> I liked E's suggestion (not on here yet)
>
> - Madelyn
But it's here now. :)
1. The mail-in registration.
Ditch it. This has turned into nothing but a farce and a migraine for
Peter.
2. Committees. Started off as people we know, now we're getting
professional promoters. Do we restrict who can put in a bid? If so
what restrictions make sense?
NO PROFESSIONAL PROMOTERS. Period. This isn't Gothapalooza. Promoters
have different objectives than Convergence planners do, and C12 and
C13 are testaments that a promoter-planned Convergence does not work.
It may happen, but it is not by and for the a.g community (and their
friends).
I think that the majority of any bid committee needs to be people who
have personal investment in the alt.gothic community. They should have
demonstrated this investment by their participation on the newsgroup
or by having attending a previous Convergence (and I'd even go so far
as to say they should have attended at least two). These community
members should be on the committee during the actual event as well --
no "token a.g person during bidding and then we drop 'em" like
****tland did with Algernon. That was complete bull****.
3. Voters. Who can vote? Do we maintain the current database system
and modify how people get added? Do we ditch the database and find
some other system? Say, go back to public voting on the newsgroup?
Have the C*b*l just select the winner?
First off, NO MAIL-IN. Secondly, I think the database needs to be gone
over, and if someone has not voted for some time (just how long would
have to be determined), that person should be dropped. This would take
care of people who, as an example, went to C9 because it was local and
never attended another Convergence before or since.
I think that voting should be limited to people who have attended at
least one Convergence, and I propose that votes be weighted according
to Convergence attendance. There are many people who attend
Convergence each and every year but do not post regularly on the
newsgroup. Some people don't participate in the online community much,
but they keep in touch with their friends by other means and go to
Convergence to see them. Weighting votes based on total number of
Convergences attended would give the same voting "say" to someone who
went to C1, C2, and C4 as someone who went to C9, C10, and C12. People
who have attended more than one Convergence are more likely to attend
in the future. Weighting votes, I think, would be a more accurate
reflection of the community's desires. As it stands now, the guy who
found out about C13 from a ****tland newspaper and has no clue that C14
is even happening can vote and have the same say as someone who has
been a regular attendee for years. That doesn't seem fair.
4. The C*b*l itself. More transparency? Elected? Fixed terms? Only
previous C* organizers? Do you even care, as long as they get the job
done?
I think the C*b*l needs to be demystified somewhat -- let everyone
know who the C*b*l is and what they are there for. I think that the
C*b*l is somewhat intimidating to some committees, because they feel
like the C*b*l is Big Brother. I've heard talk that the C*b*l fixes
the elections (and I heard crap like that long before the whole
debacle during last spring's vote). Of course, I know the people on
the C*b*l, and I'm on it myself, so I know that's a load of bull, but
that perception is still floating out there in some people's minds. If
we make it clear who the C*b*l is, what they do, and how they can help
committees, I think people will feel more comfortable with the whole
concept of the C*b*l.
In terms of who should be on the C*b*l, I think an elected C*b*l or a
fixed-term C*b*l could cause problems. There would be issues of who
can vote, etc.
Having past organizers in the C*b*l is im****tant, because they are the
go-to people for planning committees. But I think that the current
C*b*l should stay in place as well, even tho not all of them have been
actual committee members, simply because they have been to so many
Convergences and have a sense of the overall history and purpose of
the gathering. I'm afraid that some of that would be lost if they were
no longer a part of the C*b*l.
5. Anything else you care about?
I want a mojito and a sidewalk booty dance with Madelyn. ;)
:), Eilis
PS. GOTHS ON ICE IN YBOR: SUNDAY, AUGUST 10TH.
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