[game_preservation] Project Discussion: Oral Histories

[Andrew Armstrong]

I left this open but no one has replied. Another bump, we do have some 
new members.

This project is, really, a bit too practical for the SIG to do "by 
volunteer work" as all SIG's operate (with most of our work going on 
online). With no money, and no one seeking out sponsorship, donations, 
or funding, we don't have any equipment (nevermind manpower and 
transport) to do this actively, even though it is an excellent idea, and 
we'd likely be able to find interested developers to participate.

So, perhaps it can help by cataloguing other efforts in the area, 
preserving them on the Internet Archive, and helping logistically and 
with advertising the service. If anyone also did want to do histories 
through us somehow, having the final result freely available online or 
in an archive would be invaluable. This is tough to setup without people 
who are in industry available to be "on call" or to sign up, and without 
people who want to do the recordings in the first place! It's a lot of 
work on both sides (finding time for both, and possibly major 
travelling, preparing and researching, equipment, post-production...)

Therefore, this project is going no where with no active interest. I 
personally can put forward weekend time and possibly take days off to 
record things, but since I have no videocamera I can't help directly. I 
would like to investigate setting up a signup form for both sides - the 
interviewers and interviewees so we can get a good list of people (and 
their location, what they did) to do interviews with, and who to send, 
and get people talking this way. There is a possibility that this is 
better done informally, however, or maybe through the new IGDA site 
which is mainly forum based (with mailing lists possible, just really 
being forum posts being sent to accounts, with replies being allowed), 
and thus developers would easily be able to get involved with the SIG 
and discuss it on forums or via. PM's/email.

There was some possible interest from Dean O'Donnell from WPI, who is 
running an oral histories project with student help. Other then this I 
know of no proper active oral histories project, save Jason Scott's GET 
LAMP documentary, which is basically edited oral histories (which I hope 
he puts online in full :) ).

Andrew

Andrew Armstrong wrote:

> This is coming on from our previous discussion over spring cleaning 

> the SIG.

>

> *Oral Histories*

> Status: /On Hold/

> Currently lead by: /No one. /

> Short description: /Interviews with industry people related to their 

> past works. Brought up at GDC 2008, but currently has no assigned 

> project lead./

>

> Concerns raised previously:

> - Aims of the histories, contents, etc.

> - What to ask (I brought this up before)

> - Who can do them

>

> Someone to work on this or start organising a team of people would be 

> good. Logistically this is the hardest project to manage, and 

> technically we have no resources to fund it at all, meaning it 

> requires heavy volunteer work.

>

> People suggesting information, examples of existing histories done, 

> ways to get this going, and so forth are welcome. Basically bring 

> whatever you like to the table, it's an open discussion.

>

> Andrew

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