This time last year, I was (very) seriously considering not returning to dragon*con as a staffer. 2007 was a draining, hellish year for the ‘con and easily the one where I enjoyed myself the least. There were large, intense problems from minute one and the hits just kept coming. Everyone seemed to be strung out — mentally and emotionally drained by the end, and I just wanted to go home. For being the one event I look forward to every year, that’s pretty bad. I always told myself that if it ever got that bad, I would get out from under working the convention and just show up as a paid attendee.
I’m glad I chose to give it another try.
2008 was redemption for me personally, and by all accounts it seems, for tech staff as a whole. We had our issues as we always do, but unlike 2007, we weren’t constantly barraged with demoralizing and horrible events that hit one after the other like a destructive wave.
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