The TechnoFile

Labor Day - the ultimate geek holiday?

Here in the US we have a 3-day weekend about to begin. Labor Day was initially established in 1882. According to the United States Department of Labor, Labor Day "constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country." But for most of the country, Labor Day is just a much appreciated break to put a cap on the summer season.

But for the geekier segment of the population, Labor Day has become the ultimate holiday weekend. Why? Because in opposite corners of the country, two of geekdom's biggest events are happening over the Labor Day Weekend.

In Seattle, WA there is PAX, the Penny Arcade Expo. This one is focused on gamers. Penny Arcade is a long-running web comic started by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, a couple of gaming geeks who weren't shy about pillorying the games and game developers they loved. Their irreverent attitude resonated with gamers and their fan base grew, and they wanted to host an event where those fans could come and talk about their shared love of games (that's me putting words into their mouths, as a long-time fan of the duo). And so PAX was born, in 2004. It has grown substantially since. According to a Wikipedia page, PAX 2004 had about 3,300 attendees, and PAX 2008 had 58,500. That's a lot of gamers under one roof. PAX is often contrasted with early summer's E3 Expo; where E3 is all about the business side of games, PAX celebrates the people who actually play the games (and covers all kinds of games, not just video games).

Clear across the country, in Atlanta, GA, is Dragon*Con, the biggest science fiction & fantasy convention in the US. Dragon*Con got its start way back in 1987 and now attracts upwards of 60,000 attendees. While gaming is a part of Dragon*Con, the event encompasses the entire realm of sci-fi and fantasy. This year they feature 512 celebrity guests and bands, from Star Wars novel author Timothy Zahn to Ghosthunters Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson to fantasy artist Larry Elmore. If you have an interest in sci-fi or fantasy, there's someone for you to see.

Both of these events are primarily consumer-oriented, so there probably won't be much in the way of new product announcements or news coming out of either of them (or will Microsoft, who seems to be a big presence at PAX, reveal the 250 GB Xbox Super Elite thats been rumored). But it's a holiday weekend, and holidays are for relaxing and celebrating, so no news is good news, at least for this weekend. If you're fortunate enough to be attending one of these events, please leave a comment and tell us which one you're at, and what you're seeing that has you excited.

For all my readers, here's hoping that you aren't stuck in the data center this weekend (management is notorious for deciding 3-day weekends are perfect for server upgrades, aren't they?) and that you have a relaxing and enjoyable weekend, no matter where you are.

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