Focus
I am almost convinced we’re beating an equine with no detectable life signs here at the STARFLEET Fail blog lately anyway. We were ALMOST to that point in July, then “The C&D Letter” came down. Hits went through the roof in less than a week. And other people started posting, too. I went from an average of 18 visitors a day to several hundred. Today, mid June, I still average 82, almost 4 times what I was in June. But other stats are dropping, percentage of new users, “bounce rate,” meaning how many folks land and go away right away, people are not sticking around as long (down from 8 mins to about 3 mins in the last 4 weeks.)
It may simply be I have been busy assisting my CO in offering a bid for the 2010 Region 2 Summit for our chapter to be held in Tampa. I love my CO, but the old coot’s getting ambitious. Now he is thinking of also submitting one for IC 2011 as well before the January deadline. I’d love the idea of an IC in my back yard, there has not been one in the “deep south” since 2004 in Birmingham and not one in Florida (the only one in the Sunshine State) since Orlando in 1994. I’d say it’s time to show some “Cigar City Hospitality!”
Maybe STARFLEET Fail has run its course? Or maybe it’ s just a slow couple of weeks, but there has not been any “FAIL” to report.
Sal showed up to our Region 2 IRC Monday night. Some folks asked some tough questions, and he answered them. I called him on a few, too. Showed him he was wrong, like the current financial figures are not in CQ 147 as he stated. Page 20 of that CQ only has up through April 2008. The RC’s only have through May 2008, too. This stuff needs to be released. He says he will instruct his staff to release those figures ASAP to the SFI.ORG member area.
Good. So Sal communicated. Once. Keep it up,Santa, and there may be more than coal in your stocking this year.
But the rumor mill also reports that Sal relieved long time Awards Director Liz Woolf. Basically “removed it from her plate” I believe was the term. Liz was awesome at that post. Makes you wonder if this is not some political favor being cashed in.
Yeah, we may just be slipping. The last post that could be construed as “negative” was August 4, and that was a comment about the Space-X rocket losing Doohan’s ashes for the third time. Good thing he was a chubby, they should have plenty to spare, right? (oooh… that ain’t nice… gonna go to Hell for that one!)
Maybe the Elven Regime and STARFLEET will unfuck itself. We may run out of material. You know what? GOOD! I’ve said it many times on the site, I’ll say it here. If STARFLEET works well, everyone communicates, and nothing goes awry, there is no FAIL. When the day comes, my friends, I’ll be happy to tear the damned thing down.
Opinions?
(6 votes, average: 2.67 out of 5)
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August 16th, 2008 at 7:46 am
“Maybe STARFLEET Fail has run its course? Or maybe it’ s just a slow couple of weeks, but there has not been any “FAIL” to report.”
Or maybe some of us just realize that Sal is the worst thing that has happened to communication and forward progress in this organization since its creation and have decided to focus our energies elsewhere rather than beat our heads against a candy cane-painted brick wall. I, as part of a previous administration, am sick and tired of being blamed for all of Fleet’s issues. If Santa would grow a set of balls - even elf size - and admit to creating some of these issues by his own actions, it would go a long way but I don’t see that happening.
“But the rumor mill also reports that Sal relieved long time Awards Director Liz Woolf. Basically “removed it from her plate” I believe was the term.”
If that is true, he screwed the pooch again. It would be very interesting to find out his reasoning for this (ignoring that fact, of course, that Liz has exposed this admin as completely clueless when it comes to finances and tax issues) and compare it to what really went down.
“Makes you wonder if this is not some political favor being cashed in.”
We’ll see when the replacement is named.
Ya know, I used to think that this was the most politically corrupt admin we’ve had. Upon further reflection, I realized that wasn’t possible. You see, to be politically corrupt, you have to know what you are doing…
“Maybe the Elven Regime and STARFLEET will unfuck itself. We may run out of material.”
And maybe someone will come up and offer my band a million dollar recording contract at a gig celebrating the fact that the owner of the company I work for decided to retire and named me the new CEO.
Yeah, right.
We’ll run out of material because no one knows what the hell is going on. When was the last time you heard from our CS in a venue that wasn’t printed media or Region specific? When was the last time you heard from our VCS online anywhere? We had better communication in Fleet when I joined than we do now - and that was before the internet caught on.
But it is to be expected. When you want to do bad things… when you want to do things you know people will object to… when you want to do things that aren’t quite organizationally legal… when you want to change the organization to benefit the few and not the many… you shut down what avenues of communications you can, control those you can’t shut down and stop using anything you can’t control. Dan did the same thing.
Sal did that with starfleet-l - the whole “this isn’t ‘official’ so we can’t post here” bullshit. A convenient way to stifle communications on the most widely used electronic forum we have. Then there was the fiasco that was the “official” list. Do you honestly think that sfi-l is ever going to come back up? Hell no! Then, as an “official” communications channel, he’d have to use it. His EC would have to use it. They would run out of excuses not to communicate electronically with this organization. They don’t want to communicate. They don’t want to answer our questions. They don’t want us to know what is really happening.
To them, we are one big crop of mushrooms… they’ll keep us in the dark and keep feeding us bullshit so we’ll be happy. Personally, I got better things to do with my time.
August 16th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Mike said
We’ll run out of material because no one knows what the hell is going on.
Bingo.
The fact that we don’t even know enough to point out all the various FAIL does not mean there is anything approaching WIN. It is a FAIL in and of itself.
August 16th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
The easiest indicator of this administration’s success is simply this:
8/16/2008
TOTAL MEMBERS : 3480
TOTAL CHAPTERS : 226
How long before we lose our status in the Guinness Book?
August 16th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
If Sal did in fact remove Liz… he’d better have a good fucking reason because she was the best awards director that SFI ever had.
August 16th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Did I hear Awards Director has opened up?
August 16th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
We’ve had no “Official” word on that… but then again we are getting quite used to getting no “Official” word on much of anything from the Sal Qaeda Admin.
August 16th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
We’ll see if some functionary or other sends some malformed, misspelled posts to some list or other announcing that the position has been filled and claimining that the opening had previously been announced…
August 16th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Oh, good… Kitson wants the job. I feel better already, maybe I can sleep at night. Officially, we have heard nothing. I saw Liz mention it on Twitter but got no real details. And, as usual, crickets from STARFLEET Obfuscations.
August 17th, 2008 at 9:47 am
“If STARFLEET works well, everyone communicates, and nothing goes awry, there is no FAIL. When the day comes, my friends, I’ll be happy to tear the damned thing down.”
While I dislike the sporadic profanity, and despise the apparent need to attack people on a personal level (yes, I was guilty of it too, which is why I took a self-imposed break - my goal is to never again post personal attacks - wish me luck) this website is quite effective. While some could easily say Sal is improving whether or not this site is here, I cannot accept anybody who claims this site has “no effect” at all.
To put Trek back into the discussion, Kirk said to Savik, “you go right on quoting those regulations.” This site does just that. If STARFLEET FAIL weren’t so raunchy, I would recommend to everyone to post as it does serve a purpose.
While you guys hate that I criticize and then praise Sal (or anything) within the same post, the reality is, STARFLEET is not black or white. It is all shades of grey, and what I try to do is to point out the good within the bad.
August 17th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Rob, the “sporadic profanity” really is not anywhere near as bad as what you may find on your cable box. Even FX shows “The Shield” and they drop a few bombs after ten.
I cannot speak for everyone here, but we are all adults here. And we’re not at a Chris Rock stand-up show. Personally, I sprinkle some “color metaphors” in because that is just how I roll. Not even for shock value.
I do not “need” to attack anyone. I attack stupidity. I attack ignorance.
Yes, the site is having an effect. But it’s easier for the current EC to put their hands over their ears and shout “LA LA LA LA LA I DO NOT HEAR THOSE PEOPLE LA LA LA LA” than to hear what we have to say.
Some people are listening.
Hopefully next election cycle in 2010, they will then speak. Even though Sal cannot serve back to back terms, another “Sal Pal” can be groomed for the spot. Maybe even you, Rob!
August 17th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Complaints about “raunchiness” from a guy who appeared on the Jerry Springer Show?
There’s a certain incongruity present.
August 17th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Mr. Rowley,
Have you seen my appearance on the Jerry Springer Show? Until and unless you have, perhaps you should not comment on it.
August 17th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
As for profanity.
I am a prude when it comes to profanity and is why I do not have cable. I accept profanity in the R rated movies I go to. I do not like to see it on an open forum where children can stumble on it.
That is how I feel. I realize it is a little intolerant, but I try not dwell on it and won’t mention it again unless it is pertinent to a thread.
– — –
As for personal attacks. Attacking the stupidity of a person can be a personal attack. Using my earlier Kirk / Savik example. Imagine if Savik replied to Kirk saying, “Fail.” Would that have been an attack on stupidity, or an attack on Kirk?
August 17th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Rob Kitson said:
“As for personal attacks. Attacking the stupidity of a person can be a personal attack. Using my earlier Kirk / Savik example. Imagine if Savik replied to Kirk saying, “Fail.” Would that have been an attack on stupidity, or an attack on Kirk?”
I don’t know what it would’ve attacked but it would have been funny as hell!
August 17th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Dave,
There is plenty of fail out there still. I’ll no doubt post at least one of them here next week when I have mini-vacation for 3 days.
Just because there is a lull doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to discuss.
August 17th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
I don’t watch Jerry Springer. Such programming is the “donkey show” of television; that doesn’t speak well for its guests.
August 18th, 2008 at 10:10 am
In the early 1990’s I appeared on the Jerry Springer Show. Those of you over 10 years old might remember the Jerry Springer Show was once quite like Oprah or Phil Donahue.
I appeared on behalf of the National Marfan Foundation.
Hundreds of people called the National Marfan Foundation after my appearance and because of what some families learned about Marfan’s Syndrome parents had their kids looked at by their doctors - I saved lives. Undetected, Marfan’s kills.
August 18th, 2008 at 10:47 am
I don’t think you can blame all this on Sal. I know of four people who didn’t renew their fleet memberships because they didn’t have enough money. This stupid failed economy has caused some people to cut out the luxuries, and for some SFI is a luxury.
I suppose that when it comes to spending the 22 dollars for a family membership, or spending it on Gas or Food, Food wins.
I think that maybe if a lot of our stuff is going to be online, if it is, then we might should drop the membership rates.
But that’s just my take on it.
August 18th, 2008 at 10:59 am
$22
for two people
for 52 weeks
comes to 21 cents a week per person.
How much food can a person get for 21 cents a week?
1/3 of a candy bar?
How many fleet members are on the verge of starvation, that 1/3 of a candy bar will doom them to an Ethiopian Death?
No Mr. White, no matter how much you want to clear Sal Lizard of his criminal neglect and responsibility for what is happening in Starfleet, people aren’t deciding to buy that 1/3 of a Snickers Bar because of the Economy, they are deciding to buy that 1/3 of a Snickers Bar, because Sal and his Elves are not delivering what the Members who apparently do not Matter paid for.
A STAR TREK Fan club
STAR TREK
A membership kit, which the previous administration had mailed back out within 7 days of getting payment. Now we wait 6-8 weeks and then wait some more
and wait some more.
6 CQs a year. Something we really haven’t seen since before Mandi got elected (Sorry Les, but you’ve already said your team dropped the ball on this one).
AND STAR TREK.
So Sal, aka Joseph White … If Starfleet HQ provided the materials and the STAR TREK!!!!!
People would renew at twice the price.
Until then, the numbers will keep dropping, and Sal will keep pointing at the people asking for what they paid for as the cause
FAIL
August 18th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
> In the early 1990’s I appeared on the Jerry Springer Show. Those of
> you over 10 years old might remember the Jerry Springer Show was
> once quite like Oprah or Phil Donahue.
Actually, the original Jerry Springer show was created to replace Donahue, and was a very issues/politically-oriented show in the early 1990s. I remember it well.
It wasn’t until the mid-90s that they started targeting the show at ‘lowbrow’ issues.
August 18th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
So speaks Scott:
“So Sal, aka Joseph White … If Starfleet HQ provided the materials and the STAR TREK!!!!!
People would renew at twice the price.”
Let’s see…. Epic Fail. Before you jump to conclusions, please check first. A simple search of the Star Fleet database, will show that I do indeed exist, and that I am not Sal.
(evil grin.)
And please, don’t assume that I’m making excuses for Sal, since I’m not. Heck, I didn’t even vote for him.
I was merely pointing out what 4 people I have talked to said. Two of them are a couple with a 2 year old child, and live in a small town, where they make less than minimum wage. So, in their case, they did cite not having money as the reason they didn’t renew.
August 18th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
And Joe they are lying
I just showed using simple math that any minimum wage person can use that you not only don’t have to choose between food and Fleet, YOU CAN’T. The average weekly cost of a membership is so small, that it has effectively ZERO impact on their food budget.
They have decided however that Starfleet does not offer them enough to go through the effort of throwing a quarter from their pocket change in a jar each week.
That I don’t blame them,
As for you being Sal’s mouthpiece
If you quack like an elf, and float like an elf……
August 19th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Mr. Ackers,
Maybe people like you, insulting members are what drive people away. I have only spoken the truth as it was given to me, only to have you call me and them a liar. I am no happier about Sal being the CS than I was about what happened to drive Mandy away from being CS, and the politics that drove her to fire Sunny, and the politics that got Pat Spillers fired from her job as CFO.
Maybe you should learn to listen to people and take them at face value. After all, not everything in life boils down to simple mathematics. I do know that for some people, it was a money issue, and for some, they may have figured out better things to spend 22 dolars on, than on having to listen to people insult other people.
As far as I am concerned, my enjoyment of Star Trek isn’t dependant upon you or your acceptance of my statements. Maybe when you realize that Sal has two more years, and that maybe you could come up with something constructive to bring new members to STARFLEET, despite what Sal is doing that you find so irrepehensible.
August 25th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Joseph White stated:
“Maybe when you realize that Sal has two more years, and that maybe you could come up with something constructive to bring new members to STARFLEET, despite what Sal is doing that you find so irrepehensible.”
Therein lies my issue. At this juncture, I can’t come up with a constructive way to bring members into Fleet - not and maintain the ability to sleep at night. You see…
…we’re spending more on lawyers than we are on helping our members further their education.
…a select group of people are completely rewriting our governing documents that, at last look, takes away all checks and balances between the AB and the EC.
…it has been stated with absolute clarity that you do NOT have any rights in this organization unless you earn them. How do you earn them, you ask? By following an outdated and unenforceable morality code interpreted by folks willing to violate the procedures they were elected to support just to throw out members they have issues with.
…we hear nothing from HQ. The only line of communication being used is outdated before it even goes to press. Who knows what they are turning this organization into… I sure as hell don’t.
So, you see, I can’t sell this organization to anyone because I have no clue what I’d be selling.