Okay, I'm impressed w/ WorldCon

[kaberett]

I decided this morning that I was sufficiently upset about the vile autism-bashing in a panel description to send an e-mail about it. Within two hours I'd had an actually useful response. Details below the cut!

My initial message:

As a heads-up with respect to inclusivity, diversity and respect:I'm an autistic nerd (who speaks German and eats Sauerkraut) and I'm really upset that the programme notes for http://guide.loncon3.org/#prog/id:414 include derogatory use of "autistic". Is there anything you can do about that at this stage?

The response was:

Dear Alex,

My name is James Bacon and I am the director of programme.

Thank you for reaching out here, you are absolutely correct, I'd like to apologise, as I missed this and it is inappropriate.

I admit I fear something has been lost in translation with our German friends, but the content of our programme is my responsibility, and I am sorry I did not spot this.

I am especially sorry that I've caused you upset. But I am very grateful you have so graciously informed me.

We will rectify this immediately in our database.

There is some lag between our adjusting the database and it appearing in the App.

But we will endeavour to update by the end of today - Friday.

I should mention our paper programme has gone to press, but we will note the change in our change sheets, with an apology.

My sincerest thanks and again my unreserved apologies

Yours
James.

Now obviously as a German-speaker (blah blah first language blah) I'm pretty comfortable that this is about these guys being arses, rather than having owt to do with anything getting "lost in translation", but hey, still impressed!

Comments

[littlebutfierce]

Wow, that's pretty awesome!!

[kaberett]

I got another e-mail at 11.40pm telling me that he'd checked to make sure database changes had propagated through to the app & they had, and thanking me again for flagging up the thing. So! Very, very impress.

[birke]

Yeah, that's a good response.

After reading the panel description, I think Ralf and Juergen are not the best advertisements for "the special German sense of humor."

[kaberett]

Quite.

[forests_of_fire]

Yeah, that's definitely awesome. :D

[silveradept]

Indeed. A clear response, with decisive action, and the ability to do such invested in someone. Quite impressive.

[kaberett]

Yep! And I got another e-mail about 12 hours later letting me know he'd double-checked that the changes had propagated through to the website, and they had :-)

[silveradept]

That is impressive. It sounds like Worldcon had done this thing before, and therefore had the process and procedures already in place to handle it.

[calissa]

I'm impressed!

[azurelunatic]

Hooray James and Worldcon! (My implicit offer of portable fire stands, just in case needed.)

[kaberett]

Thank you!