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Over the last few weeks I've consulted with a few friends, role models, and figureheads of the server and concluded that the best way to go about organizing the RP community meeting is to start by hosting a preliminary meeting.

In short, during the preliminary meeting, our primary goals are to:

• Establish an agenda
We want the preliminary meeting to be open only to guild leaders or individuals not represented by a guild. In the event that a guild leader is unable to attend, an officer may represent the guild. Prior to attending the preliminary meeting, it is that guild leader's or representative's responsibility to consult the members of his/her guild, and collect the most valuable concerns, issues, or ideas that their guild have to bring to the table. Keep in mind that these should be thoughts pertaining to the RP community as a whole. The guild leaders or representatives will then bring these thoughts to the preliminary meeting, and the agenda will ultimately be constructed off of the ideas presented.


• Appoint moderators
In order to establish checks and balances, and encourage fairness, multiple moderators will be appointed at the preliminary meeting. In order to be eligible for moderator duty, you must have Ventrilo as an alternate form of communication. This will enable moderators to make collective decisions as quickly and efficiently as possible. I will disseminate Luna Accord's Ventrilo server information to the moderators once they've been established.


• Develop a set of guidelines
Simply put, during the preliminary meeting we will discuss what should and should not be tolerated at the community meeting. I understand that this community meeting is something that many people won't be able to commit to for a long period of time, so maintaining good order during the community meeting will be crucial.

The preliminary meeting will convene on Sunday, March 25th at 6 PM server time. The location will remain undisclosed until you've been invited via in-game calendar. That being said, if you hold interest in attending the preliminary meeting, you can reply to this thread, or contact me in-game via whisper or mail.

03/16/2012 08:07 PMPosted by Gnaea

Over the last few weeks I've consulted with a few friends, role models, and figureheads of the server and concluded that the best way to go about organizing the RP community meeting is to start by hosting a preliminary meeting.

03/16/2012 08:07 PMPosted by Gnaea

best way to go about organizing the RP community meeting is to start by hosting a preliminary meeting.

03/16/2012 08:07 PMPosted by Gnaea

RP community meeting is to start by hosting a preliminary meeting.

03/16/2012 08:07 PMPosted by Gnaea

start by hosting a preliminary meeting.

03/16/2012 08:07 PMPosted by Gnaea

preliminary meeting.

So it's a meeting for a meeting.

Meet-ception.

Quick question because im confused or maybe just tired but why must we ask permission to attend these "community" meetings. Who are you trying to keep out? In fact the last several "community" events ive seen advertised have all required that you ask to come. Whats the point of calling them community events if people are going to be left out simply because they didnt ask...or they asked and got denied?

Quick question because im confused or maybe just tired but why must we ask permission to attend these "community" meetings. Who are you trying to keep out? In fact the last several "community" events ive seen advertised have all required that you ask to come. Whats the point of calling them community events if people are going to be left out simply because they didnt ask...or they asked and got denied?

The actual community meeting will be open to anyone and everyone. The preliminary meeting is what is being organized to prepare for the real deal.

Why can't everyone attend the prliminary? Why can't the whole of the community decide what is dicussed in the big meeting to come? Why does what gets dicussed and what doesn't have to be chosen by only a portion of the population?

If you want to know what needs to be discussed you ask the community...not the few people that got invited. And i believe that there the thread and little ways down the outlines quite a bit of what needs to be discussed.

03/16/2012 09:58 PMPosted by Allainn

If you want to know what needs to be discussed you ask the community...not the few people that got invited.

I don't mean to sound condescending, but I believe you've misinterpreted. The whole of the community will be able to decide what is discussed. It's just imperative that the guild leaders to act as ambassadors in this scenario so the process can be streamlined and as efficient as possible. On a side note, those not represented by a guild are not only welcome but encouraged to share their thoughts at the preliminary meeting to add an additional perspective.

I was only asking because it looked like to me, that by only disclosing the where via invite only seemed like just another way to exclude people, which is what some people complain about in the first place.

I understand how that could be misleading. My intent is not to exclude, ignore, or silence anyone.

I just wanted to clear that up. Thank you for answering my questions

Over the past few meetings when you have everyone there and no set format it leads to chaos.
This was thought of to create a format and have the meeting be constructive and not used as a soap box to bash folks ideas etc. But help make the RP grow.

It's normally easier to have the GM;s get it set up because then can then go to their guilds and explain what is expected and makes the meeting run smoother.

I went to the meeting last time and it seemed to run fairly smoothly...at least i thought so. Everyone was polite, each person who wanted to talk was given their turn to do so. Ideas were put on the table and concerns were discussed. My question wasn't about the need for the meeting but rather why an invite was required for something that supposedly affects the community.

The two prior did not go as smooth as the last one. However with so many people wanting to be heard this is a way to do get to the heart of things and not have toes stepped on people get skipped over etc.

03/16/2012 09:53 PMPosted by Gnaea

anyone and everyone.

*Toothy smile * When you said ANYONE does that mean anyone?

I think that if only an invited few are allowed to go to this preliminary meeting, then there should be a list of who they are. If they're figureheads and role models as you say I think the community should know who they are and what makes them "figureheads and role models" to start with. After all if we're to be going to a community meeting, only after this private one, then it's the people of the server's right to know who's deciding things for the rest of us isn't it? I think it's only fair that we know who's running things.

03/20/2012 10:20 AMPosted by Nyksis

I think it's only fair that we know who's running things.

I would be inclined to actually agree with you, Nyksis. Secrecy and cliquishness only tend to rend things.

Last I checked, though, no one runs anything save for perhaps their own guilds, events and themselves. Community is about everyone, period. Even if they're not well received by some, have axes to grind, or are fresh faces to SoE, people who are here are part of this server and merit a voice. Community meetings should be about inclusion, not exclusion and overt control over what subjects are broached and what's kept quiet.

Ain't nobody the boss, so to speak. If we're talking about a community as a whole, everyone should have the right to attend should they so desire, and that includes meetings to plan meetings about meetings.

Anything less might seem indecorous.

As an aside, I'm personally rather wary of providing a moniker of "figurehead" to anyone; some people care nothing for such ridiculous titles.

I'm gonna agree with you too.

The idea of people being appointed such titles sounds almost governmental. It's part of the reason why I wanted to know who was being called such and why. I do like the idea of guild leaders getting together to speak for their guilds, if of course that's been ok'd by the guilds themselves, at least then we know who's speaking for whom.

If that's the case, I believe a time and place should be announced publicly for this event and the call should be for the guild leaders, instead of just saying only people who asked get the knowledge of the location of the prelim meeting. Unless I'm mistaken and didn't read any of this correctly and that's what's in the plans already.

Guild leaders and individuals, in my opinion. Some folks may be uncomfortable with signing over their voice to their GM. As much, there are people that merit attendance who are unguilded or in non-RP guilds yet who are nonetheless here on SoE.

The terrible, painful beauty of a community is that not everyone gets along and it can be messy... but that's part of the fun. While it might be a logistical headache to organize such events, all you can really do is hope for the best from others and comport yourself in accordance with being an example.

Everyone on this server has the right to live out loud.

I honestly don't think there should be a meeting to give titles and jobs to certain people and I don't think there should be only certain people invited. But if that's how this person is running it, it should be wider in spectrum than just "a few friends, role models, and figureheads of the server". If they -had- to narrow down who they're inviting, guild leaders would be a start, but that begs another question. What would happen if people who weren't approached or invited showed up? Would the meeting stop?

And yeah, some people might not want their leaders speaking for them, it's why I said if it's ok'd with the guilds. Honestly the whole thing sounds a little shady, but I'm not going to completely knock it till I get a few of my questions answered and concerns addressed.

The idea was not to give titles but more to have an agenda with what the BIG concerns were within the community. WE can only as a community handle so much at once and so many folks at one time. I doubt we want to spend all day at a meeting. In all honesty there is no perfect way to host something like this each meeting has been conducted differently.

From when Tamz and I spoke with Gnaea, this was a suggestion to try and make things less complicated and a way to have the actual meeting have some organization and structure. We all want everyone to have a voice and be heard, but there is no single easy way to do it, if other folks have ideas please share them just as you can voice what you think needs to be brought up in this thread.

As Gnaea volunteered to host the meeting it is in their hands. I intend to be there if time allows as well as Viloche.

My suggestions are these.

-There should be a list of the people who were consulted for this prelim meeting.

-The place and time should be publicly announced here on the forums so everyone can go.

-I think no matter what you do, you're gonna be at a meeting like this all day, so prepare for the long haul and bring plenty of water and headache meds.

-No one should be appointed mod or any other sort of title, the person hosting the meeting should be the mod, on both Horde and Alliance. We don't need 5 different people "running the show".

-Guild leaders, if you're going to speak for your guilds, do what I'm going to do and keep open contact with them during the meeting like skype, or vent or something so you can relay ideas and questions and concerns. No need for there to be more than one mouth piece if you can help it.

-Someone needs to take minutes, someone reliable so they can be posted on the o-boards.

Bottom line is that you can't exclude people, period. It's a nice idea to have just guild leaders show up and relay their guild's thoughts and whatnot but it's not practical. No one here has the power to say "this person is a figurehead, this person is a role model, this person is a mod". Blizz didn't appoint anyone president of the server and you're going to get nothing but opposition if you self appoint or only approach people you deem worthy so to speak.

Someone somewhere will think that person isn't worthy. And this isn't a government.

tl:dr- Leave the time and place open, invite everyone, deal with it because it's gonna be a headache either way.