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The IGDA site is still being sorted. This means, yes, it is functional
to join <a href="http://www.igda.org/preservation"
class="external text" title="http://www.igda.org/preservation"
rel="nofollow">our group</a>,
but the speed of the forums and site is still a little wanting. We also
don't have a functional blog RSS feed, since it appears to go to the
(single) general IGDA one, so the <a
href="http://www.igda.org/og/archives/3872" class="external text"
title="http://www.igda.org/og/archives/3872" rel="nofollow">blog posts</a>
(which need the old site's re-importing) are hard to get by themselves.
<h3><span class="editsection"></span><span class="mw-headline">
Preservation SIG November/December 2009 Work </span></h3>
<p>I'm late posting this so, well, we have some action from December
mainly. The first thing, from November, is that the <a
href="http://www.americanjournalofplay.org/" class="external text"
title="http://www.americanjournalofplay.org/" rel="nofollow">American
Journal of Play</a> published the SIG white paper "<a
href="http://wiki.igda.org/Game_Preservation_SIG/White_Paper/Before_It%27s_Too_Late:_A_Digital_Game_Preservation_White_Paper"
class="external text"
title="http://wiki.igda.org/Game_Preservation_SIG/White_Paper/Before_It%27s_Too_Late:_A_Digital_Game_Preservation_White_Paper"
rel="nofollow">Before It's Too Late: A Digital Game Preservation White
Paper</a>", which is great. Hopefully it'll be a good read for those
subscribed to it.
</p>
<p>Secondly, the <a href="http://wiki.igda.org/Memorials"
class="external text" title="http://wiki.igda.org/Memorials"
rel="nofollow">IGDA Memorials</a>
project has been updated to, with many new entries from recently and
past deceased, some with biographies (although we are still looking for
entries for most). There were also minor edits applied (incorporating
feedback over <i>The Great Dana Sisters</i> being an instant classic
for instance). Under the hood me and Devin are getting more organised,
knowing what needs some work and what is complete internally - if you
know of anyone who is missing from the project, or if any information
is incorrect, please contact memorials - at - igda.org
</p>
<p>Finally, there is Devin Monnens <a
href="http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-December/001535.html"
class="external text"
title="http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-December/001535.html"
rel="nofollow">sending out a survey</a> related to the <a
href="http://wiki.igda.org/Game_Preservation_SIG/Videogame_Museums,_Archives,_Displays_and_Collections"
class="external text"
title="http://wiki.igda.org/Game_Preservation_SIG/Videogame_Museums,_Archives,_Displays_and_Collections"
rel="nofollow">Videogame Museums, Archives, Displays and Collections</a>
project (which I really should have renamed ages ago into something
less of a mouthful!). If you know of one not listed, contacted, or want
to provide information yourself, please email him, this is a great
project to get off the ground since we're in a position to provide the
information in one location.
</p>
<p>If you are interested in helping the SIG work you can handily
volunteer for some <a
href="http://www.igda.org/wiki/Game_Preservation_SIG"
class="external text"
title="http://www.igda.org/wiki/Game_Preservation_SIG" rel="nofollow">projects</a>,
or create your own if something is missing!
</p>
<h3><span class="editsection"></span><span class="mw-headline"> Future
Work for December 2009 </span></h3>
<p>I didn't get around to re-evaluating the projects, however this is
something I do intend to do. The ongoing work by Devin will continue on
his survey, and we will aim to complete more memorials when we have
time.
</p>
<h3><span class="editsection"></span><span class="mw-headline"> Mailing
List Discussions </span></h3>
<p>If you've not joined our <a
href="http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation"
class="external text"
title="http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation"
rel="nofollow">mailing list</a>,
please do so. We've never tried using our forums it seems :) we stick
to old-fangled email. This will eventually change when the IGDA site
has some replacement for it, which won't be anytime soon.
</p>
<p><a
href="http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-November/thread.html"
class="external text"
title="http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-November/thread.html"
rel="nofollow">November</a> had <a
href="http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-November/001473.html"
class="external text"
title="http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-November/001473.html"
rel="nofollow">discussions about free game preservation</a> (Internet
Archive collection hopefully coming at some point!), and few listings
of memorials (<a
href="http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-November/001481.html"
class="external text"
title="http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-November/001481.html"
rel="nofollow">Leland P. Cook, Jr.</a>, <a
href="http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-November/001469.html"
class="external text"
title="http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-November/001469.html"
rel="nofollow">Armin Gessert</a>, <a
href="http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-November/001461.html"
class="external text"
title="http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-November/001461.html"
rel="nofollow">Don Ivan Punchatz</a>),
with good discussion on the biography aspect for Armin Gessert, and
what it means to be an "instant classic" (oxymoronic statement?
overused? not applicable here in any case? probably was all 3, so it
got changed!).
</p>
<p>There was some technical discussions on <a
href="http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-November/001483.html"
class="external text"
title="http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-November/001483.html"
rel="nofollow">MP3's</a> and <a
href="http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-November/001487.html"
class="external text"
title="http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-November/001487.html"
rel="nofollow">MAME's decapping project</a>. Finally there was a new
exhibit at <a
href="http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-November/001462.html"
class="external text"
title="http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-November/001462.html"
rel="nofollow">Austin Airport</a> and some <a
href="http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-November/001482.html"
class="external text"
title="http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-November/001482.html"
rel="nofollow">Retro Half-Life 2 machinima</a> posted :) Thanks to all
who contribute! a cookie for you all!
</p>
<p>I'll get to Decembers posts in January, with a more timely
newsletter. ;)
</p>
<h3><span class="editsection"></span><span class="mw-headline">
Preservation SIG Blog Updates / Links </span></h3>
<p><i>Have I missed anything this month? Then email it in to
preservation_news @ igda.org !</i>
</p>
<ul>
<li> <a
href="http://www.igda.org/preservation/memorials-don-ivan-punchatz-leland-p-cook-jr-and-robert-holdstock"
class="external text"
title="http://www.igda.org/preservation/memorials-don-ivan-punchatz-leland-p-cook-jr-and-robert-holdstock"
rel="nofollow">Memorials for Don Ivan Punchatz, Leland P. Cook Jr. and
Robert Holdstock</a>
</li>
<li> <a
href="http://www.igda.org/preservation/memorials-scott-heckenlively-and-armin-gessert"
class="external text"
title="http://www.igda.org/preservation/memorials-scott-heckenlively-and-armin-gessert"
rel="nofollow">Memorials for Scott Heckenlively and Armin Gessert</a>
</li>
<li> <a
href="http://www.igda.org/preservation/videogame-archive-exhibit-opens-austin-airport"
class="external text"
title="http://www.igda.org/preservation/videogame-archive-exhibit-opens-austin-airport"
rel="nofollow">Videogame Archive Exhibit Opens at the Austin Airport</a>
</li>
</ul>
<h3><span class="editsection"></span><span class="mw-headline"> Final
Thoughts </span></h3>
<p>Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year at this turn of the
decade (which no doubt us historians will likely have to call the
"naughties", *shudder*), or if you don't celebrate either I hope you
have better weather then the UK! :)
</p>
<p>Andrew Armstrong
</p>
<p>IGDA Game Preservation SIG Site/Blog editor
</p>
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