[Ansteorra] ideas... long

[Chris Zakes]

At 12:55 PM 1/30/2013, you wrote:

>I completely agree with Tina.  I believe the technology of today's
>world is starting to harm some aspects of our society.  If you look at
>events you will see many people with their smartphones out taking
>photos, videos and phone calls.  There seems to be a lack of
>consideration for the atmosphere we want to achieve.
>
>Because of this issue I am seeing many reasons for our lower event
>attendance.  I would like to address two of this issues: lack of
>courtesy and the non-event eventer.  Please know when I use the word
>"Society" I am meaning the SCA.
>
>Our modern society has lost most of the idea of courtesy and it has
>flowed into the SCA.


FWIW, that is not a new concern. I've been told that starting around 
AS 2, people were complaining that the SCA wasn't like it was in "the 
good old days."

Stop and think about this for a moment, folks. Did the SCA seem like 
a wonderful, magical, chivalrous place when you joined, but after a 
few years the shiny started wearing off--people weren't as courteous, 
they made less effort to hide the mundane stuff, and it started to 
feel like a modern party in medieval clothes? I think that hits 
everybody, no matter when you joined.

I've been in the SCA since AS 10. My first event was in a park on the 
outskirts of San Antonio. The event site was maybe thirty yards down 
a trail from the parking area, and it really felt like walking back 
in time, leaving the 20th century and going into the Middle Ages. 
Afterwards, when I got home, I can recall just sitting there with a 
big grin on my face for a couple of hours.
But looking back today, *all* the tents were modern camping tents, 
the pavilions were blue tarps, most of the fighters were wearing 
freon can helms, many were wearing carpet armor, and most of the 
clothing would scream "newbie" to our eyes now. In many ways the SCA 
*is* doing a better job of playing the Middle Ages than we did 37 
years ago. I agree that camera-phones can be obtrusive, but even in 
AS 10 we had folks with flash cameras. I can remember a prominent 
knight--who was a big Aggie football fan--coming onto the field 
between rounds at one of the Queen's Grace tournaments (held 
Thanksgiving weekend) and announcing the score of the UT-Aggie 
football game (granted, he *did* say "Shadowlands 17, Bryn Gwlad 10", 
but everybody knew what he was talking about.)

All that being said, I *do* agree that we could stand to cut down on 
the modern elements. Go easy on updating every single thing at an 
event or in court to Twitter and Facebook as soon as it happens (or 
at least do it out of the public view) cover your coolers, put your 
drinks in period containers, if you're using a modern camping chair, 
cover it, as well. But y'know, most of those suggestions were being 
made twenty or thirty years ago, too.

         -Tivar Moondragon
         Fossil-in-residence