To shake or not to shake

[LegendWoodsman]

Wow! I have a lot of catching up to do  ;D

Maybe a sign... that says "No handshakes, please. I don't wanna get sick! I have a very weak immune system!"

... I've been going to cons and I've known people who go to cons for 20 years and I don't know anyone who gets sick from it on anything near a regular basis. Maybe these guys are just kinda sickly?

That's an interesting point: A lot has been pointed out about the poor hygiene but how much awareness has been raised about diet, exercise, and fortifying the immune system.

I don't recall handshakes being a big part of conventions...maybe that's just because I'm not a particularly well known artist, so no one's terrifically interested in shaking my hand.  ;)

...we may have some gender bias in the results sample.... Are handshakes a bigger deal to guys than girls?

I remember handshakes being quite common at cons... and I'm not particularly well-known, either.
Handshakes may have a gender role associated with them. Even amongst friends, I shake hands with the guys and hug the girls. One time, I've extended my hand for a handshake with a girl and have received a poorly executed handshake... the kind where my fingers are grabbed instead...  :-\

...if the PAX guests said to their fans that they're not taking the offered hand because they're concerned for their health (the fans' health, that is), it would go over much better.

Agreed. Impress your readers with your concern for them rather than self-preservation.

I also think, should this no touching thing become widespread the implications for smaller webcomics will be more hurtful than for the big guys.

I don't know if the size of the webcomic's audience is really a factor as much as the message of the comic's marketing. If you write a bad-ass hardcore comic, maybe you could greet your fans by flipping the middle finger. Or... if you write a Japanese-influenced comic, you would bow as a form of greeting.

There is, of course, something to be said about your influence on your audience. Your adoring fans may accept more impolite behavior if your creativity is more in demand. Throw a diva fit if you don't get the red m&m's as stated on your rider, it's all good.

We do live in a society that undervalues sickness. I've read that a little more precaution on our parts (sneezing into our elbows, not out hands. Taking a day off from work when we're sick instead of going in and spreading the germs around. That sort of thing) would actually increase our productivity instead of decrease it because we'd better isolate the sickness.

..you're often expected to work through your illness: Particularly retail and even more so in the restaurant business
(which honestly doesn't make sense to me, since they're handling FOOD). I suppose it doesn't help that from school to job you have only x amount of sick days, so you need to ask yourself "Can I really afford to call off now? What if I need it later in the year?".

Exactly what I mean. We have all this more or less useless "anti-bacterial" product out there because of the cultural "work ethic" where you're expected to work no matter what.

I would say that North American culture values convenience. The service industry can't allow for their workers to call in sick because the consumers would end up with longer wait times, stores would have to close early because there is nobody to cover the midnight shift, and the public would resort to seeking an alternative (the competitor). When my local Tim Hortens was closed for the evenings, I had to drive two more blocks to then next closest one.  >:(

Risk getting sick and keep your fans close to you or cut off human contact and risk alienating fans. I suppose the issue here is also muddied by the way it has been presented; the idea that creator's don't owe their fans such things and the con organizers attempts to unilaterally impose restrictions on human contact.

... it really isn't important how you feel about handshakes. It's important to your business and fanbase and reputation how the people whose handshakes you are refusing feel.
So the question you have to ask yourself ... are [handshakes] important to my fans and am I willing to risk their favor by refusing such acts?

This was the theme I read in a marketing reference book. Alienating your target audience is a no-no. The wider your target is, the more carefully you need to tread.

[wendyw]

Interesting thought regarding general sickliness.

Personally, I wouldn't have a problem with handshakes. Fistbumps I would, only because I'd feel silly.
However, my girlfriend has been ill for a while now and thinking about it more if I knew there was a history of outbreaks of nastiness at a con or that there was something going around I probably would try and avoid contact at the moment, not for my own sake as I get over illness reasonably fast, but because I wouldn't want to spread any more bugs to her than she already has right now.

[Gibson]

However, my girlfriend has been ill for a while now and thinking about it more if I knew there was a history of outbreaks of nastiness at a con or that there was something going around I probably would try and avoid contact at the moment, not for my own sake as I get over illness reasonably fast, but because I wouldn't want to spread any more bugs to her than she already has right now.

That's admirable and understandable, but wouldn't the safest move be not going to the con at all rather than establishing some new and quite frankly insipid protocol on how your fans were allowed to greet you?

Here's another question...they're going to be selling things, I would assume, and that means money will be changing hands, yes? Maybe they just haven't thought of it, but money in itself is pretty disgusting and it isn't a stretch to think, if one or two of their fans are plague rats, then one or two of the bills they've pawing might be contaminated with their dreaded Nerd Flu. Any ideas on how someone can get around touching money at a con?

[Rob]

However, my girlfriend has been ill for a while now and thinking about it more if I knew there was a history of outbreaks of nastiness at a con or that there was something going around I probably would try and avoid contact at the moment, not for my own sake as I get over illness reasonably fast, but because I wouldn't want to spread any more bugs to her than she already has right now.

That's admirable and understandable, but wouldn't the safest move be not going to the con at all rather than establishing some new and quite frankly insipid protocol on how your fans were allowed to greet you?

Here's another question...they're going to be selling things, I would assume, and that means money will be changing hands, yes? Maybe they just haven't thought of it, but money in itself is pretty disgusting and it isn't a stretch to think, if one or two of their fans are plague rats, then one or two of the bills they've pawing might be contaminated with their dreaded Nerd Flu. Any ideas on how someone can get around touching money at a con?

Poorly paid cashiers? :D

I actually had a wild hare moment when I first heard of this where I considered a call to all con goers to keep their money in their underpants. Y'know. Since fecal matter is what spreads this virus. Because they may not accept your hand shake... but they will surely accept your cash.

But that was beyond the pale even for me.

Yes folks... these be the inner workings o' mah deviant mind thinkins.  :D

[wendyw]

That's admirable and understandable, but wouldn't the safest move be not going to the con at all rather than establishing some new and quite frankly insipid protocol on how your fans were allowed to greet you?

That is a good point. To be honest, if I thought there was a good chance that I'd catch something and pass it on then I probably wouldn't go and instead see if anyone wanted a free table in exchange for taking some of the stuff I would have taken along as well as their own.

[raerae]

You know, I will say that I have caught the con-flu several times. I don't tend to get the stuff as bad anymore, though, because now I tend to drink a lot of orange juice or bring some Airborn or Emergen-C with me(sadly, I can no longer find Airborn Gummies >: ). Honestly, it never crossed my mind to refuse to even touch anyone. After all, they touch stuff too. Like the elevator buttons or stair hand-holds or the table and money, of course.

It's really just part of the con is the possibility of catching something. Just like going to an airport or school or any other place that has lots of people.

[Dragon Powered]

Interestingly, yesterday I went to dinner at a casino buffet.  Seated a bit off to my left was an older gentleman having his meal, when another gentleman, apparently an old friend who's been out of touch, approached with his hand out for a shake.  The man at the table rose and extended his fist for a knuckle bump (surprised the heck out of me).  The old friend looked at the fist, then at the man with a bewildered look, and then wrapped his hand around the man's fist and shook it.  The first man then tried to explain about the knuckle bump idea, at which point the old friend nodded, bumped his fist with the other man, and then walked back to his own table.  Silly as it all looked, that right there destroyed any conversation the two old friends might have had.

About that time the person I was with wanted to know why I was watching those guys. Heh

[Rob]

Wonderful Wendy has gotten me an in of sorts over at The Webcomics List for a poll of fans on this subject.

But polls are funny things and a lot of it comes down to how the questions are asked. I want to be as fair as possible and not lead the participants to conclusions if I can avoid it.

Anyone got any thoughts? I'll post the questions I'm considering once I've carved them out.  ;)

[Gar]

The old friend looked at the fist, then at the man with a bewildered look, and then wrapped his hand around the man's fist and shook it.

I just wanted to acknowledge that as kind of awesome.

[NoahRodenbeek]

So last night was the book signing for Penny-Arcade's new book.  Mike and Jerry did an hour long Q&A while Mike sketched random requests and other funny stuff, then we all lined up to get our stuff signed and meet the guys. 

I thought about how to best initiate a fist-bump, but I couldn't think of any way to do it that wouldn't end up being extremely awkward and just a giant faux pas.  I still don't get how handshakes fit into the meet-and-greet process for other people.  An artist publicly denouncing them, especially in a hilarious comic-strip, seems like the least big deal I've ever heard.

[Knara]

I thought the whole to-do was kinda silly.  Even if you don't shake people's hands, I've been to many conventions that I've been both an attendee, a volunteer/helper, and working with a dealer.  The vast majority of the illnesses spread around are airborne, so even if you managed to avoid touching absolutely anything the whole weekend, your chances of getting something that weekend are still very high (given the large number of people in a confined space).  I have a theory that the fan-funk is like aether for viruses: if you can smell it, you're already infected.  My plan is to get a research grant some day to study it.

Me, personally, I'll take the chance of shaking a fan's hand for that bit of good-will and just have the smarts to not jam my hand into my mouth afterward.

[Rob]

So last night was the book signing for Penny-Arcade's new book.  Mike and Jerry did an hour long Q&A while Mike sketched random requests and other funny stuff, then we all lined up to get our stuff signed and meet the guys. 

I thought about how to best initiate a fist-bump, but I couldn't think of any way to do it that wouldn't end up being extremely awkward and just a giant faux pas.  I still don't get how handshakes fit into the meet-and-greet process for other people.  An artist publicly denouncing them, especially in a hilarious comic-strip, seems like the least big deal I've ever heard.

Noah I think we all get that it's no big deal to you. What I'm wondering is if you recognize that it is a big deal to some people? And if so... how does that color your interpretation of the issue?

I just got back from my "once every three weeks on Friday" 3.5 D&D game. It's only the second time I've been to this particular game. I just started playing D&D again for the first time in over 30 years (long story... essentially working with Black Gate made me feel like I ought to be able to speak the D20 language to relate to the guys I'm working with). Two of five other people there were new to me. One wasn't able to make it on my first outing with the group and the other was joining in as a new character like I did at the previous meeting. When I was introduced to both of the new guys I shook both their hands. 10 PM came around and we all packed up and headed out. A good time was had by all. Everyone shook my hand and shook each other's hands before heading home for the night. I made a conscious effort not to initiate any handshakes because I wanted to see if it would happen without my input. It did. Maybe it's a local cultural thing.. but around here shaking hands is a big deal, even for casual gaming acquaintances who only see each other for a couple hours once every three weeks. I would have felt very strange... even guilty if I had refused any of these handshakes... and although there is no way for me to prove it I suspect my gaming companions would have been put off if I had refused them.

Now that I have my internet back I'm going to get to work on that poll. I hope to have it done by Sunday. Once again... any suggestions on question format are welcome.  ;)

[NoahRodenbeek]

I hate it when people tell me something that's important to me isn't important to them, and I apologize if my posts are sounding like that.  I would be hard-pressed to think of any topic that isn't worth discussing on a forum, and only a total cock-knocker would try to shut down a topic based on their conversational preferences.

The point I was trying (poorly) to make is that the issue really isn't important to them (Penny-Arcade & co.).  It's a punch-line in the context of the flu that broke out after last year's PAX. 

Here's Scott Kurtz's blog post from that time which corresponds with a week's worth of guest strips:
http://www.pvponline.com/2009/09/09/pax-was-sick/

I would be shocked if any artist, the bigger players included, sneered at an offered hand or even thought that snubbing a handshake would be their sure-fire method to not get sick.  These guys have built wildly successful careers based on empathy to their fans needs, and they probably don't deserve to have their common-sense-intelligence insulted.  A joke about PAXinating is well-played, in my opinion.

[Gibson]

I suspect my gaming companions would have been put off if I had refused them.

Not to mention what kind of crazy-ass you would have looked like if you had them pulled some Klingon salute at them.

With the poll, I'm not sure anymore that people are entirely honest with themselves about how they would react in given situations. Recently on my site, I asked how people would feel if they found out their significant other had been keeping a particularly big secret from them for a year of their relationship, in this case that they were taking their clothes off in front of other people. I was pretty stunned to find that most people said they wouldn't be bothered in the slightest, not even by the lying. Personally, I call bullshit on that. A lot of people seem to want to think they're cooler about things bothering them. Really, I don't think there are many people, even ones who say it wouldn't matter, who wouldn't feel, if not insulted, rejected if someone refused to shake their hands. If you're interested in learning more factually about it, I think the only reliable thing to do is to start refusing handshakes. I don't suggest it, though, because then everyone will think you're a rude arse.

[TTallan]

Another question you might add to the poll: would you shake hands with someone if you were in the throes of a bad cold?