[arg_discuss] ARG SIG meeting: Transcript

[John Evans]

This is a transcript of the short ARG SIG online meeting that happened today.
There will be an official summary posted later if you don't want to read
the whole thing; basically the meeting was about the governance of the
SIG in the sense of interfacing with the IGDA.

Beginning of transcript
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<Andrhia> Hmm
<Andrhia> I guess this is probably late enough
<Andrhia> So HEAR HEAR
<Andrhia> I call to order this historic event in which we take our governance into our own hands &c &c
<Andrhia> So here's the basic problem, as I see it.
<Andrhia> We need some minimal governance to do things like maintain the email list and interface with the IGDA
<Andrhia> This stuff in particular is complicated right now, because there's a search on for a new executive director of the IGDA -- I think Jason is stepping down
<Andrhia> So it's not just us, the whole organization is in a kind of transitional phase right now
<Andrhia> I can just keep doing this stuff to my existing standard, such that it is, and that's fine, if everybody thinks it's OK
<Andrhia> But I feel really weird about that, because two of the other three founding members of the leadership council have bowed out, and nobody chose me to be here, I just kind of volunteered.
<Andrhia> And I think if somebody else would like to have a crack at it, that would be really great.
<imbri> heh, such is the way with the world. that's why you shouldn't volunteer for things ;)
<Andrhia> But aside from those boring day-to-day administrative things, there's the looming issue of the SIG and what we want to do with it and how all of THAT should be orgnized
<Andrhia> So we have, ex., ARGology, or Topics of the Week, or weekly chats
<JohnEvans> M-hm...
<Andrhia> Great ideas that are executed for a little while and then lose steam
<Andrhia> (Imbri: Oh god, so I've learned)
<Andrhia> Anyway, I feel like as any sort of a leader, my great failure here is in not keeping these things going on my own steam
<imbri> as far as losing steam on various project, i think that's natural and normal
<Andrhia> And maybe the solution there is to wave our hands and say that these should be committee-run or volunteer run
<Andrhia> Or maybe we make a, I don't know, a sign-up sheet, and you can be the person making topic of the week for June, and you can do July...
<imbri> not only are these projects volunteer based, but they're about a (fairly) new form of entertainment which is changing and updating and filled with people who do not want to define things and box things in
<Andrhia> Haha
<Andrhia> Yeah.
<imbri> so it's hard to commit to things because "omg what if we stifle creativity!"
<Andrhia> Im just wicked jealous of the writer's SIG
<Andrhia> They *totally write books*
<Andrhia> And then *get them published*
<Andrhia> It's amazing
<imbri> well, it's got a few years on us and a larger pool of people to draw from
<JohnEvans> Yeah, they *are* pretty awesome. ;)
<Andrhia> Shhh!
<imbri> a lot of these problems are, probably, membership issues
* Andres slaps himself
<imbri> which is a chicken/egg thing
<Andrhia> Yeah, maybe
<imbri> you can't draw in the members without showing worth, you need the members to do stuff to show the worth
<Andrhia> *nod*
<Andrhia> I wonder what our actual membership number is right now
<JohnEvans> But, if you just start somewhere, you can start building interest...
* Andrhia tries to find the link that might tell her
<imbri> (playing the role of the cynic...)
<Andrhia> Hmm
<imbri> but to do things requires dedication which, in our history, seems to feed off of positive feedback
<Andrhia> Not as many as I'd thought!
<Andrhia> We have 289 email list subscribers as of right now
<imbri> and consistantly having time - which is a rarity in our field because when stuff is going on, you drop off the planet for a month or so
<Andrhia> Yes, you are correct
<Andrhia> And that's one of the reasons I'm terrified of being the Sole Supreme Administrator of the SIG
<imbri> (you being whoever, not just *you*)
<imbri> well, i'm willing to step in and help you out a bit
<JohnEvans> I'd like to help. I set up Argology and I got the "unsafe warning" taken care of, so...
<Andrhia> At the very least I really want to have a deputy who, you know, has the moderation password and the email address of IGDA people to talk to when something goes horribly awry
<imbri> and can offer a combined hour or two a week
<Andrhia> It doesn't even take that much time, honestly ^_^
<Andrhia> It's more of a "being there if the phone should happen to ring" kind of situation
<Andrhia> Hahaha
<Andrhia> You're both all good in my book ^_^
<Andrhia> So I mean
<Andres> I can help also if needed
<Andrhia> ...do I just email around the list admin link and pwd?
<Andrhia> Should we set up a process where somebody says "OK, I volunteer" and the next step is "Any objections?" to the list?
<Andrhia> ..my head hurts, wah wah
<imbri> honestly, i'd say just email around the link & pwd
<Andres> yep, +1
<Andrhia> I think I'm fundamentally afraid of seeming arbitrary, or elitist
<JohnEvans> We have to start somewhere. ;)
<Andrhia> Or unfair
<Andrhia> Hah
<Andrhia> OK
<imbri> i don't really think that people will have any objections
<imbri> and, if they do, we can address them (or sucker them into helping out as well)
<imbri> (guilt works well ;))
<Addlepated> I think we're happy to have people who want to take charge :)
<Andrhia> That's the spirit ^_^
<Andres> We should up a process where somebody says "OK, I volunteer" and the next step is Andrhia decides what to do about it :)
<Andrhia> Hahahaah
<Andrhia> OK
<Andrhia> So I think what we just decided on was a self-selected steering committee or people who have the list password and get the admin emails
<imbri> and, that way, i think that the more natural leaders and active types will fall into the admin role a bit more organically
<Andrhia> er, of people
<Andrhia> I'm not sure what to do about the IGDA stuff
<Andrhia> There's a SIG-leader email list
<JohnEvans> So, does the IGDA want to have someone designated the sole leader of the SIG?
<Andrhia> But with the situation with the IGDA what it is, I'm not sure HOW I would get anybody else onto that list
<Andrhia> I think not a sole leader, but they need to know who to talk to?
<JohnEvans> Ah, right...
<imbri> well, perhaps we should wait that out
<imbri> a) until igda leadership re-solidifies
<Andrhia> *nod*
<imbri> b) until we get a better feel over who the more active sig-admin types are
<imbri> we'll probably be able to make a better judgment of things then
<Andrhia> OK
<Andrhia> So basically I'll hang out as the acting chairman because I'm already on the list?
<imbri> yep :)
<JohnEvans> And you're doing such a good job. ;)
<imbri> i think anyway
* Andres agrees
<imbri> and, yeah, you're doing a good job
<Andrhia> Hahah
<Andrhia> Well, thank you
<Andrhia> This has been a big, horrible thing hanging over my head
<Andrhia> And you have all been so very nice to me today ^_^
<imbri> well, if you'd rather we can all pounce
<imbri> OMG WHO IS THIS ANDRHIA CHICK AND WHY DOES SHE SUCK SO MUCH?!
<Andrhia> So I think what we can do is post a transcript of this
<Andrhia> Pahahah
<Andrhia> See, what you don't know is, that's *totally what I always expect to get*
<JohnEvans> Yeah, I think I know the feeling...
<Andrhia> ..I might be a little neurotic
<Andrhia> Anyway, here are my next actions, I think
<Andrhia> I'll post the transcript or maybe talk one of you into doing it
<Addlepated> that's why I quit volunteering for stuff... I'm just sure I'll screw it up :P
<Andrhia> Everyone who wants to volunteer for our steering commitee thing say on the list "Yeah, I sign up"
<Andrhia> And sometime over the weekend I'll put together a Welcome New Administrator! package with some information in it
<Andrhia> Is that cool?
<imbri> sounds good :)
<Andrhia> OK, cool
<JohnEvans> Yep!
<Andrhia> And that gives other people on the list a few days to comment in case the OMG WH DOES ANDREA SUCK SO MUCH contingent wants a little more input

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End of transcript