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Do you get crap for attending conventions?


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I always seem to get stick for going to conventions. I'm 23 and unlike a lot of other people my age I don't spend all my money getting drunk at random pubs and clubs. I don't care what creamfields are/is and feel I have a greater calling than standing round and rowdily shouting I'd hit that.

 

I don't consider myself weird. In fact I'm quite a normal person with a good group of mates. I'm not a sad loner but when people ask me about going to conventions, I always get comments saying I'm a sad loner geek.

 

I am a geek and proud of it but that does not go hand in hand with being a loner.

 

Do any of you lot need to put up with this rubbish too?

 

people are surprised to hear that I spend hundreds of pounds each time. I've already paid over 500 for me and my Mrs to go to eclipse and that is before the event has even started.

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Nope, not particularly. I guess the majority of my friends are also people who attend events, so that helps .. but at the same time, I usually work at the events and I discuss that with other friends, so maybe it seems a little more acceptable to them than being a paying attendee.

 

Some think it's cool and are jealous of me meeting certain people, while others couldn't care less.

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I always seem to get stick for going to conventions. I'm 23 and unlike a lot of other people my age I don't spend all my money getting drunk at random pubs and clubs. I don't care what creamfields are/is and feel I have a greater calling than standing round and rowdily shouting I'd hit that.

 

I don't consider myself weird. In fact I'm quite a normal person with a good group of mates. I'm not a sad loner but when people ask me about going to conventions, I always get comments saying I'm a sad loner geek.

 

I am a geek and proud of it but that does not go hand in hand with being a loner.

 

Do any of you lot need to put up with this rubbish too?

 

people are surprised to hear that I spend hundreds of pounds each time. I've already paid over 500 for me and my Mrs to go to eclipse and that is before the event has even started.

 

I hear such things too every day, I NEVER go to clubs/pubs discos or something like that. I just hang aroung with friend at homeparties.

Most of my freetime I spend to solve mathematical challenges, learning programming languages etc.

And people tell me also a geek, so? I'm proud of it :)

I do what I like to do, and if it's my/your hobby so why would this disturb other people. They just don't have enough courage to say that they would also like to go to a convention or something like that.

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Well, don´t worry, you are not the only one who have spent a lot, I have already paid about 300 pounds for the travel + hotel + Eclipse standard programme and then I will have to add the price of the train there + the lunch.

The problem is I will travel from Spain just for Eclipse so you can go figure the faces on my friends and they asking: "Are you gonna go to the UK and spend so much money just for a 3 days Convention???" just like I was crazy.

But then yeah, I don´t drink, I don´t smoke, I don´t spend my money on any other "stupid" things like some people do so what if I want to spend my money by travelling to another country to meet new people, friends and have a good time about something I enjoy? even if it is just a tv show?

 

I find it more interesting than staying at home and get drunk (nothing against the people who get drunk, it is just my point of view, I enjoy this better).

 

Anyway I have been lucky because all the people in my family understand it and find it great that I go to Eclipse, most of my friends too. To those who don´t I just say: "mind your own bussiness" the important thing is that I enjoy it and I do :wub:

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i used to get it, but now im in college, its different, as when i was in school, me and my friend were geeky loners, and did get alot of stick for going to cons, but now im in college, there is no one i know there and they dont know me, and therefore i dont get hassled anymore, though a few of my friends like going out and drinking and stuff, ive managed to tame a few of them, and one of them is even going to apply to crew C13 with me lol

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I dont really no, but i think its mainly because the shows i like are heroes, buffy, supernatural etc and there the kinda shows alot of my mates watch, so there more likely to be jelous than make fun of me for it.

Even so, im always a little weary of bringing it up around strangers because they may start steriotyping me etc.

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I don't get crap for it, but that could be because my family love sci-fi, all of my friends were gained through a love of sci-fi, and I'm attending the most boyish and sci-fi loving course it's humanly possible to go to at uni. Most people are curious about it.

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Nope, never got crap ever. Some people might think it's a bit naff but they say "well if it's your kinda thing then so be it".

 

I never call them "conventions" to anyone though in fear of what they'll say - I call them "exhibitions" and describe it as a book signing event with the odd Q+A session.

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As a 42 year old convention goer I get a lot of stick. My children aged between 8 and 20 are ok because they come with me and love meeting the guests. The rest of my family think i am mad traveling all over the country to go to signings and conventions. When I say I'm meeting someone the usual response is "Who". But the way I see it is everyone to their own. I like going to cons and meeting people at least I have something to remember more than a week spent on the beach getting a tan and possible skin cancer.

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Since I came to uni a lot of people have been surprised when I've mentioned conventions etc, they don't seem to consider me a geek untill that point despite the fact that Im a computer science student and order more boxsets off play.com than anyone else in our flat. Saying that, they're greatful for borrowing out of my dvd library :wub:

 

KIWI :dance:

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I don't think going to conventions is 'geekish'. Eclipse will only be the 2nd one I've been to, but I found the 1st one I went to really fun.

 

But I try not to mention it to friends as they all took the mickey when I went to the last one. Yet I think they were a bit jealous when I told them what it was like and what a fab time I had. They would all secretly love to go to a convention.

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Well no-one's ever called me a geek to my face but I only really talk to my friends about cons and they like most of the shows I do, they just don't like them as much as I do. Although I have persuaded one of my friends to come to a con with me this summer and I've convinced my brother to come to Eclipse with me.

 

Most of my friends are quite interested in who I meet at events and I have a few friends that come with me to Collectormania in Milton Keynes, they don't meet anyone but they still have a good day spotting people they recognise from tv and movies and shopping of course.

 

I have also made some good friends at cons that I still keep in touch with now, most of them live in the states so I keep in touch with them using Livejournal and Facebook.

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Apparently... because I'm going to eclipse and because I'm going on my own .... I'm 'having a mid-life crisis' (I'm 30 for christ's sake!) - my friends are concerned - my family would have me certified if they could just for going to this convention!

I keep telling them there are worse things I could be doing ... but hey, it's their loss ... I'm looking forward to it! :wub:

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I get called a geek often but I don't mind. I'd rather be a geek than many things. I don't go out drinking either - only rare parties if nagged enough.

 

My Uni friends aren't bothered by it - 2 of them love Heroes too. One had a season 2 marathon with me over Christmas and my other friend has said she may join me at the November Eclipse.

 

I find people at work are the ones I get stick off. Strangely, I get it more from the older ones who seem to encourage their kids to go out drinking and such. When I tell them why I've booked the weekend off they kind of give me a confused/condescending look. I hope my future kids are "geeks".

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Apparently... because I'm going to eclipse and because I'm going on my own .... I'm 'having a mid-life crisis' (I'm 30 for christ's sake!) - my friends are concerned - my family would have me certified if they could just for going to this convention!

I keep telling them there are worse things I could be doing ... but hey, it's their loss ... I'm looking forward to it! :D

 

I'll be 32 by the time Eclipse comes around and ive been doing cons for years now. Yeah, I get the odd person who calls me a geek and thinks im wasting my money but everyone has their interests. Everyone has something that makes them happy. For me, going to cons is it.

 

I love coming back from a con, when people at work asked me what I did at the weekend because I can hold my head high and tell them I had an amazing time. If there was ever a machine to measure 'enjoyment', id guarantee that my weekend was more pleasurable than anyone else i work with! (personally speaking).

 

Never feel bad about enjoying what you love! Those you care about will love that you love it! Those that dont.... sod 'em. :D

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I don't think you guys are alone in this, My parents think it's weird that I am traveling far to meet my favorite guests and attend conventions and spending lots of money.

I think I better spend my money on conventions than spend it at the pub or on cigarettes.( Not that I ain't gonna drink at the party's) :D

 

I don't have (many) friends here so I don't have to worry about they calling me weird. :D

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Must say I don't get any negative stuff from anyone about going to conventions. My parents are always wanting to see if I've met anyone they might know.

 

Then the guys at work think its silly that I pay for things like this, but they do think it's cool that I've met some of the people I have.

 

Then a few of my uni friends think it's really awesome.

 

Most people whenever I talk to them about cons are surprised you have to pay for autos and stuff, doesn't really bother me though ^__^.

 

Although everyone always thinks it's cool if they go in my room and look at my pictures on my wardobe and comment on how I've met people :) tis fun :D

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i found it harder in the beginning but i've been going to conventions since 03 and i'm happy in my geekness my friends are all cool about it and if someone wasn't that's there problem not mine.

 

I didn't tell people at my work until recently and i was surprised by how excited and interested they all are.

 

I don't go out drinking or clubbing i love travelling, conventions and like last night having a girlie evening in listening to bad music, eating lots of carbs and drinking a glass of cheap wine in our pj's!

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when i was in my last year of school and word got out that i was going to con's i got it well and truly in the neck, i didn't stop i meen i just like being around like minded people so con's are my fav kind of place.

 

i made the mistake of taking my ex to a con and even though he loved it he didn't like me 'talking' to people that he saw as a threat ( ie any one we class as that sub species called male) so i got out of it for quite a few years.

 

eclipse is the first con i've been to in a few years and im really looking forward to it ( as the ex is now no where to be seen and i can actualy enjoy myself)

the girls younger girls where i work think im very sad, but i dont live for topshop and getting drunk. i like getting dressed up and going out once in a while its nice but im not in to clubbing and i hate dance music ( give me a bit of whitesnake and dancing on a bar stool any day)

 

the older ladys and work and the only bloke that i work with think its great that im doing something that i really want to do.

much rather spend a bit of money on this than spend the same amount on getting drunk .

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