Are you saying Midnight that no matter how much the fans complain and write letters about changes to the DS Fest, it won't matter a hill of beans? Is it the "put up or shut up" mind frame at work?
Regarding your first question, I intend to send an email to the Fest committee soon as I leave the forums. I can't say if anyone will be listening but I believe in trying.
And sorry, Rainey. I know this would be your first Fest and hope you have a marvelous time, and I wouldn't presume that you'd feel the same as I do about the Festivals, or fandom.
As for "put up or shut up", yes, that does sum up my opinion about the attitude of the decision maker or makers concerning the needs of the fans, though I do like the idea of getting in his/their face(s) in an effort to change it. At every Fest I've attended, the audience has been polled at least a couple of times to find out how many are attending their first Fest, and the numbers that raise their hands are always pretty amazing. I bring that up because the impression I get from what I've seen about how fans are treated is that what we feel or need isn't important because new fans, or original fans that discover it anew each year, are sufficient to fill the auditorium at each event. And as such, I think it's extremely unfair, not to mention dumb, to diss the large number of fans that have supported the Fests over the years. They make up the majority that staffs the dealers' rooms, that makes up the Festival committee, that parts with their cash in the dealers' rooms, that publishes the books and zines, that writes the fiction, that volunteers to help, that publicizes the events, that continues to inspire each other... I could go on and on.