The most recent comments by Alan and Mike make good points. Conventions are always a mix of different interests. Which is major often depends on our interests as much as that of the con organizers. Apparently all the early game cons had a dealers' room and as such were as much a trade show as an opportunity to play games. DragonCon (at least according to Wikipedia) was named after a computer! However, I am certainly willing to concede that it was originally primarily a game convention despite its current mixed bag of everything.
Likewise, watch both innocent bystanders and chronology in documenting. Yes, Kramer was a founder of DragonCon, but so were Pat Henry, Dave Cody, and Robert Dennis, who still run this major event. DragonCon started in 1987. Three years later, they were a part of the Origins convention (wandering about in those days). It wasn't until 2000 that Kramer had his first contact with the law and resigned from the management. DragonCon.carried on with the other three founders and in l995 was host to the North American Science Fiction Convention, which solidified the SF aspect of the con, which has become a major part.
The thing that keeps running through my mind is that it is happening now rather than back in the "bad old days". If it had happened back when Pat Pulling and Thomas Radecki had automatic access to the "mainstream media", it would have been a major problem. However, Pulling died of cancer and Radecki self-destructed with "improper sexual activity" under color of therapy, nothing has changed other than the power of the organized anti-game movement. The Kramer affair is finally recognized as nothing more than mere coincidence. Let's treat it that way in our own discussions.
Likewise, watch both innocent bystanders and chronology in documenting. Yes, Kramer was a founder of DragonCon, but so were Pat Henry, Dave Cody, and Robert Dennis, who still run this major event. DragonCon started in 1987. Three years later, they were a part of the Origins convention (wandering about in those days). It wasn't until 2000 that Kramer had his first contact with the law and resigned from the management. DragonCon.carried on with the other three founders and in l995 was host to the North American Science Fiction Convention, which solidified the SF aspect of the con, which has become a major part.
The thing that keeps running through my mind is that it is happening now rather than back in the "bad old days". If it had happened back when Pat Pulling and Thomas Radecki had automatic access to the "mainstream media", it would have been a major problem. However, Pulling died of cancer and Radecki self-destructed with "improper sexual activity" under color of therapy, nothing has changed other than the power of the organized anti-game movement. The Kramer affair is finally recognized as nothing more than mere coincidence. Let's treat it that way in our own discussions.
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