I don’t hate conventions. I have no idea what to really do at cons, and I should probably talk to people instead of wandering around quietly (same goes for interacting here, though), and yes it can get overwhelming—but in the end, I love the feeling of being surrounded by people who all share exciting interests with me.
At BronyCon, for instance, I was in awe, because for the first time, I felt like this whole crazy horse fandom wasn’t just on the internet, like it wasn’t just in my head. It was real, it was massive, and I was a part of it.