(no subject)

[telophase]

See, this weekend I had a dream about the best con panel ever.

Each member of the panel got 2 minutes to talk. I lurked behind them with a spray bottle. If they went over 2 minutes, I sprayed them with water. If people in the audience talked over 2 minutes, I sprayed them with water. If anyone interrupted anyone else, I sprayed them with water.

I VOTE WE ADOPT THIS PROTOCOL FOR ALL PANEL DISCUSSIONS STARTING NOW

Comments

[yhlee]

THIS IS BEST

[telophase]

I KNEW YOU'D SEE IT MY WAY

[ellen_fremedon]

This is the best idea ever.

[telophase]

I think it could only be improved if I had a hose instead of a spray bottle, but I can see the logistics involved in getting a hose into a panel room might be prohibitive.

[rachelmanija]

A bucket?

[tool_of_satan]

The bucket is reserved for audience members who say "this is more of a comment than a question." And it contains ice water.

[rachelmanija]

YESSSS.

(I once modded a panel where I cut off all such people with "No comments, only questions." [points to other person: "You! Do you have a question?" It was so satisfying.)

[tool_of_satan]

Have I said recently that I admire you greatly?

[telophase]

A+++++++

[helen_keeble]

SECONDED.

[telophase]

By now, I think it's going to pass by acclaim!

[rachelmanija]

I thought that was for real due to paging down and missing the first sentence. It is an excellent idea and many panels I have been on would have benefited. I second your proposal.

[telophase]

I'm thinking my subconscious was remembering the Ig Nobel prizes, where the recipients get 3 minutes (or something like that) to give their thank-you speech, and at the cutoff a small adorable child comes on stage and continually repeats "I'm bored. Please stop." until they get off the stage. (If you google for videos, it's hilarious.)

[boxofdelights]

+1

[telophase]

:)

[chomiji]

This wouldn't have anything to do with the accounts of Truesdale's asshattery at Worldcon, now, would it?

[telophase]

Believe it or not: nope. Had the dream Saturday night, didn't hear about the asshat in question until today, because I spent the weekend running around doing errands and then sitting on my ass playing Skyrim. I'd even forgotten Worldcon was this weekend!

[movingfinger]

I support this idea wholeheartedly, including the bucket of ice water.

[telophase]

The bucket of ice water is an inspired addition.

[lnhammer]

Treating panelists like cats. Sold.

[telophase]

So many panels I've seen would be improved by this small addition.

[thornsilver]

It has my complete support.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

You are obviously an eminently sensible person.

[selenite.livejournal.com]

Very appropriate icon for post.

I actually volunteered to be moderator for some Fencon panels. Specifically panels where I'm not very opinionated or don't have much chance of being the subject matter expert.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

As long as you're not as clueless as the moderator on a panel I attended at Worldcon some years back. It was a panel on atheism in history that had an anthropologist and a historian whose doctoral dissertation and research specialty was atheism in history. The moderator was an engineer who started off with that phrase which is always a terrible sign "I don't know why I'm on this panel." He then went on to say that he did a straw poll of the engineers he worked with and asked if they were atheist or not, and the majority said they were not, so he extrapolated that to indicate that most engineers and scientists were not atheists. *headdesk*

Luckily, the two panelists managed to gracefully wrest control of the panel away from him for the most part.

[selenite.livejournal.com]

LOL.

Well, program ops has a tough job filling all the slots.

I just need to never say, "I'm clueless on this topic, so I'm just here to plug my book." But sitting there and nodding thoughtfully always goes over well with the other panelists.