Re: replies to common vision

[Olga Betts <sae@arts.ubc.ca>]

>Date: Sun, 18 Jul 1999 02:05:45 -0500
>From: "James Purchase" <jpurch@interlog.com>
>Subject: Re: Common Vision of this Event
>
>I don't half blame Roger for his feelings of frustration - I share them. We
>have been talking for 10 days and it is clear that we don't all agree on the
>basic nature of this event. I am tired of going in circles.

I'm *completely* with Roger.

>I thought that the basic nature of this was accepted to consist of aspects
>of BOTH Showcase and Competition. With the Showcase aspect to receive more
>emphasis than the Competition aspect. Yet two prominent members recently
>showed that they have heard, or at least absorbed, absolutely nothing that
>has been said over the last few days.

Wrong assumption. I had no idea the "showcase" was to receive more
emphasis. Why do you assume everyone *knows* that?

>Let's not even go there concerning the "national" remark - as a Canadian, I
>am more than a little peeved to be organizing a "national" event for a group
>of Americans. I'm sure that Jose would feel the same way.

I suspect that this person simply forgot that the word he/she was searching
for was "international". I've sometimes made this mistake myself.

>Roger stated that he wanted more emphasis on ART, which scared the willies
>out of a lot of you. He also said that if he didn't get his way, he'd be
>gone (even if not in so many words, that's what he meant).

Never scared me and I was never sure what he was going on about. (See my
other e-mail about the problems with e-mail.)

>Jennifer (and quite a few others) got very nervous about what they perceived
>as too high a tone being set by Roger's insistence on ART and my discussion
>of CRAFT.

Ditto with above. Art. Craft. Whatever... we're looking for interesting,
pleasing, beautiful aquascaping... why make is so etherial?

I also suggested to everyone that perhaps Roger had
>stumbled onto a possible solution to our problem - the separation of the
>Showcase from the Contest.
>
>This seemed to please nobody. But I didn't hear any alternate suggestions
>which covered all of the bases.

I quess I feel I didn't know I had to comment on absolutely everything .
But I don't like this idea. It complicates everything. I didn't relize we
needed alternate suggestions. Unlike James I haven't seen indications of
folks being unhappy with what we have been doing so far.

>It seems that the crowd which favours "inclusion" means inclusion of
>everyone who thinks the way they do and to hell with everyone else.

Don't know where this is coming from. I have seen no indication of this. If
I feel like leaving the list it is because we keep adding new things, new
ideas, new problems instead of just working with *one* idea and getting it
right.

>I know that this is moving very quickly and that a lot is going on, but it
>seems that every time I attempt to suggest something which might get us out
>of our dilemas, it is either too radical, as in "James, I love the Web and
>all that goes with it but you've lost me here. WHAT are you talking about??"
>or "I disagree.  But at this point it makes no difference."

I honestly did not understand what you were talking about James. It came
right out of left field with the sun in my eyes and whacked me up side the
head. :)

>No alternative suggestions, no suggestions for how adjustments can be made.
>Just "I'm confused" or "I'm taking my bat and ball and going home".

Oh boy... you sure are demanding. What if one doesn't feel that alternative
suggestions, or adjustment are needed? I liked the very first concept and
*don't* like all the alternative suggestions and adjustments. I'm certainly
not going to suggest even more of them. So there.

>I can't take much more of this. I won't take much more of this. I can
>certainly see why George Booth describes himself as cynical.

Ah, George. Quit chuckling!

>Unless I read input from EVERYBODY on the list within 48 hours of this
>posting, on just this topic, you will only have yourselves to blame for this
>falling apart.

This has all taken an hour and a quarter to read and respond to. I now have
to go do something else. I will cover mission statement in my next e-mail
but it will essentially be what I put in my first e-mail today. I probably
won't be able to get to it until Monday and if Monday is really busy as
work maybe not til the evening.

Olga
in Vancouver


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