On Tue, Nov 10, 2020, 9:26 PM RETRO Innovations via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
Since I'm quite a ways away (in Iowa) from many of the rest of the group, I'm not privy to all of the politics and such occurring here, but perhaps my thoughts will be seen as an "outsider's view":
* Bill Degnan: I'm not sure I understand the statement "VCF MW and VCF E are two different kinds of show." Are you referring to the fact that VCF-Midwest shares the name VCF with other shows but is not managed by the VCF Federation?
See comments below, with <snip>'s Is it that the show style is
significantly different than the other shows? (As Alexander notes, I think other VCF shows run the same was as Midwest). I worry about this continuing need to single out MW as a different thing. * I'll be honest. I attended at least 2 VCF-East shows, but skipped attending in the past few years, for the following reasons: o VCF East did not seem welcoming to hybrid exhibitor/seller folks like myself. While I have not attended the last few fests, the 2 I attended I was placed in the consignment room, which was a poor fit for many of us (Bob Applegate selling his new reproductions, the Model M KB restoration guy and a few others next to the pile of broken machines and stacks of old software titles). In all the fests, there are those who just want a sales table and some sell old stuff. but it felt demeaning to lump everyone who was selling something into 1 space, and a tiny space at that. Even if more current shows allow a larger space for sales, I still prefer to be in the exhibitor space.
<snip>
Jim
Ok now you asked for it. Excuse the rambling response as I shate the true history of MARCH and the Federation. Some people aren't going to like reading or wanting to believe some of this, but I am simply reporting the facts as I see them from my perspective. It's still a free country. If you disagree, prove me wrong. First of all, I was a co-founder of MARCH and I was on the first board of both MARCH and VCFed, for many years. Evan did not found the group, *we* all did, but from the beginning it was he who wanted to find a space in NJ as headquarters for an east coast VCF after Sellam gave up on what was then just *the* Vintage Computer Festival. It was Evan that put in the effort to run the mailing list and run VCFs. Others myself included ran the workshops in our homes and the first Festivus' or two while Evan concentrated on the VCFs and to secure the InfoAge space. Evan was not a fan of workshops, and basically I said, well then don't come. But we agreed let's all have a party 6 months after VCF so we have something to do in between the formal event. That's how Festivus started. We founders pretty much as quit in frustration for various reasons one by one and new people took over that seemed more interested in franchising "vintage computing" than fostering the community aspect of the original group. Not everyone but it was no longer the same with the new corporation and heavy handed attitude. But that happens I suppose. Ask yourself: why is there no club out west or north west? Here is the part that will ruffle some feathers...stop reading now if you dont want to hear some hard truths. Personally I thinks it's just how it was and is, objectively. I have nothing to gain here. Bottom line the board tricked Evan to give up his board position. I was vocal about this then, privately, but not publically. Evan accepted a paid position convinced he would have the same power but that was never the plan in my opinion. Turns out I was correct. That was the moment VCF became a business A few years later the vcf board created the local NJ committee placing Evan as a defacto team member, knowing full well he'd have no power, rub everyone the wrong way and quit or get kicked out. And guess what... the Infoage steering committee did the board's dirty work and took care of the Evan problem for the vcf board. You have to understand for a time Evan ran the bank accounts and essentially the MARCH name. For some this would not do! Well done I suppose but please everyone should acknowledge their role in this messed up drama. No one likes being a pawn or admitting that they were being manipulated. No one wants to be exposed. Maybe you dont care, even better. But can you blame Evan for being a little pissy and hard to work with? I was way more involved in MARCH before we became the Federation and I never really cared for the switch, and I quit after the transition for reasons that I'd rather not get into here. Jeff Brace took my place. I came back to the board for a while because I was promised a few things that never materialized and I left again, this time for good. I never liked the idea of controlling all of vintage computing and not supporting independents, nor refusing to promote one-off events. But my opinion was in the minority and it was Federation or be ignored. So I left and started Kennett Classic. No hard feelings. Other established groups resisted joining the Federation at that time so it's not really accurate to say everyone running a VCF is under one umbrella . Jason Timmons et al made a separate deal with Sellam to use the name vintage computer festival for the MW event, run independently, *prior* to the formation of VCFed. This why it's not under the Federation umbrella. The South East event was independent as well and is a little more connected to vCFed. The new VCF West and northwest shows were formed after Brutman and Erik Klein joined the board and they pretty much own them through the board. There is no "club" there just a shell for yearly vcf's. It's just business. The European VCFs are more or less independent but play along as they either dont care about the USA group or dont know better. Its loose at best. In the old days Sellam Ismail ran VCFs and he is the one who set the standard for how to do it. Back then there were all kinds of goings on it was a lot of fun. VCFMW is the closest thing to the original VCFs run by Sellam OPINION...I don't get why the NJ club needs the vcf corporate umbrella at all. The club *is* the group and should be independent. The old club part still exists because the members keep it alive but VCF leadership does not foster the club community they just own the artifacts and the logo. Otherwise there would be similar groups out west, right? It's the NJ club that made the west coast shows viable again. The board meetings were all about money and planning VCFs and complaining about Evan. I suppose no one cares about the breakdown of east vs west revenue, but suffice it to say it ain't even Maybe you can see why I started an independent thing in Kennett as did Dave McGuire. A lot of us said screw it we dont need to be franchised. MidWest is the most fun because its organic and the people are more laid back. There are three or four vintage-themed clubs that join together for the one event. Swap tables on top of exhibits on top of vendors is the way it goes. You can drink a beer or two at night and hang out and mess around with old computers, talk, listen to music and trade junk. It's more of a party and a workshop and a swap all in one. Here is a cynical thought experiment. What is preventing the board from planning to swipe the museum out of InfoAge and move it to a city like Philadelphia? Now that Evan is out of the picture the next phase could be to move the museum. Imagine when InfoAge asks for money or otherwise makes it easy to justify to pack up and leave. You running the InfiAge committee may watch as professional museum curators will assume possession of your hard work after years of collecting and restoring everything. It will be couched in "it's best for the artifacts and more people will get to see them..etc" yes/no? It remains to be seen. Youch I know, but ? I believe everyone needs to stop bickering about Evan and start asking more questions about this Federation, the bank accounts and apparently the lifetime appointments of the board members. Where are the elections for the real power? Find a way to bring Evan back into the fold, or Evan be the leader that made this group great and start another group. There are plenty of racquetball courts in NJ. Faithfully, Bill Degnan