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		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/The_Prancing_Skiltaire</id>
		<title>The Prancing Skiltaire</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/The_Prancing_Skiltaire"/>
				<updated>2024-03-09T17:48:26Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: Could you please leave this. There are some privacy concerns this is a still a residence after all. Can we please keep some info vague? This is a home not a hotel.  People were not &amp;quot;Guests&amp;quot; either.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{LinkingSupporter}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:HouseAndSign.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The Prancing Skiltaire]]&lt;br /&gt;
'''The Prancing Skiltaire''', also known as the '''Prancing Skiltaire''' or just '''The Skiltaire''', is the given name of the [[furry house]] in the [[SoCalFurs]] region, specifically in [[W:Garden Grove, Orange County|Garden Grove, Orange County, California]], USA.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:TPSLogoCU.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Prancing Skiltaire's house sign (closeup). Photo by (?){{who}}]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Patches.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Patches the cat lived at the Prancing Skiltaire, until her death in May 2012 (renal failure)]]&lt;br /&gt;
This private residence (est. 1980) was owned by [[furry fandom organizer]] [[Mark Merlino]], and it is host to a group of [[furries]] that share their common interests in matters relating to the [[furdom]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It also hosts, or has been host to, a variety of public events in the past years such as annual holiday get-togethers, [[ConFurence]] and [[Califur]] staff meetings, [[filk]]ing concerts, and their monthly [[house party|house parties]] (which for a time were hosted side by side with another furry house, the [[Rick's Café Terrestrienne]], just located a few blocks east, until [[Rick Calhoun|Rick]] and [[Tess the Red Pony|Tess Calhoun]] moved to the state of [[W:Washington|Washington]] in the mid 2005).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Mascot ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The residence's [[mascot]] (found on the house's sign and business cards), is the [[Skiltaire]], a [[species]] created by Mark initially for a personally-made [[role-playing game]] ('''RPG''').&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== House parties ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The guests of the monthly house party, held on the second Saturday of each month from 02:00 PM – 10:00 PM, are asked to provide their own food and munchies,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://skiltaire.net/party-rules/ ''Party Rules''] page on the The Prancing Skiltaire's website. Retrieved January 12, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; while a barbecue station is available in the backyard (this is the residence's BBQ, not to be confused with the [[FurBQ]], also known as the '''SoCal FurBQ''', one of the largest informal annual gatherings of furries in the SoCalFurs area).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== History ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The house's name was modeled after traditional Old English naming traditions: e.g. &amp;quot;Red Lion Inn&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;The Boar's Head&amp;quot;, etc, which signifies a place of abode and commune to weary travelers. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The house is/was host to many furries and has been, in the past, a commune for those furs either displaced from their homes and given residence for rent or in exchange for apprenticeship in Mark's network communication company, ''[[Lantana, Ltd]]''.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The five-bedroom house has a primarily [[furry]]-themed decor, with most of the walls and shelving space decked out with original and re-created [[animation|animation cel]]s of past furry movies, Japanese and Chinese [[manga]], [[artwork|original artwork]] by various [[furry artists]], an extensive collection of DVDs, CDs, music, and offbeat movies, a large collection of [[plush toy|plushie]]s, memorabilia, collectibles, and statuettes, among others.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Tiger's Den BBS ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Tiger's Den BBS]] was a furry-themed [[bulletin board system]] ('''BBS''') server located at the location, which ran from 1983 to 1996, before the popularization of the Internet. The servers were located in the far east wing of the house. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a result of this and Mark's professional skills as a networking engineer, in 1999 the house was rigged with a more-than-adequate Ethernet network, which was ahead of its time for a personal residence before the popularization of residential [[W:LAN|Local area network]]s ('''LAN''').&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Firstlight Internet Services ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Skiltaire also has a history with [[Firstlight Internet Services]], which was/is a full-service ISP, once primarily based out of [[W:Orange County|Orange County]] ('''OC'''). [[Koyama|Neil Whelchel]], its owner, was a long-time resident at the house, and consequently, partners in maintaining the communication networks provided at [[ConFurence]], along with [[Tigerden Internet Services]]. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many of the residents of the house were given complimentary web space and email addresses. The ISP also hosted [[The Pride Lands MUCK]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The ISP went offline in the early 2000s and the website went defunct around 2009.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Residents ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Owner/resident Mark Merlino passed on the premises while recuperating from a series of [[W:Brain stroke|brain stroke]]s while battling [[W:Cancer staging|Stage IV]] [[W:Liver cancer|liver cancer]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-a-true-fandom-original ''Help a True Fandom Original.''] post by [[Rodney Stansfield]] on [[W:GoFundMe|GoFundMe]]. Retrieved February 9, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; He passed away in his sleep during the early morning hours of February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;ref name =&amp;quot;feb20tweet&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/Skiltaire_Party/status/1759882242137149928 ''He's gone.''] post on [[The Prancing Skiltaire]]'s [[X (social media)|X]]  account. Retrieved February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
His long-time [[W:Life partner|partner]] [[Rod O'Riley]] is the current homeowner of the Skiltaire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Residents over the years ===&lt;br /&gt;
{|&lt;br /&gt;
|- valign=&amp;quot;top&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Andre Tiger]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Aronel]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Bill Fitts]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Changa]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Huck]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Jazmyn Concolor]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[KitFox (California)|KitFox]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Koyama]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[KatVixen]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Kaysho]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Lee Franks]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Liana]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Lena]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Noah Miller]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Nalia]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Ray]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Richard Lowman]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Sherwood]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Thylin|Navajo]] ('''Thylin'''/'''Illyira''')&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Thalyn]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Talesin]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Trapa]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Vchan]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[WolfWings]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Washu]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Zjonni]]&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== References ==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;REFERENCES/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://prancing.skiltaire.net/ Prancing.skiltaire.net] - The Prancing Skiltaire's official homepage&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.furaffinity.net/search/?q=The+Prancing+Skiltaire The Prancing Skiltaire] search results in [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.facebook.com/PrancingSkiltaire/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Facebook]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/#!/Skiltaire_Party/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[X (social media)|X]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://bsky.app/profile/skiltaire.party The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[BlueSky]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://t.me/+b47ddTNuSpdlNDFh The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Telegram]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.instagram.com/theprancingskiltaire/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Instagram]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.youtube.com/user/PrancingSkiltaire The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[YouTube]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://4sq.com/bRe1Nj The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[W:FourSquare|FourSquare]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://zaubee.com/biz/the-prancing-skiltaire-komx3dlv The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[W:Zaubee|Zaubee]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Media ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://dogpatch.press/2019/11/25/adult-swim-festival-prancing-skiltaire-3/ ''A furry pilgrimage to the Adult Swim Festival and the Prancing Skiltaire house, Part 1.''] a series article on ''[[Dogpatch Press]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966–1996 ''Retrospective: An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996''] article on ''[[Flayrah]]''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Furry houses}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{California}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Furry houses|Prancing Skiltaire, The]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Events|Prancing Skiltaire, The]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{Featured article|Prancing Skiltaire, The}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[it:The Prancing Skiltaire]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/The_Prancing_Skiltaire</id>
		<title>The Prancing Skiltaire</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/The_Prancing_Skiltaire"/>
				<updated>2024-03-07T22:25:21Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: /* Firstlight Internet Services */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{LinkingSupporter}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:HouseAndSign.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The Prancing Skiltaire]]&lt;br /&gt;
'''The Prancing Skiltaire''', also known as the '''Prancing Skiltaire''' or just '''The Skiltaire''', is the given name of the [[furry house]] in the [[SoCalFurs]] region, specifically in [[W:Garden Grove, Orange County|Garden Grove, Orange County, California]], USA.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:TPSLogoCU.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Prancing Skiltaire's house sign (closeup). Photo by (?){{who}}]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Patches.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Patches the cat lived at the Prancing Skiltaire, until her death in May 2012 (renal failure)]]&lt;br /&gt;
This private residence (est. 1980) is owned by [[furry fandom organizer]] [[Mark Merlino]], and it is host to a group of [[furries]] that share their common interests in matters relating to the [[furdom]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It also hosts, or has been host to, a variety of public events in the past years such as annual holiday get-togethers, [[ConFurence]] and [[Califur]] staff meetings, [[filk]]ing concerts, and their monthly [[house party|house parties]] (which for a time were hosted side by side with another furry house, the [[Rick's Café Terrestrienne]], just located a few blocks east, until [[Rick Calhoun|Rick]] and [[Tess the Red Pony|Tess Calhoun]] moved to the state of [[W:Washington|Washington]] in the mid 2005).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Mascot ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The residence's [[mascot]] (found on the house's sign and business cards), is the [[Skiltaire]], a [[species]] created by Mark initially for a personally-made [[role-playing game]] ('''RPG''').&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== House parties ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The guests of the monthly house party, held on the second Saturday of each month from 02:00 PM – 10:00 PM, are asked to provide their own food and munchies,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://skiltaire.net/party-rules/ ''Party Rules''] page on https://skiltaire.net/ Skiltaire.net]. Retrieved January 12, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; while a barbecue station is available in the backyard (this is the residence's BBQ, not to be confused with the [[FurBQ]], also known as the '''SoCal FurBQ''', one of the largest informal annual gatherings of furries in the SoCalFurs area).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== History ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The house's name was modeled after traditional Old English naming traditions: e.g. &amp;quot;Red Lion Inn&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;The Boar's Head&amp;quot;, etc, which signifies a place of abode and commune to weary travelers. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The house is/was host to many furries and has been, in the past, a commune for those furs either displaced from their homes and given residence for rent or in exchange for apprenticeship in Mark's network communication company, ''[[Lantana, Ltd]]''.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The five-bedroom house has a primarily [[furry]]-themed decor, with most of the walls and shelving space decked out with original and re-created [[animation|animation cel]]s of past furry movies, Japanese and Chinese [[manga]], [[artwork|original artwork]] by various [[furry artists]], an extensive collection of DVDs, CDs, music, and offbeat movies, a large collection of [[plush toy|plushie]]s, memorabilia, collectibles, and statuettes, among others.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Tiger's Den BBS ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Tiger's Den BBS]] was a furry-themed [[bulletin board system]] ('''BBS''') server located at the location, which ran from 1983 to 1996, before the popularization of the Internet. The servers were located in the far east wing of the house. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a result of this and Mark's professional skills as a networking engineer, in 1999 the house was rigged with a more-than-adequate Ethernet network, which was ahead of its time for a personal residence before the popularization of residential [[W:LAN|Local area network]]s ('''LAN''').&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Firstlight Internet Services ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Skiltaire also has a history with [[Firstlight Internet Services]], which was/is a full-service ISP, once primarily based out of [[W:Orange County|Orange County]] ('''OC'''). [[Koyama|Neil Whelchel]], its owner, was a long-time resident at the house, and consequently, partners in maintaining the communication networks provided at [[ConFurence]], along with [[Tigerden Internet Services]]. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many of the residents of the house were given complimentary web space and email addresses. The ISP also hosted [[The Pride Lands MUCK]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The ISP went offline in the early 2000's and the website went defunct around 2009.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Notable Residents ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|&lt;br /&gt;
|- valign=&amp;quot;top&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Mark Merlino]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Rod O'Riley]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Andre Tiger]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Aronel]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Bill Fitts]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Changa]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Huck]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Jazmyn Concolor]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[KitFox (California)|KitFox]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Koyama]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[KatVixen]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Kaysho]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Lee Franks]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Liana]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Lena]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Noah Miller]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Nalia]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Ray]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Richard Lowman]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Seriayne]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Sherwood]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Thylin|Navajo]] ('''Thylin'''/'''Illyira''')&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Thalyn]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Talesin]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Trapa]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Vchan]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[WolfWings]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Washu]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Zjonni]]&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== References ==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;REFERENCES/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://prancing.skiltaire.net/ Prancing.skiltaire.net] - The Prancing Skiltaire's official homepage&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.furaffinity.net/search/?q=The+Prancing+Skiltaire The Prancing Skiltaire] search results in [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.facebook.com/PrancingSkiltaire/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Facebook]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/#!/Skiltaire_Party/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[X (social media)|X]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://bsky.app/profile/skiltaire.party The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[BlueSky]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://t.me/+b47ddTNuSpdlNDFh The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Telegram]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.instagram.com/theprancingskiltaire/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Instagram]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.youtube.com/user/PrancingSkiltaire The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[YouTube]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://4sq.com/bRe1Nj The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[W:FourSquare|FourSquare]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://zaubee.com/biz/the-prancing-skiltaire-komx3dlv The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[W:Zaubee|Zaubee]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Media ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://dogpatch.press/2019/11/25/adult-swim-festival-prancing-skiltaire-3/ ''A furry pilgrimage to the Adult Swim Festival and the Prancing Skiltaire house, Part 1.''] a series article on ''[[Dogpatch Press]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966–1996 ''Retrospective: An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996''] article on ''[[Flayrah]]''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Furry houses}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{California}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Furry houses|Prancing Skiltaire, The]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Events|Prancing Skiltaire, The]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{Featured article|Prancing Skiltaire, The}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[it:The Prancing Skiltaire]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/The_Prancing_Skiltaire</id>
		<title>The Prancing Skiltaire</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/The_Prancing_Skiltaire"/>
				<updated>2024-03-07T03:13:40Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: /* Tiger's Den BBS */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{LinkingSupporter}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:HouseAndSign.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The Prancing Skiltaire]]&lt;br /&gt;
'''The Prancing Skiltaire''', also known as the '''Prancing Skiltaire''' or just '''The Skiltaire''', is the given name of the [[furry house]] in the [[SoCalFurs]] region, specifically in [[W:Garden Grove, Orange County|Garden Grove, Orange County, California]], USA.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:TPSLogoCU.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Prancing Skiltaire's house sign (closeup). Photo by (?){{who}}]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Patches.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Patches the cat lived at the Prancing Skiltaire, until her death in May 2012 (renal failure)]]&lt;br /&gt;
This private residence (est. 1980) is owned by [[furry fandom organizer]] [[Mark Merlino]], and it is host to a group of [[furries]] that share their common interests in matters relating to the [[furdom]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It also hosts, or has been host to, a variety of public events in the past years such as annual holiday get-togethers, [[ConFurence]] and [[Califur]] staff meetings, [[filk]]ing concerts, and their monthly [[house party|house parties]] (which for a time were hosted side by side with another furry house, the [[Rick's Café Terrestrienne]], just located a few blocks east, until [[Rick Calhoun|Rick]] and [[Tess the Red Pony|Tess Calhoun]] moved to the state of [[W:Washington|Washington]] in the mid 2005).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Mascot ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The residence's [[mascot]] (found on the house's sign and business cards), is the [[Skiltaire]], a [[species]] created by Mark initially for a personally-made [[role-playing game]] ('''RPG''').&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== House parties ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The guests of the monthly house party, held on the second Saturday of each month from 02:00 PM – 10:00 PM, are asked to provide their own food and munchies,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://skiltaire.net/party-rules/ ''Party Rules''] page on https://skiltaire.net/ Skiltaire.net]. Retrieved January 12, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; while a barbecue station is available in the backyard (this is the residence's BBQ, not to be confused with the [[FurBQ]], also known as the '''SoCal FurBQ''', one of the largest informal annual gatherings of furries in the SoCalFurs area).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== History ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The house's name was modeled after traditional Old English naming traditions: e.g. &amp;quot;Red Lion Inn&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;The Boar's Head&amp;quot;, etc, which signifies a place of abode and commune to weary travelers. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The house is/was host to many furries and has been, in the past, a commune for those furs either displaced from their homes and given residence for rent or in exchange for apprenticeship in Mark's network communication company, ''[[Lantana, Ltd]]''.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The five-bedroom house has a primarily [[furry]]-themed decor, with most of the walls and shelving space decked out with original and re-created [[animation|animation cel]]s of past furry movies, Japanese and Chinese [[manga]], [[artwork|original artwork]] by various [[furry artists]], an extensive collection of DVDs, CDs, music, and offbeat movies, a large collection of [[plush toy|plushie]]s, memorabilia, collectibles, and statuettes, among others.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Tiger's Den BBS ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Tiger's Den BBS]] was a furry-themed [[bulletin board system]] ('''BBS''') server located at the location, which ran from 1983 to 1996, before the popularization of the Internet. The servers were located in the far east wing of the house. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a result of this and Mark's professional skills as a networking engineer, in 1999 the house was rigged with a more-than-adequate Ethernet network, which was ahead of its time for a personal residence before the popularization of residential [[W:LAN|Local area network]]s ('''LAN''').&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Firstlight Internet Services ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Skiltaire also has a history with [[Firstlight Internet Services]], which was/is a full-service ISP, once primarily based out of [[W:Orange County|Orange County]] ('''OC'''). [[Koyama|Neil Whelchel]], its owner, was a long-time resident at the house, and consequently, partners in maintaining the communication networks provided at [[ConFurence]], along with [[Tigerden Internet Services]]. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many of the residents of the house were given complimentary web space and email addresses. The ISP also hosted [[The Pride Lands MUCK]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The service went defunct around 2009.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Notable Residents ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|&lt;br /&gt;
|- valign=&amp;quot;top&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Mark Merlino]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Rod O'Riley]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Andre Tiger]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Aronel]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Bill Fitts]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Changa]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Huck]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Jazmyn Concolor]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[KitFox (California)|KitFox]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Koyama]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[KatVixen]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Kaysho]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Lee Franks]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Liana]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Lena]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Noah Miller]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Nalia]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Ray]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Richard Lowman]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Seriayne]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Sherwood]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Thylin|Navajo]] ('''Thylin'''/'''Illyira''')&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Thalyn]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Talesin]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Trapa]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Vchan]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[WolfWings]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Washu]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Zjonni]]&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== References ==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;REFERENCES/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://prancing.skiltaire.net/ Prancing.skiltaire.net] - The Prancing Skiltaire's official homepage&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.furaffinity.net/search/?q=The+Prancing+Skiltaire The Prancing Skiltaire] search results in [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.facebook.com/PrancingSkiltaire/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Facebook]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/#!/Skiltaire_Party/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[X (social media)|X]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://bsky.app/profile/skiltaire.party The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[BlueSky]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://t.me/+b47ddTNuSpdlNDFh The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Telegram]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.instagram.com/theprancingskiltaire/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Instagram]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.youtube.com/user/PrancingSkiltaire The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[YouTube]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://4sq.com/bRe1Nj The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[W:FourSquare|FourSquare]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://zaubee.com/biz/the-prancing-skiltaire-komx3dlv The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[W:Zaubee|Zaubee]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Media ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://dogpatch.press/2019/11/25/adult-swim-festival-prancing-skiltaire-3/ ''A furry pilgrimage to the Adult Swim Festival and the Prancing Skiltaire house, Part 1.''] a series article on ''[[Dogpatch Press]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966–1996 ''Retrospective: An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996''] article on ''[[Flayrah]]''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Furry houses}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{California}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Furry houses|Prancing Skiltaire, The]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Events|Prancing Skiltaire, The]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{Featured article|Prancing Skiltaire, The}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[it:The Prancing Skiltaire]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/The_Prancing_Skiltaire</id>
		<title>The Prancing Skiltaire</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/The_Prancing_Skiltaire"/>
				<updated>2024-03-07T03:12:39Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: /* Notable Residents */  Fixing formatting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{LinkingSupporter}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:HouseAndSign.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The Prancing Skiltaire]]&lt;br /&gt;
'''The Prancing Skiltaire''', also known as the '''Prancing Skiltaire''' or just '''The Skiltaire''', is the given name of the [[furry house]] in the [[SoCalFurs]] region, specifically in [[W:Garden Grove, Orange County|Garden Grove, Orange County, California]], USA.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:TPSLogoCU.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Prancing Skiltaire's house sign (closeup). Photo by (?){{who}}]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Patches.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Patches the cat lived at the Prancing Skiltaire, until her death in May 2012 (renal failure)]]&lt;br /&gt;
This private residence (est. 1980) is owned by [[furry fandom organizer]] [[Mark Merlino]], and it is host to a group of [[furries]] that share their common interests in matters relating to the [[furdom]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It also hosts, or has been host to, a variety of public events in the past years such as annual holiday get-togethers, [[ConFurence]] and [[Califur]] staff meetings, [[filk]]ing concerts, and their monthly [[house party|house parties]] (which for a time were hosted side by side with another furry house, the [[Rick's Café Terrestrienne]], just located a few blocks east, until [[Rick Calhoun|Rick]] and [[Tess the Red Pony|Tess Calhoun]] moved to the state of [[W:Washington|Washington]] in the mid 2005).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Mascot ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The residence's [[mascot]] (found on the house's sign and business cards), is the [[Skiltaire]], a [[species]] created by Mark initially for a personally-made [[role-playing game]] ('''RPG''').&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== House parties ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The guests of the monthly house party, held on the second Saturday of each month from 02:00 PM – 10:00 PM, are asked to provide their own food and munchies,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://skiltaire.net/party-rules/ ''Party Rules''] page on https://skiltaire.net/ Skiltaire.net]. Retrieved January 12, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; while a barbecue station is available in the backyard (this is the residence's BBQ, not to be confused with the [[FurBQ]], also known as the '''SoCal FurBQ''', one of the largest informal annual gatherings of furries in the SoCalFurs area).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== History ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The house's name was modeled after traditional Old English naming traditions: e.g. &amp;quot;Red Lion Inn&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;The Boar's Head&amp;quot;, etc, which signifies a place of abode and commune to weary travelers. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The house is/was host to many furries and has been, in the past, a commune for those furs either displaced from their homes and given residence for rent or in exchange for apprenticeship in Mark's network communication company, ''[[Lantana, Ltd]]''.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The five-bedroom house has a primarily [[furry]]-themed decor, with most of the walls and shelving space decked out with original and re-created [[animation|animation cel]]s of past furry movies, Japanese and Chinese [[manga]], [[artwork|original artwork]] by various [[furry artists]], an extensive collection of DVDs, CDs, music, and offbeat movies, a large collection of [[plush toy|plushie]]s, memorabilia, collectibles, and statuettes, among others.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Tiger's Den BBS ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Tiger's Den BBS]] was a furry-themed [[bulletin board system]] ('''BBS''') server located at the location, which ran from 1983 to 1996, before the popularization of the Internet. The servers were located in the far east wing of the house. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a result of this and Mark's professional skills as a networking engineer, the house was rigged with a more-than-adequate Ethernet network, which was ahead of its time for a personal residence before the popularization of residential [[W:LAN|Local area network]]s ('''LAN''').&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Firstlight Internet Services ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Skiltaire also has a history with [[Firstlight Internet Services]], which was/is a full-service ISP, once primarily based out of [[W:Orange County|Orange County]] ('''OC'''). [[Koyama|Neil Whelchel]], its owner, was a long-time resident at the house, and consequently, partners in maintaining the communication networks provided at [[ConFurence]], along with [[Tigerden Internet Services]]. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many of the residents of the house were given complimentary web space and email addresses. The ISP also hosted [[The Pride Lands MUCK]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The service went defunct around 2009.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Notable Residents ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|&lt;br /&gt;
|- valign=&amp;quot;top&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Mark Merlino]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Rod O'Riley]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Andre Tiger]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Aronel]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Bill Fitts]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Changa]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Huck]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Jazmyn Concolor]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[KitFox (California)|KitFox]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Koyama]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[KatVixen]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Kaysho]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Lee Franks]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Liana]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Lena]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Noah Miller]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Nalia]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Ray]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Richard Lowman]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Seriayne]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Sherwood]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Thylin|Navajo]] ('''Thylin'''/'''Illyira''')&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Thalyn]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Talesin]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Trapa]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Vchan]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[WolfWings]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Washu]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Zjonni]]&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== References ==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;REFERENCES/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://prancing.skiltaire.net/ Prancing.skiltaire.net] - The Prancing Skiltaire's official homepage&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.furaffinity.net/search/?q=The+Prancing+Skiltaire The Prancing Skiltaire] search results in [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.facebook.com/PrancingSkiltaire/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Facebook]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/#!/Skiltaire_Party/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[X (social media)|X]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://bsky.app/profile/skiltaire.party The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[BlueSky]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://t.me/+b47ddTNuSpdlNDFh The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Telegram]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.instagram.com/theprancingskiltaire/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Instagram]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.youtube.com/user/PrancingSkiltaire The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[YouTube]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://4sq.com/bRe1Nj The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[W:FourSquare|FourSquare]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://zaubee.com/biz/the-prancing-skiltaire-komx3dlv The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[W:Zaubee|Zaubee]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Media ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://dogpatch.press/2019/11/25/adult-swim-festival-prancing-skiltaire-3/ ''A furry pilgrimage to the Adult Swim Festival and the Prancing Skiltaire house, Part 1.''] a series article on ''[[Dogpatch Press]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966–1996 ''Retrospective: An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996''] article on ''[[Flayrah]]''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Furry houses}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{California}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Furry houses|Prancing Skiltaire, The]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Events|Prancing Skiltaire, The]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{Featured article|Prancing Skiltaire, The}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[it:The Prancing Skiltaire]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/The_Prancing_Skiltaire</id>
		<title>The Prancing Skiltaire</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/The_Prancing_Skiltaire"/>
				<updated>2024-03-07T03:11:02Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: /* Residents */ Talking this over with Rodney, Given the idea of taking Mark out of current residents we decided it's best to just list notable residents. It is also better for some form of privacy as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{LinkingSupporter}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:HouseAndSign.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The Prancing Skiltaire]]&lt;br /&gt;
'''The Prancing Skiltaire''', also known as the '''Prancing Skiltaire''' or just '''The Skiltaire''', is the given name of the [[furry house]] in the [[SoCalFurs]] region, specifically in [[W:Garden Grove, Orange County|Garden Grove, Orange County, California]], USA.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:TPSLogoCU.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Prancing Skiltaire's house sign (closeup). Photo by (?){{who}}]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Patches.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Patches the cat lived at the Prancing Skiltaire, until her death in May 2012 (renal failure)]]&lt;br /&gt;
This private residence (est. 1980) is owned by [[furry fandom organizer]] [[Mark Merlino]], and it is host to a group of [[furries]] that share their common interests in matters relating to the [[furdom]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It also hosts, or has been host to, a variety of public events in the past years such as annual holiday get-togethers, [[ConFurence]] and [[Califur]] staff meetings, [[filk]]ing concerts, and their monthly [[house party|house parties]] (which for a time were hosted side by side with another furry house, the [[Rick's Café Terrestrienne]], just located a few blocks east, until [[Rick Calhoun|Rick]] and [[Tess the Red Pony|Tess Calhoun]] moved to the state of [[W:Washington|Washington]] in the mid 2005).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Mascot ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The residence's [[mascot]] (found on the house's sign and business cards), is the [[Skiltaire]], a [[species]] created by Mark initially for a personally-made [[role-playing game]] ('''RPG''').&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== House parties ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The guests of the monthly house party, held on the second Saturday of each month from 02:00 PM – 10:00 PM, are asked to provide their own food and munchies,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://skiltaire.net/party-rules/ ''Party Rules''] page on https://skiltaire.net/ Skiltaire.net]. Retrieved January 12, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; while a barbecue station is available in the backyard (this is the residence's BBQ, not to be confused with the [[FurBQ]], also known as the '''SoCal FurBQ''', one of the largest informal annual gatherings of furries in the SoCalFurs area).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== History ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The house's name was modeled after traditional Old English naming traditions: e.g. &amp;quot;Red Lion Inn&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;The Boar's Head&amp;quot;, etc, which signifies a place of abode and commune to weary travelers. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The house is/was host to many furries and has been, in the past, a commune for those furs either displaced from their homes and given residence for rent or in exchange for apprenticeship in Mark's network communication company, ''[[Lantana, Ltd]]''.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The five-bedroom house has a primarily [[furry]]-themed decor, with most of the walls and shelving space decked out with original and re-created [[animation|animation cel]]s of past furry movies, Japanese and Chinese [[manga]], [[artwork|original artwork]] by various [[furry artists]], an extensive collection of DVDs, CDs, music, and offbeat movies, a large collection of [[plush toy|plushie]]s, memorabilia, collectibles, and statuettes, among others.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Tiger's Den BBS ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Tiger's Den BBS]] was a furry-themed [[bulletin board system]] ('''BBS''') server located at the location, which ran from 1983 to 1996, before the popularization of the Internet. The servers were located in the far east wing of the house. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a result of this and Mark's professional skills as a networking engineer, the house was rigged with a more-than-adequate Ethernet network, which was ahead of its time for a personal residence before the popularization of residential [[W:LAN|Local area network]]s ('''LAN''').&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Firstlight Internet Services ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Skiltaire also has a history with [[Firstlight Internet Services]], which was/is a full-service ISP, once primarily based out of [[W:Orange County|Orange County]] ('''OC'''). [[Koyama|Neil Whelchel]], its owner, was a long-time resident at the house, and consequently, partners in maintaining the communication networks provided at [[ConFurence]], along with [[Tigerden Internet Services]]. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many of the residents of the house were given complimentary web space and email addresses. The ISP also hosted [[The Pride Lands MUCK]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The service went defunct around 2009.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Notable Residents ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|&lt;br /&gt;
|- valign=&amp;quot;top&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Mark Merlino]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Rod O'Riley]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Andre Tiger]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Aronel]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Bill Fitts]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Changa]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Huck]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Jazmyn Concolor]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[KitFox (California)|KitFox]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Koyama]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[KatVixen]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Kaysho]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Lee Franks]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Liana]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Lena]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Noah Miller]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Nalia]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Ray]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Richard Lowman]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Seriayne]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Sherwood]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Thylin|Navajo]] ('''Thylin'''/'''Illyira''')&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Thalyn]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Talesin]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Trapa]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Vchan]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[WolfWings]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Washu]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Zjonni]]&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== References ==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;REFERENCES/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://prancing.skiltaire.net/ Prancing.skiltaire.net] - The Prancing Skiltaire's official homepage&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.furaffinity.net/search/?q=The+Prancing+Skiltaire The Prancing Skiltaire] search results in [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.facebook.com/PrancingSkiltaire/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Facebook]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/#!/Skiltaire_Party/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[X (social media)|X]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://bsky.app/profile/skiltaire.party The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[BlueSky]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://t.me/+b47ddTNuSpdlNDFh The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Telegram]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.instagram.com/theprancingskiltaire/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Instagram]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.youtube.com/user/PrancingSkiltaire The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[YouTube]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://4sq.com/bRe1Nj The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[W:FourSquare|FourSquare]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://zaubee.com/biz/the-prancing-skiltaire-komx3dlv The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[W:Zaubee|Zaubee]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Media ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://dogpatch.press/2019/11/25/adult-swim-festival-prancing-skiltaire-3/ ''A furry pilgrimage to the Adult Swim Festival and the Prancing Skiltaire house, Part 1.''] a series article on ''[[Dogpatch Press]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966–1996 ''Retrospective: An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996''] article on ''[[Flayrah]]''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Furry houses}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{California}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Furry houses|Prancing Skiltaire, The]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Events|Prancing Skiltaire, The]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{Featured article|Prancing Skiltaire, The}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[it:The Prancing Skiltaire]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/The_Prancing_Skiltaire</id>
		<title>The Prancing Skiltaire</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/The_Prancing_Skiltaire"/>
				<updated>2024-03-06T01:36:54Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: /* Firstlight Internet Services */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{LinkingSupporter}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:HouseAndSign.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The Prancing Skiltaire]]&lt;br /&gt;
'''The Prancing Skiltaire''', also known as the '''Prancing Skiltaire''' or just '''The Skiltaire''', is the given name of the [[furry house]] in the [[SoCalFurs]] region, specifically in [[W:Garden Grove, Orange County|Garden Grove, Orange County, California]], USA.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:TPSLogoCU.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Prancing Skiltaire's house sign (closeup). Photo by (?){{who}}]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Patches.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Patches the cat lived at the Prancing Skiltaire, until her death in May 2012 (renal failure)]]&lt;br /&gt;
This private residence (est. 1980) is owned by [[furry fandom organizer]] [[Mark Merlino]], and it is host to a group of [[furries]] that share their common interests in matters relating to the [[furdom]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It also hosts, or has been host to, a variety of public events in the past years such as annual holiday get-togethers, [[ConFurence]] and [[Califur]] staff meetings, [[filk]]ing concerts, and their monthly [[house party|house parties]] (which for a time were hosted side by side with another furry house, the [[Rick's Café Terrestrienne]], just located a few blocks east, until [[Rick Calhoun|Rick]] and [[Tess the Red Pony|Tess Calhoun]] moved to the state of [[W:Washington|Washington]] in the mid 2005).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Mascot ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The residence's [[mascot]] (found on the house's sign and business cards), is the [[Skiltaire]], a [[species]] created by Mark initially for a personally-made [[role-playing game]] ('''RPG''').&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== House parties ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The guests of the monthly house party, held on the second Saturday of each month from 02:00 PM – 10:00 PM, are asked to provide their own food and munchies,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://skiltaire.net/party-rules/ ''Party Rules''] page on https://skiltaire.net/ Skiltaire.net]. Retrieved January 12, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; while a barbecue station is available in the backyard (this is the residence's BBQ, not to be confused with the [[FurBQ]], also known as the '''SoCal FurBQ''', one of the largest informal annual gatherings of furries in the SoCalFurs area).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== History ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The house's name was modeled after traditional Old English naming traditions: e.g. &amp;quot;Red Lion Inn&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;The Boar's Head&amp;quot;, etc, which signifies a place of abode and commune to weary travelers. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The house is/was host to many furries and has been, in the past, a commune for those furs either displaced from their homes and given residence for rent or in exchange for apprenticeship in Mark's network communication company, ''[[Lantana, Ltd]]''.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The five-bedroom house has a primarily [[furry]]-themed decor, with most of the walls and shelving space decked out with original and re-created [[animation|animation cel]]s of past furry movies, Japanese and Chinese [[manga]], [[artwork|original artwork]] by various [[furry artists]], an extensive collection of DVDs, CDs, music, and offbeat movies, a large collection of [[plush toy|plushie]]s, memorabilia, collectibles, and statuettes, among others.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Tiger's Den BBS ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Tiger's Den BBS]] was a furry-themed [[bulletin board system]] ('''BBS''') server located at the location, which ran from 1983 to 1996, before the popularization of the Internet. The servers were located in the far east wing of the house. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a result of this and Mark's professional skills as a networking engineer, the house was rigged with a more-than-adequate Ethernet network, which was ahead of its time for a personal residence before the popularization of residential [[W:LAN|Local area network]]s ('''LAN''').&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Firstlight Internet Services ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Skiltaire also has a history with [[Firstlight Internet Services]], which was/is a full-service ISP, once primarily based out of [[W:Orange County|Orange County]] ('''OC'''). [[Koyama|Neil Whelchel]], its owner, was a long-time resident at the house, and consequently, partners in maintaining the communication networks provided at [[ConFurence]], along with [[Tigerden Internet Services]]. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many of the residents of the house were given complimentary web space and email addresses. The ISP also hosted [[The Pride Lands MUCK]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The service went defunct around 2009.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Residents ==&lt;br /&gt;
=== Current ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|&lt;br /&gt;
|- valign=&amp;quot;top&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Mark Merlino]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Rod O'Riley]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Sherwood]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
=== Former ===&lt;br /&gt;
{|&lt;br /&gt;
|- valign=&amp;quot;top&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Andre Tiger]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Aronel]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Bill Fitts]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Changa]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Huck]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Jazmyn Concolor]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[KitFox (California)|KitFox]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Koyama]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[KatVixen]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Kaysho]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Lee Franks]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Liana]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Lena]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Noah Miller]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Nalia]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Ray]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Richard Lowman]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Thylin|Navajo]] ('''Thylin'''/'''Illyira''')&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Thalyn]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Talesin]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Trapa]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Vchan]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[WolfWings]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Washu]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Zjonni]]&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== References ==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;REFERENCES/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://prancing.skiltaire.net/ Prancing.skiltaire.net] - The Prancing Skiltaire's official homepage&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.furaffinity.net/search/?q=The+Prancing+Skiltaire The Prancing Skiltaire] search results in [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.facebook.com/PrancingSkiltaire/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Facebook]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/#!/Skiltaire_Party/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[X (social media)|X]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://bsky.app/profile/skiltaire.party The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[BlueSky]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://t.me/+b47ddTNuSpdlNDFh The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Telegram]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.instagram.com/theprancingskiltaire/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Instagram]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.youtube.com/user/PrancingSkiltaire The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[YouTube]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://4sq.com/bRe1Nj The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[W:FourSquare|FourSquare]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://zaubee.com/biz/the-prancing-skiltaire-komx3dlv The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[W:Zaubee|Zaubee]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Media ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://dogpatch.press/2019/11/25/adult-swim-festival-prancing-skiltaire-3/ ''A furry pilgrimage to the Adult Swim Festival and the Prancing Skiltaire house, Part 1.''] a series article on ''[[Dogpatch Press]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966–1996 ''Retrospective: An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996''] article on ''[[Flayrah]]''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Furry houses}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{California}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Furry houses|Prancing Skiltaire, The]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Events|Prancing Skiltaire, The]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{Featured article|Prancing Skiltaire, The}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[it:The Prancing Skiltaire]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/The_Prancing_Skiltaire</id>
		<title>The Prancing Skiltaire</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/The_Prancing_Skiltaire"/>
				<updated>2024-03-06T01:32:35Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: Undo revision 582007 by 24.125.216.221 (talk)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{LinkingSupporter}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:HouseAndSign.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The Prancing Skiltaire]]&lt;br /&gt;
'''The Prancing Skiltaire''', also known as the '''Prancing Skiltaire''' or just '''The Skiltaire''', is the given name of the [[furry house]] in the [[SoCalFurs]] region, specifically in [[W:Garden Grove, Orange County|Garden Grove, Orange County, California]], USA.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:TPSLogoCU.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Prancing Skiltaire's house sign (closeup). Photo by (?){{who}}]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Patches.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Patches the cat lived at the Prancing Skiltaire, until her death in May 2012 (renal failure)]]&lt;br /&gt;
This private residence (est. 1980) is owned by [[furry fandom organizer]] [[Mark Merlino]], and it is host to a group of [[furries]] that share their common interests in matters relating to the [[furdom]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It also hosts, or has been host to, a variety of public events in the past years such as annual holiday get-togethers, [[ConFurence]] and [[Califur]] staff meetings, [[filk]]ing concerts, and their monthly [[house party|house parties]] (which for a time were hosted side by side with another furry house, the [[Rick's Café Terrestrienne]], just located a few blocks east, until [[Rick Calhoun|Rick]] and [[Tess the Red Pony|Tess Calhoun]] moved to the state of [[W:Washington|Washington]] in the mid 2005).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Mascot ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The residence's [[mascot]] (found on the house's sign and business cards), is the [[Skiltaire]], a [[species]] created by Mark initially for a personally-made [[role-playing game]] ('''RPG''').&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== House parties ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The guests of the monthly house party, held on the second Saturday of each month from 02:00 PM – 10:00 PM, are asked to provide their own food and munchies,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://skiltaire.net/party-rules/ ''Party Rules''] page on https://skiltaire.net/ Skiltaire.net]. Retrieved January 12, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; while a barbecue station is available in the backyard (this is the residence's BBQ, not to be confused with the [[FurBQ]], also known as the '''SoCal FurBQ''', one of the largest informal annual gatherings of furries in the SoCalFurs area).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== History ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The house's name was modeled after traditional Old English naming traditions: e.g. &amp;quot;Red Lion Inn&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;The Boar's Head&amp;quot;, etc, which signifies a place of abode and commune to weary travelers. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The house is/was host to many furries and has been, in the past, a commune for those furs either displaced from their homes and given residence for rent or in exchange for apprenticeship in Mark's network communication company, ''[[Lantana, Ltd]]''.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The five-bedroom house has a primarily [[furry]]-themed decor, with most of the walls and shelving space decked out with original and re-created [[animation|animation cel]]s of past furry movies, Japanese and Chinese [[manga]], [[artwork|original artwork]] by various [[furry artists]], an extensive collection of DVDs, CDs, music, and offbeat movies, a large collection of [[plush toy|plushie]]s, memorabilia, collectibles, and statuettes, among others.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Tiger's Den BBS ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Tiger's Den BBS]] was a furry-themed [[bulletin board system]] ('''BBS''') server located at the location, which ran from 1983 to 1996, before the popularization of the Internet. The servers were located in the far east wing of the house. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a result of this and Mark's professional skills as a networking engineer, the house was rigged with a more-than-adequate Ethernet network, which was ahead of its time for a personal residence before the popularization of residential [[W:LAN|Local area network]]s ('''LAN''').&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Firstlight Internet Services ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Skiltaire also has a history with [[Firstlight Internet Services]], which was/is a full-service ISP, once primarily based out of [[W:Orange County|Orange County]] ('''OC'''). [[Koyama|Neil Whelchel]], its owner, was a long-time resident at the house, and consequently, partners in maintaining the communication networks provided at [[ConFurence]], along with [[Tigerden Internet Services]]. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many of the residents of the house were given complimentary web space and email addresses, some of which are still in use today. The ISP also hosted [[The Pride Lands MUCK]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Residents ==&lt;br /&gt;
=== Current ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|&lt;br /&gt;
|- valign=&amp;quot;top&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Mark Merlino]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Rod O'Riley]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Sherwood]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
=== Former ===&lt;br /&gt;
{|&lt;br /&gt;
|- valign=&amp;quot;top&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Andre Tiger]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Aronel]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Bill Fitts]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Changa]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Huck]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Jazmyn Concolor]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[KitFox (California)|KitFox]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Koyama]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[KatVixen]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Kaysho]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Lee Franks]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Liana]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Lena]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Noah Miller]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Nalia]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Ray]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Richard Lowman]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Thylin|Navajo]] ('''Thylin'''/'''Illyira''')&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Thalyn]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Talesin]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Trapa]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Vchan]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
* [[WolfWings]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Washu]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Zjonni]]&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== References ==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;REFERENCES/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://prancing.skiltaire.net/ Prancing.skiltaire.net] - The Prancing Skiltaire's official homepage&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.furaffinity.net/search/?q=The+Prancing+Skiltaire The Prancing Skiltaire] search results in [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.facebook.com/PrancingSkiltaire/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Facebook]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/#!/Skiltaire_Party/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[X (social media)|X]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://bsky.app/profile/skiltaire.party The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[BlueSky]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://t.me/+b47ddTNuSpdlNDFh The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Telegram]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.instagram.com/theprancingskiltaire/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Instagram]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.youtube.com/user/PrancingSkiltaire The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[YouTube]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://4sq.com/bRe1Nj The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[W:FourSquare|FourSquare]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://zaubee.com/biz/the-prancing-skiltaire-komx3dlv The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[W:Zaubee|Zaubee]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Media ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://dogpatch.press/2019/11/25/adult-swim-festival-prancing-skiltaire-3/ ''A furry pilgrimage to the Adult Swim Festival and the Prancing Skiltaire house, Part 1.''] a series article on ''[[Dogpatch Press]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966–1996 ''Retrospective: An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996''] article on ''[[Flayrah]]''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Furry houses}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{California}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Furry houses|Prancing Skiltaire, The]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Events|Prancing Skiltaire, The]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{Featured article|Prancing Skiltaire, The}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[it:The Prancing Skiltaire]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Mark_Merlino</id>
		<title>Mark Merlino</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Mark_Merlino"/>
				<updated>2024-02-22T21:28:51Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: /* Founder */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{LinkingSupporter}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox person &lt;br /&gt;
| name = Mark Merlino&lt;br /&gt;
| realname = &lt;br /&gt;
| othernames = Sylys Sable, Sy Sable, Sy, Sylys Weezles&lt;br /&gt;
| image = [[File:MarkMerlino.jpg|225px]]&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = Merlino at [[Califur 3]], 2006&lt;br /&gt;
| born = May 12, 1952&lt;br /&gt;
| birthplace = USA&lt;br /&gt;
| died = February 20, 2024 &lt;br /&gt;
| deathplace = [[W:Garden Grove, Orange County|Garden Grove, Orange County, California]]&lt;br /&gt;
| residence = Garden Grove, Orange County, California&lt;br /&gt;
| spouses = &lt;br /&gt;
| profession = [[Fandom organizer]]/[[Fandom influencer|influencer]], [[writer]]&lt;br /&gt;
| species = [[American marten]]&lt;br /&gt;
| gohonor = [[Eurofurence 7]], [[Morphicon 2004]]&lt;br /&gt;
| url = http://www.skiltaire.net/&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''Mark Merlino''', also known '''Sylys Sable''', '''Sy Sable''', or just '''Sy''', also known as '''Sylys Weezles''' on [[Second Life]], was a [[furry fandom]] organizer/influencer and writer who lived in Garden Grove, Orange County, California, USA.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Fandom Involvement == &lt;br /&gt;
[[File:MarkMerlinoDrOsamuTezuka.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Mark Merlino shows [[Manga|manga revolutionary]] [[W:Osamu Tezuka|Dr. Osamu Tezuka]] a skiltaire [[art|illustration]] at a [[C/FO|C/FO animation club screening]] in 1979. Photo by (?).]]&lt;br /&gt;
Merlino became part of the [[fandom]] in 1971 by meeting [[science fiction]] [[convention]] attendees who also espoused an interest regarding [[funny animal]] [[character]]s in any media.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Greymuzzle2022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He was also one of the founders&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://fanlore.org/wiki/Cartoon/Fantasy_Organization ''Cartoon/Fantasy Organization''] entry on the [[W:Organization_for_Transformative_Works#Services_and_platforms|Fanlore]] website. Retrieved February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  of the [[Cartoon/Fantasy Organization]] ('''C/FO'''), a [[W:Fandom|fandom organization]] initially created for the discussion and enjoyment of [[anime|Japanese animation]] ('''anime''') and [[manga]] [[comic]]s, which is credited with propagating this genre via local chapters in the Continental US and overseas [[W:List of American military installations|American military installation]] ([[W:Misawa Air Base|Misawa Air Base]], Japan), especially thanks to fellow C/FO member Patten's American [[W:Anime and manga fandom|anime and manga fandom]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Some of this anime/manga media imported for viewing by US fans ([[furries|fur]]/[[non-fur]]) included such titles of [[furry interest]] as:&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[The Amazing Three]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Bagi, Monster of Mighty Nature]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Sherlock Hound]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Samurai Pizza Cats]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Simba the King Lion]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Around the World with Willy Fog]]''&lt;br /&gt;
...Among others, which they heavily influenced [[furry artist]]s, writers, and fans of that era and onwards.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Founder ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark is recognized as one of the founding and pivotal members of the furry fandom&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;BBC2009&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8355287.stm ''Who are the furries?''] article by [[Denise Winterman]] on the  [[W:BBC News Magazine|BBC News Magazine]]. Retrieved November 13, 2009.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name =&amp;quot;Ash2020&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv0QaTW3kEY ''The Fandom: A Furry Documentary FULL MOVIE''] video by [[Ash Coyote]] on [[YouTube]]. Retrieved January 13, 2023.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name = &amp;quot;Greymuzzle2022&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://shows.acast.com/the-greymuzzle-archives/episodes/1-sy-sable-mark-merlino #1 - Sy Sable (Mark Merlino)], The Greymuzzle Archives. Podcast. Retrieved January 13, 2023.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; along with his long-time [[W:Life partner|partner]] [[Rod O'Riley]], at one point describing himself as the &amp;quot;Father of the Furry Fandom&amp;quot; at his [[Oklacon 2004]] panel of &amp;quot;''History of Fur''&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://oklacon.com/Event?year=2004 ''Oklacon 2004 Event Schedule''] page on [[Oklacon 2004]]'s website. Retrieved November 24, 2010.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* In 1982 his hoime physically hosted the first [[furry]] [[BBS]], the ''[[Tiger's Den]]'' run by roomate Andre Johnson.&lt;br /&gt;
* In 1985 he organized the first [[Room party|furry room parties]], most notably at [[Westercon]], which, due to their growing attendance, led to the creation of a [[newsletter]] and two [[magazines]].{{clarify}}&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Greymuzzle2022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
* In 1989, along with Rod O'Riley, he co-founded the very first [[furry convention]], [[ConFurence]], a con that laid out the groundwork for the [[furry subculture]]'s expansion and visibility into [[mainstream culture]], remaining as its [[director]] until [[Confurence 10]]. &lt;br /&gt;
* For a while, they held [[Prancing Skiltaire party|Prancing Skiltaire parties]], almost exlusively, at the [[W:Sacramento, California|Sacramento, California]]'s [[science fiction]] and [[fantasy]] convention, [[Westercon]].&lt;br /&gt;
* He has been a [[Guest of Honor]] for both [[Eurofurence 7]] and [[Morphicon 2004|Morphicon 2004]].&lt;br /&gt;
* In 2004-2005 he helped [[Califur]] find its first and second hotel.{{clarify}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark owned the well-known [[Furry houses|furry household]] [[The Prancing Skiltaire]], located in Garden Grove, Orange County, California, where it hosted a myriad of [[meet]]s and events, and monthly [[furry parties]] since 2005. He was also active on [[FurryMUCK]], [[Second Life]], and [[VRChat]], and helped maintain ''[[The Greymuzzle Archives]]''.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Fursonas and characters ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark had accumulated an enormous repertoire of furry [[persona character]]s and had a tradition of naming his characters with the prefix &amp;quot;Sy-&amp;quot;, including the [[recom]] [[Sylys Sable]], [[Sy|Sy the skiltaire]], [[Sydney Fisher]], and the [[silkie]]s [[Sylvester Thomas]] and [[Syndy Skye]] ([[Sega]] the [[ratel]] was an exception).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark's representative [[species]] was the American marten.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Orange County Science Fiction Club ====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For a while, a skiltaire was the [[mascot]] of the [[W:Orange County Science Fiction ClubOrange County Science Fiction Club]] ('''OCSFC'''), who Mark and Rod were participants (&amp;quot;presenters&amp;quot;).{{clarify}}&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://ocsfc.org/ocsfguests.htm ''OCSFC Presenters''] page on the [[W:Orange County Science Fiction Club|Orange County Science Fiction Club]]'s website. Retrieved February 21, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Convention attendance ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Califur]] - ?, 2006, ?, 2009&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Califur Diego]] - 2004, ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[ConFuzzled]] - 2023&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Confurence]] - 1989,'''*''' 1990,'''*''' 1991,'''*''' 1992,'''*'''  1993,'''*'''  1994,'''*'''  1995,'''*'''  1996,'''*'''  1997,'''*'''  1998,'''*'''  1999,'''*'''  2000, 2001, 2002, 2003&lt;br /&gt;
* [[CritterConDiego]] - 2002, 2003&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Eurofurence]] - ?, 2001,'''*''' ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Furality]] - 2000, '''***''' Luma, '''***''' Legends, '''***''' Aqua, Luma Festival, Sylva&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Further Confusion]] - ?, 2009, ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Megaplex]] - 2023'''***'''&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Megaplex 2023 Panel: Ask a Graymuzzle Anything&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://megaplex2023.sched.com/event/1OyJd/ask-a-graymuzzle-anything]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Midwest FurFest]] - '''***''' 2022, '''***''' 2023&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Morphicon]] - ?, 2004,'''**''' ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[San Diego Comic-Con]] - ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Westercon]] - ?, 1985, ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Worldcon]] - ?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''*''') [[Director]]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
('''**''') [[GoH]]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
('''***''') [[Panelist]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Skiltaire ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark is the creator of the '''skiltaire''' (also known as '''skiltare''') species, intelligent sentient [[weasel]]-like [[W:spacefaring|spacefaring]] [[alien]]s which were created in 1971&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.imverod.com/Skiltaire/Splash.htm ''Skiltaire in Traveller'']] splash page on [http://www.imverod.com/Skiltaire/Splash.htm Imverod.com]'s website. Retrieved February 21, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; as a non-[[human]] [[sentient]] species for a series of [[science fiction]] [[stories]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Skiltairea have been depicted by numerous artists and were selected as mascots of the Cartoon/Fantasy Organization and Mark's home, The Prancing Skiltaire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Literature ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a writer, Mark was involved with several fandom periodicals, including ''[[Touch]]'', ''[[In-Fur-Nation]]'' and the ''[[Western Weyr]]'' (a ''[[W:Chronicles of Pern|Chronicles of Per]]'' [[fanzine]]). He was a co-writer on the furry [[role-playing game]] ''[[Other Suns]]'' (which included his Skiltaire species), and had written non-fiction articles for ''[[FurVersion]]'' and ''[[Shanda Fantasy Arts]]'''s ''[[New Horizons]]''. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark's stories for the [[First Light Pride]] appeared in [[comic]] form in ''New Horizons'', and were reprinted in ''[[Four Footed Furries]]'', another ''Shanda Fantasy Arts'' publication.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Awards and recognitions ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark Merlino was co-winner, along with his partner Rod O'Riley, of the 2022 [[Good Furry Award|Good Furry Award Lifetime Achievement]]. His influential role was also recognized in the 2020 furry [[W:Documentary film|documentary film]], ''[[The Fandom (documentary)|The Fandom]]'', showcasing his significant contributions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He is heavily mentioned on [[Fred Patten]]'s [[W:Non-fiction|non-fiction book]] about the furry fandom, ''[[An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996]]''.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [http://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966-1996 ''An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996''] article on [[Flayrah]]. Retrieved February 21, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Death and remembrances ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a series of [[W:Brain stroke|brain stroke]]s for which Mark Merlino was hospitalized, it was discovered during a screening on February 9, 2024, that he had [[W:Cancer staging|Stage IV]] [[W:Liver cancer|liver cancer]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-a-true-fandom-original ''Help a True Fandom Original.''] post by [[Rodney Stansfield]] on [[W:GoFundMe|GoFundMe]]. Retrieved February 9, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; He passed away in his sleep at home during the early morning hours of February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;ref name =&amp;quot;feb20tweet&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/Skiltaire_Party/status/1759882242137149928 ''He's gone.''] post on [[The Prancing Skiltaire]]'s [[X (social media)|X]]  account. Retrieved February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Merlino's passing was talked about heavily on social media, especially [[X (social media)|X]] to the point that his name trended on X's &amp;quot;'''What is happening'''&amp;quot; board.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/buzzabub/status/1760138973840576679 ''So many people are mourning the loss of Mark Merlino right now.''] post on X. Retrieved February 21, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; A great deal of known furry figures, events, and [[convention]]s added their condolences online.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/FurryFiesta/status/1759980302343020695 ''We at Furry Fiesta are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Mark Merlino (Sy Sable)''] post on [[Texas Furry Fiesta]]'s X account. Retrieved February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;{{cn}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== References ==&lt;br /&gt;
{{reflist|3}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
{{Contributor|Sysable}}&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.deviantart.com/sysable Sy Sable] on [[DeviantArt]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/sysable/ Sy Sable] on [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://us.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/Mark-Merlino/ Mark Merlino] on [[VCL]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://furrynetwork.com/sysable/ Sy Sable] on the [[Furry Network]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.ocsfc.org Mark Merlino (along with Rod O'Riley)] on the [[W:Orange County Science Fiction Club|Orange County Science Fiction Club]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050421045208/http://scifiinc.net/scifiinc/gallery/bio/Merlino,_Mark.htm Mark Merlino] on the [[W:Worldcon|Worldcon's Fan Gallery]] (retrieved via the [[W:Internet Archive|Internet Archive]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/sysable Sy Sable] on [[X (social media)|X]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://bsky.app/profile/sysable.confurence.com Sy Sable] on [[BlueSky]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://sysable.livejournal.com/ Sy Sable] on [[LiveJournal]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.reddit.com/user/sysable/ Sy Sable] on [[Reddit]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/sysable/ Sy Sable] on [[W:Flickr|Flickr]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.youtube.com/sysable Sy Sable] on [[YouTube]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/category/fanzines/touch/ Issues of Touch Magazine on ConFurence Archive.]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Media ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8355287.stm ''Who are the furries?] article by [[W:Denise Winterman|Denise Winterman]] on the [[W:BBC News Magazine|BBC News Magazine]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{person-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Writers]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Califur staff]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:ConFurence staff]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Eurofurence guests of honor]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Morphicon guests of honor]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Oklacon staff]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1952 births]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:2024 deaths]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[es:Mark Merlino]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Mark_Merlino</id>
		<title>Mark Merlino</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Mark_Merlino"/>
				<updated>2024-02-22T21:26:35Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: /* Convention attendance */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{LinkingSupporter}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox person &lt;br /&gt;
| name = Mark Merlino&lt;br /&gt;
| realname = &lt;br /&gt;
| othernames = Sylys Sable, Sy Sable, Sy, Sylys Weezles&lt;br /&gt;
| image = [[File:MarkMerlino.jpg|225px]]&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = Merlino at [[Califur 3]], 2006&lt;br /&gt;
| born = May 12, 1952&lt;br /&gt;
| birthplace = USA&lt;br /&gt;
| died = February 20, 2024 &lt;br /&gt;
| deathplace = [[W:Garden Grove, Orange County|Garden Grove, Orange County, California]]&lt;br /&gt;
| residence = Garden Grove, Orange County, California&lt;br /&gt;
| spouses = &lt;br /&gt;
| profession = [[Fandom organizer]]/[[Fandom influencer|influencer]], [[writer]]&lt;br /&gt;
| species = [[American marten]]&lt;br /&gt;
| gohonor = [[Eurofurence 7]], [[Morphicon 2004]]&lt;br /&gt;
| url = http://www.skiltaire.net/&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''Mark Merlino''', also known '''Sylys Sable''', '''Sy Sable''', or just '''Sy''', also known as '''Sylys Weezles''' on [[Second Life]], was a [[furry fandom]] organizer/influencer and writer who lived in Garden Grove, Orange County, California, USA.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Fandom Involvement == &lt;br /&gt;
[[File:MarkMerlinoDrOsamuTezuka.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Mark Merlino shows [[Manga|manga revolutionary]] [[W:Osamu Tezuka|Dr. Osamu Tezuka]] a skiltaire [[art|illustration]] at a [[C/FO|C/FO animation club screening]] in 1979. Photo by (?).]]&lt;br /&gt;
Merlino became part of the [[fandom]] in 1971 by meeting [[science fiction]] [[convention]] attendees who also espoused an interest regarding [[funny animal]] [[character]]s in any media.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Greymuzzle2022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He was also one of the founders&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://fanlore.org/wiki/Cartoon/Fantasy_Organization ''Cartoon/Fantasy Organization''] entry on the [[W:Organization_for_Transformative_Works#Services_and_platforms|Fanlore]] website. Retrieved February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  of the [[Cartoon/Fantasy Organization]] ('''C/FO'''), a [[W:Fandom|fandom organization]] initially created for the discussion and enjoyment of [[anime|Japanese animation]] ('''anime''') and [[manga]] [[comic]]s, which is credited with propagating this genre via local chapters in the Continental US and overseas [[W:List of American military installations|American military installation]] ([[W:Misawa Air Base|Misawa Air Base]], Japan), especially thanks to fellow C/FO member Patten's American [[W:Anime and manga fandom|anime and manga fandom]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Some of this anime/manga media imported for viewing by US fans ([[furries|fur]]/[[non-fur]]) included such titles of [[furry interest]] as:&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[The Amazing Three]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Bagi, Monster of Mighty Nature]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Sherlock Hound]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Samurai Pizza Cats]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Simba the King Lion]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Around the World with Willy Fog]]''&lt;br /&gt;
...Among others, which they heavily influenced [[furry artist]]s, writers, and fans of that era and onwards.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Founder ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark is recognized as one of the founding and pivotal members of the furry fandom&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;BBC2009&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8355287.stm ''Who are the furries?''] article by [[Denise Winterman]] on the  [[W:BBC News Magazine|BBC News Magazine]]. Retrieved November 13, 2009.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name =&amp;quot;Ash2020&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv0QaTW3kEY ''The Fandom: A Furry Documentary FULL MOVIE''] video by [[Ash Coyote]] on [[YouTube]]. Retrieved January 13, 2023.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name = &amp;quot;Greymuzzle2022&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://shows.acast.com/the-greymuzzle-archives/episodes/1-sy-sable-mark-merlino #1 - Sy Sable (Mark Merlino)], The Greymuzzle Archives. Podcast. Retrieved January 13, 2023.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; along with his long-time [[W:Life partner|partner]] [[Rod O'Riley]], at one point describing himself as the &amp;quot;Father of the Furry Fandom&amp;quot; at his [[Oklacon 2004]] panel of &amp;quot;''History of Fur''&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://oklacon.com/Event?year=2004 ''Oklacon 2004 Event Schedule''] page on [[Oklacon 2004]]'s website. Retrieved November 24, 2010.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* In 1982 he created the first [[furry]] [[BBS]], the ''[[Tiger's Den]]''.&lt;br /&gt;
* In 1985 he organized the first [[Room party|furry room parties]], most notably at [[Westercon]], which, due to their growing attendance, led to the creation of a [[newsletter]] and two [[magazines]].{{clarify}}&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Greymuzzle2022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
* In 1989, along with Rod O'Riley, he co-founded the very first [[furry convention]], [[ConFurence]], a con that laid out the groundwork for the [[furry subculture]]'s expansion and visibility into [[mainstream culture]], remaining as its [[director]] until [[Confurence 10]]. &lt;br /&gt;
* For a while, they held [[Prancing Skiltaire party|Prancing Skiltaire parties]], almost exlusively, at the [[W:Sacramento, California|Sacramento, California]]'s [[science fiction]] and [[fantasy]] convention, [[Westercon]].&lt;br /&gt;
* He has been a [[Guest of Honor]] for both [[Eurofurence 7]] and [[Morphicon 2004|Morphicon 2004]].&lt;br /&gt;
* In 2004-2005 he helped [[Califur]] find its first and second hotel.{{clarify}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark owned the well-known [[Furry houses|furry household]] [[The Prancing Skiltaire]], located in Garden Grove, Orange County, California, where it hosted a myriad of [[meet]]s and events, and monthly [[furry parties]] since 2005. He was also active on [[FurryMUCK]], [[Second Life]], and [[VRChat]], and helped maintain ''[[The Greymuzzle Archives]]''.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Fursonas and characters ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark had accumulated an enormous repertoire of furry [[persona character]]s and had a tradition of naming his characters with the prefix &amp;quot;Sy-&amp;quot;, including the [[recom]] [[Sylys Sable]], [[Sy|Sy the skiltaire]], [[Sydney Fisher]], and the [[silkie]]s [[Sylvester Thomas]] and [[Syndy Skye]] ([[Sega]] the [[ratel]] was an exception).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark's representative [[species]] was the American marten.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Orange County Science Fiction Club ====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For a while, a skiltaire was the [[mascot]] of the [[W:Orange County Science Fiction ClubOrange County Science Fiction Club]] ('''OCSFC'''), who Mark and Rod were participants (&amp;quot;presenters&amp;quot;).{{clarify}}&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://ocsfc.org/ocsfguests.htm ''OCSFC Presenters''] page on the [[W:Orange County Science Fiction Club|Orange County Science Fiction Club]]'s website. Retrieved February 21, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Convention attendance ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Califur]] - ?, 2006, ?, 2009&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Califur Diego]] - 2004, ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[ConFuzzled]] - 2023&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Confurence]] - 1989,'''*''' 1990,'''*''' 1991,'''*''' 1992,'''*'''  1993,'''*'''  1994,'''*'''  1995,'''*'''  1996,'''*'''  1997,'''*'''  1998,'''*'''  1999,'''*'''  2000, 2001, 2002, 2003&lt;br /&gt;
* [[CritterConDiego]] - 2002, 2003&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Eurofurence]] - ?, 2001,'''*''' ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Furality]] - 2000, '''***''' Luma, '''***''' Legends, '''***''' Aqua, Luma Festival, Sylva&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Further Confusion]] - ?, 2009, ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Megaplex]] - 2023'''***'''&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Megaplex 2023 Panel: Ask a Graymuzzle Anything&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://megaplex2023.sched.com/event/1OyJd/ask-a-graymuzzle-anything]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Midwest FurFest]] - '''***''' 2022, '''***''' 2023&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Morphicon]] - ?, 2004,'''**''' ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[San Diego Comic-Con]] - ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Westercon]] - ?, 1985, ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Worldcon]] - ?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''*''') [[Director]]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
('''**''') [[GoH]]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
('''***''') [[Panelist]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Skiltaire ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark is the creator of the '''skiltaire''' (also known as '''skiltare''') species, intelligent sentient [[weasel]]-like [[W:spacefaring|spacefaring]] [[alien]]s which were created in 1971&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.imverod.com/Skiltaire/Splash.htm ''Skiltaire in Traveller'']] splash page on [http://www.imverod.com/Skiltaire/Splash.htm Imverod.com]'s website. Retrieved February 21, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; as a non-[[human]] [[sentient]] species for a series of [[science fiction]] [[stories]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Skiltairea have been depicted by numerous artists and were selected as mascots of the Cartoon/Fantasy Organization and Mark's home, The Prancing Skiltaire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Literature ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a writer, Mark was involved with several fandom periodicals, including ''[[Touch]]'', ''[[In-Fur-Nation]]'' and the ''[[Western Weyr]]'' (a ''[[W:Chronicles of Pern|Chronicles of Per]]'' [[fanzine]]). He was a co-writer on the furry [[role-playing game]] ''[[Other Suns]]'' (which included his Skiltaire species), and had written non-fiction articles for ''[[FurVersion]]'' and ''[[Shanda Fantasy Arts]]'''s ''[[New Horizons]]''. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark's stories for the [[First Light Pride]] appeared in [[comic]] form in ''New Horizons'', and were reprinted in ''[[Four Footed Furries]]'', another ''Shanda Fantasy Arts'' publication.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Awards and recognitions ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark Merlino was co-winner, along with his partner Rod O'Riley, of the 2022 [[Good Furry Award|Good Furry Award Lifetime Achievement]]. His influential role was also recognized in the 2020 furry [[W:Documentary film|documentary film]], ''[[The Fandom (documentary)|The Fandom]]'', showcasing his significant contributions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He is heavily mentioned on [[Fred Patten]]'s [[W:Non-fiction|non-fiction book]] about the furry fandom, ''[[An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996]]''.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [http://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966-1996 ''An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996''] article on [[Flayrah]]. Retrieved February 21, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Death and remembrances ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a series of [[W:Brain stroke|brain stroke]]s for which Mark Merlino was hospitalized, it was discovered during a screening on February 9, 2024, that he had [[W:Cancer staging|Stage IV]] [[W:Liver cancer|liver cancer]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-a-true-fandom-original ''Help a True Fandom Original.''] post by [[Rodney Stansfield]] on [[W:GoFundMe|GoFundMe]]. Retrieved February 9, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; He passed away in his sleep at home during the early morning hours of February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;ref name =&amp;quot;feb20tweet&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/Skiltaire_Party/status/1759882242137149928 ''He's gone.''] post on [[The Prancing Skiltaire]]'s [[X (social media)|X]]  account. Retrieved February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Merlino's passing was talked about heavily on social media, especially [[X (social media)|X]] to the point that his name trended on X's &amp;quot;'''What is happening'''&amp;quot; board.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/buzzabub/status/1760138973840576679 ''So many people are mourning the loss of Mark Merlino right now.''] post on X. Retrieved February 21, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; A great deal of known furry figures, events, and [[convention]]s added their condolences online.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/FurryFiesta/status/1759980302343020695 ''We at Furry Fiesta are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Mark Merlino (Sy Sable)''] post on [[Texas Furry Fiesta]]'s X account. Retrieved February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;{{cn}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== References ==&lt;br /&gt;
{{reflist|3}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
{{Contributor|Sysable}}&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.deviantart.com/sysable Sy Sable] on [[DeviantArt]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/sysable/ Sy Sable] on [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://us.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/Mark-Merlino/ Mark Merlino] on [[VCL]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://furrynetwork.com/sysable/ Sy Sable] on the [[Furry Network]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.ocsfc.org Mark Merlino (along with Rod O'Riley)] on the [[W:Orange County Science Fiction Club|Orange County Science Fiction Club]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050421045208/http://scifiinc.net/scifiinc/gallery/bio/Merlino,_Mark.htm Mark Merlino] on the [[W:Worldcon|Worldcon's Fan Gallery]] (retrieved via the [[W:Internet Archive|Internet Archive]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/sysable Sy Sable] on [[X (social media)|X]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://bsky.app/profile/sysable.confurence.com Sy Sable] on [[BlueSky]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://sysable.livejournal.com/ Sy Sable] on [[LiveJournal]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.reddit.com/user/sysable/ Sy Sable] on [[Reddit]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/sysable/ Sy Sable] on [[W:Flickr|Flickr]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.youtube.com/sysable Sy Sable] on [[YouTube]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/category/fanzines/touch/ Issues of Touch Magazine on ConFurence Archive.]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Media ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8355287.stm ''Who are the furries?] article by [[W:Denise Winterman|Denise Winterman]] on the [[W:BBC News Magazine|BBC News Magazine]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{person-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Writers]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Califur staff]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:ConFurence staff]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Eurofurence guests of honor]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Morphicon guests of honor]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Oklacon staff]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1952 births]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:2024 deaths]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[es:Mark Merlino]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Mark_Merlino</id>
		<title>Mark Merlino</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Mark_Merlino"/>
				<updated>2024-02-22T21:25:59Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: /* Convention attendance */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{LinkingSupporter}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox person &lt;br /&gt;
| name = Mark Merlino&lt;br /&gt;
| realname = &lt;br /&gt;
| othernames = Sylys Sable, Sy Sable, Sy, Sylys Weezles&lt;br /&gt;
| image = [[File:MarkMerlino.jpg|225px]]&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = Merlino at [[Califur 3]], 2006&lt;br /&gt;
| born = May 12, 1952&lt;br /&gt;
| birthplace = USA&lt;br /&gt;
| died = February 20, 2024 &lt;br /&gt;
| deathplace = [[W:Garden Grove, Orange County|Garden Grove, Orange County, California]]&lt;br /&gt;
| residence = Garden Grove, Orange County, California&lt;br /&gt;
| spouses = &lt;br /&gt;
| profession = [[Fandom organizer]]/[[Fandom influencer|influencer]], [[writer]]&lt;br /&gt;
| species = [[American marten]]&lt;br /&gt;
| gohonor = [[Eurofurence 7]], [[Morphicon 2004]]&lt;br /&gt;
| url = http://www.skiltaire.net/&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''Mark Merlino''', also known '''Sylys Sable''', '''Sy Sable''', or just '''Sy''', also known as '''Sylys Weezles''' on [[Second Life]], was a [[furry fandom]] organizer/influencer and writer who lived in Garden Grove, Orange County, California, USA.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Fandom Involvement == &lt;br /&gt;
[[File:MarkMerlinoDrOsamuTezuka.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Mark Merlino shows [[Manga|manga revolutionary]] [[W:Osamu Tezuka|Dr. Osamu Tezuka]] a skiltaire [[art|illustration]] at a [[C/FO|C/FO animation club screening]] in 1979. Photo by (?).]]&lt;br /&gt;
Merlino became part of the [[fandom]] in 1971 by meeting [[science fiction]] [[convention]] attendees who also espoused an interest regarding [[funny animal]] [[character]]s in any media.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Greymuzzle2022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He was also one of the founders&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://fanlore.org/wiki/Cartoon/Fantasy_Organization ''Cartoon/Fantasy Organization''] entry on the [[W:Organization_for_Transformative_Works#Services_and_platforms|Fanlore]] website. Retrieved February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  of the [[Cartoon/Fantasy Organization]] ('''C/FO'''), a [[W:Fandom|fandom organization]] initially created for the discussion and enjoyment of [[anime|Japanese animation]] ('''anime''') and [[manga]] [[comic]]s, which is credited with propagating this genre via local chapters in the Continental US and overseas [[W:List of American military installations|American military installation]] ([[W:Misawa Air Base|Misawa Air Base]], Japan), especially thanks to fellow C/FO member Patten's American [[W:Anime and manga fandom|anime and manga fandom]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Some of this anime/manga media imported for viewing by US fans ([[furries|fur]]/[[non-fur]]) included such titles of [[furry interest]] as:&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[The Amazing Three]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Bagi, Monster of Mighty Nature]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Sherlock Hound]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Samurai Pizza Cats]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Simba the King Lion]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Around the World with Willy Fog]]''&lt;br /&gt;
...Among others, which they heavily influenced [[furry artist]]s, writers, and fans of that era and onwards.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Founder ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark is recognized as one of the founding and pivotal members of the furry fandom&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;BBC2009&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8355287.stm ''Who are the furries?''] article by [[Denise Winterman]] on the  [[W:BBC News Magazine|BBC News Magazine]]. Retrieved November 13, 2009.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name =&amp;quot;Ash2020&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv0QaTW3kEY ''The Fandom: A Furry Documentary FULL MOVIE''] video by [[Ash Coyote]] on [[YouTube]]. Retrieved January 13, 2023.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name = &amp;quot;Greymuzzle2022&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://shows.acast.com/the-greymuzzle-archives/episodes/1-sy-sable-mark-merlino #1 - Sy Sable (Mark Merlino)], The Greymuzzle Archives. Podcast. Retrieved January 13, 2023.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; along with his long-time [[W:Life partner|partner]] [[Rod O'Riley]], at one point describing himself as the &amp;quot;Father of the Furry Fandom&amp;quot; at his [[Oklacon 2004]] panel of &amp;quot;''History of Fur''&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://oklacon.com/Event?year=2004 ''Oklacon 2004 Event Schedule''] page on [[Oklacon 2004]]'s website. Retrieved November 24, 2010.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* In 1982 he created the first [[furry]] [[BBS]], the ''[[Tiger's Den]]''.&lt;br /&gt;
* In 1985 he organized the first [[Room party|furry room parties]], most notably at [[Westercon]], which, due to their growing attendance, led to the creation of a [[newsletter]] and two [[magazines]].{{clarify}}&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Greymuzzle2022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
* In 1989, along with Rod O'Riley, he co-founded the very first [[furry convention]], [[ConFurence]], a con that laid out the groundwork for the [[furry subculture]]'s expansion and visibility into [[mainstream culture]], remaining as its [[director]] until [[Confurence 10]]. &lt;br /&gt;
* For a while, they held [[Prancing Skiltaire party|Prancing Skiltaire parties]], almost exlusively, at the [[W:Sacramento, California|Sacramento, California]]'s [[science fiction]] and [[fantasy]] convention, [[Westercon]].&lt;br /&gt;
* He has been a [[Guest of Honor]] for both [[Eurofurence 7]] and [[Morphicon 2004|Morphicon 2004]].&lt;br /&gt;
* In 2004-2005 he helped [[Califur]] find its first and second hotel.{{clarify}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark owned the well-known [[Furry houses|furry household]] [[The Prancing Skiltaire]], located in Garden Grove, Orange County, California, where it hosted a myriad of [[meet]]s and events, and monthly [[furry parties]] since 2005. He was also active on [[FurryMUCK]], [[Second Life]], and [[VRChat]], and helped maintain ''[[The Greymuzzle Archives]]''.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Fursonas and characters ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark had accumulated an enormous repertoire of furry [[persona character]]s and had a tradition of naming his characters with the prefix &amp;quot;Sy-&amp;quot;, including the [[recom]] [[Sylys Sable]], [[Sy|Sy the skiltaire]], [[Sydney Fisher]], and the [[silkie]]s [[Sylvester Thomas]] and [[Syndy Skye]] ([[Sega]] the [[ratel]] was an exception).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark's representative [[species]] was the American marten.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Orange County Science Fiction Club ====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For a while, a skiltaire was the [[mascot]] of the [[W:Orange County Science Fiction ClubOrange County Science Fiction Club]] ('''OCSFC'''), who Mark and Rod were participants (&amp;quot;presenters&amp;quot;).{{clarify}}&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://ocsfc.org/ocsfguests.htm ''OCSFC Presenters''] page on the [[W:Orange County Science Fiction Club|Orange County Science Fiction Club]]'s website. Retrieved February 21, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Convention attendance ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Califur]] - ?, 2006, ?, 2009&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Califur Diego]] - 2004, ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[ConFuzzled]] - 2023&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Confurence]] - 1989,'''*''' 1990,'''*''' 1991,'''*''' 1992,'''*'''  1993,'''*'''  1994,'''*'''  1995,'''*'''  1996,'''*'''  1997,'''*'''  1998,'''*'''  1999,'''*'''  2000, 2001, 2002, 2003&lt;br /&gt;
* [[CritterConDiego]] - 2002, 2003&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Eurofurence]] - ?, 2001,'''*''' ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Furality]] - 2000, '''***''' Luma, '''***''' Legends, '''***''' Aqua, Luma Festival, Sylva&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Further Confusion]] - ?, 2009, ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Megaplex]] - 2023'''***'''&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Megaplex 2023 Panel: Ask a Graymuzzle Anything&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://megaplex2023.sched.com/event/1OyJd/ask-a-graymuzzle-anything]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Midwest FurFest]] - '''*''' 2022, '''*''' 2023&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Morphicon]] - ?, 2004,'''**''' ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[San Diego Comic-Con]] - ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Westercon]] - ?, 1985, ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Worldcon]] - ?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''*''') [[Director]]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
('''**''') [[GoH]]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
('''***''') [[Panelist]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Skiltaire ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark is the creator of the '''skiltaire''' (also known as '''skiltare''') species, intelligent sentient [[weasel]]-like [[W:spacefaring|spacefaring]] [[alien]]s which were created in 1971&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.imverod.com/Skiltaire/Splash.htm ''Skiltaire in Traveller'']] splash page on [http://www.imverod.com/Skiltaire/Splash.htm Imverod.com]'s website. Retrieved February 21, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; as a non-[[human]] [[sentient]] species for a series of [[science fiction]] [[stories]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Skiltairea have been depicted by numerous artists and were selected as mascots of the Cartoon/Fantasy Organization and Mark's home, The Prancing Skiltaire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Literature ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a writer, Mark was involved with several fandom periodicals, including ''[[Touch]]'', ''[[In-Fur-Nation]]'' and the ''[[Western Weyr]]'' (a ''[[W:Chronicles of Pern|Chronicles of Per]]'' [[fanzine]]). He was a co-writer on the furry [[role-playing game]] ''[[Other Suns]]'' (which included his Skiltaire species), and had written non-fiction articles for ''[[FurVersion]]'' and ''[[Shanda Fantasy Arts]]'''s ''[[New Horizons]]''. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark's stories for the [[First Light Pride]] appeared in [[comic]] form in ''New Horizons'', and were reprinted in ''[[Four Footed Furries]]'', another ''Shanda Fantasy Arts'' publication.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Awards and recognitions ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark Merlino was co-winner, along with his partner Rod O'Riley, of the 2022 [[Good Furry Award|Good Furry Award Lifetime Achievement]]. His influential role was also recognized in the 2020 furry [[W:Documentary film|documentary film]], ''[[The Fandom (documentary)|The Fandom]]'', showcasing his significant contributions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He is heavily mentioned on [[Fred Patten]]'s [[W:Non-fiction|non-fiction book]] about the furry fandom, ''[[An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996]]''.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [http://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966-1996 ''An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996''] article on [[Flayrah]]. Retrieved February 21, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Death and remembrances ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a series of [[W:Brain stroke|brain stroke]]s for which Mark Merlino was hospitalized, it was discovered during a screening on February 9, 2024, that he had [[W:Cancer staging|Stage IV]] [[W:Liver cancer|liver cancer]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-a-true-fandom-original ''Help a True Fandom Original.''] post by [[Rodney Stansfield]] on [[W:GoFundMe|GoFundMe]]. Retrieved February 9, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; He passed away in his sleep at home during the early morning hours of February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;ref name =&amp;quot;feb20tweet&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/Skiltaire_Party/status/1759882242137149928 ''He's gone.''] post on [[The Prancing Skiltaire]]'s [[X (social media)|X]]  account. Retrieved February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Merlino's passing was talked about heavily on social media, especially [[X (social media)|X]] to the point that his name trended on X's &amp;quot;'''What is happening'''&amp;quot; board.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/buzzabub/status/1760138973840576679 ''So many people are mourning the loss of Mark Merlino right now.''] post on X. Retrieved February 21, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; A great deal of known furry figures, events, and [[convention]]s added their condolences online.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/FurryFiesta/status/1759980302343020695 ''We at Furry Fiesta are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Mark Merlino (Sy Sable)''] post on [[Texas Furry Fiesta]]'s X account. Retrieved February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;{{cn}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== References ==&lt;br /&gt;
{{reflist|3}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
{{Contributor|Sysable}}&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.deviantart.com/sysable Sy Sable] on [[DeviantArt]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/sysable/ Sy Sable] on [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://us.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/Mark-Merlino/ Mark Merlino] on [[VCL]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://furrynetwork.com/sysable/ Sy Sable] on the [[Furry Network]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.ocsfc.org Mark Merlino (along with Rod O'Riley)] on the [[W:Orange County Science Fiction Club|Orange County Science Fiction Club]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050421045208/http://scifiinc.net/scifiinc/gallery/bio/Merlino,_Mark.htm Mark Merlino] on the [[W:Worldcon|Worldcon's Fan Gallery]] (retrieved via the [[W:Internet Archive|Internet Archive]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/sysable Sy Sable] on [[X (social media)|X]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://bsky.app/profile/sysable.confurence.com Sy Sable] on [[BlueSky]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://sysable.livejournal.com/ Sy Sable] on [[LiveJournal]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.reddit.com/user/sysable/ Sy Sable] on [[Reddit]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/sysable/ Sy Sable] on [[W:Flickr|Flickr]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.youtube.com/sysable Sy Sable] on [[YouTube]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/category/fanzines/touch/ Issues of Touch Magazine on ConFurence Archive.]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Media ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8355287.stm ''Who are the furries?] article by [[W:Denise Winterman|Denise Winterman]] on the [[W:BBC News Magazine|BBC News Magazine]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{person-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Writers]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Califur staff]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:ConFurence staff]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Eurofurence guests of honor]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Morphicon guests of honor]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Oklacon staff]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1952 births]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:2024 deaths]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[es:Mark Merlino]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Mark_Merlino</id>
		<title>Mark Merlino</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Mark_Merlino"/>
				<updated>2024-02-22T21:25:06Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: /* Convention attendance */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{LinkingSupporter}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox person &lt;br /&gt;
| name = Mark Merlino&lt;br /&gt;
| realname = &lt;br /&gt;
| othernames = Sylys Sable, Sy Sable, Sy, Sylys Weezles&lt;br /&gt;
| image = [[File:MarkMerlino.jpg|225px]]&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = Merlino at [[Califur 3]], 2006&lt;br /&gt;
| born = May 12, 1952&lt;br /&gt;
| birthplace = USA&lt;br /&gt;
| died = February 20, 2024 &lt;br /&gt;
| deathplace = [[W:Garden Grove, Orange County|Garden Grove, Orange County, California]]&lt;br /&gt;
| residence = Garden Grove, Orange County, California&lt;br /&gt;
| spouses = &lt;br /&gt;
| profession = [[Fandom organizer]]/[[Fandom influencer|influencer]], [[writer]]&lt;br /&gt;
| species = [[American marten]]&lt;br /&gt;
| gohonor = [[Eurofurence 7]], [[Morphicon 2004]]&lt;br /&gt;
| url = http://www.skiltaire.net/&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''Mark Merlino''', also known '''Sylys Sable''', '''Sy Sable''', or just '''Sy''', also known as '''Sylys Weezles''' on [[Second Life]], was a [[furry fandom]] organizer/influencer and writer who lived in Garden Grove, Orange County, California, USA.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Fandom Involvement == &lt;br /&gt;
[[File:MarkMerlinoDrOsamuTezuka.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Mark Merlino shows [[Manga|manga revolutionary]] [[W:Osamu Tezuka|Dr. Osamu Tezuka]] a skiltaire [[art|illustration]] at a [[C/FO|C/FO animation club screening]] in 1979. Photo by (?).]]&lt;br /&gt;
Merlino became part of the [[fandom]] in 1971 by meeting [[science fiction]] [[convention]] attendees who also espoused an interest regarding [[funny animal]] [[character]]s in any media.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Greymuzzle2022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He was also one of the founders&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://fanlore.org/wiki/Cartoon/Fantasy_Organization ''Cartoon/Fantasy Organization''] entry on the [[W:Organization_for_Transformative_Works#Services_and_platforms|Fanlore]] website. Retrieved February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  of the [[Cartoon/Fantasy Organization]] ('''C/FO'''), a [[W:Fandom|fandom organization]] initially created for the discussion and enjoyment of [[anime|Japanese animation]] ('''anime''') and [[manga]] [[comic]]s, which is credited with propagating this genre via local chapters in the Continental US and overseas [[W:List of American military installations|American military installation]] ([[W:Misawa Air Base|Misawa Air Base]], Japan), especially thanks to fellow C/FO member Patten's American [[W:Anime and manga fandom|anime and manga fandom]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Some of this anime/manga media imported for viewing by US fans ([[furries|fur]]/[[non-fur]]) included such titles of [[furry interest]] as:&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[The Amazing Three]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Bagi, Monster of Mighty Nature]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Sherlock Hound]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Samurai Pizza Cats]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Simba the King Lion]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Around the World with Willy Fog]]''&lt;br /&gt;
...Among others, which they heavily influenced [[furry artist]]s, writers, and fans of that era and onwards.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Founder ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark is recognized as one of the founding and pivotal members of the furry fandom&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;BBC2009&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8355287.stm ''Who are the furries?''] article by [[Denise Winterman]] on the  [[W:BBC News Magazine|BBC News Magazine]]. Retrieved November 13, 2009.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name =&amp;quot;Ash2020&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv0QaTW3kEY ''The Fandom: A Furry Documentary FULL MOVIE''] video by [[Ash Coyote]] on [[YouTube]]. Retrieved January 13, 2023.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name = &amp;quot;Greymuzzle2022&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://shows.acast.com/the-greymuzzle-archives/episodes/1-sy-sable-mark-merlino #1 - Sy Sable (Mark Merlino)], The Greymuzzle Archives. Podcast. Retrieved January 13, 2023.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; along with his long-time [[W:Life partner|partner]] [[Rod O'Riley]], at one point describing himself as the &amp;quot;Father of the Furry Fandom&amp;quot; at his [[Oklacon 2004]] panel of &amp;quot;''History of Fur''&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://oklacon.com/Event?year=2004 ''Oklacon 2004 Event Schedule''] page on [[Oklacon 2004]]'s website. Retrieved November 24, 2010.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* In 1982 he created the first [[furry]] [[BBS]], the ''[[Tiger's Den]]''.&lt;br /&gt;
* In 1985 he organized the first [[Room party|furry room parties]], most notably at [[Westercon]], which, due to their growing attendance, led to the creation of a [[newsletter]] and two [[magazines]].{{clarify}}&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Greymuzzle2022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
* In 1989, along with Rod O'Riley, he co-founded the very first [[furry convention]], [[ConFurence]], a con that laid out the groundwork for the [[furry subculture]]'s expansion and visibility into [[mainstream culture]], remaining as its [[director]] until [[Confurence 10]]. &lt;br /&gt;
* For a while, they held [[Prancing Skiltaire party|Prancing Skiltaire parties]], almost exlusively, at the [[W:Sacramento, California|Sacramento, California]]'s [[science fiction]] and [[fantasy]] convention, [[Westercon]].&lt;br /&gt;
* He has been a [[Guest of Honor]] for both [[Eurofurence 7]] and [[Morphicon 2004|Morphicon 2004]].&lt;br /&gt;
* In 2004-2005 he helped [[Califur]] find its first and second hotel.{{clarify}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark owned the well-known [[Furry houses|furry household]] [[The Prancing Skiltaire]], located in Garden Grove, Orange County, California, where it hosted a myriad of [[meet]]s and events, and monthly [[furry parties]] since 2005. He was also active on [[FurryMUCK]], [[Second Life]], and [[VRChat]], and helped maintain ''[[The Greymuzzle Archives]]''.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Fursonas and characters ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark had accumulated an enormous repertoire of furry [[persona character]]s and had a tradition of naming his characters with the prefix &amp;quot;Sy-&amp;quot;, including the [[recom]] [[Sylys Sable]], [[Sy|Sy the skiltaire]], [[Sydney Fisher]], and the [[silkie]]s [[Sylvester Thomas]] and [[Syndy Skye]] ([[Sega]] the [[ratel]] was an exception).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark's representative [[species]] was the American marten.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Orange County Science Fiction Club ====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For a while, a skiltaire was the [[mascot]] of the [[W:Orange County Science Fiction ClubOrange County Science Fiction Club]] ('''OCSFC'''), who Mark and Rod were participants (&amp;quot;presenters&amp;quot;).{{clarify}}&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://ocsfc.org/ocsfguests.htm ''OCSFC Presenters''] page on the [[W:Orange County Science Fiction Club|Orange County Science Fiction Club]]'s website. Retrieved February 21, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Convention attendance ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Califur]] - ?, 2006, ?, 2009&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Califur Diego]] - 2004, ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[ConFuzzled]] - 2023&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Confurence]] - 1989,'''*''' 1990,'''*''' 1991,'''*''' 1992,'''*'''  1993,'''*'''  1994,'''*'''  1995,'''*'''  1996,'''*'''  1997,'''*'''  1998,'''*'''  1999,'''*'''  2000, 2001, 2002, 2003&lt;br /&gt;
* [[CritterConDiego]] - 2002, 2003&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Eurofurence]] - ?, 2001,'''*''' ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Furality]] - 2000, '''***''' Luma, '''***''' Legends, '''***''' Aqua, Luma Festival, Sylva&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Further Confusion]] - ?, 2009, ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Megaplex]] - 2023'''***'''&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Megaplex 2023 Panel: Ask a Graymuzzle Anything&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://megaplex2023.sched.com/event/1OyJd/ask-a-graymuzzle-anything]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Midwest FurFest]] - 2022, 2023&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Morphicon]] - ?, 2004,'''**''' ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[San Diego Comic-Con]] - ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Westercon]] - ?, 1985, ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Worldcon]] - ?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''*''') [[Director]]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
('''**''') [[GoH]]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
('''***''') [[Panelist]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Skiltaire ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark is the creator of the '''skiltaire''' (also known as '''skiltare''') species, intelligent sentient [[weasel]]-like [[W:spacefaring|spacefaring]] [[alien]]s which were created in 1971&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.imverod.com/Skiltaire/Splash.htm ''Skiltaire in Traveller'']] splash page on [http://www.imverod.com/Skiltaire/Splash.htm Imverod.com]'s website. Retrieved February 21, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; as a non-[[human]] [[sentient]] species for a series of [[science fiction]] [[stories]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Skiltairea have been depicted by numerous artists and were selected as mascots of the Cartoon/Fantasy Organization and Mark's home, The Prancing Skiltaire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Literature ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a writer, Mark was involved with several fandom periodicals, including ''[[Touch]]'', ''[[In-Fur-Nation]]'' and the ''[[Western Weyr]]'' (a ''[[W:Chronicles of Pern|Chronicles of Per]]'' [[fanzine]]). He was a co-writer on the furry [[role-playing game]] ''[[Other Suns]]'' (which included his Skiltaire species), and had written non-fiction articles for ''[[FurVersion]]'' and ''[[Shanda Fantasy Arts]]'''s ''[[New Horizons]]''. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark's stories for the [[First Light Pride]] appeared in [[comic]] form in ''New Horizons'', and were reprinted in ''[[Four Footed Furries]]'', another ''Shanda Fantasy Arts'' publication.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Awards and recognitions ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark Merlino was co-winner, along with his partner Rod O'Riley, of the 2022 [[Good Furry Award|Good Furry Award Lifetime Achievement]]. His influential role was also recognized in the 2020 furry [[W:Documentary film|documentary film]], ''[[The Fandom (documentary)|The Fandom]]'', showcasing his significant contributions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He is heavily mentioned on [[Fred Patten]]'s [[W:Non-fiction|non-fiction book]] about the furry fandom, ''[[An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996]]''.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [http://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966-1996 ''An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996''] article on [[Flayrah]]. Retrieved February 21, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Death and remembrances ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a series of [[W:Brain stroke|brain stroke]]s for which Mark Merlino was hospitalized, it was discovered during a screening on February 9, 2024, that he had [[W:Cancer staging|Stage IV]] [[W:Liver cancer|liver cancer]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-a-true-fandom-original ''Help a True Fandom Original.''] post by [[Rodney Stansfield]] on [[W:GoFundMe|GoFundMe]]. Retrieved February 9, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; He passed away in his sleep at home during the early morning hours of February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;ref name =&amp;quot;feb20tweet&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/Skiltaire_Party/status/1759882242137149928 ''He's gone.''] post on [[The Prancing Skiltaire]]'s [[X (social media)|X]]  account. Retrieved February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Merlino's passing was talked about heavily on social media, especially [[X (social media)|X]] to the point that his name trended on X's &amp;quot;'''What is happening'''&amp;quot; board.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/buzzabub/status/1760138973840576679 ''So many people are mourning the loss of Mark Merlino right now.''] post on X. Retrieved February 21, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; A great deal of known furry figures, events, and [[convention]]s added their condolences online.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/FurryFiesta/status/1759980302343020695 ''We at Furry Fiesta are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Mark Merlino (Sy Sable)''] post on [[Texas Furry Fiesta]]'s X account. Retrieved February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;{{cn}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== References ==&lt;br /&gt;
{{reflist|3}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
{{Contributor|Sysable}}&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.deviantart.com/sysable Sy Sable] on [[DeviantArt]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/sysable/ Sy Sable] on [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://us.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/Mark-Merlino/ Mark Merlino] on [[VCL]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://furrynetwork.com/sysable/ Sy Sable] on the [[Furry Network]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.ocsfc.org Mark Merlino (along with Rod O'Riley)] on the [[W:Orange County Science Fiction Club|Orange County Science Fiction Club]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050421045208/http://scifiinc.net/scifiinc/gallery/bio/Merlino,_Mark.htm Mark Merlino] on the [[W:Worldcon|Worldcon's Fan Gallery]] (retrieved via the [[W:Internet Archive|Internet Archive]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/sysable Sy Sable] on [[X (social media)|X]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://bsky.app/profile/sysable.confurence.com Sy Sable] on [[BlueSky]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://sysable.livejournal.com/ Sy Sable] on [[LiveJournal]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.reddit.com/user/sysable/ Sy Sable] on [[Reddit]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/sysable/ Sy Sable] on [[W:Flickr|Flickr]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.youtube.com/sysable Sy Sable] on [[YouTube]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/category/fanzines/touch/ Issues of Touch Magazine on ConFurence Archive.]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Media ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8355287.stm ''Who are the furries?] article by [[W:Denise Winterman|Denise Winterman]] on the [[W:BBC News Magazine|BBC News Magazine]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{person-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Writers]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Califur staff]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:ConFurence staff]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Eurofurence guests of honor]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Morphicon guests of honor]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Oklacon staff]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1952 births]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:2024 deaths]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[es:Mark Merlino]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Mark_Merlino</id>
		<title>Mark Merlino</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Mark_Merlino"/>
				<updated>2024-02-22T21:24:25Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: /* Convention attendance */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{LinkingSupporter}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox person &lt;br /&gt;
| name = Mark Merlino&lt;br /&gt;
| realname = &lt;br /&gt;
| othernames = Sylys Sable, Sy Sable, Sy, Sylys Weezles&lt;br /&gt;
| image = [[File:MarkMerlino.jpg|225px]]&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = Merlino at [[Califur 3]], 2006&lt;br /&gt;
| born = May 12, 1952&lt;br /&gt;
| birthplace = USA&lt;br /&gt;
| died = February 20, 2024 &lt;br /&gt;
| deathplace = [[W:Garden Grove, Orange County|Garden Grove, Orange County, California]]&lt;br /&gt;
| residence = Garden Grove, Orange County, California&lt;br /&gt;
| spouses = &lt;br /&gt;
| profession = [[Fandom organizer]]/[[Fandom influencer|influencer]], [[writer]]&lt;br /&gt;
| species = [[American marten]]&lt;br /&gt;
| gohonor = [[Eurofurence 7]], [[Morphicon 2004]]&lt;br /&gt;
| url = http://www.skiltaire.net/&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''Mark Merlino''', also known '''Sylys Sable''', '''Sy Sable''', or just '''Sy''', also known as '''Sylys Weezles''' on [[Second Life]], was a [[furry fandom]] organizer/influencer and writer who lived in Garden Grove, Orange County, California, USA.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Fandom Involvement == &lt;br /&gt;
[[File:MarkMerlinoDrOsamuTezuka.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Mark Merlino shows [[Manga|manga revolutionary]] [[W:Osamu Tezuka|Dr. Osamu Tezuka]] a skiltaire [[art|illustration]] at a [[C/FO|C/FO animation club screening]] in 1979. Photo by (?).]]&lt;br /&gt;
Merlino became part of the [[fandom]] in 1971 by meeting [[science fiction]] [[convention]] attendees who also espoused an interest regarding [[funny animal]] [[character]]s in any media.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Greymuzzle2022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He was also one of the founders&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://fanlore.org/wiki/Cartoon/Fantasy_Organization ''Cartoon/Fantasy Organization''] entry on the [[W:Organization_for_Transformative_Works#Services_and_platforms|Fanlore]] website. Retrieved February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  of the [[Cartoon/Fantasy Organization]] ('''C/FO'''), a [[W:Fandom|fandom organization]] initially created for the discussion and enjoyment of [[anime|Japanese animation]] ('''anime''') and [[manga]] [[comic]]s, which is credited with propagating this genre via local chapters in the Continental US and overseas [[W:List of American military installations|American military installation]] ([[W:Misawa Air Base|Misawa Air Base]], Japan), especially thanks to fellow C/FO member Patten's American [[W:Anime and manga fandom|anime and manga fandom]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Some of this anime/manga media imported for viewing by US fans ([[furries|fur]]/[[non-fur]]) included such titles of [[furry interest]] as:&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[The Amazing Three]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Bagi, Monster of Mighty Nature]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Sherlock Hound]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Samurai Pizza Cats]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Simba the King Lion]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[[Around the World with Willy Fog]]''&lt;br /&gt;
...Among others, which they heavily influenced [[furry artist]]s, writers, and fans of that era and onwards.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Founder ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark is recognized as one of the founding and pivotal members of the furry fandom&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;BBC2009&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8355287.stm ''Who are the furries?''] article by [[Denise Winterman]] on the  [[W:BBC News Magazine|BBC News Magazine]]. Retrieved November 13, 2009.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name =&amp;quot;Ash2020&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv0QaTW3kEY ''The Fandom: A Furry Documentary FULL MOVIE''] video by [[Ash Coyote]] on [[YouTube]]. Retrieved January 13, 2023.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name = &amp;quot;Greymuzzle2022&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://shows.acast.com/the-greymuzzle-archives/episodes/1-sy-sable-mark-merlino #1 - Sy Sable (Mark Merlino)], The Greymuzzle Archives. Podcast. Retrieved January 13, 2023.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; along with his long-time [[W:Life partner|partner]] [[Rod O'Riley]], at one point describing himself as the &amp;quot;Father of the Furry Fandom&amp;quot; at his [[Oklacon 2004]] panel of &amp;quot;''History of Fur''&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://oklacon.com/Event?year=2004 ''Oklacon 2004 Event Schedule''] page on [[Oklacon 2004]]'s website. Retrieved November 24, 2010.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* In 1982 he created the first [[furry]] [[BBS]], the ''[[Tiger's Den]]''.&lt;br /&gt;
* In 1985 he organized the first [[Room party|furry room parties]], most notably at [[Westercon]], which, due to their growing attendance, led to the creation of a [[newsletter]] and two [[magazines]].{{clarify}}&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Greymuzzle2022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
* In 1989, along with Rod O'Riley, he co-founded the very first [[furry convention]], [[ConFurence]], a con that laid out the groundwork for the [[furry subculture]]'s expansion and visibility into [[mainstream culture]], remaining as its [[director]] until [[Confurence 10]]. &lt;br /&gt;
* For a while, they held [[Prancing Skiltaire party|Prancing Skiltaire parties]], almost exlusively, at the [[W:Sacramento, California|Sacramento, California]]'s [[science fiction]] and [[fantasy]] convention, [[Westercon]].&lt;br /&gt;
* He has been a [[Guest of Honor]] for both [[Eurofurence 7]] and [[Morphicon 2004|Morphicon 2004]].&lt;br /&gt;
* In 2004-2005 he helped [[Califur]] find its first and second hotel.{{clarify}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark owned the well-known [[Furry houses|furry household]] [[The Prancing Skiltaire]], located in Garden Grove, Orange County, California, where it hosted a myriad of [[meet]]s and events, and monthly [[furry parties]] since 2005. He was also active on [[FurryMUCK]], [[Second Life]], and [[VRChat]], and helped maintain ''[[The Greymuzzle Archives]]''.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Fursonas and characters ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark had accumulated an enormous repertoire of furry [[persona character]]s and had a tradition of naming his characters with the prefix &amp;quot;Sy-&amp;quot;, including the [[recom]] [[Sylys Sable]], [[Sy|Sy the skiltaire]], [[Sydney Fisher]], and the [[silkie]]s [[Sylvester Thomas]] and [[Syndy Skye]] ([[Sega]] the [[ratel]] was an exception).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark's representative [[species]] was the American marten.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Orange County Science Fiction Club ====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For a while, a skiltaire was the [[mascot]] of the [[W:Orange County Science Fiction ClubOrange County Science Fiction Club]] ('''OCSFC'''), who Mark and Rod were participants (&amp;quot;presenters&amp;quot;).{{clarify}}&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://ocsfc.org/ocsfguests.htm ''OCSFC Presenters''] page on the [[W:Orange County Science Fiction Club|Orange County Science Fiction Club]]'s website. Retrieved February 21, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Convention attendance ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Califur]] - ?, 2006, ?, 2009&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Califur Diego]] - 2004, ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[ConFuzzled]] - 2023&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Confurence]] - 1989,'''*''' 1990,'''*''' 1991,'''*''' 1992,'''*'''  1993,'''*'''  1994,'''*'''  1995,'''*'''  1996,'''*'''  1997,'''*'''  1998,'''*'''  1999,'''*'''  2000, 2001, 2002, 2003&lt;br /&gt;
* [[CritterConDiego]] - 2002, 2003&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Eurofurence]] - ?, 2001,'''*''' ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Furality]] - 2000, '''*''' Luma, '''*''' Legends, '''*''' Aqua, Luma Festival, Sylva&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Further Confusion]] - ?, 2009, ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Megaplex]] - 2023'''***'''&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Megaplex 2023 Panel: Ask a Graymuzzle Anything&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://megaplex2023.sched.com/event/1OyJd/ask-a-graymuzzle-anything]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Midwest FurFest]] - 2022, 2023&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Morphicon]] - ?, 2004,'''**''' ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[San Diego Comic-Con]] - ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Westercon]] - ?, 1985, ?&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Worldcon]] - ?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''*''') [[Director]]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
('''**''') [[GoH]]&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
('''***''') [[Panelist]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Skiltaire ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark is the creator of the '''skiltaire''' (also known as '''skiltare''') species, intelligent sentient [[weasel]]-like [[W:spacefaring|spacefaring]] [[alien]]s which were created in 1971&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.imverod.com/Skiltaire/Splash.htm ''Skiltaire in Traveller'']] splash page on [http://www.imverod.com/Skiltaire/Splash.htm Imverod.com]'s website. Retrieved February 21, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; as a non-[[human]] [[sentient]] species for a series of [[science fiction]] [[stories]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Skiltairea have been depicted by numerous artists and were selected as mascots of the Cartoon/Fantasy Organization and Mark's home, The Prancing Skiltaire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Literature ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a writer, Mark was involved with several fandom periodicals, including ''[[Touch]]'', ''[[In-Fur-Nation]]'' and the ''[[Western Weyr]]'' (a ''[[W:Chronicles of Pern|Chronicles of Per]]'' [[fanzine]]). He was a co-writer on the furry [[role-playing game]] ''[[Other Suns]]'' (which included his Skiltaire species), and had written non-fiction articles for ''[[FurVersion]]'' and ''[[Shanda Fantasy Arts]]'''s ''[[New Horizons]]''. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark's stories for the [[First Light Pride]] appeared in [[comic]] form in ''New Horizons'', and were reprinted in ''[[Four Footed Furries]]'', another ''Shanda Fantasy Arts'' publication.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Awards and recognitions ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark Merlino was co-winner, along with his partner Rod O'Riley, of the 2022 [[Good Furry Award|Good Furry Award Lifetime Achievement]]. His influential role was also recognized in the 2020 furry [[W:Documentary film|documentary film]], ''[[The Fandom (documentary)|The Fandom]]'', showcasing his significant contributions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He is heavily mentioned on [[Fred Patten]]'s [[W:Non-fiction|non-fiction book]] about the furry fandom, ''[[An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996]]''.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; [http://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966-1996 ''An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996''] article on [[Flayrah]]. Retrieved February 21, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Death and remembrances ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a series of [[W:Brain stroke|brain stroke]]s for which Mark Merlino was hospitalized, it was discovered during a screening on February 9, 2024, that he had [[W:Cancer staging|Stage IV]] [[W:Liver cancer|liver cancer]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-a-true-fandom-original ''Help a True Fandom Original.''] post by [[Rodney Stansfield]] on [[W:GoFundMe|GoFundMe]]. Retrieved February 9, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; He passed away in his sleep at home during the early morning hours of February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;ref name =&amp;quot;feb20tweet&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/Skiltaire_Party/status/1759882242137149928 ''He's gone.''] post on [[The Prancing Skiltaire]]'s [[X (social media)|X]]  account. Retrieved February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Merlino's passing was talked about heavily on social media, especially [[X (social media)|X]] to the point that his name trended on X's &amp;quot;'''What is happening'''&amp;quot; board.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/buzzabub/status/1760138973840576679 ''So many people are mourning the loss of Mark Merlino right now.''] post on X. Retrieved February 21, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; A great deal of known furry figures, events, and [[convention]]s added their condolences online.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/FurryFiesta/status/1759980302343020695 ''We at Furry Fiesta are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Mark Merlino (Sy Sable)''] post on [[Texas Furry Fiesta]]'s X account. Retrieved February 20, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;{{cn}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== References ==&lt;br /&gt;
{{reflist|3}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
{{Contributor|Sysable}}&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.deviantart.com/sysable Sy Sable] on [[DeviantArt]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/sysable/ Sy Sable] on [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://us.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/Mark-Merlino/ Mark Merlino] on [[VCL]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://furrynetwork.com/sysable/ Sy Sable] on the [[Furry Network]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.ocsfc.org Mark Merlino (along with Rod O'Riley)] on the [[W:Orange County Science Fiction Club|Orange County Science Fiction Club]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050421045208/http://scifiinc.net/scifiinc/gallery/bio/Merlino,_Mark.htm Mark Merlino] on the [[W:Worldcon|Worldcon's Fan Gallery]] (retrieved via the [[W:Internet Archive|Internet Archive]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/sysable Sy Sable] on [[X (social media)|X]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://bsky.app/profile/sysable.confurence.com Sy Sable] on [[BlueSky]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://sysable.livejournal.com/ Sy Sable] on [[LiveJournal]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.reddit.com/user/sysable/ Sy Sable] on [[Reddit]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/sysable/ Sy Sable] on [[W:Flickr|Flickr]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.youtube.com/sysable Sy Sable] on [[YouTube]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/category/fanzines/touch/ Issues of Touch Magazine on ConFurence Archive.]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Media ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8355287.stm ''Who are the furries?] article by [[W:Denise Winterman|Denise Winterman]] on the [[W:BBC News Magazine|BBC News Magazine]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{person-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Writers]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Califur staff]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:ConFurence staff]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Eurofurence guests of honor]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Morphicon guests of honor]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Oklacon staff]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1952 births]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:2024 deaths]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[es:Mark Merlino]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/The_Prancing_Skiltaire</id>
		<title>The Prancing Skiltaire</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/The_Prancing_Skiltaire"/>
				<updated>2024-02-07T22:26:03Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: Navajo was linking to the wrong person.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{LinkingSupporter}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:HouseAndSign.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The Prancing Skiltaire]]&lt;br /&gt;
'''The Prancing Skiltaire''', also known as the '''Prancing Skiltaire''' or just '''The Skiltaire''', is the given name of the [[furry house]] in the [[SoCalFurs]] region, specifically in [[W:Garden Grove, Orange County|Garden Grove, Orange County, California]], USA.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Overview ==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:TPSLogoCU.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Prancing Skiltaire's house sign (closeup). Photo by (?).{{who}]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Patches.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Patches the cat lived at the Prancing Skiltaire, until her death in May 2012 (renal failure)]]&lt;br /&gt;
This private residence (est. 1980) is owned by [[furry fandom organizer]] [[Mark Merlino]], and it is host to a group of [[furries]] that share their common interests in matters relating to the [[furdom]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It also hosts, or has been host to, a variety of public events in the past years such as annual holiday get-togethers, [[ConFurence]] and [[Califur]] staff meetings, [[filk]]ing concerts, and their monthly [[house party|house parties]] (which for a time were hosted side by side with another furry house, the [[Rick's Café Terrestrienne]], just located a few blocks east, until [[Rick Calhoun|Rick]] and [[Tess the Red Pony|Tess Calhoun]] moved to the state of [[W:Washington|Washington]] in the mid 2005).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Mascot ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The residence's [[mascot]] (found on the house's sign and business cards), is the [[Skiltaire]], a [[species]] created by Mark initially for a personally-made [[role-playing game]] ('''RPG''').&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== House parties ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The guests of the monthly house party, held on the second Saturday of each month from 02:00 PM – 10:00 PM, are asked to provide their own food and munchies,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://skiltaire.net/party-rules/ ''Party Rules''] page on https://skiltaire.net/ Skiltaire.net]. Retrieved January 12, 2024.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; while a barbecue station is available in the backyard (this is the residence's BBQ, not to be confused with the [[FurBQ]], also known as the '''SoCal FurBQ''', one of the largest informal annual gatherings of furries in the SoCalFurs area).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== History ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The house's name was modeled after traditional Old English naming traditions: e.g. &amp;quot;Red Lion Inn&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;The Boar's Head&amp;quot;, etc, which signifies a place of abode and commune to weary travelers. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The house is/was host to many furries and has been, in the past, a commune for those furs either displaced from their homes and given residence for rent or in exchange for apprenticeship in Mark's network communication company, ''[[Lantana, Ltd]]''.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The five-bedroom house has a primarily [[furry]]-themed decor, with most of the walls and shelving space decked out with original and re-created [[animation|animation cel]]s of past furry movies, Japanese and Chinese [[manga]], [[artwork|original artwork]] by various [[furry artists]], an extensive collection of DVDs, CDs, music, and offbeat movies, a large collection of [[plush toy|plushie]]s, memorabilia, collectibles, and statuettes, among others.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Tiger's Den BBS ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Tiger's Den BBS]] was a furry-themed [[bulletin board system]] ('''BBS''') server located at the location, which ran from 1983 to 1996, before the popularization of the Internet. The servers were located in the far east wing of the house. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a result of this and Mark's professional skills as a networking engineer, the house was rigged with a more-than-adequate Ethernet network, which was ahead of its time for a personal residence before the popularization of residential [[W:LAN|Local area network]]s ('''LAN''').&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Firstlight Internet Services ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Skiltaire also has a history with [[Firstlight Internet Services]], which was/is a full-service ISP, once primarily based out of [[W:Orange County|Orange County]] ('''OC'''). [[Koyama|Neil Whelchel]], its owner, was a long-time resident at the house, and consequently, partners in maintaining the communication networks provided at [[ConFurence]], along with [[Tigerden Internet Services]]. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many of the residents of the house were given complimentary web space and email addresses, some of which are still in use today. The ISP also hosted [[The Pride Lands MUCK]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Current residents ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|&lt;br /&gt;
|- valign=&amp;quot;top&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Mark Merlino]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Rod O'Riley]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Sherwood]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Former residents ==&lt;br /&gt;
{|&lt;br /&gt;
|- valign=&amp;quot;top&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Andre Tiger]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Aronel]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Bill Fitts]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Changa]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Huck]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Jazmyn Concolor]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
*[[KitFox (California)|KitFox]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Koyama]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[KatVixen]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Kaysho]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Lee Franks]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Liana]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Lena]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Noah Miller]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Nalia]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ray]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Richard Lowman]]&lt;br /&gt;
*Navajo (aka [[Thylin]] or [[Illyira]])&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Thalyn]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Talesin]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Trapa]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Vchan]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
*[[WolfWings]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Washu]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Zjonni]]&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== References ==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;REFERENCES/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://prancing.skiltaire.net/ Prancing.skiltaire.net] - The Prancing Skiltaire's official homepage&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.furaffinity.net/search/?q=The+Prancing+Skiltaire The Prancing Skiltaire] search results in [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.facebook.com/PrancingSkiltaire/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Facebook]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/#!/Skiltaire_Party/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[X (social media)|X]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://bsky.app/profile/skiltaire.party The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[BlueSky]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://t.me/+b47ddTNuSpdlNDFh The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Telegram]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.instagram.com/theprancingskiltaire/ The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[Instagram]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.youtube.com/user/PrancingSkiltaire The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[YouTube]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://4sq.com/bRe1Nj The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[W:FourSquare|FourSquare]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://zaubee.com/biz/the-prancing-skiltaire-komx3dlv The Prancing Skiltaire] on [[W:Zaubee|Zaubee]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Media ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://dogpatch.press/2019/11/25/adult-swim-festival-prancing-skiltaire-3/ ''A furry pilgrimage to the Adult Swim Festival and the Prancing Skiltaire house, Part 1.''] a series article on ''[[Dogpatch Press]]''&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966–1996 ''Retrospective: An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996''] article on ''[[Flayrah]]''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Furry houses}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{California}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Furry houses|Prancing Skiltaire, The]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Events|Prancing Skiltaire, The]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{Featured article|Prancing Skiltaire, The}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[it:The Prancing Skiltaire]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/The_Prancing_Skiltaire</id>
		<title>The Prancing Skiltaire</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/The_Prancing_Skiltaire"/>
				<updated>2024-01-12T19:57:23Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: Household changes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{cleanup}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{LinkingSupporter}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:HouseAndSign.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Prancing Skiltaire]]&lt;br /&gt;
The '''Prancing Skiltaire''' is the given name of a private residence in [[Wikipedia:Garden Grove|Garden Grove]], [[Wikipedia:Orange County|Orange County]], [[Wikipedia:California|California]], owned by [[Mark Merlino]]. It is host to a group of [[furries]] that share their common interests in the [[furry fandom]], and also have been host to a variety of public events in the past years: annual holiday get-togethers, [[ConFurence]] and [[Califur]] staff meetings, [[filk]]ing concerts, and more recently, has taken over the previous role of monthly parties that were hosted by the wildly popular [[Rick's Café Terrestrienne]], which were just located a few blocks east until [[Rick Calhoun|Rick]] and [[Tess the Red Pony|Tess Calhoun]] moved to the state of [[Wikipedia:Washington|Washington]], [[Wikipedia:United States|USA]] in mid 2005.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== House party == &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Guests of the monthly [[house party]] are asked to provide their own food and munchies. A barbecue is available in the backyard. Parties are usually held on the second Saturday of each month.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== History ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The name of the house was modeled after traditional Old English tradition: e.g. &amp;quot;Red Lion Inn&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;The Boar's Head&amp;quot;, etc. which signifies a place of abode and commune to weary travelers. [[Skiltaire]] are a [[species]] created by Mark for a personally-made [[role-playing game|RPG]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The house is host to many furries and has been, in the past, commune for those furs either displaced from their homes and given residence for rent or exchange of apprenticeship in Mark's network communication company, Lantana, Ltd.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The five-bedroom house has primarily furry-themed decor. Most of the walls and shelving space is decked out with original and re-created animation cels of past furry movies, Japanese and Chinese manga, original artwork by various furry artists, an extensive collection of DVDs, CDs, music, and offbeat movies, a large collection of [[plush toy|plushie]]s, memorabilia, collectibles, statuettes, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Tiger's Den BBS ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Tiger's Den BBS]] was a furry-themed [[bulletin board system]] which ran from 1983 to 1996, before the popularization of the Internet. The servers were located in the far east wing of the house. As a result of this and Mark's professional skills as a networking engineer, the house was rigged with a more-than-adequate Ethernet network, which was ahead of its time for a personal residence before the popularization of residential LANs.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Firstlight Internet Services ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Skiltaire has a history with [[Firstlight Internet Services]]. Firstlight was/is a full-service ISP, once primarily based out of [[Wikipedia:Orange County|Orange County]]. [[Koyama|Neil Whelchel]], its owner, was a long-time resident at the house, and consequently, partners in maintaining the communication networks provided at [[ConFurence]], along with [[Tigerden Internet Services]]. Many of the residents of the house were given complimentary web space and email addresses, some of which are still in use today. The ISP hosted [[The Pride Lands MUCK]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Current residents ==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Patches.jpg|right|thumb|180px|Patches the cat lived at the Prancing Skiltaire, until her death due to renal failure in May 2012.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|&lt;br /&gt;
|- valign=&amp;quot;top&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Mark Merlino]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Rod O'Riley]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Sherwood]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Former residents ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|&lt;br /&gt;
|- valign=&amp;quot;top&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Andre Tiger]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Bill Fitts]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Huck]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Jazmyn Concolor]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
*[[KitFox (California)|KitFox]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Koyama]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[KatVixen]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Kaysho]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Lee Franks]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Liana]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Lena]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Noah Miller]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Nalia]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Richard Lowman]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Navajo]] (aka [[Thylin]] or [[Illyira]])&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Thalyn]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Talesin]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Trapa]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Vchan]]&lt;br /&gt;
||&lt;br /&gt;
*[[WolfWings]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Washu]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Zjonni]]&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://prancing.skiltaire.net/ The Prancing Skiltaire home page]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PrancingSkiltaire/ Prancing Skiltaire Yahoo Group]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/#!/Skiltaire_Party/ Skiltaire Party Twitter feed]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://4sq.com/bRe1Nj Prancing Skiltaire on Fourquare]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Furry houses}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{California}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Furry houses|Prancing Skiltaire, The]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Events|Prancing Skiltaire, The]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{Featured article|Prancing Skiltaire, The}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[it:The Prancing Skiltaire]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa</id>
		<title>Changa</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa"/>
				<updated>2023-10-23T03:23:19Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: Removing some personal info.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;'''Changa''' ('''Changa Husky''', born February 28, 1968) is a [[furry]] with a [[husky]] [[dog]] [[fursona]] (previously [[lion]]) Changa runs the [[Confurence]] archive, Video content creator on TikTok and Youtube, and also maintains a furry virtual [[W:Ofrenda|Ofrenda]] for Día de Muertos covering furs that have passed. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
{{contributor}}&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.furaffinity.net/user/changa/ Changa Husky] on [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.youtube.com/c/ChangaHusky Changa Husky] on [[Youtube]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.tiktok.com/@changa_husky Changa Husky] on [[TikTok]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://furry.today/ Changa's furry video aggregator blog archive]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://vrchat.com/home/launch?worldId=wrld_8b9be9e0-f4f3-4f3e-b671-0a0714fa262a Furry Family Ofrenda in VRChat] on [[VRChat]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/LurkingGrue Changa Husky] on [[Twitter]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://bsky.app/profile/changa-husky.dog Changa Husky] on [[Bluesky]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/ The Confurence archive]&lt;br /&gt;
{{person-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Lion characters]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1968 births]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{noindex}}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa</id>
		<title>Changa</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa"/>
				<updated>2023-10-23T03:18:24Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;'''Changa''' ('''Changa Husky''', born February 28, 1968) is a [[furry]] with a [[husky]] [[dog]] [[fursona]] (previously [[lion]]) Changa runs the [[Confurence]] archive, Video content creator on TikTok and Youtube, and also maintains a furry virtual [[W:Ofrenda|Ofrenda]] for Día de Muertos covering furs that have passed. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
{{contributor}}&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.furaffinity.net/user/changa/ Changa Husky] on [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.youtube.com/c/ChangaHusky Changa Husky] on [[Youtube]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.tiktok.com/@changa_husky Changa Husky] on [[TikTok]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://furry.today/ Changa's furry video aggregator blog archive]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://vrchat.com/home/launch?worldId=wrld_8b9be9e0-f4f3-4f3e-b671-0a0714fa262a Furry Family Ofrenda in VRChat] on [[VRChat]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/LurkingGrue Changa Husky] on [[Twitter]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/ The Confurence archive]&lt;br /&gt;
{{person-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Lion characters]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1968 births]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{noindex}}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa</id>
		<title>Changa</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa"/>
				<updated>2023-10-23T03:15:09Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;'''Changa''' ('''Changa Husky''', born February 28, 1968) is a [[furry]] with a [[husky]] [[dog]] [[fursona]] (previously [[lion]]) Changa runs the [[Confurence]] archive, Video content creator on TikTok and Youtube, and also maintains a furry virtual [[W:Ofrenda|Ofrenda]] for Día de Muertos covering furs that have passed. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
{{contributor}}&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.furaffinity.net/user/changa/ Changa Husky] on [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.youtube.com/c/ChangaHusky Changa Husky] on [[Youtube]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.tiktok.com/@changa_husky Changa Husky] on [[TikTok]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://furry.today/ Changa's furry video aggregator blog archive]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://vrchat.com/home/launch?worldId=wrld_8b9be9e0-f4f3-4f3e-b671-0a0714fa262a Furry Family Ofrenda in VRChat] on [[VRChat]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/LurkingGrue Changa Husky] on [[Twitter]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/ The Confurence archive]&lt;br /&gt;
{{person-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Lion characters]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1968 births]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa</id>
		<title>Changa</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa"/>
				<updated>2022-08-28T20:32:13Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;'''Changa''' ('''Changa Husky''', born February 28, 1968) is a [[furry]] with a [[husky]] [[dog]] [[fursona]] (previously [[lion]])  who lives at [[The Prancing Skiltaire]] in [[Wikipedia:Garden Grove|Garden Grove]], [[Wikipedia:Orange County|Orange County]], [[Wikipedia:California|California]], USA. He is the household's resident IT person and [[photography]] enthusiast, and is also responsible for managing the Prancing Skiltaire's [[Twitter]] feed.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/Skiltaire_Party/status/444222619504496640 Changa as @Skiltaire_Party] on [[Twitter]]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Changa runs the [[Confurence]] archive, Video content creator on TikTok and Youtube, and also maintains a furry virtual [[W:Ofrenda|Ofrenda]] for Día de Muertos covering furs that have passed. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
{{contributor}}&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.furaffinity.net/user/changa/ Changa Husky] on [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.youtube.com/c/ChangaHusky Changa Husky] on [[Youtube]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.tiktok.com/@changa_husky Changa Husky] on [[TikTok]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://furry.today/ Changa's furry video aggregator blog archive]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://vrchat.com/home/launch?worldId=wrld_8b9be9e0-f4f3-4f3e-b671-0a0714fa262a Furry Family Ofrenda in VRChat] on [[VRChat]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/LurkingGrue Changa Husky] on [[Twitter]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/ The Confurence archive]&lt;br /&gt;
{{person-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Lion characters]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1968 births]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Talk:List_of_in-person_furry_conventions_by_attendance</id>
		<title>Talk:List of in-person furry conventions by attendance</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Talk:List_of_in-person_furry_conventions_by_attendance"/>
				<updated>2022-06-22T00:27:49Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;Needs more data. -- [[User:Siege|Siege]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:Siege|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 15:25, 16 May 2006 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
You mean like the data that might be found at the [[AFCIS]]? :-) ----[[User:DuncanDaHusky|DuncanDaHusky]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:DuncanDaHusky|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 15:46, 16 May 2006 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
FWA on this page shows 557 people in 2006, but the FWA wiki page says 563. Unsure which one is right. --Brody&lt;br /&gt;
:Fixed. [[User:SpazKitty|Spaz Kitty]] 08:46, 11 July 2006 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I wouldn't mind seeing this page, or a page like this one, listing conventions &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;historically&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; by attendance. That would show more accurate data instead of just ranking cons by their most recent popularity. For example, Megaplex attendance peaked in 2005 with 387 attendees, but it only appears on this list as #10 with 185 from this year. This makes the list inaccurate because it is not clear that it's showing only the convention's most recent year. (That is, one would expect a ranking by attendance to list the con's -best- attendance.) Any thoughts? [[User:Skippyfox|skippyfox]] 22:21, 13 March 2007 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:You mean kind of like the [[Anthropomorphic Fandom Convention Information Sheet]]?----[[User:DuncanDaHusky|DuncanDaHusky]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:DuncanDaHusky|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 22:38, 13 March 2007 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Minimum requirement? ==&lt;br /&gt;
So I noticed that we now have conventions with as few as 4 attendees on this list - does this really constitute a 'convention'? I mean, I've been to furry get-togethers with more than 5 people (for example, [[Tiger Paw]] regularly holds big parties), but I wouldn't go so far as to list them as a true 'convention'. [[User:SpazKitty|Spaz Kitty]] 17:07, 10 December 2007 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
:While it's been a long time since this question was posed, I'd like to direct those coming across this in the future to check out this discussion on [[Template_talk:Conventions]] where this was discussed in depth and some consensus reached about what qualifies. -- [[User:BlueOtter|BlueOtter]] 15:24, 1 July 2012 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Most recent MFM data? ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There doesn't seem to be data for attendance at MFM XII (2008) anywhere on this site.  Does anyone have an updated attendance record for it?  I really doubt it dropped from 2007 to 2008. -[[User:MooglePower|Ian The Cowboy Fox]] 16:22, 21 October 2008 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== What belongs on what list ==&lt;br /&gt;
There are a couple of things about how the list is managed that seem to merit discussion:&lt;br /&gt;
#Some of the &amp;quot;conventions&amp;quot; listed might not really qualify as conventions and as such should probably be removed from the list.  See [[Template talk:Conventions]] for a more detailed discussion.&lt;br /&gt;
#[[Cape May Fur Meet]] might be the first instance of a &amp;quot;devolved&amp;quot; event, i.e. an event that was in the past considered a convention and which still occurs but which no longer qualifies as a convention.  Shall we add these to the &amp;quot;Discontinued or cancelled events&amp;quot; section?&lt;br /&gt;
#How long should we keep recently cancelled events on the main list, especially while there is a possibility they may only be skipping a year?  When I've maintained the list in the past, I've left them in the main list for at least a year after the last occurrence, and usually until the end of the following year.  My thinking is that an event that skips one year should never have to leave the main list.  I don't think [[FA: United!]] ever did when it skipped a year.  By those criteria, [[RBW 2010]] should still be on the main list since it was less than a year ago and is currently planned to happen again in 2012.  [[Nakamacon]] is more iffy since it was over a year ago but I think it too should be allowed to remain until we have a more definitive statement that it's not coming back (or at least until the end of 2011).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Thoughts?  Dissenting opinions?  --[[User:Mwalimu|mwalimu]] 12:21, 2 August 2011 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:'''CONCUR''':I agree with your first point - the definition of a convention vs other types of gatherings should be uniformly applied to lists across the Wiki.  I agree with you that &amp;quot;devolved&amp;quot; events should be treated as &amp;quot;discontinued&amp;quot;, though the title of this list probably needs to be changed to make it more inclusive to encompass such events.  For your third point, I would suggest 24 months would quality a cancelled convention as 'dead', and would allow the examples you provided to remain for comparative purposes until they would be most unlikely to reoccur.  [[User:BlueOtter|BlueOtter]] 14:51, 2 August 2011 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:I agree with removing Cape May Fur Meet from the main list. However, I think FA: United was an exception. Most events, once in a state of suspension, do ''not'' return in subsequent years, and keeping them in the list is misleading. Perhaps we could change &amp;quot;ongoing events&amp;quot; to &amp;quot;active events&amp;quot; and remove any dubious ones to &amp;quot;recently inactive&amp;quot;? --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 15:22, 2 August 2011 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:First, let me apologize for the edits before clarifying this point.  I didn't read the notes in the editor.  Where would Elliott's Winter Carnival, Summer Celebration, and Fall Festival fit in this list?  According to the rules above, I'd think they should be combined.  The thing I'm curious of, however, is whether or not they should be added with or apart from Elliott's Spring Gathering.  The non-spring events are completely different than the spring event, other than the fact that they're run by the same group.  Thoughts? --[[User:Mamu Dingo|Mamu Dingo]] 15:59, 23 January 2012 (EST)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::Since it's come up again with regard to Furry Connection North, should an event that has been cancelled remain on the main list until one year has passed since the last occurrence, or at least until the end of the year if it was within the current year?  --[[User:Mwalimu|mwalimu]] 18:34, 3 September 2013 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:::Not unless the section title is changed. It is clearly not an ongoing event if it has been discontinued. If there were more question about whether another group would be taking on FCN, I could see us leaving it there. --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 18:47, 3 September 2013 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Per continent? ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I think it might be useful to list events per continent or geographical area, because many events elsewhere are being 'buried' by the overwhelming amount of events in the US. Personally I would like to see a list containing only European events, it would make it much easier to compare. [[User:Rua Whitepaw|Rua Whitepaw]] 06:27, 28 August 2011 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
:This is a bit late, but [https://en.wikifur.com/FurryConventionMap.html WikiFur's convention map] can now be a) filtered by continent and b) sorted by attendance. There may be value to having a separate list, but I don't think it should be &amp;quot;the default&amp;quot; - and rather than create another [[Timeline of conventions by attendance]] (which will inevitably go out of date once people get bored with it), we should move to a data-driven query model (like the map, but globally for all of WikiFur). --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 19:10, 26 August 2019 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Registration vs attendance  ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many, if not most, furcons sell registration in advance. This allows a claim of &amp;quot;xxx furs have now registered&amp;quot;. However, this is not the same as attendance.&lt;br /&gt;
Firstly, some of those registered may not attend for one reason or another, which means a reduction in attendance. Secondly, many cons sell &amp;quot;on the door&amp;quot; tickets which don't in the original registration figure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Do one day attending tickets &amp;quot;count&amp;quot; as much as a three-day full registration ? Are we, in fact, just counting the number of &amp;quot;bodies&amp;quot; that pass through the doors ? In addition, are registration figures acceptable here if there are no actual attendance figurs available ?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[User:Bezel|Bezel]] 10:26, 1 July 2012 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:My understanding is that attendance is the number of people who have been to the convention at some point while it is going on, so yes, one-day attendance counting the same as three-day. I'd expect registration number (with a footnote if it's only the number of pre-registrations) to be the same as attendance number, generally. I don't think events usually count the physical crowd. -- [[User:Sine|Sine]] 13:52, 1 July 2012 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:I would term both preregistration passes and at-the-door tickets both as registrations - total number of registrations regardless of time (one day vs whole weekend).  I would presume to only report on preregistration figures if the event posts no updated total for all registrations, or for events like [[Campfire Tails]] that offer no at-the-door registration option.  I do not think number of bodies would be an appropriate figure to count to account for those who 'ghost' a convention (fail to register but trade badges or otherwise illegitimately gain access to convention areas) or only show up to socialize in public areas without registering for a badge, as those estimates are so variable, they provide little utility for comparative purposes.  Posting total attendance aside from registration is less useful, in my opinion, as a convention in a large city can potentially host a public tent or table in a busy place to interact with non-registrants, but it speaks little to the convention's success or actual engaged registration / membership. [[User:BlueOtter|BlueOtter]] 15:16, 1 July 2012 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:A related, more serious issue that we may need to pay closer attention to is [https://ru.wikifur.com/w/index.php?title=%D0%9E%D0%B1%D1%81%D1%83%D0%B6%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5_%D1%88%D0%B0%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%3A%D0%9A%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%8B&amp;amp;diff=187642&amp;amp;oldid=187638 conventions allowing or encouraging &amp;quot;paper registered&amp;quot; figures to be seen as their final attendance]. This applies in the (relatively rare) case where you can pre-register without payment. [[ConFuzzled]] (as an example) clearly separates this figure in its statistics, while [[Rusfurence]] does not - at least, not for non-residential &amp;quot;guests&amp;quot; - and does not appear to have gone back to update with a more accurate figure after the close of the convention. I am given to understand that the issue was raised within that convention's organization team in the past, but there was no will to address it because the situation as it stands gives a more positive impression. (It may help explain why there was not much concern about using a smaller venue this year.) --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 19:23, 26 August 2019 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Number of Attendees and Dealers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As for Kemoket, Kemono doujin market, it's simply strange to put the number of ''circles'' (dealers) instead of actual attendees (at least reaching several thousands). [[User:Mangluca|Mangluca]] 23:17, 18 February 2021 (JST)&lt;br /&gt;
:Well, when they actually publish that data we will gladly use it, but at this point it's what we have available. I agree it's not ideal. --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 11:04, 18 April 2021 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Any reason to include cancelled events? ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I can't see any reason to include cancelled events, which by definition would not have been attended. -- [[User:Sine|Sine]] 19:28, 6 February 2013 (EST)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Table format ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Some recent edits by [[User:Seadragom|Seadragom]] changed the format of the main list to a table format. It looks nice but because of the rank column in particular I'm concerned that it will require a lot more nitpicky busywork every time a convention moves up or down the ranks, or especially when one is added to or removed from the main list. There would also be more line-by-line editing required when moving entries from the main list to one of the other lists, such as the one for conventions lacking recent updates (and at this writing there are several in the main list dating to 2016 or older that really should be moved there). I'm especially concerned that less experienced editors, and those with less time to tweak and refine their edits, might just decide it's more trouble than it's worth and leave it to someone else, which some of the time will mean no one else.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If there's a way to have the rank numbers be automatically generated and to update automatically, that would be a huge help. Unless that can be done, I'm afraid the article could end up becoming a big mess. --[[User:Mwalimu|mwalimu]] ([[User talk:Mwalimu|talk]]) 14:04, 10 July 2018 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:I think it's less work than you'd think initially - cons swap places all the time, it doesn't require massive refactoring unless new conventions appear or old ones disappear. As far as differences to the old list go, it's not *hugely* different, just has a bit more markup. I did have a look to see if there's a way of automatically numbering lists - seems like there might be in newer, visual MediaWiki editors but since the version we're using here is somewhat behind the likes of Wikia or Wikipedia I don't think it exists - more than happy to be proven wrong on this one though! Although even on Wikipedia, if we consider an article like &amp;quot;[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest_mountains_on_Earth list of highest mountains]&amp;quot; it seems they still have the rank.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:Of course, with the table being sortable, if it's really a problem and is bothering people then I'd suggest just removing the numbers column altogether and moving the size column to the left and setting it as the default sort. It'll be less work, but also more difficult for people to see what rank a specific convention is in overall.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:The other thing to consider as well is that, are you looking for a page to be presentable or easy to edit? If a Wiki is to take itself seriously it can't realistically be taking shortcuts on pages like this, as tempting as the idea might be. Of course, I can always volunteer myself to support the page, but that's never going to be a longer-term solution. [[User:Seadragom|Seadragom]] ([[User talk:Seadragom|talk]]) 14:25, 10 July 2018 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::It's a problem. I made a solution by adding [[mw:Extension:Variables]]. Just copy the column as it is and it'll count up appropriately. Unfortunately this won't give you equal ranks if you have the same number, but I guess we could say the older one goes on top (since it's likely to have grown the next time). If you need a new table (on this page), replace the variable name 'n' with something else. Markup is a bit ugly, could put it in a template like &amp;lt;nowiki&amp;gt;{{countup|}}&amp;lt;/nowiki&amp;gt; (the last | is important, otherwise it'll treat the result as constant) but it'd be another template expansion on each row so I don't think it's a good idea. This could probably have been done via Lua without adding a new extension, but writing a script seems overkill. This doesn't address the issue that the &amp;quot;list&amp;quot; is now ''technically'' a table, but I guess it can be a tabular list. --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 12:41, 4 January 2019 (EST)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== WPAFW con data ==&lt;br /&gt;
[[WPAFW]] now has updated [[Western_Pennsylvania_Furry_Weekend#Statistics|stats]] --[[User:EmberFox|EmberFox 💜]] ([[User talk:EmberFox|talk]]) 23:09, 22 July 2018 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Separate storage for semantic data ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
We need to get into a position where we're updating [[Wikipedia:Semantic triple|data about topics]] in one place (a [[Wikipedia:Triplestore|triplestore]] or [[Wikipedia:Graph database|graph database]]) and having data representations such as this list update themselves via [[Wikipedia:Semantic query|semantic queries]]. This will free up editors' time to do new, exciting things with that data, rather than [[User:Kakurady/WikiFur:Convention checklists#Convention aftermath|follow checklists to update it in six different places]] (or not, leading to out of date or inconsistent data). It's probably not yet time to action this, but I thought I'd mention it to let you know what I'm thinking and see if other people wanted to chime in with further ideas.&lt;br /&gt;
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The obvious uses are lists and tables and charts linked at the top of {{tl|Conventions}} such as [[List of conventions by attendance|this list]] and its [[Timeline of conventions by attendance|historical equivalent]], {{tl|Upcoming events}}, {{tl|Timeline of conventions}}, [[Timeline of charity donations|charity donations]] and [[Timeline of convention expenses and revenue|expenses and revenue]] (see {{tl|con-finance}}); interlanguage links between [//wikifur.com our 20+ languages]; infoboxes and the [//en.wikifur.com/FurryConventionMap.html Furry Convention Map] (for which we really should separate script and data). It should also be possible to handle the ''body'' of navigation templates like {{tl|Conventions}} and {{tl|Discontinued Conventions}}, although that may prove impractical due to the level of editorial consideration required to list or remove events. It could be used for data items in body text as well, but [[Wikipedia:Requests for comment/Wikidata Phase 2|Wikipedia saw pushback on this]] (admittedly in 2013, but it's still an issue). Perhaps it can be useful for a few specific in-line templates.&lt;br /&gt;
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A decade ago, the solution would have been [[Wikipedia:Semantic MediaWiki|Semantic MediaWiki]]. It still exists, and is being developed; but for these limited purposes [//wikiba.se/ Wikibase] may be a better solution. Wikimedia's instance of this is called [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Wikidata|Wikidata]] - they have a [[Wikipedia:Module:Wikidata|Lua module]] that integrates with [[mw:Extension:Wikibase Client/Lua|the client API]], use it for [[Wikipedia:Help:Interlanguage links|interlanguage links]] ([[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Wikidata#Interlanguage links (Phase 1)|a key motivator]]) and [[Wikipedia:Category:Templates using data from Wikidata|some infoboxes]], and while the English Wikipedia has been slow to deploy lists, they exist in other languages. It's ''possible'' that we can just use Wikidata to store the data we want - which would be great, both to avoid the serious infrastructure implications of running it ourselves, but also there are already data items there - e.g. for [//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4773878 Anthrocon] and [//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:WhatLinksHere/Q4493539 a few other furry conventions] - and it'd help third-parties easily use and update that data. In an ideal world, [[User:GreenReaper/WikiFur - A home for the furry community#Why Wikipedia is not perfect for us|WikiFur's content would have been a part of Wikipedia]].&lt;br /&gt;
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It's also possible that we ''can't'', because while they are not Wikipedia, we will still run into things like their [//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Notability notability criteria] (per option 2, events are concrete; but this may be hard to prove for smaller events) and proposed [//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Verifiability verifiability policy]. It might also be that we can only store a subset of data there, which might or might not be sufficient for our needs (e.g. we might have to locally merge data like WikiFur image URL suffixes and event ticket pricing that we currently have in [[:pool:Convention map script|the map script]]). But see [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Wikidata/2018 Infobox RfC#Discussion|Wikipedia's RfC on use of data in infoboxes]] - it ''may'' be that [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia talk:Manual of Style/Archive 202#On &amp;quot;complying with BLP policies&amp;quot;|the line will be drawn on the import process]], so it wouldn't be an issue to have &amp;quot;good enough for furries&amp;quot; data in Wikidata, since they can always choose ''not'' to use certain data on the Wikipedia side via e.g. reference filtering.&lt;br /&gt;
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If we can't use Wikidata (or decide not to for e.g. latency reasons - our server is in Europe, [[mw:Wikidata Query Service/Implementation#Hardware|theirs]] are in [//wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Eqiad_cluster Virginia] and [//wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Codfw_cluster Texas], USA - I don't actually know how relevant this would be right now), we'll need to fire up our own instance of the [[mw:Extension:Wikibase Repository|Wikibase Repository]], [[mw:Extension:Wikibase Client|Wikibase Client]], and for [[Wikipedia:SPARQL|SPARQL]] queries, [[mw:Wikidata Query Service/Implementation/Standalone|a standalone implementation of Wikidata Query Service]] (though see [//github.com/maxlath/wikidata-filter wikidata-filter] and [https://github.com/inventaire/entities-search-engine/blob/master/docs/wikidata_filtered_dump_import.md importing filtered dumps to ElasticSearch]). [//wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Data_items/Technical_Site_Configuration OpenStreetMap appears to have done (some of) this]. The repository could be integrated into [[:pool:]] (or here, but that might be a bad idea because data is meant to be language-neutral), perhaps in a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikibase/Installation/Advanced configuration#Items in a dedicated item namespace|separate namespace]]. The main argument for having it ''here'' would be to make it likely that changes are reviewed; this is already a problem on Wikidata due to the sheer volume of edits, and they won't have the domain knowledge to notice odd changes. Wikipedia seems to have a way for relevant changes to be notified to watching users; but this may not be feasible because we also don't have enough editors reading watchlists or watching relevant pages, just the global recent changes.&lt;br /&gt;
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Either way we'd need templates to do name searches within a category, say, wrapping lower-level statement calls, so [[Wikipedia:Village pump (technical)/Archive 140#Wikidata: Access to data from arbitrary items is here|we don't embed references to incomprehensible data item IDs]] (nobody wants &amp;lt;nowiki&amp;gt;{{#property:P36|from=Q183}}&amp;lt;/nowiki&amp;gt;). --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 10:53, 29 August 2019 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
:Topics to review later: [[mw:Wikidata Bridge|Wikidata Bridge]] (editing on the page) and [[mw:Wikidata Bridge/How to Enable Wikidata Bridge for your Infobox|how to enable it]] - [[w:Wikidata:Wikidata:Cradle|Wikidata Cradle]] (entry forms). --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 17:18, 25 January 2021 (EST)&lt;br /&gt;
:I've been [//twitter.com/WikiNorn/status/1374786772018794496 working on this recently]. As Wikibase's server components will require a lot ''more'' work upfront, '''[//furry.wiki.opencura.com I set up a prototype]''' on [//wbstack.com WBStack] (an open-source Wikibase hosting service, itself a work in progress, now supported by [[metawikipedia:Wikimedia Deutschland|WMDE]]). There's a ''significant'' learning curve, but mostly in the areas of data architecture and query writing. I hope to ease data entry for a [//furry.wiki.opencura.com/tools/cradle/?#/shex/E2 new convention instance] or series; and using the results of pre-built queries or data on a specific event on its page should be trivial, since Wikipedia has libraries for [[w:Module:Wd|inline data access]] and [[w:Module:WikidataIB|infobox templates]]. There's also [//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Lexicographical_data/Documentation lexicographical data] - essentially, a structured way to cover [[:Category:Terms|furry terms]] in both [//furry.wiki.opencura.com/wiki/Lexeme:L1 real-life] (e.g. ''[[:eo:Felo|felano]]'') and [//furry.wiki.opencura.com/wiki/Lexeme:L2 fantasy languages] (''[[Foxish|yerf]]''). At this point it's largely a tool for self-education, but if anyone else wants an account to join in, [[Special:EmailUser/GreenReaper|let me know]]. We've not lost out from the delay, as significant work has gone into Wikibase to make it perform better (we don't have Wikimedia's budget) and work better in [[mw:Wikibase/Federation|federation]] (if we want to link it with Wikidata or other compatible databases). --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 11:02, 18 April 2021 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
::'''[//furry.wikibase.butt The prototype is now on Wikibase.butt]''', WBStack's successor directly sponsored by WMDE, although I haven't done much work on it since last year. Work is underway to migrate WikiFur to [https://www.flayrah.com/8633 the new hosting] currently used for [[Flayrah]], which is likely to eventually directly host a Wikibase instance as well; but it'll be several months until this is achieved, as it's a complex undertaking. Because other sites rely in part on the English WikiFur (for images etc.), and it's the largest edition, it'll probably be migrated last. --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 20:43, 8 May 2022 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
::I hadn't seen the page before, but the [[list of fursuit dance competition results]] is another great candidate for turning into data, which might resolve some of the issues about inconsistent display of names. --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 03:49, 21 May 2022 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
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== Online events ==&lt;br /&gt;
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I think we should establish a consensus on whether we should include virtual events on this list or not, especially considering [[Furality Online Xperience]] was added to the list by an editor whose edits are mostly involved with said event, and the removal by an IP editor was reverted by one of the organizers of the event. Obviously, I don't have a problem with organizers adding information about their own event, but I also think that we don't have precedent to add this event to the list yet. My opinion is that we shouldn't have both on the same list. But I'm open to hear what others think. --[[User:FrostTheFox|FrostTheFox]] &amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User_talk:FrostTheFox|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 21:26, 24 June 2020 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
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I believe the definition of &amp;quot;conventions&amp;quot; has already been discussed [[Template_talk:Conventions/Archive|elsewhere]] and virtual events do not meet the registration/staffing/lodging requirements which generally define a convention as being a unique type of event, compared to meets or other such gatherings.--[[User:Woody|Woody]] ([[User talk:Woody|talk]]) 14:07, 6 July 2020 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
: Agreed, I had seen previous discussions but of course with the current events being as they are, wanted to bring it up on its own merits. In any case, it looks like [[User:Meeran]] has created [[Online conventions by size]], which is the course of action I believe should be taken, so for now I don't have anything else to discuss. --[[User:FrostTheFox|FrostTheFox]] &amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User_talk:FrostTheFox|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 23:11, 10 July 2020 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
: I realize this is a bit late, but I was doing research for Accounting and IRS considerations earlier in the year and ran into this question as well.  I think that online events should not be listed in the same table as &amp;quot;IRL&amp;quot; events.  My reasoning comes down to the dramatic differences in how one attends such an event (virtual can attend from anywhere, in person requires travel) and the kinds of expenses and organization that are needed for such event (Online: a small team using existing software can host thousands of people, in person... can you imagine running Anthrocon with a staff of 12?).  To me Online and IRL cons are fundamentally different, and therefore it is not suitable to directly compare them on a list like this. Just want to leave this here in case there is future discussion. Thanks, [[User:Verdauga|Verdauga]] ([[User talk:Verdauga|talk]]) 04:15, 23 December 2020 (EST)&lt;br /&gt;
: Just to add onto this discussion, since there was a large emphasis on whether online conventions are comparable to &amp;quot;IRL&amp;quot; events based on factors like staffing and operational effort and cost being distinctly different, not all online conventions are equal in this fact anymore. The recent [[Furality]] had similar operational costs to several &amp;quot;traditional&amp;quot; conventions and also had over 100 volunteers, also echoing &amp;quot;traditional&amp;quot; conventions. As a result it was quite a different experience compared to previous online conventions that just consisted of a video stream and website, and I feel it is a lot closer to our idea of an &amp;quot;IRL&amp;quot; event compared to those. (While lodging is still significantly different compared to &amp;quot;IRL&amp;quot; events, there still is an investment required on the attendee end, VR Headset, Computing hardware powerful enough to attend, etc, that doesn't make it a sure-fired thing either) I think a large part of whether we consider a convention like Furality in the same category as an &amp;quot;IRL&amp;quot; convention should be the attendee experience instead of just the medium it's on, and at least compared to those &amp;quot;stream with website&amp;quot; conventions on the [[Online conventions by size]] page, VR conventions such as [[Furality]] provide a much closer attendee experience to an &amp;quot;IRL&amp;quot; con. --[[User:CyberKitsune|CyberKitsune]] ([[User talk:CyberKitsune|talk]]) 16:30, 21 June 2022 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
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Perhaps this category should then be changed to List of in person conventions by attendance if we are going to split hairs about what a convention is? ([[User talk:Changa|talk]]) 17:27, 21 June 2022 (pst)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Talk:List_of_in-person_furry_conventions_by_attendance</id>
		<title>Talk:List of in-person furry conventions by attendance</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Talk:List_of_in-person_furry_conventions_by_attendance"/>
				<updated>2022-06-22T00:26:55Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: /* Online events */&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;div&gt;Needs more data. -- [[User:Siege|Siege]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:Siege|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 15:25, 16 May 2006 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
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You mean like the data that might be found at the [[AFCIS]]? :-) ----[[User:DuncanDaHusky|DuncanDaHusky]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:DuncanDaHusky|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 15:46, 16 May 2006 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
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FWA on this page shows 557 people in 2006, but the FWA wiki page says 563. Unsure which one is right. --Brody&lt;br /&gt;
:Fixed. [[User:SpazKitty|Spaz Kitty]] 08:46, 11 July 2006 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
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I wouldn't mind seeing this page, or a page like this one, listing conventions &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;historically&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; by attendance. That would show more accurate data instead of just ranking cons by their most recent popularity. For example, Megaplex attendance peaked in 2005 with 387 attendees, but it only appears on this list as #10 with 185 from this year. This makes the list inaccurate because it is not clear that it's showing only the convention's most recent year. (That is, one would expect a ranking by attendance to list the con's -best- attendance.) Any thoughts? [[User:Skippyfox|skippyfox]] 22:21, 13 March 2007 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
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:You mean kind of like the [[Anthropomorphic Fandom Convention Information Sheet]]?----[[User:DuncanDaHusky|DuncanDaHusky]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:DuncanDaHusky|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 22:38, 13 March 2007 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
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== Minimum requirement? ==&lt;br /&gt;
So I noticed that we now have conventions with as few as 4 attendees on this list - does this really constitute a 'convention'? I mean, I've been to furry get-togethers with more than 5 people (for example, [[Tiger Paw]] regularly holds big parties), but I wouldn't go so far as to list them as a true 'convention'. [[User:SpazKitty|Spaz Kitty]] 17:07, 10 December 2007 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
:While it's been a long time since this question was posed, I'd like to direct those coming across this in the future to check out this discussion on [[Template_talk:Conventions]] where this was discussed in depth and some consensus reached about what qualifies. -- [[User:BlueOtter|BlueOtter]] 15:24, 1 July 2012 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
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== Most recent MFM data? ==&lt;br /&gt;
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There doesn't seem to be data for attendance at MFM XII (2008) anywhere on this site.  Does anyone have an updated attendance record for it?  I really doubt it dropped from 2007 to 2008. -[[User:MooglePower|Ian The Cowboy Fox]] 16:22, 21 October 2008 (UTC)&lt;br /&gt;
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== What belongs on what list ==&lt;br /&gt;
There are a couple of things about how the list is managed that seem to merit discussion:&lt;br /&gt;
#Some of the &amp;quot;conventions&amp;quot; listed might not really qualify as conventions and as such should probably be removed from the list.  See [[Template talk:Conventions]] for a more detailed discussion.&lt;br /&gt;
#[[Cape May Fur Meet]] might be the first instance of a &amp;quot;devolved&amp;quot; event, i.e. an event that was in the past considered a convention and which still occurs but which no longer qualifies as a convention.  Shall we add these to the &amp;quot;Discontinued or cancelled events&amp;quot; section?&lt;br /&gt;
#How long should we keep recently cancelled events on the main list, especially while there is a possibility they may only be skipping a year?  When I've maintained the list in the past, I've left them in the main list for at least a year after the last occurrence, and usually until the end of the following year.  My thinking is that an event that skips one year should never have to leave the main list.  I don't think [[FA: United!]] ever did when it skipped a year.  By those criteria, [[RBW 2010]] should still be on the main list since it was less than a year ago and is currently planned to happen again in 2012.  [[Nakamacon]] is more iffy since it was over a year ago but I think it too should be allowed to remain until we have a more definitive statement that it's not coming back (or at least until the end of 2011).&lt;br /&gt;
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Thoughts?  Dissenting opinions?  --[[User:Mwalimu|mwalimu]] 12:21, 2 August 2011 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
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:'''CONCUR''':I agree with your first point - the definition of a convention vs other types of gatherings should be uniformly applied to lists across the Wiki.  I agree with you that &amp;quot;devolved&amp;quot; events should be treated as &amp;quot;discontinued&amp;quot;, though the title of this list probably needs to be changed to make it more inclusive to encompass such events.  For your third point, I would suggest 24 months would quality a cancelled convention as 'dead', and would allow the examples you provided to remain for comparative purposes until they would be most unlikely to reoccur.  [[User:BlueOtter|BlueOtter]] 14:51, 2 August 2011 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
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:I agree with removing Cape May Fur Meet from the main list. However, I think FA: United was an exception. Most events, once in a state of suspension, do ''not'' return in subsequent years, and keeping them in the list is misleading. Perhaps we could change &amp;quot;ongoing events&amp;quot; to &amp;quot;active events&amp;quot; and remove any dubious ones to &amp;quot;recently inactive&amp;quot;? --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 15:22, 2 August 2011 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
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:First, let me apologize for the edits before clarifying this point.  I didn't read the notes in the editor.  Where would Elliott's Winter Carnival, Summer Celebration, and Fall Festival fit in this list?  According to the rules above, I'd think they should be combined.  The thing I'm curious of, however, is whether or not they should be added with or apart from Elliott's Spring Gathering.  The non-spring events are completely different than the spring event, other than the fact that they're run by the same group.  Thoughts? --[[User:Mamu Dingo|Mamu Dingo]] 15:59, 23 January 2012 (EST)&lt;br /&gt;
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::Since it's come up again with regard to Furry Connection North, should an event that has been cancelled remain on the main list until one year has passed since the last occurrence, or at least until the end of the year if it was within the current year?  --[[User:Mwalimu|mwalimu]] 18:34, 3 September 2013 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
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:::Not unless the section title is changed. It is clearly not an ongoing event if it has been discontinued. If there were more question about whether another group would be taking on FCN, I could see us leaving it there. --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 18:47, 3 September 2013 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
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== Per continent? ==&lt;br /&gt;
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I think it might be useful to list events per continent or geographical area, because many events elsewhere are being 'buried' by the overwhelming amount of events in the US. Personally I would like to see a list containing only European events, it would make it much easier to compare. [[User:Rua Whitepaw|Rua Whitepaw]] 06:27, 28 August 2011 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
:This is a bit late, but [https://en.wikifur.com/FurryConventionMap.html WikiFur's convention map] can now be a) filtered by continent and b) sorted by attendance. There may be value to having a separate list, but I don't think it should be &amp;quot;the default&amp;quot; - and rather than create another [[Timeline of conventions by attendance]] (which will inevitably go out of date once people get bored with it), we should move to a data-driven query model (like the map, but globally for all of WikiFur). --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 19:10, 26 August 2019 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
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== Registration vs attendance  ==&lt;br /&gt;
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Many, if not most, furcons sell registration in advance. This allows a claim of &amp;quot;xxx furs have now registered&amp;quot;. However, this is not the same as attendance.&lt;br /&gt;
Firstly, some of those registered may not attend for one reason or another, which means a reduction in attendance. Secondly, many cons sell &amp;quot;on the door&amp;quot; tickets which don't in the original registration figure.&lt;br /&gt;
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Do one day attending tickets &amp;quot;count&amp;quot; as much as a three-day full registration ? Are we, in fact, just counting the number of &amp;quot;bodies&amp;quot; that pass through the doors ? In addition, are registration figures acceptable here if there are no actual attendance figurs available ?&lt;br /&gt;
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[[User:Bezel|Bezel]] 10:26, 1 July 2012 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
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:My understanding is that attendance is the number of people who have been to the convention at some point while it is going on, so yes, one-day attendance counting the same as three-day. I'd expect registration number (with a footnote if it's only the number of pre-registrations) to be the same as attendance number, generally. I don't think events usually count the physical crowd. -- [[User:Sine|Sine]] 13:52, 1 July 2012 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
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:I would term both preregistration passes and at-the-door tickets both as registrations - total number of registrations regardless of time (one day vs whole weekend).  I would presume to only report on preregistration figures if the event posts no updated total for all registrations, or for events like [[Campfire Tails]] that offer no at-the-door registration option.  I do not think number of bodies would be an appropriate figure to count to account for those who 'ghost' a convention (fail to register but trade badges or otherwise illegitimately gain access to convention areas) or only show up to socialize in public areas without registering for a badge, as those estimates are so variable, they provide little utility for comparative purposes.  Posting total attendance aside from registration is less useful, in my opinion, as a convention in a large city can potentially host a public tent or table in a busy place to interact with non-registrants, but it speaks little to the convention's success or actual engaged registration / membership. [[User:BlueOtter|BlueOtter]] 15:16, 1 July 2012 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
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:A related, more serious issue that we may need to pay closer attention to is [https://ru.wikifur.com/w/index.php?title=%D0%9E%D0%B1%D1%81%D1%83%D0%B6%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5_%D1%88%D0%B0%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%3A%D0%9A%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%8B&amp;amp;diff=187642&amp;amp;oldid=187638 conventions allowing or encouraging &amp;quot;paper registered&amp;quot; figures to be seen as their final attendance]. This applies in the (relatively rare) case where you can pre-register without payment. [[ConFuzzled]] (as an example) clearly separates this figure in its statistics, while [[Rusfurence]] does not - at least, not for non-residential &amp;quot;guests&amp;quot; - and does not appear to have gone back to update with a more accurate figure after the close of the convention. I am given to understand that the issue was raised within that convention's organization team in the past, but there was no will to address it because the situation as it stands gives a more positive impression. (It may help explain why there was not much concern about using a smaller venue this year.) --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 19:23, 26 August 2019 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
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== Number of Attendees and Dealers ==&lt;br /&gt;
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As for Kemoket, Kemono doujin market, it's simply strange to put the number of ''circles'' (dealers) instead of actual attendees (at least reaching several thousands). [[User:Mangluca|Mangluca]] 23:17, 18 February 2021 (JST)&lt;br /&gt;
:Well, when they actually publish that data we will gladly use it, but at this point it's what we have available. I agree it's not ideal. --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 11:04, 18 April 2021 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
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== Any reason to include cancelled events? ==&lt;br /&gt;
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I can't see any reason to include cancelled events, which by definition would not have been attended. -- [[User:Sine|Sine]] 19:28, 6 February 2013 (EST)&lt;br /&gt;
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== Table format ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Some recent edits by [[User:Seadragom|Seadragom]] changed the format of the main list to a table format. It looks nice but because of the rank column in particular I'm concerned that it will require a lot more nitpicky busywork every time a convention moves up or down the ranks, or especially when one is added to or removed from the main list. There would also be more line-by-line editing required when moving entries from the main list to one of the other lists, such as the one for conventions lacking recent updates (and at this writing there are several in the main list dating to 2016 or older that really should be moved there). I'm especially concerned that less experienced editors, and those with less time to tweak and refine their edits, might just decide it's more trouble than it's worth and leave it to someone else, which some of the time will mean no one else.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If there's a way to have the rank numbers be automatically generated and to update automatically, that would be a huge help. Unless that can be done, I'm afraid the article could end up becoming a big mess. --[[User:Mwalimu|mwalimu]] ([[User talk:Mwalimu|talk]]) 14:04, 10 July 2018 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:I think it's less work than you'd think initially - cons swap places all the time, it doesn't require massive refactoring unless new conventions appear or old ones disappear. As far as differences to the old list go, it's not *hugely* different, just has a bit more markup. I did have a look to see if there's a way of automatically numbering lists - seems like there might be in newer, visual MediaWiki editors but since the version we're using here is somewhat behind the likes of Wikia or Wikipedia I don't think it exists - more than happy to be proven wrong on this one though! Although even on Wikipedia, if we consider an article like &amp;quot;[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest_mountains_on_Earth list of highest mountains]&amp;quot; it seems they still have the rank.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:Of course, with the table being sortable, if it's really a problem and is bothering people then I'd suggest just removing the numbers column altogether and moving the size column to the left and setting it as the default sort. It'll be less work, but also more difficult for people to see what rank a specific convention is in overall.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:The other thing to consider as well is that, are you looking for a page to be presentable or easy to edit? If a Wiki is to take itself seriously it can't realistically be taking shortcuts on pages like this, as tempting as the idea might be. Of course, I can always volunteer myself to support the page, but that's never going to be a longer-term solution. [[User:Seadragom|Seadragom]] ([[User talk:Seadragom|talk]]) 14:25, 10 July 2018 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::It's a problem. I made a solution by adding [[mw:Extension:Variables]]. Just copy the column as it is and it'll count up appropriately. Unfortunately this won't give you equal ranks if you have the same number, but I guess we could say the older one goes on top (since it's likely to have grown the next time). If you need a new table (on this page), replace the variable name 'n' with something else. Markup is a bit ugly, could put it in a template like &amp;lt;nowiki&amp;gt;{{countup|}}&amp;lt;/nowiki&amp;gt; (the last | is important, otherwise it'll treat the result as constant) but it'd be another template expansion on each row so I don't think it's a good idea. This could probably have been done via Lua without adding a new extension, but writing a script seems overkill. This doesn't address the issue that the &amp;quot;list&amp;quot; is now ''technically'' a table, but I guess it can be a tabular list. --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 12:41, 4 January 2019 (EST)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== WPAFW con data ==&lt;br /&gt;
[[WPAFW]] now has updated [[Western_Pennsylvania_Furry_Weekend#Statistics|stats]] --[[User:EmberFox|EmberFox 💜]] ([[User talk:EmberFox|talk]]) 23:09, 22 July 2018 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Separate storage for semantic data ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
We need to get into a position where we're updating [[Wikipedia:Semantic triple|data about topics]] in one place (a [[Wikipedia:Triplestore|triplestore]] or [[Wikipedia:Graph database|graph database]]) and having data representations such as this list update themselves via [[Wikipedia:Semantic query|semantic queries]]. This will free up editors' time to do new, exciting things with that data, rather than [[User:Kakurady/WikiFur:Convention checklists#Convention aftermath|follow checklists to update it in six different places]] (or not, leading to out of date or inconsistent data). It's probably not yet time to action this, but I thought I'd mention it to let you know what I'm thinking and see if other people wanted to chime in with further ideas.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The obvious uses are lists and tables and charts linked at the top of {{tl|Conventions}} such as [[List of conventions by attendance|this list]] and its [[Timeline of conventions by attendance|historical equivalent]], {{tl|Upcoming events}}, {{tl|Timeline of conventions}}, [[Timeline of charity donations|charity donations]] and [[Timeline of convention expenses and revenue|expenses and revenue]] (see {{tl|con-finance}}); interlanguage links between [//wikifur.com our 20+ languages]; infoboxes and the [//en.wikifur.com/FurryConventionMap.html Furry Convention Map] (for which we really should separate script and data). It should also be possible to handle the ''body'' of navigation templates like {{tl|Conventions}} and {{tl|Discontinued Conventions}}, although that may prove impractical due to the level of editorial consideration required to list or remove events. It could be used for data items in body text as well, but [[Wikipedia:Requests for comment/Wikidata Phase 2|Wikipedia saw pushback on this]] (admittedly in 2013, but it's still an issue). Perhaps it can be useful for a few specific in-line templates.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A decade ago, the solution would have been [[Wikipedia:Semantic MediaWiki|Semantic MediaWiki]]. It still exists, and is being developed; but for these limited purposes [//wikiba.se/ Wikibase] may be a better solution. Wikimedia's instance of this is called [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Wikidata|Wikidata]] - they have a [[Wikipedia:Module:Wikidata|Lua module]] that integrates with [[mw:Extension:Wikibase Client/Lua|the client API]], use it for [[Wikipedia:Help:Interlanguage links|interlanguage links]] ([[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Wikidata#Interlanguage links (Phase 1)|a key motivator]]) and [[Wikipedia:Category:Templates using data from Wikidata|some infoboxes]], and while the English Wikipedia has been slow to deploy lists, they exist in other languages. It's ''possible'' that we can just use Wikidata to store the data we want - which would be great, both to avoid the serious infrastructure implications of running it ourselves, but also there are already data items there - e.g. for [//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4773878 Anthrocon] and [//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:WhatLinksHere/Q4493539 a few other furry conventions] - and it'd help third-parties easily use and update that data. In an ideal world, [[User:GreenReaper/WikiFur - A home for the furry community#Why Wikipedia is not perfect for us|WikiFur's content would have been a part of Wikipedia]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It's also possible that we ''can't'', because while they are not Wikipedia, we will still run into things like their [//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Notability notability criteria] (per option 2, events are concrete; but this may be hard to prove for smaller events) and proposed [//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Verifiability verifiability policy]. It might also be that we can only store a subset of data there, which might or might not be sufficient for our needs (e.g. we might have to locally merge data like WikiFur image URL suffixes and event ticket pricing that we currently have in [[:pool:Convention map script|the map script]]). But see [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Wikidata/2018 Infobox RfC#Discussion|Wikipedia's RfC on use of data in infoboxes]] - it ''may'' be that [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia talk:Manual of Style/Archive 202#On &amp;quot;complying with BLP policies&amp;quot;|the line will be drawn on the import process]], so it wouldn't be an issue to have &amp;quot;good enough for furries&amp;quot; data in Wikidata, since they can always choose ''not'' to use certain data on the Wikipedia side via e.g. reference filtering.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If we can't use Wikidata (or decide not to for e.g. latency reasons - our server is in Europe, [[mw:Wikidata Query Service/Implementation#Hardware|theirs]] are in [//wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Eqiad_cluster Virginia] and [//wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Codfw_cluster Texas], USA - I don't actually know how relevant this would be right now), we'll need to fire up our own instance of the [[mw:Extension:Wikibase Repository|Wikibase Repository]], [[mw:Extension:Wikibase Client|Wikibase Client]], and for [[Wikipedia:SPARQL|SPARQL]] queries, [[mw:Wikidata Query Service/Implementation/Standalone|a standalone implementation of Wikidata Query Service]] (though see [//github.com/maxlath/wikidata-filter wikidata-filter] and [https://github.com/inventaire/entities-search-engine/blob/master/docs/wikidata_filtered_dump_import.md importing filtered dumps to ElasticSearch]). [//wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Data_items/Technical_Site_Configuration OpenStreetMap appears to have done (some of) this]. The repository could be integrated into [[:pool:]] (or here, but that might be a bad idea because data is meant to be language-neutral), perhaps in a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikibase/Installation/Advanced configuration#Items in a dedicated item namespace|separate namespace]]. The main argument for having it ''here'' would be to make it likely that changes are reviewed; this is already a problem on Wikidata due to the sheer volume of edits, and they won't have the domain knowledge to notice odd changes. Wikipedia seems to have a way for relevant changes to be notified to watching users; but this may not be feasible because we also don't have enough editors reading watchlists or watching relevant pages, just the global recent changes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Either way we'd need templates to do name searches within a category, say, wrapping lower-level statement calls, so [[Wikipedia:Village pump (technical)/Archive 140#Wikidata: Access to data from arbitrary items is here|we don't embed references to incomprehensible data item IDs]] (nobody wants &amp;lt;nowiki&amp;gt;{{#property:P36|from=Q183}}&amp;lt;/nowiki&amp;gt;). --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 10:53, 29 August 2019 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
:Topics to review later: [[mw:Wikidata Bridge|Wikidata Bridge]] (editing on the page) and [[mw:Wikidata Bridge/How to Enable Wikidata Bridge for your Infobox|how to enable it]] - [[w:Wikidata:Wikidata:Cradle|Wikidata Cradle]] (entry forms). --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 17:18, 25 January 2021 (EST)&lt;br /&gt;
:I've been [//twitter.com/WikiNorn/status/1374786772018794496 working on this recently]. As Wikibase's server components will require a lot ''more'' work upfront, '''[//furry.wiki.opencura.com I set up a prototype]''' on [//wbstack.com WBStack] (an open-source Wikibase hosting service, itself a work in progress, now supported by [[metawikipedia:Wikimedia Deutschland|WMDE]]). There's a ''significant'' learning curve, but mostly in the areas of data architecture and query writing. I hope to ease data entry for a [//furry.wiki.opencura.com/tools/cradle/?#/shex/E2 new convention instance] or series; and using the results of pre-built queries or data on a specific event on its page should be trivial, since Wikipedia has libraries for [[w:Module:Wd|inline data access]] and [[w:Module:WikidataIB|infobox templates]]. There's also [//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Lexicographical_data/Documentation lexicographical data] - essentially, a structured way to cover [[:Category:Terms|furry terms]] in both [//furry.wiki.opencura.com/wiki/Lexeme:L1 real-life] (e.g. ''[[:eo:Felo|felano]]'') and [//furry.wiki.opencura.com/wiki/Lexeme:L2 fantasy languages] (''[[Foxish|yerf]]''). At this point it's largely a tool for self-education, but if anyone else wants an account to join in, [[Special:EmailUser/GreenReaper|let me know]]. We've not lost out from the delay, as significant work has gone into Wikibase to make it perform better (we don't have Wikimedia's budget) and work better in [[mw:Wikibase/Federation|federation]] (if we want to link it with Wikidata or other compatible databases). --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 11:02, 18 April 2021 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
::'''[//furry.wikibase.butt The prototype is now on Wikibase.butt]''', WBStack's successor directly sponsored by WMDE, although I haven't done much work on it since last year. Work is underway to migrate WikiFur to [https://www.flayrah.com/8633 the new hosting] currently used for [[Flayrah]], which is likely to eventually directly host a Wikibase instance as well; but it'll be several months until this is achieved, as it's a complex undertaking. Because other sites rely in part on the English WikiFur (for images etc.), and it's the largest edition, it'll probably be migrated last. --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 20:43, 8 May 2022 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
::I hadn't seen the page before, but the [[list of fursuit dance competition results]] is another great candidate for turning into data, which might resolve some of the issues about inconsistent display of names. --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 03:49, 21 May 2022 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Online events ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I think we should establish a consensus on whether we should include virtual events on this list or not, especially considering [[Furality Online Xperience]] was added to the list by an editor whose edits are mostly involved with said event, and the removal by an IP editor was reverted by one of the organizers of the event. Obviously, I don't have a problem with organizers adding information about their own event, but I also think that we don't have precedent to add this event to the list yet. My opinion is that we shouldn't have both on the same list. But I'm open to hear what others think. --[[User:FrostTheFox|FrostTheFox]] &amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User_talk:FrostTheFox|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 21:26, 24 June 2020 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I believe the definition of &amp;quot;conventions&amp;quot; has already been discussed [[Template_talk:Conventions/Archive|elsewhere]] and virtual events do not meet the registration/staffing/lodging requirements which generally define a convention as being a unique type of event, compared to meets or other such gatherings.--[[User:Woody|Woody]] ([[User talk:Woody|talk]]) 14:07, 6 July 2020 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
: Agreed, I had seen previous discussions but of course with the current events being as they are, wanted to bring it up on its own merits. In any case, it looks like [[User:Meeran]] has created [[Online conventions by size]], which is the course of action I believe should be taken, so for now I don't have anything else to discuss. --[[User:FrostTheFox|FrostTheFox]] &amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;([[User_talk:FrostTheFox|talk]])&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; 23:11, 10 July 2020 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
: I realize this is a bit late, but I was doing research for Accounting and IRS considerations earlier in the year and ran into this question as well.  I think that online events should not be listed in the same table as &amp;quot;IRL&amp;quot; events.  My reasoning comes down to the dramatic differences in how one attends such an event (virtual can attend from anywhere, in person requires travel) and the kinds of expenses and organization that are needed for such event (Online: a small team using existing software can host thousands of people, in person... can you imagine running Anthrocon with a staff of 12?).  To me Online and IRL cons are fundamentally different, and therefore it is not suitable to directly compare them on a list like this. Just want to leave this here in case there is future discussion. Thanks, [[User:Verdauga|Verdauga]] ([[User talk:Verdauga|talk]]) 04:15, 23 December 2020 (EST)&lt;br /&gt;
: Just to add onto this discussion, since there was a large emphasis on whether online conventions are comparable to &amp;quot;IRL&amp;quot; events based on factors like staffing and operational effort and cost being distinctly different, not all online conventions are equal in this fact anymore. The recent [[Furality]] had similar operational costs to several &amp;quot;traditional&amp;quot; conventions and also had over 100 volunteers, also echoing &amp;quot;traditional&amp;quot; conventions. As a result it was quite a different experience compared to previous online conventions that just consisted of a video stream and website, and I feel it is a lot closer to our idea of an &amp;quot;IRL&amp;quot; event compared to those. (While lodging is still significantly different compared to &amp;quot;IRL&amp;quot; events, there still is an investment required on the attendee end, VR Headset, Computing hardware powerful enough to attend, etc, that doesn't make it a sure-fired thing either) I think a large part of whether we consider a convention like Furality in the same category as an &amp;quot;IRL&amp;quot; convention should be the attendee experience instead of just the medium it's on, and at least compared to those &amp;quot;stream with website&amp;quot; conventions on the [[Online conventions by size]] page, VR conventions such as [[Furality]] provide a much closer attendee experience to an &amp;quot;IRL&amp;quot; con. --[[User:CyberKitsune|CyberKitsune]] ([[User talk:CyberKitsune|talk]]) 16:30, 21 June 2022 (EDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Perhaps this category should then be changed to List of in person conventions by attendance if we are going to split hairs about what a convention is?&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa</id>
		<title>Changa</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa"/>
				<updated>2021-11-21T02:04:24Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;'''Changa''' ('''Changa Husky''', born February 28, 1968) is a [[furry]] with a [[husky]] [[dog]] (previously [[lion]]) [[fursona]] who lives at [[The Prancing Skiltaire]] in [[Wikipedia:Garden Grove|Garden Grove]], [[Wikipedia:Orange County|Orange County]], [[Wikipedia:California|California]], USA. He is the household's resident IT person and [[photography]] enthusiast, and is also responsible for managing the Prancing Skiltaire's [[Twitter]] feed.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/Skiltaire_Party/status/444222619504496640 Changa as @Skiltaire_Party] on [[Twitter]]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Changa runs the [[Confurence]] archive, Video content creator on TikTok and Youtube, and also maintains a furry virtual [[W:Ofrenda|Ofrenda]] for Día de Muertos covering furs that have passed. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
{{contributor}}&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.furaffinity.net/user/changa/ Changa Husky] on [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.youtube.com/c/ChangaHusky Changa Husky] on [[Youtube]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.tiktok.com/@changa_husky Changa Husky] on [[TikTok]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://furry.today/ Changa's furry video aggregator blog archive]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://vrchat.com/home/launch?worldId=wrld_8b9be9e0-f4f3-4f3e-b671-0a0714fa262a Furry Family Ofrenda in VRChat] on [[VRChat]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/LurkingGrue Changa Husky] on [[Twitter]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/ The Confurence archive]&lt;br /&gt;
{{person-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Lion characters]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1968 births]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa</id>
		<title>Changa</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa"/>
				<updated>2021-11-21T02:04:02Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;'''Changa''' ('''Changa Husky''', born February 28, 1968) is a [[furry]] with a [[husky]] [[dog]] (previously [[lion]]) [[fursona]] who lives at [[The Prancing Skiltaire]] in [[Wikipedia:Garden Grove|Garden Grove]], [[Wikipedia:Orange County|Orange County]], [[Wikipedia:California|California]], USA. He is the household's resident IT person and [[photography]] enthusiast, and is also responsible for managing the Prancing Skiltaire's [[Twitter]] feed.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/Skiltaire_Party/status/444222619504496640 Changa as @Skiltaire_Party] on [[Twitter]]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Changa runs the [[Confurence]] archive, Video content creator on TikTok and Youtube, and also maintains a furry virtual [[W:Ofrenda|Ofrenda]] for Día de Muertos covering furs that have passed. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
{{contributor}}&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.furaffinity.net/user/changa/ Changa Husky] on [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.youtube.com/c/ChangaHusky Changa Husky] on [[[Youtube]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.tiktok.com/@changa_husky Changa Husky] on [[TikTok]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://furry.today/ Changa's furry video aggregator blog archive]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://vrchat.com/home/launch?worldId=wrld_8b9be9e0-f4f3-4f3e-b671-0a0714fa262a Furry Family Ofrenda in VRChat] on [[VRChat]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/LurkingGrue Changa Husky] on [[Twitter]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/ The Confurence archive]&lt;br /&gt;
{{person-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Lion characters]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1968 births]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa</id>
		<title>Changa</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa"/>
				<updated>2021-11-21T02:03:15Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: Just updating to reflect more current projects.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;'''Changa''' ('''Changa Husky''', born February 28, 1968) is a [[furry]] with a [[husky]] [[dog]] (previously [[lion]]) [[fursona]] who lives at [[The Prancing Skiltaire]] in [[Wikipedia:Garden Grove|Garden Grove]], [[Wikipedia:Orange County|Orange County]], [[Wikipedia:California|California]], USA. He is the household's resident IT person and [[photography]] enthusiast, and is also responsible for managing the Prancing Skiltaire's [[Twitter]] feed.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/Skiltaire_Party/status/444222619504496640 Changa as @Skiltaire_Party] on [[Twitter]]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Changa runs the [[Confurence]] archive, Video content creator on TikTok and Youtube, and also maintains a furry virtual [[W:Ofrenda|Ofrenda]] for Día de Muertos covering furs that have passed. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
{{contributor}}&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.furaffinity.net/user/changa/ Changa Husky] on [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.youtube.com/c/ChangaHusky Changa Husky] on [[[Youtube]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.tiktok.com/@changa_husky] on [[TikTok]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://furry.today/ Changa's furry video aggregator blog archive]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://vrchat.com/home/launch?worldId=wrld_8b9be9e0-f4f3-4f3e-b671-0a0714fa262a Furry Family Ofrenda in VRChat] on [[VRChat]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/LurkingGrue Changa Husky] on [[Twitter]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/ The Confurence archive]&lt;br /&gt;
{{person-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Lion characters]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1968 births]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa</id>
		<title>Changa</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa"/>
				<updated>2021-01-27T20:23:31Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: Fixing expired VRChat link (Public link may work better)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;'''Changa''' ('''Changa Husky, Previously with lion fursona)''', born Febuary 28, 1968) is a [[furry]] who lives at [[The Prancing Skiltaire]] in [[Wikipedia:Garden Grove|Garden Grove]], [[Wikipedia:Orange County|Orange County]], [[Wikipedia:California|California]], USA. He is the household's resident IT person and [[photography]] enthusiast, and is also responsible for managing the Prancing Skiltaire's [[Twitter]] feed.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/Skiltaire_Party/status/444222619504496640 Changa as @Skiltaire_Party] on [[Twitter]]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Runs the Confurence archive and also maintains a furry virtual Ofrenda for Día de Muertos covering furs that have passed. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
{{contributor}}&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/changa/ Changa Husky] on [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://furry.today/ Changa's furry video aggregator blog]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://vrchat.com/home/launch?worldId=wrld_8b9be9e0-f4f3-4f3e-b671-0a0714fa262a Furry Family Ofrenda in VRChat on [VRChat]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/LurkingGrue Changa Husky on [Twitter]}&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/ The Confurence archive]&lt;br /&gt;
{{person-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Lion characters]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1968 births]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa</id>
		<title>Changa</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa"/>
				<updated>2020-11-15T02:19:13Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: Adding confurence archive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;'''Changa''' ('''Changa Husky, Previously with lion fursona)''', born Febuary 28, 1968) is a [[furry]] who lives at [[The Prancing Skiltaire]] in [[Wikipedia:Garden Grove|Garden Grove]], [[Wikipedia:Orange County|Orange County]], [[Wikipedia:California|California]], USA. He is the household's resident IT person and [[photography]] enthusiast, and is also responsible for managing the Prancing Skiltaire's [[Twitter]] feed.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/Skiltaire_Party/status/444222619504496640 Changa as @Skiltaire_Party] on [[Twitter]]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Runs the Confurence archive and also maintains a furry virtual Ofrenda for Día de Muertos covering furs that have passed. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
{{contributor}}&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/changa/ Changa Husky] on [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://furry.today/ Changa's furry video aggregator blog]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://vrchat.com/i/dunkaroo-sassacregianna-8976a Furry Family Ofrenda in VRChat on [VRChat]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/LurkingGrue Changa Husky on [Twitter]}&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/ The Confurence archive]&lt;br /&gt;
{{person-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Lion characters]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1968 births]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa</id>
		<title>Changa</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa"/>
				<updated>2020-11-15T02:17:02Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: Changed fursona and social media links added.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;'''Changa''' ('''Changa Husky, Previously with lion fursona)''', born Febuary 28, 1968) is a [[furry]] who lives at [[The Prancing Skiltaire]] in [[Wikipedia:Garden Grove|Garden Grove]], [[Wikipedia:Orange County|Orange County]], [[Wikipedia:California|California]], USA. He is the household's resident IT person and [[photography]] enthusiast, and is also responsible for managing the Prancing Skiltaire's [[Twitter]] feed.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/Skiltaire_Party/status/444222619504496640 Changa as @Skiltaire_Party] on [[Twitter]]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Also maintains a furry virtual Ofrenda for Día de Muertos covering furs that have passed. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
{{contributor}}&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/changa/ Changa Husky] on [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://furry.today/ Changa's furry video aggregator blog]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://vrchat.com/i/dunkaroo-sassacregianna-8976a Furry Family Ofrenda in VRChat on [VRChat]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/LurkingGrue Changa Husky on [Twitter]}&lt;br /&gt;
{{person-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Lion characters]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1968 births]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Animalympics</id>
		<title>Animalympics</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Animalympics"/>
				<updated>2020-02-01T23:55:11Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[image:Animalympics.jpg|160px|thumb|right|Front cover of the VHS edition]]&lt;br /&gt;
'''''Animalympics''''' is an animated television special that was created by [[Wikipedia:Steven Lisberger|Steven Lisberger]] (creator of the film ''[[Wikipedia:Tron (film)|Tron]]'') for the [[Wikipedia:1980 Olympic Games|1980 Olympic Games]]. The show had two parts: the Winter Games, a half-hour special (22 minutes) which was aired February 1, 1980, and the Summer Games, an hour special (44 minutes) which was to be aired in the summer of 1980, but was never shown due to the [[Wikipedia:American-led  boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics|US boycott of the Summer Olympic Games]]. The two shows were then edited together, with some filler scenes removed, into a 78 minute feature that was shown on pay TV channels and eventually released on VHS. It was released on DVD, in Germany on October 5, 2007.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''Animalympics'' is the story of the animal version of the Olympic Games. [[Anthropomorphic]] animals of many diverse species came to compete in winter and summer game events, representing the continents of their origin. Many now-famous animators and voice talents contributed to the project. The style of the character design and art production was something short of [[Disney]], but much better than typical [[Saturday morning cartoons|Saturday Morning fare]]. The story revolved around the coverage of the games by the ZOO network, an obvious parody of the &amp;quot;close up and personal&amp;quot; style coverage of sporting events by TV networks. Many well-known celebrities' voices were spoofed by the voice actors, including [[Wikipedia:Howard Cosell|Howard Cosell]] and [[Wikipedia:Barbara Walters|Barbara Walters]] (by [[Wikipedia:Billy Crystal|Billy Crystal]] and [[Wikipedia:Gilda Radner|Gilda Radner]] respectively). The show was aimed at a broad audience, with much of the humor flying over the heads of kids. The soundtrack, including some original vocal numbers, was created by Graham Gouldman, of the pop group [[Wikipedia:10cc|10cc]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''Animalympics'' was screened at the first [[Furry]] party, in 1985 (before the word Furry had come into common usage). The special version that was shown included a very rare complete copy of the Winter Games and a carefully edited version of the feature, returned to the original Summer Games format. This &amp;quot;special edition&amp;quot; &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://youtu.be/dtdfsM4Objs&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; was created by members the [[C/FO]] animation fan club, and was screened at [[Science Fiction]] [[convention]]s and Furry parties all over the world. The show's dry humor, clever story and attractive characters made ''Animalympics'' one of the most popular &amp;quot;exclusive&amp;quot; films of Furry Fandom. At least part of its popularity among fur fen can be attributed to the sheer number of animal species found in it, many of them rarely (if ever) animated before.  An [[otter]], a Russian sable, a [[mink]], a flamingo, an [[orca]], [[hedgehog]]s, and squid are among the dozens of animal types in the cast. Thanks to the enthusiasm of the fans who had seen the show so many times that most could repeat the dialog entirely from memory (and often do), ''Animalympics'' has been called &amp;quot;The [[Wikipedia:Rocky Horror|Rocky Horror]] of Furry Fandom&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several characters from the movie have attracted their own followers and fans within furry fandom, especially [[Kit Mambo]], [[Dean Wilson]], and [[Kurt Wuffner]].  (The character design for Kit Mambo was an influence on [[Ken Sample]]'s original forays into furry artwork.)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Steven Lisberger, however, has apparently disavowed his role in the creation of this film. In the director's commentary on the &amp;quot;special edition&amp;quot; DVD of ''Tron,'' Lisberger described ''Tron'' as his first animated feature film; he seemed reluctant to mention his &amp;quot;previous&amp;quot; animated feature when the subject was brought up.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Censorship==&lt;br /&gt;
Certain parts of the film had to be censored when shown on the Disney Channel.&lt;br /&gt;
*One part has Kit Mambo's coach ready to hang himself if she does not win. He is also shown taking an overdose of sedatives. These shots were edited out.&lt;br /&gt;
*The song &amp;quot;Go for It&amp;quot; was edited to omit parts featuring some animals drinking alcoholic beverages and an octopus relaxing with a group of chickens. (Incidentally, the song &amp;quot;With You I Can Run Forever&amp;quot; still shows a neon sign for the &amp;quot;Pink Elephant&amp;quot; bar featuring an elephant drinking a martini.) Also edited out were animals smoking.&lt;br /&gt;
*A scene was edited out which has a character done in an East Asian stereotype.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== See also ==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Wikipedia:Animalympics|Animalympics]] at Wikipedia&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078780/ IMDB entry for Animalympics]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.kkwow.com/album/ Animalympics Album Project] (and associated [http://www.haslage.net/cgi-bin/forums/YaBB.pl?board=AAP message board])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Movies]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Television programs]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[ru:Олимпиада зверей]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[it:Le Olimpiadi della Giungla]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Category:Fanzines</id>
		<title>Category:Fanzines</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Category:Fanzines"/>
				<updated>2020-01-31T04:22:48Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;A '''[[fanzine]]''' (or just '''zine''') is a regularly published magazine or book that uses artwork and stories submitted by members of the fandom itself versus a set group of paid contributors. Some fanzines do provide compensation to contributors in the form of nominal payments and free copies of the final product.&lt;br /&gt;
'''Scroll down for the list of existing fanzine articles.'''&lt;br /&gt;
__NOTOC__&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[:Category:Amateur press associations]]&lt;br /&gt;
==Fanzines to add==&lt;br /&gt;
The below list of fanzines need to be added.  Just click on the title and write an entry.  Be sure to use &amp;lt;nowiki&amp;gt;[[Category:Fanzines]]&amp;lt;/nowiki&amp;gt; at the end of the entry so that it shows up on this category page.  Feel free to edit this page and add in any fanzines that you think should be listed.&lt;br /&gt;
* [[5000 Fans of Dr. T]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Albedo]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Anthropomorphic Romance]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Associated Student Bodies]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Blue Banana Prod. Presents Gorilla Girl]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Blue Fur]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Broken Toys]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Bundage]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[The Bunny Pages]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Colbalt]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Col. Pud's Single Shot]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Fanta Zine]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Foxfire Odyssey]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Furnation Magazine]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Ferverts Home Companion]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Hey Neeters!]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Hunca Munca]] ([http://captainpackrat.com/furry/list.htm#H CapPackrat], [http://captainpackrat.com/furry/list.htm#H SecondEd])&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Jim Hardiman's Ups and Downs]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Karno's Klassics]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Midnight Sands]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Miscellany]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Morphic Tales]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[New Furrottica]] ([[SilverFox Publications]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Pentmouse]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Play Bunny]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Q (fanzine)]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Scrap by Pat Kelley]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Touch]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Torch]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Xtra Spicy Tails]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Publications]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Topics to add]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[de:Kategorie:Fanzines]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/FurVersion</id>
		<title>FurVersion</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/FurVersion"/>
				<updated>2018-11-21T20:03:14Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[File:Furversion-V1N3.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Furversion V1#3]]&lt;br /&gt;
'''FurVersion''' was the earliest furry-specific [[fanzine]], published by [[Karl Maurer]] from issue #1 (May 1987) to #21 (November 1990).  It began as a simple list of names and addresses to enable Furry fans to contact each other.  By issue #3 it began including art and fiction, and it quickly evolved into a full literary fanzine.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
* Review of FurVersion #14 on page 30 of [[Furtherance]] #1&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
[https://confurence.com/category/fanzines/furversion/ Furversion Various Issues From 1 to 21 ]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{publication-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Fanzines]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1987 births]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1990 deaths]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/ConFurence</id>
		<title>ConFurence</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/ConFurence"/>
				<updated>2018-04-18T23:21:29Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Unreferenced}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox convention&lt;br /&gt;
|name = ConFurence&lt;br /&gt;
|logo = [[Image:ConfurenceLogo.png]]&lt;br /&gt;
|subject = furry&lt;br /&gt;
|location = California&lt;br /&gt;
|url = http://www.confurence.org&lt;br /&gt;
|status = Defunct&lt;br /&gt;
|first = January 21-22, 1989&lt;br /&gt;
|final = April 25-27, 2003&lt;br /&gt;
|organizer = [[Mark Merlino]] (1989-1999), [[Rod O'Riley]] (1989-1999), [[Darrel Exline]] (1999-2003)&lt;br /&gt;
|resources = {{con resources}}&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{ConFurence}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''ConFurence: The International Anthropomorphic Convention / Exposition''' was the first and, up until [[Eurofurence 16]] held in September 2010, the longest running annual [[furry convention]] in existence. Initially headed up by two SoCal furs, [[Mark Merlino]] (convention chairman) and [[Rod O'Riley]] (programming), control was transferred to [[Darrel Exline]] after [[ConFurence 10]]. Starting in 1989 as a test-run called &amp;quot;[[ConFurence 0]]&amp;quot;, it was usually held at the end of January in various venues around southern California, particularly in Orange County where it was cheaper to book hotel space at that time of year.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
ConFurence ran for a further fourteen years, reaching its zenith in 1998 ([[ConFurence 9]]) with over 1200 attendees. Attendance dropped sharply after this, due in varying parts to a schedule change, a change of venue (100 miles from the main Southern California population centers), competition from [[Further Confusion]] and other Furry cons, and the [[Wikipedia:Dot-com_bubble#The_bubble_bursts|dot-com bust]]. It ended with [[ConFurence 2003]] and was succeeded by [[Califur]] in 2004.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== History ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The convention started as an offshoot of the traditional [[Sci-Fi]] / [[Fantasy]] / [[Anime]] model which would include a hotel at reduced group rates, a furry-specific programming track located in the general event areas of the hotel, and followed with social gatherings and [[room parties]] in the evening.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the rise of ever-more-popular [[furry parties]] occurring at various other conventions both in the Bay Area and SoCal, at one point, Rod had the idea of &amp;quot;Let's put on a show.&amp;quot; Plans for the fandom's very first own convention then began.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Dr Pepper]], a non furry, but a supportive fan, coined the name. True, it wasn't a big deal, just a simple sentence: &amp;quot;Hey Mark, about that new convention you're thinking of, how about calling it 'Confurence'?&amp;quot;{{fact}} But hey, someone had to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the success of the first test con, plans were put into effect for an actual, organized furry gathering the following year. ConFurence was born.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Attendance == &lt;br /&gt;
[[File:ConFurence Attendance.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Visitor Statistics]]&lt;br /&gt;
The first event was attended by 65 people, and over the years, gradually grew in attendance until its largest attendance in 1998 at [[ConFurence 9]], in Buena Park with over 1200 registered for the 4-day event.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Programming ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Programming at a typical con consisted of several tracks which ran simultaneously in different event rooms within the hotel. There would be a main stage/auditorium which would easily seat a few hundred people, which would be the stage for special guests, [[art auctions]], [[pet auctions]], [[fursuit contests]], and the [[Cabaret Fur Le Dance]] being prime examples of main events. Also, the room would double for nightly social dances, such as the [[Fursuit Dance]], and the ever-popular [[Purple Nurple Live]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Smaller rooms would hold [[SIG]] panels (Special Interest Groups) usually regarding species-specific discussion, art panels, question-and-answer sessions between attendees and special guests, and other general meet-ups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There was a ConFurence Filk Contest every year.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.kayshapero.net/cf_fwin.htm ConFurence Filk Contest] on kayshapero.net. Retrieved May 3, 2008.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Controversy ==&lt;br /&gt;
{{NPOV}}&lt;br /&gt;
As the furry fandom rapidly increased in fans, and with the rise of furry-specific [[MU*]]s, convention attendance rose sharply over the following years. For many, ConFurence would mark their first experience at convention-going.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By [[ConFurence 8]], the general attitude toward ConFurence was that it was a &amp;quot;wild party&amp;quot; and that things getting out of control at times. Rumors flew around, depending on who said them and who believed them, of strange and funky occurrences amongst guests{{fact}}. This ranged from two reports of semen found in elevators&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.ca/group/alt.fan.furry/msg/98d6c51938a3b98e?hl=en alt.fan.furry post] by [[Ed Kline]] on Feb. 8, 1997.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.ca/group/alt.fan.furry/msg/3608cd0e2fbf3ba9?hl=en alt.fan.furry post] by Brad Austin on Dec. 28, 1997.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;, guests running about in revealing clothing (one report involved an attendee wearing a Dixie cups in a lewd manner, though [[Gary Burke]] attempted to debunk the report that it was actually a Dixie cup &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.ca/group/alt.fan.furry/msg/1143808507c0919e?hl=en&amp;amp;  Friends at CF7] - A post to [[alt.fan.furry]] from [[Gary Burke]]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;), wild room parties where increasingly unthinkable acts were occurring{{fact}}, and an increasingly offbeat programming track{{fact}}, including a live &amp;quot;slave&amp;quot; auction, later renamed the [[pet auction]]: a re-creation of a pastime on several [[MUCK]]s such as [[FurryMUCK]] and [[Tapestries]].{{fact}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Other accusations include the owners' alleged attempts at increasing con attendance by offering &amp;quot;Free memberships to FurryMUCK members&amp;quot;. {{fact}} Mark's own words on the subject put a bit of perspective on the issue: &amp;quot;That would be totally stupid! It wouldn't be a practical business move. And yes, ConFurence was a business. I would lose money. Plus, how on earth would I know if it's really them? It's absurd!&amp;quot; {{fact}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The FurryMUCK rumor was likely started due to a misunderstanding the special badges for online personas that were given out at Confurence 3.  As noted in the ConFurence Progress Report #3 in the January 1992 issue of In-Fur-Nation: &amp;quot;FurryMUCK participants (And other virtual/network personalities): Be sure to pick up your 'Hi, I'm Virtually _____'  badges at Registration -- If you're daring :&amp;gt;&amp;quot; &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://confurence.com/1992/01/infurnation-01-1992/#gallery-1/0/InFurNation-1992-01_Page_01.jpg In-Fur-Nation January, 1992]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Change of ownership ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During the final staff meeting, Mark Merlino made the announcement that after [[CF10]], he would be stepping down as [[convention chairman]]. Nominations and a staff-wide vote was cast. [[Darrel Exline]] was voted in as the new head of the convention starting post-CF10. The rights to the ConFurence name were [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.furry/browse_frm/thread/d2b120ab5c3ebc5e/6a09db8c3d9868a2#6a09db8c3d9868a2 transferred] from Mark to Darrel for US$1. The rights and merchandise for cons 1-10 remained Mark's property, while the name &amp;quot;ConFurence&amp;quot; and all future events after 4 April 1999 became the sole property of Darrel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Darrel changed the administrative make-up of the convention, creating an umbrella company called [[ConFurence Group]] which would be the overall entity in control of several subgroups and events: ConFurence, [[CritterConDiego]], and [[ZonieCon]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A change of venue to the Burbank Hilton was announced. All three subsequent ConFurences were held there. The numbering of the conventions was altered to follow the trend set by other entities to a yearly indicator. ConFurence 13 became [[ConFurence 2002]], and similarly for the one following in 2003.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Decline ==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:BlackSheets10-ConFurenceMailboxBooks.jpg|right|thumb|210px|Mention of ConFurence in alternative sexuality '[[zine]] ''Black Sheets'' #10, &amp;quot;Bestiality and Glamour&amp;quot; sparked [http://dogpatch.press/2015/08/31/rumor-ad-for-confurence/ claims that CF ran an ad in a fetish magazine].]]&lt;br /&gt;
Depending who you ask, what happened next to the convention is up for debate. Convention attendance continued to decline. Many debate as to the reasons why this occurred; among the debated factors were:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Reputation===&lt;br /&gt;
Two types of people regularly complained about ConFurence. Half complained it was too wild; the other half complained it wasn't wild enough. When Darrel Exline accepted the duties of con chair in 1999, he admitted he considered himself a Burned Fur &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.furry/msg/1b0a6277b9371d98?hl=en&amp;amp;  Darrel Exline on AFF, 03/29/99] - Darrel Exline states he is a Burned Fur&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;, and Burned Fur member Hangdog began spreading the rumor that Burned Fur was &amp;quot;running&amp;quot; Confurence&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.furry/msg/946b48c02707a034  Hangdog on AFF, 09/08/99] - Hangdog claims Burned Fur is running Confurence&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;. When furry lifestylers started expressing reservations about attending Confurence and deciding not to attend, Burned Fur member Mitch Marmel remarked that Confurence was &amp;quot;surviving and thriving without them.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.furry/msg/2926412ab094c1ec?hl=en&amp;amp; M. Mitchell Marmel on AFF, 05/20/02] - MMM claims CF is &amp;quot;surviving and thriving&amp;quot;&amp;amp;mdash;he had made similar remarks on a mailing list in 2001.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; ConFurence eventually gained a stigma as &amp;quot;Burnedfurence&amp;quot; and never recovered. Darrel Exline did not declare he wasn't a Burned Fur until 2001&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.lifestyle.furry/msg/47dbe313470d2c0b Darrel Exline on ALF, 04/09/01] - In response to &amp;quot;Burnedfurence&amp;quot; label, Darrel Exline finally disassociates himself from Burned Fur&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;. &lt;br /&gt;
 &lt;br /&gt;
Although the entire staff of Confurence pre-Darrel practically remained the same, with the exception of a few new staff who came in from [[wikipedia:LASFS|LASFS]], the idea that the convention lost members due to Darrel's political and social affiliations remains a possibility.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Date and venue of the con===&lt;br /&gt;
During [[ConFurence 9]], Rod O'Riley announced that the convention would be changing its venue to San Diego, and the date would be changing from late January to mid-April.  It was at this point that [[Mitra]], [[Whitefire]] and others immediately began to plan a convention that would be more convenient to the [[Bay Area]], since San Diego was distant for the majority of Californian furs to travel.  This became [[Further Confusion]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The change of CF's date was also a shock, as many had planned their schedules according to the January pattern.  Additional bad timing came from the fact that [[ConFurence 10]] happened on Easter weekend, which many complained would make it impossible for them to travel.  Later ConFuerences did ''not'' occur on the holiday weekend, but attendance continued to decline. [[Further Confusion|FC]] was a major contributing factor: they scheduled themselves in ConFurence's old January timeslot, giving the northern Californian attendees a local con that fit many people's schedules.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the following years, moving ConFurence north to Irvine and Burbank did nothing to improve registration.  Many said that with the dropping attendance, the Burbank Hilton began to look like a &amp;quot;Ghost Town&amp;quot;. The hotel had a full-fledged convention center adjacent to the main tower large enough handle 1000+ attendees; many people complained that the large venue made the convention seem even smaller than it was, and that running into friends and acquaintances was made more difficult in the huge space. While the actual attendance did not drop all that sharply, the venue itself made it seem that way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Price===&lt;br /&gt;
The price of the convention steadily rose, and those only wanting partial or single-day memberships were met with lessened amenities and still higher prices. The idea of trying to push people into getting a full membership failed as those casual attendees who knew they would not be able to attend all 4 days would be spending much more money for a 2-day (weekend) registration. Some resorted to simply hanging out in the lobby and at room parties in people's personal hotel rooms, rather than pay for the rising price of a shrinking convention and programming track.  The collapse of the economic dot-com bubble in California may also have been a factor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Depreciation===&lt;br /&gt;
Following [[ConFurence 9]], the next two years witnessed a sharp increase in the number of furry fans finding out about the fandom and gave to a rise of regional Furry Conventions nation-wide. [[Conifur Northwest]], [[Mephit Furmeet]], [[Furry Spring Break]], [[Feral!]], and [[ZonieCon]] (to name just a few) suddenly sprung up, and the need for furs to travel cross-country diminished.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Whatever the case, Darrel announced that [[ConFurence 2003]] (14) would be the final ConFurence, and that the name and event, while still remaining his sole property, would cease to exist and operate.  In the program book, Darrel explained some of his motivations for keeping the convention alive, admitting to mistakes and things he could have done better&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://web.archive.org/web/20060503034356/http://www.polarden.org/confurence/ ConFurence is no more] by Darrel L. Exline (mirror on Archive.org)&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;.  Debates about his chairmanship continued after the end of the ConFurence, pointing out he had allowed television crews to attend during the final year&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.flayrah.com/modules.php?op=modload&amp;amp;name=News&amp;amp;file=article&amp;amp;sid=1472 Rumor control from Darrel Exline]. ''[[Flayrah]]'', May 1, 2003.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The demise of ConFurence led to the almost instantaneous rise of [[Califur]], with a similar staff to ConFurence, to be held the following year.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== See also ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Wikipedia:ConFurence|ConFurence]] at Wikipedia&lt;br /&gt;
* [[The ConFurence Group]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== References ==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;ConFurence Countdown&amp;quot;, an article with thumbnail descriptions of [[CF0]] to [[CF8]], from the [[CF9]] programme book (pp 53-55)&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;The Origins of ConFurence&amp;quot; by [[Rod O'Riley]], an article from the [[CF10]] programme book (pp 41-43) &lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/2003/04/confurence-2003-conbook/#gallery-1/2/Confurence_2003_Conbook_Page_02.jpg &amp;quot;Fifteen Years is a Good Run&amp;quot;] by [[Darrel Exline]] as printed in the [[ConFurence 2003]] Souvenir Program Book.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.polarden.org/confurence/ ConFurence Group Website] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20060219223243/www.polarden.org/confurence/ backup])&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.confurence.com/ ConFurence Archive]&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[http://ranea.org/falf/articles/cf.html Enough Already - Can't we just go to ConFurence and shut up about it?]'' - [[Watts Martin]] on ConFurence at the start of 1998&lt;br /&gt;
* {{con resources}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{California}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Discontinued Conventions}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Conventions]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1989 births]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:2003 deaths]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{Featured article}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[es:ConFurence]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[it:Confurence]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[ru:ConFurence]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[nl:ConFurence]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Mark_Merlino</id>
		<title>Mark Merlino</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Mark_Merlino"/>
				<updated>2017-06-02T06:02:29Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: Adding link to touch magazine.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{LinkingSupporter}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{cleanup}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{wikify}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{unreferenced}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox person&lt;br /&gt;
|name = Mark Merlino&lt;br /&gt;
|image = [[File:MarkMerlino.jpg|200px]]&lt;br /&gt;
|caption = Merlino at [[Califur 3]], 2006&lt;br /&gt;
|born = 1952&lt;br /&gt;
|othernames = Sylys Sable, Sy Sable&lt;br /&gt;
|profession = Fandom organizer, writer&lt;br /&gt;
|species = [[Wikipedia:American marten|American marten]]&lt;br /&gt;
|url = http://www.skiltaire.net/&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''Mark Merlino''', also known '''Sylys Sable''' or just '''Sy Sable''' (born 1952) is a [[furry writer]] who lives in [[W:Garden Grove, California|Garden Grove, California]], USA.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Fandom involvement ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark Merlino 's the co-founder and director of [[ConFurence]] (to [[ConFurence 10]]), helped [[Califur]] find its first and second hotels, and is often identified{{fact}} as one of the founding members of [[furry fandom]], along with his long time mate [[Rod O'Riley]]. He owns a well-known [[:Category:Furry houses|furry household]], [[The Prancing Skiltaire]] in [[Wikipedia:Garden Grove, California|Garden Grove, California]], and was a founder of the [[Cartoon/Fantasy Organization]]. He created the first furry [[BBS]], [[Tiger's Den]], which was hosted at his house, and (with Rod) organized the first furry parties in 1985-86, most notably at [[Westercon]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark has accumulated an enormous repertoire of furry [[persona character]]s and has a tradition of naming his characters with the prefix &amp;quot;Sy-&amp;quot;.  Some of them include the [[recom]] [[Sylys Sable]], [[Sy]] the [[skiltaire]], [[Sydney Fisher]], and the [[silkie]]s [[Sylvester Thomas]] and [[Syndy Skye]].  [[Sega]] the [[ratel]] is an exception. His own representative species is [[Wikipedia:American marten|American marten]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark was a [[Guest of Honour]] at [[Eurofurence 7]] (2001) and [[Morphicon]] One (2004).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark has been involved with several periodicals, including ''[[Touch]]'', ''[[In-Fur-Nation]]'' and ''[[Western Weyr]]'' (a ''[[Wikipedia:Chronicles of Pern|Pern]]'' [[fanzine]]). He was a co-writer on the furry [[role-playing game]] [[Other Suns]] (which included his Skiltaire species), and has written non-fiction articles for ''[[FurVersion]]'' and ''[[New Horizons]]''. Mark's stories of the First Light Pride appeared in comic form in ''New Horizons'', and were reprinted in ''[[Four Footed Furries]]'', also published by [[Shanda Fantasy Arts]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The 2009 BBC News article [[Who are the furries?]] describes Mark Merlino as &amp;quot;a founding member of the furry culture in the US and known as Sylys Sable on the scene.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8355287.stm Retrieved Who are the furries?] by Denise Winterman. BBC News Magazine. Retrieved November 13, 2009.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  When he came to [[Oklacon 2004]], he described himself as the 'Father of the Furry Fandom' in his panel &amp;quot;History of Fur&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://oklacon.com/Event?year=2004 Oklacon 2004 Event Schedule].  Retrieved November 24, 2010&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== References ==&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20050421045208/http://scifiinc.net/scifiinc/gallery/bio/Merlino,_Mark.htm Mark Merlino]'s Fan Call page at the [[Wikipedia:Internet Archive|Internet Archive]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://members.cox.net/ocsfc/ocsfpastmeet.htm Orange County Science Fiction Club: Past Meetings]&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[http://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966-1996 An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996]'' by [[Fred Patten]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.furnation.com/extinctioners/pro_credits.html Publication credits and merchandise] of Shawntae Howard&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
{{Contributor|Sysable}}&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.skiltaire.net/ Skiltaire.net] - Mark Merlino's official website&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/sysable/ Sy Sable] on [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://us.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/Mark-Merlino/ Mark Merlino] on [[VCL]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://twitter.com/sysable Sy Sable] on [[Twitter]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://sysable.livejournal.com/ Sy Sable] on [[LiveJournal]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/sysable/ Sy Sable] on [[W:Flickr|Flickr]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/category/fanzines/touch/ Issues of Touch Magazine on ConFurence Archive.]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Writers]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Califur staff]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:ConFurence staff]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Eurofurence guests of honor]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Morphicon guests of honor]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Oklacon staff]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1952 births]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[es:Mark Merlino]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Transcript_of_ConFurence_1_conbook</id>
		<title>Transcript of ConFurence 1 conbook</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Transcript_of_ConFurence_1_conbook"/>
				<updated>2017-05-25T21:52:22Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: Adding link to conbook scans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;The following was published by the staff of [[ConFurence]] for attendees of the first official furry convention, [[ConFurence 1]] (a previous iteration, [[ConFurence 0]], was held as a dry run the previous year). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the interest of fandom history, the following transcript of the first official furry convention iteration's first [[conbook]] is published. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Transcript==&lt;br /&gt;
===Cover===&lt;br /&gt;
'''CONFURENCE 1''' Jan 26-28&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
(Doc Brown): MARTY! I've just realized that the time machine's &amp;quot;time circut&amp;quot; [sic] is still broken! We seem to have ended up in a weird alternate future!&lt;br /&gt;
(Marty): Uh Prof...&lt;br /&gt;
(Horse): Excuse me, you look familiar to me, but I just can't seem to put my hoof on it?!&lt;br /&gt;
(Bear): Now that you mention it...&lt;br /&gt;
(Fox): Logo?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Goes...'''BACK TO THE WRONG FUTURE'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Page 1===&lt;br /&gt;
Confurence One Collection.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Page 2===&lt;br /&gt;
ConFurence is really YOUR convention. Growth of shared interest in all aspects of anthropomorphics prompted a desire to &amp;quot;get it all together&amp;quot;, at least once a year. At other SF/Fantasy or media conventions, we would meet at Furry Parties, display our genre in art shows and costume contests and maybe even attend a few &amp;quot;official&amp;quot; program events; but we were a very definite minority. ConFurence Zero (January 1989) gave us a chance to &amp;quot;be with our own&amp;quot; like never before. It also gave the committee a chance to see just what sort of programming people were interested in. Some items on the schedule were poorly attended, the Costume Cabaret for example. The popular &amp;quot;round-robin&amp;quot; discussion groups were just too short. We have taken these and many other factors into consideration when planning ConFurence One. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;What's Going On&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''&lt;br /&gt;
'''Discussion Groups''': Unlike a regular panel, our &amp;quot;round robin&amp;quot; groups give everyone a chance to participate. The idea is to share interests, not be &amp;quot;lectured&amp;quot; to. We have brought back the more popular themes and added several new subjects dealing with graphic storytelling and art. All groups are now 90 minutes long.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Art Show''': As with last year, the Art Show CANNOT be &amp;quot;Sold Out.&amp;quot; We will make enough space for all, and we even welcome &amp;quot;late&amp;quot; entries. We will open the Art Show as soon as possible and keep it open late. We will not close it until the VERY last minute, to give everyone a chance to acquire that masterpiece. The auction will be held in the afternoon, to allow for early departures. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''&amp;quot;Do It Yourself&amp;quot; Programming''': Last year the Holiday Inn folks &amp;quot;threw-in&amp;quot; an extra room, as a bonus. This room is set up like additional restaurant space, with booths and tables with chairs. We really didn't have anything specific planned for this space, so we left it up to You. The &amp;quot;Furum&amp;quot; as we call it can be space for gaming, artists ghetto, or just a place to meet. The year the &amp;quot;furum&amp;quot; is back, by popular demand!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Food for Thought''': Trying to get out to grab a bite on Saturday night and not miss the action can be a real problem. To help solve this dilemma, we have organized a low-priced Spaghetti Buffet (with Marinara sauce, for our vegetarian friends). During dinnertime, there will be a break in programming, so you won't miss a thing! The fact taht the restaurant and room service close a 10:00 pm was brought to our attention, so we will have a deli-buffet in the Con Suite open till the wee-small hours of the morning for our Nocturnal members. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Space...the Final Frontier''': As small as Zero was, we were a bit cramped last year, particularly in the Art/Dealers' Room. We have arranged to rent the larger ballrooms this time, and will add more space as required in the future. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Let's Do It Again!&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is ConFurence going to be an annual event? Well, that's pretty much up to you. If things go as well as last year (inspite of the problem virus), we will be back again in 1991. Same time, same hotel (that is, if we don't outgrow it. Us furries multiply like rabbits!).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Page 3==&lt;br /&gt;
Roll the Credits...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Special thanks to our guests:&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Martin Wagner]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Tifanie Wagner]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Monica Livingston]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Jim Groat]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Bill Fritts]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Co-director and Catering: [[Mark Merlino]]&lt;br /&gt;
* Co-director and Facilities: [[Rod O'Riley]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Hotel Facilities: [[Beth Bailey]]&lt;br /&gt;
Holiday Inn Bristol Plaza&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Art Show and Coordination: [[Brian Henderson]]&lt;br /&gt;
Video Room Program and Operations&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Publications and Graphics:&lt;br /&gt;
* [[John Alan Stanley]]&lt;br /&gt;
* Mark Merlino&lt;br /&gt;
* [[John Williams]]&lt;br /&gt;
* Rod O'Riley&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Staff Artist: [[Ken Sample]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Official Mascot: [[Sidney Fisher]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Committee:&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Michael Payne]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Shayn Rancy]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Jerry Case]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Darrel Exline]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Waverly Pierre]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Tom McDaniel]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Special Thanks to the Sponsors of our Guests:&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Lisa Ienacco]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Mark Ienacco]]&lt;br /&gt;
* John Alan Stanley&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Kevin P. Carrol]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Dave Bryant]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Steve Corbett]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Special Thanks to:&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Terry Whittier]] (for T-Shirts)&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Gene Henderson]] (for Art Show panels)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Page 4==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Page 5==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Page 6==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Telling Mom and Dad ===&lt;br /&gt;
''By Rodney S. O'Riley''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
You've seen every Disney animated feature on the big screen, new or old, every single time one has come out. Your parents might not consider this strange except that you happen to be twenty-four. What's more, this is where you and your ''friends'' hang out as well. The pizza parlor? The bowling alley? The singles' bar? No, watching the newest re-release of &amp;quot;Lady and the Tramp&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Familiar?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your carefully-guarded and (to them) over-sized collection of collection of comic books consists of maybe one or two &amp;quot;Spider Man&amp;quot; issues and every single copy you could find of Pogo strips, Carl Barks reprints, and obscure, bizarre titles like &amp;quot;Fusion&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;Miami Mice&amp;quot;, and Cutey Bunny. Clippings of classic Playboy/girl and other such items are allowed to mildew in an old box, but your copies of &amp;quot;Omaha, the Cat Dancer&amp;quot; are kept pristine mint and sealed air-tight enough to ward off cosmic rays.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Know what I mean?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They join you on one of your weekly trips to the zoo, only to find you staring forlornly into one of the compounds for hours on end. They're unable to guess from your misty eyes that you secretly desire to be ''in'' the cage on a semi-permanent basis. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Right?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Repainting your room has since become unnecessary, because every single inch of wall and ceiling (and beginning on the floor) space has been covered with artwork, xerox copies, and posters. Try as they might, they cannot recognize even the species of the greatest number of them. They're not human, they're not any recognizable animal; they're sorta-kinda both and not really either.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Am I getting it?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Seems to me, sir or madame, it's about time you admitted it to yourself and to them. You're a Furry. An anthro-fan. A Funny Animal Fanatic! Yet even one more twist on your life that Mom and Dad are going to have to get used to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Now look. We get used to you spending your every dime on paperbacks and conventions in every city on the globe &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Page 7==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/1989/01/confurence-zero-con-book-1988/ Full Scan of Confurence Zero conbook]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1989 events]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Conventions]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[category:Publications]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Pft.com</id>
		<title>Pft.com</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Pft.com"/>
				<updated>2017-05-24T20:53:54Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: More Direct Link.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Wikify}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Unref}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''PFT.com''' was a web domain managed by [[Cinnamon DeWolf|Cinnamon]], hosting the home pages of, among others, [[Addison]], [[Fel]] and [[Jotun]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The acronym &amp;quot;PFT&amp;quot; stands for [[Professional Fox Training]], a fictional educational institution that was the subject of a brochure that circulated at a number of [[conventions]] in the early 1990's. (Two followups were also made,  Professhunal Wulf Training&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://confurence.com/1995/01/professhunal-wulf-training/#gallery-1/0/Wolf_Training_Page_1.jpg Professhunal Wulf Training]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;, and '''FA''' - Foxes Anonymous &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://confurence.com/1995/01/foxes-anonymous/#gallery-1/0/F.A._Page_1.jpg Foxes Anonymous]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;.)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It ceased operations on August 28, 2006.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{website-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Web hosting sites}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Web hosts]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:2006 deaths]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Pft.com</id>
		<title>Pft.com</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Pft.com"/>
				<updated>2017-05-24T20:52:32Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: Adding links to Foxes Anonymous and Professhunal Wulf Training.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Wikify}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Unref}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''PFT.com''' was a web domain managed by [[Cinnamon DeWolf|Cinnamon]], hosting the home pages of, among others, [[Addison]], [[Fel]] and [[Jotun]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The acronym &amp;quot;PFT&amp;quot; stands for [[Professional Fox Training]], a fictional educational institution that was the subject of a brochure that circulated at a number of [[conventions]] in the early 1990's. (Two followups were also made,  Professhunal Wulf Training&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://confurence.com/1995/01/professhunal-wulf-training/ Professhunal Wulf Training]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;, and '''FA''' - Foxes Anonymous &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://confurence.com/1995/01/foxes-anonymous/ Foxes Anonymous]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;.)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It ceased operations on August 28, 2006.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{website-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Web hosting sites}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Web hosts]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:2006 deaths]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Sean_Wilkinson</id>
		<title>Sean Wilkinson</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Sean_Wilkinson"/>
				<updated>2017-05-24T20:43:40Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;'''Sean Wilkinson''' is a [[furry artist]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sean has contributed artwork to ''[[The Yiffy Guide to Safer Sex]]'' and&lt;br /&gt;
issue 4 of [[TaliVisions]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://confurence.com/1996/10/infurnation-10-1996/#gallery-1/2/InFurNation_10_1996_Page_03.jpg message from Major Matt Mason &amp;lt;marmelmm@dunx1.ocs.drexel.edu&amp;gt;] posted to [[InFurNation!]] (October 1996) Retrieved November 12, 2008&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; He also contributed to the [[Furry Dictionary]] by defining &amp;quot;[[blorch]]&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://us.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/Sean-Wilkinson/ Sean Wilkinson] on [[VCL]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{person-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Artists]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Sean_Wilkinson</id>
		<title>Sean Wilkinson</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Sean_Wilkinson"/>
				<updated>2017-05-24T20:41:11Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: Fixing InFurNation Link&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;'''Sean Wilkinson''' is a [[furry artist]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sean has contributed artwork to ''[[The Yiffy Guide to Safer Sex]]'' and&lt;br /&gt;
issue 4 of [[TaliVisions]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://confurence.com/1996/10/infurnation-10-1996/ message from Major Matt Mason &amp;lt;marmelmm@dunx1.ocs.drexel.edu&amp;gt;] posted to [[InFurNation!]] (October 1996) Retrieved November 12, 2008&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; He also contributed to the [[Furry Dictionary]] by defining &amp;quot;[[blorch]]&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://us.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/Sean-Wilkinson/ Sean Wilkinson] on [[VCL]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{person-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Artists]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/ConFurence_10</id>
		<title>ConFurence 10</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/ConFurence_10"/>
				<updated>2017-05-24T20:16:38Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{ConFurence}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''ConFurence 10''' was the [[furry convention]] in the [[ConFurence]] series held over the four days of April 1-4 in 1999 at the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center in San Diego, California.  The dual themes for that year were &amp;quot;Looking Back at 10 Furry Years&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;Year of the Rabbit&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This was the first year in which ConFurence was held in April rather than January, and the first time it was held in San Diego.  It was also the first year in which attendance to ConFurence declined.  In addition to the calendar and venue changes, there was now competition from [[Further Confusion]], which had run for the first time that January, appropriating ConFurence's old calendar position.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The conference was hit by a last minute restriction on adult work, which concerned some dealers&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.furry/browse_frm/thread/1c819841104a64d Be careful what you wish for...] - [[Daphne Lage]] talks about the [[erotica]] restrictions&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;, but it turned out not to be all that problematic&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;''[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.furry/browse_frm/thread/62a1e4d3827e444b You're ALL full of it - Daphne's CF 10 report]''&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Events ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Events included the ConFurence Filk Contest, won by &amp;quot;Invasion&amp;quot; by [[Leslie Fish]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.kayshapero.net/cf_fwin.htm ConFurence Filk Contest] on kayshapero.net. Retrieved May 3, 2008.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Guests of Honor==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Mary Hanson-Roberts]] (fantasy artist)&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Wikipedia:Cynthia McQuillin|Cynthia McQuillin]] ([[filksinger]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Staff===&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Directors''': [[Mark Merlino]] (hotel relations), [[Rod O'Riley]] (programming, guest relations, lounges)&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Art Show Coordinator''': [[XianJaguar]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Dealers' Den/Publishers' Row/Artists' Alley''': [[Steve Corbett]], [[Shawn Strobel]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Security''': [[TigerEyes|Zsa'nene Klinkler]] and [[Patrick Callicott]] (security chiefs); [[Steve Brent]], [[Dawn Britt]], [[Vincent J. Delia]], [[John DiAntonis-Lonberger]], [[Scott Hamilton]], [[Bryon Havranek]], [[Dawn Marie Holland]], [[Michael Kloman]], [[James Miles]], [[Rob Powell]], [[Jeff Tharp]], [[Tami Tingle]], [[David Weiss]], [[Shannon D. Wilson]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Information''': [[James P. Mullen]], [[Darrel Exline]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Den Mother''': [[Kay Shapero]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Filk Coordinator''': [[Robert A. Larson]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Video Theater Coordinator''': [[Bob Caron]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Daily Newsletter Editor''': [[Darrel Exline]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''[[First_Aid_Lead|First Aid Coordinator]]''': [[Lynn Kurtz]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Press Liaisons''': [[Ken Nielsen]], [[Jacob Stanovich]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Event Video''': [[David Bliss]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Gaming''': [[Steven Merritt]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Internet Room Coordinators''': [[Neil Whelchel]], [[Lena Lawson]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Registration Coordinators''': [[DeWayne Stuart]], [[Karl Maurer]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''FurDance Coordinators''': [[Rachel Cawley|Rachel]] and [[John Cawley]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Volunteer Coordinators''': [[Carol Higuchi]], [[drew kitty|Andrew Clark]], [[KitFox|David T. Parenteau]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Costume Event Coordinators''': [[Andrea Adams]], [[Cary Sandvig]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Special Events''': [[Jason Roundy]], [[Terry Brussel-Gibbons]], [[Paul Brussel-Gibbons]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''General Staff/Crew/Volunteers''': [[Larry Adams]], [[Christian Arbeen]], [[Archer]], [[Christopher W. Armstrong]], [[Rodney Basler]], [[Andrew Beaudoin]], [[Eric-Alexander Bitton]], [[Joshua A. Cape]], [[Shaun Catlord]], [[CinderWolf]], [[drew kitty|Andrew Clark]], [[Moroni M. Clawson]], [[Donald Cleary]], [[Loring Grant Cleveland]], [[Gabriel &amp;quot;Vircoo&amp;quot; Collazo]], [[Raymond &amp;quot;Stego&amp;quot; Collazo]], [[Crassus]], [[Bernard Doove]], [[David W. Drake]], [[Farlo]], [[FlaFox]], [[Frisbee]], [[Amanda Geyer]], [[Aaron Goulding]], [[Kayla A. Green]], [[Grrolin]], [[Johnathan Hartman]], [[Holloway]], [[Vincent Horne]], [[Michael Jacobsen]], [[Bethany Hope Jenkins]], [[Jwyldragon]], [[Karl]], [[Joette Khamis]], [[Kirindar]], [[Omar Lopez]], [[Shawn K. McCormick]], [[Paul P. McNutt]], [[David Meacham]], [[Steve Meritt]], [[Sheryl Mount]], [[Charles Nezzer]], [[Ken Nielsen]], [[Austin Norwood]], [[Nyakas]], [[Chris J. O'Donnell]], [[Robert O'Connor]], [[Judy Oxford]], [[Anneke Patchen]], [[Richard Pike]], [[Rainshadow]], [[Kathleen Record]], [[Jason Roundy]], [[Nicolai Shapero]], [[Victoria Shapero]], [[ShyFox]], [[Silvermane (California)|Silvermane]], [[Jacob Stanovich]], [[James Stewart]], [[DeWayne Stuart]], [[Shannon Stuart]], [[Sharee Thompson]], [[Ryan H. Torchia]], [[Corey Vallejo]], [[Jennifer Vancil]], [[Joseph D. Ward]], [[Glen Wooten]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Sponsors===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rob Alston]], [[Steve Butler]], [[Jeremy Doran]], [[Aberdeen Fox]], [[Gerrit Heitsch]], [[Ed Hollowell]], [[Oscar Marcus]], [[Eric Miyoda]], [[Peter A. Murphy]], [[Barry Needham]], [[Robert W. O'Connor]], [[Freddy E. Praul]], [[Jim Rauscher]], [[Bruce Richman]], [[William D. Ringland]], [[Michael Russell]], [[Jason Short]], [[Jefferson P. Swycaffer]], [[Conrad Thonger]], [[Richard Williams]], [[Shannon Wilson]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The souvenir programme book was 52 black-and-white pages, with cover art by [[Gary Lee Seto]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== References ==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.confurence.com/cf10/main40.html ConFurence 10 website]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.confurence.com/cf10 ConFurence 10 info page]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20051225231320/http://www.polarden.org/cf10.mv The Unofficial CF10 Information Page] by [[Darrel Exline]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/1999/07/mustelines-7-1999/#gallery-1/0/MusteLines_7-1999_Page_00.jpg MusteLines: CF-10 What happened?] by [[Mark Merlino]] July 1999&lt;br /&gt;
* {{con resources|ConFurence|ConFurence 10 (1999)}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1999 events]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[es:ConFurence 10]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa</id>
		<title>Changa</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Changa"/>
				<updated>2017-05-16T21:22:59Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;'''Changa''' ('''Changa A. Lion''', born Febuary 28, 1968) is a [[furry]] who lives at [[The Prancing Skiltaire]] who is the household's resident IT person and photography enthusiast. He is also responsible for managing the Prancing Skiltaire's Twitter feed.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/Skiltaire_Party/status/444222619504496640 Changa as @Skiltaire_Party] on Twitter&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
{{contributor}}&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/changa/ Changa Lion] on [[Fur Affinity]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://furry.today/ His furry video aggregator blog.]&lt;br /&gt;
{{person-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Lion characters]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1968 births]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Skunkfucker</id>
		<title>Skunkfucker</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Skunkfucker"/>
				<updated>2017-05-16T21:17:03Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: Link to poster example.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[File:Skunk-cover.jpg|right|thumb|225px|''Skunk'', a comic based on the term and theme]]&lt;br /&gt;
'''Skunkfucker''' is the earliest known derogatory term to define a [[furry fan]] or [[furry artist|artist]]. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==History==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This term came to be in the early 1980s at popular [[W:Sci-fi|Sci-fi]] [[convention]]s like [[W:Worldcon|WorldCon]], by [[science fiction]] fans who looked on [[furries]] attending their cons as both intruding and beneath contempt. This view did not improve when the earliest examples of [[sex]]ualized [[furry art]] and stories started to appear at the scene. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As described by Sci-fi/[[Anime]]/Furry expert [[Fred Patten]], early use of the word was as a [[W:defacement|defacement]] of [[furry party]] signs posted at these conventions (including the ones hosted by one of [[furry fandom]]'s founding members, [[Mark Merlino]]). The act would consist of swiping down the signs, or just crossing the word &amp;quot;Furry,&amp;quot; with ones that would read ''&amp;quot;This way to the &amp;lt;s&amp;gt;furry&amp;lt;/s&amp;gt; '''Skunkfucker''' party&amp;quot;'', an act also confirmed by artist [[Marc Schirmeister]] (who was also a Sci-fi fan and [[artist]]),&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The term used to be a well-known, demeaning vocal identifier by a wide array of fandoms, [[non-fur]]s, and furry [[critic]]s, but has largely fallen out of common usage. As a note of historical interest provided by Fred Patten, '''Foxfucker''' was another Sci-fi used term for furries but never caught on.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Trivia==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* The title of ''[[Skunk (comic)|Skunk]]'' (the comic) is an abbreviation for this term.&lt;br /&gt;
* Australian band [[W:Machine Gun Fellatio|Machine Gun Fellatio]] used the term in the song ''Horny Blonde Forty''.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Furfag]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Furrydumb]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Drama]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Troll]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/1989/01/skunk-fkers-rehab-poster/#gallery-1/0/Skunk_F__KERS_rehab03.jpg Skunk Fuckers Rehab Poster from BayCon 1989]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20100224004449/http://friends.portalofevil.com/sp.php?si=3&amp;amp;fi=000005076&amp;amp;ti=1000294247&amp;amp;pi=1000298995 An example of the use of the term] on [[Portal of Evil]]'s forums, by user [[Peter Schorn]] (archived)&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.tv.tiny-toon.fandom/XjtHJ99JCgc/GygvTiapbqcJ The first ever use of the term] on a newsgroup of furry interest ([[alt.tv.tiny-toon.fandom]]) &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Derogatory terms]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[ru:Skunkfucker]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/ConFurence_East_1995</id>
		<title>ConFurence East 1995</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/ConFurence_East_1995"/>
				<updated>2017-05-13T06:59:24Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: Higher res/color scan of Conbook cover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{ConFurence East}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''ConFurence East 1995''' was first run of the [[ConFurence East]] series that was held October 13-15 at the Holiday Inn Jetport in [[wikipedia:Elizabeth, New Jersey|Elizabeth, New Jersey]] near the Newark International Airport.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;chrono&amp;quot;&amp;gt;The [[YARF!]] ''[http://web.archive.org/web/20110711055142/http://yarf.furry.com/chronology.html Chronology of Furry Fandom]'' by [[Fred Patten]]. Retrieved March 6, 2007.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; It had evolved from [[Furtasticon]], which had been organized in 1994 by [[Trish Ny]], the [[convention chairman|con chair]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The official charity was the [http://www.wolfpark.org/ Wolf Park nature study preserve] at [[wikipedia:Battle Ground, Indiana|Battle Ground, Indiana]], for which &amp;quot;almost $1,000&amp;quot; was raised.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/alt.fan.furry/VpVx1zA2GxQ/MdEgcn6cxyUJ &amp;quot;Wildlife Charities at CF/CFE? Whattayasay?&amp;quot;] - posting by [[Trish Ny]] on [[alt.fan.furry]]. Dated July 25, 1996. Retrieved March 23, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; 795 pieces of art at the art show totaled nearly $11,000 in sales.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;chrono&amp;quot;/&amp;gt; 449 people attended.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.mustelid.com/otterhall/afcis.html Anthro Fandom Convention Infosheet] by [[Flint Otterhall]]. Retrieved March 6, 2007.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Guests of honor==&lt;br /&gt;
The [[guests of honor]] at ConFurence East 1995 were [[Vicky Wyman]], [[S. Andrew Swann]], and E.L.V.I.S. Convention Services.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;chrono&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Conbook==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Confurence_East_1995_Conbook_Cover.jpeg|thumb|The cover of the ConFurence East 1995 conbook.]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &amp;quot;program book wasn’t about the con per se, but rather a who’s-who of furry artists/creators at the time&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://martes.livejournal.com/402772.html Where have all the furries gone?] March 6, 2007 post by [[Martes]] to [[LiveJournal]]. Retrieved March 6, 2007.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
* {{con resources|ConFurence East|ConFurence East 1995}}&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/1995/10/confurence-east-1995-conbook/ Scan of the ConFurence East 1995 Conbook]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:New Jersey]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1995 events]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/File:Confurence_East_1995_Conbook_Cover.jpeg</id>
		<title>File:Confurence East 1995 Conbook Cover.jpeg</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/File:Confurence_East_1995_Conbook_Cover.jpeg"/>
				<updated>2017-05-13T06:58:17Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/ConFurence_East_1995</id>
		<title>ConFurence East 1995</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/ConFurence_East_1995"/>
				<updated>2017-05-13T06:57:10Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{ConFurence East}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''ConFurence East 1995''' was first run of the [[ConFurence East]] series that was held October 13-15 at the Holiday Inn Jetport in [[wikipedia:Elizabeth, New Jersey|Elizabeth, New Jersey]] near the Newark International Airport.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;chrono&amp;quot;&amp;gt;The [[YARF!]] ''[http://web.archive.org/web/20110711055142/http://yarf.furry.com/chronology.html Chronology of Furry Fandom]'' by [[Fred Patten]]. Retrieved March 6, 2007.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; It had evolved from [[Furtasticon]], which had been organized in 1994 by [[Trish Ny]], the [[convention chairman|con chair]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The official charity was the [http://www.wolfpark.org/ Wolf Park nature study preserve] at [[wikipedia:Battle Ground, Indiana|Battle Ground, Indiana]], for which &amp;quot;almost $1,000&amp;quot; was raised.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/alt.fan.furry/VpVx1zA2GxQ/MdEgcn6cxyUJ &amp;quot;Wildlife Charities at CF/CFE? Whattayasay?&amp;quot;] - posting by [[Trish Ny]] on [[alt.fan.furry]]. Dated July 25, 1996. Retrieved March 23, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; 795 pieces of art at the art show totaled nearly $11,000 in sales.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;chrono&amp;quot;/&amp;gt; 449 people attended.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.mustelid.com/otterhall/afcis.html Anthro Fandom Convention Infosheet] by [[Flint Otterhall]]. Retrieved March 6, 2007.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Guests of honor==&lt;br /&gt;
The [[guests of honor]] at ConFurence East 1995 were [[Vicky Wyman]], [[S. Andrew Swann]], and E.L.V.I.S. Convention Services.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;chrono&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Conbook==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Cfe95-conbook.png|thumb|The cover of the ConFurence East 1995 conbook.]]&lt;br /&gt;
The &amp;quot;program book wasn’t about the con per se, but rather a who’s-who of furry artists/creators at the time&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://martes.livejournal.com/402772.html Where have all the furries gone?] March 6, 2007 post by [[Martes]] to [[LiveJournal]]. Retrieved March 6, 2007.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
* {{con resources|ConFurence East|ConFurence East 1995}}&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/1995/10/confurence-east-1995-conbook/ Scan of the ConFurence East 1995 Conbook]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:New Jersey]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1995 events]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/ConFurence_East</id>
		<title>ConFurence East</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/ConFurence_East"/>
				<updated>2017-05-12T07:08:08Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{ConFurence East}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''ConFurence East''' (aka. '''CF East''' or '''CFE''') was one of the first major attempts to create a full-fledged furry [[convention]] on the East Coast. It was [[convention chairman|chaired]] by [[Trish Ny]], who had previously organized a prototype furry convention in [[Wikipedia:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] in 1994 known as [[Furtasticon]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==CF East over the years==&lt;br /&gt;
====[[ConFurence East 1995]]====&lt;br /&gt;
The first ConFurence East was held in October 1995 at the Holiday Inn Jetport in [[wikipedia:Elizabeth, New Jersey|Elizabeth, New Jersey]] near the Newark International Airport. The [[guest of honor|guests of honor]] included [[Vicky Wyman]] and [[S. Andrew Swann]]. Attendance figures varied from 449 (according to the [[Yarf!]] ''Chronology of Furry Fandom'' by [[Fred Patten]]) to 950 (according to the [[Anthropomorphic Fandom Convention Information Sheet|Anthro Fandom Convention Infosheet]] by [[Flint Otterhall]]).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====[[ConFurence East 1996]]====&lt;br /&gt;
The convention then moved to [[wikipedia:Cleveland, Ohio|Cleveland, Ohio]] in November 1996, where it was held at the Holiday Inn Independence. The [[guest of honor|guests of honor]] included [[Susan Van Camp]], [[Paul Kidd]], and [[Andrew Bates]] of [[White Wolf Game Studios]]. Attendance estimates again ranged widely from 500 (according to Yarf!) to 1,100 (according to the Anthro Fandom Convention Infosheet).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====[[MoreFurCon]] and cancellation====&lt;br /&gt;
The convention intended to run again in Cleveland in 1997, officially changing its name to '''[[MoreFurCon]]''' shortly after the conclusion of the 1996 convention, but those plans fell through. Some [[fur]]s refer to all 3 running years of the convention (including [[Furtasticon]]) as &amp;quot;MoreFurCon&amp;quot; to avoid confusion with [[ConFurence]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.mustelid.com/otterhall/afcis.html Anthro Fandom Convention Infosheet] by [[Flint Otterhall]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.confurence.com/infurnation/ifn9604.html#other_cons ''InFurNation!'' (April 1996)]&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[http://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966-1996 An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996]'' by [[Fred Patten]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://web.archive.org/web/19990129004002/http://tigerden.com/CFEast/ CF East cancellation notice] (mirrored on Archive.org)&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/1995/01/confurence-east-mailing/#gallery-1/0/CFE-Mailing-1995-01.jpg Issue 2 of Morphic Musings the Confurence East progress report newsletter]&lt;br /&gt;
* {{con resources}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Conventions]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:New Jersey]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Ohio]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1995 births]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1997 deaths]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/ConFurence</id>
		<title>ConFurence</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/ConFurence"/>
				<updated>2017-05-12T05:42:30Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: Added link to scan of  Confurence 2003 conbook to replace dead link.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Unreferenced}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox convention&lt;br /&gt;
|name = ConFurence&lt;br /&gt;
|logo = [[Image:ConfurenceLogo.png]]&lt;br /&gt;
|subject = furry&lt;br /&gt;
|location = California&lt;br /&gt;
|url = http://www.confurence.org&lt;br /&gt;
|status = Defunct&lt;br /&gt;
|first = January 21-22, 1989&lt;br /&gt;
|final = April 25-27, 2003&lt;br /&gt;
|organizer = [[Mark Merlino]] (1989-1999), [[Rod O'Riley]] (1989-1999), [[Darrel Exline]] (1999-2003)&lt;br /&gt;
|resources = {{con resources}}&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{ConFurence}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''ConFurence: The International Anthropomorphic Convention / Exposition''' was the first and, up until [[Eurofurence 16]] held in September 2010, the longest running annual [[furry convention]] in existence. Initially headed up by two SoCal furs, [[Mark Merlino]] (convention chairman) and [[Rod O'Riley]] (programming), control was transferred to [[Darrel Exline]] after [[ConFurence 10]]. Starting in 1989 as a test-run called &amp;quot;[[ConFurence 0]]&amp;quot;, it was usually held at the end of January in various venues around southern California, particularly in Orange County where it was cheaper to book hotel space at that time of year.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
ConFurence ran for a further fourteen years, reaching its zenith in 1998 ([[ConFurence 9]]) with over 1200 attendees. Attendance dropped sharply after this, due in varying parts to a schedule change, a change of venue (100 miles from the main Southern California population centers), competition from [[Further Confusion]] and other Furry cons, and the [[Wikipedia:Dot-com_bubble#The_bubble_bursts|dot-com bust]]. It ended with [[ConFurence 2003]] and was succeeded by [[Califur]] in 2004.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== History ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The convention started as an offshoot of the traditional [[Sci-Fi]] / [[Fantasy]] / [[Anime]] model which would include a hotel at reduced group rates, a furry-specific programming track located in the general event areas of the hotel, and followed with social gatherings and [[room parties]] in the evening.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the rise of ever-more-popular [[furry parties]] occurring at various other conventions both in the Bay Area and SoCal, at one point, Rod had the idea of &amp;quot;Let's put on a show.&amp;quot; Plans for the fandom's very first own convention then began.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Dr Pepper]], a non furry, but a supportive fan, coined the name. True, it wasn't a big deal, just a simple sentence: &amp;quot;Hey Mark, about that new convention you're thinking of, how about calling it 'Confurence'?&amp;quot;{{fact}} But hey, someone had to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the success of the first test con, plans were put into effect for an actual, organized furry gathering the following year. ConFurence was born.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Attendance == &lt;br /&gt;
[[File:ConFurence Attendance.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Visitor Statistics]]&lt;br /&gt;
The first event was attended by 65 people, and over the years, gradually grew in attendance until its largest attendance in 1998 at [[ConFurence 9]], in Buena Park with over 1200 registered for the 4-day event.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Programming ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Programming at a typical con consisted of several tracks which ran simultaneously in different event rooms within the hotel. There would be a main stage/auditorium which would easily seat a few hundred people, which would be the stage for special guests, [[art auctions]], [[pet auctions]], [[fursuit contests]], and the [[Cabaret Fur Le Dance]] being prime examples of main events. Also, the room would double for nightly social dances, such as the [[Fursuit Dance]], and the ever-popular [[Purple Nurple Live]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Smaller rooms would hold [[SIG]] panels (Special Interest Groups) usually regarding species-specific discussion, art panels, question-and-answer sessions between attendees and special guests, and other general meet-ups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There was a ConFurence Filk Contest every year.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.kayshapero.net/cf_fwin.htm ConFurence Filk Contest] on kayshapero.net. Retrieved May 3, 2008.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Controversy ==&lt;br /&gt;
{{NPOV}}&lt;br /&gt;
As the furry fandom rapidly increased in fans, and with the rise of furry-specific [[MU*]]s, convention attendance rose sharply over the following years. For many, ConFurence would mark their first experience at convention-going.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By [[ConFurence 8]], the general attitude toward ConFurence was that it was a &amp;quot;wild party&amp;quot; and that things getting out of control at times. Rumors flew around, depending on who said them and who believed them, of strange and funky occurrences amongst guests{{fact}}. This ranged from two reports of semen found in elevators&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.ca/group/alt.fan.furry/msg/98d6c51938a3b98e?hl=en alt.fan.furry post] by [[Ed Kline]] on Feb. 8, 1997.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.ca/group/alt.fan.furry/msg/3608cd0e2fbf3ba9?hl=en alt.fan.furry post] by Brad Austin on Dec. 28, 1997.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;, guests running about in revealing clothing (one report involved an attendee wearing a Dixie cups in a lewd manner, though [[Gary Burke]] attempted to debunk the report that it was actually a Dixie cup &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.ca/group/alt.fan.furry/msg/1143808507c0919e?hl=en&amp;amp;  Friends at CF7] - A post to [[alt.fan.furry]] from [[Gary Burke]]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;), wild room parties where increasingly unthinkable acts were occurring{{fact}}, and an increasingly offbeat programming track{{fact}}, including a live &amp;quot;slave&amp;quot; auction, later renamed the [[pet auction]]: a re-creation of a pastime on several [[MUCK]]s such as [[FurryMUCK]] and [[Tapestries]].{{fact}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Other accusations include the owners' alleged attempts at increasing con attendance by offering &amp;quot;Free memberships to FurryMUCK members&amp;quot;. {{fact}} Mark's own words on the subject put a bit of perspective on the issue: &amp;quot;That would be totally stupid! It wouldn't be a practical business move. And yes, ConFurence was a business. I would lose money. Plus, how on earth would I know if it's really them? It's absurd!&amp;quot; {{fact}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The FurryMUCK rumor was likely started due to a misunderstanding the special badges for online personas that were given out at Confurence 3.  As noted in the ConFurence Progress Report #3 in the January 1992 issue of In-Fur-Nation: &amp;quot;FurryMUCK participants (And other virtual/network personalities): Be sure to pick up your 'Hi, I'm Virtually _____'  badges at Registration -- If you're daring :&amp;gt;&amp;quot; &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://confurence.com/1992/01/infurnation-01-1992/#gallery-1/0/InFurNation-1992-01_Page_01.jpg In-Fur-Nation January, 1992]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Change of ownership ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During the final staff meeting, Mark Merlino made the announcement that after [[CF10]], he would be stepping down as [[convention chairman]]. Nominations and a staff-wide vote was cast. [[Darrel Exline]] was voted in as the new head of the convention starting post-CF10. The rights to the ConFurence name were [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.furry/browse_frm/thread/d2b120ab5c3ebc5e/6a09db8c3d9868a2#6a09db8c3d9868a2 transferred] from Mark to Darrel for US$1. The rights and merchandise for cons 1-10 remained Mark's property, while the name &amp;quot;ConFurence&amp;quot; and all future events after 4 April 1999 became the sole property of Darrel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Darrel changed the administrative make-up of the convention, creating an umbrella company called [[ConFurence Group]] which would be the overall entity in control of several subgroups and events: ConFurence, [[CritterConDiego]], and [[ZonieCon]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A change of venue to the Burbank Hilton was announced. All three subsequent ConFurences were held there. The numbering of the conventions was altered to follow the trend set by other entities to a yearly indicator. ConFurence 13 became [[ConFurence 2002]], and similarly for the one following in 2003.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Decline ==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:BlackSheets10-ConFurenceMailboxBooks.jpg|right|thumb|210px|Mention of ConFurence in alternative sexuality '[[zine]] ''Black Sheets'' #10, &amp;quot;Bestiality and Glamour&amp;quot; sparked [http://dogpatch.press/2015/08/31/rumor-ad-for-confurence/ claims that CF ran an ad in a fetish magazine].]]&lt;br /&gt;
Depending who you ask, what happened next to the convention is up for debate. Convention attendance continued to decline. Many debate as to the reasons why this occurred; among the debated factors were:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Reputation===&lt;br /&gt;
Two types of people regularly complained about ConFurence. Half complained it was too wild; the other half complained it wasn't wild enough. When Darrel Exline accepted the duties of con chair in 1999, he admitted he considered himself a Burned Fur &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.furry/msg/1b0a6277b9371d98?hl=en&amp;amp;  Darrel Exline on AFF, 03/29/99] - Darrel Exline states he is a Burned Fur&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;, and Burned Fur member Hangdog began spreading the rumor that Burned Fur was &amp;quot;running&amp;quot; Confurence&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.furry/msg/946b48c02707a034  Hangdog on AFF, 09/08/99] - Hangdog claims Burned Fur is running Confurence&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;. When furry lifestylers started expressing reservations about attending Confurence and deciding not to attend, Burned Fur member Mitch Marmel remarked that Confurence was &amp;quot;surviving and thriving without them.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.furry/msg/2926412ab094c1ec?hl=en&amp;amp; M. Mitchell Marmel on AFF, 05/20/02] - MMM claims CF is &amp;quot;surviving and thriving&amp;quot;&amp;amp;mdash;he had made similar remarks on a mailing list in 2001.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; ConFurence eventually gained a stigma as &amp;quot;Burnedfurence&amp;quot; and never recovered. Darrel Exline did not declare he wasn't a Burned Fur until 2001&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.lifestyle.furry/msg/47dbe313470d2c0b Darrel Exline on ALF, 04/09/01] - In response to &amp;quot;Burnedfurence&amp;quot; label, Darrel Exline finally disassociates himself from Burned Fur&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;. &lt;br /&gt;
 &lt;br /&gt;
Although the entire staff of Confurence pre-Darrel practically remained the same, with the exception of a few new staff who came in from [[wikipedia:LASFS|LASFS]], the idea that the convention lost members due to Darrel's political and social affiliations remains a possibility.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Date and venue of the con===&lt;br /&gt;
During [[ConFurence 9]], Rod O'Riley announced that the convention would be changing its venue to San Diego, and the date would be changing from late January to mid-April.  It was at this point that [[Mitra]], [[Whitefire]] and others immediately began to plan a convention that would be more convenient to the [[Bay Area]], since San Diego was distant for the majority of Californian furs to travel.  This became [[Further Confusion]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The change of CF's date was also a shock, as many had planned their schedules according to the January pattern.  Additional bad timing came from the fact that [[ConFurence 10]] happened on Easter weekend, which many complained would make it impossible for them to travel.  Later ConFuerences did ''not'' occur on the holiday weekend, but attendance continued to decline. [[Further Confusion|FC]] was a major contributing factor: they scheduled themselves in ConFurence's old January timeslot, giving the northern Californian attendees a local con that fit many people's schedules.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the following years, moving ConFurence north to Irvine and Burbank did nothing to improve registration.  Many said that with the dropping attendance, the Burbank Hilton began to look like a &amp;quot;Ghost Town&amp;quot;. The hotel had a full-fledged convention center adjacent to the main tower large enough handle 1000+ attendees; many people complained that the large venue made the convention seem even smaller than it was, and that running into friends and acquaintances was made more difficult in the huge space. While the actual attendance did not drop all that sharply, the venue itself made it seem that way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Price===&lt;br /&gt;
The price of the convention steadily rose, and those only wanting partial or single-day memberships were met with lessened amenities and still higher prices. The idea of trying to push people into getting a full membership failed as those casual attendees who knew they would not be able to attend all 4 days would be spending much more money for a 2-day (weekend) registration. Some resorted to simply hanging out in the lobby and at room parties in people's personal hotel rooms, rather than pay for the rising price of a shrinking convention and programming track.  The collapse of the economic dot-com bubble in California may also have been a factor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Depreciation===&lt;br /&gt;
Following [[ConFurence 9]], the next two years witnessed a sharp increase in the number of furry fans finding out about the fandom and gave to a rise of regional Furry Conventions nation-wide. [[Conifur Northwest]], [[Mephit Furmeet]], [[Furry Spring Break]], [[Feral!]], and [[ZonieCon]] (to name just a few) suddenly sprung up, and the need for furs to travel cross-country diminished.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Whatever the case, Darrel announced that [[ConFurence 2003]] (14) would be the final ConFurence, and that the name and event, while still remaining his sole property, would cease to exist and operate.  In the program book, Darrel explained some of his motivations for keeping the convention alive, admitting to mistakes and things he could have done better&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://web.archive.org/web/20060503034356/http://www.polarden.org/confurence/ ConFurence is no more] by Darrel L. Exline (mirror on Archive.org)&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;.  Debates about his chairmanship continued after the end of the ConFurence, pointing out he had allowed television crews to attend during the final year&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.flayrah.com/modules.php?op=modload&amp;amp;name=News&amp;amp;file=article&amp;amp;sid=1472 Rumor control from Darrel Exline]. ''[[Flayrah]]'', May 1, 2003.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The demise of ConFurence led to the almost instantaneous rise of [[Califur]], with a similar staff to ConFurence, to be held the following year.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== See also ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Wikipedia:ConFurence|ConFurence]] at Wikipedia&lt;br /&gt;
* [[The ConFurence Group]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== References ==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;ConFurence Countdown&amp;quot;, an article with thumbnail descriptions of [[CF0]] to [[CF8]], from the [[CF9]] programme book (pp 53-55)&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;The Origins of ConFurence&amp;quot; by [[Rod O'Riley]], an article from the [[CF10]] programme book (pp 41-43) &lt;br /&gt;
* [https://confurence.com/2003/04/confurence-2003-conbook/#gallery-1/2/Confurence_2003_Conbook_Page_02.jpg &amp;quot;Fifteen Years is a Good Run&amp;quot;] by [[Darrel Exline]] as printed in the [[ConFurence 2003]] Souvenir Program Book.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.polarden.org/confurence/ ConFurence Group Website] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20060219223243/www.polarden.org/confurence/ backup])&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.confurence.com/ ConFurence 1-10 Portal]&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[http://ranea.org/falf/articles/cf.html Enough Already - Can't we just go to ConFurence and shut up about it?]'' - [[Watts Martin]] on ConFurence at the start of 1998&lt;br /&gt;
* {{con resources}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{California}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Conventions}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Conventions]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1989 births]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:2003 deaths]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{Featured article}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[es:ConFurence]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[it:Confurence]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[ru:ConFurence]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[nl:ConFurence]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/ConFurence</id>
		<title>ConFurence</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/ConFurence"/>
				<updated>2017-05-05T08:18:44Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: Added context for &amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Unreferenced}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox convention&lt;br /&gt;
|name = ConFurence&lt;br /&gt;
|logo = [[Image:ConfurenceLogo.png]]&lt;br /&gt;
|subject = furry&lt;br /&gt;
|location = California&lt;br /&gt;
|url = http://www.confurence.org&lt;br /&gt;
|status = Defunct&lt;br /&gt;
|first = January 21-22, 1989&lt;br /&gt;
|final = April 25-27, 2003&lt;br /&gt;
|organizer = [[Mark Merlino]] (1989-1999), [[Rod O'Riley]] (1989-1999), [[Darrel Exline]] (1999-2003)&lt;br /&gt;
|resources = {{con resources}}&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{ConFurence}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''ConFurence: The International Anthropomorphic Convention / Exposition''' was the first and, up until [[Eurofurence 16]] held in September 2010, the longest running annual [[furry convention]] in existence. Initially headed up by two SoCal furs, [[Mark Merlino]] (convention chairman) and [[Rod O'Riley]] (programming), control was transferred to [[Darrel Exline]] after [[ConFurence 10]]. Starting in 1989 as a test-run called &amp;quot;[[ConFurence 0]]&amp;quot;, it was usually held at the end of January in various venues around southern California, particularly in Orange County where it was cheaper to book hotel space at that time of year.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
ConFurence ran for a further fourteen years, reaching its zenith in 1998 ([[ConFurence 9]]) with over 1200 attendees. Attendance dropped sharply after this, due in varying parts to a schedule change, a change of venue (100 miles from the main Southern California population centers), competition from [[Further Confusion]] and other Furry cons, and the [[Wikipedia:Dot-com_bubble#The_bubble_bursts|dot-com bust]]. It ended with [[ConFurence 2003]] and was succeeded by [[Califur]] in 2004.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== History ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The convention started as an offshoot of the traditional [[Sci-Fi]] / [[Fantasy]] / [[Anime]] model which would include a hotel at reduced group rates, a furry-specific programming track located in the general event areas of the hotel, and followed with social gatherings and [[room parties]] in the evening.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the rise of ever-more-popular [[furry parties]] occurring at various other conventions both in the Bay Area and SoCal, at one point, Rod had the idea of &amp;quot;Let's put on a show.&amp;quot; Plans for the fandom's very first own convention then began.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Dr Pepper]], a non furry, but a supportive fan, coined the name. True, it wasn't a big deal, just a simple sentence: &amp;quot;Hey Mark, about that new convention you're thinking of, how about calling it 'Confurence'?&amp;quot;{{fact}} But hey, someone had to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the success of the first test con, plans were put into effect for an actual, organized furry gathering the following year. ConFurence was born.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Attendance == &lt;br /&gt;
[[File:ConFurence Attendance.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Visitor Statistics]]&lt;br /&gt;
The first event was attended by 65 people, and over the years, gradually grew in attendance until its largest attendance in 1998 at [[ConFurence 9]], in Buena Park with over 1200 registered for the 4-day event.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Programming ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Programming at a typical con consisted of several tracks which ran simultaneously in different event rooms within the hotel. There would be a main stage/auditorium which would easily seat a few hundred people, which would be the stage for special guests, [[art auctions]], [[pet auctions]], [[fursuit contests]], and the [[Cabaret Fur Le Dance]] being prime examples of main events. Also, the room would double for nightly social dances, such as the [[Fursuit Dance]], and the ever-popular [[Purple Nurple Live]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Smaller rooms would hold [[SIG]] panels (Special Interest Groups) usually regarding species-specific discussion, art panels, question-and-answer sessions between attendees and special guests, and other general meet-ups.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There was a ConFurence Filk Contest every year.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.kayshapero.net/cf_fwin.htm ConFurence Filk Contest] on kayshapero.net. Retrieved May 3, 2008.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Controversy ==&lt;br /&gt;
{{NPOV}}&lt;br /&gt;
As the furry fandom rapidly increased in fans, and with the rise of furry-specific [[MU*]]s, convention attendance rose sharply over the following years. For many, ConFurence would mark their first experience at convention-going.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By [[ConFurence 8]], the general attitude toward ConFurence was that it was a &amp;quot;wild party&amp;quot; and that things getting out of control at times. Rumors flew around, depending on who said them and who believed them, of strange and funky occurrences amongst guests{{fact}}. This ranged from two reports of semen found in elevators&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.ca/group/alt.fan.furry/msg/98d6c51938a3b98e?hl=en alt.fan.furry post] by [[Ed Kline]] on Feb. 8, 1997.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.ca/group/alt.fan.furry/msg/3608cd0e2fbf3ba9?hl=en alt.fan.furry post] by Brad Austin on Dec. 28, 1997.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;, guests running about in revealing clothing (one report involved an attendee wearing a Dixie cups in a lewd manner, though [[Gary Burke]] attempted to debunk the report that it was actually a Dixie cup &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.ca/group/alt.fan.furry/msg/1143808507c0919e?hl=en&amp;amp;  Friends at CF7] - A post to [[alt.fan.furry]] from [[Gary Burke]]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;), wild room parties where increasingly unthinkable acts were occurring{{fact}}, and an increasingly offbeat programming track{{fact}}, including a live &amp;quot;slave&amp;quot; auction, later renamed the [[pet auction]]: a re-creation of a pastime on several [[MUCK]]s such as [[FurryMUCK]] and [[Tapestries]].{{fact}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Other accusations include the owners' alleged attempts at increasing con attendance by offering &amp;quot;Free memberships to FurryMUCK members&amp;quot;. {{fact}} Mark's own words on the subject put a bit of perspective on the issue: &amp;quot;That would be totally stupid! It wouldn't be a practical business move. And yes, ConFurence was a business. I would lose money. Plus, how on earth would I know if it's really them? It's absurd!&amp;quot; {{fact}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The FurryMUCK rumor was likely started due to a misunderstanding the special badges for online personas that were given out at Confurence 3.  As noted in the ConFurence Progress Report #3 in the January 1992 issue of In-Fur-Nation: &amp;quot;FurryMUCK participants (And other virtual/network personalities): Be sure to pick up your 'Hi, I'm Virtually _____'  badges at Registration -- If you're daring :&amp;gt;&amp;quot; &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://confurence.com/1992/01/infurnation-01-1992/#gallery-1/0/InFurNation-1992-01_Page_01.jpg In-Fur-Nation January, 1992]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Change of ownership ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During the final staff meeting, Mark Merlino made the announcement that after [[CF10]], he would be stepping down as [[convention chairman]]. Nominations and a staff-wide vote was cast. [[Darrel Exline]] was voted in as the new head of the convention starting post-CF10. The rights to the ConFurence name were [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.furry/browse_frm/thread/d2b120ab5c3ebc5e/6a09db8c3d9868a2#6a09db8c3d9868a2 transferred] from Mark to Darrel for US$1. The rights and merchandise for cons 1-10 remained Mark's property, while the name &amp;quot;ConFurence&amp;quot; and all future events after 4 April 1999 became the sole property of Darrel.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Darrel changed the administrative make-up of the convention, creating an umbrella company called [[ConFurence Group]] which would be the overall entity in control of several subgroups and events: ConFurence, [[CritterConDiego]], and [[ZonieCon]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A change of venue to the Burbank Hilton was announced. All three subsequent ConFurences were held there. The numbering of the conventions was altered to follow the trend set by other entities to a yearly indicator. ConFurence 13 became [[ConFurence 2002]], and similarly for the one following in 2003.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Decline ==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:BlackSheets10-ConFurenceMailboxBooks.jpg|right|thumb|210px|Mention of ConFurence in alternative sexuality '[[zine]] ''Black Sheets'' #10, &amp;quot;Bestiality and Glamour&amp;quot; sparked [http://dogpatch.press/2015/08/31/rumor-ad-for-confurence/ claims that CF ran an ad in a fetish magazine].]]&lt;br /&gt;
Depending who you ask, what happened next to the convention is up for debate. Convention attendance continued to decline. Many debate as to the reasons why this occurred; among the debated factors were:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Reputation===&lt;br /&gt;
Two types of people regularly complained about ConFurence. Half complained it was too wild; the other half complained it wasn't wild enough. When Darrel Exline accepted the duties of con chair in 1999, he admitted he considered himself a Burned Fur &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.furry/msg/1b0a6277b9371d98?hl=en&amp;amp;  Darrel Exline on AFF, 03/29/99] - Darrel Exline states he is a Burned Fur&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;, and Burned Fur member Hangdog began spreading the rumor that Burned Fur was &amp;quot;running&amp;quot; Confurence&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.furry/msg/946b48c02707a034  Hangdog on AFF, 09/08/99] - Hangdog claims Burned Fur is running Confurence&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;. When furry lifestylers started expressing reservations about attending Confurence and deciding not to attend, Burned Fur member Mitch Marmel remarked that Confurence was &amp;quot;surviving and thriving without them.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.furry/msg/2926412ab094c1ec?hl=en&amp;amp; M. Mitchell Marmel on AFF, 05/20/02] - MMM claims CF is &amp;quot;surviving and thriving&amp;quot;&amp;amp;mdash;he had made similar remarks on a mailing list in 2001.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; ConFurence eventually gained a stigma as &amp;quot;Burnedfurence&amp;quot; and never recovered. Darrel Exline did not declare he wasn't a Burned Fur until 2001&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.lifestyle.furry/msg/47dbe313470d2c0b Darrel Exline on ALF, 04/09/01] - In response to &amp;quot;Burnedfurence&amp;quot; label, Darrel Exline finally disassociates himself from Burned Fur&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;. &lt;br /&gt;
 &lt;br /&gt;
Although the entire staff of Confurence pre-Darrel practically remained the same, with the exception of a few new staff who came in from [[wikipedia:LASFS|LASFS]], the idea that the convention lost members due to Darrel's political and social affiliations remains a possibility.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Date and venue of the con===&lt;br /&gt;
During [[ConFurence 9]], Rod O'Riley announced that the convention would be changing its venue to San Diego, and the date would be changing from late January to mid-April.  It was at this point that [[Mitra]], [[Whitefire]] and others immediately began to plan a convention that would be more convenient to the [[Bay Area]], since San Diego was distant for the majority of Californian furs to travel.  This became [[Further Confusion]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The change of CF's date was also a shock, as many had planned their schedules according to the January pattern.  Additional bad timing came from the fact that [[ConFurence 10]] happened on Easter weekend, which many complained would make it impossible for them to travel.  Later ConFuerences did ''not'' occur on the holiday weekend, but attendance continued to decline. [[Further Confusion|FC]] was a major contributing factor: they scheduled themselves in ConFurence's old January timeslot, giving the northern Californian attendees a local con that fit many people's schedules.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the following years, moving ConFurence north to Irvine and Burbank did nothing to improve registration.  Many said that with the dropping attendance, the Burbank Hilton began to look like a &amp;quot;Ghost Town&amp;quot;. The hotel had a full-fledged convention center adjacent to the main tower large enough handle 1000+ attendees; many people complained that the large venue made the convention seem even smaller than it was, and that running into friends and acquaintances was made more difficult in the huge space. While the actual attendance did not drop all that sharply, the venue itself made it seem that way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Price===&lt;br /&gt;
The price of the convention steadily rose, and those only wanting partial or single-day memberships were met with lessened amenities and still higher prices. The idea of trying to push people into getting a full membership failed as those casual attendees who knew they would not be able to attend all 4 days would be spending much more money for a 2-day (weekend) registration. Some resorted to simply hanging out in the lobby and at room parties in people's personal hotel rooms, rather than pay for the rising price of a shrinking convention and programming track.  The collapse of the economic dot-com bubble in California may also have been a factor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Depreciation===&lt;br /&gt;
Following [[ConFurence 9]], the next two years witnessed a sharp increase in the number of furry fans finding out about the fandom and gave to a rise of regional Furry Conventions nation-wide. [[Conifur Northwest]], [[Mephit Furmeet]], [[Furry Spring Break]], [[Feral!]], and [[ZonieCon]] (to name just a few) suddenly sprung up, and the need for furs to travel cross-country diminished.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Whatever the case, Darrel announced that [[ConFurence 2003]] (14) would be the final ConFurence, and that the name and event, while still remaining his sole property, would cease to exist and operate.  In the program book, Darrel explained some of his motivations for keeping the convention alive, admitting to mistakes and things he could have done better&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://web.archive.org/web/20060503034356/http://www.polarden.org/confurence/ ConFurence is no more] by Darrel L. Exline (mirror on Archive.org)&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;.  Debates about his chairmanship continued after the end of the ConFurence, pointing out he had allowed television crews to attend during the final year&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.flayrah.com/modules.php?op=modload&amp;amp;name=News&amp;amp;file=article&amp;amp;sid=1472 Rumor control from Darrel Exline]. ''[[Flayrah]]'', May 1, 2003.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The demise of ConFurence led to the almost instantaneous rise of [[Califur]], with a similar staff to ConFurence, to be held the following year.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== See also ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Wikipedia:ConFurence|ConFurence]] at Wikipedia&lt;br /&gt;
* [[The ConFurence Group]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== References ==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;ConFurence Countdown&amp;quot;, an article with thumbnail descriptions of [[CF0]] to [[CF8]], from the [[CF9]] programme book (pp 53-55)&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;The Origins of ConFurence&amp;quot; by [[Rod O'Riley]], an article from the [[CF10]] programme book (pp 41-43) &lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.polarden.org/cf-archive/confurence/documents/CF2003GoodbyeFromTheChairman.swf &amp;quot;Fifteen Years is a Good Run&amp;quot;] by [[Darrel Exline]] as printed in the [[ConFurence 2003]] Souvenir Program Book.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.polarden.org/confurence/ ConFurence Group Website] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20060219223243/www.polarden.org/confurence/ backup])&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.confurence.com/ ConFurence 1-10 Portal]&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[http://ranea.org/falf/articles/cf.html Enough Already - Can't we just go to ConFurence and shut up about it?]'' - [[Watts Martin]] on ConFurence at the start of 1998&lt;br /&gt;
* {{con resources}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{California}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Conventions}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Conventions]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1989 births]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:2003 deaths]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{Featured article}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[es:ConFurence]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[it:Confurence]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[ru:ConFurence]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[nl:ConFurence]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/ConFurence_9</id>
		<title>ConFurence 9</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/ConFurence_9"/>
				<updated>2017-05-05T02:13:04Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: New scan of Con Book Cover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{ConFurence}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''ConFurence 9''' was a [[furry convention]] in the [[ConFurence]] series held over the four days of January 15-18 of 1998 at the Buena Park Hotel and Convention Center in [[Wikipedia:Buena Park, California|Buena Park, California]].  The dual themes for the year were &amp;quot;Furries in Love&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;Furries Down Under&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;cf9conbook&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Cawley, John and Rachel [eds]. ''ConFurence 9 Souvenir Book''. Garden Grove, California: ConFurence, 1998.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Measured by population, this was the zenith of the ConFurence series with over 1200 registrations.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==[[Guests of Honor]]==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Carole Curtis|Carole]] and [[Mike Curtis]] (comic creators, publishers)&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Lisanne Norman]] (science fiction author, the &amp;quot;[[Sholan Alliance]]&amp;quot; series)&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Michele Light]] (artist/animator)&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Shaterri]], [[Centaur (character)|Centaur]], [[Drew]], [[Ashtoreth]] and [[Revar (FurryMUCK)|Revar]] ([[FurryMUCK]] creators)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Staff==&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Directors''': [[Mark Merlino]] (hotel relations), [[Rod O'Riley]] (programming, guest relations, lounges)&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Art Show''': [[Gary Renaud]], [[Sheryl Mount]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Dealers' Den/Publishers' Row/Artists' Alley''': [[Steve Gattuso]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Production/Shows/Dances''': [[John Geyer]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Security Chiefs''': [[TigerEyes|Zsa'nene Klinkler]], [[Patrick Callicott]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Information''': [[James P. Mullen]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Den Mother''': [[Kay Shapero]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Volunteer Coordinators''': [[drew kitty|Andrew Clark]], [[Carol Higuchi]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Event Video''': [[David Bliss]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Gaming''': [[Kurt Miller]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Internet Room''': provided by E.L.V.I.S.&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Registration Coordinators''': [[DeWayne Stuart]], [[Karl Maurer]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''FurDance Coordinators''': [[John Cawley|John]] and [[Rachel Cawley]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Daily Newsletter Editor''': [[Darrel Exline]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Costume Event Coordinators''': [[Andrea Adams]], [[Cary Sandvig]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''Video Theater''': [[Bob Caron]], [[Greg Bilan]]&lt;br /&gt;
* '''General Staff and Crew''': [[Rodney Basler]], [[Dwayne Blackman]], [[Michael C. Braunshaussen]], [[Dawn Britt]], [[Moroni Clawson]], [[Loring Grant Cleveland]], [[Gabriel Collazo]], [[Ray Collazo]], [[Steve Corbett]], [[XianJaguar]], [[Robert Droz]], [[Andrea L. Fiedler]], [[Tim Fitelson]], [[Kim Gardner]], [[Amanda Geyer]], [[Darren Hanson]], [[Jonathan Hartman]], [[T. Elizabeth Harvey]], [[Tim Helphrey]], [[Erin Hurst]], [[Warren Johnson]], [[Kele Kravelin]], [[Lynn Kurtz]], [[Paul P. McNutt]], [[James Miles]], [[Allen P. Mixson]], [[Lea Mixson]], [[Chuck Nezzer]], [[Ken Nielsen]], [[David T. Parenteau]], [[Dennis R. Peterson]], [[Natalie Powell]], [[Rob Powell]], [[George Puentes]], [[Regan Pylman]], [[Fred Richards]], [[Kaycy Ruffer]], [[Ryan Xavier Saenz]], [[Sean Strobel]], [[Michael Underwood]], [[Jennifer Vancil]], [[Mike Yust]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Events ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Hollow Hills&amp;quot; by [[Kay Shapero]] won the ConFurence Filk Contest.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.kayshapero.net/cf_fwin.htm ConFurence Filk Contest] on kayshapero.net. Retrieved May 3, 2008.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Conbook ==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Confurence_Nine_Cover.jpeg|right|thumb|The ConFurence 9 conbook.]]&lt;br /&gt;
The ''ConFurence 9 Souvenir Book'' &amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;cf9conbook&amp;quot;/&amp;gt; (the [[conbook]]) is printed in black and white, with a wrap-around cover image by Robert and [[Margaret Carspecken]]. It is 56 pages, and includes artwork and writing by the following creators:&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Juan Alfonso]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[David Bliss]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Cataroo]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Bucky Boy]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[John Cawley]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Po Shan Cheah]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Derrick Dasenbrock]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Guy Donovan]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Joe Ekaitis]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Tim Fay]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Bill Fitts]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Foxy]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Roz Gibson]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Jim Groat]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Alex Gryphon]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Dale Huffman]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Rommel Karlo C. Ignacio]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Shawn Keller]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Rudyard Kipling]] (reprinted story &amp;quot;The Song of Old-Man Kangaroo&amp;quot;)&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Allen Kitchen]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Peter Lavadiere]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Michele Light]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Michael Scott McMurray]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Brian McPherson]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Mark Merlino]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Bryan Mon]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Sheryl Mount]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Sara Palmer]], aka Caribou&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Vandringar]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Roy Pounds]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Antti &amp;quot;Nimble&amp;quot; Remes]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Tim O'Rourke]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[William A. Sanborn]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Kyle Sarrif]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Chris Sawyer]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Gary Lee Soto]], aka Gawain&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Sherwood Squirrel]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Shannon Stuart]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[John Tatman]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Lance Williams]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Witchcat]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Sponsors ==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Aberdeen Fox]], [[Allan M. Jones]], [[Brian Kimmes]], [[Bruce Richman]], [[Cigarskunk]]&amp;lt;!-- Real name removed. --GreenReaper --&amp;gt;, [[David Buttenshaw]], [[Douglas Green]], [[Earl P. Bacon]], [[Ed Holowell]], [[Eli Harvey]], [[Eric Foster]], [[Eric Miyoda]], [[Eric Raschka]], [[Erin Hurst]], [[Freddy E. Praul]], [[Guy Garnett]], [[Heiko Gemming]], [[Jeff D. Castle]], [[Jim Rauscher]], [[Johnathan Hammar]], [[Jonah H. Safar]], [[Jonathan Lang]], [[Xydexx|Karl Xydexx Jorgensen]], [[Keven Dong]], [[Lionman]], [[Louis LeClerc]], [[Mark Ryerson]], [[Martin Shotzberrger]], [[Michael O'Donnell]], [[Nick Radonich]], [[Peter A. Murphy]], [[Richard Messer]], [[Richard Foley]], [[Richard Williams]], [[Robert E. Sanders]], [[Robert Whiteman]], [[Robert Yates]], [[Romano Eberwein]], [[Sarah Wheeler]], [[Stacey Frankovich]], [[Stacey Wenkel]], [[Stephen Roy]], [[Steven Lang]], [[Walk Bakes]], [[Will A. Sanborn]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== References ==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;small&amp;gt;&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/small&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.confurence.com/Cf9/ ConFurence 9 info page]&lt;br /&gt;
* {{con resources|ConFurence|ConFurence 9 (1998)}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:California]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1998 events]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[es:ConFurence 9]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/File:Confurence_Nine_Cover.jpeg</id>
		<title>File:Confurence Nine Cover.jpeg</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/File:Confurence_Nine_Cover.jpeg"/>
				<updated>2017-05-05T02:10:35Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: Cover to the Confurence 9 con book.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;Cover to the Confurence 9 con book.&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/In-Fur-Nation</id>
		<title>In-Fur-Nation</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/In-Fur-Nation"/>
				<updated>2017-05-05T01:01:45Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{unref}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''''In-Fur-Nation''''' (or '''''InFurNation''''') is a [[furry]] newsletter/magazine edited by [[Rod O’Riley]] and published by [[Mark Merlino]]. Originally the progress report for the [[ConFurence]] [[convention]]s, it became a general information publication for all things [[furry]] in 1992.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The newsletter provides information on motion pictures, television shows, video releases, comics and other publications, art collections and conventions of interest to the Furry community. Material for issues is collected from various sources by Rod O’Riley and other contributing &amp;quot;reporters&amp;quot;. Circulation has varied over the years from over 2000 to a few hundred. Members of the original eleven ConFurence conventions, the [[ConFurence Group]] cons, and [[Califur]] received issues of ''In-Fur-Nation'' as part of their paid membership.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''In-Fur-Nation'' was published four times a year, and was the only regular Furry news publication available via &amp;quot;snail mail&amp;quot;. Some back issues can be found at the [http://www.confurence.com/infurnation/ ''In-Fur-Nation'' archive page] (the future site of ''In-Fur-Nation'' news service). In 2009 the publication largely ceased on paper, and switched to a mostly on-line format, re-inventing itself at www.infurnation.com. It is syndicated by ''[[Flayrah]]'' as of November 2011.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Materials, submissions, and news items for In-Fur-Nation can be submitted to the editor at that address, or via e-mail at rodso64@hotmail.com.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Ursa Major Award==&lt;br /&gt;
At a ceremony at [[Morphicon 2015]] on May 1, 2015, ''In-Fur-Nation'' was awarded an [[Ursa Major Award]] in the category of Best Anthropomorphic Magazine.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.ursamajorawards.org/UMA_2014.htm Award Winners 2014] on the Ursa Major Award website. Retrieved May 2, 2015.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.infurnation.com/ The ''In-Fur-Nation'' page]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.confurence.com/infurnation/ ''In-Fur-Nation'' archive page] (1991-2008)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Publications]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1992 births]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Room_party</id>
		<title>Room party</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Room_party"/>
				<updated>2017-04-29T08:35:40Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;:{{redirect|Room Party|the game|Room Party (game)}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''Room parties''' may be hosted by attendees in their hotel rooms in addition to formal programming and dances at [[convention]]s. The people running such conventions generally have no interest with what goes on in a particular room, so long as they do not get complaints from other members or hotel staff.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Furry parties==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Furry]]-themed room parties, held at established [[science fiction]] conventions, were the precursor to separate [[furmeet]]s and have sometimes spawned entire [[furry convention]]s such as [[Anthrocon]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The first known [[funny animal]] fan party was the [[Prancing Skiltaire]] Party held  at the 1985 [[Westercon]]. The first party to be openly referred to as a&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Furry Party&amp;quot; was held at the following Westercon in July 1986 by [[Mark Merlino]] and [[Rod O'Riley]], who would later co-found [[ConFurence]]. A 20th anniversary celebration of that event was held July 1, 2006 during the 59th Westercon (known as &amp;quot;[http://www.conzilla.info/ Conzilla]&amp;quot;) at the [http://marriott.com/property/propertypage.mi?marshaCode=SANMV San Diego Marriott Mission Valley].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Room parties that have been held at multiple conventions include [[The Frozen Oasis]] party, [[Sorien]]'s Tea Party, and [[Conrad Wong|Lynx]]'s Ice Cream Party.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[:Category:Room parties]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[http://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966-1996 An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996]'' by [[Fred Patten]]&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[http://confurence.com/1996/01/confurence-seven-conbook-1996/#gallery-1/42/Confurence_Seven_Page_42.jpg Looking Back: 10 Years of Furry Parties]'' by [[Rod O'Riley]], page 42 of the [[ConFurence 7]] program book&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[http://confurence.com/2017/04/furry-parties/ Furry party posters from 1988 to 2005]''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Convention terms}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Convention events]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>//en.wikifur.com/wiki/Room_party</id>
		<title>Room party</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Room_party"/>
				<updated>2017-04-29T08:32:52Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Changa: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;:{{redirect|Room Party|the game|Room Party (game)}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''Room parties''' may be hosted by attendees in their hotel rooms in addition to formal programming and dances at [[convention]]s. The people running such conventions generally have no interest with what goes on in a particular room, so long as they do not get complaints from other members or hotel staff.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Furry parties==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Furry]]-themed room parties, held at established [[science fiction]] conventions, were the precursor to separate [[furmeet]]s and have sometimes spawned entire [[furry convention]]s such as [[Anthrocon]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The first known [[funny animal]] fan party was the [[Prancing Skiltaire]] Party held  at the 1985 [[Westercon]]. The first party to be openly referred to as a&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Furry Party&amp;quot; was held at the following Westercon in July 1986 by [[Mark Merlino]] and [[Rod O'Riley]], who would later co-found [[ConFurence]]. A 20th anniversary celebration of that event was held July 1, 2006 during the 59th Westercon (known as &amp;quot;[http://www.conzilla.info/ Conzilla]&amp;quot;) at the [http://marriott.com/property/propertypage.mi?marshaCode=SANMV San Diego Marriott Mission Valley].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Room parties that have been held at multiple conventions include [[The Frozen Oasis]] party, [[Sorien]]'s Tea Party, and [[Conrad Wong|Lynx]]'s Ice Cream Party.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[:Category:Room parties]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[http://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966-1996 An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996]'' by [[Fred Patten]]&lt;br /&gt;
* ''[http://confurence.com/1996/01/confurence-seven-conbook-1996/#gallery-1/42/Confurence_Seven_Page_42.jpg Looking Back: 10 Years of Furry Parties]'' by [[Rod O'Riley]], page 42 of the [[ConFurence 7]] program book&lt;br /&gt;
{{Convention terms}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Convention events]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Changa</name></author>	</entry>

	</feed>