[HP4GU-FAQ] Request for contributions and other stuff

[Amanda Geist]

Abigail:

> I was going to ask for a progress report on the request for
> contributions - what did MEG think about it?  But it seem that we
> have permission to post.

Thus spake Pip. Good news.

> As for the letter itself, Heidi suggested that we add a template so
> that people will know exactly what kind of information to include.
> Frankly, I think just a message number is sufficient, but I guess
> having a template might not be a bad idea, so I'll add that to the
> letter.
>
> I'm less crazy about the idea of adding a database to HPfGU,
> because I think people will add themselves or check to see that
> they've been added, but the consensus seems to be in favor of it.
> I assume the same fields included in Heidi's template should go in
> the database - post number, author, topic and date.  If no one
> objects, I'll create the database - unless I need permission from
> MEG to do that too.

I think we may; I am about to have to become Mom again because Jan goes off
to work overtime tonight and this weekend--any of you other MEGs want to ask
this one? Do they have any objection and will there be memory or size or
whatever problems?

> So, the letter requesting submissions will look something like this:

The letter looked fine, worded well. My suggestions are interleaved:

> Dear HPfGU Members,
>
> Hello from the FAQ team! We're in charge of writing the Fantastic
> Posts essays, which can be found at
>
> http://www.hpfgu.org.uk/faq/
>
> These essays collect posts on a variety of different subjects,
> ranging from The Weasley Family to Justice in the Wizarding World.
> They also provide summaries of important and popular theories
> such as LOLLIPOPS or George. The Fantastic Posts are a great
> asset to group members old and new, providing a coherent
> perspective on the ideas that came before us. They also allow us
> to save from Yahoo! oblivion those posts which are truly
> remarkable and worth remembering.
>
> We on the FAQ team are eager to get to work on updating the old
> FPs and writing new ones in the wake of OOP, but we'd like you
> all to help us. Have you read a post recently that really made you
> think? A well-written post, that offered a new perspective or
> submitted a new thoery? In short, have you read a Fantastic Post
> recently? If you have, we'd like to hear about it.

I would put the "what makes a post Fantastic" up here, before you tell  them
how. Let the criteria be in a position of prominence in the letter,
otherwise people will read the instructions, think "Oh,I really liked [---]"
and go off and do it, and may never get to what we're asking *for.*

> There are three simple ways to let us know about a Fantastic Post:
>
> 1. A database has been created on the HPfGU homepage.  To get
> there, simply go to the homepage and click on the 'Database' link
> in the sidebar on the left-hand side of the screen.  Scroll down the
> list until you find a database entitled 'Fantastic Posts'.  Click on the
> title and you will be transferred to the database page.  From there
> you can simply click on the 'add record' link at the top of the table
> to make your suggestion.  You don't need to fill out all the fields,
> but you must include a message number - finding a message in any
> other way is all but impossible.

There are legitimate concerns over the use and misuse of this option--so I
suggest putting it in the middle of the three. Whichever one is placed first
will be subtly emphasized.

> 2. We've also opened the FAQ archive group to posting by the
> general public.  You can e-mail us at
>
> (e-mail of archive group should go here)
>
> Please use the following template when sending us a
> recommendation e-mail
>
> Fantastic Post number:
> Author of Fantastic Post:
> Topic of Fantastic Post:
> Date of Fantastic Post:
>
> Again, not all fields have to be filled, but we must have the
> message number.

Put little asterisks or something around "must"?
>
> 3. You can also reach the archive group homepage the same way
> you might go to the HPfGU homepage and post a message from
> there - simply use the 'Post' link on the sidebar.  Again, use the
> template above, and be sure to include the message number.
>
> Before you get going, a few words on what makes a post Fantastic.
> You might want to check out some of the posts referenced in the old
> FPs to get an idea of the kind of quality we're looking for. Also, bear
> in mind that a a Fantastic Post should:
>
> 1. Be well written and coherent
> 2. Present new ideas or offer a good overview of old ones
> 3. Have good formatting - good grammar and spelling, capitalization
> and punctuation where appropriate, more then one paragraph, etc.


Ending with this is great. It's just the paragraph *above* that I'd move up
to above the "how."

> Finally, any post you send is only a suggestion. If you look at the
> old Fantastic Posts you might notice how few messages they actually
> reference. This isn't because these are the only good messages in
> over 70,000 posts, but because if we were to include all the fantastic
> posts ever made to the group we would drown, and the very purpose
> of the FPs is to provide brief and concise overviews of ideas on the list.
> We can't promise to use every post you send us, but we do promise
> to read and consider every one with all due gravity, no matter who the
> author is.
>
> Wishing you happy hunting,
>
> The FAQ team

--------------

> 1. When should we start writing the new FPs?  Should we wait a while,
> and if so, how long?  Should we set a date on which we'll start our
> work or just wait until we feel that the group has produced enough
> posts of a sufficient caliber?

Superb questions. O Ye Brave Few who read all the main list--thoughts?
>
> 2. Should we attempt to comb the 15,000 posts since the publication
> of OOP for Fantastic Posts?  I know we're going to deputize the group,
> but I doubt that many people will remember more then a few days
> back.  I also know that we set up our own FP database, but
> something tells me that most of us haven't been very conscientious
> about adding to it - I *know* there have been more then 20
> Fantastic Posts in the last two months.

Is this nomination method going to *replace* the combing over blocks of
messages? Or was it intended to *augment* that? I wasn't clear on that.

> 3. Should we attempt to complete the Full Enchilada?  There are
> 10,000 posts between the last catalogued one and the publication
> of OOP, and there are certainly some truly wonderful posts during
> that period.

I'd say so. Those can be integrated into the volume I FAQs. I know Snape,
for one, needs a Part 2 of Volume I, that has nothing to do with post-OoP
speculations (Volume II).

Thanks, Abigail.

~Amanda