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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]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.

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