[ANSTHRLD] Is this normal? Is there a tracer system?

[tmcd at panix.com]

On Fri, 23 Jun 2006, Faelan Caimbeul <faelancaimbeul at gmail.com> wrote:
> This has happened before with the printed sheets not being the
> rights size, etc. There is a corrected form that takes that into
> account, and if it's printed, blazoned, colored and scanned again,
> it prints out the right size.  You wouldn't need to print out the
> copies, just forward the electronic copies up the line. I think we
> should be doing this anyway.

This is another example of why top-posting, not putting the reply
after the text on which it's commenting, is bad.  I don't understand
what "This" refers to and what your point is.

Scanning depends on the color qualities of the scanner hardware and
software.  Printing depends on the color-preserving qualities of the
printer.  I have heard of several examples of computer printing and
color copying causing hideous color drift in hours to weeks.

The great advantage of paper originals with Crayola markers, or other
colorfast markers, is that they can last for decades, and do not
become obsolete with technology.

In any event, the longest poles in the tent at present:
- four months of Laurel-level commentary
- two or three months to finalize and publish the LoAR
- two months within Ansteorra
Mailing paper takes mere days.  "Micro-optimization produces
micro-improvements."

> Also, can you tell me why a submission must be commented on by every
> Kingdom it the Known World before it's passed? This has always
> perplexed me.

I just grabbed the June Gazette, the AICC, to see our internal
commenters.  We've actually got a decent set of internal commenters,
but we need more depth on the bench.  Many/most kingdoms aren't as
good.  For example, the Middle's submissions processing has been in
poor shape for years, even before Northshield (and Aryanhwy) split.
Ansteorra's submissions process was in poor shape after Dathi and
Richard of Silverdawn cratered (1994, I think), and we didn't recover
for years.

Some kingdoms don't even have internal commenting like we do.  People
bring submissions to the kingdom meeting and heralds there check them
on the spot.  Ansteorra's internal process is longer than most, I
think, but note that it's only #3 on the time chart.

Laurel-level commentary has been where the real solid checking has
been done.  It's where the heavy hitters have traditionally gone.
That provided a fine pool of varied commenters and experts.
Unfortunately, the pool is drying out: some commenters just went away,
some went to the Academy of Saint Gabriel, I get the impression that
we're not getting new blood.  In May, there were just 11 Letters of
Comment at Laurel level, with about three big armory experts and not
many more name experts.

(By the way, it's not "must be commented on by every Kingdom".  It's
that it just has to be sent to the CoA Mailing List, not that they
have to comment.)

> Any suggestioins?  I do realize that any significant change is going
> to have to be Society wide, but we need to start somewhere.

One thing coming soon is OSCAR, On-line System for Commentary And
Response.  Basically a blog for commentary on submissions at Laurel.
We hope to get a lot faster commentary at Laurel, multiple rounds,
more people participating (it's a lot more convenient to just drop a
comment on a blog than to generate a letter and mail/e-mail it to 60
people; several commenters who left have indicated a willingness to
come back if OSCAR comes in).

Personally, I hope that OSCAR will be able to cut down on the Laurel
commentary period, with fast turnaround, but nobody else has mentioned
that possibility.

They hope that it will cut down on the LoAR finalization time.  Right
now, the sovereigns of arms have to do a lot of research after their
meetings, because the research is not being done in the current
commentary system.

Denyel de Linccolne
-- 
Tim McDaniel; Reply-To: tmcd at panix.com