...because the room block isn't full. So if you're thinking of going to BC, and don't have a room yet, every dollar you spend on a hotel room is like a dollar we don't owe.

You have one more day to get a room.

Our members are super-double-plus-fucking-mega-dedicated awesome motherfuckers. You guys do way too much for this place.

So, no sympathy for us. I haven't been able to work on OB for years because of "life circumstances" so our membership has dwindled. That's why we don't have the room block filled.

http://otakubooty.com/...&action=st&r=4&page=1
(Note: Your credit card won't be charged until you arrive at the hotel for BC. Don't worry if you don't have space on your card today.)

John Booty said:
So, no sympathy for us. I haven't been able to work on OB for years because of "life circumstances" so our membership has dwindled. That's why we don't have the room block filled.

I'm bummed to hear this, but I dont think thats the underlying issue as much as its just been a bad year for alot of people money wise, usually theres a good mix of eas/west coast people, the fact alot of people cant afford to go to the opposite coast is a huge factor this year...

Sucks man.

but I dont think thats the underlying issue as much as its just been a bad year for alot of people money wise, usually theres a good mix of eas/west coast people, the fact alot of people cant afford to go to the opposite coast is a huge factor this year...

Absolutely true, but that's a detail of the larger picture.

I think if you zoom out a bit, so to speak, it's obvious that we have an ever-dwindling core of members that aren't being replaced by new members.

The numbers are simple. For the first few years of the site, I was actively developing things and we advertised more and got like 70+ new members a week. Now my life circumstances don't permit work on OB and so we get less than 20 new members a week.

That really says it all. I mean, how does a complete cessation of progress and advertising not negatively affect our ranks?

And of course it also impacts the enthusiasm of the existing core of members. People who might have dropped everything and scraped together the cash for BC2008 don't necessarily feel the same way about BC2012. Which is fine! It's perfectly natural! People grow up, settle down, grow out of old hobbies, etc - any social circle bleeds members over time. But then the social circle gets smaller if new people aren't arriving.

My sexy librarian money is gonna pay for this trip. I hope you feel good about yourself, Mr. Boots!

Sigh, I am definitely a contributor to this problem! I feel really terrible about it and a lot of things in my life have changed since I first started planning for this which make me unable to go now, so I really am sorry. When my shit is sorted out (hopefully soon, unlike to be in time for BC), I will reimburse whoever gets stuck with this with what I should have paid.

Lauren (and everybody), don't beat yourself up. That's an order! It's no one's fault if people are broke as fuck and plane tickets to LA cost a goddamn fortune.

(It IS your fault if you wait till the last minute to book and then forget, and there's always some of those, and that's why I'm browbeating the whole board. But for crap's sake, there's nothing to apologize for if you don't have the money!)

I will have some money to help you out using remnants from the Flyout thread. Probably a couple of hundred

This is just for rooms for Friday and Saturday, right?

Just did my part earlier today! Sorry I waited so long, yall!

Right. We had a certain number of rooms blocked for each night based on occupancy in previous years, and you all know how well that worked out for us. Basically it's an estimation/gamble that we've always had the attendance to back up until this year.

Thursday night actually filled more than we anticipated. Andrew mentioned in another thread that he was unable to reserve a room online because the block had been filled for Thursday. He called the reservation number with our group code and got the room at the contracted rate for Thursday too. If anyone else is still trying to reserve a room for Thursday night, follow Andrew's lead and call. If you only need the room from Friday night on, you should still be able to book online.

Friday and Saturday are the nights we need the most rooms filled as those are generally our biggest attendance nights. Our big party is post-apocalyptic themed so if you want to dress for the theme (optional, but encouraged), you may want a room even if you're local. The dinner, dancing and boozing will go until 1:00 AM, followed by rooftop weddings and ill-advised make-outs until question marks.

A Study in Pink said:
Sigh, I am definitely a contributor to this problem! I feel really terrible about it

LostDecoy said:
I will have some money to help you out using remnants from the Flyout thread. Probably a couple of hundred

Whoa whoa whoa. This is super-kind, but "no" to both of you!

OB is a business and we all have day jobs and we'll be okay. OB has never lost money in any year, and I think OB will be slightly in the black for 2012 even with this loss. It'll be okay either way.

Sometimes we do things that lose money and this was one of those things.

I picked an attention-getting headline for this post because... well, it'd be an awful shame if people who are attending and getting hotel rooms don't use the code or don't use it by 5/31.

Each person that books a room for the weekend will save us like $300, $400, $500 or whatever.

A Study in Pink said:
Sigh, I am definitely a contributor to this problem!

We based our room block estimates based on previous years, not on any kind of informal headcount of people that said they were attending in 2012!

So to those who can't attend: this shortfall has nothing to do with you. (And it sucks we won't see you....)

There is no saying "no" to me, some people have donated with this intention in mind and others have told me to use remainder of their funds for the general money.

So shut up you stubborn old man!

John is right, we will be okay. Jen and Jake will be okay because they will not be putting a dime of their money towards anything. John and I will be okay because OB makes enough money to pay off the excess if need be.

Really we just want to make sure you guys are getting the BEST rate and that the max amount of people are filling these rooms for the best rate we can get for them! We always ask A LOT of you guys. I mean, essentially you beautiful bastards are flying from all over to spend a weekend together because of this website. We should be thanking you profusely for even considering doing this every year we have it! THANK YOU. It honestly means a lot!

Like Jen & John have stated this is always a risk that we run into every year. I think it has been a SUPER hard year for everyone as well as OB because of the job market and other random shit that life likes to throw at us.

Your generosity is overwhelming but unecessary! We should be paying you guys for being way too awesome!

Yeah, we just don't wanna have to pay an extra $500 to the hotel because somebody meant to book a room before the deadline but forgot or something.

As long as everybody that wants a room, books a room before the end of today, we'll be fine.

Seriously, you guys pay subscriptions and bring new members to the site (some of whom pay subscriptions too) and yeah, we'll be alright taking a few lumps.

I hope we've been getting some SHIT BOOKED.