Toghost is to attend all or part ofconvention without amembership. Sincesf cons nonprofits are run by volunteers, this is essentially stealing from otherfans. At best, a ghost is aparasite. At worst, ghosts can help to destroy a convention as they didBoskone 24.

While nobody minds — much — if someone drops in for an hour or so in the evening, bear in mind that even if you don't sneak into any of the officialconvention functions, your friends or whatever you came to the con to see wouldn't be there if it weren't for the work and money put it into the con by otherfans. Mostcons offer one-daymemberships if you aren't able to attend the whole event.

The common term used to becrasher, likegate crasher orparty crasher;ghost seems to have gained popularity in the late 1980s — maybe because it has a silentH in it?

See also:Barcon.