Desperate measures/Simon on the movie

[Ebony AKA AngieJ]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "Tabouli" <tabouli at u...> wrote:
> Couldn't we have a more exclusive list where entry is by private 
email invitation only?  

I'm with Michelle.  I really think we ought to just let it go... and 
channel the energy that we'd spend trying to set up/regulate/maintain 
the exclusive list into enhancing the quality of postings at HP4GU.

HP4GU didn't have an elitist rep a year ago, or even six months ago.  
In order to control the volume of postings (anyone who was a member 
as of January ought to remember the 300+ posts daily insanity) the 
Mod Squad kicked three things off the list that were contributing to 
bulk before:  1)  OT posts were relegated to OT-Chatter, 2) 
fanfiction, because we have members who do not read it, was relegated 
to the various fanfic realms, and 3) ship debates, which really used 
to take up a lot of bandwidth believe it or not, were relegated to 
the Outer Regions of the Andromeda Galaxy.  :)

I'm not sure that it's the numbers that might be making the list 
uncomfortable.  About the same amount of people actively post as when 
we were 1/2 or 1/3 our present size.

But the things that make the list companionable are gone, which is 
why OT-Chatter seems like so much more of a cheerful place.  Fanfic 
and shipping are irrelevant to that particular point (although as 
Cassie has said before, participating in fanon has kept interest in 
the books *acutely* fresh for those of us who are in the fanfic 
realm, as we have to constantly re-read canon), but what we have is 
1800 people on the main list and 362 people on OT-Chatter.  The 
people who are on the main list but not here on OT-Chatter get quite 
a different PoV of what the community is about than the people on 
both lists.

I realize that part of this may be my fault... I proposed doing a 
newsletter along with Jeralyn this winter.  But Jeralyn got busy with 
RL, and I now not only read fanfic avidly, but started to write it... 
and without a co-author, it's taking up a heck of a lot of time.  And 
anyway, the newsletter wasn't going to be posted to the main list but 
to HP4GU-Announcements, which has less people subbed than OT-
Chatter.  I think that sort of defeats the purpose if the newsletter 
was to spread general goodwill to all--I'd daresay that most of those 
on the Announcements list are here on OT also.

One solution that we had to implement over at Kindred Spirits to 
restore goodwill is the "Kindred Day".  (Trina and Barbara Foster 
Williams might be able to speak to this as well.)  On the 15th of 
every month, intelligent scholarly discussion is set aside and people 
post frighteningly OT stuff... about engagements, grandchildren 
recently born, jobs, new cars, all sorts of frivolous stuff.  It 
sounds REALLY frightening, but it worked!!!  Now Kindreds actually 
look eagerly forward to "Kindred Day" so they can read all about 
what's going on in everyone's lives.

One of the major themes in Maud's work is friendship, so KS (which is 
actually maintained by the University of Prince Edward Island and has 
a solid scholarly basis) despite its tendency to wax academic 
struggles to keep the personal side of the list going with regional 
teas, Christmas card clubs (imagine getting DELUGED with over 100 
season's greetings from all over the world--HEY MODS, why can't we do 
YULE OWLS???), postcard exchanges (hey, Kristin!), and the famous 
biennial conferences on PEI.

But... you guys don't understand... it's happening here in the HP4GU 
community and satellites as well!

We *have* the regional clubs, and I think that a year from now, all 
of them will have met.  The New York and London folks have met up 
several times now and had a blast at each go.  I'm sure the Texas 
folks will have fun at the movie, and I want to do something this 
fall or during the holiday season with my Great Lakers (is that a 
word?) as well.

I'd love to do Yule Owls this year... all it takes is gettting a 
volunteer to offer up their e-mail address and solicit snail mail/e-
mail addresses from those willing to participate.  Then the 
coordinator e-mails a Master List of addresses to everyone who 
responded... usually well before Thanksgiving (end of Nov.)... and 
from December to mid-January, you get cards from people all over!  
Cool... helps foster community... and if this is no one else wants to 
coordinate it... (great big sigh)... if Trina or someone else in the 
know will help, then I'll...

KSers look eagerly forward to going to PEI for the conferences... our 
next one is in 2002 and I see no reason why I shouldn't go, as long 
as I've been an Anne fan.  <vbg>  Now, Heidi and I have talked 
casually about arranging a fan conference sometime within the next 
five years... not sure she knows how very serious I am about it, 
though.  

What I envision is an annual conference, sponsored each year by a 
different HP4GU regional club.  The Londoners can go first (since 
that'll give me an excuse to go back!), then the next year the New 
Yorkers, etc.  We could have a full list of conference activities... 
half scholarly for the academics, half fan-based for the rest of 
us... imagine the fun we'd have.  It's very feasible.  If we play our 
cards right, each regional entity could get university backing and 
local corporate funding... we could arrange it where our full-time 
undergraduate college students could get student rates with their 
International Student IDs... it's all in how you pitch it. 

I see much more good in the HP4GU and satellites than bad.  Every fan 
community has their ups and downs... a year ago we were up with the 
release of GoF, and now we're down.  Believe me, in three more months 
we'll be up again.  <vbg>

And Simon, I doubt very seriously that the movie is going to flop in 
America... I know this may offend some people, but tell me, what is 
it competing against in the kids' holiday movie market?  LOTR isn't 
exactly tweener fare.

Yeah, we're all annoyed with each other and our list now, but don't 
worry.  This too shall pass.

Best to all.

--Ebony AKA AngieJ