Hi! Welcome to Insert Convention Here. We hope you enjoy your stay and have many productive interactions. For the sake of your and others' enjoyment, here's a set of rules to follow.
Q: Explicit rules? At a libertarian convention?
A: Nothing wrong with rules, per se. You're free to follow another set, if you think they're better. And the convention owners are free to escort you out if they disagree. Remember, it's their floor. Don't worry though - there's not much. Think of them more like ... guidelines.
Don't litter. There's trashcans around the venue. Use them.
Be considerate. Leave the shared restrooms in the same state as you found them.
Don't commit any crimes on the convention floor. Don't steal people's stuff.
If you see somebody committing a crime, please inform a Community Organizer. They'll escalate the matter to venue security as appropriate.
If you want to help, take photos from a safe distance! A picture is worth a thousand words, especially in court.
To Organizers: please try to avoid acting on just word of mouth. If you get multiple reports of misbehavior from a specific group, a good strategy may be to deputize somebody from the crowd and task them to follow that group, at a discreet distance, and document any bad behavior. Do not deputize the complainant; that's just asking for harassment.
See Section: Privacy.
If somebody says something or does something you don't like, ask them to stop.
If they don't stop, leave the area.
Q: But they're saying offensive things!
A: That's not a question. Joke aside: just leave the area. They bought tickets, just like you did. They have a right to their space on the convention floor. If whatever they're saying is offensive to you, you've probably wandered into a socially incompatible area of the convention. Remember: this is their space.
If you've left the area and they're following you, or you feel they're following you, they may be harassing you. Talk to an Organizer. The Organizer will try to ascertain what the problem is, where you should go to find good people to talk to, and where they should go to find good people to talk to.
If they're still following you, talk to an Organizer again and they'll escalate the problem to a convention owner. The convention owners have the right to kick people out, and are asked to do so if harassment is taking place.
Q: Well, I'm feeling harassed by the things these people are saying!
A: That's not what harassment means here. Harassment means following you around, and talking to or at you if you don't want them to. People standing in place, doing their thing, are not harassing you. No matter what they are saying.
Q: The owners are doing nothing.
A: Just leave the con. You got burnt. It sucks. Please don't blame this ruleset - it's clearly not being followed.
Q: I left the con, but I'm still being followed.
A: Stalking is a crime, so this is a good time to call the police. Seek out populated areas.
Note: this protocol tries to cover every extremity. The above is statistically extremely unlikely to actually occur. We hope you feel safer knowing there's always a correct next step to follow. If you don't feel safer, just put the above out of your mind.
Q: What's a Community Organizer?
A: Community Organizers (or Organizers) are people who have taken on the obligation to improve the organization of the convention. They can be recognized by the bright orange armbands.
Q: So what, do they get to kick people out?
A: They don't get to kick people out. They don't get any inherent special rights. Being an organizer is a position of responsibility, not of privilege.
Q: So I can ignore them?
A: You are strongly recommended not to. Remember, an Organizer's job is to improve people's convention experience.
Q: How do I become an Organizer?
A: Find an Organizer. Tell them you want to become an Organizer. They'll read you a complete copy of these rules and make sure you've understand them. Then they'll give you an armband.
Q: I talked to an Organizer, and they refused to give me an armband!
A: They probably think that no more Organizers are currently needed. You're free to talk to another one. (But remember, the rest of the rules still apply. Don't chase people around.) Part of an Organizer's job is to decide who would make a good Organizer. Keep in mind: they get no special privileges aside from the pretty orange armbands.
Q: But I wanted an armband too!
A: Sorry. For what it's worth, you can get them for cheap on Amazon.
A note to convention owners: feel free to decorate your armbands however you see fit.
The basic assumption is that the convention floor is a public space; there is no expectation of privacy. This is vital to allow evidence-gathering for misbehavior. If you want to create a convention where people can say things without fear of being blackmailed or getting hit with negative repercussions in their career, it is recommended to hand out official GoPros to Organizers, whose storage will be deleted after the Con.
Q: Why orange armbands?
A: Two effects. They create a group of people that is easily recognizeable as "responsible", creating a first-response layer of defense and a natural contact point in case of difficulties, and they create a distinct, privileged caste of enforcers who are united by their shared adherence to a creed, hopefully beyond party lines. It is expected to be understood that when you put on the armband, you stop arguing about politics. It also must be emphasized that being a Community Organizer gives you no special privileges beyond what people choose to give you. However, for the good of the con, it is recommended that convention owners avoid secondguessing their organizers.
Q: So, I've been thinking about this, and the Community Organizers are backed up by the Conference Owners, who are backed up by the police, who are backed by the violence monopoly of the state! You're all filthy capitalists in disguise!
A: Libertarianism is not anarchism. It is not libertarian to deny the factual existence of the violence monopoly of the state, nor is it un-libertarian to make use of it where convenient.
Q: So what makes this ruleset libertarian?
A: The adherence to the principles of non-aggression and self-organization with minimal centralized regulation. The idea that you can always go elsewhere without being followed is an approximation of exit rights, which are also a common libertarian topic. Note: strictly speaking, this ruleset is Archipelago, not Libertarian, but Archipelago sees itself in a proud libertarian tradition. In that spirit: if you don't like it, start your own con. :)