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Qem ([info]qem_chibati) wrote in [info]unfunny_fandom,
@ 2011-11-13 18:27:00


Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Professional fandom
Apologies for the lack of backstory links, I'm typing this from a phone. I think that's the only comment I've made in what I'm linking other than maybe something about php and ruby.

Otw (organization for transformative works) elections are happening right now, and boy is it wanky.

It was going to be unfunny, as you might imagine when three of the six candidates mention volunteer burn out ( http://facetofcathy.dreamwidth.org/229943.html ) in their candidate statements and one candidate Naomi Novik, founding member says she hasn't noticed.

Well if she hasn't noticed it can't be true right?

http://renay.dreamwidth.org/236955.html

Oh. Oh dear.



Add in that Sanders the candidate of colour has kept her main fandom journal for elections, and has a similar platform to the others, is told that she is too angry and has her friends getting anon comments telling them to tell her to watch her tone.

Then shit blows up when they fuck up the skins for "accessibility" when the new default is grey on grey and lots of red. 

http://branchandroot.dreamwidth.org/1255716.html#comments

Apparently this was rushed to get the archive ready for Yuletide.  Only Yuletide isn't a otw project. 


http://fail-fandomanon.livejournal.com/22095.html?thread=99563087#t99563087


But what really has me gobsmacked is this, 
from: copracat
Let me make sure I have this correctly:

The chair of the board has been told by someone/s to stop working on a strategic plan for the organisation because she doesn't have the authority to do so. 

I'm going to make a cup of tea now. 

-----
general-jinjur (the chair in question)


more accurately, i was told that i was dishonest, conspiratorial, and secretive because:

- i asked for volunteers to help gather info and work on preliminaries in an org-wide meeting (org-wide meetings are attended by a large group of volunteers and staff, including at least one representative from every committee)
- discussed how a strategic plan was on the horizon in at least two other org-wide meetings
- hired a staffer (one who, like all our staff, was unanimously board-approved) specifically to work on stakeholder surveys (beginning of 2011 term) as part of preliminary work (staffer wound up with international outreach, as they were best to start that piece). 

by doing the above, i secretly formed a cabal without ever giving anyone a chance to participate. also, i failed to do all the work (research and write-up of a proposal for the plan for the process) myself rather than involving anyone or doing any delegation.

just to clarify. (perspectives vary, of course. this is my perspective on events. i officially don't care to argue its accuracy anymore; i have just enough energy and time left to tie up loose ends and write up documentation of the stuff i did manage to accomplish (in 2010. i'm a little behind on docs).)


http://copracat.dreamwidth.org/596794.html?thread=2267962#cmt2267962


(Post a new comment)


[info]blue_penguin
2011-11-13 10:21 am UTC (link)
This... may not go over very well, but I don't think people's issues with [info]sanders can entirely be chalked up to racism; the complaints I've seen have mostly had to do with the fact that in I think the top post (or one of the top posts, at least) on her journal she calls herself something along the lines of "bitchy, snide, and cruel" and says that she'll send her "minions" to dogpile people who make comments on her journal that she finds offensive or annoying. And so people aren't sure that's the kind of person they would like to have representing fandom.

Granted, I don't know her and haven't been following stuff that she's said, so maybe she is a lovely person (and/or angry only in a necessary and righteous manner) and that's all being taken out of context and blown out of proportion due to subconscious biases. And regardless of her behavior, it may very well be that she is getting comments that are way out of line and racist (I couldn't say for sure without links to or quotes of said comments, but it is depressingly plausible). But based on what little I know, I do feel it's a little disingenuous to frame all criticism of her as "people are telling the angry black woman to shut up!"

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]blue_penguin
2011-11-13 10:27 am UTC (link)
... er, "angry in a necessary and righteous manner" sounds a little more sarcastic than I meant it to, I think. I meant... understandably angry? Angry about things that it is reasonable to be angry about? Although then you run into the problem of who gets to determine what it is okay to be angry about. What I am getting at is that there is a difference between someone who is angry about social injustices and blunt about expressing it and someone who is just rude and unpleasant all the time about everything. And I have no idea which she is.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]qem_chibati, 2011-11-13 08:35 pm UTC

[info]mer1973
2011-11-13 02:36 pm UTC (link)
The outgoing board president has things to say about FC & NN:

http://general-jinjur.dreamwidth.org/672594.html

Renay has things to say about volunteer burnout:

http://renay.dreamwidth.org/236955.html

Norabombay feels nothing is wrong and nothing about the board is a matter for discussion:

http://norabombay.livejournal.com/1453464.html

I really don't she read the outgoing board president's post.

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]rosehiptea
2011-11-13 07:04 pm UTC (link)
I frankly don't care much about the OTW (except that I like their archive) so I wasn't going to comment. But point 2 of that last post is really troubling. She seems to be saying "Sometimes the people in charge just listen to the other people yammer on and then do whatever they want and that is OK." What the fuck?

(Reply to this)(Parent)


ealusaid
2011-11-13 09:30 pm UTC (link)
But you don't get to demote a volunteer to scutwork and expect that they will continue to deal with you and provide free labor.

Funny... I've seen the OTW board do exactly this.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]issendai
2011-11-13 04:07 pm UTC (link)
Note that the "one candidate Naomi, a founding member" is Naomi Novik.

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]the__ivorytower
2011-11-13 06:58 pm UTC (link)
That's depressing.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]viralmemory
2011-11-13 04:22 pm UTC (link)
OTW = Organization for Transformative Works. For those who are a bit less in the know. (Like me. Thank you, Google!)

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]qem_chibati
2011-11-13 08:36 pm UTC (link)
Sorry, must of gotten cut outbu accident. Edited to clarify.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]moljn
2011-11-14 12:37 pm UTC (link)
It's such an unfortunate acronym. In my head it will always and forever be read as One True Wank, because the real name is not exactly pithy and I keep forgetting it.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]undomielregina, 2011-11-14 01:39 pm UTC

[info]sepiamagpie
2011-11-13 04:34 pm UTC (link)
I wondered what this year's crisis would be.

(Reply to this)


[info]gertie_flirty
2011-11-13 08:22 pm UTC (link)
Aw, yeah, Yuletide wank. It's just like Christmas--it begins earlier every year. :D

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]cmdr_zoom
2011-11-13 09:00 pm UTC (link)
Pretty soon they'll be putting up the posts right after Halloween.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]the_con_cept, 2011-11-14 06:44 am UTC

[info]rosehiptea
2011-11-14 04:19 am UTC (link)
It makes me feel funny about being so happy about Yuletide, even though people participating in it and enjoying it aren't the problem here. (At least I hope not...)

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]kookaburra
2011-11-14 07:07 pm UTC (link)
So, what exactly is Yuletide? Is there a post or page or somewhere that explains it without shop-talk? Whenever I've tried to figure it out all the info I can find is very opaque. Is it a fic exchange? A fic rec event?

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]gertie_flirty, 2011-11-14 07:12 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]kookaburra, 2011-11-14 07:15 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]jain, 2011-11-15 12:35 am UTC

[info]khym_chanur
2011-11-13 09:59 pm UTC (link)
as you might imagine when three of the six candidates mention volunteer burn out

Why don't they have enough volunteers to spread out the work thinly enough? Not enough people interested in volunteering? The standard for who can volunteer are too high/strict?

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]notjo, 2011-11-13 10:45 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]adevyish, 2011-11-13 11:03 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ekaterinv, 2011-11-13 11:21 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]fools_game, 2011-11-13 11:43 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]adevyish, 2011-11-14 12:48 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]melyanna, 2011-11-15 03:14 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]aaron_agonistes, 2011-11-14 03:52 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]kumquat_of_doom, 2011-11-14 12:59 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sepiamagpie, 2011-11-14 01:11 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]kumquat_of_doom, 2011-11-14 01:18 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sepiamagpie, 2011-11-14 01:22 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]kumquat_of_doom, 2011-11-14 01:30 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sepiamagpie, 2011-11-14 01:35 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]kumquat_of_doom, 2011-11-14 01:40 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sepiamagpie, 2011-11-14 01:43 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]kumquat_of_doom, 2011-11-14 01:59 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sepiamagpie, 2011-11-14 02:10 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sepiamagpie, 2011-11-14 01:06 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]platedlizard, 2011-11-14 09:00 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]deliciouschaos, 2011-11-14 03:19 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]adevyish, 2011-11-13 10:54 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]lady_ganesh, 2011-11-14 12:17 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]adevyish, 2011-11-14 12:52 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]lady_ganesh, 2011-11-14 01:11 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]cmdr_zoom, 2011-11-14 04:30 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]inkstone, 2011-11-14 02:02 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]lady_ganesh, 2011-11-14 03:25 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]inkstone, 2011-11-14 04:14 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]khym_chanur, 2011-11-14 02:36 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]anarchicq, 2011-11-14 03:41 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]adevyish, 2011-11-14 04:16 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]khym_chanur, 2011-11-14 04:21 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]adevyish, 2011-11-14 04:33 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]athersgeo, 2011-11-14 02:37 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]fourthage, 2011-11-14 03:30 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]adevyish, 2011-11-14 04:23 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]fourthage, 2011-11-14 04:26 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]platedlizard, 2011-11-14 06:51 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]ellensmithee, 2011-11-14 08:30 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]msilverstar, 2011-11-14 08:44 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]khym_chanur, 2011-11-14 09:15 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]anonyrat, 2011-11-15 10:48 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ldymusyc, 2011-11-15 08:48 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ellensmithee, 2011-11-15 08:52 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]anonyrat, 2011-11-15 10:51 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ldymusyc, 2011-11-15 10:58 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]anonyrat, 2011-11-15 10:55 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]melannen, 2011-11-14 03:55 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]vassilissa, 2011-11-14 06:56 am UTC

[info]ekaterinv
2011-11-13 11:06 pm UTC (link)
So there seem to be a lot of posts saying things like "I was told" and "I was made to feel". By whom? What are the specifics? It's obvious that people are frightened to name names and get into details, and I've been there, but until they do I don't think anything's going to change for the organization. Which from what I can see looks like a complete disaster.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]amadi, 2011-11-14 12:07 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]ekaterinv, 2011-11-14 06:44 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]amadi, 2011-11-14 10:17 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]ekaterinv, 2011-11-14 10:23 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]amadi, 2011-11-14 10:32 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]undomielregina, 2011-11-14 01:33 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]amadi, 2011-11-14 01:41 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ekaterinv, 2011-11-14 07:12 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]cmdr_zoom, 2011-11-14 08:21 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]melannen, 2011-11-15 04:30 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]ekaterinv, 2011-11-15 05:32 am UTC

[info]sandglass
2011-11-14 12:23 am UTC (link)
Can anyone give like, an outline for what's going on? I don't know anything about the organization or the people involved and I am so lost!

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]amadi, 2011-11-14 10:27 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]franzen, 2011-11-14 05:15 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]amadi, 2011-11-14 06:43 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ekaterinv, 2011-11-14 07:20 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sandglass, 2011-11-14 05:47 pm UTC

[info]anarchicq
2011-11-14 12:25 am UTC (link)
...meh.
I've never been a fan of OTW but I do use AO3. Frankly it's never really brought me the alleged boost of readers/comments that it's supposed to.

This might be reason enough to delete my account.

YAY MASS EXODUS!

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]sepiamagpie, 2011-11-14 01:12 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]anarchicq, 2011-11-14 01:14 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]airawyn, 2011-11-14 01:47 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sepiamagpie, 2011-11-14 02:11 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]rosehiptea, 2011-11-14 04:18 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]airawyn, 2011-11-14 04:35 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]adevyish, 2011-11-14 04:40 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]ldymusyc, 2011-11-14 04:41 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]airawyn, 2011-11-14 04:45 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]cie_anthy, 2011-11-14 05:41 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]rosehiptea, 2011-11-14 06:01 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]zara_zero, 2011-11-14 02:28 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sepiamagpie, 2011-11-14 05:39 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]zara_zero, 2011-11-15 05:48 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sepiamagpie, 2011-11-15 05:51 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]zara_zero, 2011-11-15 05:57 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sepiamagpie, 2011-11-15 05:58 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]havocthecat, 2011-11-14 07:39 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]miraba, 2011-11-14 07:42 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]havocthecat, 2011-11-14 07:46 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]miraba, 2011-11-15 12:37 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]jackandahat, 2011-11-15 03:04 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]havocthecat, 2011-11-15 03:20 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]jackandahat, 2011-11-15 03:37 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]havocthecat, 2011-11-15 03:51 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ldymusyc, 2011-11-15 08:53 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]kookaburra, 2011-11-14 07:14 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]amadi, 2011-11-14 10:40 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]kalloway, 2011-11-14 03:01 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]amadi, 2011-11-14 06:50 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ekaterinv, 2011-11-14 07:23 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]amadi, 2011-11-14 11:54 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]airawyn, 2011-11-14 07:24 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]morganmuffle, 2011-11-15 04:39 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]platedlizard, 2011-11-14 06:56 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]phosfate, 2011-11-14 01:29 pm UTC

[info]duraniedrama
2011-11-14 03:15 pm UTC (link)
Sounds like a sick system to me.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]lady_ganesh, 2011-11-14 03:40 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]notjo, 2011-11-14 05:07 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]lady_ganesh, 2011-11-14 06:21 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]franzen, 2011-11-14 05:23 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]duraniedrama, 2011-11-14 10:01 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]platedlizard, 2011-11-15 04:12 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]papervolcano, 2011-11-14 07:45 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]mochibuni, 2011-11-29 12:01 pm UTC

[info]chash
2011-11-14 03:56 pm UTC (link)
FYI, [info]mollyamory has a post here on DW in support of NN, with Aja in the comments arguing the other side.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]lady_ganesh, 2011-11-14 06:26 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]chash, 2011-11-14 06:57 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]lady_ganesh, 2011-11-14 07:29 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]inkstone, 2011-11-14 08:34 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]lady_ganesh, 2011-11-14 08:40 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]inkstone, 2011-11-14 08:47 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]rosehiptea, 2011-11-14 10:00 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]havocthecat, 2011-11-14 10:08 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ekaterinv, 2011-11-14 10:26 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]havocthecat, 2011-11-14 10:46 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]rosehiptea, 2011-11-14 10:34 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]havocthecat, 2011-11-14 10:46 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]rosehiptea, 2011-11-14 10:47 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]havocthecat, 2011-11-14 10:49 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sepiamagpie, 2011-11-15 02:53 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]havocthecat, 2011-11-15 04:13 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sepiamagpie, 2011-11-15 05:52 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]havocthecat, 2011-11-15 05:59 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sepiamagpie, 2011-11-15 06:02 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]havocthecat, 2011-11-15 06:05 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]phosfate, 2011-11-15 02:46 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]havocthecat, 2011-11-15 03:06 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]melyanna, 2011-11-15 03:49 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]bienegold, 2011-11-15 04:19 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]melyanna, 2011-11-15 05:31 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]coffeebun, 2011-11-15 05:51 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]lady_ganesh, 2011-11-16 01:44 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]rosehiptea, 2011-11-15 04:19 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]lady_ganesh, 2011-11-15 02:09 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]kookaburra, 2011-11-16 08:20 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]pyratejenni, 2011-11-14 06:40 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]chash, 2011-11-14 06:42 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sepiamagpie, 2011-11-14 06:43 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]chash, 2011-11-14 06:45 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]snakeling, 2011-11-14 09:52 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]lainey, 2011-11-15 07:53 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sepiamagpie, 2011-11-14 06:43 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sepiamagpie, 2011-11-14 06:42 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]phosfate, 2011-11-15 12:55 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]cmdr_zoom, 2011-11-15 07:35 pm UTC

[info]ashenmote
2011-11-14 11:09 pm UTC (link)
Sounds like a case for Keith Mander.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]phosfate, 2011-11-15 04:59 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]spawn_of_kong, 2011-11-15 05:17 am UTC

[info]melyanna
2011-11-15 03:26 am UTC (link)
The overall tone that I get from the organization as a whole — in feeling if not in statement — as I have continued as chair was that mistakes could ruin you. Make a mistake or offend the wrong person: no one wants to work with you anymore. If you're a committee chair, that means your entire committee will be suspect.

I got to this part in [info]renay's post and realized this is essentially the Hollywood depiction of the USSR. (Hey, my icon is relevant!)

(Reply to this)


[info]sunhawk
2011-11-16 07:12 am UTC (link)
I found these entries to be immensely helpful in terms of verbalizing the vague feelings I had about the problems with OTW that created the basis for a lot of the election dramas:

http://skud.dreamwidth.org/13354.html
http://vom-marlowe.dreamwidth.org/9125.html
http://sara.dreamwidth.org/394449.html

I think skud's analysis of the way the OTW coding people have lately been modifying/fixing/adding to the code can be seen as reflective of how they treat the rest of the actions of the organization: Do a whole bunch of things by yourself (or involving a few other people you know or board members/staff, etc) and then make huge changes to the core of OTW with just a single explanation comment in the code change log and expect everyone else reading that log to have ANY IDEA what the heck you are talking about, what did you change, how was it before, etc?

I've been aware but not a member/volunteer of OTW since back when it started breaching the awareness of whatever fandom I was part of at the time (or from fandomwank, I can't exactly remember) but I still find OTW to remind me a lot of a boys-only clubhouse where people always seem to talk so vaguely about what they are doing except for their websites like AO3 or fanlore, it's just surprising to learn that the reason so many people are always so vague is that *even they have no idea what OTW is doing* ha ha!

The fact that people even now have no idea what OTW is, are the head people of OTW surprised they don't get more volunteers and help? If it isn't people scratching their heads, it's that sensation of a mysterious group that is both claiming to work for fandom as a whole but also not for all of fandom, don't be absurd! Cognitive dissonance makes me itchy and less likely to blindly trust enough to say "OK cool, here have $10 or here have hours of my time!" if you get what I mean. That's not even getting into what's already been covered about the volunteer/staff/board burnout or people finding the gatekeeping at OTW to be so ridiculous they feel discouraged to even try to volunteer or help.

(Reply to this)


[info]taichara
2011-11-20 02:42 pm UTC (link)
Aaaaaand now that the voting is over, see Aja backpedal and cheerlead as fast as possible --

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]arachnejericho, 2011-11-24 11:16 pm UTC

 
   
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