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Eurofurence Information => Feedback => Topic started by: Fafnir Kristensen on 06.09.2012, 14:40:42
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just a few words about the conbook:
thank you for all the maps !!!!
maps of the rooms, maps of the dealersden, maps of the artshow
thank you for all these, they were really great, useful and much appreciated
I hope you do this again next year :)
maybe one detail that could be improved:
the days name in the event pages were written too small (imo) and I often missed them when looking for the events of a certain day.
If you look at the conbook from laster year, they were all bigger and with a much noticeable color which made them easier to see.
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thank you for all the maps !!!!
maps of the rooms, maps of the dealersden, maps of the artshow
thank you for all these, they were really great, useful and much appreciated
I hope you do this again next year :)
maybe one detail that could be improved:
the days name in the event pages were written too small (imo) and I often missed them when looking for the events of a certain day.
If you look at the conbook from laster year, they were all bigger and with a much noticeable color which made them easier to see.
Thanks a lot ;D
The maps suffered a bit from last moment changes in the artist lineup, especially in the Art Show. I hope they were sufficient nevertheless... we're trying to be more accurate in the future.
As for the event list, yes, the days were printed a bit small and in the style of the events (since the headers all were 3D rendered). If we do this kind of list again, we'll look out for a better visibility. However: We're discussing switching over from a time-based list to a track-oriented list anyway (so instead of a single huge "Event" section with 10 pages, the book would have "Fursuit", "Art", "Music", and "Performance" etc. sections), since the timetables already provide a time and room overview for all the day, and it would be easier to read up on special interests. Any thoughts?
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Could be a nice idea, but then youd miss the overview somewhat.
Other suggestions might include:
*Skip having huge section of reasturant open times in timetable, take up loads of space and is often same from day to day, put it in a special information section instead.
*Really no need to include half an hour of seating time before each major event, just state that "doors usually opening half an hour before main events starts for seating" or something instead.
*You might want to include a "Call to stations time" aka where every that wants to atend in suites should be there, specially for main fursuiting events like parade and photo, thus it makes it easier for fursuiters to plan.
*A map providing the central area of Magdeburg (just the few squares around the hotel, the shopping mall and the station.) showing where the overflew hotell is, where some good reasturants is and where you can get money and other basic items (eq shops) is located. Could also state where the parade is going and maybe some good outing spots of interests, if there is any.
However I really enjoyed the pocket timetable thingy! It was great to have in my pocket and take up whenever I needed to check times. Definately wants simular thingy next year.
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Very informative, beautiful art: great!
Only suggestion from me: A list of contents would be useful.
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Mine was badly misprinted. I had some of the interview pages twice.. i just hope that nothing important was missing from it as a result of the misprinting...
A friend of mine had blak pages inserted in his..
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Very informative, beautiful art: great!
Only suggestion from me: A list of contents would be useful.
Seconded.
Personally, I wouldn't switch from time- to track-based order. Most people like to know what's going on during a certain day and then take their pick, rather than look at a "tailormade" list and risk missing other events that might have interested them too. Also, most people have more than one thing they are interested in and thus would have to check more than one list...
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Personally, I wouldn't switch from time- to track-based order. Most people like to know what's going on during a certain day and then take their pick, rather than look at a "tailormade" list and risk missing other events that might have interested them too. Also, most people have more than one thing they are interested in and thus would have to check more than one list...
I believe the idea is that, since this info is already in the per-day timetable, the descriptions don't also need to be listed chronologically. And the descriptions wouldn't be spread over multiple lists, just sorted differently. Or have I misunderstood what you are saying?
[edit:] choice of words [/edit]
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Mine was badly misprinted. I had some of the interview pages twice.. i just hope that nothing important was missing from it as a result of the misprinting...
A friend of mine had blak pages inserted in his..
I hear that quite often this year, although it is still the same printer as always. So far it fortunately was always additional pages, not missing ones... I wonder how prevalent the issue actually is.
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As long as i'm not *missing* pages...i don't mind to have a thicker conbook!
;)
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I believe the idea is that, since this info is already in the per-day timetable, the descriptions don't also need to be listed chronologically. And the descriptions wouldn't be spread over multiple lists, just sorted differently. Or have I misunderstood what you are saying?
No, that is pretty much it. The timetable is meant to be the primary way of orientation and navigating through the day. The event lists (however organized) will then provide details. As a neat table which can be read by room or by time, the timetable is a lot more readable than an event list where you have to have one eye on the time/location bullets and the other on the description, and where one time may even be spread across a page break.
Fact is that we have lots of events this year which no longer appear in the event list but have their own pages. Art Show, Dealers' Den and Fursuit Photoshoot were listed with the events last year, but that created a terrible redundancy and made the event list actually less readable. So I have cut them from the list this year. Also there are events, like the Motorfurs Meeting, that have additional info (the map) that is hard to display in the regular event list. And finally there are the recurring events...
I can see the argument, but there is little that a chronological event list has to offer that the timetable would not be able to provide.
(Not to mention the internal logistic advantages.)
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BIG cheers for the conbook! It is informative (specially if you can not use apps.) plus a beautyfull souvenir of the con. The contents have been neatly arranged, the art is just outstanding - 2 thumbs up :)!
Only one thing: I was really missing the storry(ies) :'(
I loved those in the previous years. Was there a special reason for them not beeing in the book, or could you just not find anyboddy writing some?
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BIG cheers for the conbook! It is informative (specially if you can not use apps.) plus a beautyfull souvenir of the con. The contents have been neatly arranged, the art is just outstanding - 2 thumbs up :)!
Only one thing: I was really missing the storry(ies) :'(
I loved those in the previous years. Was there a special reason for them not beeing in the book, or could you just not find anyboddy writing some?
There hasn't been one in last year's book either (unless you count the mini-scene that started the book). I guess you can call them victims of the expanding con-related content - with the seating/hanging plans, expanded event parts, and even larger Sponsor's list, we are close to the physical limit of what's possible with this type of binding.
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[...] with this type of binding.
intriguing... :}
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I loved those in the previous years. Was there a special reason for them not beeing in the book, or could you just not find anyboddy writing some?
This was also an editorial decision based on the evaluation "how many pages do we have" and "what do people actually read" - stories blow up the page count of the book, but it's the least useful, and least interesting feature. So it was the first to go.
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it's the least useful, and least interesting feature
If we had an award for the least read text, it would probably go to the Rules of Conduct ;D
But seriously, I would like to know what parts of the con book are most interesting? Were the new seating and panel plans successful, even with those pesky last minute changes? Who reads the advertising? Did we hit the spot with GoH and Charity pages? Would the timetables be more useful earlier in the book? Are there events you'd like to be spotlighted? Does the book help you in your decision which panels to visit?
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[...] with this type of binding.
intriguing... :}
4 or 8 pages more (I forgot) at this paper weight, and we'd need to shift to glue binding (like the Heat magazines). That would not only cost us the wraparound cover and the centerfold in their current form, but is also inherently weaker. I don't want to picture glue coming loose and con book pages flying all over the place... no way! (Okay, I am exaggerating, but a con book needs to take more rough handling than a magazine, so it's better to stay with the sturdy alternative.)
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But seriously, I would like to know what parts of the con book are most interesting? Were the new seating and panel plans successful, even with those pesky last minute changes? Who reads the advertising? Did we hit the spot with GoH and Charity pages? Would the timetables be more useful earlier in the book? Are there events you'd like to be spotlighted? Does the book help you in your decision which panels to visit?
Let's put some javascript in next time to track people's page impressions! Oh ... wait ....
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Let's put some javascript in next time to track people's page impressions! Oh ... wait ....
Yay, fully electronic interactive con book! ... Feh, now we got an app already...
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The most usefull things for me was in order:
-The included pockedsize timetable: Loved to have it in my pocket and read up on where and when event was! Kudos for making one!
-The timetable: Very usefull to see where everything was.
-Event descriptions: Brought more insight on what each event actually was about.
-Maps, specially thoose over the hotell: Its hard to know where everything is elseway, isnt it?
-Basic information section: While theese was mostly fairly basic info its still usefull and important readups, specially for firstimers like myself.
For me you could skip the two or three pages of art show map and descriptions, since Id guess it really could be more usefull to have it posted on the site, rather than in the con book, but thats me. Thoose extra pages would make up for an extra area map around the hotell and maybe a longe description of the pawpet show.
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The conbook of this year: one word: AWESOME! Thick, informative and the lists are really useful cuz I did not have a smartphone so I could not download the app.
Also the art is amazing. Especially the one with that LOVELY deer in the middle. I almost want to take it out and frame it. Meh, I rather not, eh? But yeah, awesome stuff and to be honest: I read it now several times and I still can't get my eyes off of it!
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it's the least useful, and least interesting feature
But seriously, I would like to know what parts of the con book are most interesting? Were the new seating and panel plans successful, even with those pesky last minute changes? Who reads the advertising? Did we hit the spot with GoH and Charity pages? Would the timetables be more useful earlier in the book? Are there events you'd like to be spotlighted? Does the book help you in your decision which panels to visit?
Guest of Honour and Charity should definitely stay in the con book, that's where I look first when I want to find out more about them.
On the other hand, devoting four pages to Fox Amoore (who is not GoH nor had a solo concert) and no editorial content on Eurofurence's own band project was a strange choice of priorities.
Timetables and floor plans are the more useful the less time you have to spend looking for them. So placing them as early as possible in the con book would be a good move, IMO. If not, I'd at least introduce a Table of Contents.
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Guest of Honour and Charity should definitely stay in the con book, that's where I look first when I want to find out more about them.
I guess throwing them out of the book is no option anyway ;D
On the other hand, devoting four pages to Fox Amoore (who is not GoH nor had a solo concert) and no editorial content on Eurofurence's own band project was a strange choice of priorities.
Not so much a choice, and not so much priorities. It's more "what I am provided with" (for other people's events) vs. "what I can provide myself" (for editorial content). In this case, the editorial content (the interview) seems a bit overwhelming since it concentrates on a single person instead of a project like Bitter Lake (the editorial content of last year). But that's the nature of the beast. If I get more elaborate descriptions on events, I am happy to print them as well.
You may say, of course, that I might have pushed more for a balanced content, squeezing people for page-long descriptions and perhaps a few photos. You'd be perfectly right. Next year we will most likely drop the articles as well (as we did with the stories the year before), and use the space for longer, more representative event descriptions. Let's see how well the squeezing works ;D
Timetables and floor plans are the more useful the less time you have to spend looking for them. So placing them as early as possible in the con book would be a good move, IMO. If not, I'd at least introduce a Table of Contents.
Another vote for the ToC. I guess we'll need that!
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Another vote for a ToC here. would make for much easier to find things.
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Another vote for a ToC here. would make for much easier to find things.
And I guess, no Roman numerals as page numbers anymore ;D
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Another vote for a ToC here. would make for much easier to find things.
And I guess, no Roman numerals as page numbers anymore ;D
NO! It was very confusing. Oh ok, I know the number till 20 but then it goes beyond my knowledge border what concerns roman numbers.
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It was very confusing. Oh ok, I know the number till 20 but then it goes beyond my knowledge border what concerns roman numbers.
EF! It's educamational!
| -- | 00's | 10's | 20's | 30's | 40's | 50's | 60's |
| 0's | | X | XX | XXX | XL | L | LX |
| 1's | I | XI | XXI | XXXI | XLI | LI | LXI |
| 2's | II | XII | XXII | XXXII | XLII | LII | LXII |
| 3's | III | XIII | XXIII | XXXIII | XLIII | LIII | LXIII |
| 4's | IV | XIV | XXIV | XXXIV | XLIV | LIV | LXIV |
| 5's | V | XV | XXV | XXXV | XLV | LV | LXV |
| 6's | VI | XVI | XXVI | XXXVI | XLVI | LVI | LXVI |
| 7's | VII | XVII | XXVII | XXXVII | XLVII | LVII | LXVII |
| 8's | VIII | XVIII | XXVIII | XXXVIII | XLVIII | LVIII | LXVIII |
| 9's | IX | XIX | XXIX | XXXIX | XLIX | LIX | LXIX |
Next year, Maya numbers, if the world hasn't ended, although the latter is probably not a recommendation ;D
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It was very confusing. Oh ok, I know the number till 20 but then it goes beyond my knowledge border what concerns roman numbers.
EF! It's educamational!
| -- | 00's | 10's | 20's | 30's | 40's | 50's | 60's |
| 0's | | X | XX | XXX | XL | L | LX |
| 1's | I | XI | XXI | XXXI | XLI | LI | LXI |
| 2's | II | XII | XXII | XXXII | XLII | LII | LXII |
| 3's | III | XIII | XXIII | XXXIII | XLIII | LIII | LXIII |
| 4's | IV | XIV | XXIV | XXXIV | XLIV | LIV | LXIV |
| 5's | V | XV | XXV | XXXV | XLV | LV | LXV |
| 6's | VI | XVI | XXVI | XXXVI | XLVI | LVI | LXVI |
| 7's | VII | XVII | XXVII | XXXVII | XLVII | LVII | LXVII |
| 8's | VIII | XVIII | XXVIII | XXXVIII | XLVIII | LVIII | LXVIII |
| 9's | IX | XIX | XXIX | XXXIX | XLIX | LIX | LXIX |
Next year, Maya numbers, if the world hasn't ended, although the latter is probably not a recommendation ;D
Haha, I've known roman numerals since I was very young, so i had no issues with the page numbers ^_^
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Another vote for a ToC here. would make for much easier to find things.
That would be dandy! I forgot the Wifi-password (I wrote it down but ofcourse... forgot where) and digging through the entire book to find it took quite a bit.