Discussion Topic: Private forum vs. PM's and Email

[Kato]

All worthwhile organizations have staff areas. Every major forum has one. Every major business, IRL, has one. It's no more different than a "staff break room" or someone's office, really. And if decisions need to be made that the public does not need to be involved in, then so it is. I sincerely doubt any "conspiring," will go on, and even so, this could happen in emails or PMs or elsewhere, anyway.

-Kato

[teedyo]

You're talking about hierarchical system where it's already decided we aren't going to have one.

[Whilyam]

Though it's likely we or Cyan will put in some form of hierarchy (guild masters, etc.). Regardless, even if we don't have a hierarchy, this would work.

[Lontahv]

I think there should be a private part of the forum for the following reasons:
I think it is unfair to the people who are participating members of the GoW to have the same forum access as people who are simply browsing by in search of interesting stuff to read.
I also think that we should be able to argue behind closed doors without appearing weak and fractured to the other guild and other Uru players.
I recommend the part of the forum be closed off to anyone who has not been personally given a key/code.

[BAD]

Having a read only forum for council discussion is fine. Why would they need a private forum? It's been asked and never been answered. Give an example of a scenario where it may be necessary. The lack of a reason must just mean there is none. If it's discussion of GoW related business, it should be openly readable.

I'll repeat what I said in the Leadership thread. Privacy will be needed for proposal layout and any other organizational business that can be done behind the scenes. It is a time saver, and a headache saver when you want to discuss among the other council members in private. We set up a way to audit the private area if the community feels the need to do so. This isn't because we felt that the council would betray the community's trust, but that it is possible people may "think" that they have, and this would be a way for them to exonerate themselves.

I don't see how we can make it any clearer than that?

[belford]

Lontahv wrote: "I think it is unfair to the people who are participating members of the GoW to have the same forum access as people who are simply browsing by in search of interesting stuff to read."

Only if you think Guild membership should a privilege. It's not. If someone browses by and sees something interesting, we should be *glad*. They might join the conversation! That's *good*. That's the first step towards new participating members.

"I also think that we should be able to argue behind closed doors without appearing weak and fractured to the other guild and other Uru players."

If we're ashamed to have our arguments in public, we should be ashamed to have them at all. Why should we pretend to be more unified than we are? It's dishonest and it doesn't actually make us a better group.

Yes, the administrative subgroup -- whatever you call them -- will want to have a private discussion space. That's practical. I don't care whether they do it with PMs, email, or a private forum; whichever works best. (I suspect a private forum will work best, but it's not really my business.)

But a private forum for the Guild as a whole? Bad idea.

Mod note: colored! BAD

[Trylon]

belford, please color your posts in this topic
thank you

[Whilyam]

I'd like a Guild member's-only forum. NOT to make guild membership restricted, but guild participation IS -- that is, to only those who are interested. It's an odd balance we need to strike. I do not think that any person off the street should be able to vote in polls regarding Guild activities or decisions as that opens the process up to vote-rigging. While not all that likely, I would rather play it safe than be sorry. To be blunt, there are some things that are not the general public's business. And it should stay that way. No one outside of the Guild itself needs to vote on whether, say, the Guild wants to take up a challange from Cyan-- or, which site should the Writer's host ages to go to the Maintainers.

With that said, I think that we, absolutely, should have a completely public area for us to do MOST guild activities (posting textures, coming up with Age ideas, etc.). Obviously none of these should be hidden as they would be great displays of the Guild's creative power.

[Lontahv]

That's right Whil. We hide the not-so-pretty behind the scenes discussion and we have the stuff that glorifies the guild out in public, so people will want to join us and won't think we're all work and talk and no fun.
And I think we need a group of people on the forum where we will vote that are real writers, not just passers-by. We, as I see it, will have things voted on by the writers, not everyone.

[Lontahv]

I also think Belford, that membership to this guild WILL be a privilege when the GoW gets off the ground. Just think of when cyan makes it so you can have custom ages on urulive, the fame an age will get if it's release by the writers, think of how many lone age writers there will be releasing one age, we ARE one and will create so many great ages together. I think that there will be a separate section in the library(or what ever they're going to use for fan made stuff) for GoW ages.