Message-Id: <m0pPPO7-0001XBC@vishnu.reed.edu>
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 94 21:35 PST
From: odlin@reed.edu (Iain Odlin)
To: carolingia@bloom-beacon.mit.edu
Subject: More thoughts from Birka

  At a recent gathering, a bunch of us Malagentian types were discussing
  Birka and we came up collectively with something we all saw as a big 
  problem with the site, a problem that I only bring up now because I see
  it as something very important for future autocrats to keep in mind.

  The site was *crawling* with mundanes.

  Yes; it was a high school.  But:  It was a high school that was having
  basketball practice and a track meet _on the same day as our event_.
  Dozens of people I've now talked to were all *very* uncomfortable with 
  leaving their things in the 'changing rooms' because of the constant flow of
  mundanes through those areas.  Up to and including the wonderful "Look at
  those fags"-type mundanes we all know and love.

  I realize that mundane contact in such a situation cannot be totally
  avoided, but we sure as heck can eliminate things like the two seniors
  in letter jackets who were wandering around the merchant area until a
  Laurel caught and upbraided them, all but bodily dragging them outside.

  Please, folks;  this is an important issue.  If we must hold events in
  places like high schools, can we try harder to avoid scheduling on top of
  their own events?

  -Iain, who hereby notes that this is not directed solely at the past Birka.
   He's sure there were reasons why it had to be done that way.