ANST - Second-Guessing (was: On-line Ansteorra : The Next Generation...)

[Paul Mitchell]

Galen of Bristol ranting here...

In every new project large and small, there
comes a time when those who are resonsible 
for the project must make decisions about 
the scope and method of that project.  The
"vision" is finally defined, the committment
is made to proceed (or not to proceed).

At this point, the great mass of people 
who are interested in passing, but who are 
not sufficiently committed to attend meetings
or serve in decision-making offices, step
forward with all their revisions.

My e-mail box this week has been reminiscent
of the scene from _1776_ in which the Congress
is editing the Declaration of Independence.
Adams remarks, 'they won't be satisfied until
they remove one of the "f's" from Jefferson's
name!'

Sometimes, this input can have positive effect.
But not usually.

Will this year's Gulf War autocrat volunteer
again, after the horrific treatment he received
on the Ansteorra list from people who were 
disappointed not to get scarce bed space?  I
wouldn't blame him if he didn't.

Is Pug on the verge of withdrawing his proposal
regarding Ansteorran technology?  I'd be sorry,
but not surprised, if he felt the slings and
arrows to be not worth the benefit.

Will a lady who got too much flack in trying
to bring a new tourney idea to the field try
it again?  I doubt it.

How about the lord who proposed a new fund-raising
idea for his branch, only to have it endlessly
nit-picked?  

ATYC has been gently treated (for the most part)
on this list, but I've had my share of second-
guessing with it, too.  Of course, with something
as large as ATYC, I can accept suggestions
as if those making them are volunteers, and ask
which gate guard shift is best for them.
(Sign up for gate at 
<http://www.telepath.com/spowers/atycgate.html>!)
ATYC info is at <http://www.ansteorra.org/20thyr/>.
(And no, we've cut the budget on site tokens, so
we're not spending $1000 on them.)

We do this all the time.  Not just on the Internet,
though e-mail mailing lists certainly make it
easier.  Not just on the Ansteorra list, though
it's most obvious here.  

Shall we replace our King and Queen with a committee?
Must we take _every_ rumor at face value?  Do we
have so little trust in our leaders?  How can it
be that, with so many financial philosophers in
Ansteorra, there was only one applicant for Kingdom
Treasurer last month?  

And do we really want to make it so unpleasant for 
those who take the trouble to conceive a new idea, 
do the research, write a formal proposal, get formal 
approval for the proposal by facing the Crown and all 
the Kingdom and Regional officers together and fielding
their questions, and then carry through personally
with the work, in this case into perpetuity?  

Do _you_ hope to ever propose a new idea in this
kingdom?  Are you looking forward to your baby
getting the kicking-around and second-guessing
Pug's idea has gotten?

This kingdom has been crawling with computer experts 
for decades.  I've been doing websites for five years.  
Why hasn't anyone _already_ done Pug's computer idea?

Please.  Public critique of ideas is not appropriate.
If you have questions, criticisms, or objections, send
them in private.  If Pug doesn't make you happy, write
directly to the Kingdom Seneschal, because I promise
you he won't take action based on postings to this
list.  Complaints, nit-picking, second-guessing 
and "helpful" suggestions for what someone else could
do -- when posted publically -- have no positive effect,
and indeed a palpable negative effect.

I love you all, but sometimes you make me crazy.

- Galen of Bristol
20thYear at Ansteorra.org

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