Just a quick rebuttal...

     Allow me a moment to amplify Ukyou Kuonji's AI2K1 Con
Report as it relates to the Fan Fiction panel.  (BTW, this
in no way is meant to suggest there was anything wrong
with her usual excellent job of con reporting.  For my
money, her reports clue me to the things I missed and help
me decide what not to miss next year.)

By the way, thank you, G.L.  I should mention I try to be as diplomatic as
possible about even things I don't like.  I have put my foot in it enough
times to know to be more circumspect; what I dislike someone else may enjoy,
and who knows if those four girls might be reading this to discover that it
was unanimously considered a fiasco by those attending?

[Rant-mode]

     I haven't been this appalled at a convention panel
since the 1998 Nan-Desu-Kon Fan Fiction panel.

For what it's worth, I was humiliated by OhayoCon's quite literally
non-existant panel this past January, but at least I was alone with Konatsu
and one other person, so no one had to actually *see* my disappointment at
making a panel with no audience.

(Just to
refresh your memories, that panel consisted solely of a
local unemployed independent film-maker who spent the
entire two hours talking about how to better package
your film project proposal to get grant money.  A total
of five people were subjected to this nonsense - three
of which had the good sense to leave before it was over.
The only writing discussed amounted to five minutes on
movie scripts and grant proposals.)

Geez...

     To call what we experienced at AI2K1 a Fan Fiction
Panel is an embarrassment to both AI and the fan fiction
writing community in general.  It was little better
than a pre-slumber party giggly gab-fest where kids
barely out of high school giggle on about how their
writing consists of a 'lot of stuff on their hard drive'
and some stories about obscure video game characters
unheard of by all but a handful of people.  (And they
wonder why more folks don't read their stories.)

I had wondered who these girls were even at the time; I thought there was
something I might have missed about them at the time.  Do keep in mind that
for instance, on fanfiction.net, Gundam Wing fanfiction far overwhelms any
other series, even to the point of nearly doubling up Sailor Moon.  My
assumption was that this was a fan base I was simply unfamiliar with.

     The AI2K1 Program Guide lists in its Glossary that a
panel consists of "2) A group of experts discussing their
area of expertise".  Outside of discovering these little
girls don't think lemon writers know anatomy

Well, I suspect that they don't have field experience themselves... and if
they assume other writers are on a similar level with themselves...

and their
own total writing experience is restricted to tales
passed amongst themselves, it was a complete waste of
50 minutes.  Either the program guide needs some editing
or AI is not really serious about what it puts in there.

Serious or not, this may be a topic with which the AI volunteers (and you
and I both know the staff is entirely volunteer, making it virtually unique
in anime fandom) do not have sufficient expertise (or granted, interest) to
make an informed decision.

     Maybe my feelings came from noticing two writers in
the audience who'd been voted by their peers to be among
the Ten Most Influential Fan Fic Writers of the 90's.
Maybe it was the way in which the panel was conducted.
Maybe it was the feeling of being cheated by AI.  Like
AI advertising Rumiko Takahashi as a guest and offering
someone who once caught a glimpse of her instead.

While I agree that the fanfic panel was a waste of time to attend, the panel
itself is not my sole (or even my major) reason for attending cons, and I
hope it's the same with you, G.L.  The point is to be with fellow anime
fans, and more specifically fellow fanfic writers, and at least we had that
going for us (and I cannot harp on OhayoCon enough at this point - that was
really rather *lonely*)  Hell, it was great to see Rich after a two-year
hiatus, and it's always a treat to chat with the rest of y'all.  It's a
shame to have to be so dismissive about the panel, but at least we were all
there, then and after.  That's what I felt was worthwhile, even if it was
rather breif.

    In any case, the whole episode left me with the feeling
that this panel demonstrated little regard the fan fiction
community in general.

     I'm not certain I agree with the con report writer when
he hints that the failure to have a proper panel falls on
the shoulders of FFML members.  Just as AI wouldn't sit
around waiting for someone to volunteer as guest of honor,
I expect that if they are going to have a panel of any sort,
they take appropriate and aggressive steps to assure it is
properly done.  The results reflect directly on their
convention.  To grab whomever asks first, regardless of
experience or insight, is a sign of benign disinterest.

No argument there, G.L.  Again, I doubt the anime community at large
necessarily is aware of the fanfiction sub-community, and it's quite
possible the panel was recruited (or, based on my conjecture, the panellist
volunteered themselves) sight unseen.  "Benign disinterest" is a very good
term for it.

It looks like I need to clarify what I had said in my report.  I do not hold
the FFML members responsible for the poor quality of this year's panel.
After all, they/we weren't on it; I even complained that (for the first time
I can recall) no 'cattle call' for panellists ever went out, so we weren't
given a chance.  What I meant by any implication of responsibility we might
have is that, in future, we ought to bring ourselves to the AI staff's
attention beforehand, lest we have another disaster like this one.  AI has
done better (of all people, you should know, sugar  ^_^ ), and it can do
better.  And if we need to nudge it in the right direction so that it does
better, then so be it.

Panels are no different than any other form of programming.
They deserve to be done right.

Agreed.

     I've already expressed my concerns to the AI organizers
in the hope they will take steps to assure this situation is
not repeated.

Exactly.  I don't think I would have implied that we had such a
responsibility if the panel had been like previous years'; generally, the
quality is good, given the size of the con.

It occurs to me, too, that AI may have been unable to contact the FFML
during its protracted downtime, and had thrown out the spoon before it came
back online, thus missing its chance to get a more appropriate lineup of
writers.

(It also occurs to me that at the moment, I'm implying that the FFML is the
be-all/end-all of fanfiction writers, which suddenly sounds awfully elitist
of me...)

The least they could do now is take fan
fiction as seriously as they do fan art - or even origami.

Again, no argument.

[/Rant-mode]

- Greg
(Flame away!)

I don't see any flames here, sugar...do you?

Itsu mo,
Ucchan  ^_^

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