+request seminar

 Episode Name:  OOC: +request chat with Fleety
   Written By:  Starfleet
  Produced By:  Starfleet
     Aired On:  Sun Oct 13 18:50:16 2002
     Stardate:  52703

Time: Sun Oct 13 17:59:44 2002

Starfleet says, "Ok, welcome to the class. Today we're going to explore the best way to prepare and cook a Laco."

Tibbs comes in from the OOC nexus.

Tibbs has arrived.

Starfleet says, "Oh, that's at 8, sorry.. This class is about +requests. How to file 'em, why to file 'em, and when to file 'em."

Tibbs sorries for running in late. Had to get out of a scene.

Starfleet says, "I'll speak for a bit, then we'll stop for Q&A toward the end."

Fortunae has left.

Starfleet says, "Ok, first off. The basics. +requests are filed because, well, you need something. An answer to a question. A piece of equipment. A note to staff letting them know that X has occurred. Some off-camera research. Whatever it is you need, you should file a +request for."

Starfleet says, "For what happens backstage when you file a request: It opens up a job in the REQ bucket and is handled on with other +jobs. Staff monitors the requests and generally discuss them either on channel, or on the job, set a course of action, and run with it. When the request is finished, through /complete, /approve or /deny, it posts onto the Staff Tracker BBS for archival."

Starfleet says, "This creates a paper trail."

Starfleet says, "Paper trails are good, because they help enforce staff unity on issues, and we can go back and reference things as required for future issues."

Claness comes in from the OOC nexus.

Claness has arrived.

Starfleet says, "So, if a staff member directs a page to you asking you to take something to a request, please do so, as it helps us help you. :) It's not being mean to you or your issue, or blowing it off. I'll admit it, I'm /very/ forgetful, and requests help me sort out who needs what and when. :) I forget stuff I need to do here constantly, so having a reminder on the jobs board is beneficial. VuQ, you have a question?"

VuQ'cheH nods. How far back does the paper trail go? When things are completed, and they are posted to the bb, do they "go" anywhere else? Or is that the extent of the life of the +request?

Starfleet says, "Very good question. :)"

Starfleet says, "You'll notice on the Log page of the web that we've got personal log archives. Well, as part of my weekend chores around here, I archive the staff board with the same bbdump technology used to archive your personal logs. I then zip up that log, and mail it across to the other staff so they've got access to it. We've only sent out three thus far, but since about the end of August we have our whole staff board archived."

Belgarath comes in from the OOC nexus.

Belgarath has arrived.

VuQ'cheH grins. Awesome. Answers my question, thanks.

Starfleet says, "Alright, now that you know why using +Request over paging and @mailing is important, let's get into how to create a good request."

Starfleet says, "A request is as concise as possible. It doesn't use a lot of pretty prose and descriptive text. It gives a paragraph summary of the following: Who, what, when, where, and why. They should be clear, and to the point. We shouldn't have to wade through five pages of text when all you were asking for was a gun to shoot at Laco with."

Sulkat comes in from the OOC nexus.

Sulkat has arrived.

Laco roar!

VuQ'cheH needs no gun!

Starfleet says, "If your request is in reference to a specific plot and you know who is running that plot, just put in 'Re: Andorian Broadway Show' or 'Re: Belgarath'. That helps us figure out quickly where the request needs to go, and who to assign it to."

Claness says, "Do we have a "realm of influence" list for staff? I know that I send many requests via my alt that I could narrow down, but I'm not sure who to narrow it down to."

Starfleet says, "No, we have no official realm of influence."

Starfleet says, "However."

Starfleet says, "Unofficially, I tend to let Bel handled diplomatic issues since he's got an NPC among you guys."

Starfleet says, "Most crime is Iluvatar or Lace's doing (that isn't Jackson's of course). ;)"

Claness nods, makes note to bother Bel. :)

Belgarath says, "Yo."

Starfleet says, "If it's about the temporal conspiracy, or time travel or whatever, it's assuredly mine because those are hands-off topics for the rest of the writers."

Starfleet says, "There is no need to sign reports."

Starfleet says, "Er, requests."

Laco raise claw.

Starfleet says, "Laco?"

Laco says, "Should requests only be for things that you need, IE, have been ordered to look into, ect? Or are requests that merely satiate curiousity allowed?"

Starfleet says, "Satiating curiosity is certainly allowed."

Laco says, "Okay. I ask because most of the games I have been on do not allow such things."

VuQ'cheH | +request laco's beetle=can I eat it?

Starfleet says, "As long as what you are investigating is entirely in-character, then that's fine."

Savloo raises hand.

Starfleet says, "Requests have a 3 day turnaround before they go into an overdue status that turns it red and screams 'OVERDUE!' in the due date field. So the better the information we have going into it, the faster we can get back to you on it. Sometimes we'll extend the due date, so you may not hear back for several days or even up to a short while."

Starfleet says, "Savloo? :)"

Savloo says, "When filling out a request, do you want it written from an IC standpoint, or is my player writing it?"

Starfleet says, "It's from you the player. :)"

Savloo noddles. :)

Starfleet says, "In tabletop RP terms, it's like sending the GM a short note during play asking for something."

Starfleet says, "Heh. We used to pass notes with the word 'Paranoid' on them just to make the other players suspicious."

Savloo never tabletopped, but I know from elsemoo that they refuse to differentiate, and just won't answer if not in the correct form for the current question.

Starfleet says, "We'll never just let a topic disappear into oblivion, if we deny a request, we give reasons for it (or will page you with why we're deleting it)."

Starfleet says, "I think it's most important to stress for you to go to +request first. If I'm around, it's something easy I can take care of then, I usually knock if off the list immediately and finish whatever needs doing, that way I can stay ahead of the game and not get behind. If you page me, I could start it, get side tracked, forget, your needs disappear into oblivion then."

Starfleet says, "If you use +request, staff can maintain its level of communication and keep things consistent. :) Any other questions?"

Laco wants to know if he should make a +request for the celebratory bonfire he mentioned earlier.

Starfleet says, "Oh, yeah, one more thing: If it's a /huge/ request of some elaborate plot, it's better to break them down into multiple requests. Staff has the ability to fuse two requests into one if need be."

Claness says, "Is there any such thing as a stupid +request? Besides RTFHF requests? (semi-joking, semi-serious)"

Starfleet says, "No. I will state here, for the record, that there are no stupid requests. :) Hopefully that will encourage more. ;)"

Claness grins. "Thanks."

Savloo|+request Moo.

Starfleet /deny=Woof.

Tibbs says, "Sure, you say that now, but only because I haven't sent in any yet :)"

Starfleet hehs.

Starfleet says, "My staff is really good about handling them in a timely manner. Since Oct 1 we've processed about ten per day (the bbs is up to 134 posts since Oct 1)."