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ahorbinskiWho, as we all know from cleolinda's immortal prose, gives zero fucks.
I admit that the last few months of general doom and gloom posts about the state of the OTW from various quarters have generally left me non-plussed. From my vantage point on Internationalization and Outreach, I have been, and remain, cautiously optimistic for most of this term. (On the other hand, I think every single one of my friends and family members has heard me rant about the OTW at some point by now, usually with alcohol involved. I prefer to rant rather than stew.) So the "everything is terrible!" posts have often put me into a loop of silent panic that goes something like this: what don't I know that other people do? Am I just that out of touch and isolated? IS THIS A SIGN?
Having just completed something of an ad-hoc second quarter review with my committee members, though, and having found it to be fairly successful (reach, grasp, etc, but I don't need heaven anyway, I would just like a few specific features and changes, yesterday), tonight I am thinking that regardless of whether the fact that my phlegmatic perspective is a sign of I&O's isolation, my perspective is still valid.
So, yeah, these thoughts have been inspired by this post, and while I highly doubt I have any readers who would do this, let me say: please don't go over there and bother the OP, who is entitled to her thoughts. I'm curious, though, by way of the Board expansion, how not doing anything to solve a purported "much deeper and more fundamental problem" will solve said alleged problem. I would also like to say, in response to this paragraph:
As a committee chair, no, only using the AO3 does not make you a horrible person as far as I'm concerned. I don't care if people only use the AO3. No one should feel guilty for only using the AO3. I care whether people a) know about the OTW's projects besides the AO3 and b) whether the OTW itself values its other projects besides the AO3. As for the rest, be like Loki and do what you want!
I am beginning to have a weird perspective on the OTW's staffing issues too. To make it clear: in the past five weeks I have met a whole slew of OTW people on two continents including current Chairs, former Board members, workgroup leaders, and blog writers, and I have treasured all of those opportunities. The OTW has a lot of awesome people working for it, let me tell you. On the other hand, I have so many current friends and former colleagues whose involvement with the OTW ended immensely painfully for them, and as much as I am glad they did what they had to do I am angry that the Org could not preserve them, for its own sake and for theirs.
But you know, it's okay to not be an OTW volunteer. Being a volunteer or a staffer is a lot of work, and to be frank, I suspect it always will be a lot of work. Nor do I resent people who don't want to take that on in the first place, or who find, for whatever reason, that it's become too much. I am not trying to guilt you for either of those responses! Your guilt does nothing productive for anyone. Self-preservation should come first, and you are the best judge of that for yourself, not me or anyone else. And yes, I have spent all of my time on I&O (except for my initial forays on Translation and my recently concluded stint as a tag wrangler), and there are committees you could not pay me to serve on or chair, even if hell freezes over, the Eagles win the Super Bowl, and everything about them were changed to match exactly my own personal thoughts on how they should be run. And no, I"m not telling.
One common response I get to my aforementioned in-person rants is "Why do you put up with this?" or "Why are you still involved?" The only answer I have is that, by whatever quirk of brain chemistry, personality, or fate, I haven't hit the bottom of my capacity to deal with crap and keep working, at least not yet. And I believe in the OTW. I believe in the OTW despite everything, despite the fact that I don't think the OTW can or should try to be all things to all parts of fandom (NB: I don't find that statement to be in conflict with the basic mission of I&O).
I am invested in the OTW, and that's me, and I could give you a whole list of reasons why but they would all boil down to a sob story seasoned with my own cussedness and the fact that I am good at what I do and I know it and also I love us and what we have done like burning and finally despite everything I still find the bargain I make with my commitment to be, personally, worthwhile. I am better placed on the inside than on the outside, and I don't see that changing any time soon.
We can be better, and we should, but that is as much for our own sake as for anyone else's.
cleolinda's immortal prose, gives zero fucks. I admit that the last few months of general doom and gloom posts about the state of the OTW from various quarters have generally left me non-plussed. From my vantage point on Internationalization and Outreach, I have been, and remain, cautiously optimistic for most of this term. (On the other hand, I think every single one of my friends and family members has heard me rant about the OTW at some point by now, usually with alcohol involved. I prefer to rant rather than stew.) So the "everything is terrible!" posts have often put me into a loop of silent panic that goes something like this: what don't I know that other people do? Am I just that out of touch and isolated? IS THIS A SIGN?
Having just completed something of an ad-hoc second quarter review with my committee members, though, and having found it to be fairly successful (reach, grasp, etc, but I don't need heaven anyway, I would just like a few specific features and changes, yesterday), tonight I am thinking that regardless of whether the fact that my phlegmatic perspective is a sign of I&O's isolation, my perspective is still valid.
So, yeah, these thoughts have been inspired by this post, and while I highly doubt I have any readers who would do this, let me say: please don't go over there and bother the OP, who is entitled to her thoughts. I'm curious, though, by way of the Board expansion, how not doing anything to solve a purported "much deeper and more fundamental problem" will solve said alleged problem. I would also like to say, in response to this paragraph:
I'll admit flat-out that the only part of the OTW I personally interact with / use is the AO3. Apparently this makes me a horrible person in the eyes of the OTW. But we have so many other projects! Great. Still rarely giving any shits. I wish I could! I really try to give shits about their other stuff. It sounds really cool! I think it's awesome that they have these big other projects underneath their umbrella! I just don't have as much of a use for the other ones, personally. To me, the AO3 is the most important and the most valuable. Sorry guys.
As a committee chair, no, only using the AO3 does not make you a horrible person as far as I'm concerned. I don't care if people only use the AO3. No one should feel guilty for only using the AO3. I care whether people a) know about the OTW's projects besides the AO3 and b) whether the OTW itself values its other projects besides the AO3. As for the rest, be like Loki and do what you want!
I am beginning to have a weird perspective on the OTW's staffing issues too. To make it clear: in the past five weeks I have met a whole slew of OTW people on two continents including current Chairs, former Board members, workgroup leaders, and blog writers, and I have treasured all of those opportunities. The OTW has a lot of awesome people working for it, let me tell you. On the other hand, I have so many current friends and former colleagues whose involvement with the OTW ended immensely painfully for them, and as much as I am glad they did what they had to do I am angry that the Org could not preserve them, for its own sake and for theirs.
But you know, it's okay to not be an OTW volunteer. Being a volunteer or a staffer is a lot of work, and to be frank, I suspect it always will be a lot of work. Nor do I resent people who don't want to take that on in the first place, or who find, for whatever reason, that it's become too much. I am not trying to guilt you for either of those responses! Your guilt does nothing productive for anyone. Self-preservation should come first, and you are the best judge of that for yourself, not me or anyone else. And yes, I have spent all of my time on I&O (except for my initial forays on Translation and my recently concluded stint as a tag wrangler), and there are committees you could not pay me to serve on or chair, even if hell freezes over, the Eagles win the Super Bowl, and everything about them were changed to match exactly my own personal thoughts on how they should be run. And no, I"m not telling.
One common response I get to my aforementioned in-person rants is "Why do you put up with this?" or "Why are you still involved?" The only answer I have is that, by whatever quirk of brain chemistry, personality, or fate, I haven't hit the bottom of my capacity to deal with crap and keep working, at least not yet. And I believe in the OTW. I believe in the OTW despite everything, despite the fact that I don't think the OTW can or should try to be all things to all parts of fandom (NB: I don't find that statement to be in conflict with the basic mission of I&O).
I am invested in the OTW, and that's me, and I could give you a whole list of reasons why but they would all boil down to a sob story seasoned with my own cussedness and the fact that I am good at what I do and I know it and also I love us and what we have done like burning and finally despite everything I still find the bargain I make with my commitment to be, personally, worthwhile. I am better placed on the inside than on the outside, and I don't see that changing any time soon.
We can be better, and we should, but that is as much for our own sake as for anyone else's.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-26 07:30 (UTC)- I think there are legitimate reasons for why some people are feeling so panicked or pessimistic about the org. It's also true (as you already well know) that the degree and nature of the problems varies a lot depending on which part of the org you're looking at.
- I think org culture in some areas is perhaps overcompensating for the culture of constant positivity, which still persists. When the two clash, of course, even more extreme reactions can result. Eventually, I hope, the OTW will be able to achieve a healthy equilibrium where everyone is capable of speaking critically about the org and being enthusiastic while maintaining a sense of perspective on both.
- I agree that volunteering is not for everyone. I've definitely come to the conclusion that I probably shouldn't serve as staff anywhere! Both of my workgroup commitments should end with this term, and I'm hoping to return to just wrangling and translating.
- I found
(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-27 05:35 (UTC)Actively caring about something is such hard work, moan. It's okay not to care about things, and it's okay to just be aware of something, or just like it or appreciate its existence, without feeling any emotion towards it at all. That it's a fannish org doesn't mean that caring has to be involved all the time. I suppose we should take care not to cast every sort of relationship towards/involvement with the org in terms of caring about it.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-28 03:46 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-28 07:17 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-28 18:38 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-29 00:15 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-29 00:18 (UTC)That said, if someone can't be bothered to follow one of our communications platforms (and we have a lot of them!) and then they whine about being kept in the dark, I have no sympathy.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-29 02:31 (UTC)If you want to know, this sure sounds like it.
" It still does not remove the sting of being at a conference, trying to tweet updates about the work you're doing, and tweeting @OTW_News, and tumbling about the Ascendio table, for example, with your updates, in the hope that they'll respond or RT you, just to spread the word that, hey, you're doing something good. And then, after having them ignore you all weekend, seeing them RTing the AO3's twitter account, and seeing them tumbling AO3 updates. It drives home exactly how much all eyes are turned to the AO3, at the expense of all the other projects."
(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-29 02:40 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-29 06:10 (UTC)