The ‘Ow-much? Red Dwarf Convention News Posted by Ian Symes on 27th September 2025, 16:08 We’ve always said that we’d be reserving judgement on the new Official Red Dwarf Convention until we had more details – what kind of event is it going to be, how much is it going to cost, what do we get for our money. Well, we now have those details, with the launch of the convention’s website. It’s going to be held at The Level, a music and events venue in Nottingham, on the 18th and 19th of July 2026. So unlike Dimension Jump, it’ll be more of a comic con style affair, rather than the more intimate vibe you get from a hotel-based con. This is kind of what we were expecting, given that it’s being run by the team behind Em-Con, but it’s fair to say there’s been a bit of a backlash from a number of fans, especially when it comes to the pricing. Before we get into it, full disclosure: while I was never a part of The Official Red Dwarf Fan Club team, my partner was for over a decade, specifically as the chief Dimension Jump organiser for most of that time. As a Fan Club WAG, I was among those who helped to run a total of six DJs, to varying degrees. The Official Red Dwarf Convention is not Dimension Jump, and nor is it trying to be. Dimension Jump was always such an outlier that it’s impossible to recreate the unique circumstances that made it such extraordinarily good value for money. It was most certainly not run for profit, and most of the time it achieved the exact opposite of profit. Not a single person that put months of hard work into each event got paid for their time, and the guests received a much lower rate than they could get elsewhere, all so the ticket price could be kept to a minimum. The philosophy was that it was an event for everyone, and while there were a handful of optional extras that could be bought (for a below-market-value price), each and every ticket got you access to everything that happened in the event hall, autographs and photos with every single guest, and crucially, unlimited opportunities to socialise and meet new people. A professionally run convention was never going to be anything like that, and the prices reflect this. I was bracing myself for a sharp intake of breath when I opened the website, but in many ways it could have been worse – the most expensive ticket for the last DJ (non Fan Club member, after the earlybird discount deadline) was £110, and they went on sale in 2019. Six years on, and the bronze level of Official-Con tickets are only a tenner more, and for that you’ll get an experience that’s not entirely unlike DJ. Event entry, opening ceremony, all the Q&As, booklet. But alas, only one autograph, and no entry to the Saturday night party. For that, you’ll have to pay £290 for a silver ticket, so the equivalent of at least two DJs. And even then, you don’t get autographs from the “headline guests” – it doesn’t specify who they are, but I’d assume Craig, Chris, Danny and Robert. If you want their autographs too, you’ll need a gold ticket, at a staggering £435. That’s four or five Dimension Jumps worth, plus the cost of accommodation and travel, to get something that’s almost exactly like the old convention, but a day shorter and with nowhere to hang around afterwards. Side note – you can also buy a single day entry ticket for £40, or a weekend entry ticket for £60. That sounds much more like it, but the website doesn’t tell you what you get for that. I’m assuming you just get to go in and have the option to pay for individual autographs or photos, but it would be nice to get that clarified. This type of convention is not for me. I’m aware that I’ve been spoiled by Dimension Jump (I was a paying attendee before and after my involvement), but the type of cons that segregate people depending on how much money they can spend have always made me feel uneasy. Putting the disco behind a paywall is particularly egregious – for me, the whole point of being in the same place as other Red Dwarf fans is to socialise with them, and there have been countless friendships and relationships that have been formed and fostered on these weekends. It’s a shared experience, and I want everyone to be able to share the same thing. So it’s not for me. But there are plenty of people who don’t think of a DJ-style weekender when they think “convention”, they think of the type of events run by Showmasters, Starfury or, well, Em-Con. And by those standards, the Official-Con prices are pretty much par for the course, perhaps even slightly cheaper than most of their competitors. Each to their own, I say – I wish there was still a Red Dwarf convention aimed at people like me, but I’m not going to get mad at professional convention organisers for organising a professional convention that’s aimed at people not like me. In an ideal world, there’d be both – a cheap and cheerful Dimension Jump for those who just want to hang out with other fans, and a premium option for those who are both willing and able to pay a little more to meet their heroes. The fact is that there hasn’t been a Dimension Jump for over four years, and no indication whatsoever that anything is being planned. A void was created, and Official-Con has turned up to fill it. There’s nothing to stop Dimension Jump continuing alongside Official-Con, but let’s face it, the signs aren’t great. The last one was in September 2021, and that was originally put into place for mid 2020, before being postponed for obvious reasons. The Fan Club’s monthly newsletter was last sent in May 2022, while their quarterly magazine was last published in Spring 2019. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Club has chosen the day after the Official Convention launched to announce that they’re suspending paid membership, and are refunding any fees paid since July 2023. This is a very good move, especially as it’s an automatic process, with members not having to jump through any hoops to get their money back. But it’s an absolute scandal that they were continuing to take people’s membership fees for so long, while providing literally fuck all in return. The team remains, as always, composed entirely of volunteers contributing their spare time, which absolves a lot of criticism when the service provided is free. I’m glad that it now is, at least for the timebeing, but I can’t help feel that the July 2023 cut off point is kind of arbitrary, when they stopped doing a single thing that people were paying for long before that. As someone who spent so many years being so close to the Fan Club’s inner sanctum, it’s painful to see how rapidly it’s given up the ghost since the majority of the old guard left. Custodianship of that institution is a privileged position, which not everyone in that position seems to appreciate. The idea and the ethos of Dimension Jump deserves better, and it deserves to still be a going concern. I only hope that the Fan Club take the Official-Con’s announcement, and the reaction to it from former DJ attendees, as the kick up the arse they so desperately need.
I’m an Em-Con regular and I was – perhaps foolishly – expecting prices in line with Em-Con prices. I think I’m going to have to give serious thought to this. Do I just gamble on meeting the cast at other conventions and also meet people from other series attending those events? I’m not fussed about the opening and closing ceremonies or the party because I’m old and my knees hurt but they’re folded in to the only packages that will give me a fighting chance of interacting with the “headliners” – which, realistically, is what Craig will be and he does far fewer con appearances than, say, Chris and Danny. I won’t lie, I think the prices are probably about right for what’s being offered in 2025. Everything is expensive because the economy has been fucked half to death over the last decade and a half. A convention is a luxury, I’m not deluding myself there. It’s just unfortunate that compared to the main Em-Con there will be a smaller venue, a much smaller head count and fewer things to do overall. I don’t think it’s an unreasonable ask, it’s just as much as I love Red Dwarf, I also love being able to pay my heating bill so I may have to seriously weigh this one up.
A nice even-handed article. I was never active in the fandom at the right time to go to a DJ, so missed out on that experience. I would have considered something like that today, just to get the chance to be there for once, but this kind of event doesn’t sound quite the same and also is frankly far too expensive for what I’d get out of it. But hopefully those attending enjoy it and it helps to keep the show alive and in the public eye.
This type of convention is not for me. I’m aware that I’ve been spoiled by Dimension Jump (I was a paying attendee before and after my involvement), but the type of cons that segregate people depending on how much money they can spend have always made me feel uneasy. Well, I’ve never been to anything like this – the thought of the big ComicCons and whathaveyou have always made me feel somewhat intimidated. But that DJ thing of hanging about with other folk was always a buzz, and the fact I was too skint to attend as often as I’d’ve liked was gutting. I’ve said elsewhere that FOMO brought my credit card into action last night, and – against my better judgement, to be honest – I’ve got a Bronze pass. Part of that FOMO, though, was to do with hopefully catching up with a few old friends at the actual convention. If, as it looks like, none of the old guard are actually going to bother buying a ticket, I might end up not going myself. I’m already having regrets less than 24 hours after getting my ticket, God help me for the next ten months. :/
I don’t think it’s an unreasonable ask, it’s just as much as I love Red Dwarf, I also love being able to pay my heating bill so I may have to seriously weigh this one up.
So is this a case of TORDFC not doing anything and this is occupying that gap or has the fan club been pushed aside in favour of a better paying gig? Odd timing for the definitely first ever official Red Dwarf convention happening in the wake of the show’s, what? Hiatus?
Odd timing for the definitely first ever official Red Dwarf convention happening in the wake of the show’s, what? Hiatus? As you say in many ways it’s a wake. ;- It’s Dead on Dave, Dave.
Wasn’t particularly interested in it – I’m not an autograph or selfie hunter – but I do hope anyone who does fork out for it has a nice time.
Look at it this way, the first Star Trek conventions happened following the shows original run. And then a movie was made.
“the type of cons that segregate people depending on how much money they can spend have always made me feel uneasy.“ And the type of con that classifies Red Dwarf creator/writers, actors and or guests stars into Headliner, Regular and Bonus Categories might raise an eyebrow with you? Doug, Hattie & Chloe announced thus far being dubbed “Bonus” on the event website. …, They mention on their socials that only ”One” Headliner is to be announced. With 10 to 12 guests in total for the event line up. Reply’s on their Socials also say “Day tickets and weekend tickets get access to the event, all the panels/Q&A’s and access to all the sets and items from the show on display” They mention Sets, Screen used Skutters and are still in talks with Doug about this. They go on to say Day/weekend tickets… …. you’ll have access to purchase autographs on the day “Bonus Guests”- £25 “Regular Guest” £30 – and photoshoots”” The exact photoshoot combinations are still to be confirmed, but are on sale from Monday. .
So is this a case of TORDFC not doing anything and this is occupying that gap or has the fan club been pushed aside in favour of a better paying gig? Odd timing for the definitely first ever official Red Dwarf convention happening in the wake of the show’s, what? Hiatus? It’s the former. You can’t push aside something that isn’t there.
Maybe the headliner is Rob Anita Dobson. Who spends most of the Q&A talking about being the Rani. To get crossover ticket sales with Whovians.
Anita Dobson. Who spends most of the Q&A talking about being the Rani. To get crossover ticket sales with Whovians. She was at the last Em-Con, actually, so you never know. I can tell you even she wasn’t fond of CGI Omega.
I always found the idea of paying for an autograph (as in giving someone a tenner and watching them write their name down) a bit repulsive
I always found the idea of paying for an autograph (as in giving someone a tenner and watching them write their name down) a bit repulsive Paying people for their time and labour is hardly a revolutionary concept. At a con, there are hundreds of people wanting to meet their favourite actor and want something special to remember it. Now I’m kinda on the side of ‘well if everyone has something signed it becomes less special’ but hey, people want what they want. These people have to sit for HOURS signing pictures and meeting people and keeping their energy up to every 30second interaction seems like the first they’ve had that day.
I’d say £30 is quite a lot for 30 seconds work, but agreed that it’s just the nature of it. I’ve got less than zero interest in autographs and have never understood the fascination with meeing famous people and the like, but clearly a lot of people think it’s worth the money, so what do I know?
I tend to prefer book signings where usually the signature and chat are free, but there’s an implicit expectation that you’ll at least buy the book. I’ve met quite a few authors that way and have never been charged for it.
I went ahead and got two day tickets at the £60 level. Just hoping for some Q & As. Also going to Doug’s literature event tomorrow so I’ll be able to compare the two happenings in ten months.
I had been experiencing a little bit of FOMO with the announcement – yet another Red Dwarf event I wouldn’t be able to attend, alas – but that’s definitely eased up over the last couple of days. I’ll stick to Gallifrey One for now. [muffled mumbling from earpiece] Oh, hang on…
I’ll stick to Gallifrey One for now. [muffled mumbling from earpiece] Oh, hang on… It’s lasting longer than actual Doctor Who…
So at the old Convention, the price you paid included time with the Stars, autograph etc? That’s really good. I went to one of those ‘collectormania’ conventions in the mid 2000s and, even then, paying £20 a pop for 30 seconds with the two Baker Doctor Whos was a lot, and felt…grubby. I saw that the 5th Doc and two companions were at a free town festival near us a few months back. But they weren’t part of the free part. I get that people want to meet the stars. But the cash exchange just always feels…grubby. Especially when it’s three figures in cost, as it seems to be with modern Who Doctors. In an age of online blogs, zines and all that, you can probably just spend a few months creating a portfolio and then getting interviews with these people, and to spend time with them. I had a lovely day in the Big Finish studios (and nearby pub!) with the cast of a Who story some years back, just on the basis of a handful of articles I’d written for a nascent webzine. I never even got around to transcribing the interview :(
I remember being made to wait in line for ages for Zoe Ball’s autograph when she visited the local agricultural show in about 1994, not seemingly doing anything else. I was really, really, really, really, really thrilled to meet her.
Don’t get me wrong – the guests at these things are doing real work, lots of it, and deserve to be paid for their time. But if you’re charging per autograph then yeah, grubby is the word.
I went to a Collectormania in Glasgow in 2008 and met Craig, really thrilled etc. But John Leeson was also there and he was doing autographs for free and his queue was out the bloody door all day, so I can only imagine the clusterfuck if somebody like Tom Baker did that.
Yeah I don’t follow the logic for why specifically charging per autograph is “grubby”. If the price is extortionate then I understand, but not as a general rule. Maybe it’s just because it’s technically possible to blag a free autograph by, say, randomly running into them in Tesco? But still, if they’re going to dedicate solid hours to signing and greeting, it’s fair enough for them to be compensated for that. I am tickled by Asclepius’s suggestion though, that you can avoid the cost by just becoming an internet blogger and building up enough clout to get an in-person interview with the celebrity in question. Sure, simple as that, and definitely scalable. Although you get way more time with them if you go through drama school, become a successful and in-demand actor, and then seek out projects where you’ll co-star with them.
Just become a successful TV Producer and invite all your favourite actors to discuss an exciting project.
Simply follow them closely on social media, find out if they or their partner ever get pregnant, promptly conceive your own child, move within the same catchment area so your child attends the same school as theirs (may need to change your child’s school several times if unsure), manipulate your child to be their child’s friend, then wait for your invite for their birthday party at Funsters.
Yeah I don’t follow the logic for why specifically charging per autograph is “grubby”. If the price is extortionate then I understand, but not as a general rule. Maybe it’s just because it’s technically possible to blag a free autograph by, say, randomly running into them in Tesco? But still, if they’re going to dedicate solid hours to signing and greeting, it’s fair enough for them to be compensated for that. I am tickled by Asclepius’s suggestion though, that you can avoid the cost by just becoming an internet blogger and building up enough clout to get an in-person interview with the celebrity in question. Sure, simple as that, and definitely scalable. Although you get way more time with them if you go through drama school, become a successful and in-demand actor, and then seek out projects where you’ll co-star with them. I was too blase with that, so fair play with calling it out. I’ve never been a blogger, and I’m not sure what the door ‘in’ to these things is like now. But back in 2010 or so I used to chuck an article or two a week at Den of Geek. Dr. Who reviews mostly. Nothing of any massive quality, but stuff that would take 30/60 minutes or so to write. Big Finish reviews, writing up news that I’d read elsewhere, and making it more relevant or interesting. Some silly things. When Big Finish were doing a particular project I was interested in, I just emailed them and linked to some of the stuff I’d written and I got to spend a day down there, eating all their amazing food. I don’t have the writing skills of half of you lot (your funny stuff and your short stories are way beyond my ability) but it wasn’t *hard* to do any of that. But this was 15 years ago now. I don’t know how hard it would be to start submitting stuff to Den of Geek, Louder Than War, any of that sort of stuff now. As for the Autographs For Cash thing. I think I’d rather pay more to attend a convention where the guests have already been paid, tbh. Sounds like what Dimension Jump was about? They’d pay the stars to be there and to mingle, and there were no additional costs to attendees? That sounds lovely, tbh. I suppose you only get that by limiting attendance though. And if the fans are producing so much goodwill that the actors want to have that experience. Maybe it’s unique to Dwarfers? Anyway, do feel free to say ‘Fuck off Grandad, you don’t know anything. Your day is done and you can’t write articles for stuff and then get interviews in 2025 you dirty old fossil’. It’s probably justified.
I’ve never been utterly roasted in gif form before. Thank you very much. That’s really funny and I appreciate the work that’s gone in there. Btw I never *intended* the interview to not be written up. It was just a lot of work, and unlike many sci-fi obsessives, I have this weird tendency to get distracted *really* easily and jump from project to project without completing any of them. I don’t know if anyone has experience similar?
I was only joshing so hopefully it was taken as intended. I actually had similar experiences many years back in the comics world, where I used to write reviews and articles and interviews and so on, and in the process was able to chat with tons of pros about their work and my favourite hobby, for free. I don’t know if things have become slightly more professionalised in certain spheres now, but certainly back in those days there was a fairly loose approach to connecting with what were essentially amateur fan journalists.
I was too blase with that, so fair play with calling it out. I’ve never been a blogger, and I’m not sure what the door ‘in’ to these things is like now. But back in 2010 or so I used to chuck an article or two a week at Den of Geek. Dr. Who reviews mostly. Nothing of any massive quality, but stuff that would take 30/60 minutes or so to write. Big Finish reviews, writing up news that I’d read elsewhere, and making it more relevant or interesting. Some silly things. When Big Finish were doing a particular project I was interested in, I just emailed them and linked to some of the stuff I’d written and I got to spend a day down there, eating all their amazing food. I don’t have the writing skills of half of you lot (your funny stuff and your short stories are way beyond my ability) but it wasn’t *hard* to do any of that. But this was 15 years ago now. I don’t know how hard it would be to start submitting stuff to Den of Geek, Louder Than War, any of that sort of stuff now. You weren’t wrong that it was – and I’m sure to an extent still is – feasible to do what you did, you’ve just got to acknowledge that even if everyone who wanted to meet and get autographs of a celebrity had the skills to write a review or 2 for a major website, there’s only so many slots available for those reviews and only so much time for celebrities to meet people on that basis. Plus there are probably lots of celebrities who would do conventions but woudn’t necessarily do an interview with a little known Den of Geek writer. As for the Autographs For Cash thing. I think I’d rather pay more to attend a convention where the guests have already been paid, tbh. Sounds like what Dimension Jump was about? They’d pay the stars to be there and to mingle, and there were no additional costs to attendees? That sounds lovely, tbh. I suppose you only get that by limiting attendance though. And if the fans are producing so much goodwill that the actors want to have that experience. Maybe it’s unique to Dwarfers? I think it’s just a question of how much choice you want to give attendees. Dimension Jump didn’t suffer for this because of how much of a good deal it was overall, but if the entry price includes unlimited autographs (or 1 autograph per guest), then it will have to be higher to cover for that, and people who are only interested in getting autographs from a select few guests – or aren’t interested in getting autographs at all – will have to pay more than they otherwise would have, and will feel ripped off. Of course you can offer multiple ways to pay, but only the attendees who want to get most of everything will consider the bundled cost worth it – and they’ll still need to prove to the guests that they’ve paid. I do still think that this instinctive “grubbiness” feeling is just an association with conversation and autographs as personal interactions rather than business ones, so physically handing money over specifically for them feels weird. It’s understandable, but consciously you should be able to recognise that paying up front or all together doesn’t change the nature of the transaction. But if a convention does only have the all-inclusive price option, then it does mean that interaction with the guests doesn’t have to be so rigidly structured, that much is true. Like if you happened to stumble into a room where the Hollies were doing cocaine*, you could just ask to join in. Whereas in a non-inclusive con they’d just say “sorry, you’ll have to queue up tomorrow at the dedicated Snorting Session. It starts at 6:30am and it’s £400 per line per guest”. * This is hypothetical. I have no evidence that either Norman Lovett or Hattie Hayridge have ever taken cocaine. Jane Leeves definitely** has though. ** hypothetically.
I was only joshing so hopefully it was taken as intended. I actually had similar experiences many years back in the comics world, where I used to write reviews and articles and interviews and so on, and in the process was able to chat with tons of pros about their work and my favourite hobby, for free. I don’t know if things have become slightly more professionalised in certain spheres now, but certainly back in those days there was a fairly loose approach to connecting with what were essentially amateur fan journalists. Reading back I can see that while I’ve tries to write a genuinely open and welcoming response, it comes across like Rob Newman’s Sarcastic Ray. FFS! For the record, I genuinely laughed out loud at your gif. I found it funny and inoffensive, and I was flattered you’d gone to the effort. Just wanted to try and make that clear!
I was too blase with that, so fair play with calling it out. I’ve never been a blogger, and I’m not sure what the door ‘in’ to these things is like now. But back in 2010 or so I used to chuck an article or two a week at Den of Geek. Dr. Who reviews mostly. Nothing of any massive quality, but stuff that would take 30/60 minutes or so to write. Big Finish reviews, writing up news that I’d read elsewhere, and making it more relevant or interesting. Some silly things. When Big Finish were doing a particular project I was interested in, I just emailed them and linked to some of the stuff I’d written and I got to spend a day down there, eating all their amazing food. I don’t have the writing skills of half of you lot (your funny stuff and your short stories are way beyond my ability) but it wasn’t *hard* to do any of that. But this was 15 years ago now. I don’t know how hard it would be to start submitting stuff to Den of Geek, Louder Than War, any of that sort of stuff now. You weren’t wrong that it was – and I’m sure to an extent still is – feasible to do what you did, you’ve just got to acknowledge that even if everyone who wanted to meet and get autographs of a celebrity had the skills to write a review or 2 for a major website, there’s only so many slots available for those reviews and only so much time for celebrities to meet people on that basis. Plus there are probably lots of celebrities who would do conventions but woudn’t necessarily do an interview with a little known Den of Geek writer. As for the Autographs For Cash thing. I think I’d rather pay more to attend a convention where the guests have already been paid, tbh. Sounds like what Dimension Jump was about? They’d pay the stars to be there and to mingle, and there were no additional costs to attendees? That sounds lovely, tbh. I suppose you only get that by limiting attendance though. And if the fans are producing so much goodwill that the actors want to have that experience. Maybe it’s unique to Dwarfers? I think it’s just a question of how much choice you want to give attendees. Dimension Jump didn’t suffer for this because of how much of a good deal it was overall, but if the entry price includes unlimited autographs (or 1 autograph per guest), then it will have to be higher to cover for that, and people who are only interested in getting autographs from a select few guests – or aren’t interested in getting autographs at all – will have to pay more than they otherwise would have, and will feel ripped off. Of course you can offer multiple ways to pay, but only the attendees who want to get most of everything will consider the bundled cost worth it – and they’ll still need to prove to the guests that they’ve paid. I do still think that this instinctive “grubbiness” feeling is just an association with conversation and autographs as personal interactions rather than business ones, so physically handing money over specifically for them feels weird. It’s understandable, but consciously you should be able to recognise that paying up front or all together doesn’t change the nature of the transaction. But if a convention does only have the all-inclusive price option, then it does mean that interaction with the guests doesn’t have to be so rigidly structured, that much is true. Like if you happened to stumble into a room where the Hollies were doing cocaine*, you could just ask to join in. Whereas in a non-inclusive con they’d just say “sorry, you’ll have to queue up tomorrow at the dedicated Snorting Session. It starts at 6:30am and it’s £400 per line per guest”. * This is hypothetical. I have no evidence that either Norman Lovett or Hattie Hayridge have ever taken cocaine. Jane Leeves definitely** has though. ** hypothetically. Nice explanation! Yeah, it’s the rigid structure I dislike. Pay cash, move along the line. Meet the person. 30 seconds. You’re done. I’ve been to a lot of band signings where, as has been mentioned elsewhere, you might take/buy the book/cd. But it’s not compulsory in most cases. Or at least the sorts of bands I’ve met. Ha! Guitarist from Pulp is ‘touring’ his book atm. You can go to his Q+A and either pay for the Q+A itself for about a fiver, or buy the book, too. Either way, a room full of people went home very happy and I got a few things signed and had a lovely conversation. His book is a reprint of one from about two years ago, but has been updated. I didn’t have the money for the new one, but took the old one and a few bits. He wasn’t arsed, but was super nice. That transaction felt preferable to the ‘pay the £20 for the photo of Tom Baker, now move along the line, now get it signed and talk briefly’. In those days, people taking photos were a limited number (I did get a photo), but nowadays it seems that the photo costs something, and the autograph costs extra. Which feels even more money grabbing tbh.
I’m rewatching The Captain’s Summit (interview with Bill Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes) from 2009 and when Whoopi asked Bill the correct etiquette for approaching him, Bill replies with “well, money” So there you have it from Captain Kirk himself. Cold hard cash is preferable in n these interactions.
I’m rewatching The Captain’s Summit (interview with Bill Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes) from 2009 and when Whoopi asked Bill the correct etiquette for approaching him, Bill replies with “well, money” So there you have it from Captain Kirk himself. Cold hard cash is preferable in n these interactions. I get it, he’s probably had far too many people not being able to differentiate between him being on the clock, and his personal time just trying to live his life when they’re not entitled to his time or attention. (Which I can also understand, it took me nearly 3 decades to grasp that people have their own full lives outside of what I see or know about them. But if you’re going to interact with celebrities whose work you admire, you need to know – even if that means explicitly learning – how to do so appropriately and where the boundaries are ) I suppose the big difference is an all-included convention means money changes hands behind the scenes, instead of openly as when you have to pay separately. I’m so out of touch though, my flabbers were well and truly ghasted talking about 3-figure sums for tickets. It makes sense thinking about it logically, I’m sure absolutely everything about putting on a convention is expensive. I just … haven’t been to anything remotely near that price range.
Simply follow them closely on social media, find out if they or their partner ever get pregnant, promptly conceive your own child, move within the same catchment area so your child attends the same school as theirs (may need to change your child’s school several times if unsure), manipulate your child to be their child’s friend, then wait for your invite for their birthday party at Funsters. Wasn’t that the plot of Spy x Family?
Anyone know what “Friday evening stage all guests” is likely to be about? Like an extra panel/Q&A or something?
I mean that’s what I assumed but it could just be like, briefly wheeling everyone out for a hello & a clap & then sod off back to the hotel. I want to go but I’m on the fence between tiers & the vagueness of it is just, 😩
Ian that is a very well balanced discussion and pretty much what I’ve been stating on Facebook, although the convention people deleted my comments. Personally I’m not planning to go. It’s not that the prices are high but more how little you get for your money. What could change my mind is if there are a lot of my old DJ drinking buddies going. I’d go for a weekend of friendship with a little Red Dwarf on the side and wouldn’t be committing my dollarpounds to autographs
Ian that is a very well balanced discussion and pretty much what I’ve been stating on Facebook, although the convention people deleted my comments. Same thing happened to me. I only commented once and said “Yeah, way too expensive for me.” Granted, not as balanced. But when they had other comments being more explicit, it felt a bit odd.
Probably a battle royale. Last one alive gets to narrate the Sin Bin Island audiobook. Dont these people know anything! Far more sensible to, like Dimension Jump used to, have the battle royale in the Sunday evening, after all the panels are all done.
They have added a chart now on social media about what the VIP tickets get you. Also the evening party ticket is £25 to anyone Bronze or weekend/day ticket. When it goes on sale later. I’ve said this on their social post.. “Thanks for the above chart. So “Each Regular/Bonus guest” meaning “…up to 3/5” in gold & silver vip. And not meaning “All inclusive”. Is good to know in advance. Shouldn’t that detail be on the chart on the gigantic ticketing site and on the point of sale listing for gold & silver buying links. I assume any gold&silver purchased before that detail, come under the notification T&C listed on the website”. As I think a few looking at silver or gold were assuming “each” meant “all inclusive of every guest”, again because that old DJ used to go that route, but they are reserving the right to change as more guests are added beyond expected totals. So it’s good they’ve now clarified the position pre event. Will see if they do update.
I’m relieved but not surprised that the day tickets get me into the Q & A as that was all I was after. Doug was lovely at the book event. I told him I’d enjoyed watching the first three series of Spitting Image for the first time and spotting Dwarf seeds like Tracey Ullman saying ‘bloody Smegma’ and Paul Daniels presenting a quiz show called ‘What’s My Fruit’. Also couldn’t help gushing about the prose in the novels. I remembered a Dwarfcast where Ian said Doug was still the person he was most star struck by.
No, but he will be dispensing snacks. Why would he be dispensing snacks, he’s a medi-bot isn’t he? Help keep people’s blood sugar up. Also good for staving off dysautonomia symptoms (I don’t know the mechanism of why but it is a genuine medically-advised management strategy.)
No, but he will be dispensing snacks. Why would he be dispensing snacks, he’s a medi-bot isn’t he? Tut tut, he’s a stasis engineer… Also good for staving off dysautonomia symptoms (I don’t know the mechanism of why but it is a genuine medically-advised management strategy.) A condition where they tell you to increase your salt intake… oh my.
Feels insulting that Doug is a “Bonus” & Rob a “Regular” guest. Intrigued who this mega “headline” worded guest is. If it just carves Chris or Craig alone into a spot above, or even crazier that a famous guest star ranks as more special than beloved creator or main cast. I mean say it’s Chris as top, would have been far more amusing to have him rank guests as his officer class etc. or such. Their chosen text post of having Holly say “Tickety boo”, yeah that’s understanding character sheesh, or their complete failure to correct this error (below) on the website, weeks after being emailed about the error just shows as much stubelness as a smegged up cat priest. Gimboids
If Siliconia had happened during Series III-V… Oh who am I kidding, they probably would have pulled a Polymorph and had Holly be the only one who wasn’t Kryten-ized.
They say 1,000 PE teachers instead of 6,000 and that was Norman’s line, they should have just got an AI to do this if they wanted this standard
It reads as if written by a distracted child who’s trying to tell you all their favourite funny bits, out of context, at high speed.
Very Happy Arthur Smith will be my chosen new autograph to get. I dont know if it’s extra to have him write it backwards.
Very Happy Arthur Smith will be my chosen new autograph to get. I dont know if it’s extra to have him write it backwards. He erases it and pays you
They really need to stop using AI to write their social media posts. Whether he’s admiring his reflection, hunting space rats in a three-piece suit, or accidentally joining a religious cult of himself, The Cat is pure feline fabulousness
Not only are the ChatGPT posts really fucking obvious but they’re also hiding comments from people calling them out on it. Deeply unprofessional. It also feels so unnecessary. I don’t think anyone interested in a Red Dwarf convention needs four paragraphs explaining who Danny John-Jules is. So, whether it’s being a waste of space, destroying precious resources or being a tool of paedophile fascists, AI is here to stay — strap yourselves in for a smegtacular adventure, cowboys, because where we’re going we don’t need roads!
destroying precious resources While the energy intensity of AI is beyond dispute, I do often find this a bad faith argument. People use it because they already dislike AI, while they often give a pass to say Internet streaming and cloud computing generally, which are just as bad from an ecological standpoint. Being an emerging technology, there is a good chance AI at least will get more energy efficient over time too (probably still more intensive than a human writer though).
They really need to stop using AI to write their social media posts. Whether he’s admiring his reflection, hunting space rats in a three-piece suit, or accidentally joining a religious cult of himself, The Cat is pure feline fabulousness Are the rates in a three piece suit, stood on each other’s shoulders? Who’s eating this chicken?
destroying precious resources While the energy intensity of AI is beyond dispute, I do often find this a bad faith argument. People use it because they already dislike AI, while they often give a pass to say Internet streaming and cloud computing generally, which are just as bad from an ecological standpoint. Being an emerging technology, there is a good chance AI at least will get more energy efficient over time too (probably still more intensive than a human writer though). Yeah I mean the amount of water required to come up with a few paragraphs of text via an LLM is always going to be extortionately higher than the amount of water required for a human being to come up with a few paragraphs of text. The issue with energy efficiency is always a case of whether it can be justified by the end result, and in this case it absolutely cannot, so I wouldn’t say it’s a bad faith argument in the slightest.
Yeah I don’t understand how it’s a bad faith argument when it’s true, just because people saying it don’t like AI.
Yeah I don’t understand how it’s a bad faith argument when it’s true, just because people saying it don’t like AI. As I feel I made abundantly clear, the argument against AI is true, but is also true of cloud computing generally. And yet Microsoft gets slated for AI investments way more than say forcing people not to be able to use local accounts in Windows and pushing people to store everything on OneDrive. Its the disproportionality that bothers me. The tech dystopia is a many headed hydra. The AI at least produces an actual result, however flawed, while running perfectly feasible local processing through a massive server farm is just centralization for the sake of it.
Well it may be ruinously resource intensive, cost trillions to operate and require massive power plants that kill people and destroy the wildlife but at least it doesn’t work properly.
It is in the sense that most aspects of modern society require great ecological costs, many of which are judged differently based on other factors. A direct download model is more energy efficient than streaming for example, but most people nontheless tacitly accept the convenience of YouTube, Spotify, and Netflix. None of this suggests generative AI at scale is a good investment of limited resources (though I do think it is worthwhile as a research endevour), just that its intensity is not a unqiue characteristic to it, and so the deployment of that critique strikes me as often oppurtunistic. See as well the massive energy cost of a Google search compared to using a locally stored thesaurus or encyclopedia. I just can’t help shake the feeling that the specific dislike of AI is that it risks automating middle class creative and administrative jobs, unlike past technologies that merely automated manual labour. The question emerges, would generative AI suddenly be more acceptable if its power usage was quartered or halved? Which, after a point, it almost certainly will be after peak deployment.
I get what you’re saying Technopeasant. The extreme energy inefficiency of generative AI is a legitimate issue with it, but people only bring it up if they already hate AI for other reasons. Basically nobody loves the functionality of LLMs but is overall against the technology because of its energy consumption. I don’t agree that it’s bad faith or hypocritical though. People aren’t saying it’s generally bad to use lots of energy, they’re saying it’s bad to waste lots of energy – and if all that energy is being consumed by services which are making a negative or only minor positive impact, that is wasteful. The energy cost isn’t an argument against AI on its own, but it’s something you have to consider when deciding if it’s worth it. Right now tech companies are building their AI features so fast and at such scale that the environmental impact is genuinely concerning, so those features better be perfect! The argument is a counter to people just saying “eh, might as well” about AI. Like yeah, you might as well leave all the lights in your house switched on 100% of the time (except for the room you sleep in while you’re sleeping in it) to save you the effort of switching them on when you go into rooms, but is that actually worth the cost?
I don’t agree that it’s bad faith or hypocritical though That’s fair, and I should clarify I was by no means trying to attack the integrity of anyone in this conversation. I am also not arguing in favour of generative AI. I have never actually been able to get it to help with any project I have attempted, and the murky copyright status of it as a derivative work renders it largely off limits to me as a free culture creator anyway.
Just popping in 3 days later to say, ‘oh okay, now I get what you mean and I agree with you.’ I get hung up on specific phrases, I apologise if this caused any aggravation for you.
I think the main reason people cite energy consumption for AI over other things is that they’re aware of it. If more people were aware of the absurdity of Windows cloud computing, I’m sure many of them would argue against it in the same way.
I think the main reason people cite energy consumption for AI over other things is that they’re aware of it. If more people were aware of the absurdity of Windows cloud computing, I’m sure many of them would argue against it in the same way. I certainly hope so yes.
