[game_preservation] Spring Cleaning the SIG, +2009 ideas (Please respond!)

[Andrew Armstrong]

Hey all,

I'm gearing up to revamp the SIG wiki pages, to make them, well, more 
readable for starters. Big blocks of text do not help a casual reader, 
and the page is huge.

So I'm proposing to cut down the front page text and move that into the 
separate pages for more detail. I'll probably make a good list using 
bullet points for the internal SIG projects (Memorials, white paper, 
information, etc.), and another for externally support by SIG member 
projects (IA, etc.).

This also gives me an opportunity to revamp what the projects actually 
aim to achieve. Most of this will not be necessary to change, but I 
think rather then me determining what is best, people should be able to 
give a quick comment if they see something wrong!

I'll go through briefly what is likely worth changing, from the front 
page top to bottom: http://www.igda.org/wiki/Game_Preservation_SIG

----------------------------------------

*Overview*
The main objectives of the SIG should probably still stay the same. The 
history section is actually more important then it seems to be, and I 
need to get more clearer dates (when did Henry take over, what the SIG 
has done in the past before I joined!) and make a new page for this. 
Contributions for this welcome!

The objectives will stay I think, with some additional hyperlinks. If 
anyone has any additions or subtractions from our general list of 
objectives, please say.

*SIG News*
I'll leave this as this is, but make it into a smaller header.

*Current Initiatives and Projects*
I'll make this into a list of projects the SIG currently is working on 
internally and externally. I think it is worth keeping the variable 
naming (Initiatives vs. Projects). The list will go alphabetically I 
think, there currently is no order. The list also will possibly be split 
or marked by status ("ongoing", "not started", "on hold" etc.)

*Digital Game Canon*
I still need to finish the wiki pages for each game, stupidly I've not 
done that yet. However; this project is at the moment "On Hold". GDC 
just /doesn't care/ /enough /to host any historically important sessions 
and the IGDA won't ever have space for this kind of thing. Henry said he 
had worked on the 2008 ones too.

Proposal: Make a note that the project is "ON HOLD". Figure out how to 
get this back on track for 2009. This is all Henry's work so he'll be 
the one doing any of this I guess ;)

*Memorial pages*
The short paragraph is enough for a list item. The project is still 
ongoing (with some backlog to add but nothing immediately coming to the 
fore).

*Contribution Materials Information*
A bit messy. I'll clean it up.

Proposal: This should be "Information" not a "Project" (it's basically 
nearly complete now). Make a new section for "SIG Preservation 
Information" of which the list of museums and archives which accept 
information should go along with how developers can contribute information.

*Videogame Collectors Information*
Proposal: As above, move to an "Information" section. This was ongoing 
research but is a very low priority - without inside knowledge, I 
certainly can't do this myself, and we really need some expert collector 
to simply list the facts behind collectors, the feel of what they do and 
many resources (websites, magazines, ways to trawl ebay or whatever). 
This needs a volunteer!

*Oral Histories*
This project has officially not started, not even so far as to get it's 
own wiki page. :)

Proposal: This should be possibly looked at with cooperation from 
archives or museums. Issues: we don't have any SIG members who want to 
do this, since it does take a lot of time! (especially if transcribing) 
Possible solution: work on text based interviews, or Skype/whatever 
calls, or even something in a virtual environment. Not as good for 
documentary work but useful none the less. Possibly see what museums and 
archives are doing specifically in this area - I know the UK one won't 
specifically work on them without needing them for a show/exhibit, and 
likely most of the others will be the same.

*White paper: Importance of archival work
*This needs retitling as "White Papers". It needs cleaning up. I'll move 
the pages to be more coherant (the brainstorm for this years paper needs 
to be put in a "2008" folder or something). It'll be a new section too, 
probably, or at least sub lists will have the actual paper entries.

*Internet Archive Work*
Will be moved to "Externally supported projects". Will list the 
collections and their contents in bullet point form too, if it looks 
good, and get it's own wiki page as well.

*IGDA History*
An internal SIG project (well, more /my/ project...). This is "On hold" 
for my time needs to go elsewhere (see this!). Pretty simple to put into 
a bullet point. Anyone who wants to help conduct interviews, provide 
sources and research for this medium-sized project give me a shout.

*External Preservation Projects*
This really is "Websites and museums doing work". Should really be 
titled better.

*Resources*
Information lists and so forth. I think there could well be just a big 
section for "Information" and having "Resources", "Projects" and so 
forth there would work better.

*Contact and discussion / Membership*
Proposal: This can get moved into the "Overview" section at the top.

*External Links*
Proposal: Remove this. I added this for no reason before, meh.

----------------------------------------

Now, anyone have any criticisms or whatever on the current list of 
projects (all above) or SIG aims, or any ideas for new projects, please 
say. If you're on the list for some other reason or think all this 
administrative discussion is boring, also say! Sometimes posting on this 
list and requesting information on "Why is no one posting" is like 
getting water out of a rock :) (not counting the half dozen of you who 
do respond, awesome you lot!).

I'd rather like to know what to improve in 2009, what would attract more 
active participation or would be useful for members, members like you! I 
can't know this without someone saying something.

Once the new IGDA site starts btw, we'll be losing the "mailing list", 
since it'll be subscription-based forums (ie; email capacity on forums. 
sp similar functionality. I'll make sure that's open to free members and 
is viewable when logged out like this mailing list is for histories 
sake, hehe), you'll have to sign up for at least a free account to be 
there, and I'll then know how many people we have, so no excuses then! ;)

Once that site is live too, I'll be making 2009 possibly a year to 
gather together people who are in the field into at least a group that 
has an ear in on discussions here. The fact there is no formal 
organisation for the history of videogames (unlike other historically 
researched fields), and no conferences, this is as good as we have right 
now, so best to try and gather together people if possible :)

Thanks,

Andrew
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