VCF Midwest update?

[Bob Shannon]

"What we have here, is a failure to communicate."

First off, not everyone has the same ideas of just what a VCF event actually 
~is~.

It is not an exhibition show like a classic car show.  It is not a 'hamfest' 
like event either.
It seems to fall somewhere inbetween, and I think the 'west-coast mindset' 
that originated
the events has not always been well understood in other areas.

I think future VCF events might want to look beyond emulating past events, 
and evolve.

Either its a hamfest for blinkinlights, and it should drop any pretenses of 
awards, perks and
judging, or it needs to become a little more formal.  And if these shows are 
public exhibitions
of the machines we collect, we need to communicate the existance of the show 
to that
public.  Thats not happening too well for the east coast events.

In any case communications issues are common and unaviodable.  They need to 
be both prevented and expected.

But if people are going to move these large and valuable machines around, 
they need
to know the power, receiving and unloading arangements well in advance.  If 
perks are
offered, they should be delivered.  If awards are given, it should be 
clearly stated (in advance) how this is implemented, and if the process is 
formal (consistant) or random.

There should not be any supprizes over how the fee arangements work after 
the show.
All this should be (and probably is) written down and available on-line. 
When a problem
does come up, work to fix it, not defend it.  Rather than refund his money, 
why not get
a sharpie and just make him a shirt?  Geez.

On the other hand...

If you went to a VCF event and had a bad time, there are only a few 
possibilities that
come to mind:

1. You had incorrect expecations about the nature of the events.

2. You borrowed Jay's trailer and had your prize mainframe system fall off 
the back
 of the flaming trailer and get crushed under a herd of steamrollers 
following you to the show.

3. You had no intention of enjoying the show.

On the other, other hand...

I'll attend VCF events, perhaps even travel to see a west coast show, but 
I'm not
about to pack up and haul large systems to events like the last two I've 
done.