Otaku Idol 2: Who Wants To Be An Event Master? [Member Feedback & Interviews]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR=DarkRed]I agree with the others on this. I for one do not question your ability to create fun and successful RPG?s Sandy, but by pulling out another Survivor event all you?re doing is showing us what we already know, that you can create great RPG?s and follow through on them. Not that you can create something outside your comfort zone.

It may seem like we are giving you a hard time, but if we really didn?t care about you we wouldn?t try to point out things we see as detrimental to your chances of being selected as the next Event Master.

And at this point as Charles put it: [QUOTE=Charles]This is just the reality of things: if you do not edit your post with a different event pitch, you're essentially handing the competition over to White on a silver platter.
[I]//snip//[/I]
Again, I don't mean to sound harsh, but "safe" isn't going to cut it anymore.[/QUOTE]I?m in complete agreement with him on this.
[quote name='DeadSeraphim][size=1][color=indigo][font=arial]Aaryanna, may I commend you on not forcing your poor tortured pet into a costume for your latest avi and banner. It looks much nicer when it's not being a christmas decoration. Honest.[/font][/color'][/size][/quote]I'll second that, the costume was amusing, but the longer it was up the more I felt sorry for your poor dog. The new set looks much nicer. ;)[/COLOR]

[Sandy]

I understand your concerns, people, and I'd hate to go to a defensive mode again, but there are several reasons I pitched OtakuBoards Survivor 4. I know it was a risky choice, but hear me out (and don't take this as another explosion, I just want to give you my reasons and it's up to you if you believe me or not).

1. Many, many people have contacted me and asked me to create another OB Survivor. It's what people seem to want. Even you, Charles, asked me if I could help in creating one to this very same forum back in the days that you were an administrator.

2. I'm ashamed that I couldn't make this clear enough in the pitch, but if you read the description I gave, this time it's not even an RPG. Aside from a challenge or two, it doesn't include any third-person posting or imagining that you're on an island or anything like that. It's all about the players and their [I]real[/I] relationships. It's not even similar to OtakuBoards Big Brother, either. ;D

3. In my opinion I took what James said about variety and implemented it into the challenges.

[quote name='James']What about a photography competition, or a scavenger hunt that involves scanning newspaper articles? Those may not be great ideas, but they're just examples of things we can do. Remember what OB is capable of on a technological level (HTML, displaying images, sounds, music, etc) and use all of these features to your advantage.[/quote]

I have really thought of ways to take use of these advantages that OtakuBoards has, because like my pitch says, this game is about pitting members against the message board itself. I wouldn't want to go into details on what challenges I have thought of, because that would spoil the event.

4. I have wanted to make sure that this event is as community involving as possible, so I have taken several measures to do it. They're explained in the pitch.

5. So basically, I'm just using a well-known and recognized name with it's basic functions (teams, elimination etc.) for a new type of event. It serves as a continuity to the one thing I'm famous for in this forum as well. Think about it: if I had named it something like "OtakuBoards Ultimate Challenge", would anybody have accused me of not coming up with anything new?

[DeadSeraphim]

[size=1][color=indigo][font=arial]Regardless of whether it's true RP or not, my main concern is if it will be interesting for the community not involved in it. Mafia wasn't a true RP that involved a lot of teamwork and discussion and very little role playing, but it might as well have been Dutch to me (and I know a lot of others in the community would agree), and when I DID try to get into it, I just didn't get grabbed by it, cause it was more fun for the people involved than those on the outside. I know you've got plans for this thing to be almost infinitely scalable to reduce those kind of occurrences, but still, I think it's a valid concern.[/font][/color][/size]

[Sandy]

[quote name='Charles']This is just the reality of things: if you do not edit your post with a different event pitch, you're essentially handing the competition over to White on a silver platter.[/quote]

Care for a compromise? I won't change my "official" pitch for the reasons I've stated above, but I'll post here another idea I have been working on, which isn't nearly as grandiose as OBS4, but I think it proves that I can think outside of my own little box.

This event is very much inspired by Guinness Book of World Records, and here's what I have been thinking:

[COLOR=DarkGreen][center][size=5][font=Palatino Linotype]Sandy?s Thread of OtakuBoards Records[/font][/size]

[i]Have you always thought that you created the weirdest thread that OtakuBoards has ever seen?

Do you think you have the longest buddy list out of them all?

Are you the youngest member who has ever been chosen as a moderator?

Have you changed your username more than any other member?

Do you think you deserve a recognition from all of these amazing records you have broken? Now is your chance to get it.[/i][/center]

Suggest an OtakuBoards specific record that you think you have broken. Together we will find proof whether you did it, and if you are correct, you will be awarded as the holder of that record! Of course, anybody can come and try to take that record away from you, in which case you just have to keep up or lose it.

Any member of OtakuBoards can come in and make a suggestion either about something they have achieved or in behalf of another member (for example in case that member isn?t around anymore). The records can really vary from anything to everything, and nothing is denied right of the bat before at least some investigation has been done for it.

Hopefully in short time we?ll have an extensive list of records that anybody can then attempt to break. The best thing about this event is that it doesn?t have any time limit, but it will continue as long as there are records to be broken.[/COLOR]

[Charles]

Now, I like this OtakuBoards Records idea. I think that could be really neat and it demonstrates the kind of thinking I'm talking about.

Also, if you want to stick by your guns with this Survivor event, then that's cool. At least there's a clearer justification behind it now, which could end up helping in the long-run. I was never concerned that it wouldn't necessarily make a good event down the line (because we did have Big Brother). I was just concerned that it wasn't a good time or place to use it. Howevever, as I said, now that you've plead your case it could help your cause.

[Boo]

[quote name='DeadSeraphim][size=1][color=indigo][font=arial], but it might as well have been Dutch to me (and I know a lot of others in the community would agree)[/font][/color'][/size][/quote][size=1]You just could not resist.

Sandy, this other idea you have seems a lot more open, interesting and interactive than another OtakuBoards Survivor from my point of view. Even though you might have good reasons to make your event another OtakuBoards Survivor (... which I don't completely agree on, but okay). [/size]

[TheResplendent]

[FONT=Tahoma]My personal opinion on the whole thing involving Sandy's two ideas is I wouldn't mind seeing more elaboration on this Otakuboards Records thing. The only thing about it is that it appeals more so to the people who have been here for longer and have a track record that would put them in the running for a record much easier then it would others. Though I know not all categories of records would involve needing to be a long-time members (maybe like Who is the oldest person to ever join OB). It seems like the majority of them can't avoid being aimed toward that. I understand this probably wouldn't be a huge issue since a good portion of the members that participate in community events are those who have depth and season to their records. My objective opinion about it is it's a cool idea and as I said I wouldn't mind seeing more elaboration on it.

In reference to the OB Survivor 4 event, I can see where everyone's concerns are coming into play because it is a recycled idea from another concept. The main issue about it is the fact that the idea is not a completely original one, not necessarily the possible rate of success of the event. However despite being one of the members who have wanted to participate in an OB survivor since reading the last few, my objective opinion on this is that it appeals to a much larger crowd than the other Survivors OR Labyrinth. This time around members are representing themselves, which has the potential for wider ranges of creativity (since the characters being used are not pre-existing templates) as well as having more of a chance to bring the community together since it involves mass interaction where as the Records idea is more of a bunch of seperate searches to see if someone holds the record for something. I am not saying that this does not have the potential to breed interactivity with others as well (seeing as how Sandy would be taking part himself in investigating the validity of someone's claim that they have broken or hold a record), I am simply saying that OBS4 does it on a much larger scale.

Both ideas are pretty neat and I'm sure would attract a large draw. The biggest difference here though from both of these events and Labyrinth AND Mafia is that it does not seem like there will be a limit on amount of people who can join (unless OBS4 is capped for the purpose of making teams an even number). But even so, it will offer a much larger area of participation. Because OBS4 involves the representation of members themselves, it is more worthy of being a [b]Community Event[/b] then the past Survivors.[/FONT]

[Sandy]

I just want to remind everybody that these two ideas for events are just something that [I]I[/I] will carry out if I'm selected to become an Event Master, we have yet to see what White has to offer. I for one am really looking forward to what he comes up. ;D

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][quote name='Sandy']Care for a compromise? I won't change my "official" pitch for the reasons I've stated above, but I'll post here another idea I have been working on, which isn't nearly as grandiose as OBS4, but I think it proves that I can think outside of my own little box.[/quote]Actually the idea for records is more original than the Survivor one you pitched, (in my opinion) and I'm thinking that's really the core of the concern here. That the events aren't always of the same type of mold. The point about Survivor is that it's so many people to begin with (though the number may vary as to the total) and in the end only one is left. Just like Labyrinth. It doesn't mean they aren't fun or good events, it means the people are playing the same game, again and again, with varying rules and situations, but the same outcome.

Grandiose isn't really an issue here, uniqueness and appealing to everyone is. And though survivor type games are fun, they still aren't as inclusive as things like the Nifty Fifty or the Scavenger hunt was. Even Mafia, though I'm sure it was fun for the players, wasn't inclusive due to so much of it being played out of the view of the community.

If it were me I would have pitched the Records idea instead of the survivor one, ditched putting someone?s name in the title, [B]OtakuBoards Thread of Records[/B] would work, and then presented it along the lines of a new type of event. One that similar to Otakupedia, builds on the rich history of the boards. And yet is different in that instead of telling the history, it highlights unique and interesting facts that also set a record. [/COLOR]

[Boo]

[quote name='Sandy]I just want to remind everybody that these two ideas for events are just something that [I]I[/I'] will carry out if I'm selected to become an Event Master, we have yet to see what White has to offer.[/quote][size=1]We won't forget, don't worry. [/size]

[Sandy]

[quote name='SunfallE][COLOR=RoyalBlue'] It doesn't mean they aren't fun or good events, it means the people are playing the same game, again and again, with varying rules and situations, but the same outcome.[/COLOR][/quote]

I get where you're coming from, Beth. You mean people will get frustrated with constant competing, right? That there can always be just one winner?

You're right that the OB Records are much more inclusive like that (everybody who enters "wins"), but you should realize that these two ideas of mine don't rule each others out. I will no doubt launch OBS4 here if I win [size=1](and in Adventure Square if I don't, although it doesn't fit there as well as it would here)[/size] for reasons I have already stated, but nothing stops me from launching OB Records as well [SIZE=1](and you're right about the silly name, I was just trying to mimic the "Guinness Book of World Records" with it)[/SIZE]. ;D

To tell the truth, OB Records came more as an afterthought of what [I]else[/I] besides OBS4 I could carry out in Community Events. It hasn't been given a good thinking through yet, and that's why it wasn't my "official" pitch.

[Horendithas]

[COLOR=DarkRed][quote name='Sandy]You mean people will get frustrated with constant competing, right? That there can always be just one winner?[/QUOTE]Exactly, and thank you Beth for making that concern clearer. It is fun to play those type of games/events/rpg?s but if that were the only type of events presented, it would get stale and boring in no time. Other events like the Nifty Fifty are more inclusive and follow a completely different format altogether. Even a photography contest would have been different in that you would have a first, second and third place positions along with possible honorable mention for a few other entries. (if a photography contest were to be done) [QUOTE=Sandy]To tell the truth, OB Records came more as an afterthought of what [I]else[/I'] besides OBS4 I could carry out in Community Events. It hasn't been given a good thinking through yet, and that's why it wasn't my "official" pitch.[/quote]Even if it?s an afterthought, it still has good potential, more orginality and the actual details could be worked out later. Especially since the Nifty Fifty is currently running. And that pitch could have been along the lines of this is what I?m thinking of and if I?m chosen it will be one of the events that will be presented in 2007.

And since it would most likely have the thread of actual Records and another one where people suggest records, like Otakupedia you could also have members help with suggestions on the format for presenting the records.[/COLOR]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Looks like indifference beat me to it, but that is exactly it. ^_~ Even though survivor based games are fun, it's nice to have other types of events thrown into the mix as well. And unless you present us with one like the idea of the Records, we don't know if you can or not.

To put it into prospective, my mind goes blank when I try to think of something. So I can only imagine that it would take time to hunt out ideas and then to turn around and tailor them to match an online format.[/COLOR]

[Sara]

[quote name='BKstyles][FONT=Tahoma']The only thing about it is that it appeals more so to the people who have been here for longer and have a track record that would put them in the running for a record much easier then it would others. Though I know not all categories of records would involve needing to be a long-time members (maybe like Who is the oldest person to ever join OB). It seems like the majority of them can't avoid being aimed toward that. [/FONT][/quote][color=#b0000b][size=1]But this leaning could easily be solved by allowing non-OB related records. Like, say, I might claim that of all the OtakuBoards members, I have the most Altoids tins. I'd count them, post the number, and maybe take a picture of myself with the tins for the Records thread. Then, anyone who thinks they can beat me would need to prove that they have more tins than I do.

Other records ideas could be best time to finish a game, longest hair, whatever. They wouldn't necessarily [i]have[/i] to be things that relate to the meta world of OB.[/color][/size]

[TheResplendent]

[QUOTE=Sara][color=#b0000b][size=1]But this leaning could easily be solved by allowing non-OB related records. Like, say, I might claim that of all the OtakuBoards members, I have the most Altoids tins. I'd count them, post the number, and maybe take a picture of myself with the tins for the Records thread. Then, anyone who thinks they can beat me would need to prove that they have more tins than I do.

Other records ideas could be best time to finish a game, longest hair, whatever. They wouldn't necessarily [i]have[/i] to be things that relate to the meta world of OB.[/color][/size][/QUOTE]

[font=tahoma]I take it you have a lot of altoid tins? lol

But yeah, if that were the case then it would be fine, Sandy just used all OB examples in his proposal like longest buddy list, youngest to become moderator, changed names most times, etc etc. So I assumed he only had actual OB records in mind.[/font]

[Sandy]

[QUOTE=BKstyles][font=tahoma]
But yeah, if that were the case then it would be fine, Sandy just used all OB examples in his proposal like longest buddy list, youngest to become moderator, changed names most times, etc etc. So I assumed he only had actual OB records in mind.[/font][/QUOTE]

Hey, I'm open to all ideas. Sara's suggestion would take the possible event to a whole new level, but it would probably work well.

Now I'm kinda glad I brought my unfinished idea up. I just love the way you guys support it by suggesting how to improve it. ;D

[Sara]

[quote name='BKstyles][font=tahoma']I take it you have a lot of altoid tins? lol[/font][/quote][color=#b0000b][size=1]Purely as an example. ;)

...but yes. Yes, I do.[/size][/color]

[Ellerby]

[COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=1][CENTER]Sorry this took so long. I spent so much time proof reading and editing it. I just didn't want it to look rushed. Also, the event idea isn't final and I would love to have a thread where the community could submit ideas to improve on the idea or something (even just letting people PM me on improvements would be neat if the thread is too much).[/CENTER][/SIZE][/COLOR]

---

[INDENT][SIZE=1]Dear OtakuBoards Community,

During my 2 months as an Event Master, I learned many things about myself. However, I also took time to realize some things about my opponent. I discovered many traits of his that I would like to share with you, the people.

Sandy is an incredibly outgoing individual. He?s strong willed and passionate about his work. While he may be a bit hard-headed at times, it?s all in the love for the community. He likes to let people know that he is the best and I respect that a lot.

Sandy has proven in the past that he is very organized when it comes to handling big events with large amounts of people (showing this quality in previous OB Survivors, Mafia and Labyrinth).

I do not think choosing Sandy as an Event Master is a bad idea at all. He is very qualified and I am fully behind him leading the Community Events forum.
[RIGHT]
Sincerely,

White[/RIGHT][/INDENT][/SIZE]

---

[INDENT][FONT=Tahoma][B]1: How do you feel about your own performance throughout Otaku Idol 2? How has it changed, for better or worse, over the past two months?[/B]

When I started this competition I wasn?t ambitious at all. I basically knew I wanted the position and that it might be hard to get. I?ll be honest, I didn?t work at my fullest potential and it kills me to admit that.

By the time Gavin was removed from the competition I was all into it. I was giving everything 110% and I was determined to win. In fact, I still am. Actually, I?m more ambitious about this now than ever before. It seems that with each passing round I realize how badly I want to help the OtakuBoards community by taking Shy?s place when he resigns.

Even though I wasn?t very ambitious at the beginning, I soon picked myself up and ran full speed towards the finish line. I've had to keep that speed at a regular pace because if I stumble just a little bit, Sandy may march right past me and take gold.

[B]2: What have you learned about the OtakuBoards community during your time in the competition? What have you learned about being an Event Master?[/B]

The OtakuBoards community is very particular about their next Event Master. I feel like they are a full panel of judges that I?m constantly trying to prove why I?m a better choice than Sandy. The community has an opinion. I really expected most people just to keep quiet and find out who would win, but these people have decided that if one of us (Sandy or I) are going to be the next EM, we?re going to be the perfect candidate.

I?ve learned that you have to be approachable, lenient, and open to any ideas. There are a lot of members on OtakuBoards that have great ideas. The Event Master has be to open to all of these ideas and they have to be sociable so that they can easily communicate with the inventor of the idea.

I also would like to mention that while neither Sandy nor I have learned everything it takes to be an Event Master, I?ve got a lot more room to grow. I?m sixteen years old? Sandy is twenty-two. I?m not sure how much longer he?ll be here but I can almost guarantee that, as a young impressionable teenager, I can adapt to the position much better.

[B]3: If you could go back in time using some sort of fantastical internet time machine, what is the single thing you would have done differently during your time as Event Master?[/B]

I would have made Mafia more accessible. I think it?s great that the people who took part loved it but I would have liked for the entire community to have loved it like that. My main guideline that I set for myself when making this new rule was to make sure that anyone could join and that they could join with ease.

[B]4: What is the most positive thing you can take from your experience as Event Master?[/B]

I?ve gotten to become really tight with a lot of the members I never even knew before. I talk to all OtakuBoards visitors, new or old, without judging them. I also now realize how difficult being an Event Master is and how much must be put into each and every event (something I never caught wind of during OtakuBoards Scavenger Hunt).

[B]5: Looking over both completed events, which do you feel was the best? Of previous Community Events, which do you feel was the best and why?[/B]

I?m going to be completely honest here. I truly do believe that Mafia was the better event in the end. Labyrinth and Mafia shared many of the same faults. They both weren?t easily accessible, they didn?t appeal to all groups of members, they both had a lot of RP attributes, and they both weren?t [i]community[/i] events. These are the main problems that both events had and I think that on top of these faults, Labyrinth had even more than Mafia did.

Of previous Community Events I would have to say I?ve always favored the Nifty Fifty. Each year it calls in more members (new and old) to choose things (not specifically members, which I think is great) that they thought were great and that?s really cool. It?s also not a matter of just voting and seeing the outcome. So popularity has nothing to do with being niftified.

[B]6: If you were given the power to decide the outcome of Otaku Idol 2, what would it be and why?
[/B]
If I had the power to decide the outcome of Otaku Idol 2, I would make both Sandy and I losers. Let?s be serious here, guys. Shy is an amazing Event Master who knows the qualities it takes inside out. He basically invented the position and I don?t think anybody could ever take his place.

Just by looking at past events, you can tell how passionate Shy is about the community. He loves to be involved with OtakuBoards and it sucks to him resign. I don?t want that. So, if I had the choice I would make Shy the winner.[/FONT][/INDENT]

---

[color=dimgray][center][size=6][font=timesnewroman]Otaku 101[/font][/size]

[font=tahoma]It?s come to my attention lately that here at OtakuBoards, we have an alarming amount of new members. A lot of these guys have been here for only a few months and I thought it would be great if we had some sort of on going program where older and more Otaku-involved members could take one new member under their wing and teach them the ways of OtakuBoards.

This would include serious things like Post Styles, how to post in a respected format, where to post what and when, what not to post (ever), and much sillier (but still important things) like topics to stay away from, and why people bring up certain oldies so much. A lot of this stuff could be explained much easier with the brand new Otakupedia, as well.

To figure out what new members would go with what older members (unless they requested to be with one another), I would let them do little quizzes and the most compatible members would be paired together to teach/be taught.

On top of all this learning and big brother kind of stuff, there would be monthly (or bi-weekly, or even bi-monthly, I haven?t decided) competitions (a community event just isn?t the same without at least a pinch of competition). You wouldn?t be forced to enter (but I would suggest it strongly since it would bring the two members closer) and the competitions would be fairly simple (like writing a collaborative short story with your partner).

To wrap up, I think that this idea could really go far with the aid of the OtakuBoards community (even while it?s running changes could be made). The event would be very easy to organize and could even run in the background while other main events are going on.[/FONT][/color][/center]

[DeathKnight]

[quote name='White][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=1]I do not think choosing Sandy as an Event Master is not a bad choice at all.[/size'][/color][/quote]

[color=crimson]The wording of this sentence makes me warm and fuzzy inside.[/color]

[Dagger]

[quote name='DeathKnight][color=crimson']The wording of this sentence makes me warm and fuzzy inside.[/color][/quote]
That's funny, 'cause I'm not even sure I know what it means. :p

~Dagger~

[Ellerby]

[FONT=Tahoma][COLOR=DimGray]Oh my god. After all the time spent looking over the text. I-I'm ashamed of myself[/COLOR].[/FONT]

[John]

White's proposal and Sandy's second proposal both garner the John Seal of Approval.

Wear it with pride.

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]I have to admit I'd readily volunteer for White's proposal, although it's come up in very similar forms before and been rejected as an idea, I really think it's something which could be of great benefit to both the veterans and newbies of OtakuBoards.

As for Sandy's event submissions, the records one definitely gets a thumbs up, it sounds like great fun and I think I hold the record for most amount of username changes.[/SIZE]

[Shy]

[size=1]Here we are, months later, and over the course of the competition my opinions about both candidates have changed drastically. Rather than repeat my thoughts here (and the thoughts of everyone else, no doubt) I?m not going to go into very much detail; 1,000 words or so will suffice. If anyone would like me to elaborate, feel free to ask and I will do so.

I feel that both Sandy and White?s events were failures on many levels. Labyrinth, in my opinion the more polished of the two, felt like little more than an RPG. The argument that Sandy chose to stick with what he knew best for the initial event is a valid one. Unfortunately that argument completely fell apart when his next pitch for an event was 'OtakuBoards Survivor 4.'

While 'Labyrinth' didn?t attempt to push anything in terms of creativity and structure, it was an effective use of message boards as a creative medium. White, on the other hand, seems completely unprepared for the medium he is creating his events for. 'Mafia,' as fun as it may have been for members participating, had most of its? action take place over PM and AIM. More to the point, outsiders attempting to follow 'Mafia' had absolutely no clue what was going on most of the time.

White took criticism regarding his event seriously. One week he invited members not participating in Mafia to submit their votes of whether or not certain players were guilty. Since he didn?t continue to do this in subsequent weeks, it probably wasn?t much of a success. Regardless, he should be commended for attempting to change his event based on opinions from the OtakuBoards community.

Sandy made no such attempt to change 'Labyrinth,' despite repeated cries from members to do so. Perhaps in part because of this, 'Labyrinth' struggled to maintain interest from those participating during later weeks. While the momentum behind 'Mafia' only grew as time went on, 'Labyrinth' struggled. My personal opinion is that in execution and in overall performance, 'Mafia' was the stronger of the two events. More importantly to me, it tried something new and took risks, even if it was far too inclusive.

I expected that Sandy would use the Event Master position to launch another OB Survivor. They are fun, well-crafted games that have become a staple of the site. However, my concerns are with what this says about the type of events Sandy would choose to run in the future. Competition-based events are great, but diversity and experimentation are needed to keep Community Events interesting and relevant. It was a disappointment to me that Sandy would choose to pitch another OB Survivor.

This was a chance for both candidates to show what the 'Otaku Idol 2' has shown them about creating events. Both pitches were failures in every regard. White should be commended for trying something different with his pitch, although the concept behind his ?Otaku 101? event is terribly lame and unworkable. Sandy?s ?Otaku Records? pitch was the strongest of the second round of pitches, and showed the most creative growth. The problem here is that Sandy refused to take down ?OtakuBoards Survivor 4? as his pitch, instead insisting that he could pitch them both. Accepting both would be unfair to White, who pitched a single event and stuck with it.

Much has been said already about the individual performances of the Event Masters themselves. Sandy, the older and more experienced of the two, is arguably more creative and organized than White. The basic parts of this job: creating Community Events, maintaining member interest and seeing them to completion should be no challenge for him at all. Still, one?s most important duty as a staff member is not moderation, but upholding and maintaining the site?s rules through example.

Certainly if Sandy weren?t considered a strong candidate, there would be no reason for members to challenge him so frequently. Gavin was left to his own devices and still failed to produce a functional event. I would have liked this competition?s outcome to be dependent solely on the strength of the events, but that obviously was not an option here. Choosing an Event Master who would be so divisive to the boards would certainly be a misstep.

That said, the Event Master is a very important position, and it was created to bring the diverse OtakuBoards community together. The membership?s reluctance to accept Sandy has brought out the worst in both he and the community. I have made every attempt to distance myself from these conflicts and remain objective in my judgment. Unfortunately that is no longer an option, since I alone am forced to make the final decision:

Congratulations White.

Sandy, my respect for you has remained untarnished through this entire debacle. Despite being at odds with one another years ago in the Digimon forum, I more than anyone wanted you to succeed me as OtakuBoards? next Event Master. Your creativity and passion for your position in The Arena are outstanding qualities, and I have no doubt that you will continue to do fantastic work there. Thank you once again for the time and dedication you put into this competition.

It is my most sincere hope that you will be able to work alongside White as he grows into his new role. While I feel he is not fully prepared for the position yet, he has proven himself to be incredibly flexible and open to criticism. The professional manner he handled his event and criticism towards it are what impressed me the most, and made him stand out as the winner of this competition. These qualities above all others are ones that will help him work alongside members and staff to create a wide array of compelling events.

Keep in mind that regular members' own opinions and ideas are just as important to this forum as White?s or my own. This will hopefully become more apparent with the upcoming creation of a new ?Events Suggestion? thread in this very forum

It?s been a fun ride. See you next time!

-Shy[/size]

[John]

Congrats White, good effort Sandy, high fives all around. [strike]And don't screw up, asshat.[/strike]