We have an informal agreement that a piece of netting worn on your person or hanging about your camp indicates you visit the Rialto. Remember there are people that have nets around that do *not* visit here.

The Rialto consists of a Usenet newsgroup, (rec.org.sca) which is propagated to thousands of machines world-wide, and an electronic mail digest (the SCA Digest), which is produced on a badly overworked machine at MIT, and mailed directly to hundreds of people, also world-wide. We are also connected to Fidonet and other BBS networks. The Rialto exists to discuss topics of interest to the Society for Creative Anachronism.

The Rialto is named for a marketplace in Venice in the vicinity of the Rialto bridge. As people gathered there to gossip and exchange ideas, so do we gather here.

Check with your local system administrator or sysop for instructions for your exact machine and software. Generally, you either post a message to the newsgroup rec.org.sca, or send mail to sca@mc.lcs.mit.edu. See elsewhere in this FAQ for guidelines to posting style.

The Rialto is located on the corner of Luckie and Forsyth streets in the historic Fairlie-Poplar district in downtown Atlanta, near Centennial Olympic Park. Detailed directions and a map to the Rialto can be found in our Directions/Parking section.

Yes: the name badge is your pass to the conference. Convention center staff will need to see it for you to gain access conference space and events. Wearing your name badge is also a great way for you to connect with others.

Basically, you are required to wear your badge whenever you are on Laboratory property (including leased facilities in the town of Los Alamos and White Rock). A security article on this topic covers the matter quite thoroughly. Also, DOE's Los Alamos Area Office has issued a memorandum on the proper way to wear one's badge.

Yes. Your badge is your proof of registration, and is included in the conference package that you will pick up on the day of the conference. You will not be admitted into the conference venue if you do not bring and wear your badge.

Yes. The badge identifies you as an authorized entrant, so security aids can remove unauthorized individuals during hours the hall is not open to the public. Yes. Cartage fees range from $25 per piece to $200 depending on weight of your package. standard piece is 30"x20"x15" and weight does not exceed 40 lbs.

All financial members of the RSA are entitled to wear the Returned, Service or Associate member badge, which ever is appropriate for their membership category. No one else is entitled to wear these badges.

There is an unofficial badge that was presented to Lord Kendrick Wayfarer at the Storvik Baronial Investiture in March of 1995. The blazon is (fieldless) On the seeds of a rose barbed and seeded proper, in fess two roundels in pale, a billet fesswise and an increscent, all sable. which is heraldese for a rose with a smiley on it. :-) There have been rumors of badges to be made, but as of yet none have surfaced. You can see what it looks like at the Merry Rose website.

You are requested to wear your name badge so that you can be identified as a member of the group and so that you have the ability to recognize other members of the group. During certain trips where dinners or events are held outside, name badges help to identify you as part of the group to servers and travel staff.

Check our directions page, which is a link to a Google Maps interface that will give you precise directions from whatever start address you choose. Or use the handy guide below: From the north, take I-10 to the Congress/Broadway exit downtown, and turn left on Congress/Broadway (which turns into Broadway) at the end of the exit ramp. Look to park after you cross 5th Av. and the Theatre will be one block north of you on Congress Street.

Cotton slacks and shirts are ideal, with a sweater or other layers to shed as the day heats up. A hat with a brim is essential, and a cotton bandanna useful, especially in Amboseli, Kenya, which can be dusty. Khaki and cotton travel well, and pale earth colors such as tan or olive are best for viewing wildlife and birds. Camouflage clothes are illegal in many African countries. Solid-colored safari clothes, however, are practical and widely available.

Comfortable casual wear is entirely appropriate. Since this is an outdoor facility and the weather is often very warm, we recommend a hat or visor and sunscreen. A light wrap, sweater or jacket may be desired for the evening concerts.