Furry fandom existed for years before furry conventions, and it can survive without them. Certainly, we're looking forward to the return of fan events, but I imagine we're as well-placed as almost any group to weather out this storm. And there are plenty of fun things to do at a con that don't involve being close. My biggest concern there is actually that they might not be financially viable if people can't pack into rooms so much. (You can spend a lot less than a couple of thousand on a con, too.)
Remember, this is a community based around the concept of "wouldn't it be cool if animals were people?" That concept hasn't gone anywhere, any more than science-fiction has. And take it from me; the art sites are as busy as ever, if not moreso because people are stuck at home all day. We've been spinning up more image caches to share the load. Online roleplaying haunts are busy, too - F-list just launched a closed beta for a new release.
Fursuit-builders may be one of the hardest-hit segments, given that most people do want to show those off in person, and they're big-ticket items - except that the good builders have such a long backlog I doubt they'll be done before we have a vaccine.
Don't get me wrong, conventions being off this year is a big deal, and there may be unexpected consequences. But I don't expect them to fundamentally change the nature or viability of the fandom. Frankly, it could be a chance for it to get back to its roots.
Furry fandom existed for years before furry conventions, and it can survive without them. Certainly, we're looking forward to the return of fan events, but I imagine we're as well-placed as almost any group to weather out this storm. And there are plenty of fun things to do at a con that don't involve being close. My biggest concern there is actually that they might not be financially viable if people can't pack into rooms so much. (You can spend a lot less than a couple of thousand on a con, too.)
Remember, this is a community based around the concept of "wouldn't it be cool if animals were people?" That concept hasn't gone anywhere, any more than science-fiction has. And take it from me; the art sites are as busy as ever, if not moreso because people are stuck at home all day. We've been spinning up more image caches to share the load. Online roleplaying haunts are busy, too - F-list just launched a closed beta for a new release.
Fursuit-builders may be one of the hardest-hit segments, given that most people do want to show those off in person, and they're big-ticket items - except that the good builders have such a long backlog I doubt they'll be done before we have a vaccine.
Don't get me wrong, conventions being off this year is a big deal, and there may be unexpected consequences. But I don't expect them to fundamentally change the nature or viability of the fandom. Frankly, it could be a chance for it to get back to its roots.