# June 13-14, 2008: What We Can Learn from FedConUSA

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-week-in-fandom-history-5965825/june-13-14-2008-what-we-can-learn-from-fedconusa
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-week-in-fandom-history-5965825/june-13-14-2008-what-we-can-learn-from-fedconusa.md
Podcast: [This Week In Fandom History](https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-week-in-fandom-history-5965825)
Published: 2026-06-10T05:45:00+00:00
Episode link: https://76a49ef2-e1b1-459f-8787-81e0d39866fc.libsyn.com/june-13-14-2008-what-we-can-learn-from-fedconusa
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/76a49ef2-e1b1-459f-8787-81e0d39866fc/Aup_Mixdown_Episode_167_FEDCONUSA.mp3?dest-id=3814896
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/this-week-in-fandom-history-5965825/episodes/june-13-14-2008-what-we-can-learn-from-fedconusa
Duration seconds: 3427

## Resource

Defraud fans and prosper? This week, Emily and V take yet another jaunt to a fan convention gone horribly awry, and once again, it's Star Trek and it's in Dallas. This time, the key ideas are leaking spinal fluid, nuclear-angry celebrity guests, the relative gullibility of us scifi nerds, and German diplomacy. Talk turns very real as we look at the pros and cons (no pun intended) of the mainstreaming of fandom when it comes to conventions, vendors, and supporting fellow fans, while trying to stay safe from online -- and in-person -- scam artists who see fandom not as a community of like-minded human beings, but a demographic ripe for making quick cash. Fandom has always been cringecool to us, and like Star Trek, we're just gonna keep coming back. Sources Fanlore: FedConUSA Fanlore: Let's Stop Conning Ourselves Promo Virtual TGIF/F - Our friends at TGI Femslash have just announced a brand-new, online fan con happening this summer. On August 29–30, Virtual TGIF/F will bring femslash fans from around the world together for discussion panels, online events, and more. Registration opens June 1st. Find out more at tgifemslash.com/virtualcon RePROs Fight Back - Right now reproductive health is facing seismic shifts and can feel confusing, overwhelming, and exhausting. On rePROs Fight Back, host Jennie Wetter really makes it feel like you're learning from your friend. rePROs Fight Back breaks down the big, overwhelming issues in ways that actually make sense and really shows the ripple effects happening after the news cycle moves on. Jennie brings on experts and advocates to talk about everything from abortion access and sex-ed to the real impact of gender inequality and threats to LGBTQI+ rights. Plus, she's always honest about how she's managing these heavy feelings and how…

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/this-week-in-fandom-history-5965825/episodes/june-13-14-2008-what-we-can-learn-from-fedconusa/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-week-in-fandom-history-5965825/june-13-14-2008-what-we-can-learn-from-fedconusa.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.