My suggestion for the Hugos...

[ffutures]

...won't be popular.

Con committees presumably get to decide how the awards ceremony will be presented. If there is evidence that the award is being debased by the tactics we've seen, maybe they should minimalise their involvement to preserve the reputation of the convention. No speeches, no music, nobody going up to collect in person. Just a factual announcement of the winners, and notice that they can collect their awards from the green room afterwards. I'm pretty sure you could get the lot done well inside a one-hour program slot, and starving the idiots of whatever satisfaction they get out of a public victory for a year or two might teach them a small lesson. And the money saved could be spent on the rest of the programme.

Thoughts?

later - just to make this clear, I'd suggest doing this regardless of who seems likely to win, downsizing the ceremony only if the Poopies win would be as unfair, in its own way, as their initial tactics.

Comments

[johnreiher.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a plan to me. I plan to vote for No Award for those categories with nothing but Puppies. And I hope David Gerrold takes home all those awards for "Noah Ward". (His registered pen name.)

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Noah Ward? Like it!

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

I think they're gambling that in 5 years time nobody will remember this, and they and their chums will still write 'hugo award winner' on their publications.

I mean, Vox can write 'multi hugo-nominee' on his CV, which is just an utter joke.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Possibly - or possibly they're thinking that if they make enough noise they'll convince people they were in the right.

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I think, to be honest, they're just a few hundred of the worst Gamergater type arseholes on the internet, and they're so filled with bile and hatred for everybody that isn't just like them, that there's really no point in even trying to reason with them.

[daveon.livejournal.com]

I'd be happy if all they did with the Hugos was post a list on the wall frankly.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

No argument here - I've been to three Hugo ceremonies and they were all pretty boring.

[daveon.livejournal.com]

2 hours of people trying to be amusing does get tiring.

Oh dear, you have a Jordan... There's a cream for that I think....

[jordan179.livejournal.com]

Calculated rudeness toward winners because one voted for someone else is a very poor precedent to set, and far from protecting the dignity of the Hugos, will probably sink what's left of their reputation.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Oh, you do it regardless of who wins, since there won't be time for a change of plans if the Puppies lose. It's unfortunate, but the whole point is to be fair.

[jordan179.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't you need to do it every year from now on into the forseeable future, then? And wouldn't that rather spoil the party for everyone?

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

I have no idea how you get out of this once you start doing it, which is why it isn't a perfect plan - I never said it was. I suspect that after one or two years of spending a lot of money and losing most of the publicity and ego-boo associated with the award there might be less enthusiasm for gaming the awards.

[vicarage.livejournal.com]

It would certainly avoid the unpleasantness likely at the ceremony now. But it would have to apply to all awards, as if 2015 did not count in any category, and that would be unfair for the unpolluted categories.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

I never said it was fair, except in treating all participants equally - I think it may be the least unpleasant way of handling this, but that doesn't mean it's good for the legitimate winners.

[pauldormer.livejournal.com]

Indeed, there is nothing in the WSFS constitution that says there has to be an award ceremony, only that the Worldcon administers the awards.

Article 3. I'm sure we've all got the constitution bookmarked like me.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

I thought that might be the case. It'll be interesting to see how Spokane handles this!

[pauldormer.livejournal.com]

As Sasquan's Eurorep, I have to remain silent about this, until there is a formal announcement.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Do feel free to pass on my suggestion - I have no problems with people blaming me for it, since I won't be anywhere in the vicinity...

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

I'm encouraged to hear that there is going to be a formal announcement, and that talks are underway.

[pauldormer.livejournal.com]

I meant a formal announcement about the format of the ceremony, such as who is emceeing it. That there is going to be a ceremony is currently stated on the Sasquan website.

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

Ah, gotcha.

I hope the organising committee have laid on some extra security for the ceremony. The Sad Puppy brigade contain some.... disturbed and potential dangerous individuals.

[pauldormer.livejournal.com]

I'm not party to those sort of discussions. I'm only their European rep.