From the Horse's Mouth

[Rabah & Kara <rabah@ix.netcom.com>]

Poster: Rabah & Kara <rabah@ix.netcom.com>

        "Friends, Atlantians, lend me your ears . . ." Wow, what a response!
My thanks to Lady Linneah and Lady Rosine for monitoring the Merry Rose for
me. Reading everyone's concept of what my intent is has been fascinating to
say the least. Receiving "electronic slaps" second hand doesn't hurt and no
offense was taken on my part, though the people who stood up for me are
pretty high on my neat people list right now! On to your concerns:

        Let me start this with one disclaimer: No web keeper is required to
have a Warrant to run their page, no reports have to be filed, attendance at
Unevent is not required  (not even for my chroniclers, but more about that
later), the Warrant, if DESIRED by the web keeper, will be sent
electronically, membership is not required to be a web keeper, no group is
required to have a web page, and lastly, Greg of Isenfir is still running
the Kingdom Web Page which has been recognized as the Official page of the
Kingdom. Whew, what a mouthful!

        Back in June, Sir Theahtyn encouraged the Kingdom Chroniclers to
create "Official" Kingdom/Newsletter Web pages. The key is Encourage, not
require, and was to be discussed with the Crowns and Kingdom Seneschal for
their approval. The Kingdom Chroniclers have also been encouraged to create
a deputy position to help coordinate the Kingdom's Web presence. I said
COORDINATE not control. What the Web Ministers put on their page is their
business and that of the group they are representing. (Though I reserve the
right as a citizen of this country to state my concerns if one of the web
keepers puts the SCA and/or their group in a bad light.) The Web is an
electronic publishing medium which is why the whole discussion of the
Kingdom Chroniclers getting involved came up.

        I have been discussing this situation with Their Majesties, Mistress
Keilyn, and my Corporate Boss prior to my announcement, and my ideas have
met their approval. The Official pages of the Kingdom are: Greg's as the
central starting point for information about our Kingdom and the Society in
which we play; Mine as the distribution point for information that relates
to my office and The Acorn, and the pages of any other Kingdom Officers who
desire to do so.

        The concept of warranting the Web Ministers is my way to verify that
the group being represented is happy with the person doing the job, and
gives the person who is doing an otherwise thankless task the knowledge that
his group does indeed support his efforts. As for creating a new level of
beaurocracy, I say wake up, folks! Most of the local webheads are already a
deputy in some way or another, either to the Seneschal or the Chronicler. My
desire to warrant these folks is based on one primary issue: I want them to
know that the job they are doing on the Web page is as valid and time
consuming as the job the chronicler's are doing on their newsletters. The
webheads are electronic publishers and deserve the support of my office in
whatever capacity I can muster. Bottom line: NO CURRENT WEB KEEPER HAS TO BE
WARRANTED IF THEY DON'T WANT TO BE WARRANTED!  I am not about to force
someone to work for me that finds the concept distasteful, and I am not
about to ask somone who has created a Web page for their group to step down
because they would prefer to stay warrantless. If a group is unhappy with
the job a Web Minister is doing on the Web page, it is the group's right and
responsibility to resolve the issue internally.

        So with all that said and done, why create "The Web Minister of
Atlantia"? To help keep the Rabah sane, that's why! ;-)    The new Web
Minister of Atlantia's job entails:

1) To keep track of all the group pages for me, keeping me informed of new
sites, changed URL's, Address and/or Phone number changes of the Web
Ministers,  etc. 
2) To lend technical assistance, advice, and encouragement to groups wanting
to create a homepage or expand an existing page.
3) Visiting each site on a regular basis and providing me with a summary
listing to keep The Acorn page up to date.
4) Advising me if a site is doing something questionable so that I have the
heads up when Keilyn or Their Majesties call me about it.
5) Laughing at my jokes. (I do love a captive audience!) ;-)

        As for sites being official or not, it's a matter of semantics.
Group newsletters cannot be "Official" per Corpora since they cannot
delineate SCA policy, etc. This function is served by the Kingdom
Newsletters and as such is paid for by the SCA through the membership. Where
the web is concerned it's a whole new ballgame, the legalities of which are
still the topic of hot discussion all over the world. I would like our Web
Ministers to be able to claim that they are running the "Official" page for
their group and some of them already are. Those who have been stating that
they are an unofficial page, such as our Kingdom page run by Greg, now have
the werewithal to claim official status if they want to. It's ultimately the
call of the person running the page. If our Web Keepers want to play with me
and help keep me informed I thank them for their support. If they prefer the
status quo I will not think less of them and will still thank them for their
hard work. 

        As far as Unevent is concerned, NONE of my Chroniclers or Web
Ministers are required to attend. Unevent is a chance for us to meet face to
face, to compare ideas and problems, and to know that there are other weird
people out there who enjoy slaving over a product as much as we do. If you
can make it, great. If mundanity happens, it happens. Don't sweat the small
stuff.

        Enough of the diatribe already. I hope this allays the fears and
puts the issue to rest. Meanwhile, I've got an Acorn to put together . . .

In service to the chronicles of our dream (and currently well rested . . .),

Rabah

ps - I'm having the fold and sticker party at Lady Linneah's on Thursday the
17th. If you are in the area (Norfolk, VA) and want to help we're starting
at 7 pm until it's done. Contact Linneah for directions at (757) 480-2795 or
via email at Linneah@erols.com. If you don't normally get an Acorn and want
one, come help and I'll send a copy home with you . . .

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