My First LAN Party

This spring, I went to my first LAN party. Some local people who I know had been preparing months in advance. I had been encouraged for years to go and this one was a large gathering. A long time ‘Gnomie’ friend from Norway has been going to LAN parties for years and reassured me that it would be a ‘geek’ experience that I would not forget. And he was right.

There were two thousand computers at this LAN party. It was amazing how efficient people were. Obviously, most were experienced at going to these events and were prepared to be mobile. There were carts and luggage especially designed for carrying the computer equipment. Some were set up and ready within minutes. What would have taken me hours (perhaps the whole day) was done in minutes and the machine was on the network.

And a LAN party is a continuous event. The event stops when it is completely finished. There are people on their machines at two o’clock in the morning. - I can say that I have never seen two thousand computers working at the same time until this event. It was just a sea of computer screens - just an incredible sight.

Here are just a few observations:

1. Some of the computer cases are just works of art. It must have taken weeks to do.
2. Three screens seems to be a growing trend.
3. The people with the coffee concessions will make a fortune from this event.
4. This is an endurance event.
5. There are superstars in the gaming world. Who knew?
6. The mouse is a key component and the variety used is endless.
7. There is LAN slang that befuddles me completely.
8. Females comprise only about twenty percent of the participants. Perhaps that is a generous overestimation.
9. The people are really helpful and will explain to an obvious novice.
10. I must stop saying “wow - that’s amazing!”

It is a cultural event - and yes, it was amazing. I am glad I went to see what a LAN party was. If you have the chance to see an event, go. It is a computer subculture that one should experience.

Catherine Forsythe

[tags]lan party, subculture, computers[/tags]