The Advisory Council

I realize you're looking to get a cross-section of all the forums here, but once you establish that you need X number of users from individual forums, aren't you just forming a mini-modsquad, only this one without any actual powers?

Do the AC membership guidelines need to be so rigidly defined?

 

Okay, so far these are the suggestions for what to be done:

• shorter/longer terms for AC members
• increase the total number of AC members
• stagger/increase the rotation of members
• remove the permanent positions
• have a higher profile for the AC, specifically more updates to keep people informed.
• have a greater cross-section of the forums represented
• increasing the interaction of admins here in Comms and promoting a more open dialogue, which could negate the need for an AC

So, what else?

 

I believe longer terms were also suggested.

 

Not to bother anyone, but I was wondering.

How long do you have to be with the JC to be selected as an Advisory Council Member ?

 

JC tenure doesn't matter. Basically you'd be eligible for nomination once you seem to know the ropes. But if you're an active contributor more than a lurker, your chances are substantially higher.

GO 'CLONES!

 

Okay, thank you Jedi Greg Maddux

I didn't know if it was like becoming a Moderator, where the term had to be more than 6 Months at the Jedi Council, or if it would be half (3 Months) since its not as high up, or you could be any age at the Jedi Council

 

There also isn't a minimum amount of time to serve as a moderator. While the odds are slim, a member with exceptional mastery of his/her field and is very skilled in the ways of communicating, a mod promotion after 3 or 4 months after initial registry isn't out of the question, although experience is favorable. Six months is really just a rule of thumb, not something to cling to.

GO 'CLONES!

 

Unless you're a staff member...

<innocent.gif>

In any case, I'm not certain there are any hard and set rules about who can be an AC member and who can't.

Edit//Sorry JGM...

 

I nominate farraday for the next advisory council. He'll lay down the law.

 

In any case, i'm not certain there are any hard and set rules abou who can be a mod and who can't.

Unless you're on the mod hate list.

GO 'CLONES!

 

Kadue, I just read through this thread, and there are a lot of good points inside. I shall not bother to repeat them, because I'm sure everybody is already aware of most of them. I would, however, like to respond to your last post.

It seems to me that many of the ideas suggested in there have already been mentioned a long long time ago. Already, in previous AC updates or Communications threads, there have been numerous calls for changes in the AC system. What this thread seems to do is simply to repeat everyone's requests instead of taking a more active stand over them. The only new idea seems to be "have a greater cross-section of the forums represented".

It's obvious that many of us have seen the need for changes to the AC from a long time ago. Action must be taken, not simply discussed on paper (or rather, in threads).

 

I've participated in the AC as much as possible. But it became clear to me very quickly that nearly all the issues and its members were involved primarily in the YJCC. I thought back then that it would be so much better if we had input from people with viewpoints outside of the YJCC. Sometimes it's possible to lose sight of the big picture when you're too close to the problems and a fresh set of eyes can be the most positive means of change.

 

Actually Val, you've kinda picked up on something that I was hoping to illustrate. All the suggestions that we've had so far are based purely around altering the membership structure, and most are suggestions that are being debated. While these are things that might help, they might not be the only things.

So what I'm trying to get at is are there any other ideas for improvement? Throw them out here, the worst that can happen is that it will be said that they can not be done.

 

All the suggestions that we've had so far are based purely around altering the membership structure, and most are suggestions that are being debated. While these are things that might help, they might not be the only things.

True, there are many other things. I can't think of any though

 

1) Shorter terms for ACers.

2) Keep it around, I think a lot of the drama around here starts because people come to complain here, it gets locked, and people become angry.

 

Ok, just a simple request, if for some bizzare reason you do institute fixed representation for each forum in the AC, can we at least relabel it "The House of Commons".

Seriously though, lets start with some small change first, lets try raising the numbers of AC rotational members a little, say to 8 or 10. Lets also give the moderators another chance to contribute properely to this forum (obviously this does not include all moderators, as some already do contribute to the AC). If this doesn't work, then lets do the radical change thing, make it into a parliament, make us all wear bowler hats, whatever.

 

not necessarily ALL the forums, but other forum representation.

 

Ok, I have finally decided to read this thread and make a comment. I think that a lot of the ideas are great, though we do need to narrow them down.

Seriously though, lets start with some small change first, lets try raising the numbers of AC rotational members a little, say to 8 or 10.

I agree with this idea, though from what I understand, I think that there should be more representation of the other forums. For example, the Movie forums should be represented in some fashion.

I personally think the make up should be something as follows (using the number that Humble extra suggested): Three members dedicated to the Movie forums, namely one for the 3SA, one for the 3NSA and one for the other Movie forums. Then one for the YJCC. One for the EU forums and one for Fan Activities. The other 3 rotating ACers could be a random sampling of the JC. I am not really including a representative for FanForce only because I am not postive on how much the FF interact at the AC level.

Lets also give the moderators another chance to contribute properely to this forum (obviously this does not include all moderators, as some already do contribute to the AC).

From what I gather, a number of the mods do try to get in to discussions with the AC. I agree that we should let them have another chance if they haven't been participating. However, some mods may have a reason not to participate, such as they don't feel like it impacts the forum they moderate.

If this doesn't work, then lets do the radical change thing, make it into a parliament, make us all wear bowler hats, whatever.

I still think that we should call the people who represent the JC the "House of Representatives"

 

I've gotta second what Humble extra said. Fixed representation seems like too rigid of a system to me.

Rather than a major overhaul, just tweak the current system and continue to stress to AC members and mods both how important constant involvement is.

 

This is a political hoo-haa.

My vote goes to QueenDorme. She's my loyal advisor.

 

Herman, the thing is that no matter how the current system is tweaked, I don't think that it will be much more successful than the current one unless we see solid action being taken.

What strikes me is that currently many JCers are able to pinpoint exactly the same topics that ACers come up with, and mention them in Communications already. This raises the question of what extra work the ACers do. While I am definitely not saying that the AC is redundant, ACers have to show more definite action; perhaps come up with more arguments for certain suggestions and weigh their consequences when suggesting them ot the mods. Otherwise, it seems raises the question of the validity of the AC.

ACers should also be willing to be "testing ground" for new policies and fully give their comments about any suggested new policies that the mods have before they are implemented.

 

Seriously though, lets start with some small change first, lets try raising the numbers of AC rotational members a little, say to 8 or 10.

I agree. I think there should around that many new members selected to the Advisory Council. As posted by Gandolf the Grey and some others, I think here is how it should go.

Your Jedi Council Community (2)
The Senate / The Amphitheatre (1)
The Phantom Menace (1)
Classic Trilogy (1)
Attack of the Clones (1)
Episode III: Spoilers (2)
Episode III: No Spoilers (1)
Literature (1)
EU Community (1)
Games (1)
Fan Fiction (1)
Other Fan Activates (1)

Together though, its 14. Which is 4 extra, than the maximum of what you said. Maybe taking some a couple of these forums out, or combining some of the forums, Fan Fiction/Fan Activities and Attack of the Clones/The Phantom Menace into one, or forums that generally have around the same users.

Personally, in my opinion I think 3SA (Episode III: Spoilers Allowed) and YJCC (Your Jedi Council Community) wiht 2 Members selected each. Even though 3SA doesn't have that many posts or anything, it needs alot of working out with trolls constantly causing redundancy and flaming.

 

shinjo_jedi, with all due respect, I don't think that we need representatives from every single forum. I think that the major ones (3SA, 3NSA, YJCC and the EU) should be represented in some fashion. However, as has been stated, some forums are not effected as much as others are by broad board policies. That being said, 8 is still a good number. 4 from the above mentioned forums (since they are the most active and most impacted) and 4 from the "at large" JC. While this increases the number of AC reps, it also gives a good cross-section of the JC and thus would facilitate (hopefully) more discussion.

 

The biggest single change the AC needs is more mod participation. If ALL mods would participate, it wouldn't be the useless entity that it has been.

Or if ALL mods participated in Communications and the administration brought potential policy changes or whatnot to Comms, there'd be little need for the AC at all.

Either way, it's up to the mods.

Amazing.

 

I think that the major ones (3SA, 3NSA, YJCC and the EU) should be represented in some fashion.

True, very true. I think we don't need around 14, more like they said, 8-10. I still think we need 2 from 3SA and YJCC, but that's just my opinion, and I don't think it would go over with the Moderators though, if it were though, I think it would go more around this.

Your Jedi Council Community (2)
Episode III: Spoilers (2)
TPM / AOTC / CT (2)
Episode III: No Spoilers (1)
The Senate / The Amphitheatre (1)
Fan Fiction / Fan Activies(1)