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


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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


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[info]melannen
2011-11-14 03:55 am UTC (link)
Because they're really, really bad at using the volunteers they do have in any effective way. They're really, really bad at getting the people who say "oh, I could help a little," and finding them little bits of help they can do. AFAICT, for many of the volunteer jobs at AO3, there are only two modes, with no medium: either overwork yourself to burnout; or do a minimal amount of stuff with no clear path on how to do more and feel like you're unneeded/unappreciated. I mean, the mentoring is great, if what you want is to be well-mentored into a burnout job! Otherwise... yeah.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]vassilissa
2011-11-14 06:56 am UTC (link)
there are only two modes, with no medium: either overwork yourself to burnout; or do a minimal amount of stuff with no clear path on how to do more and feel like you're unneeded/unappreciated

This. So much. I was on the systems committee, and we had two people overworking themselves to burnout, and the rest of us were doing a minimum or nothing. The two overworking people were too busy putting out fires and keeping the servers running to mentor us, which ensured that they remained overworked and we remained underused.

And I concluded "It must be me. I'm too incompetent/untalented/disabled for a career in computers [which was what I was aiming for.] I'm a liability and that's all." So I quit. Years later, I discover that there were a whole lot of people in the same situation.

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