I'm just going to plop this here for some of the newer members (and older ones that may have forgotten). If you are trying to build a better mousetrap, you probably should start by looking at what was wrong with the older model, but to do so, you really should be aware of what the older model was, and why.
Anyhow...as elections were mentioned.
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/tafi-converationalist-nominations.894204/#post-6472418
Read the first post in particular.
Then there was another batch because right at the end of the year, we had a merger with the SYWTBAI group, and we brought them into the fold without a public election (they had their own as a community), as it was a 3 - 4 month long discussion at the end of the year last year to come back, and their group was "grandfathered" in, for lack of a better term, into the Convos to give them a voice at the table as they couldn't have participated in our Conversationalist elections because we'd already had them as a community.
In addition, we wanted a carryover from the previous group (which was JDM, LG and Zweiland, and that was done as a private vote, for a reason...they would have the minority voice on the conversationalists, but would also be aware of the history of it and be able to advise and coordinate with newer members who weren't privy to the 30 page long discussions about next years schedule prior to their election). The same concept, imho, should hold (with at least 1 member being an automatic holdover) to prevent mass hysteria if a whole group gets ousted and then a mass rehash of the same concepts over and over again which brings the entire thing to a standstill (look at what has happened here, for example).
In addition, the points and schedule for this year were set last year, by the last group of Convos. So, you really can't judge this group off what is playing out. This year was odd, with the forum merger and the forums at large being busier than they had ever been. We didn't exactly like the point structure this year (but it was the same one we used last year), but we had to run with something as TSI was starting up quickly, and we nudged the schedule as much as we could (JDM was NOT happy about that, for the record, as it ate mostly into his comp) to get everyone who wanted to host their headliner this year (as indicated last year) a chance to do so.
The reason schedule and point systems for next year have been brought up so early in the Convos thread this year is to keep it from being a rash discussion at the end and give everyone time in the Convos to collect ideas and come up with SOMETHING to present the community to start the larger discussion, which I would estimate would need at least a few weeks if not a month of public discussion before calling a public vote on it just so everyone can have their say.
It is an incredibly complex concept when you really start discussing it, trying to find a system that is fair to all (people who are left out of comps, new people who start late, older members and regulars who have planned their year around it). So, as a SYSTEM it isn't really that easy, which is why there are dozens of pages of back and forth in the Convos thread about it.
Anyhow, that's why so early. It wasn't something to wait until December to get figured out. We needed to have an idea to present for public discussion, realistically no later than the end of SA or the beginning of Matts comp, frankly, just to give the community at large time to digest the concepts and have their own say before making it final.
BTW, nothing says you can't start up your own PMs with your friends/other members to get their thoughts before it goes public, your role as a Convo IS to represent the community at large, and it's not like it's super secret devilish hand wringing or some secret cabal that discusses the secrets of the ancients that must not be shared...we were talking about schedules and point systems for goodness sake... I know I wouldn't have been upset if someone said "Hey, I ran our idea past this guy, and he had these thoughts. What do you guys think, I really like some of them!". But, it does help to have that discussion in private amongst a smaller group first, as I said, so you don't end up with 30 pages of thread happening in a public thread (which is incredibly daunting for newer members, frankly).
Rather a lot of the concerns and issues that are going to be common can be hashed out first, and merely tweaked later.
Also, I know I at least said this several times in the convos thread, and would have said it publicly as well (I guess I'm doing that now).
The schedule was never intended to be hard and fast, nor particularly static. It was merely to provide a framework to start plugging up with comps that people wanted to host. The idea for a second tier WOULD allow people with a new idea to apply mid year, as we really only have one second tier comp planned right now,
@Sam4D23 and me doing Around the World in 30 Days.
The comp community is twice the size (maybe even a little larger?) than it was a year ago, and the current structure didn't plan for that, and we were trying to find a way to correct that without tearing down the plans for this year. Also, that's why partially why Elight Eight is Eight...frankly, there were only about a bit more than a dozen regulars at that time...so, 8 was 2/3 to 3/4 of us. The other reason why is that it is a 5 week comp. So, a tier of 8 breaking down makes 4 one week challenges with single eliminations amongst the bracket contenders, and a two week finale.
If it were to become a Sweet Sixteen, you would need more time, so just remember that peeps, and that we didn't have last year as Matt wanted to run his comp between SA and the end of the year. So, the compromise was that JDM would shorten his comp to allow Matt to start a bit earlier, and we'd keep Elite Eight, as stands, for December.
Also, that discussion for this year WAS had publically. If you care to read it (and realize some of the similarities to things you are proposing now), here it is.
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/the-ics.885207/
