Murray Moore for DUFF!!!!!

[randy_byers]

For those of you who haven't seen this elsewhere, the 2008 DUFF ballot is out (PDF). It has to be in the hands of an administrator by midnight of January 31st, so act quickly! There may be an online voting option available soon too.

I support Murray Moore in this year's race. You should too.

If this is all Greek to you, then never you mind. Or mind the tags.

Comments

[profgeek.livejournal.com]

Absotively 4 Murray! Ballots going out with Askance #6 in about a week.

[strangedave.livejournal.com]

I find myself a little conflicted by your endorsement. Not knowing any candidates, based on statements and nominators I seem to have a clear choice between con-runners and a hard core fanzine fan (who seems mostly motivated to meet other hard core fanzine fans). And I've been a long term proponent of the view that fan funds shouldn't be seen as for the fanzine fan hard-core (and that fan funds in Australia won't survive if they are seen to be that way, as there are perhaps about a dozen such people active in Australia) and need to encourage people active in other sides of fandom such as active con-runners etc.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Well, I support Murray for DUFF because I know him and think he would be a good delegate and administrator. I don't know the other candidates, and they would probably be fine too. I'm just bucking for my friend. (Egoboo, Murray!)

While I will typically vote for the "fanzine fan hardcore," I certainly don't think the fan funds belong to fanzine fans. For that matter, Murray helped run the last Toronto Corflu and maybe the last Toronto Worldcon, so does that make him a conrunner? The categories aren't always all that clear-cut. On the other hand, I do think being active in fanzines is an advantage in running for a fan fund in that a broader group of fans is likely to know your name.

Anyway, are you thinking that no one has wanted to stand for DUFF from the Australian side lately because they perceive it as a fanzine fan thing? I figured it was because nobody wanted to get fingerprinted to visit the US or risk being shipped to Guantanamo.

[strangedave.livejournal.com]

Oh, I understand that you are part of the fanzine fan hard-core (you have a Hugo to prove it!), and I absolutely expect that you will be promoting people you think will be a good choice, and its only natural that that will tend towards fanzine fans. But the situation is a bit different in Australia, and the distinction between the two a bit more clear cut, largely due to the greying and gaffiating of Australian fanzine fandom -- I expect the overlap between Australian active fanzine fans (either writing zines in the last 5 years, or in ANZAPA), and people who will be attending a Natcon outside of Melbourne, to be about 1 or 2 people.

Is there really a shortage of Australian DUFF candidates lately? Maybe we do need to work on that. I think that there was a perception that it was a good idea for there to be a New Zealand delegate, and some Australians may have held back from running against Norman. And it may be that Norman does not know enough potential Australian candidates. I think there were some good candidates in the few years before that (obviously, especially in the year that I lost to Julian :-) ).

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

I guess we'll see how the vote goes this time. If Steve and Sue are conrunners, then you lot have conrunners to vote for, if that's what you prefer.

There was supposed to be an Australasia-to-North America race after Guy's trip Down Under a couple of years ago, but apparently no one agreed to stand, so they decided to run another race the other way to keep things aligned for the probable Australian Worldcon in 2010. I hadn't realized that you'd run before. You should run again! Your hilarious (and moving, more ways than one) passport story on your FFANZ trip just made the latest File 770. You're famous!

[strangedave.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think Norman didn't do a very good job of publicising it in Australia. We do seem to have had less interest in DUFF than in GUFF, not sure why (DUFF usually comes with a Worldcon, GUFF only occasionally). I ran in 2002 with then girlfriend Sarah Xu, and got soundly beaten by Julian. I probably will run again, perhaps in 09.

Ah, that's funny about the passport story. I'll have to make sure I read it when the PDF version of File 770 comes out.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised Mike didn't ask you for permission on the passport story, since it's mostly comprised of direct quotes from you, probably from your LiveJournal.

The '09 DUFF race would be interesting because the winner should end up going to the Montreal Worldcon.