GWSIG Monthly Meeting Minutes/Meeting41
International Game Developers Association
The meeting took place Thursday, April 30, 2009, from 12PM to 1PM EST.
Attendees
- AndyW
- CatWendt
- ChrisKeeling
- CorvusE
- JeffTx
- JoeTortuga
- JRob
- Kimm
- Liz-C
- MikeC
- Sande
- TehDrew
- TobiasHeussner
- wendy
Transcript
AndyW: Drum roll and fanfares
AndyW: welcome to the April meeting of the SIG
mib_5twb96: mib_5twb96 is Kim :)
TehDrew: it keeps blinking out on me
JRob: hi Kim
mib_5twb96: Hi. I don't know how to change it. Right clicking doesn't work.
CorvusE: Kim, change your name by typing '/nick Kim' (without the quotes)
AndyW: And a hello to all from the exec...Wendy, Corvus and Andy (me)
TehDrew: wait...I think I have it
mib_5twb96: Thanks, Corvus.
AndyW: Let's get underway
mib_5twb96: '/nick Kim
AndyW: anything you'd like to say about the new Exec Wendy?
mib_5twb96: nope
| *** TehDrew quit (Client Quit)
JRob: hello new Exec
CorvusE: TehDrew: you might need to use the Mibbit option rather than the chat.zakelro option
CorvusE: Kim, you still had a single quote on that
JRob: too late, alas
AndyW: Thanks for the pidgin link Corvus that was painless
| *** mib_5twb96 is now known as Kimm
CorvusE: excellent, AndyW
CorvusE: Woo, Kimm!
AndyW: Lets try again
AndyW: Item !
AndyW: Item 1
Kimm: It kept saying all the other options were in use!
AndyW: 1. New Exec, hello.
AndyW: 1. New Exec, hello.
AndyW: 1 New Exec - hello
CorvusE: hello.
JeffTx: hola
AndyW: Wendy has agreed to chair for this year so thanks to Wendy :)
CorvusE: Hooray, Wendy!
JRob: three chairs for wendy
wendy: and now i'm back at my computer
wendy: hi everyone
AndyW: Anything you'd like to add Wendy?
| *** TehDrew joined #IGDA-WSIG
CorvusE: It's just one chair. Although it's the big one.
wendy: and yes, thanks for voting for us everyone - and welcome Corvus to the board.
JRob: re Drew
AndyW: Then we move swiftly on to 2. Volunteer co-ordination – volunteer coordinator post.
AndyW: (and welcome Corvus! ;) )
CorvusE: thanks, Wendy and Andy
wendy: right
CorvusE: good to be a part of it
wendy: so i had this evil thought
JRob: Hmm, didn't someone volunteer to be the volunteer coordinator?
wendy: not that all my thoughts aren't evil
wendy: Tracey volunteered to help out with the coordination of volunteers
JRob: depends on if they're lawful or chaotic evil
wendy: but she's been very busy
JRob: right, Tracey
AndyW: Would someone like to volunteer to organise volunteers? :)
| *** CatWendt joined #IGDA-WSIG
AndyW: How do you see the role working Wendy?
CatWendt: Woo! Sorry I'm late, but yay I got this thing workin'!
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wendy: so when we ended up with 4 people in the election, I wondered if the person who didn't get on the board (whoever that might be) might be interested in being the volunteer coordinator
AndyW: welcome CatWendt
wendy: well, I have not a few people email me and say they want to volunteer to help
AndyW: Cough Drew cough
TehDrew: Hmmm...that doesn't sound like much of a runner-up prize
wendy: but I am truly falling down on the job at funneling these people into real volunteer jobs
wendy: i obviously need to delegate this to someone else
JRob: wanted: one funnel
CorvusE: It's be a great networking opportunity, TehDrew
JRob: put the fun in funneling volunteers
wendy: so when a person says, "Hey, I want to volunteer!" the volunteer coordinator can talk to them (via email) a bit about what they want to do and help them find a fit
AndyW: So the role is one who looks to help volunteers get to the right initiative leader
AndyW: and make sure everyon is happy/know what they're doing?
wendy: yes
wendy: and if that initiative leader has fallen silent for some reason, then that volunteer can report it back to the volunteer coordinator
Liz-C: I would be willing to volunteer to organize volunteers. I just won't have a lot of time until June, once I have one gigantic thing off my plate.
wendy: so they can follow up and report that maybe that initiative owner needs a co-owner or something
AndyW: That would be great Liz
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CorvusE: Go, Liz!
AndyW: We can send some emails through to you in advance of June and then move forward then
wendy: we'll take you anytime we can get you, Liz
AndyW: That would be great if you'd be willing
TobiasHeussner: Hello and good afternoon/evening
AndyW: Hi Tobias
CatWendt: Howdy Tobias
Liz-C: Sounds like a plan to me! I can at least get back to the volunteers and let them know they're appreciated until we get them a fit.
AndyW: Thanks Liz, lets say we forward things to you and roll this out in June
Liz-C: Hi Tobias
AndyW: And we move on to Item 3 3. Housecleaning. Initiatives – who is heading what? What is live and what is not – Initiatives on the wiki - Writing Internships, Hiring Hall, SIG Quarterly, Library of Scriprs and Game Documents, Game Reviews, Game Writing Book (still listed as book 3), Education Outreach, Whitepaper Revisions, Surveys. What’s missing?? What should be mothballed?
AndyW: THen we know who volunteers should go to and who is in charge of what
wendy: would it help for me to run down the list and say who i thought was in charge of each?
AndyW: Do we know who is coordinating what from this list as the wiki is out of date
AndyW: Yes, thanks Wendy
Liz-C: That would be good Wendy, I can start making a list and change as needed
wendy: I thought Writing Internships was sort of being led by Rich Dansky, but I know he'd like some help with it
wendy: I thought the Hiring Hall was being led by Sande Chen
wendy: The SIG Quarterly is in Beth Dillon's capable hands
wendy: the library of scripts and game documents has been championed by Stephen Jacobs, but he's been very busy lately
wendy: the Game Reviews - is that Corvus? This one I don't know
wendy: The Game Writing Book would be me and Chris Keeling a bit
CorvusE: I'll address that in a second
TehDrew: I'm helping Dansky with the internship bit, but I've been a little behind in that
AndyW: Rob, you were involved in a few of these as well?
wendy: the Education Outreach was Stephen Jacobs and Beth Dillon, but both of them seem to have their hands full
wendy: The Whitepaper revisions were orphaned by Dansky and never picked up by anybody else
JeffTx: Liz-C, you can put me down as a volunteer
wendy: Surveys is also orphaned as far as I know
JRob: hmm, my status is confusing to everyone especially myself.
AndyW: Can we update all of these on the wiki?
wendy: Rob has been helping Sande with the Hiring Hall
wendy: and keeping the wiki updated
AndyW: Sande was working on surveys an age ago
JRob: there was a move to morph the Hiring Hall somewhat, and that largely came from me prodding the mailing list, kind of making it mine
AndyW: shall we mothball the survey?
Liz-C: JeffTx, gotcha will need contact info later.
AndyW: delete the initiative from the wiki?
wendy: what do you mean by mothball exactly?
CorvusE: Yeah, I think the HH would benefit from having a lead that wasn't super-involved with the organization of a new SIG
AndyW: Are there any initiatives mising
JRob: and in the Quarterly that went missing, I noticed I was listed as the contact for the script library, which surprised me but I thought "well, ok"
AndyW: say it's done with
JeffTx: Seems to be a lot of mothballing
AndyW: And keep what information we have
wendy: um, i don't want to delete any initiative from the wiki, as I think they're all good ideas and may be picked up at a later time
JRob: mainly I'm officially in charge of the wiki still
TobiasHeussner: I can help a bit more with the Quarterly (where I'm already involved) and the book, if more help is needed...
| *** ChrisKeeling joined #IGDA-WSIG
AndyW: I think we should have a B list then, as we have a lot of active stuff to cover and this seems to be going nowhere
JRob: you could just update the Survey initiative page to say that it's on hold and looking for someone to take charge of making it active
wendy: or you could update that page, Rob. ;-)
AndyW: Lets have an active and an ongold list then
ChrisKeeling: At last! Sorry I'm late - where are we at?
TehDrew: Did the Celtx tool initiative get mothballed?
JRob: and when I say "you", I mean.. me
AndyW: onhold
JRob: I was kind of thinking we'd see the Celtx guys at GDC but I guess not
TobiasHeussner: Hi Chris
wendy: i think the celtx tool initiative just foundered a bit
CorvusE: IT did
JRob: that's a shame, it seemed like things were moving happily along after AGDC
wendy: is the tools initiative listed on the wiki?
JRob: but software dev takes a while
AndyW: That's how I read it
TehDrew: No...I could definitely tell by the end of AGDC that Greg was losing interest. I told Ron as much
CorvusE: yeah, it's not dead, just a bit up in the air
JRob: It is on the Initiatives page, but not on the main page summary of initiatives
JRob: It being "tools"
wendy: so we really already have an "A" list of initiatives and a "B" list of initiatives
CorvusE: The Game Reviews initiative is becoming the Journalism Initiative
JRob: (to Drew) Hmm, really? Because there was some mailing list activity (separate mailing list about celtx and all that) afterwards that was cheerful enough
wendy: where the "A" ones are listed on the main wiki page, and the "B" ones are listed on the initiatives page
CorvusE: and we need a volunteer to be the official head of that
CorvusE: with my full support and cooperation
wendy: ah, Corvus, I thought you were going to head that :-)
JRob: "not it"
AndyW: We shouldn't confuse the journalism and games review thing they're separate
CorvusE: I'm going to help organize it, but I don't need to be the head
JRob: well, game reviews is a subhead of journalism, eh?
CorvusE: if that makes sense
AndyW: We want reviews and to encourage
JeffTx: I like Celtx---whats the issue with the initiative?
JoeTortuga: What is the Journalism Initiative?
AndyW: yup Rob, but we need to make sure one doesn't disappear into the other
TehDrew: JRob, yeah, but that didn't amount to much. Greg talked to me and said, "It seems like everyone is happy enough using Excel spreadsheets..."
wendy: I think the issues with the Celtx initiative is that it needs an "owner"
CorvusE: The Journalism Initiative is helping turn the SIG into a place of value for game journalists
AndyW: There needs to be a balance to that
wendy: someone to follow up with Celtx and let them know we're still interested, etc.
JRob: and promoting the idea that game journalism is part of the whole package of Game Writing
AndyW: THe SIG shouldn't be a place where games journalists come for cheap quote
CorvusE: No, it shouldn't
JRob: can it be where they come for expensive, lucrative quotes?
CorvusE: But it should be a place where they can come to discuss their own concerns about their slice of the industry
JeffTx: Wendy, we are still interested in what exactly?
AndyW: We should make sure there's a good practice guide, a lot of writers talk candidly here and we don't want people posting things to the list to be helpful and then finding things on websites and magazines as a result...I've had a few people email me worried about that
AndyW: I agree Corvus
CorvusE: The JI is partially waiting on the new web tech to get a full launch
AndyW: How do we bring these two things together without compromising the other?
TehDrew: I was under the impression that Ron Toland and Stephen Dinehart were the contacts for Celtx
CorvusE: because we can give the initiative its own mailing list
CorvusE: Stephen contacted CeltX a few months ago
wendy: JeffTx - Celtx was helping us with a tool for writing. That's our "tools" initiative. And I think that initiative needs an owner - someone to follow up with Celtx and tell them we're still interested in a tool, and help move the initiative along
CorvusE: and got a "we're still chewing on it" response
AndyW: Initiatives on the wiki - Writing Internships, Hiring Hall, SIG Quarterly, Library of Scriprs and Game Documents, Game Reviews, Game Writing Book (still listed as book 3), Education Outreach, Whitepaper Revisions, Surveys.
AndyW: Writing Internships - Rich, Drew
wendy: ok, so i guess what we really needed was someone to report to the committee about the status of the tools initiative :-)
JeffTx: Got it, thanks
AndyW: Hiring Hall Sandy
AndyW: Quarterly Beth
AndyW: We need to add the Journalism Initiative with Corvus heading it
wendy: Andy, are you looking at this page? http://www.igda.org/wiki/Game_Writers_SIG/Initiativeshttp://www.igda.org/wiki/Game_Writers_SIG/Initiatives
AndyW: Library - we need a volunteer
wendy: or are you just looking to update the list on the main page with the most active initiatives?
AndyW: Game Reviews - Corvus
AndyW: Book -Wendy
CorvusE: Strike Game Reviews
AndyW: Education outreach - We need to talk to Stephen and see if he's still doing that
CorvusE: it's supplanted by Journo
AndyW: Are we no longer adding reviews anywhere?
wendy: well, we do have some volunteers actively wanting to work on improving Game Reviews right now - even if it is a part of the larger Journalism initiative
AndyW: This was supposed to gather reviews of games which had good writing in them
CorvusE: ah
CorvusE: well, that's not me
Kimm: Andy, I could help with the Library.
alexlh3: the games had good writing or the reviews? or both?
CorvusE: improving game reviews is part of the journalism outreach
AndyW: Thanks Kimm
CorvusE: lest it turn into an ugly "industry writers vs press" issue
AndyW: Both Alex, but the emphasis is on the writing in the game
AndyW: That's grand
wendy: Ok, looking at the actual wiki page
CorvusE: But collecting reviews is not something I was in on
wendy: it says this is the initiative to get writers (us) to write our own reviews, on the wiki etc. looking specifically at the writing on a game
wendy: this is my perennial attempt to get the game writers of the world to start talking about what games have good writing in them
wendy: as it's hard to study how to write well, when you don't even know what "well" is
AndyW: And we need someone to organise that ;)
wendy: it was once called the "Hall of fame" initiative
wendy: and it might be less confusing if we called it that again
AndyW: We have an update from the meeting, shall we follow this up off list?
JRob: that would be a confusing name for other reasons
AndyW: And move on to 4
wendy: Rob, could you get that name change on the wiki?
JRob: ok
wendy: it would?
AndyW: We can see if anyone is willing to take on the missing roles?
JRob: well, I would expect it to be a hall of fame like the baseball and rock and roll halls of fame, not game reviews
wendy: well, a list of great games - with an explanation of why we thought they were great
JRob: ok
wendy: and you can put me down as the owner on this initiative Andy
AndyW: 4. Working with other SIGs (Corvus)
AndyW: That's grand, thanks for that Wendy
wendy: do we have all the owners you were looking for now, Andy?
AndyW: Corvus can you shout out about Working with oter SIGs and I'll read back
CorvusE: I'm interested in coordinating more cross-SIG initiatives and projects.
wendy: Corvus, I know the Women in Games SIG is very interested in coordinating initiatives with us
CorvusE: For example, Fiona of the WIG SIG has been reaching out to us for a while now
wendy: right. that.
wendy: i fear it's one of those things that is falling off the edge of my very full plate
wendy: so Corvus, are you interested in being the point-man on coordinating with other sigs?
CorvusE: Some of what this is going to entail is me looking for people within our SIG to help with some writing and editing for other SIG's publications
AndyW: Wendy - we need to check with Stephen about Education. I'll talk to Rich about Whitepapers. we mothball surveys and I think that's it apart from checking with other initiative leaders (I can't remember if Sande had asked to not cover Hiring Hall)
CorvusE: Yes, Wendy.
wendy: Andy, I think you can just go ahead and move the whitepaper off the list of hot initiatives right now
wendy: he literally dropped it and said he didn't have time
CorvusE: literally dropped it?
wendy: and nobody stepped up to rescue it, so it goes to the back burner, I think (which sounds a lot less morbid than mothballing, imho. heh)
CorvusE: hm....
AndyW: I might look at this with him...depending on my time commitments
wendy: yes, he said, "I drop this" and it made a thumping noise
AndyW: that was me tentatively offering time...
CorvusE: heh
wendy: oh, hah!
wendy: sorry Andy
JRob: who dropped what? I lost track of the antecedents of these pronouns
wendy: i thought you were going to try to convince him to pick it up again, which i thought was a fruitless effort
JRob: oh, Rich and Whitepapers
AndyW: Lets move on and wait for intitatives across SIGS to come up with definite projects, but say we all think it would be great
wendy: Rich dropped the whitepaper
CorvusE: HE dropped IT. Pay attention, you!
CorvusE: (-.0)
AndyW: I'm thinking big hug and we talk about it :)
AndyW: 5. Wiki update including - FAQs for the wiki – progress report
wendy: Corvus, so are you in touch with Fiona already?
CorvusE: I am,Wendy
CorvusE: I'll follow up with her
CorvusE: So you can ignore those emails in your inbox
AndyW: Thanks Corvus
AndyW: Wiki anyone?
wendy: it would also be worth following up with the Ed SIG
CorvusE: Although I'll happily CC you if you want to track the conversation
wendy: as that would cover another of the initiatives
CorvusE: Yes, I will follow up there as well
JRob: the state of the wiki is sound
wendy: no, Corvus, run with it - with my blessing
| CorvusE dashes off into the distance.
AndyW: Grand, any comments anyone one, other than the list of things above?
| CorvusE ruefully comes back to the meeting.
AndyW: If not we'll move on
wendy: right. i thought i asked for the wiki item to be taken off the agenda as Rob has it well in hand :-)
AndyW: 6. Quarterly - Increasing SIG visibility - IGDA magazine
wendy: that too, as i have nothing new to say about it - tho i am happy to field questions
AndyW: I've seen this on here - do we know who is writing what for what in this case?
wendy: we're waiting on funding for the magazine before we know when it will go out
AndyW: That would help :)
wendy: no, this is well in hand already Andy
AndyW: Cool thanks
AndyW: . Adding more Games journalists to the SIG 8.
wendy: if anyone _wants_ to write for it, who hasn't already expressed interest, email Beth Dillon
AndyW: Corvus?
CorvusE: We've pretty much already covered that, Andy
JRob: yeah
CorvusE: That's the Journalism Initiative
AndyW: No real talk about what's being done though
CorvusE: and I'm already in contact with several people
AndyW: Can you update us as to what is happening
CorvusE: About what, exactly, we plan on doing
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CorvusE: We're going to start by generating some basic FAQs
wendy: so it's still in the formulating stages?
CorvusE: Written by Journos already involved in the SIG
CorvusE: Yes, it's very proto
AndyW: 8. AGC brainstorming for Drew.
CorvusE: I've got about 4 or 5 people that I'll be working with
AndyW: That's great, thanks Corvus
AndyW: Drew?
TehDrew: Hey
AndyW: 8. AGC brainstorming for Drew.
TehDrew: Ta Da!
wendy: tell us what you need, Drew
TehDrew: So, yes, as we know, the AGDC is approaching in Sept
alexlh3: corvus i'm still interested in volunteering for that initiative
CorvusE: excellent Alex, thank you
TehDrew: I've been informed will be looking for money, so check your pockets. ;)
TehDrew: No, seriously, anyone have experience getting people to open their wallets for us?
Liz-C: Which initiative alexlh3? i am just trying to keep a list.
alexlh3: Journo
wendy: I can tell you, Drew, that Bioware is often willing to sponsor writing-related efforts if they're given enough lead-time
JoeTortuga: put me down as interested in that as well, Liz, Corvus
CorvusE: Thanks, Joe
wendy: and AK Peters kicked in a few hundred dollars last year, i believe
JeffTx: Liz-C, my email is screenwritr@gmail.com
Liz-C: Gotcha, thanks
JRob: I guess the Gingerman will be somewhere else by then
TehDrew: Also, last year, we had a booth, SIG books, Quarterlies, and a poster (it's gone...). Any ideas on what you would like to have this year that's beyond that?
AndyW: A local bar might add some sponsorship if we make them our base....
TehDrew: The Gingerman has already reloacted
JeffTx: Rob, its a block from the old one
wendy: the bar sponsorship is a great idea
wendy: and Drew is local, so he could scout them out ;-)
JRob: "we're writers. we drink a lot. care to sponsor?"
AndyW: We shouldn't spend too much, but a professional looking poster/banner is useful!
mib_4qepr6: sande waves hi silently - was in a biz mtg before
TobiasHeussner: I liked the stickers to identify SIG members
AndyW: Exactly Rob
AndyW: Hey Sande, thanks for making it here :)
JRob: badge stickers, awesome
AndyW: Stickers would be cool again
JRob: I guess I still have the... hmm yeah I must still have the leftovers
JRob: though will I be able to find them come september? less likely
wendy: i liked having donuts at the booth in the mornings. was i the only one?
JeffTx: I know the Gingerman manager and some local brewery reps---i could see if they would be willing to fork over some cash or free beer
TehDrew: I've got some too, I believe
AndyW: This too should go on the initiatives list me thinks under commandant Drew
AndyW: That would be great Jeff
TehDrew: I liked them...they drew in people who didn't care about writing
CorvusE: I have to go deal with moving details
wendy: thanks for coming Corvus!
Liz-C: Reuing is always a good though if you can put them someplce that you'll remember them in a few months :)
AndyW: see you Corvus, thanks for everything
CorvusE: I'll catch up with the logs this weekend
| *** CorvusE is now known as EsuvroC
EsuvroC: .gniltrohc yawa srednaw CorvusE
wendy: i can always print off more stickers if we need them
TehDrew: Okay, what about a game....I know this is talked about each GDC, but I've never seen it
AndyW: Anything further Drew, or should we move to any other business?
AndyW: That could be good, if we can get AGDC to give a place for it
wendy: Drew, we'll email you with ideas for Austin if we think of more
TehDrew: Tha's great
wendy: what do you mean - a place for it, Andy?
AndyW: Yes
wendy: i think Drew is thinking of a pervasive street-style game
AndyW: They are hit and miss with that
wendy: like collecting business cards or whatever
TehDrew: I also have concerns about pushing the "joining " the SIG as much as we did last year
AndyW: that'd be grand
TehDrew: but maybe this is a different topic
AndyW: 9. Any other business
AndyW: Is there anything anyone would like to talk about/raise?
wendy: i don't see why we would need to get AGDC's permission to run our own game, unless they plan to run one
wendy: Drew, can you tell us what you were uncomfortable with last year?
TehDrew: Any ideas for these pervasive games?
JRob: I seem to recall a bunch of people joined, then said, "wait, this is filling my inbox with random discussions I don't care about! I'm out of here!"
TehDrew: Well, we have a huge influx of people joining and they're not necessarily interested in games writing, but we get bombarded with emails saying, "Hi, remember me?"
wendy: well, the mailing list is certainly an acquired taste as it is right now
TehDrew: I think it would be better to bypass the sign-up and push them towards the website, where they can join if they so choose
wendy: well, we can't just let the "cool" people join :-)
wendy: we take all comers
wendy: well, it may come down to what our website looks like come AGDC this year
wendy: last year, the sign-up info was hard to find on our website
AndyW: I think we should ride the wave of recruits, it's better to have a few low stamina people join and leave than to not make more people aware of us and wither away
TehDrew: :(
wendy: and everyone says our website is confusing
mib_4qepr6: we could also put a warning in our monthly info burst about the frequency of the group
JeffTx: out of curiousity--who here is planning to attending AGDC?
AndyW: but yes we DO need to find a way of dealing with the mailing list
JRob: I am
AndyW: but that's waiting for the tech solutions
JoeTortuga: I'm hoping to make it
Liz-C: I am also hoping to make it
ChrisKeeling: Me too
CatWendt: Ditto on the hoping
alexlh3: same here
wendy: Chris - you're doing the monthly info-bursts, right?
TehDrew: weren't we going to discuss mailing list ettiquette at some point?
AndyW: 9. Any other business Anything else anyone would like to raise?
ChrisKeeling: I have in the past, when I haven't forgotten!
AndyW: Yes, we should look at that
TobiasHeussner: I'm hoping to make it
AndyW: A list of mailing list ettiquette
AndyW: i.e do not just email out the word LOL
ChrisKeeling: I can send a new one as soon as the chat log is posted if you like
TehDrew: definitely...we need to encourage people to take witty retorts and "thank you"s offlist
AndyW: I've been guilty of some of these things too, but with a much extended mailing list it's starting to impact on membership
wendy: Chris, I think we're talking about adding some stuff to it about mailing list ettitquette
ChrisKeeling: Sounds good
AndyW: There are a lot of people who have got annoyed by short 'personal' emails etc on the list
JRob: and of course top-posting and quoting 900 lines at the end
JeffTx: hey, i love doing that
JRob: perfectly ok for people reading with google...
AndyW: There have also been a number of 'personal opinion' pieces that have cause hurt when not thought out
ChrisKeeling: Right, snip off the last 18 emails from the bottom when you can
wendy: and yet, there's been a definite lull in mailing list traffic the last week and a half
mib_4qepr6: I send people private e-mails about that, the top-posting and quoting
TehDrew: to this, I say the execs must have a stronger hand in pushing things off-list...don't be scared to weild your God-give power
AndyW: I think people should be encouraged to post
TehDrew: ;)
AndyW: but with a little responsibility ;)
JRob: BONG BONG BONG noon
AndyW: Some of this will ease once the tech solutions become avaialable
Liz-C: or at least common courtesy
AndyW: And I like how liely th list has been, it means the SIG is lively
TehDrew: also, we need to encourage the "pros" to post. The little people looooove hearing from them.
AndyW: common courtesy is a grand idea
wendy: well, the pros are not enjoyiing posting in this environment right now
ChrisKeeling: Munchkins?
alexlh3: if you guys are referring to my argument with ed fear, i'm sorry about that, i got a little carried away
wendy: the few pros who have posted recently were not met with respect
wendy: and i'm not saying we need to fawn all over the pros
ChrisKeeling: Everyone should be respectful to everyone else, regardless of their status
AndyW: we're not singling anyone out there have been lots of individual cases
wendy: but we do need to be careful about telling them they don't know what they're talking about
AndyW: I agree Chris
TehDrew: If we weed out the small one-liners and promote conversation based around actual, real-world issues from the pros, this SIG flourishes overnight
TehDrew: I put good money on that
wendy: flourishes over night?
wendy: i didn't know we were foundering
JRob: heh.
AndyW: I'm worried about Drew flourishing anything
TehDrew: But with the pros staying mostly silent, there seems to be a lack of necessity to read anything posted
JRob: hmmm.
wendy: well, nobody is really bringing up questions the pros want to address, either
AndyW: I think there have been some interesting posts from all quarters
wendy: they don't have time to get involved in long theorizing about what is story
ChrisKeeling: The GD SIG is having a monthly blog topic - perhaps we could have a monthly email topic and invite people with some experience in the community to start the discussion so that those who are relatively damp behind the ears can learn from them?
AndyW: okay, we've hit the hour, shall I bring this meeting to a close?
Liz-C: I don't remember but how did that writing prompt work out Wendy? I saw it but I was completely swamped when it started.
JeffTx: I like that idea
AndyW: Good idea Chris
AndyW: And with that *bang Bang* I declare this meeting officially over
AndyW: Thanks for coming, please staya and chat
wendy: that writing prompt worked out fairly well - although i didn't see a lot of critiques, and i didn't have time to offer them in a timely manner
AndyW: Stay happy and good luck with your projects one and all!
Liz-C: The Leadership SIG is doing something similar Chris and that actually gets people writing in there.
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Liz-C: Thanks Andy!
CatWendt: As someone who participated, I'll say I only got one critique.
CatWendt: Yours Wendy, thanks btw.
Liz-C: I was also going to critique a few that I managed to read and I would have loved to participate
AndyW: Thanks for volunteering Liz
AndyW: and to all our new volunteers :D
wendy: i haven't wanted to start another writing prompt before I went back and critiqued the ones I haven't got to yet
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Liz-C: No problem, for the other volunteers on this list you can contact me at lc@liz-c.com
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ChrisKeeling: Tschuss!
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Kimm: Have a great day, everyone. :)
Kimm: Bye.
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Liz-C: That does pose a problem and adds one more thing to your list of stuff Wendy...
JeffTx: what is the writing prompt?
AndyW: I'd better go, is anyone taking a copy of this for the wiki?
wendy: a month... or two? or more? ago, I sent out an email titled: Can You Do Better? or something like that
AndyW: A writing exercise
JeffTx: ahh, ill go back and look
JeffTx: thanks, i believe i remember that
wendy: and encouraged people to do better than me
TobiasHeussner: bye everyone. Was good "seeing" you again. Have a great day.
JeffTx: you psyched them out
wendy: Andy, I think Rob said he was doing the transcribing
JeffTx: intimidated them
AndyW: see you tobias
Liz-C: Great thing, maybe we can approach some of the pros on the list to do some critiques? That would take that off your plate and maybe get them on the list more.
wendy: could be, Jeff. :-)
Liz-C: I think part of the problem is a lot of people don't necessarily know who the pros are.
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wendy: I agree, Liz
wendy: and it's tough to show who the pros are when it's just a mailing list
AndyW: The problem is getting pros with the time to do it and the willingness to stick their head over the parapet,
wendy: that's one reason i keep pushing this "hall of fame" idea - so we can at least get a list of writers somewhere on the wiki
JeffTx: Should be able to get freelance pros, though
wendy: Andy, I wonder if we could ask a pro to critique just one - and be specific about it
AndyW: Um, they can be even more overloaded...
Liz-C: hehe right, well we could at least approach them and when the prompt is sent out we can give a list of those willing to participate that month?
AndyW: for sure
AndyW: I agree!
AndyW: a format for critique would be helpful
wendy: emailing them privately, "Hey Andy, below is a short plot sketch for a game from one of our new kids. wwould you have time to give a quick critique?"
AndyW: so they know they don't have to write an essate
wendy: that's a good point Andy
AndyW: essay
Liz-C: That way those doing the writing prompt will know their submission is being viewed by a pro... Right!
AndyW: and they also won't get a sulky - they didn't like my writing so I HATE them response
AndyW: been there
wendy: yikes. someone did that to you on our mailing list Andy?
Liz-C: Yes and it might spark more interest in pros, people looking for their advice...
AndyW: Not done a critique on here, but there are a lot of people who come to you with writing so you can say 'it's good' not to help them improve...if you know what I mean :D
Liz-C: That's never a pleasant experience Andy... I've been there too.
AndyW: And I know a number of them get bombarded
wendy: oh yeah, i know what you mean
AndyW: Rhi must get 25 interview requests a week
AndyW: I think I have 4 I've not done get (looks shifty and guilty)
wendy: so when we send out the writing prompt, we should also include the critique form so people know what to expect from a critique
AndyW: done yet, gah, can';t type
AndyW: right, deadline calls, must dash. Thanks for coming everyon - see you on the list!
wendy: bye Andy, thanks for running the meeting!
JRob: bye wendy
AndyW: np
JRob: email me about the thing and the other thing
AndyW: thanks for chairing us all! ;)
Liz-C: Byw!
wendy: i'll smack you with a chair...
Liz-C: Bye!
JRob: please allow 6-8 weeks for a response
AndyW: bye!
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