Real evidence that the lottery is better....

[theCryptofishist]

for many people sound camps are the central part of their experience at burning man.

edit: some of them might have never really experienced/considered a burning man outside of that context (im not referring to people who run the camps.. but people who frequent them)

I wonder what will happen to those people who are there to rave this year. Will they stick close to 2 and 10 o'clock, or will they be willing to try something else if the sound camps aren't as over the top.

[FireTommy]

Personally, I would buy a ticket with the agreement that there was no refund, and it was not transferable. It could and would turn into a huge hit if I was unable to go for some reason, but it would be worth it to see all your dusty faces. No gifting, I know, unless you can plan far in advance. But no aftermarket, either.

[mshaman]

I wish all virgins were as quick to participate as you. But really, I wish all burners, regardless of their "seniority", were as quick to participate as you. I know a lot of people who just come to the party and have been doing so for years. They are spectators.

I am a virgin.

I will be a spectator. But I plan to be more than a spectator.

And if you think about it, it takes a pretty freaking high level of narcissism to go to an event like Burning Man and not be a spectator.

Knowing that you'll be more than a spectator is a good thing... I hope you offer something groovy to the playa.

Knowing that you're a virgin helps me calm down in our debate and understand why my point about the lottery's effect on collective works doesn't seem tangible to you at this point. I suspect that once you hit the playa and hear everyone say "yeah, you should've seen the Trojan Horse last year, there's nothing like it on the playa this year", or "Yeah, there used to be this awesome 80-foot art car like a full-size Viking ship, it breathed fire... I wonder why I haven't seen it...", that my position may seem more relevant, even if your conviction that the lottery is better remains.

With regard to contribution, I think it's a dance. You watch the spectacle, you contribute to the spectacle. There's a time for each. But just showing up and taking the gifts of the playa year after year without giving back by participating, whether its in a collective or as an individual, seems pretty selfish to me, and that's what I was commenting on. And yes, lots of the most productive artists are insufferable narcissists. I wouldn't date them. But I dig their crazy sculpture.

[mshaman]

Personally, I would buy a ticket with the agreement that there was no refund, and it was not transferable. It could and would turn into a huge hit if I was unable to go for some reason, but it would be worth it to see all your dusty faces. No gifting, I know, unless you can plan far in advance. But no aftermarket, either.

<3

[chiefdanfox]

...I suspect that once you hit the playa and hear everyone say "yeah, you should've seen the Trojan Horse last year, there's nothing like it on the playa this year", ...

I am hoping this is not a cross post, but check out the art and performance section. With any luck there will be stuff like that this year.

[pink]

Hey, I always say there has been nothing like the Belgian Waffle since then.

There will be cool stuff. There will be big stuff. There will be neon & sound & coffee and participants.

If you want to get down to brass tacks, I guess I spectated the Trojan Horse, participated mightily in Retrofrolic and Critical Tits, volunteered in the Cafe. My virgin year, I mostly went around going 'holy shit!' because even though I read stuff, and saw photos, and had heard about it from the friends I camped with for years, nothing compared to the size and glory and sheer creativity I found in the city. The second night I was there, I was at Snuggletown's Italian dinner, seated with a guy who came solo from GA and a buddhist monk, being seated by a naked girl and served by someone with a beautiful sense of humor. My campmates were surprised when I came home that night on the handlebars of the GA guy's bike. I went to workshops and interacted with camps and people. I did what I originally went to Burning Man to do: danced in the desert wearing paint & a g-string.

[mshaman]

...I suspect that once you hit the playa and hear everyone say "yeah, you should've seen the Trojan Horse last year, there's nothing like it on the playa this year", ...

I am hoping this is not a cross post, but check out the art and performance section. With any luck there will be stuff like that this year.

Thanks for the suggestion, been checking it out since your post... still concerned, but seeing a ray of light with Mal-Mart's approach. We did the same thing, in essence, a merger of camps in order to try to get enough numbers to field a respectable entry.

[trilobyte]

Camps, art projects, and vehicle crews in need should also take a look at the Seeking Participants threads on the 2012 event boards. Let others know where you are and what kind of people you need to help out.