Dashcon: The Tumblr Convention

[Gahars]

I was going to put this in the Strong Womyn thread, but some failures are so spectacular that they deserve their own threads.

And so, I present to you... Dashcon.

So... what the fuck happened?

so idk if many people are even familiar with how dashcon was started. It literally began as someone’s idea (WHY ISNT THERE A TUMBLR CONVENTION) and someone else took it and ran. Dashcon actually used to be called Tumbl-Con USA. They didn’t want to include Tumblr’s full name so they wouldn’t get sued or anything. In the end Tumblr made them change it because they weren’t affiliated with the con and didn’t want to make it seem so. While Dashcon was Tumbl-Con USA, they decided to create committees for each fandom to raise money for the convention itself. Their method would be to ask popular fanartists/fanfic writers to donate fanworks so that they could be auctioned off and the proceeds would go to the con. They first wanted to secure a convention area and get hotels. The way the committees were formed was absolutely fucked up, they literally put an open call on the blog and said “WHO WANTS TO FORM A COMMITTEE TO HELP US RAISE FUNDS?” they asked no questions whatsoever. If you wanted to make a committee for your fucking obscure ass fandom, you got it.

Source [TW: Tumblr]

Here's an account from one attendee [TW: Tumblr, too: Electric Boogaloo]

I didn’t plan to stay there for more than a few hours, and I didn’t. The DashCon staff had repeatedly claimed in their FAQ and in person that they expected attendance numbers of 3000-7000, and that they were “right on target” for it, but in reality it looked as if it were half a thousand people at the VERY VERY most.

Many of the hallways and lobbies were barely populated at all; as a person who prefers going to larger conventions, I was disappointed. The Dealer’s Room/Artist’s Alley left much to be desired. There were practically no dealers selling official merchandise of any kind. It seemed as if everybody in there was a freelance artist, selling the same cheap buttons/stickers/decals/piling-prone fleece shit you’d know all too well if you’ve been to a convention before. I suppose the schedule and the panel descriptions speak for themselves. but I did sit in one panel called “Name That Anime” for a cool three minutes or so before walking out the door. It started 15 minutes late and was so poorly improvised on the spot it was terrible; they were giving out hotel mints as prizes if you could name the anime where “clothes are used as weapons!!!!!”

The hotel supposedly threatened to kick the convention goers out unless they raised $20000 dollars. The organizers asked for $17000, a goal which was met with cringeworthy applause and celebration.

The problem? Turns out the hotel never actually asked for the money at all. The organizers dashed with the money, and put the "con" in convention.

This page has even more juicy details [TW: Tumblr 3D], like...

-The Welcome to the Night Vale scheduled performance was cancelled because the organizers "couldn't" pay their performance and transportation fees.
-A full weekend badge cost 65 dollarydoos.
-They ran an IndieGoGo campaign in 2013 in an attempt to start it then. Backers never got their rewards.

And finally, yet another page if your schadenfreude has yet to be quenched. [TW: Tumblr 4: The Revenge]

All in all, Dashcon was a complete and total disaster in just about every conceivable way. This is the sort of failure that is so egregious you'd think it was deliberate. You'd hope that no one could fail this much from sheer, honest dedication. You'd hope.

TL;DR: Tumblr tries to hold a convention. Incompetence, swindling ensues.

 

[Flame]

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[Gahars]

This is a thread for observing cancer, not spreading it.

 

[Flame]

This is a thread for observing cancer, not spreading it.

But when we so close to tumblr..... a url way...


HOW CAN THE RADIATION NOT GIVE US CANCER!

Spoiler

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

So guys, I'm making this really cool con called TempCon and I need $50,000 to make it happen and I have like 50,000,000 people attending but make sure you all show up!

 

[Gahars]

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO NOTHING,
IT JUST KEEPS TUMBLING DOWN, TUMBLING DOWN, TUMBLING DOWN

 

[FAST6191]

"The weight must go on"

 

[Gahars]

Also, for added shits and gigs:

Congrats, America. Teenager bloggers get more emotional support and outreach than our veterans.

 

[Qtis]

Golden. Also, for everyone to enjoy some Tumble without going to Tumblr: http://tumblr-argument-generator.lokaltog.net

 

[chavosaur]

 

[Alchemilla]

Have several friends that went. It was more family reunion than con. I've been to better cons and the only cons I go to are open on halloween night and take place at someone's house.

..................no, wait, that's a fucking halloween party.

 

[BORTZ]

More like sad-con

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

;O;

EDIT: ITT we make fun of tumblr. GO

 

[Subtle Demise]

Also, for added shits and gigs:

Congrats, America. Teenager bloggers get more emotional support and outreach than our veterans.

Murka

 

[Gahars]

*snip*

;O;

EDIT: ITT we make fun of tumblr. GO

Hey, we've already got the Strong Womyn thread. This thread is just for a very specific gathering of strong womyn who don't need no man oppressor.

 

[GameWinner]

Tempcon or riot!

 

[Veho]

*pic*

I got as far as the first paragraph and stopped reading right there because it's bullshit. If you've ever read a discussion (i.e. shitstorm) on 4chan, you know it's chock-full of as much self-aggrandizing, self-congratulating, logic-ignoring, statistic-manufacturing, evidence-faking proof-avoiding fallacy-spewing ass-ticks as any Tumblr circle-jerk.

>implying they are all actually trolling
kek

 

[Lemmy Koopa]

pax > dashcon

 

[Deleted-236924]

Tempcon or riot!

Tempcon would probably not even have 25 people hehehe

 

[chavosaur]

http://the-almost-doctor.tumblr.com/post/92056352704/dennys-normcore-dad-dennys-welcome-to
I could get behind this.