Brainstorming Organizational Issues and What Are We?

[Cindy C.]

Hey, all,

Boy, you guys are one heck of an interesting group of people!  Those 
bios were absolutely fantastic!  Thanks for taking the time.  Now 
remember, if you feel compelled to post any pics of yourself, you go 
right ahead.  And if you are still tweaking your bio, it's not to 
late to post it.

Anyway . . .  I was thinking we might have time before OoP to noodle 
through some organizational issues and challenges we have.  I'll just 
toss them out there and let's see what happens.

I guess the most difficult issue that has always faced the FAQ team 
is finding a way to keep things moving forward.  As anyone who has 
prepared a FAQ start-to-finish can tell you, it takes a lot of time.  
It also takes confidence that what you're producing is good.  With RL 
intervening all too often and with us working very hard on the 
cataloguing last winter, I'm afraid we haven't launched many new FAQs 
lately.  

It might be helpful to think about how we can improve our output -- 
assuming for the moment that we care about our output.  Maybe we 
don't.  But if we brainstorm for a minute, we might come up with a 
few ways to keep FAQ writers on track.  In no particular order:

1.  We could work in larger teams.  To date, the largest teams we've 
ever had have been 2 people ("Mysteries" update and "Lupin") or three 
("Hagrid?").  

2.  We could decide that, as a team, we will produce just one FP at a 
time.  If we decide Harry is the next FP we will launch, then 
everyone would work on Harry until that FP is finished.  Then we'd 
start a new FP.  Alternatively, maybe we'd work on no more than two 
FPs at a time -- Harry and Hagrid, for example.  Or we'd have one 
team for new FPs and one team for Updates to existing FPs.  Or we 
could work on one new FP and one Update as a team.

3.  We could have roving, motivational FPers who would help (and 
prod) FP writers.

4.  We could have a lead FPer on a particular FP, with a few others 
acting as support (helping to find good posts with The Whole 
Enchilada).

5.  We could decide that a writer may only reserve one FP or update 
at a time.  When the first is completed, then the writer could choose 
from whatever FPs remain unassigned.

6.  We could decide that a FP must be completed within a certain 
period (6 months?) after which time the FPer would assemble a team to 
move the project along.

7.  We could require that drafts/outlines be posted here monthly.

8.  We could chill and just let things develop however they develop.

Anyway, are there other options we might consider?  Opinions on any 
of these options?  How do we feel about the issue of output?

Lastly, I was hoping someone might be clever enough to think up a 
better term for us than "FPers."  Preferably something inspired by 
canon?

The only thing that I could think of was . . . well, it is almost to 
embarrassing to say, really.  See, on MEG, there are Elves (who do 
the work) and Geists (who throw water balloons).  But here on the FAQ 
list, we have no real power over what happens on the lists.  Or HPfGU 
policy.  Or how HPfGU members are treated.  All we can do is gather 
up the best messages, keep things organized and so forth.  

In a way, we're kind of like Filch -- no real powers but tasked with 
keeping the place livable.  So maybe we're all "squibs?"

Eh.  I'll bet you guys can do better.  Anyone?

Cindy