JennaFurApr 15, 2023
Michael W Lucas 

Been looking at the feedback on mask policies from two separate conferences. People seem to fall into three groups:

1) I'll go with the policy, whatever it is

2) The risk of attending an event without masks is too high, so I will not attend without a strong mask policy

3) You cannot force me to wear a mask, so I will not attend if you require them.

You can always get group 1 at your con. Choose between groups 2 and 3.

My random sampling says that group 2 is nicer than group 3. Group 2 is both easier to hang around with, and safer.

Easy choice.

Apr 14, 2023 at 6:55pmWeb
Show threadMichael DexterApr 14, 2023
@mwl
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Show threadParade du Grotesque 💀Apr 15, 2023

@mwl

Accurate.

Show threadEckes Apr 15, 2023
@mwl would be an easy choice if you have it (nearly no conference cares about it) and if it is commercially viable (seems like the group is a minor minority)
Show threadMichael W Lucas Apr 15, 2023

@eckes

The cons I'm involved with very much do.

Their caring is why I'm still involved, tbf.

Show threadEckes Apr 15, 2023
@mwl that gives me hope
Show threadTroed SÃ¥ngbergApr 15, 2023

@mwl This debate is so "funny" to watch from Sweden. We never had any mask mandates (except when visiting hospitals and other care institutions) and still came out with the lowest surplus deaths over the pandemic (which we consider to have ended since quite some time) in Europe.

This is not intended to claim what's right or wrong - just that the mask debate still happening in some countries is just ... alien.

Show threadsenApr 16, 2023
@troed @mwl do you have data to support that? Doesn’t look like it from a cursory search: https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/coronavirus-data-explorer?zoomToSelection=true&facet=none&pickerSort=asc&pickerMetric=location&Metric=Excess+mortality+%28%25%29&Interval=Cumulative&Relative+to+Population=true&Color+by+test+positivity=false&country=USA~GBR~SWE~FIN~DNK~NOR~AUS~NZL
COVID-19 Data Explorer

Explore global data on COVID-19.

Our World in Data
Show threadTroed SÃ¥ngbergApr 16, 2023
@sendai @mwl https://ioc.exchange/@troed/110206842946548669
Troed SÃ¥ngberg (@[email protected])

Attached: 1 image · Content warning: covid and cons

IOC.exchange
Show threadAdam Beer (old account)Apr 15, 2023
@mwl I thought, "cons" was short for, "Conservatives." In my defense, I wasn't exactly wrong… 😇
Show threadMark MadsenApr 15, 2023
@mwl I hope more people figure this out. :)
Show threadNatalyaDApr 15, 2023

@mwl Went to a con with a group-2 friendly policy of masking indoors unless exempt or needing to be lipread/etc last year alongside proof of vaccinations x2 at least (freely available to all adults in our country at the time) and negative LFT. Only 1 report of Covid afterwards. It was hot enough to be mostly outside.

This year's variant is "mask if you wanna" but no encouragement beyond that. I won't be going.

I'm deaf and masks are hell but I also Do Not Want Sodding Covid.

Show threadMichael W Lucas Apr 15, 2023

@NatalyaD

You have a very legit reason for not liking masks, but: yeah.

I finally got covid last month. Found out by waking up at 3am with a 105F fever.

After that, I am planning on wearing masks around other people forever.

Show threadtwo slightly distorted guitarsApr 16, 2023
@mwl The one I'm worried about is when they say they have a strong mask policy, luring people into thinking it's safe to go, and then you get there and find out hardly anyone is wearing masks and the organisers won't do anything about it because they think it's not polite to enforce their own rules.
Show threadSolomon FosterApr 16, 2023
@mwl As a member of group 2, my impression these days is that group 2 is tiny and group 3 is very substantial...
Show threadMichael W Lucas Apr 16, 2023

@colomon

Every group is different, this is very YMMV, but:

both cons I'm working have many more group 2 than group 3 would-be attendees.

But group 3 is SUPER noisy, and refuse to accept defeat gracefully.

Show threadPhantom Kitty (Tech)Apr 16, 2023
@mwl I am going to a con next weekend that has a very vocal and hostile group 3. So hostile that they tried to sabotage the con both last year and this year so it couldn't be held again. I agree that group 2 is the better one to have around, and glad that is what the con has settled on.
Show threadDavid SandilandsApr 16, 2023
@mwl im curious if anything has shown how big the three groups are? My gut feel is the vast majority fall into group 1 but 2 and 3 are more vocal. Though being in group 1 I'm aware i'm bias.
Show threadMichael W Lucas Apr 16, 2023

@davidsandilands

My events have far more 2s than 3s, but 3s are the most vocal and won't stop shouting.

Show threadEniko (moved âž¡ gamedev.place)Apr 16, 2023
@mwl big benefit of group 2 over 3 is that *they won't give everyone at your con covid*
Show threadkepstinApr 16, 2023
@mwl gotta say, group 3 seems like it would have significant overlap with the type of people who would refuse to go to a con with a strong code of conduct for attendees.
Show threadMichael W Lucas Apr 16, 2023

@kepstin

Yup. Weird, huh?

Show threadFElon&Felon47🇺🇦🇨🇦🇩🇰🇹🇼Apr 16, 2023
@mwl
So (1) includes choosing to wear a mask if policy is no mask required? Like we always did if we didn't feel like getting con crud?