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In this mailing:
Welcome and introduction
Newcomer registration
Hotels for DLV 2012
Big Sisters
Introducing MyDLV
Rides and riders
Computer security
Room sharing
Administrivia
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Only 98 days Until DLV 2012!
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Welcome and introduction:
Welcome to those who just joined our list. If you're a new list
subscriber, please review last week's "Kick-Off" mailing, on
line here:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2240
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Most of this mailing pertains mainly to those who have never
attended DLV in the past, but it might be helpful for returnees
to review it as well.
If there are any questions or concerns, please let us know.
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Latest numbers:
As of Friday the 13th., we have a total of 101 individuals signed
up to attend DLV 2012. It's still far too early for any kind of
an accurate headcount projection, but things appear to be on
track for a turnout similar to or slightly larger than last
year's turnout, which was 169.
Congratulations to Nicki N. from Texas who was number 100 this year!
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Newcomer registration:
Registration for newcomers who are members of this mailing list
will open on or about January 28th. If you're reading this via
your own personal e-mail, this includes you.
Registration is done on the web. There is no charge to register.
The link for registration will go out in our next general mailing.
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To register, you must agree to three things:
1. Conditions Of Participation.
2. Our Behavior, Dress, and Restroom Guidelines.
3. Waiver Of Liability.
You can review these three items on line here:
http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/dlvhhret.html
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One very important note about registration:
After you register, very shortly you should receive a confirming
e-mail.
IN THE EVENT YOU RECEIVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING VIA E-MAIL
AFTER YOU REGISTER, SOMETHING IS WRONG AND WE NEED TO
KNOW ABOUT IT!
This doesn't happen very often, but when it does it can cause an
awful lot of grief!
Should this happen to you, please e-mail us (dlv@geekbabe.com)
and explain the circumstances.
. . . . .
MyDLV members (see MyDLV below) may register at their convenience
using the appropriate link on the main MyDLV screen.
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Hotels for DLV 2012:
The suggested hotels for DLV 2012 are (in alphabetical order):
Artisan
Imperial Palace
Paris
One very significant (and frequently misunderstood) difference
between Diva Las Vegas and most of the other major TG events is
that DLV is not centered around a hotel. At DLV, Hotels are used
for attendee lodging. Only a small number of DLV activities will
happen in our suggested hotels.
As a Diva Las Vegas attendee, you are free to stay wherever
you wish.
We suggest hotels primarily for those who need some guidance in
choosing a place to stay. Although our organizers and volunteers
cannot be responsible for any issues, we know that each of our
suggested hotels has a history of serving our attendees well.
Further details on our suggested hotels appears here:
http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/2012hotels.html
A few specific suggestions:
If you want the absolute cheapest room, period: Imperial Palace.
If you want to be near the largest group of other DLV attendees:
Imperial Palace.
If you want a room in a place where you won't have to transit a
crowded hotel lobby or casino: Artisan
If you want the nicest room: Paris.
If you want to be right in the center of the action: Imperial
Palace, or Paris.
If you want the hotel which is on record as actively inviting
GLBT folks: Paris.
If you want to stay away from the Strip: Artisan.
If you want the "safest" option: Artisan.
If none of the above hotels appeal to you, please use our Big
List as a secondary list of suggestions. It's on line here:
http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/vendors/
Several casino-hotels and non-gaming hotels are listed.
One special note: If you will be needing a ride to the DLV
activities, we very strongly suggest that you stay in one of
our suggested hotels. This will allow you to share rides (at
your own risk, of course) with others staying there. See the
section on rides and riders below.
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Big Sisters:
It's natural to be nervous before heading to an event such as
Diva Las Vegas, particularly if you're new to the TG scene and
don't know any of the others yet.
The Big Sisters of Diva Las Vegas can help!
Big Sisters are volunteer DLV veterans who are standing by to
help as needed, either prior to DLV, or during DLV.
Big Sisters are intended mainly for those who are new and don't
have much public exposure, or those who may be feeling a bit
uneasy about the upcoming trip, but Big Sisters are available
to anybody who wants one.
If you haven't been out in public at all, if you're new to public
exposure, your exposure has never been in the mainstream before,
or if there's any reason you feel uneasy or uncertain about the
upcoming trip, the Big Sisters are here to help, either before
DLV, during DLV, or both.
Before DLV, if you would like to correspond with somebody
one-to-one about concerns regarding DLV, just send a brief
note to dlv@geekbabe.com and say that you would like to get
in touch with a Big Sister. Examples of concerns might be
questions that you don't feel comfortable asking on one of
the mailing lists, a request for an honest fashion critique,
etc.
During DLV, if you need some fashion advice, Big Sisters can
help.
If you are uneasy and can't get the nerve to walk out of your
hotel room (this has happened), phone us, we'll have a Big
Sister meet you, assure you, and escort you if necessary.
If you would like to be put in touch with a Big Sister, just
send a note to bigsister@geekbabe.com and we'll get you in
contact with one.
Also, if you have attended DLV in the past and would like to
volunteer to spend some time helping others, please say so and
volunteer to be a Big Sister. (Just reply to this mailing or
e-mail bigsister@geekbabe.com and state you would like to
volunteer to be a Big Sister.) The primary qualification is
the desire to help others.
You can also sign up to have a Big Sister, or volunteer to be a
Big Sister on the web as you register.
Big thanks to Nora for coordinating our Big Sister Program!
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Introducing MyDLV:
MyDLV is an expansion of our on-line presence which allows you
as a DLV attendee (or prospective attendee) to contribute to
the experience of all users.
MyDLV is on line now and active, and we're inviting you to join
and participate. It's free and there are very few conditions
and rules.
Some of the features of MyDLV which are currently in place
include:
1. Photo Gallery. MyDLV users can easily upload their own photos
from their PC or browse the DLV collections and include those
photos in their gallery. Other users can then view the photos
and add comments to them.
This feature replaces the former high-maintenance gallery we had
during the early and mid 2000s.
2. Chirping (microblogging - yes, an admitted rip-off of Twitter).
This is a great way to spread the word on things during DLV if
people will subscribe to "chirps" on their text-capable cell phones.
It has convenient informal uses too. "I'm at the bar at Imperial
Palace, anyone wanna join me for a drink?"
3. Discussion Forum. Clean interface, threaded by topic, archives
going back to the early 2000s on line for browsing.
Easy one-click reply with sane quoting. This replaces the old
Hypermail interface.
DLV announcements, going back to the early days of DLV, are
archived on MyDLV.
4. "Friend" mechanism. Basically a way to focus Chirps to groups
of users, but it has other potential as well.
5. The Whiteboard. A just-for-fun widget.
6. Blogs. We have a full multi-user implementation of Wordpress,
the blog software to which all others are compared. This is
available to MyDLV users who wish to publish a blog.
7. Last but not least, easy one-click access to the DLV
registration and activity sign-up screens. No hassles with
forgetting those numbers or digging back through old e-mail
for the correct links.
Please give it a try and let us know if you have any issues.
To get started and try this out, surf here:
http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/mydlv/
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Rides and riders:
Unlike most other TG events, Diva Las Vegas does not happen
in one central location. Most attendees will need to get from
their hotel to the locations of DLV activities.
For those who will not have a vehicle at DLV, there are several
options. One of these is to share a ride with others who will
be heading your way. (At the riders' own risk, of course.)
We suggest that those who need rides stay in one of our suggested
hotels in order to be near those who have vehicles with available
seats, or to arrange shared taxi rides, etc. (Taking a taxi in
Las Vegas is perfectly "safe", even for the newest of beginners.)
You can use the Diva Las Vegas Discussion Forum, on the web at:
viewforum.php?f=2
. to exchange contact information between those who have
vehicles and those who need rides.
One thing we do need to mention, and this has been a trouble
spot from the very early days of DLV. Please do not expect
the DLV contact people to find you a ride. If you phone the
contact people and ask for a ride, you will be told to please
take a taxi. (Please don't get upset if this happens to you.
They're not being rude, they are simply following the
agreed-upon procedure.)
Another important note, and yes we hate things like this as
much as you do, but if you accept a ride from another, please
do so only under the condition that it's totally at your own
risk!
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Computer security:
Please do not get upset if you receive a message from "geekbabe.com
Abuse and Security" with the subject "Important e-mail security
notice to {you}." (Please don't shoot the messenger!)
We're seeing an increased amount of spam and junk mail coming
from obviously-compromised e-mail accounts. Many of these are
from names which are well-known to us.
It's also obviousthat many of the victims whose accounts are compromised are
totally unaware that spam (or worse) is going out in their
names.
We're seeing this from users of all of the "big three" free
e-mail providers plus AOL.
We've installed a program to take the nuisance e-mail, extract
information from it, and compose a note to the owner of the
account explaining the circumstances.
This note is composed automatically, but reviewed, approved,
and actually sent by a human.
This note specifically includes the e-mail addresses out of the
user's address book or contact list which were revealed to all
recipients of the spam.
If you are ever a victim of this type of user account hijacking,
this procedure is known to be effective in getting the situation
under control:
1. Using a known-clean computer system (not the one you normally
use to access your compromised account), log in and change your
password to a new password known only to you and not used on any
other systems.
2. Before you use the computer system you usually use to access
your account, perform a virus/malware/spyware sweep using any of
several available security programs. This will remove such things
as spybots and keystroke loggers which may have been used to steal
your login credentials.
3. In the future, be very careful when clicking on any links in any
received e-mail, when opening any attachments received via e-mail,
or responding to any request to "verify your password" received in
e-mail.
Only in extreme circumstances is it necessary to abandon an e-mail
account to correct this issue.
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Room sharing:
We're very aware that lodging will be the greatest expense for
most of you attending DLV. Sharing a room two ways cuts this
expense in half, in one third for three to a room, and 1/4 for
four in a room.
In past years we've had a more formalized program for matching
prospective roommates, but since the demand for room sharing
has been low over the past few years, this has been dropped,
and currently those who wish to share rooms are on their own
to make arrangements.
If you have a room and wish to share it, or if you will need
space in a room, please feel free to post brief non-recurring
"Roommate Wanted" or "Room Needed" messages in the DLV
Discussion Forum on line at:
viewforum.php?f=2
Please be very explicit regarding whether you have a room and
want to share it, or if you need space in a room. Other info
you may want to include in your message includes:
* Your approximate age. (Some think this is important.)
* What type/scale of room do you have or want?
* Do you smoke?
* Do you (knowingly) snore?
* Are you an early-riser or late-riser?
* Do you tend to be talkative or quiet?
Both good and bad experiences have been reported over the years
by those sharing rooms at DLV.
Noted items of contention in the past have been such things as
smoking in the room, the hours that the room is to be used for
restful sleep only, the time spent monopolizing the vanity in
the bathroom, and the entertaining of others in the room.
One important guideline: Those seeking roommates for DLV should
have the goals of saving money, mutual support, and congenial
companionship. If you're looking for a "roommate with benefits",
please stay away! DLV is not the event for you!
And, please remember: Roommate matching is a good-faith effort
on all parts with no guarantees! Roommates assume all risks.
Please have a contingency plan! DLV organizers and volunteers
will not be responsible if a roommate fails to show, fails to
pay, fails to make reservations, does not get along with you,
or in any other way things don't work out.
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Administrivia:
This is the Diva Las Vegas 2012 Announcement mailing list.
This list is limited to announcements and other high-importance
items.
Replies to this mailing will be forwarded to: dlv@geekbabe.com
Submissions/questions should be sent to: dlv@geekbabe.com
Abuse/complaints should be sent to: abuse@geekbabe.com
Questions/answers and discussion items are redirected to the DLV
Discussion Forum, which may be subscribed to separately or viewed
on the web. To subscribe to the DLV Discussion Forum, send a brief
message to dlvdisc@geekbabe.com and state that you wish to receive
the DLV Discussion Forum.
To view the DLV Discussion Forum on line, visit the URL:
viewforum.php?f=2
. . . . .
One address for all items regarding this list, additions,
unsubscribe requests, changes, submissions, questions, etc.:
dlv@geekbabe.com <--- NOTE: all lower case
Archives of this list appear on the web at:
viewforum.php?f=4
. . . . .
Diva Las Vegas 2012
April 22 - 27, 2012
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
. . . . .
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