In my opinion, I would love to go to one! I have never been to any either.
I'm very much considering going to AC next July. The only problem with that is that it starts less than a week after I graduate (My Grad ceremony will either be on the 25th or 26th of June, The first day of AC is July 2nd). If you figure in the fact that my exams will all be in the week or two before that, it would be a very hectic month.
AC has very good reviews, and it has been recommended as the ideal "first con".
If I can't make it to AC, I would make Eurofurence in Germany my second choice. I've heard from people who have been to many, many cons that EF is the best furcon overall. Plus it's in Germany and I've always wanted to visit there. EF is at the end of August.
If all else fails I would definitely be at Camp Feral! up here in Canadia. The website and the reviews on it make it sound like a very fun con. It is also at the end of August.
Those are my top three. I want to try my hardest to be at at least one con this summer. Just don't know which one yet. _________________
Oh, and I lied. I went to my first con last Saturday (That's Nov 9) -Howloween in Vancouver, and it was amazing! It was so much fun! I'm still jazzed about it!
Actually I'm not even sure if it would qualify as a con, it was only one day, and there weren't many people there, somewhere between 100 and 150, but I'd say that's to many to be just a furmeet (On the website they don't call it a con but a "Furry themed event".)
Only a $20 entrance fee for the entire day from 10AM till Midnight. The Dance/Rave at the end of the night was epic (If you have ever seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show, imagine 75 people singing and dancing the Time Warp) And the faces of the people at the restaurant some of us went to for dinner made my night. I guess it would be a bit of a shock to see ~20 people, half of them wearing tails, and one with a prosthetic muzzle, walking through your doors.
Besides the fact that it was furry, the atmosphere was amazing. I have never experienced a more open and nonjudgmental gathering of people. If you were gay, you could dance with your boyfriend and no one would look twice. What you were wearing did not matter. What you looked like did not matter. You were simply a person in a community, completely equal to everyone else. Well, at least that's the sense I got from it. _________________
To Burn
Nice.
I will give more on this in my post of End Of Seasons, That is the kind of feel you get going to a LARP. Thing is, there is such a mix of people not all are furrys. Well, most are not. To tell the truth I am not sure if any of them there where. In a way it did not matter. You just go there to have fun. One should try to learn about and try to keep within the theme of the game. It would not look good to try to join in showing up and stay in like a full out typical fur sute and expect to fit in. Now if you did that and say dressed it up with some armor, Renaissance garb and one of there weapons that might work. Fighting in one, in the dark, in the woods may be quite hard, and there is the rain. For those reasons I would not suggest a fur sute. Face makeup, ears and a tail, Well, now! you are talking. That would work grate, and one would fit in there real good.
Rave dance. Hummm. I never been to one of those. A furry rave, I wish I was there.
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 6:31 pm Post subject: It's worth a try and a Top Ten list.
I'm not so sure of them, but that's my personal hang-ups. In all due honesty, I wish I could go to one, and I've fantasised about it (the way Tantalus fantasises about fruit), and maybe I will go to a furcon someday, but not until my life situation changes... a lot.
Top Ten Reasons Why I Cannot Fullfill my Desire to Attend a Furcon, with 1 as most minor:
1. Very little personal wealth. < 300 USD
2. No driver's liscense, only permit b/c I couldn't get into class for state-mandated driving experience, and my mom won't let me practice in her van (or her boyfreind's supercompact, either)
3. Minor agoraphobia (irrational frear of large crowds)
4. I don't know where or when any are.
5. I am a minor and would likely be stopped at the door.
6. My fear of a terrorist attack by some fundamentalist Christian/Muslim fanatic with a Kalashnikov and a chip on his shoulder about furries.
7. I'm not yet ready to go full-bull public with my furriness.
8. Those guys in fursuits (no offense if you wear one) creep me out just a little(though I openly admit to ending up in one in a surprising number of my furcon fantasies... maybe my subconscious is telling me that I only fear it because I secretly admire it...after all, it takes major BBBB to go around like that in public!).
9. I could get lost in one of those convention centers.
10. My mom doesn't approve of my furriness, she thinks it's just some phase or something (If she even fully understands what it is, which is doubtful at best), and enlisting the help of my normally very close grandfather would be like squeezing water from a polished obsidian sculpture, you would just break a priceless treasure and hurt yourself, and still have no water .
Aside from those things, the more I think about it, the more I would like to attend one. _________________ Big guns = big funs
Hamsters are friends, not food.
I <3 x2 Medic
All valid points, but a lot can be easily overcome.
For the first two, with me the whole thing cost a grand total of about $50. That's including the entrance fee to the con, travel (I just caught the bus), and the dinner at the restaurant (even this expense could have been cut out since the hotel did provide a free, albeit small, dinner for all the con-goers). I suppose this is largely relative, however, to where you live and the kind of con. With me it was a one-day thing in my hometown, but if you had to throw on lodging costs, it would add up quickly.
For three, you should know that not all cons have attendees numbering in the thousands. Most range from 200-700 people.
Number five: As far as I know there are very few cons that do this. The large majority are all-ages, or largely all-ages except for small sections. The most they would just ask for a note from your parents saying you could attend.
Six: You don't have to worry about this. The chances of this happening are very, very improbable at best. The closest thing that has ever happened to that degree were the four protesters who showed up at 2007's Anthrocon (a major fail if I've ever seen one). The hate of furries is largely just online entertainment for the amusement of people who are too lazy to go out and make a few friends, let alone plan anything of that nature.
Seven makes sense, but if it's just the fear of being judged that is preventing you from doing this, you of course wouldn't have to worry about it in a room full of other furries.
Eight: Yeah, I can see that. It's personal opinion so I can't be of much help there.
I do definitely recommend you, and anyone else reading this, try fursuiting at least once, however. While I don't own a fursuit, I have fursuited a few times, and it is a lot more fun than it seems. What you said, Sel, about it taking major stones, exactly the opposite is true (I found for me, at least), since while wearing one, you have the mask to hide behind. You are completely anonymous, and therefore able to do things that you would be far too self conscious to do without the costume. It's almost freeing, and therefore, as I said, a lot of fun. I digress, however.
Nine: Perhaps, but there is always staff to help you.
Ten: Yep, that's a problem. Unfortunately I can't really help there. That's up to you to either change her mind or figure out some way around it.
Now don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to pressure you into going to a con. Take your time, do some research, and then pick the path that best suits you. I've been a fur for a good three years now, and as you can see I just went to my first con in November. You don't have to pack your bags and go to next con that passes by, in fact I would recommend you didn't even if it was possible for you.
You definitely should go to con at some point in the future, though, as they are amazingly fun, and far worth the trouble.
.....Well, this turned out to be longer than I meant it to be. _________________
--
Last edited by Burn on Sat Jan 03, 2009 12:04 am; edited 1 time in total
Are those prices Canadian dollars or American dollars?
Schedule's not so far away as I thought. Give it some time, then Florida's just a day's drive down the Interstate, provided I don't get stuck in Atlanta, GA. Atlanta is a copless speed trap if there ever was one. Somehow I imagined the US events would all be in CA. Believe it or not, here in the States, California's got a reputation for- er.. 'uniqueness' (yeah.. we'll go with that). Unless the cons move from year to year?
In terms of crowds, I've got it bad. My school's assemblies aren't more than 500 people (I highly doubt they could possibly cram the whole student body into the gym) and those give me pretty bad nerves. (all the shouting doesn't help, I suppose ).
Those protesters. Those poor, deluded protesters. That is not a major fail. That is now forever enshrined in the hall of EPIC fails. Are you sure they were protesters? Looked more like the hired entertainment to me. What's "Pool's closed" (on the sign and the caption) mean?
And while I agree with you on the count of terrorists, you have to understand we're talking about a group of people whose idea of a good plan is to blow oneself up.
For 8, like I said, it's kinda moot now. The idea of fursuiting has grown on me somewhat, and that's an interesting way to look at it. I can see how it would be freeing.
Ten, while a problem, will probably also be moot by the time I solve the rest. (Should happen in the natural course of events in a couple of years.)
And yeah, the restaurant thing probably would have been a sight to see for the patrons that night I have a feeling the waiter looked a bit like this = (In truth, I would look like that, too, at having to remember ~20 orders). You probably made the cook's day. _________________ Big guns = big funs
Hamsters are friends, not food.
I <3 x2 Medic
The prices are Canadian, although the dollars were about the same at the time.
"Pool's Closed" on the protester's sign, as well as their costumes are references to a 7chan "raid" on the Habbo Hotel website a while back. Now that you mention it, it really makes no sense whatsoever in this context. As far as I can tell the caption is just used for the sweet, sweet irony. _________________
Looks like anthrocon isn't too far (PA), and some on here reccomend it for a first con, and it's over the summer to boot. (Though I doubt I'll go this year. That would be 1 in 100 odds, especially considering the way my grades have been going south.)
Also, I admire the way those guys handled the protest. I'd like to shake that photographer's paw.
*Shakes paw*
Got it on my desktop. Just doesn't get old. (And a reminder of the proper response, as I am far too confrontational for my own good. Whenever I encounter these buffons, I invariably end up in a deeply entrenched war with them, nevermind the fact that in a reasoned debate, any moderator worth his salt would out them faster than you can say "boor", thus I would win by default.) _________________ Big guns = big funs
Hamsters are friends, not food.
I <3 x2 Medic
Habbo Hotel - pretty lame chat site.
7chan - much lamer, completely useless site.
I've heard many good things about AC and would love to attend. I'm trying to figure out how to go this year, but even with it being almost seven months away, things don't look good :/
2010 may have to be my first year too. _________________
I wanted to go this year too, but that got shot down in flames when I couldn't get into that driver's ed class. Plus, apparently, minors (I turn 17 this month) cannot get hotel rooms.
Definitely looking forward to 2010 though... Unless I get a dozen tickets between here and PA. I've never traveled north, only south about as far as GA and along I-20 to Shreveport, LA(My hometown), so it'll be uncharted territory for me. Plus, I don't happen to share my mother's sixth sense for cops, so I'll have to toe the speed limit and risk getting tail-ended by some ass going nearly twice my speed. I'll probably end up leaving on the 31st to make some time for whatever might come up. Have to pay for another day of lodging, but only cause sleeping in one's car in a parking lot is most likely illegal in most localities. If I sound a bit worried about that, it's because ending up in jail is hardly the best way to start one's adult life.
Maybe I'll see you there, though if I do, I won't recognize you. _________________ Big guns = big funs
Hamsters are friends, not food.
I <3 x2 Medic
A furcon sounds really fun to go to! -and I would, but err.. one think I gotta admit that keeps me from going.
Ok this is a bit embarrassing.. don't hate me for it please.
I'm horrible afraid of fursuits. That's a big thing when your going to a furry convention of sorts! I don't mean mildly wary of them, either. Tried to get over it by watching videos of furcons, yet I couldn't even look at the picture that linked to the video! I know the best way to get over your fears is to face them, but c'mon! Never gonna be able to attend one at this rate...
Even talking / thinking about them freezes me up- It's stupid, I know. =\
If anyone has gone though this before or knows what I should do, please tell!
Driving there is not a problem, just have to take the driving test. Good point about the minor renting a hotel room, never thought that'd be a problem- going to jail doesn't sound too fun either..
But the prospect of two individuals with no prior relation save that for a forum meeting up in real life is fascinating! -to me, at least.
What would that prove about online identity, or human identity in general? Just think of how that can alter the way people could view the theory of existence! Would they talk or act differently? Why would they? Perhaps the way they act online is false, or is it their real life actions that are fake!? err, sorry... and there IS a 'post self pics' topic, Sel- if your brave enough not to mind! (Props to anyone that posted there- >_> but um, my camera is broken.. ya!) _________________ Hamsters for life!
-=Should the need arise to wiggle to the right till feelings the resistance=-
I <3 Sel
Last edited by Medic on Tue Jan 06, 2009 3:36 pm; edited 2 times in total
It's OK! I'll call a friend of mine who can help you!
*Dials number on red "batphone"*
Sel: Hello? Is this phobia Ltd.?
Person: What do you need?
Sel:My friend medic's afraid of fursuiters!
Person:Right on it!
Later that night....
*A dozen ninjas break into Medic's house, leaving various fursuits in strategic locations*
Er... I'm sorry. I don't even have the heart to make fun of you. *Looks ashamed* What you need is the "If you can't beat them, join 'em" ideology. You need to create cognitive dissonance. What you should do is dress yourself in a fursuit and then dance, play air guitar, run for prez, whatever you choose, in front of a mirror. Plus, get some friends to compliment you on your suit. Your fear of fursuits will conflict with your self-esteem and (hopefully) your self-esteem will come out on top. You are cured of your phobia!
Note: This is an experimental technique. It is not guaranteed to work, as I am not a therapist. However, you cannot live in fear, fearing fear.
And the idea of anonymity is a powerful force in the mind. If there appear to be no repercussions, it can be a lot easier to open your heart to someone. Personally, Burn was the first person I told that I'm a furry. Because I don't know him.
And I haven't got a digital camera.
We don't think any less of you, Med, and anyfur who does is a fool.
BTW, is there a particular reccommended attire for a con? I don't wan't to invest in a fursuit, but I feel like I'll look silly if I show up "pure human" so to speak. Is there a way to have my cake and eat it too? _________________ Big guns = big funs
Hamsters are friends, not food.
I <3 x2 Medic
You don't need a camera. We could just say, "Let's meet at the front desk at X time" or "I'll be staying in room 123, come by sometime Friday" etc. It would be easy to figure something out.
No, there's no real dress code for cons. A lot of people will wear just a tail or ears, but as long as you don't show up with a shirt that says "I hate furfags" it doesn't really matter.
Medic, it sounds like you have masklophobia. It's basically the fear of mascots, uncommon, but not unheard of, even among furs. As for how to treat or cure it, I don't really know. I've never had a phobia so I can't say what will work, but I suggest the same thing as Sel. I guess it may not be possible for you, but the best way I can think of is to actually put an a fursuit and walk around in it a bit. From what I can tell, facing your fear is really the only way to get rid of it that doesn't require a therapist :/ _________________
As usual, Burn, I think you may have hit the nail on the head. Have you ever considered medical school? Normally I look down on shrinks, but you'd make a good therapist.
And in terms of dress code, I don't think anyone's that dumb.
Tail sounds like a good idea, though. Maybe ears and tail...
*Rummages through closets for wire coat hangers* _________________ Big guns = big funs
Hamsters are friends, not food.
I <3 x2 Medic
and err.. thanks you two... *blushes* But I get nauseous just thinking about wearing one! Yet I believe your right. Problem is if I can't even go near them (Finding my house full of fursuits- You probably can't imagine how horrifyingly that would be to me o.o) I'd hug ya if I could, but that'd be awkward..
I've seen so many shrinks that I never asked to see, the only actual help I've gotten was from Zfurry or my guild in WoW. (When I told them fursuits were a phobia to me, they act like it's a joke and dismiss it..)
Cool news though! Just got the ok from my parents to go to Anthrocon next year, weird part was I didn't ask them... As for meeting up, why not? Just wondering if we'll still be part of this forum in a year. ..I hope so.
A tail? That sounds like fun! (Unless your a hamster -.-) Might try it out if I knew someone else was wearing one. _________________ Hamsters for life!
-=Should the need arise to wiggle to the right till feelings the resistance=-
I <3 Sel
I'll be wearin' one, I think. And the wire coat hangers can be broken down into thick wire, good for support structure for the ears and a belt clip for the tail. I don't intend to pay others for something I can do myself.
And I'll still be here if I have to conjure up a conversation with the ether.
And get a grip, man. It's just a costume.
But that's awesome news! I'll see you there! _________________ Big guns = big funs
Hamsters are friends, not food.
I <3 x2 Medic
And as far as permission for me went, my mom doesn't give a rat's %@#. She kinda just avoided the question when I asked how she felt about it. _________________ Big guns = big funs
Hamsters are friends, not food.
I <3 x2 Medic
Well technically there are 109 (or however many furs are registered on the forum) invited.
Also, I thought I'd just mention that I might, just might, be going to AC *this* year.
Things are far from written in stone, but I have some friends who want to go on a roadtrip after our graduation, and when I mentioned Pittsburgh and AC, they were up for it. So if I can save up the money, there's a chance I'll make it!
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Somehow I imagined the US events would all be in CA. Believe it or not, here in the States, California's got a reputation for- er.. 'uniqueness' (yeah.. we'll go with that). Unless the cons move from year to year? 
).
What's "Pool's closed" (on the sign and the caption) mean?
I have a feeling the waiter looked a bit like this = 
That's a big thing when your going to a furry convention of sorts! I don't mean mildly wary of them, either. Tried to get over it by watching videos of furcons, yet I couldn't even look at the picture that linked to the video! I know the best way to get over your fears is to face them, but c'mon! Never gonna be able to attend one at this rate...
