2015 UCA After Action Review

[UCA]

Now that the 2015 UCAs are done let us take time and discuss/recommend changes to the UCA process for 2016. The UCA board is up for peer review.  Please post what you think went right, what you think went wrong, and what you would like to see changed for next year.  There are no rules here. The UCAs don't belong to any individual, they belong to the community.  It's up to next year's board to fix/maintain it as they see fit. 

So in order to choose a new board post your nominations as to who should be on the UCA board. You can't nominate yourself and if nominated and you agree you have to publicly accept, (silence is not consent).  If you're nominated and you accept then you're on the board. The fate of the 2016 UCAs are in your hands.  Prior board members can continue to serve if someone recommends them and they accept.  No limit on board members.   

Once we have a consensus as to who would like to participate, the UCA account will send all the new board members a PM of the UCA user account credentials. From that moment on its in their hands.

As for current members of the board, ChanceKJ will be stepping down however PBJ has expressed interest in staying. With the exception of the handoff to new members, ChanceKJ and PBJ are released from commitment as of this posting.

[ChanceKJ]

.

[yotsuya]

I suggest a minimum of at least 3-5 board members.

[ChanceKJ]

.

[johnrt]

It's fun, don't take it serious, and ignore the drama.

+1 !!!

Although somebody takes this yearly event way to serious!

[harveybirdman]

Move this to forum discussion.

[yotsuya]

Personally speaking, 2 did just fine. In my opinion 2 would have to be the minimum. For obvious reasons to avoid any bias and have accountability.

For anyone thinking of signing up: to put it into perspective the entire 2015 UCA took up about a grand total of 3 hours of work (actually probability less...) spread over the course of 2 months. It's not hard at all. There are plenty of previous years worth of threads you can use to fall back on if you just look at how it was handled in the past.

It's fun, don't take it serious, and ignore the drama.

That's all I got,  good luck guys, have fun. I'm out.

With all due respect, the problem with only two members is that if one member had a stronger opinion or personality than the other, in effect one person could be running the show. The more eyes you have looking at things like eligibility and bringing up points and issues. It's already been pointed out that a set of standards and guidelines was presented at the onset of this year's awards, only to be disregarded in the final setup of the categories. I mean, you just don't do that. Perhaps more eyes and voices in the process would have been beneficial in preventing this from happening. I know when there were five of us on the board, we threw things out there, voted on it, agreed and disagreed. But it was beneficial because no one person or clique was running the show.

I know your philosophy is "hey, it's all fun, no worries!", but the point behind the UCAs is to recognize outstanding craftsmanship in this hobby. I kinda think that should be taken seriously, but that's probably just me.

Oh well. Thank you and Jim for serving this year.

[harveybirdman]

Chance I like you, but the blasie faire attitude is part of the problem with this year's UCA's.

I don't want my other opinions that I'd like to share to take away from this year's winners, therefore I'll reserve further comment til later.

Also I'm in a ---That which is odiferous and causeth plants to grow--- training class all day.

[reptileink]

I think that it should be made up of the more seasoned vets here at BYOAC. Ones that know the hobby in and out, and know what goes into making an arcade worthy of voting.

[pbj]

Categories are an issue every year.  I was asked to review the guidelines, read them twice, and the mistake about having votes in categories without enough projects rests on my shoulders.  Oh well, there's always 2017.

[Le Chuck]

Categories are an issue every year.  I was asked to review the guidelines, read them twice, and the mistake about having votes in categories without enough projects rests on my shoulders.  Oh well, there's always 2017.

Thanks for being upfront about that.  While I wasn't emotionally distraught over it I did notice (obvi).  I didn't, "Of for ---fudgesicle---'s sake" it but I did, "Huh, that's interesting" it - if that makes sense.  I didn't handle it as gracefully as I could have in thread - I, improperly it appears, took it as blatant disregard for the process, rather than oversight.  So "my bads" all the way around.

I also am not married to the three item minimum if the group wants to go differently.  I prefer it, I think it makes sense and has worked well in years past, but know that they way we used to do things is not enough of a justification for the way we do things now.  I do think that whatever rules you post should be followed, which is where most of my misplaced ire came from. 

Long winded way to say, "fair enough, ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- happens, and I'm sorry too." 

[Le Chuck]

I nominate Cheffo and LeapinLew!

[opt2not]

I don't think it's right that the UCA winners get automatically entered into the hall of fame. That's like saying a sports team winning this season's championship should be considered the "greatest of all time" in comparison to the history of that sport.

I think that it should be made up of the more seasoned vets here at BYOAC. Ones that know the hobby in and out, and know what goes into making an arcade worthy of voting.

+1 to this. It should be comprised of people who A. have the knowledge of the construction side, aesthetic, and ergonomics of cabinet building, and B. be people of good character and integrity. Spouting-off on social media badmouthing fellow established members does not show good character and integrity. And just because a person has a youtube channel, doesn't qualify them as experts.

[opt2not]

I nominate Cheffo and LeapinLew!

+1

[johnrt]

B. be people of good character and integrity.

This rules out many of you vets (I'm not saying you).

[yotsuya]

B. be people of good character and integrity.

This rules out many of you vets (I'm not saying you).

No he-man woman haters, either...

[yotsuya]

B. be people of good character and integrity.

This rules out many of you vets (I'm not saying you).

You know, the more I think about this post, the more it pisses me off. People of questionable character and integrity are liars, thieves, and cheats. When you use the word "many", you're painting with a very broad brush. There are guys here who have been here a long time who have given stuff away for free, donated their time and efforts to help others, and offered advice and feedback to generally improve the quality of builds here. For you to say "many of you vets" lack good character and integrity is extremely insulting.

[leapinlew]

I nominate Cheffo and LeapinLew!

I know for a fact Cheffo is a man of loose morals.

[yotsuya]

I nominate Cheffo and LeapinLew!

I know for a fact Cheffo is a man of loose morals.

A man's sex life has nothing to do with this. Is he a liar cheat or thief?

[Le Chuck]

I nominate Cheffo and LeapinLew!

I know for a fact Cheffo is a man of loose morals.

A man's sex life has nothing to do with this. Is he a liar cheat or thief?

He only ever lies about being a thief and he doesn't do that anymore. 

[yotsuya]

I nominate Cheffo and LeapinLew!

I know for a fact Cheffo is a man of loose morals.

A man's sex life has nothing to do with this. Is he a liar cheat or thief?

He only ever lies about being a thief and he doesn't do that anymore.

Only when he needs the money, I heard.

By the way, did you get a new phone number? I have sent you a few texts and you're either ignoring me, or I've been sexting with a complete stranger.

[johnrt]

You know, the more I think about this post, the more it pisses me off. People of questionable character and integrity are liars, thieves, and cheats. When you use the word "many", you're painting with a very broad brush. There are guys here who have been here a long time who have given stuff away for free, donated their time and efforts to help others, and offered advice and feedback to generally improve the quality of builds here. For you to say "many of you vets" lack good character and integrity is extremely insulting.

In my opinion a person with good character is not a drama queen like many of you veterans. And don't even get me started on insulting. If there's ONE THING you old sourpusses can be, it's insulting. You are such drama queens and are about to destroy this community. Just my humble opinion.

[yotsuya]

You know, the more I think about this post, the more it pisses me off. People of questionable character and integrity are liars, thieves, and cheats. When you use the word "many", you're painting with a very broad brush. There are guys here who have been here a long time who have given stuff away for free, donated their time and efforts to help others, and offered advice and feedback to generally improve the quality of builds here. For you to say "many of you vets" lack good character and integrity is extremely insulting.

In my opinion a person with good character is not a drama queen like many of you veterans. And don't even get me started on insulting. If there's ONE THING you old sourpuss' can be, it's insulting. You are such drama queens and are about to destroy this community. Just my humble opinion.

You clearly don't know what humble means.

 This community survived well before you and I came along, and it'll go on afterwards. But it's not going to get better without honest feedback. You want to hand out gold stars and give everybody a pat on the back when it's not deserved, be my guest. That's the quickest way to get on the path of mediocrity.

[harveybirdman]

This is about the UCA'S not Yotsuya is a drama queen.

And I think you get away with a lot of dick moves yourself because you're a superb builder johnrt. In other words don't throw rocks when you live in glass houses.

[yotsuya]

This is about the UCA'S not Yotsuya is a drama queen.

And I think you get away with a lot of dick moves yourself because you're a superb builder johnrt. In other words don't throw rocks when you live in glass houses.

Moi? Drama queen? Do tell.

[harveybirdman]

You do embellish from time to time, but I can't think of anyone who's done more as an ambassador for this site in my time here.

But back on topic, how did the total votes in this year's UCA'S compare to years past and what categories got the most votes?

[yotsuya]

You do embellish from time to time, but I can't think of anyone who's done more as an ambassador for this site in my time here.

I'm going to Photoshop a silhouette of a set of balls on you on any picture we take at ZapCon.

[leapinlew]

In my opinion a person with good character is not a drama queen like many of you veterans.

THAT'S IT! I'M GOING FISHIN!

[Le Chuck]

In my opinion a person with good character is not a drama queen like many of you veterans.

THAT'S IT! I'M GOING FISHIN!

For compliments that is...you old queen you.

[Malenko]

In my opinion a person with good character is not a drama queen like many of you veterans.

Drama comes from the new and the old. I do think its a bit of a disservice to say its only the vets (am I a vet?) Personal non humble opinion, the biggest drama queen on here hasnt even been a member for 3 years yet.


And for the record, I dont feel Im a drama queen, Im just an ---uvula---.

[pbj]

I, too, am uncomfortable with questioning someone's character just because they have personality attributes I dislike. 

[opt2not]

In my opinion a person with good character is not a drama queen like many of you veterans. And don't even get me started on insulting. If there's ONE THING you old sourpusses can be, it's insulting. You are such drama queens and are about to destroy this community. Just my humble opinion.

Hold on, so you're saying someone who feels passionate about a certain aspect of their interests, interests that they spend hours and hours being involved with and is willing to vocalize that passion is not of good character?  That doesn't make any sense at all.

I used to be one of those guys that helped out a lot, both in art and construction design suggestions. But after a while I've found that a lot of new members here don't really want to have people give them suggestions or feedback other than a pat and the head. They are stuck in their ways in thinking their choices are the word of god or something.

So...what's the point in trying to help?  Many of you new members are here for the narcissism. Not for the sharing of ideas, not for the progression of the hobby, but for the "where's my cookie?" factor.

This came to a point where I didn't like where the "community" was going, so I --opted to not-- be as involved as I once was. Now I mostly lurk, judge from afar, and chat with people off-site that are the good guys of BYOAC. Help them out with artwork, or design feedback, etc... and I don't feel bad after doing it as I did here in recent years.

[yotsuya]

I, too, am uncomfortable with questioning someone's character just because they have personality attributes I dislike.

Well said, James. I know people in REAL LIFE who are stand up people with personality flaws. Doesn't mean I question their integrity or think they're taking us on to the road to ruin.

[leapinlew]

So it's settled. Next year we'll have more dramatic veterans and more newbies with integrity.


Worst After Action Review Ever.....

[yotsuya]

So it's settled. Next year we'll have more dramatic veterans and more newbies with integrity.


Worst After Action Review Ever.....

I would like to second Leapinlew's nomination to the UCA board, veteran status and outspokenness notwithstanding. I'd also like to subscribe to his newsletter.

[pbj]

I still have parts he gave me 11 years ago.  I third it.   

[harveybirdman]

I'm sorry  a 25 % drop in participation makes it seem to me like there is more to discuss.

[opt2not]

Wait, my +1 on leapinlew depends on whether he's still using the spinner hack on Timepilot...   

[fablog]

I nominate Le Chuck.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[yotsuya]

I nominate Le Chuck.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

I second this.

[Le Chuck]

I nominate Le Chuck.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

*snort chuckle* you know this whole mess is mostly my fault right?

[Vigo]

I nominate Le Chuck.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

*snort chuckle* you know this whole mess is mostly my fault right?

  I third Le Chuck

[yotsuya]

I nominate Le Chuck.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

*snort chuckle* you know this whole mess is mostly my fault right?

  I third Le Chuck

[Le Chuck]

I nominate Le Chuck.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

I second this.

Oh yeah cocheese?! Well I nominate you pendejo!

[yotsuya]

I nominate Le Chuck.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

I second this.

Oh yeah cocheese?! Well I nominate you pendejo!

Fuuuuuuuuck no. I'm out of gold stars.

[Ond]

I nominate Le Chuck.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

*snort chuckle* you know this whole mess is mostly my fault right?

  I third Le Chuck

Bring back Le Chuck GODDAMIT *smirk*  and bring back rep as well.

[Le Chuck]

I nominate Le Chuck.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

I second this.

Oh yeah cocheese?! Well I nominate you pendejo!

Fuuuuuuuuck no. I'm out of gold stars.

That's like three more "u" than you said you would use. You weren't joking around.

Ps. Send more dick pix.

and bring back rep as well.

Can I second this? I second this.

[yotsuya]

In all seriousness, having done this with Le Chuck for 3 years, and knowing the time he put into it, the money he's put into it in the past, and how serious he takes it, if he wants to serve again, I hope he does.

[Vigo]

Ps. Send more dick pix.

[edekoning]

First of all I would like to thank ChanceKJ and PBJ for taking to time to organize this year's UCA.

My views on the UCA awards are:
-Take it seriously as you know other people will.
-Do not break the rules, as there is no easier way to piss people off.
-Realize that you can never please everyone.
-From day one make a separate thread were people can ask questions or raise concerns about the UAC awards. Also make it absolutely clear that such discussions should not be held in the nominations/voting threads. Enforce if possible.
-Prefer fewer categories, but with more entries to choose from. I understand that getting the categories right is a tough thing. Maybe its better to define those after the nomination phase has ended.

[harveybirdman]

First of all I would like to thank ChanceKJ and PBJ for taking to time to organize this year's UCA.

My views on the UCA awards are:
-Take it seriously as you know other people will.
-Do not break the rules, as there is no easier way to piss people off.
-Realize that you can never please everyone.
-From day one make a separate thread were people can ask questions or raise concerns about the UAC awards. Also make it absolutely clear that such discussions should not be held in the nominations/voting threads. Enforce if possible.
-Prefer fewer categories, but with more entries to choose from. I understand that getting the categories right is a tough thing. Maybe its better to define those after the nomination phase has ended.

Solid points  and I agree

[Le Chuck]

*First year of the event.  UCA board was not established and kinks were being worked out on the fly
**Categories had to be reset part way through the voting as one user left the forum and requested to be removed from consideration
***Only 3 entries could be voted as we had a repeat winner in the parent category
****Included honorable mentions as certain categories could not be filled, IIRC there was another year with honorable mentions as well but I don't want to dig too far to find it. 

2014 was a rocky year with some growing pains for the event.  The old board who had gone without change since its inception unanimously decided to hang it up and give others on the forum the opportunity to carry the event forward. 

I certainly appreciate the nominations and have considered picking it back up but I haven't decided.  I'm not being coy, I just need to figure out where I am in my new move, new job, new baby, new newness, and try to forecast a year out if I'll have the inclination to do it again.  I will tell you it was very nice taking this one off.   

[n3wt0n]

So I have dug out a couple issues between all the bickering and thrown in my nickel.

1. Voting was down considerable percentage (25% if I remember correctly). Asking why has resulted in speculative finger pointing about drama and over critical review.  But, ask the people who won a UCA and I imagine they had a lot of input and support from the community. THE WHOLE COMMUNITY. That includes the drama queens and the over critical. That doesn't mean that we should all be a-holes but I think the bickering over who is and who isn't being a <insert current feature flaw here> does more damage than a honest review of someones progress.

2. How many UCA reps is a good number? Chance mentioned that 2 was a good minimum number and less than 2 is just not okay. Yots thinks more is needed and I would agree. I would say 3 as a minimum with a max of 5. 3 would appease Chances recommendation of more than 2 and prevent the scenario (of a strong personality pushing their ideas out) laid out by Yotsuya earlier. 5 as a maximum should make decisions pretty easy to decide on with a healthy amount of input.

3. It was brought up that winners should not get automatic HoF status. While I personally disagree and think that it is fine for the winners to be added to the hall of fame I would like to know what the current criteria for HoF additions is. If winning a UCA is the only reasonable way in than you bet your ass they should be added. It is really cool to go back through the hall of fame thread and see what is now the standard vs. 5 years ago. The quality has always been there but the attention to detail and the style has definitely changed over time. I really like to see the progression and putting the UCA winners in there makes that progression a yearly thing.

4. Nomination recap - Leapinlew and CheffoJeffo have had nominations and LeChuck, while a previous member who bowed out, has received nominations. Chance is not going to stay on but PBJ is going to. Personally, I would be happy with any of those members on the board and would 2nd any of their nominations. Did I miss anyone? Also, what qualifications are needed to take on this position and what is required? Time? Money? Can you self nominate or will you be burned at the stake for attempting it?

We can keep arguing about how people act vs. how we expect them to act or we can try to get to the bottom of some of these issues. Up to you.

[n3wt0n]

So... LeChuck posted his chart at the same time I posted my thoughts. It seems that 2015 in fact DID NOT have 25% less voting like someone stated earlier. Don't believe everything you read on the internet kids.  My mistake. It looks like categories AND voting was actually up from last year.

[Le Chuck]

So... LeChuck posted his chart at the same time I posted my thoughts. It seems that 2015 in fact DID NOT have 25% less voting like someone stated earlier. Don't believe everything you read on the internet kids.  My mistake. It looks like categories AND voting was actually up from last year.

I didn't bother with the math but the drop in 2014 was due to changes half way through voting, and we lost of a lot of votes - I know of at least ten that abstained from one category.  This was the first year the UCAs didn't break 80 in any event.  Missed it by "that" much. 

[harveybirdman]

I did a quick calculation based on full size participation last year and dedicated build this year. Sorry... it just felt that way based on what seemed like fewer responses in the voting thread and many voters voting without commenting.

[Token]

I nominate the following for UCA Board:

Ond
Yots (But i don't think he wants in)
vwalbridge
johnrt

They are all excellent builders who are also constructive posters. I know nothing of their character or integrity. We ain't electing a Pope here.


Regarding drama-

The UCA results thread should be focused on the builders who won. Like Malenko, I voted for the Raiden. But I don't think the UCA winners thread is the right place to argue that someone other than the winner should have won. It's also not the right place to call people out, so I apologize to the winners for derailing the thread with my Malenko-Kanye post.

[n3wt0n]

I did a quick calculation based on full size participation last year and dedicated build this year. Sorry... it just felt that way based on what seemed like fewer responses in the voting thread and many voters voting without commenting.

I would have thought the same thing.

[johnrt]

.

[yamatetsu]

I nominate the people who wanted to do it last year but chose (opted ?) not to.

On 01 March 2015 the reins of the UCAs (to include the totally baller UCA avatard) will pass to the new UCA board.  They are:

Vigo
PBJ
ChanceKJ
Opt2Not
Louis Tully
Malenko
Nephasth

ChanceKJ is out, Louis and Nephasth are gone.

PBJ, Vigo, Opt2Not and Malenko would make a good team in my book.

[yotsuya]

I nominate the following for UCA Board:

Ond
Yots (But i don't think he wants in)
vwalbridge
johnrt

They are all excellent builders who are also constructive posters. I know nothing of their character or integrity. We ain't electing a Pope here.

While I appreciate the nomination, I'm going to have to respectfully decline. I served on the first board for 3 years, asked because, ironically, I was known for my good character and integrity. I took the honor seriously, because quite frankly I wanted to help recognize outstanding craftsmanship. There are many builders and innovators who do it not for accolades and share their projects because of a love for arcade machines, which is ultimately what this is all about. I always functioned to make sure that, in order to do so, everything stayed FAIR. Otherwise, this just becomes a popularity contest.

In order to keep it fair, you absolutely NEED to make sure you stick to the criteria you set. As a board member, I frequently made sure nominations and categories were in line with the criteria we presented at the get go. If there were issues, we as a board of 5 discussed them, debated them, and ultimately voted on them. It wasn't always unanimous, it wasn't always pretty, but everyone's viewpoint was welcome. Sometimes I convinced people to see my side, sometimes I didn't - but you could never say the process wasn't fair and inclusive. I know for a fact we put more than three hours into it - hell - we probably hit that in one day during a discussion about deadlines. But that kind of diligence is critical if you want it keep the process fair. If you want to give recognition to cabinets you like simply because you like them,  you don't need awards for that - tell the builders in their threads right then and there. But I always felt the UCAs should recognize a high standard of quality and achievement. As a committee, it was our job to make sure the process stayed balanced.

Personally, I'd like to see the nomination process tightened up. I think more often than not it's a handful of members doing most of the nominations, and people saying "Seconded" without much thought. I think a limit how many cabs one person can nominate should be considered, and perhaps a boost in the amount of "seconded"s needed to make it eligible.

[yotsuya]

I nominate the people who wanted to do it last year but chose (opted ?) not to.

On 01 March 2015 the reins of the UCAs (to include the totally baller UCA avatard) will pass to the new UCA board.  They are:

Vigo
PBJ
ChanceKJ
Opt2Not
Louis Tully
Malenko
Nephasth

ChanceKJ is out, Louis and Nephasth are gone.

PBJ, Vigo, Opt2Not and Malenko would make a good team in my book.

I agree with this sentiment.

[vwalbridge]

I nominate the following for UCA Board:

Ond
Yots (But i don't think he wants in)
vwalbridge
johnrt

They are all excellent builders who are also constructive posters. I know nothing of their character or integrity. We ain't electing a Pope here.

Thank you for the nomination Token. I'm flattered but will have to respectfully decline.   I'm just too green in this hobby to be qualified.  There are far more knowledgeable builders here that will do a fine job.

[yotsuya]

I'm just too green in this hobby to have be qualified.  There are far more knowledgeable builders here that will do a fine job.

That's good. That means you're not a dirty veteran like the rest of us.

[Malenko]

I'm just too green in this hobby to have be qualified.  There are far more knowledgeable builders here that will do a fine job.

That's good. That means you're not a dirty veteran like the rest of us.

---smurfing--- drama queen 

[DeLuSioNal29]

Personally, I think we should wait before we nominate or elect anyone.  Tempers are flaring and things need to cool down.  We have quite a bit of time here...

Maybe after Zapcon in April we can re-visit?  What do you guys think?

D

[Ond]

Personally, I think we should wait before we nominate or elect anyone.  Tempers are flaring and things need to cool down.  We have quite a bit of time here...

Maybe after Zapcon in April we can re-visit?  What do you guys think?

D

Good idea.

[Malenko]

All I know is we had an all-star cast ready to run them for 2015, then Chance happened and everyone said they'd rather not do it with him involved. Instead of him doing the right thing and stepping down, he let everyone else take the high road and the end result of that is him finally having a UCA and no one really giving a ---fudgesicle--- about them anymore.


Can't hurt to wait till after Zapcon though 

[opt2not]

All I know is we had an all-star cast ready to run them for 2015, then Chance happened and everyone said they'd rather not do it with him involved. Instead of him doing the right thing and stepping down, he let everyone else take the high road and the end result of that is him finally having a UCA and no one really giving a ---fudgesicle--- about them anymore.


Can't hurt to wait till after Zapcon though 

Yeah that played a major part in it, and also the UCA committee was initially too large.  I think 4 is a good number for the committee, like The 4 Horsemen Of The Cade-ocalypse!
 PBJ, Vigo, Malenko and Me would make a decent team I would think. The wildcard being good ol' Jim here, but he's like the colour commentary of the bunch. He can be Shaq.   

But lets figure out the roster later on after Zapcom. I do have a few ideas that I would like to run by the eventual committee that could make next year's UCA more interesting and winning more coveted.

[yotsuya]

All I know is we had an all-star cast ready to run them for 2015, then Chance happened and everyone said they'd rather not do it with him involved. Instead of him doing the right thing and stepping down, he let everyone else take the high road and the end result of that is him finally having a UCA and no one really giving a ---fudgesicle--- about them anymore.


Can't hurt to wait till after Zapcon though 

Yeah that played a major part in it, and also the UCA committee was initially too large.  I think 4 is a good number for the committee, like The 4 Horsemen Of The Cade-ocalypse!
 PBJ, Vigo, Malenko and Me would make a decent team I would think. The wildcard being good ol' Jim here, but he's like the colour commentary of the bunch. He can be Shaq. 
But lets figure out the roster later on after Zapcom. I do have a few ideas that I would like to run by the eventual committee that could make next year's UCA more interesting and winning more coveted.

You need an odd number to break ties. 5 is a good number.

[opt2not]

You need an odd number to break ties. 5 is a good number.

Let's go, yots! You're up!

[Malenko]

You need an odd number to break ties. 5 is a good number.

in the event of a tie, we'll ask PBJ, then do the opposite of what he says. I kid I kid! 


You'd be the perfect #5 though yotsie

[Token]

Waiting until after Zapcon is great, but based on the nominating process outlined in the first post, here is where we stand:

Remaining on the UCA board
pbj

Nominated and accepted
Opt2Not
Malenko

Nominated and pending acceptance
Cheffo
Leapinlew
LeChuck
Ond
Vigo

The board should have an odd number of members, as Yots has already argued.

[yotsuya]

You need an odd number to break ties. 5 is a good number.

Let's go, yots! You're up!

While I am humbled by your faith in my character and integrity, I must decline. I simply don't have the time, as I'm going to be starting a new babyfighting gambling ring pretty soon. Toodles.

[DeLuSioNal29]

You'd be the perfect #5 though yotsie

[pbj]

It's March... maybe we could wait until.... October? to select the committee???

[yotsuya]

It's March... maybe we could wait until.... October? to select the committee???

I think that's a very good idea.

[opt2not]

It's March... maybe we could wait until.... October? to select the committee???

I think that's a very good idea.

Seconded.

[Token]

That makes a ton of sense. There's no need for a UAC board 10 months before nominating begins.


That also means pbj gets to be UAC dictator until October. 

[leapinlew]

That makes a ton of sense. There's no need for a UAC board 10 months before nominating begins.


That also means pbj gets to be UAC dictator until October. 

disagree. The board should be in place during the year being reviewed. There should be private running threads of projects to watch.

Also, not it!

[pbj]

disagree.

Duly noted and ignored. 

[opt2not]

disagree. The board should be in place during the year being reviewed. There should be private running threads of projects to watch.

That's also a valid point. See, you're thinking like a committee member already!

[yotsuya]

disagree. The board should be in place during the year being reviewed. There should be private running threads of projects to watch.

That's also a valid point. See, you're thinking like a committee member already!

The only problem with that proposal is the board doesn't do any of the actual nominating. They're more like facilitators.

In the past, I have thought it would be kind of interesting if the board picked the projects that go into the categories, and then the voters could pick their favorites from those nominees. Of course, there would be some people unhappy that their favorite projects were left out, but it's just another way to look at it. Every system has its pluses and minuses.

[Le Chuck]

Like an anarcho-syndicalist commune?

[edekoning]

the end result of that is him finally having a UCA and no one really giving a ---fudgesicle--- about them anymore.

Have you read your signature recently

In the past, I have thought it would be kind of interesting if the board picked the projects that go into the categories, and then the voters could pick their favorites from those nominees. Of course, there would be some people unhappy that their favorite projects were left out, but it's just another way to look at it. Every system has its pluses and minuses.

You could have both. The board nominates builds, each which has to be accepted by the majority of that board. These nominations will be presented before the community can start nominating builds. I would suggest a minimum of 3 votes before a community nomination is accepted. Note that board members should be excluded from this voting part.

[Malenko]

Have you read your signature recently

Just tryin to follow my boy Yotsie's lead 

[edekoning]

Just tryin to follow my boy Yotsie's lead 

In that case
  ⇓   ⇓    ⇓

[Aceldamor]

Aside from some pride ouchies, what would be the harm in skipping a year altogether?

[leapinlew]

Aside from some pride ouchies, what would be the harm in skipping a year altogether?

People not getting recognized for projects and products?
Loss of continuity and the risk of it never being picked up?
Sense of community?

The fact that some people take it serious is a recipe for disaster.

[Aceldamor]

Aside from some pride ouchies, what would be the harm in skipping a year altogether?

People not getting recognized for projects and products?
Loss of continuity and the risk of it never being picked up?
Sense of community?

The fact that some people take it serious is a recipe for disaster.

1. If you build something like this for the sole purpose of being recognized, you're doing it wrong
2. Seems to me like there was a loss of continuity this year anyway
3. This community is way stronger than an award.

Just sayin'

[harveybirdman]

2. Seems to me like there was a loss of continuity this year anyway

This is the root of the major points of contention, and I thought pbj and LeChuck would hash it out much more, but they kind of just owned it and moved on. 

Of course when I started jokingly (sort of) saying Chance's Flynn's was the new weecade earlier this year, I had no idea so many clones of it would be made nor that the tone in the feedback or acceptance thereof in those builds would become bitter.  There was a meltdown in the NASA build thread that culminated with a bunch of people determining that they hate each other which I have to say, had a good bit to do with actions from both sides (everyone's guilty)

As a result the UCA's suffered.  So those of you that bowed out should get yourselves back in.  And Chance you should come around more besides to pimp your videos.  And for those of you with a problem with him, you should probably just stay out of his threads and keep his name out your mouth.

Geez it's not like he's Kaneda or anything, even if his panel is fugly.

[yotsuya]

2. Seems to me like there was a loss of continuity this year anyway

This is the root of the major points of contention, and I thought pbj and LeChuck would hash it out much more, but they kind of just owned it and moved on. 

Of course when I started jokingly (sort of) saying Chance's Flynn's was the new weecade earlier this year, I had no idea so many clones of it would be made nor that the tone in the feedback or acceptance thereof in those builds would become bitter.  There was a meltdown in the NASA build thread that culminated with a bunch of people determining that they hate each other which I have to say, had a good bit to do with actions from both sides (everyone's guilty)

As a result the UCA's suffered.  So those of you that bowed out should get yourselves back in.  And Chance you should come around more besides to pimp your videos.  And for those of you with a problem with him, you should probably just stay out of his threads and keep his name out your mouth.

Geez it's not like he's Kaneda or anything, even if his panel is fugly.

This is me saying "well-said".

[yotsuya]

The fact that some people take it serious is a recipe for disaster.

If you're gonna do it, do it right.

Unless you mean they're super serious about winning them, then I agree with you. I can tell you from my time on the board that we definitely saw instances where people were doing things specifically fishing for awards. That I find very distasteful.

[Ond]

Like an anarcho-syndicalist commune?

Can't we just go all medieval on BYOAC's ass?  Let's have a King and errm, maybe a Queen, and some jesters! and whatnot.  Actually saint already is the King of BYOAC so I guess its a moot suggestion really.

[leapinlew]

Aside from some pride ouchies, what would be the harm in skipping a year altogether?

People not getting recognized for projects and products?
Loss of continuity and the risk of it never being picked up?
Sense of community?

The fact that some people take it serious is a recipe for disaster.

1. If you build something like this for the sole purpose of being recognized, you're doing it wrong
2. Seems to me like there was a loss of continuity this year anyway
3. This community is way stronger than an award.

Just sayin'

1. No one said anything about "sole purpose".  I would agree that if someones sole purpose was to get a community driven award, that would be "doing it wrong", but since no one but you suggested that...
2. The awards are a nice highlight to the year. To mark the progress and to give a nod to those who not only did something good, but have benefited the community. Personally, I see nothing wrong with it. Sure, there's a swirl of drama this year but think of it like building a cabinet. You'll find some challenges along the way but are you going to give up just because some things aren't going right? Hell no! You get some bondo and you get to work. The UCA's just need some bondo. 
3. Duh. Conflict is absolutely normal in a project like this. Getting butt hurt and wanting to take your ball and go home - that's weak.

[saint]

I did meet this lady in a puddle of water with a sword once...

Like an anarcho-syndicalist commune?

Can't we just go all medieval on BYOAC's ass?  Let's have a King and errm, maybe a Queen, and some jesters! and whatnot.  Actually saint already is the King of BYOAC so I guess its a moot suggestion really.

[saint]

Thread cleaned up.

[Le Chuck]

I did meet this lady in a puddle of water with a sword once...

Well you can't expect to wield supreme executive power
just 'cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!

[yotsuya]

I like what PBJ proposed. Can we table this until October? Let's just celebrate the current winners, go on with building thoughout the spring and summer, and then around Halloween elect a board and let the process play out? Maybe the distance of time will give some clarity to the process going forward. What say you guys?

[CheffoJeffo]

I hate when I come to a thread after saint cleans it up. And I bet nobody did me the courtesy of screencapping it, right? 

I miss the Mameys. 

[saint]

Spent a few hours today restoring some deleted posts. Few hours of my life I won't get back. Back to your regularly scheduled fun.

[n3wt0n]

As long as you didn't delete the juicy stuff! I agree. Let's celebrate the winners and form a solid UCA committee later.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Locke141]

Haven't been on the boards a lot lately do to my new job.

I noticed a problem with one cab I love (holaplaneta's Maquinita To Go Portable). It was announced as finished after December 31. I didn't think enough of it to point it out before but this seems like the proper time to do so.

As for the complaints about some people being overcritical. When I was new here I definitely felt a little put off by some less then tactful feed back. Now that I know the community, I think the honest feed back is the best part of BYOAC. Lots of guys here are quick to let you know when something is not working. Having an out side opinion has saved me from some very poor decisions.

When you put a lot of time and energy into a build it's easy to become sensitive. Le Chuck told a story once about dressing up as Cyrano de Bergerac thinking he was being creative and his mom thinking he looked like he had a penis on his face, I think it was in LT's warp zone build but all his threads are hard to search through now. To me that story is the best analogy to some of the honest, if not tactful feed back you will get here. 

[leapinlew]

Totally agree that some of the best things to come from BYOAC are LeChuck and his penis stories...

[yotsuya]

Haven't been on the boards a lot lately do to my new job.

I noticed a problem with one cab I love (holaplaneta's Maquinita To Go Portable). It was announced as finished after December 31. I didn't think enough of it to point it out before but this seems like the proper time to do so.

As for the complaints about some people being overcritical. When I was new here I definitely felt a little put off by some less then tactful feed back. Now that I know the community, I think the honest feed back is the best part of BYOAC. Lots of guys here are quick to let you know when something is not working. Having an out side opinion has saved me from some very poor decisions.

When you put a lot of time and energy into a build it's easy to become sensitive. Le Chuck told a story once about dressing up as Cyrano de Bergerac thinking he was being creative and his mom thinking he looked like he had a penis on his face, I think it was in LT's warp zone build but all his threads are hard to search through now. To me that story is the best analogy to some of the honest, if not tactful feed back you will get here.

I'm glad to see somebody gets it. Your builds have definitely gotten better over time. If anything, honest feedback allows you to revise your plans, and you know what, there's nothing wrong with saying, "Thanks, but I think I'm going to do it this way." But the fact that you've gotten some additional feedback can only make you better.

That's what happened with my Macross cabinet. People said I should have gone full side side art, but I had a vision of this game looking like a kit game. So I stuck with what I wanted. However, there were lots of other places where community feedback came into play, and it made my cabinet better. Its a give-and-take.

[leapinlew]

I also think the forum you post in matters.

Feedback in Project Announcements is bad form unless requested. In every other sub-forum, it's a given.

[yotsuya]

I also think the forum you post in matters.

Feedback in Project Announcements is bad form unless requested. In every other sub-forum, it's a given.

I don't know, lots of people post projects in Project Announcements that are nowhere near done. And a lot of times, there specifically posting in there looking for feedback. Do you envision that forum for only finished products?

I'm kind of at the point where I only offer feedback if it's requested, and even at that, I generally now only give feedback over stuff I liked. I'm a little burnt out on some of the drama that comes to telling somebody they should rethink their ideas. I mean, I can only take being called a circle jerker or a crazy old veteran only so many times.

[vwalbridge]

I also think the forum you post in matters.

Feedback in Project Announcements is bad form unless requested. In every other sub-forum, it's a given.

I mostly agree with this. However, the community is going to call the OP out on their project thread if they do something fundamentally wrong. And they should. It's for everyone's good. The OP's and everyone following. And it's because we care...not because we want to be mean-spirited.

[yotsuya]

As it's been pointed out, the purpose behind offering honest feedback isn't necessarily just for the person posting the thread, but for future people interested in building who may come across that thread. The one thing we don't want to do is perpetuate bad design ideas. While what might be considered a bad design idea is subjective, I think we can agree there are some things that are universal.

[Token]

If a user doesn't want to hear honest feedback, then they shouldn't end their post with, "What do you guys think?"

The vast majority of feedback here is constructive. Sometimes there is an edge to it, but I haven't seen much pointlessly antagonistic feedback lately. Maybe I'm just reading the wrong threads.

[yotsuya]

If a user doesn't want to hear honest feedback, then they shouldn't end their post with, "What do you guys think?"

The vast majority of feedback here is constructive. Sometimes there is an edge to it, but I haven't seen much pointlessly antagonistic feedback lately. Maybe I'm just reading the wrong threads.

Well put, Token.

I think there's an unfair perception that there's a lot of negative feedback, but realistically, it's probably happened in a few threads, and the trigger usually is an OP who doesn't take kindly to their grand vision being challenged. Or you have somebody jump in to defend the OP, and for some reason they take it personally. That's why terms like circle jerk get tossed about.

[yotsuya]

Oh, & I think feedback gets edgy when it's clear that the person hasn't done their homework. I know I probably looked on this site for two months, taking everything in before I felt confident posting on here. As it is, I didn't post a build thread for almost 2 years.

[leapinlew]

I don't provide feedback unless requested in Project Announcements. A fundamental wrong decision could be my choice and a fight breaking out in someones PA thread about angled joysticks, frankenpanels, busy art, etc is just rude

When I read PA, I don't see many rude comments, but I'd sure hate to see the same kind of responses that we see in the main forum when people post stuff.

[harveybirdman]

My take from now on is when hottly debated mistakes come up I will endeavor to point the person to other threads where the matter is dicussed outside of their build thread.

I also feel strongly about the documentation on site and posterity.  That's why it pisses me off when people don't store their pictures here.  It's bad enough when people necrobump threads when the OP has been long gone for years, but it's especially annoying when it's because something of value they posted is gone because of broken links.

However as much as we might like to we can't go making subjective rules for UCA nominations, I think we just have to live with sometimes builds getting nominated that we don't like. And that goes for board members as well.

[vwalbridge]

I sure as hell don't know everything. In fact, I'm learning something new here everyday.

I hope you guys call me right out in my threads if I ever do something questionable. Weather I ask for it or not. That's exactly what I would expect from my brosephs.

It's when I stop getting feedback...now that's when I should start to worry.

[Le Chuck]

Out of all the facts and opinions that have been said in this thread the most factual is that I have shared a lot of penis stories.  The most opinionated is that they constitute the best of anything - but nevertheless I endeavor to keep this place the interesting sausage party that it is. 

[yotsuya]

Out of all the facts and opinions that have been said in this thread the most factual is that I have shared a lot of penis stories.  The most opinionated is that they constitute the best of anything - but nevertheless I endeavor to keep this place the interesting sausage party that it is.

Thank your penis for its service to BYOAC for us, brother.

[wp34]

I don't have strong feelings on the matter but tend to agree with Lew about feedback.  Having said that if I never see another post about "honest feedback" it will be too soon.  Go ahead and give your feedback to builders but please give the topic of "honest feedback" a rest.  It is almost getting comical how much it gets brought up.

[dmckean]

I know that I want feedback in Project Announcements. If I didn't, I wouldn't post my progress and only post the pictures and a description of the finished project.

[leapinlew]

I know that I want feedback in Project Announcements. If I didn't, I wouldn't post my progress and only post the pictures and a description of the finished project.

If that's the case, you better get your butt moving on that tempest cabaret. 

[HaRuMaN]

I know that I want feedback in Project Announcements. If I didn't, I wouldn't post my progress and only post the pictures and a description of the finished project.

If that's the case, you better get your butt moving on that tempest cabaret. 

Hear hear!   

[vwalbridge]

I know that I want feedback in Project Announcements. If I didn't, I wouldn't post my progress and only post the pictures and a description of the finished project.

If that's the case, you better get your butt moving on that tempest cabaret. 

Hear hear!   

Harrumph!   

[dmckean]

You guys are starting to sound like my wife!