Questions, spam and demands for Rick

[Mord]

2. NWN1 and NWN2: NWN1 continue on as long as players want it, regardless of how many NWN2 servers there are. Twp separate platforms, but one community. 1 PC, however, you choose which platform.

If you change this to 1 PC per platform then I shall vote for you, sir.

[psycho_leo]

2. NWN1 and NWN2: NWN1 continue on as long as players want it, regardless of how many NWN2 servers there are. Twp separate platforms, but one community. 1 PC, however, you choose which platform.

I agree with most of what you said. This is the only bit I have a problem with. So why don't you agree with one PC per plataform like was agreed earlier?

[Rick7475]

2. NWN1 and NWN2: NWN1 continue on as long as players want it, regardless of how many NWN2 servers there are. Twp separate platforms, but one community. 1 PC, however, you choose which platform.

I agree with most of what you said. This is the only bit I have a problem with. So why don't you agree with one PC per plataform like was agreed earlier?

Ammended See, that was easy

[Mord]

[Moderated: spam. Rusty]

[JaydeMoon]

1. Dead Horses and new issues: I believe in democracy to the point of the integrity of ALFA. So, major policy issues will be voted on by an ALFA wide poll, with the majority 50+1. Once the issue is resolved by majority, that's it, no more threads or disccussion for a year. Threads and results of the decisions will be archived and date-stamped. So, any sore losers bitching on the forums will have their threads removed. Majority rules, take it or leave.

What determines when a poll gets run? If I think the community will want multiple PCs on each platform, I can petition for a poll? So I need admin backing? Can only certain people instigate a poll?

Also, would 50%+1 be enough to change, say, a Pillar? Or just a minor change?

1a: That said, there will be a new forum separate from the general forums and for membership only called "Thoughts, Concerns and Constructive Criticism" You can b*tch there and it will, I repeat, will be heavily moderated, by me if necessary. However, I would hope the discussions would be for the betterment of ALFA. Note: Constructive Criticism. General forum will be for all to see, with a nice sticky for screenshots and advertising stuff.

Potentially helpful, potentially the same kind of thing as the difference between #alfa and #alandfaraway. It's a good idea and worth trying out, no questions for this one.

2. NWN1 and NWN2: NWN1 continue on as long as players want it, regardless of how many NWN2 servers there are. Two separate platforms, but one community. 1 PC, however, per platform. NWN2, I am coordinating the farthest server along to go to live, and I continue to do it. More servers other than the ones proposed are welcome (see below).

Amendment was welcome, nothing else to see here, let's move on.

3. Server proposals: This process will be thrown out and replaced by a vote from all 5 admins on new servers with a brief server statement of intent (1 or 2 pages of a simplied summary). This will make it easier for builders with real experience to put in a proposal, hopefully attracting back the builders we chased away.

I like it.

I get along with all the admin professionally and generally am agreeable to whatever needs to be done for ALFA, however, I've been around this community a long time, and I am old school from the beginning.

Who is more Old School? Vince Vaughn or Will Ferrell or You?

This community has chased out too many people that have tried their best in an difficult position because of constant bickering and bitching. Under my lead, that will stop, and I will boot people that are the instigators: permanently.

That's a heavy claim. What counts as instigators? Majority (50%+1) community vote? 3 inflammatory threads in a row? One use of the word idiot?

Our community has become bogged down with liberal bureaucratic red tape. Sometimes this is for the good, as it ensures we aren't unduly harsh on someone who may not have done anything wrong. Other times is serves to keep 'troublemakers' in our ranks, making trouble. Are you saying you'll bypass this, in the case of 'instigators'? Unilaterally removing them from the community? Or by Admin vote? Or by community poll?

Good luck, Rick... you've a good chance if someone else runs, and definitely won't receive a 'no' vote if running unopposed. That's my political assessment anyway.

[Inaubryn]

[Moderated: not a question. Rusty]

[Mikayla]

Hi Rick,

Thank you for throwing your hat in the ring for what can be a very difficult job, as Rotku’s recent departure can attest to. I think it goes without saying that you have an excellent track record as a builder, and you were one of the hardest working, most consistent HDMs of NWN1. You are also a long time ALFAn and all of these things speak well for your candidacy. I have some questions and concerns however, which I hope you can answer and/or put at ease.

1. While you were one of the hardest working, most consistent HDMs in ALFA, you are also known for having a temper, and for reacting aggressively towards criticism. This is not something unique to you, obviously, as more than one ALFAn has a reputation for such, but as Lead Admin you would be subject to frequent critiques, from all parts of the community, you would be under a great deal of pressure, and, as the leader of the community, your tone in responding to those critiques and that pressure will set the tone for ALFA as a community – what will you do to keep your temper in check? How will you respond constructively to criticism?

2. You mention you will throw the server proposal process out – at this point I personally do not have any problem with that, as we can see we are not flooded with servers. That said, you also mentioned you wished to bring back people who have proven they can build – is it your intent to recruit Murky for ALFA? If so, I have to express my grave concerns – while Murky can build, Murky was also the source of more Admin problems, Legalities threads and disputes than any other person in ALFA save for one. The discord he brought to the Admin when he was there, the negativity, and the outright hostility were extraordinarily destructive. Granted, not everyone in ALFA has seen this side of Murky because much of it is in the Admin forums, but that said, we can see that when it came to Shadowdale, Murky’s entire DM corps and his entire playerbase asked for or supported the change in leadership – there were many who criticized that change in leadership, but none of those people were active SD DMs. So, with those concerns expressed, is Murky one of the people you intend to recruit?

3. Friction has developed between the Admin of late, in regards to who is responsible for what and how do we handle certain problems – given that the Admin generally have strong personalities, how will you handle disputes between the Admin? What will you do to lessen the friction that is developing?

4. You mentioned you wish to cut the "bullshit" - while this is an easy thing to say and will often garner gut-level support from dissatisfied people, without an actual plan, its meaningless - so, what do you mean by it? Specifically, what "bullshit" do you plan on cutting and how?


Thank you in advance for your answers.

Mikayla

[indio]

[Moderated. Not a question. Rusty]

[Rick7475]

First off, I'll answer as much as I can in due time, and try and get to all.

What determines when a poll gets run? If I think the community will want multiple PCs on each platform, I can petition for a poll? So I need admin backing? Can only certain people instigate a poll?

Also, would 50%+1 be enough to change, say, a Pillar? Or just a minor change?

Who is more Old School? Vince Vaughn or Will Ferrell or You?

That's a heavy claim. What counts as instigators? Majority (50%+1) community vote? 3 inflammatory threads in a row? One use of the word idiot?

Well, for a poll to be run, it will most likely be a divisive issue in the community; like a couple of 10 page threads with equal arguments on both sides. Basically, the issue would identified, there would be an official townhall board discussion weighing pros and cons, then a vote for the whole community with a question worded by the admins. The poll would be run by the LA or someone assigned by the LA. You elect 'em, they do their job as elected reps.

I currently believe that 50+1% is what works, even for a pillar. A poll would be run over a 1 week period. Then the decision is what we go with. Also, the time limit of a year means that it is not shut. Bring it up again in a year if you want, but not before.

I've watched Will Ferrell since SNL, he cracks me up all the time Not sure about the new Vince Vaughn Santa movie.

[Rick7475]

But, look at what has driven you to run... disgust.

Actually, I've wanted to make some changes for a while, not necessarily disgust, maybe frustration. Most of what I have warned about and predicted about for NWN2 was correct, as a few people have pointed out to me, yet no one would listen to me. In an elected office, perhaps that will change.

Anyway, my advice to you is... focus all of your energy on building your server. Running for and being elected to any Admin position will deflate your desire to not only build but be a part of this community as a whole. Just take ALFA's history as evidence. Look at all the Admin who are not only not admin anymore, but not longer part of the community.

I will be building, I guarantee that. But I can be blunt, I'll let ALFA know when they go too far with me!

The truth is this... the way ALFA is set up now isn't designed for a visionary to come along, kiss the boo-boo, and make it all better. It's way too entrenched in its bureaucratic culture for that. We're too obsessed with polls, and democracy, and getting our own way to return to the gameworld and the fun we know we should be havin'. That's evident in the hundreds of posts over the last two and a half years that restate in some form or fashion, "Hey, it's a game, let's have fun."

I agree. Not sure if this will change or not, but I'll give it a go.

I of course realize that you won't heed my advice, and may even debunk it as utter nonsense and the ramblings of a jaded and disgruntled old soul. In that case, let me wish you good luck and say that I won't say I told you so, when... well, I just won't say it.

You told me I'll build still, no matter what happens.

[Rick7475]

Hi Rick,

1. While you were one of the hardest working, most consistent HDMs in ALFA, you are also known for having a temper, and for reacting aggressively towards criticism. This is not something unique to you, obviously, as more than one ALFAn has a reputation for such, but as Lead Admin you would be subject to frequent critiques, from all parts of the community, you would be under a great deal of pressure, and, as the leader of the community, your tone in responding to those critiques and that pressure will set the tone for ALFA as a community – what will you do to keep your temper in check? How will you respond constructively to criticism?

I try now to follow the "Step Back and Take 5 rule" before hitting the post button. I know I have a temper, but I have learned to channel it to hard work and energy, especially in a professional environment, and as LA, that would be the case. Even though this is a game and a hobby, many people take it seriously and so should I in the role of LA. I have never had a temper issue in all my years as a Cub Scout Leader with groups of energetic boys and as an elementary school teacher with classes of children (I have taught as low as grade 3). However, I am a scrapper when it comes to issues that I believe in or when it comes to defending what I care about. Most of my temper was lost defending the actions of the Players and DM's on Daggerford who I felt were being unfairly targetted.


2. You mention you will throw the server proposal process out – at this point I personally do not have any problem with that, as we can see we are not flooded with servers. That said, you also mentioned you wished to bring back people who have proven they can build – is it your intent to recruit Murky for ALFA? If so, I have to express my grave concerns – while Murky can build, Murky was also the source of more Admin problems, Legalities threads and disputes than any other person in ALFA save for one. The discord he brought to the Admin when he was there, the negativity, and the outright hostility were extraordinarily destructive. Granted, not everyone in ALFA has seen this side of Murky because much of it is in the Admin forums, but that said, we can see that when it came to Shadowdale, Murky’s entire DM corps and his entire playerbase asked for or supported the change in leadership – there were many who criticized that change in leadership, but none of those people were active SD DMs. So, with those concerns expressed, is Murky one of the people you intend to recruit?

Well, I am more concerned with builders, Murky being one, but there were many others that left us that I hope we can bring back. The list of builders on the proposals was quite long, and now there are only a fraction of them. That is where I was thinking. And even as far back as when ALFA first went live. I have no idea how many were scared off with the requirements. I can be fairly reasonable and I know what it means to be a team player, so I would avoid discord among the Admins and HDM's as much as possible. If Murky wants to come back and build and follow our standards (as I am doing) to the best of his ability, then I would not turn him down. If he puts forward a proposal where he is the HDM, it would go before all 5 Admins, where the majority would determine approval. If he were not the HDM, but on a team, I would feel more comfortable.

3. Friction has developed between the Admin of late, in regards to who is responsible for what and how do we handle certain problems – given that the Admin generally have strong personalities, how will you handle disputes between the Admin? What will you do to lessen the friction that is developing?

I believe in clear defined boundaries, and if they are not defined, then we need to revisit them. Of the current Admins, I have no issues with any of them. I resolve problems by establishing open communication (chat, or forums, or whatever) as much as possible and weighing the arguments. Friction happens when people are worried about direction and their role. I will strive to ensure boundaries are defined, and we all know our direction.

4. You mentioned you wish to cut the "bullshit" - while this is an easy thing to say and will often garner gut-level support from dissatisfied people, without an actual plan, its meaningless - so, what do you mean by it? Specifically, what "bullshit" do you plan on cutting and how?

Well, the first one being the Server Proposal fallacy. That will go. The second is to cut the forum chatter by dividing the forums into a "Constructive Criticism" section so that people visiting the general forums aren't lured into something they didn't want to get into. Then we will focus on the new server, of which I have a lot of experience with. Clear goals, clear mandates, clearing dead horses issues off the table that have been decided, and make this community work better.


Mikayla

[Mikayla]

Excellent answers Rick, thank you. I am impressed by the thought and depth of your responses. I do have one follow up question in response to a question posed by Inaubryn.

Inaubryn:

[Edit - I have removed this portion of my post as Inaubryn's post has been removed altogether because it lacked a question. My question to Rick, below, still stands however. Thanks. Mikayla]

Rick’s response:

I agree. Not sure if this will change or not, but I'll give it a go.

ALFA is not set up for a “visionary to come along, kiss the boo-boo, and make it all better” because that would mean ALFA was set up as a dictatorship wherein the one person at the top had the authority to impose his or her “vision” upon the rest of ALFA with no constraints from the rest of ALFA’s population. Though “bureaucracy” is a bad word, ALFA is set up as a democracy in recognition of the fact that MANY ALFAns are hard-working contributors to this project and each of them feels an entitlement to have a say in how our community is governed. “Hey, it’s a game, let’s have fun” has obvious “curb appeal” but it denies the reality – ALFA is not a game, ALFA is a community of people who play a game. And like any community, it needs governance, both to advance the goals of the community (i.e. play the game) and to resolve disputes between its members (i.e. how we play the game). While it would be great if people spent more time in world, that would not change the fact that ALFA is still a community of a couple of hundred different people, many of whom are long-time contributors to the project, and most of whom want a say in how the community is governed – to set up the governance that Inaubryn suggests (and that he wanted as Lead Admin) would set up a dictatorship in ALFA in the name of efficiency.

Now, I will not deny that dictatorships can be efficient – as the old saying goes, “Mussolini made the trains run on time.” Nevertheless, giving one “visionary” the power to enact his or her vision disenfranchises all the other ALFAns out there, many of whom (indeed, most of whom) have their own visions for ALFA.

What ALFA needs is a visionary leader who can work within ALFA’s system, not a visionary dictator who will have to work around or even over the rest of ALFA’s community. Can you be that leader? Can you work within ALFA’s system? (And “ALFA’s system” does not include the Server Proposal system which I have already acknowledged needs to be set aside). The real question is then, can you motivate people to work with you on a shared vision, or will you simply try to order people to follow your vision?

[Lusipher]

[Moderated: not a question. Rusty]

[Rusty]

Hi Rick

A few questions based on what you have already said:

You propose ALFA-wide votes on 'major policy issues'; what happens if a majority of Admin do not support such a vote?

The Charter defines Public Relations as the responsibility of Lead Admin. Do you have any plans in this area and do you have any comment on the recent PR Plan put forward by IWS?

Hialmar delegated his Moderation powers to Rotku. Would you continue with this arrangement if Hialmar was amenable?

The Charter defines overseeing servers and appointing DMs as the responsibility of the DM Admin. Do you propose to amend the Charter to change this? (FYI, I do not believe we have a current server selection process.)

And two of my very own:

I believe that it is all but impossible to be a good Admin while holding another active role in the community. I have been unable to make time to DM or Build while DMA. Cipher has struggled to find time to Build since becoming TA. If, two weeks into your term, you come to the same conclusion, which job will you resign from?

With NWN2 interest from outside ALFA developing, do you think we should create an alternative method of joining ALFA for people interested primarily in technical and building contributions or should everyone have to go through the same OAS/Written RP-based process?

Thanks in advance for your answers; and apologies for the number of questions.

Rusty

[danielmn]

A couple of questions for you.

1. How do you see your role as Lead pertaining to NWN2, server building, and dming differing from our DMA's role? where is the boundary, in your estimation, on how much control you have over the servers and how they are tackled, vs. the DMA? ** Edit, Rusty brought this to the forefront.**

2. What would be your stance in tackling new servers if you bring builders back? Do you think it better to build two or three servers at once, OR have one team of all of the builders churning through one server at a time?

3. How has your building experience been so far for NWN2, and what, if any, changes would you make to the current system beyond doing away with server intention paperwork and bringing builders back to the project.

4. What do you think is Alfa's greatest weakness?

5. What do you think is ALFA's greatest strength?

6. Venture a guess as to where you would like to see ALFA by the end of your tenure, and what you hope to accomplish between now and then.

As an aside, Go Rick Go. You might not be popular, but your doing one heck of a job with building, as is Indio. What we need RIGHT NOW is doers, not talkers, and I am glad to see one step up. Be prepared for beratement, for childishness when you don't do things other peoples way, and petty arguements that solve nothing. I, for one, am rooting for you.

Daniel M Noah