Question for Keits and Valle:
With a new gen here, how do you feel about the potential rise in online tournaments? Are they competition to you? Do they devalue or replace physical meetings? Would you like to see them become more prominent?
Online tournaments will never replace in person tournaments, only supplement them. Even if they grow larger than in-person events, they will still aid in the promotion of in-person events. In my opinion, anything that gets people competing adds value to what we do at our physical meetings. I think a lot of people never attend their first tournament because they think they wont do well and they don't see the (non obvious) value of meeting all these amazing like-minded people. Playing in an online tournament might show more people they are good enough to give it a try.
One thing I do see at tournaments, which relates to be people not understanding the value of socializing, is that when players get eliminated they leave. If you are one of those players you are missing the major reason why in-person events are special. Stay, play, meet, greet, cheer, and jeer. I promise you'll like it.