NO COVID 19 VACCINE? NO GEN CON!

[King Arthur 2020]

It is insanity to think Gen Con will be safe to attend this year. It is as simple as this..No Vaccine? No Gen Con! There is no vaccine and no test kits. It wil not be safe to attend the dealer hall or call In..Or True Dungeon.

[Planpanther]

What is Gen Con usually? 60K? You'd be nuts to attend.

[Fergie]

Don't worry. Gen Con will be canceled, or postponed til next year if you want to look at it that way. They are just waiting until 60-90 days before the event.

I was planning on participating in Iowa's Ride and RAGBRAI this year (bicycle rides across the state of Iowa in July.) It took until a week or so ago for the rides to be canceled. From a New Yorker's perspective, I knew back in March there was no way the events would happen. But from the perspective of folks out in Iowa it seemed like overreaction to consider canceling.

Major decisions like canceling an event with tens of thousands of people, and hundreds of businesses, many of whom have made travel plans, paid registration and other spending requires some hard data, not a gut feeling. The problem is that we are missing vital info like total rate of infection, percent who may be asymptomatic, and whether those who have had the virus are still contagious, and are immune from reinfection themselves. Basically the organizers have to gather information for as long as they can, and only make the final decision when they can't put it off any longer.

But really it isn't a choice, it is showing that when you canceled, you had explored all other options.

[John Woodford]

Fergie wrote:

But really it isn't a choice, it is showing that when you canceled, you had explored all other options.

The other major consideration is that if they cancel early, they're more likely to lose their front money. For a small con, that's an easier decision to make. For the likes of a GenCon or a DragonCon, especially when the state it takes place in is pushing for rapid reopening, the risk is too great for them to do anything but outwardly plan to go on with it (while making contingency plans all over the place).

PaizoCon had it relatively easier, in that they were 1) much smaller and 2) in a state that locked down earlier than others.

[David knott 242]

It would be insane to be sure that we will ever have a vaccine for COVID-19, let alone have one by Gencon. We should not factor that into anyone's plans. Even testing is dubious because of the sheer volume of repeated testing that would be required for useful results.

By the plan for reopening business in the country, the only way it would make any sense to hold Gencon would be if all 48 states in the continental US are in phase 3 or later and there are no mandatory quarantines or other restrictions for anyone traveling between Indiana and any of these other states. I can't say for sure that this won't happen in time, but I would bet against it.

[mildly annoyed Vidmaster7]

Dragon con is the one I expect to see then continue with. GA is like No.1 on the lets hurry up and get rid of all the dead so we can go back to making money.

[thejeff]

mildly annoyed Vidmaster7 wrote:

Dragon con is the one I expect to see then continue with. GA is like No.1 on the lets hurry up and get rid of all the dead so we can go back to making money.

Labor day is a long way away. It's hard to say what things will look like by then, especially since we can't predict the political decisions.

Even Georgia may react to it getting really bad there by trying to shut down again.

[Vidmaster7]

I think only way we should see cons this year is if a vaccine comes out and works like a charm otherwise I feel like its asking for trouble but you never know and I'm not an immunologist.

[Irontruth]

The OP's account is new and has 3 posts, all of which are calling for GenCon to be cancelled.

[Vidmaster7]

Eh I can still make an interesting conversations out of it.

[captain yesterday]

I've never been to a Con of any kind, so I'm not missing anything.

[Irontruth]

Vidmaster7 wrote:

Eh I can still make an interesting conversations out of it.

I wasn't replying to you specifically. I made a comment to the whole thread.

[Gorbacz]

This doesn't change the fact that the OP is correct, holding an event like this is lunacy.

[captain yesterday]

That's our number one export and import!

[Planpanther]

Let rise the era of the virtual con!

[thejeff]

Planpanther wrote:

Let rise the era of the virtual con!

Yeah, I hope that, even while they haven't officially decided to cancel, they're working on plans for a virtual version. Won't be the same, but could still be cool.

[NECR0G1ANT]

Gorbacz wrote:

Honestly, given how suicidal you lot seem to be in the US lately and how apparently economy > some few hundred thousands dead people, I wouldn't be surprised if GenCon went off, considering how important it is for the bottom line of Indianapolis.

After all, most of the attendees are relatively young people. Most of them will survive, may the odds forever be in their favour.

*waits for the inevitable "shame for you for politicising a tragedy" Republican voter*

Most of us Americans are in favor of social distancing even at an economic cost. That's also true of young people.

I reckon GenCon will be canceled.

[Ssalarn]

One thing that's going to be important to keep in mind is that the state has the ability to effectively blackmail GenCon into holding the event, which can have cascades through their sponsors and vendors. It's really important for state governments to be taking appropriate precautions and issuing appropriate social distancing guidelines so that companies can get put of their contracts without going bankrupt and being forced out of business. It's a real concern and the main reason all of the conventions to date have been waiting until the last minute to cancel; they've been waiting on the state to extend or establish social distancing measures so they can break their contracts without it costing them tens or in many cases hundreds of thousands of dollars they can't afford.

[Sam Phelan]

Removed a post and its reply. Don't target any groups or host needlessly inflammatory content.

[Irontruth]

Gorbacz wrote:

This doesn't change the fact that the OP is correct, holding an event like this is lunacy.

What event exactly is being held?

Consider for a moment how you might criticize certain political groups for how they've used or ignored factual information about the decisions they've made... then consider how much actual factual information that genuinely exists and inspired this thread.

Is anyone here privy to the language and clauses of GenCon's agreements with the city?

Is anyone here privy to the financial agreements, insurance policies, or other similar business agreements that GenCon has in place?

Is anyone here privy to the laws and regulations of how the city can or cannot make their own decisions about the convention?

How familiar is anyone here with the state law of Indiana concerning declarations that might impact any of the above?

These are just some of the basic facts that would be required to even start actually understanding what will actually happen in the next few weeks or months, and yet currently our discussion about these events has none of those facts.

If you know these facts, I'd be curious to hear what you think the best course of action is for the organizers of GenCon. If you don't know these facts, it would seem to me to be lunacy to declare that you do know what is best.

I think this epidemic is a wonderful time for us all to reconsider how much rampant speculation we engage in when discussing people's lives and livelihoods.

[thejeff]

Irontruth wrote:

You are free to speculate about how high your horse is as well. I'm just not terribly impressed.

I agree, that as things stand right now, even if the event isn't cancelled... no one should attend. If you need me to pat you on the back for reaching the conclusion, here you go... good job on that observation, I think it's spot on.

I'm not really comfortable with the idea of saying that we shouldn't criticize them for holding it, while still saying no one should attend. Because we should know full well, that if they hold it, people will come. We've seen enough of that in recent days.

I do understand, in broad strokes if not in detail, the potential problems with Gencon cancelling on their own, which is of course why I want the relevant authorities to cancel such events rather than leaving it up to the event organizers. That simplifies the legal issues.

Several people here have commented on the reasons Gencon might have for not yet making an announcement.

[Vidmaster7]

It dang well aought to be its a freakin Shires.

[Fergie]

I think people are overthinking this a bit.
Once you get down to about 60 days before a major event, lots of money, contracts, and arrangements need to be finalized. Once those are in place, the show must go on, and the penalty for cancellation becomes enormous. You need to be 100% sure that the event won't have to be shut down the week before, the day before, or in the middle of the event.
There is just no way that anyone can be sure what things will look like in late July- early August. Would you be willing to bet millions of dollars to underwrite an event that could be shut down completely if one person has a coughing fit and keels over, an hour into a four day event? What happens when virus is found on surfaces in the convention center, or even a participating hotel? What happens when multiple participants (who have been mingling with hundreds of others) start showing symptoms early in the event?
Right now the penalty for cancellation is a few whiners and the loss of some revenue. If GenCon or any other event becomes the Fyre Festival, that could end the event permanently. No organization would risk that.

As I said in my initial post, this event, and all events like it during the summer, WILL be canceled. It isn't a question. But they can't cancel until they have accumulated all the information, and explored all other options.

[Irontruth]

Gorbacz wrote:

Irontruth wrote:

Gorbacz wrote:

This doesn't change the fact that the OP is correct, holding an event like this is lunacy.

What event exactly is being held?

Consider for a moment how you might criticize certain political groups for how they've used or ignored factual information about the decisions they've made... then consider how much actual factual information that genuinely exists and inspired this thread.

Is anyone here privy to the language and clauses of GenCon's agreements with the city?

Is anyone here privy to the financial agreements, insurance policies, or other similar business agreements that GenCon has in place?

Is anyone here privy to the laws and regulations of how the city can or cannot make their own decisions about the convention?

How familiar is anyone here with the state law of Indiana concerning declarations that might impact any of the above?

These are just some of the basic facts that would be required to even start actually understanding what will actually happen in the next few weeks or months, and yet currently our discussion about these events has none of those facts.

If you know these facts, I'd be curious to hear what you think the best course of action is for the organizers of GenCon. If you don't know these facts, it would seem to me to be lunacy to declare that you do know what is best.

I think this epidemic is a wonderful time for us all to reconsider how much rampant speculation we engage in when discussing people's lives and livelihoods.

It's simple, faced with the danger of people dying, topics like money, laws, taxes, agreements, clauses and the trickling down wealth which you will never see anyway, are all a secondary, if not tertiary, consideration. The event should be cancelled, even if it means that businesses will go bankrupt or people will lose their jobs. Being alive but unemployed beats being dead every time.

You're weighing human life against money and that's pretty much everything I need to know...

Where exactly did I say they should put lives at risk to protect their money? Please highlight where I actually said that.

Or is it something you ASSUMED about me?

I am suggesting that instead of engaging in wild speculation... we slow down, and look at legitimate information. We stop making accusations about people when we don't actually know what is going on.

Or maybe I should be more like you and accuse you of things you haven't said.

[Gorbacz]

Irontruth wrote:

Gorbacz wrote:

Irontruth wrote:

Gorbacz wrote:

This doesn't change the fact that the OP is correct, holding an event like this is lunacy.

What event exactly is being held?

Consider for a moment how you might criticize certain political groups for how they've used or ignored factual information about the decisions they've made... then consider how much actual factual information that genuinely exists and inspired this thread.

Is anyone here privy to the language and clauses of GenCon's agreements with the city?

Is anyone here privy to the financial agreements, insurance policies, or other similar business agreements that GenCon has in place?

Is anyone here privy to the laws and regulations of how the city can or cannot make their own decisions about the convention?

How familiar is anyone here with the state law of Indiana concerning declarations that might impact any of the above?

These are just some of the basic facts that would be required to even start actually understanding what will actually happen in the next few weeks or months, and yet currently our discussion about these events has none of those facts.

If you know these facts, I'd be curious to hear what you think the best course of action is for the organizers of GenCon. If you don't know these facts, it would seem to me to be lunacy to declare that you do know what is best.

I think this epidemic is a wonderful time for us all to reconsider how much rampant speculation we engage in when discussing people's lives and livelihoods.

It's simple, faced with the danger of people dying, topics like money, laws, taxes, agreements, clauses and the trickling down wealth which you will never see anyway, are all a secondary, if not tertiary, consideration. The event should be cancelled, even if it means that businesses will go bankrupt or people will lose their jobs. Being alive but unemployed beats being dead every time.

You're weighing human life against money and that's pretty much

...

I assumed nothing. It's you who is trying to make this about politics - I write that holding the event is lunacy, you're asking me to stop and consider the evidence before criticising political groups. Then you're asking me to review the financial and legal ramifications of cancelling the event.

I did, I reviewed them, I happen to be a lawyer, I know a thing or two about law and money. Continuing with the event is lunacy, counting on people not turning up anyway is idiocy, assuming that it won't happen anyway instead of calling it off is stupid.

I don't care what are the political affiliations of people making these decisions, they're acting dumb. I can relate to the fact that it's the system that encourages them to act dumb and will punish them if they won't, but it hardly matters.

[Quark Blast]

Gorbacz wrote:

It's simple, faced with the danger of people dying, topics like money, laws, taxes, agreements, clauses and the trickling down wealth which you will never see anyway, are all a secondary, if not tertiary, consideration. The event should be cancelled, even if it means that businesses will go bankrupt or people will lose their jobs. Being alive but unemployed beats being dead every time.

You're weighing human life against money and that's pretty much everything I need to know about you.

I don't often agree with the metalhead but when I do it's because he's right. He argues only facts and sometimes he does so rightly. Now sometimes those are equivocal facts but your wan attempt to impune him by saying he weighs human life against money, totally ignores the fact that, either directly or indirectly, all economic decisions weigh human life. Bar none*.

There was a study that came out of the 'Great Recession' and one of the more on-topic conclusions that they reached was:

For every 1% unemployment there are 10,000 extra/early deaths across the general population.

* The intervention in Darfur came late because it was too costly (one can only assume) and happened only because certain entities made ignoring the issue inexcusable - the global community was shamed into action. As a counter example, the Rwanda genocide was brought to no one's attention who could do anything about it and thought it worth the cost of intervention - and 800,000-to-1,000,000 people paid with their lives.

[thejeff]

Irontruth wrote:

Gorbacz wrote:

Irontruth wrote:

Gorbacz wrote:

This doesn't change the fact that the OP is correct, holding an event like this is lunacy.

What event exactly is being held?

Consider for a moment how you might criticize certain political groups for how they've used or ignored factual information about the decisions they've made... then consider how much actual factual information that genuinely exists and inspired this thread.

Is anyone here privy to the language and clauses of GenCon's agreements with the city?

Is anyone here privy to the financial agreements, insurance policies, or other similar business agreements that GenCon has in place?

Is anyone here privy to the laws and regulations of how the city can or cannot make their own decisions about the convention?

How familiar is anyone here with the state law of Indiana concerning declarations that might impact any of the above?

These are just some of the basic facts that would be required to even start actually understanding what will actually happen in the next few weeks or months, and yet currently our discussion about these events has none of those facts.

If you know these facts, I'd be curious to hear what you think the best course of action is for the organizers of GenCon. If you don't know these facts, it would seem to me to be lunacy to declare that you do know what is best.

I think this epidemic is a wonderful time for us all to reconsider how much rampant speculation we engage in when discussing people's lives and livelihoods.

It's simple, faced with the danger of people dying, topics like money, laws, taxes, agreements, clauses and the trickling down wealth which you will never see anyway, are all a secondary, if not tertiary, consideration. The event should be cancelled, even if it means that businesses will go bankrupt or people will lose their jobs. Being alive but unemployed beats being dead every time.

Where exactly did I say they should put lives at risk to protect their money? Please highlight where I actually said that.

Or is it something you ASSUMED about me?

I am suggesting that instead of engaging in wild speculation... we slow down, and look at legitimate information. We stop making accusations about people when we don't actually know what is going on.

Or maybe I should be more like you and accuse you of things you haven't said.

So what are you saying? It appears that you're agreeing that it would be bad to hold it - since you said "as things stand right now, even if the event isn't cancelled... no one should attend", but you're complaining about other people saying it would be bad to hold it?

Or is it something else you're complaining about? I don't think even Gorbacz is attacking them for not having cancelled it yet - only saying that it would be lunacy if they did go ahead and hold it.

You're not the first in this thread to talk about reasons they might not be ready to cancel yet, even if they intend to do so eventually. If you did intend all those questions about we knew about contracts and regulations and the like to mean that maybe they should go ahead, then we are back with "lives at risk to protect money".

[Fergie]

Quark Blast wrote:

... either directly or indirectly, all economic decisions weigh human life. ...

There was a study that came out of the 'Great Recession' and one of the more on-topic conclusions that they reached was:

For every 1% unemployment there are 10,000 extra/early deaths across the general population.

While I would fully agree that health, safety, and life are weighed against profits in almost all aspects of economic activity, I would caution against anyone drawing specific numerical conclusions based on that. The extra/early deaths are not an inevitable aspect of unemployment. We got different numbers in the past (especially pre-New Deal), and other countries will get different numbers based on their systems and societies. Also, a great many people who suffer deaths of despair in the US work at least one job. While we need jobs, it is also important that they are decent jobs!

We are well over half a century past the point where we are unable to provide for those in need. In this day and age, it is a conscious choice how much poverty and destitution we will allow our systems to produce. There is no lack of production, merely a failure of allocation.

Finally, I would avoid including war and military intervention, (or even humanitarian intervention) in this discussion. They are generally done for complex reasons that always include, but often go far beyond economics.

[Quark Blast]

I think we can agree that GenCon2020 gets canceled and maybe it's best we leave it there, or at the very least stop impugning the motives of others while discussing it.

Tangental to the OP:

Fergie wrote:

Quark Blast wrote:

... either directly or indirectly, all economic decisions weigh human life. ...

There was a study that came out of the 'Great Recession' and one of the more on-topic conclusions that they reached was:

For every 1% unemployment there are 10,000 extra/early deaths across the general population.

While I would fully agree that health, safety, and life are weighed against profits in almost all aspects of economic activity, I would caution against anyone drawing specific numerical conclusions based on that. The extra/early deaths are not an inevitable aspect of unemployment. We got different numbers in the past (especially pre-New Deal), and other countries will get different numbers based on their systems and societies. Also, a great many people who suffer deaths of despair in the US work at least one job. While we need jobs, it is also important that they are decent jobs!

The actual numbers will vary by culture and overall economic situation, true. Because not all jobs are decent (or decent to all potential job-holders) I would hold to the fact that unemployment always produces extra/premature deaths.

Fergie wrote:

We are well over half a century past the point where we are unable to provide for those in need. In this day and age, it is a conscious choice how much poverty and destitution we will allow our systems to produce. There is no lack of production, merely a failure of allocation.

While these are true statements for individuals, for societies as a whole they are not true, nor will they ever be. The Star Trek universe was nominally written as such a society but if you'll note a great many of the episodes (from TOS to Discovery) are about the "not yet" achievement of the dream. It is a common refrain, and always will be.

Decent jobs have always been a tight commodity and with increasing automation interacting with increasing population the competition for those decent jobs will only get more intensely fought over (for at least another 30 years anyway).

Fergie wrote:

Finally, I would avoid including war and military intervention, (or even humanitarian intervention) in this discussion. They are generally done for complex reasons that always include, but often go far beyond economics.

At the scale of countries all reasons are complex and involve strictly non-economic factors in any given overarching economic decision.

[Irontruth]

Gorbacz wrote:

I assumed nothing. It's you who is trying to make this about politics - I write that holding the event is lunacy, you're asking me to stop and consider the evidence before criticising political groups. Then you're asking me to review the financial and legal ramifications of cancelling the event.

I did, I reviewed them, I happen to be a lawyer, I know a thing or two about law and money. Continuing with the event is lunacy, counting on people not turning up anyway is idiocy, assuming that it won't happen anyway instead of calling it off is stupid.

You've reviewed GenCon's legal and financial documents?

You've reviewed Indianapolis city ordinances?
You've reviewed Indiana state law?

Please, I would be very curious to learn more. Which clauses in GenCon's contracts are you referring to in how they should handle their cancellation? I will also be very curious as to how a Polish lawyer came to be involved in business contracts in Indiana. Since you are claiming to have reviewed these documents, I assume that such a thing is possible, and I bet it is an interesting story.

There is some sarcasm, because I am skeptical of your claim, but if your claim is true, I am genuinely interested. This week I wouldn't have much time to read any legal documents, but since I do have access to a university law library account, I wouldn't mind doing some research and reading next week if you can point me to some specific sources. I can access the HeinOnline, Westlaw, Bloomberg Law, and a couple other databases.

[Irontruth]

thejeff wrote:

So what are you saying? It appears that you're agreeing that it would be bad to hold it - since you said "as things stand right now, even if the event isn't cancelled... no one should attend", but you're complaining about other people saying it would be bad to hold it?

Or is it something else you're complaining about? I don't think even Gorbacz is attacking them for not having cancelled it yet - only saying that it would be lunacy if they did go ahead and hold it.

You're not the first in this thread to talk about reasons they might not be ready to cancel yet, even if they intend to do so eventually. If you did intend all those questions about we knew about contracts and regulations and the like to mean that maybe they should go ahead, then we are back with "lives at risk to protect money".

I am arguing for nuance, factual information, and not leaping to conclusions.

Evidently, arguing for those things in times like this means that I value money over human life. That seems like a really f!+@ing strange leap in logic to me, but I guess it is where we are at these days.

[Gorbacz]

Irontruth wrote:

Gorbacz wrote:

I assumed nothing. It's you who is trying to make this about politics - I write that holding the event is lunacy, you're asking me to stop and consider the evidence before criticising political groups. Then you're asking me to review the financial and legal ramifications of cancelling the event.

I did, I reviewed them, I happen to be a lawyer, I know a thing or two about law and money. Continuing with the event is lunacy, counting on people not turning up anyway is idiocy, assuming that it won't happen anyway instead of calling it off is stupid.

You've reviewed GenCon's legal and financial documents?

You've reviewed Indianapolis city ordinances?
You've reviewed Indiana state law?

Please, I would be very curious to learn more. Which clauses in GenCon's contracts are you referring to in how they should handle their cancellation? I will also be very curious as to how a Polish lawyer came to be involved in business contracts in Indiana. Since you are claiming to have reviewed these documents, I assume that such a thing is possible, and I bet it is an interesting story.

There is some sarcasm, because I am skeptical of your claim, but if your claim is true, I am genuinely interested. This week I wouldn't have much time to read any legal documents, but since I do have access to a university law library account, I wouldn't mind doing some research and reading next week if you can point me to some specific sources. I can access the HeinOnline, Westlaw, Bloomberg Law, and a couple other databases.

I don't need to read any of those to know that cancelling the event will result in possible bankruptcy of the company organising it, either due to financial losses on costs that won't be covered or from inevitable lawsuits or some other legal madness the US legal system is famous for. You can spare yourself the time browsing Westlaw.

I know enough of US law to know that invoking whatever passes for vis maior over the pond won't be enough and that there's a chance the company won't survive canceling the event, as we're not talking about Disney or Hasbro or some other entity that can print money if needed, figuratively.

I've been just advising one recently cancelled con over here and the economic principles are the same, just as the certainty that the insurance company will trigger the "wars, terrorism, natural disasters, aliens and giant monsters" and won't pucker up. Tough. Yet, despite tanking on ticket returns and not getting the expenses done so far back, the organisers cancelled the con, because life and health took precedence over the bottom line.

I'm fully aware of all the peculiarities that make GenCon's situation different - they're a commercial entity, force majeure =/= vis maior, they can get hit by some crazy lawsuit for 50m USD that would never fly in a Yurpeen court. And yet, to hold the event as it is and not cancel it is, in my opinion, lunacy, likely because my hierarchy of values is starkly different from yours.

To make it clear - I'm not buying a "well if you would read the relevant laws you'd know that they are waiting until the Lord Protector of Indiananananananapolis will inevitably invoke the 1882 precedent that says that if three black women die in one day from a plague, an entrepreneur will not be held responsible if he declines to hold a trade fair on the next day" argument. Mostly because that given the sheer state of suicidal stupidity displayed by various authorities in the US lately, there's a worrying possibility that he won't.

Unless you can point me to some law that would mean the GenCon organisers will be impaled and slowly exsanguinated and their families flayed alive in the event they fail to hold GenCon 2020 - that might slightly alter my perception. Maybe you should be breaking out Westlaw after all...

[Irontruth]

There's a big thing you missed in all this, and we don't even need Westlaw to find it.

[Fireman Gob Montag]

Looks like the Climate Change thread has broke containment. Oh well. {flicks lighter in front of flamethrower}

[Irontruth]

GenCon is contractually obligated to stay in Indianapolis through 2023.

So, my question would be which scenario you think is a better strategy Gorbacz:

1: GenCon unilaterally declares that the convention is cancelled, and accepts all the liability for doing so.

2: GenCon negotiates with the city (and probably the state) for considerations and assistance, and doesn't announce cancellation until those negotiations reach a compromise or fail.

For historical context, GenCon was one of many, many businesses that threw their weight into opposing a bill that passed in Indiana, and pressured the government to pass a new bill protecting people who identify as LGBT.

GenCon is massively important to the economy of Indianapolis. The choice isn't preserving income or people's lives. This is a false dichotomy. This choice is how to provide as much economic stability as possible while prioritizing people's health and well-being.

I don't know the particulars of the convention you helped out. Heck, I don't even know what convention it is. But since it isn't GenCon, that means if it is a gaming convention, it is smaller. GenCon has more options and obligations than a smaller convention. GenCon has leverage to push the city of Indianapolis into at least some compromises. If the city and state are unwilling to work with GenCon, GenCon has the option to take their business elsewhere, literally.

So, maybe before we declare them insane for not having cancelled the convention already, we wait to see what actually happens over the next few weeks and months. If they bungle this process, I will join you in criticizing them. All I'm saying is maybe we wait until an actual decision is made.

[Justin Franklin]

And GenCon 2020 has officially been cancelled.

[Gorbacz]

*toot toot*

Also, GenCon Online will take place instead! I must say, this trend of big overseas events going online is very welcome for us Yurpeens. Please continue.

[NECR0G1ANT]

Gorbacz wrote:

Also, GenCon Online will take place instead! I must say, this trend of big overseas events going online is very welcome for us Yurpeens. Please continue.

Ditto for us 'Murikans who lacked the time/resources to attend in meatspace.

[Kir'Eshe]

Vaccine nearby? It is great news to see some light at the end of this deep and dark isolation.

[CrystalSeas]

Kir'Eshe wrote:

Vaccine nearby? It is great news to see some light at the end of this deep and dark isolation.

Things To Remember About Vaccines -- from Moderna's Chief Medical Officer

From Axios

"Moderna Chief Medical Officer Tal Zaks warns on #AxiosOnHBO to not "over-interpret" vaccine results: "They do not show that they prevent you from potentially carrying this virus...and infecting others." Adding, we shouldn't "change behaviors solely on the basis of vaccination." pic.twitter.com/qrwQkjLf3Y

[Kir'Eshe]

CrystalSeas wrote:

Things To Remember About Vaccines -- from Moderna's Chief Medical Officer

From Axios

"Moderna Chief Medical Officer Tal Zaks warns on #AxiosOnHBO to not "over-interpret" vaccine results: "They do not show that they prevent you from potentially carrying this virus...and infecting others." Adding, we shouldn't "change behaviors solely on the basis of vaccination." pic.twitter.com/qrwQkjLf3Y

Thanks for the correction. It is terrible news that there is a vaccine coming out. Nothing worth celebrating or expressing appreciation of the accomplishment.

[thejeff]

CrystalSeas wrote:

Kir'Eshe wrote:

Vaccine nearby? It is great news to see some light at the end of this deep and dark isolation.

Things To Remember About Vaccines -- from Moderna's Chief Medical Officer

From Axios

"Moderna Chief Medical Officer Tal Zaks warns on #AxiosOnHBO to not "over-interpret" vaccine results: "They do not show that they prevent you from potentially carrying this virus...and infecting others." Adding, we shouldn't "change behaviors solely on the basis of vaccination." pic.twitter.com/qrwQkjLf3Y

It's also going to take a long time to get the vaccines produced and widely distributed. Which does means that by the time most of get them, we'll have a much better idea how effective they are, how well they block transmission, etc.

It is going to be a dangerous period, as people overreact to the vaccine, or refuse to take it, but then it's not like people are handling it well now.

[Quark Blast]

And don't forget that "vaccine hesitancy" is a thing with several of the hardest hit countries indicating less than 70% compliance rate, with France below 60%. This will be a problem, especially if vaccination is effective for only a few months.

[Freehold DM]

Good question.

How long is this going to be effective for?