MEMB/ADMIN: Questions for Abigail (WAS FAQ roles, and Dark Mark)

[cindysphynx]

Hey!
 
Abigail:
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
>It's more then a little 
>puzzling to me to hear someone talking about a mass induction (not 
>inviting one or two people like Michelle or Maria) only 5 months after 
>the last one.  
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
Mmm, maybe I didn't explain myself very well.  I don't want anyone left
feeling puzzled.  I hope it's OK if I try again.
 
Before June when the Abigail/Tom et al. group arrived in early June,
there were many things we didn't know then that we know now.  For
instance:
 
1.  We didn't know what the OoP issues and characters would be.  We
hadn't seen the book.  We didn't know just how obsolete our old FPs
would be or which ones would be most in need of a tune-up.
 
2.  We had leadership so that this list didn't get bogged down in
administrative discussions.  
 
3.  Some of our new members are now grappling with the considerable
demands of being new elves.  Of the new FAQ members from June, half were
fortunate enough to receive invitations to join the ranks of MEG.  This
diminished the ranks of those whose attentions and energies aren't being
split between the two demanding non-public working lists (MEG and FAQ).
 
4.  We didn't know back in June that we would have no leader such that
administration here would be a 38-way affair.
 
5.  Above all, we didn't know that five months after OoP release, we
would have no progress to show for it except a few revisions to the
pre-OoP Harry FP outline and the preparatory work of the DE team and its
outline that Debbie first posted here in February.  In other words, I
thought we'd hit the ground running, but we haven't, it appears.  This
is no one's fault, but at this rate, the list won't have a single FP for
at least another 5 months.  At best.  
 
Then again, maybe this whole predicament whereby we find ourselves with
too many, er, ladies in waiting, and not enough people doing work is my
fault.  I figured the 8-10 people we brought on in June would be enough,
but I had no idea folks like Amanda viewed themselves *only* as editors.
I figured most everyone here - especially Amanda as a "Premier
Snapologist" -- would eagerly pick up a quill and do some actual FAQ
writing.  It seems we have just learned that is not the case - some
folks are here to wait for others to get a move on.  I don't think much
of that, but if that's where we are stuck, then we just plain need more
bodies.  
 
While I'm here, though, I will say this about the idea of having some
people here whose sole function is to wait for other people to get
something done. . . . 
 
You all may recall that I was leading this list last winter during the
cataloguing phase.  I *could* have sat on my backside and done no
cataloguing myself.  I could have said my purpose was to "lead."  Or
"organize."  Or "edit."  Or "inspire."  Or "wait."
 
I didn't do that.  Instead, I rolled up my sleeves and catalogued until
I was dizzy, wrote HA updates and wrote one entire FPs ("HPfGU-A
History") and one big update with Pippin ("Mysteries"), all the while
dealing with a buttload of administrative issues on- and off-list.  Why
is that, do you think?  Is it because I *like* to catalogue?  No.  Is it
because I have no life?  No.  
 
It is because in a volunteer organization like this one, one only has
the moral authority to lead or inspire or prod or direct or *opine* if
one is actually doing something useful oneself.  Otherwise, one's
opinions are (rightfully) dismissed and carry no more weight than the
opinion of someone you grab right off the street.  I think having a
ruling class of royalty on this list is a recipe for disaster.  So yeah.
I think the dialogue between Tom and Amanda was very useful, so maybe we
need to discuss not only *who* our new members will be, but what they
(and we) will do and how many working members we need.
 
*********************
 
>Surely the situation on FAQ was roughly the same back 
>in June?  
 
*********************
 
No.  In June, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" was released.
There have been 30,000+ posts since.  We have given the list *nothing*
in the way of so much as an HA update.  Given that no one is in charge,
given that some of us do not wish to be nagged, well . . . I don't see
many options other than to invite sufficient numbers of
carefully-selected new members.  
 
I have to consider, though, that it is possible that the list doesn't
care how long it takes us to churn out our first FP.  I think Debbie may
have taken that position (correct me if I'm wrong, Debbie).  I had a
brain wave about that this weekend.  Maybe we should ask the members we
serve about that in the form of an OT-Chatter poll?  If they are *dying*
to see some FPs, then we'd best bring in a bunch of new people to
*write.*  If they don't really care and are in no hurry, then I agree we
wouldn't need any new members at all.  What do you think?  Any
objections if I ask the question on OT-Chatter in a straw poll?
 
**********************
 
>I assume that the number of new people introduced was 
>calculated so as to allow FAQ to begin work writing FPs, ignoring the 
>editors and proofreaders who, as you say, will only step in once the 
>writing is done.  If the number of new members wasn't enough, why 
>was such a small number introduced?
 
**********************
 
That would be an incorrect assumption, I'm afraid, so I'm glad you
brought it up.
 
I sure didn't think that over half of the FAQ Team Members would do
*nothing* in the way of actual work until others produced FPs.
Goodness, no!  Further, I don't recall anyone ever saying that the folks
who arrived in June would be the last of the folks ever needed to write
FPs.  The number chosen wasn't due to any complex needs analysis.  Think
of it as just a start.  
 
 
********************
>The problem that strikes me is not one of too few writers but too 
>many subjects.  Wasn't that the point of establishing the house system 
>back in June?  It was supposed to ensure that our energies wouldn't be 
>too thinly spread.  We agreed on four topics, this list contains seven.

 
******************************
 
Close, but not quite right.
 
We didn't agree on four topics.  Ali was working on Quidditch outside
the house system, you'll recall.  Heidi also made clear that she would
be doing some things outside the house system.  
 
IMHO, the House System is a great idea, but it isn't working well at
all.  See, when I took over in October, I had to come up with *some*
sort of strategy to cure what ailed us then - little was getting done
and even completed FPs were languishing without being uploaded.  I
diagnosed the problem plaguing the FAQ list back then as being spread
too thin and a lack of strong and aggressive leadership.  I suggested we
work together more and believed that having folks sitting in separate
corners working on FPs would lead to no output.  I still that is
correct.
 
The problem we encountered in February, though, was that once we
finished the cataloguing, people retreated to their separate corners.
List volume dropped off.  There was no way to know if anything was
getting done.  The House System was the fix for that.  It allowed us to
all be inspired by the efforts of others, but to have a prefix to skip
if we didn't have time to immerse ourselves in the details of other FPs.
 
******************

Personally, I'm opposed to bringing new people in right now.  I wouldn't

feel comfortable telling someone that this is a fun place to be, or even

promising them that they'll get to work on an FP.  I think we should get

our house in order before inviting new people into it.
 
******************************
 
Mmmm, that's one way to look at it.  You'll remember, though, that when
you arrived, this list was *reeling* from Modgate, with no one working
and no one posting.  That was fixed with an influx of new members.  
 
That said, I have similar concerns about bringing people in now, but for
different reasons than Abigail.  I don't know how I could look them in
the eye and invite them into what seems increasingly like a slave ship
with MEG at the helm.  Perhaps if MEG were to stand down and let FAQ
handle the FAQ list rather than treat the FAQ-only members as
second-class citizens with tiny bunks down in steerage, things would
improve?  
 
Next, could I make a suggestion for the operation of our Liaison?  To
avoid confusion, I think it would be for the best for Abigail to post
separately when she is wearing her Liaison hat versus her FAQ list
member hat rather than combine those two functions.  That will make it
crystal clear that Abigail's own POV isn't affecting her approach when
she performs her official Liaison duties, and it will be easier for us
FAQ-only members to keep things straight.
 
Finally, I hope I haven't upset MEG by speaking out on these
administrative issues.  Unfortunately, I have a rather unique
institutional perspective, and at times I am the only one around with
knowledge of *why* things were done in the past or why.  So when I see
folks making incorrect assumptions about these matters, I feel I owe it
to us all to correct the record so we stay on track.  Again, I apologize
if this was inappropriate participation on my part.  
 
Cindy 


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