Time to dissect another code of conduct from a fan-run convention. This one’s for Readercon, which is coming up in July in Quincy, Massachusetts. It’s got some of the usual problems but could have been worse.
The most pervasive problem is taking good ideas and inappropriately elevating them to rules. “Moderate the volume of your voice and the expansiveness of your gestures.” How much hand-waving constitutes a violation? “Be willing to learn new things and admit when you’re wrong, including offering apologies.” Is the con going to judge when someone has been proven wrong and mandate an apology? “If you’re not certain someone is enjoying your company, end the interaction yourself.” A lot of fans deal with self-doubt about whether others like them; this rule, if taken seriously, would practically shut down their social interactions.
It’s unlikely Readercon will kick anyone out for hand-waving, failure to apologize for losing a debate, or feeling insecure, but making these things rules suggests that the concom doesn’t understand the proper boundary between setting requirements and suggesting appropriate ways to act. In that kind of environment, the chances of subjective and unequal enforcement go up dramatically.
There’s the usual rule against saying anything bad about anybody: “Do not use slurs or make derogatory comments about a person, group, or category of people.” It must be trying for some fans when they aren’t allowed to bash Donald Trump or curse J. K. Rowling for a whole weekend. Or rather, it would be if the rule were enforced even-handedly. It’s also forbidden to post links in Readercon forums that contain “attacks on a person, group, or category of people.”
The health requirements are interesting. Readercon doesn’t list a vaccination requirement. This may be partly because pharmacies and clinics no longer routinely fill out vaccination cards, so getting the documentation is harder. (OVFF 2024 does require documentation of vaccination. That’s sure to result in members forgetting to get the needed documents and possibly being turned away.) However, the mask requirement is stringent: “Wear a KN-95, N-95, or KF-94 mask over your nose and mouth while indoors at Readercon to protect our community. Masks of lesser quality will not be permitted (e.g., cloth masks). Anyone who neglects to wear their mask over their nose and mouth will be asked to ‘mask up’ by volunteers.”
Most cons have gone to less strict masking policies or dropped them entirely. I still like to put on a mask when I’m in a crowded place like a full subway car, but I’m one of the few even there. The people who are that afraid of catching COVID and other diseases probably avoid mass transit altogether, thus contributing to other respiratory health problems. A lot of fans remain reluctant to return to normal face-to-face social interaction; I discussed this in an earlier post. Even with masking requirements, the odds of catching COVID are much lower if you attend only online events. People will be in the same hotel as “mundanes” who aren’t subject to the convention rules.
Summary: Readercon has the usual problems with rules that could stifle the expression of opinions, and the code of conduct fails to distinguish between what can reasonably be mandated and what’s just a good idea. The mask requirement may discourage some people from attending and isn’t likely to reassure the people who are most worried.
Earlier posts on convention rules: