Last Call for WisCon35 Programming/Readings Sign-up (and more.)

A final reminder that Friday, March 18 is the last day to sign up as a panelist or moderator for WisCon 35. That's today (or soon will be).

It's also the last day to sign up for a reading. Groups and individuals alike are welcome to sign up to read - see the full details on doing a reading on the WisCon35 website.

And it's the last day to tell us what panels you're interested in, if you haven't already done it.

All three tasks can be accomplished by visiting the programming sign-up page. You'll need to sign-in or create an account using a valid e-mail. Once in, there's a link for program sign-up and audience interest, and another link for readings sign-up.

We have a few favors to ask:

• If you've signed up to participate in programming – please remember to let us know your availability for programming. We don't want to assign you to an 8:30 am panel if you're a late-night party person, or schedule your panel for midnight if you're in your jammies by 10 pm. The availability link is on the programming sign-up page.
• Similarly, if you've signed up to do programming, please complete the bio sections of your profile on by accessing your account. It helps speed along the process.
• We can always use a few good moderators.
• Finally, please help us get the word out by re-distributing this message among your online communities, e-lists, and friends lists. Remember, one does NOT need to have a paid registration to indicate an interest in WisCon programming, nor sign up to be a panelist (though you'll need a paid registration in order to score a final assignment - there's a convenient link to registration on the programming sign-up page.)

Thank you for participating - and if you have any questions, please send an email to program35@wiscon.info

What Happens At WisCon ....

… depends on what you tell us you want to do at WisCon.

The programming committee chooses panels and events for WisCon based on the interest expressed by members during programming sign-up. This is why we ask everyone who plans to attend WisCon – or even thinks they might attend WisCon – to peruse the proposed panels and identify the panels and events they might be interested in attending, even if they aren't interested in being a panelist or moderator.

To date, out of the nearly one thousand persons who traditionally attend WisCon, less than seventy-five have rated panels for interest or signed up to be a panelist or moderator. That means less than seventy-five persons are deciding what panels and events will be on offer at WisCon35.

Frankly, we'd like to have a larger sampling, and we on the programming committee would be grateful if you could take time in the next week to indicate your interest in the proposed panels.

All you need to do is visit the programming sign-up page and sign in to your account. (If you don't have an account, all you need is a valid email address to create one.) Then click on the "Sign up for programming! Tell us which panels you're interested in serving on, moderating or just being part of the audience" link, and use the radio buttons to indicate your interest (or lack of it.) You don't need a paid registration to do this.

Note that not voting on an item is equivalent to clicking the "not interested" button – so if you've already visited the programming interest/sign-up pages and didn't indicate an interest in a panel you might like to see, there's still time to go back, sign in and support that panel.

And if you happen to see a panel on a topic you're passionate about, please consider signing up as a panelist or moderator. Remember, WisCon doesn't seek formal expertise – just an enthusiasm for the topic, with an interest in discussing and debating it while being willing to share and play with others.

The deadline for indicating interests/signing up to participate in programming is Friday, March 18, 2011.

The deadline to sign up to do a reading is Friday, March 18, 2011.

Thank you!