use it.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Some concerns:
Aiko writes:
>Hi Annie,
Hewwo :)
>This message may offend some of our sisters, but as one of the
>organizers and having attended the past three DLV's, I feel compelled
>that I express my opinions, both good and bad. Through conversations,
>these are also the opinions of several attendees, both veterans and
>first-timers.
>First of all, I feel that DLV 2003 was an absolute success and the
>activities went off on schedule and without too many glitches. There
>were a number of first-timers, both experienced and not-so-experienced
>girls attending their first DLV. We also had the largest number of
>attendees for any DLV, and many of the girls I talked with Saturday and
>Sunday want to return next year.
>With the increased number of girls, both experienced and
>not-so-experienced, that attended this year, it seems logical that we
>will have the same number attend, if not more, for next year. With
>that in mind, I would like to express some concerns and complaints that
>I received at some of the activities.
>Again, these are my very candid thoughts and may offend some of the
>sisters, but I sincerely feel this needs to be brought out in the open.
>No Shows: Without having a formal hotel / registration fee (which I am
>totally against), I think that is just part of the TG world we all live
>in. Best intentions do not necessarily mean that he/she can take that
>big step into the real world she has been seeking. We’ve all been
>there at least once, so I am quite liberal on this topic. However,
>common courtesy should dictate a cancellation rather than a no-show.
I think no-shows, both for the event as a whole and for individual
activities, are something we will have to live with. We can use the
numbers we have to predict our actual turnout rate, and we can use such
things as advance payment if necessary to be sure nobody takes a bath.
In a few weeks we'll have some good data on what type of person is
most likely to not show -- or blow off an activity -- so we can use
that information accordingly.
>E-mail Problems: I met one of the people from Florida prior to dinner
>at Carrluccio's, and she was unhappy with the way the pre-pay activities
>were either full, closed or past the payment time. Is she the one you
>asked to contact you on about a hundred newsletters?
Yes, these were the ones. For a long time her e-mail was bouncing with
"user is not accepting mail from this sender" which is a feature on AOL
and some others.
I went as far as to place conspicuous messages on the DLV web page
saying "your e-mail is bouncing ..." Eventually the bounces stopped, and
we finally heard from her when the LFM went out.
Where I feel personally hurt --- kicked in the back when I was not
looking --- is the fact that I contacted them (tried a number of times,
left messages, finally got them Thursday) in their hotel room to be sure
they had made contact and such. She said she had and all was ok and she
enjoyed the Cagle/DDD show, etc. Then about 10 hours later I started
getting reports of them "all bent out of shape" at HM's.
I don't know anything else we could have done.
>Activity Coordination: I think everyone did an outstanding job in
>performing their individual activities. From Kate doing the shopping
>mall thingy, to Monique on the Limo Tour, Monique and Mindy on the
>Garden Party, Gina, Densie, and Tony for Air Tours, Leah and Cindy for
>everything in LV, Annie for SFOM, and if I left anyone out, forgive me,
>but it becomes a monumental effort to put one of these activities on.
>If anyone would like to "bitch" about an activity, then they are more
>than welcome to volunteer to take on an activity and show how it should
>be done.
I honestly don't think any bitching is in order here. I'll say again
that the confusion on some activities was due to the high dropout
(blow-off) rate by those who had signed up for them. Even SOM, which I
was sure *everybody* wanted to see, had 5 no-shows.
>Restrooms: My thoughts on this are basically mixed with the next
>subject of Appropriate Dress and Comportment. If one of our sisters
>has a problem in the restroom, it’s usually the result of her doing
>something dumb, like standing up in a stall or staying and shooting the
>bull too long. On very few occasions, will there be a problem if she
>follows Annie's guidelines.
At first I was preparing to go into major bitchmode WRT the situation at
the San Remo. However, when I heard the Rest Of The Story<tm>, I was
told that the person in question was very conspicuous and obviously
waltzed right into the nearest ladies room with no attempt at being
discreet. That is asking for an incident!
>I really appreciate Leah's efforts to
>obtain a logical restroom policy for us.
I see this as a double-edged sword. It does clarify policy, but my
concern is that for those places who say it's fine to use the ladies
room, a few in the minority will take that as a license to use it with
impunity, as they would the ladies room in a drag bar, and that might
result in a major clampdown.
My personal preference is don't ask, don't tell, don't be obvious.
>Appropriate Dress and Comportment: I'm going to try to keep my cool
>when discussing this subject.
>After reading your "History of DLV", I keep in mind the spirit of
>being on vacation while "dressed", not just an "excuse to dress". The
>appropriate dress code was followed by the vast majority of sisters,
>but in a few activities, it was very disconcerting and embarrassing to
>me and several others to have a few dress like hookers, or in something
>so short that a hooker would would be embarrassed wear it.
>Also, braless halter tops and hip huggers on a 50 year old in a hotel
>not only looks absolutely ridiculous, but attracts the wrong attention
>and is embarrassing to those of us who try to blend. (If they need to
>show off that bad, she can apply for a job at LVL.) There are
>activities that this type of dress is appropriate, such as dancing at
>Freezone or Gypsy, but definitely not during one of our "mainstream"
>activities.
>If a sister is trying to blend by dressing and acting appropriately, no
>matter if she is successful or not, I commend and support her totally.
>However, the few girls, who are the problem, seem to "flaunt
>transgenderism" and successfully embarrass the majority.
I would speculate that it is the desire for attention, and not the
desire to flaunt transgenderism that causes people to do this.
DLV is not, and never has been the place for somebody who insists on,
and competes to be, the center of attention.
Do they *really* think they look nice in those outfits? I would think
that anybody with a clue would know that the public is thinking
something along the line of "what the f*ck is THAT?" rather than "wow,
what a hottie!" Look at some of the photos that have been posted (which
I will definitely edit before the final page).
>DLV should be open to all who wish to express their individualism, but
>also needs to be an event that enhances our image and community, rather
>than degrade it. The vast majority of sisters are the ones we want
>back, not the few that disregard the feelings and embarrassment of
>others .
The bottom line is, that if people want to be more mainstream, they must
be willing to dress and act mainstream. DLV is not the place to test the
limits of what can be worn in public, nor is it the place for those
in-your-face confrontations, verbal or nonverbal.
Going forward, I want to see more of an emphasis on getting together
and celebrating life, rather than on having a dressing free-for-all.
DLV should be for those who want to follow our Conditions Of
Participation and dress and behavior guidelines, and not for those who
ignore them, as some clearly have. The overwhelming majority (98% or so)
dressed and acted appropriately. These are the ones DLV should work to
retain.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Administrivia:
This is the Diva Las Vegas 2003 organizational list.
One address for all items regarding this list, additions, removals,
changes, submissions, questions, etc.:
dlvorg@geekbabe.com <--- NOTE: all lower case
Please do not send binary attachments (photos, etc.) directly to the
list, as the list processor will not properly handle them. If you want
to send photos and the like, mail to: annie@annie.net
Archives of this list appear on the web at:
http://www.geekbabe.com/annie/org03arc/
To unsubscribe: Simply reply to this message with the word UNSUBSCRIBE
in either the Subject: field or the first line of an OTHERWISE BLANK
message body. The word "unsubscribe" (case is insignificant) should be
the only item in the subject field or the first line of the message,
justified to the left.
NOTE: WHEN UNSUBSCRIBING, THE FROM: LINE OF YOUR UNSUBSCRIBE MESSAGE
>>MUST<< HAVE THE SAME ADDRESS AS WHAT WE USE TO SEND TO YOU. IF IT
DOES NOT, THE UNSUBSCRIBE WILL FAIL, AND YOU MAY NOT GET A FAILURE
NOTICE. SPELLING COUNTS.
Please pay attention to the above. Many automated unsubscribe requests
fail for this reason.
To send material to this list: Send submission as regular e-mail to
the address: dlvorg@geekbabe.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Wed May 07 2003 - 11:05:55 CDT