[Coco] CoCoFest Webcam, IRC, anything?

[Nick Marentes]

 > But why make effort to attend? Sure, there are great CoCo deals. (I got
 > a Coco 3 for $5 last time.) But the real reason is to really connect
 > with your fellow CoCo "nut". (As in make real friends.) This is
 > something you just can't do typing on a keyboard.

Agreed. But the web experience is no where as good as the real thing and 
you have limited opportunities, as you indicated.

So a live attendance will always have this drawcard for those who are able.

I recall way back when I was doing PennFest 2000, we had the IRC and 
webcam. The IRC worked fine but it was mainly being used for all those 
people who couldn't attend with the occasional parser'by at the fest 
stopping to say hello. It was fun for both sides.

And I think we have the video feed done simply as an image taken every 
30 seconds, no live video. It gave those who couldn't attend some view 
on what was going on at the fest but nothing like being there. No access 
to seminars, no access to freely speak with whom you wanted, no access 
to purchase bargains and no access to the the trivia game, music, forum, 
lunch gatherings, meeting special guests (Kevin Darling, Mark Hawkins, 
Jeremy Spiller).

We seem to be making out that this video cam is the whole CoCoFest deal 
transmitted to your desktop. Long shot. Nothing like it. If anything, in 
enticed many to *want* to attend the following year! It actually 
*improved* attendance... well... actually it didn't because PennFest 
2000 was slated as the *last* PennFest and we went out on a bang. But 
many told me they wanted to attend next year and I had to break the bad 
news to them.

Like I said, I think there are more benefits than detriments, as long 
you have a fest that offers so much "live" activities to differentiate 
itself to a webcast.

Nick Marentes