Thanks for posting this. I'd be the stumbling, nervous, this-is-my-first-pitch person, so these are very relevant tips for me. I'm also going to link it and that means it'll be up on my website in a month to help others who might browse there. With luck, your efforts here will reduce the number of idiots you see :).

On the other hand, I'd think (from my own experiences) the warning to be nice is just as important and a side element of not being an idiot. You never know who's listening and you might not even fully comprehend who you are exchanging words with, whether at a con or elsewhere.

And I can think of at least one writer who could make The Robot Cheerleader Wars a winner :).

Cheers,
Margaret