Stand and Identify?
To help clear up who I was pointing at and calling on in the feedback session of Penguicon, I spoke their names. There came a moment that I realized I knew the name of almost every person raising their hand. What caused this correlation, if it is real? And what do you suppose that communicated to others who also noticed?
The feedback session was pretty good. That was due mostly to Jer keeping it under control when we got repeat comments. However, do you suppose being publicly identified also deterred useless feedback? If so, what do you think might happen if conventions ask that each person offering feedback in a feedback session state their name?
Comments
plasmonicgrid on May. 12, 2009 2:25 AM
Good question. I look forward to the feedback, on the topic of offering feedback, in the feedback session, while also asking for the feeders to identify themselves.
I think if someone believes they have a legit topic to bring up, they won't fear bringing it up. Since it's in a public place, even if you don't say "what do you have, Alex?" A good chunk of people there are going to know who I am anyway.
If nothing else, it might keep the extremely whiny people from opening their pie-holes with useless crap. "zomg! the smoking section wasn't big enough!!" "you mean the out doors wasn't big enough?" "er.. yeah!" "We will have to address that issue with %Diety.. thank you Alex. moving on." :-P
rbradakis on May. 13, 2009 12:49 AM
I'm a fan. Also of making them line up to a microphone to do so, and having someone make notes including the names.
le-bebna-kamni on May. 13, 2009 11:42 AM
I think the correlation that you knew most of the names is this:
Standing up in front of people -- especially to give complaints face-to-face -- is a very daunting task. This is doubly true because the person standing up then risks being publicly ridiculed or at least dismissed in front of other people. Only someone very comfortable with public speaking and/or highly invested in having their comments heard would be willing to do so at the feedback session. In this case, those people would most likely be fans who come year after year, who are dedicated enough to buy a 3-day membership and stay after the con is over, and who also don't have a fear of speaking in front of people. I think that narrows down who you'll see and makes it more likely you'll know their name.
I disagree about having to give a name in order to leave feedback. From my own experiences, it can still discourage legitimate feedback -- I *know* all you guys, and even I feel intimidated about doing it face-to-face. Jer isn't all cuddly puppies and fluffy bunnies, you know. ;)
I understand what it's like to be on the other side of unjustified criticism (like working consuite during the Saturday lunch). Still, there were legitimate complaints about that problem, as well as other issues, that I felt were dismissed at the feedback session or actively argued away out of defensiveness. The defensiveness is understandable -- I would react the same way if I were up on stage -- but also a bit counterproductive. It's not that some of the feedback wasn't silly; but a lot of the responses to even somewhat legitimate concerns gave the outward impression that most people weren't being taken seriously.
I don't genuinely believe that the feedback was being dismissed, but I was in an unusual position during Penguicon weekend: I worked the convention and know a lot of people on the Concom, but I'm not visibly recognizable as someone affiliated with the con. As a result, I got to hear a lot of people complain in front of me -- people who didn't show up to the feedback session, or who did show up but didn't stand up to speak. And several of the people I heard seemed to believe that Penguicon really wouldn't listen to their complaints. Some of the complaints were from staff or volunteers who would rather stay silent then risk being shunned at later events for what they perceived as "unpopular sentiment".
I'd like to see some of the feedback get posted somewhere where it can actually do some good for next year. I'll see if I've got some time to do some hunting and pecking on the Penguicon sites to figure out where the best place would be to send the comments.
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