Plaza Election: The Nominees!

[Narv]

Alright all, we have our nominees! Many thanks to these 8 gr8 plazarians for stepping up and being willing to be included on the ballot:

@Aikári Salmarinian
@Arnyn
@Lailynlassë
@Pele Alarion
@Rillewen
@Rivvy Elf
@Silky Gooseness
@Winddancer

I'll try to get the ballot set up and emailed out to everyone this weekend -- in the meantime, as usual, I'll turn this thread over to the Nominees if they wish to put down any blurbs about themselves & their take on what their adminship might look like. If anyone has any questions for me about the process, feel free to ask here or at lotrplazaelection @ gmail dot com

[Rivvy Elf]

Hello there.

I do have real-life experience in leadership roles, mediating conflicts in student government as an Internal VP (you'd be shocked at how much backstabbing there is there), and knowing different ways to approach a person.

Pros to voting Rivvy Elf to adminship:

-Every time I log in, I check the new posts page to see any new content on the site. Needless to say, you will know that your content will be appreciated and read. There is also the possibility that I may use my eldritch magique abominable powahs to contact the NPF fairy.

-I am honest, but at the same time, I will do my best to figure out the best way to communicate with you. If you hang around me long enough, I'll always talk about how the importance of multiliteracy and languages, which includes different approaches to either praise or admonish someone. I believe in the powah of private praise and resolution. There is also the glory of public praise, but at the same time, I also care if you do not want to be put in the spotlight.

-I am opposed to the Tolkien Estate's stance on fanfiction as it undermines the idea that nothing can ultimately mar The Music of Eru (see Ainulindale in The Silmarillion) and our fandom is well-established. If offered to join the Estate, Rivvy will vociferously decline, so you know what I'd choose our website over acclaim as an Estate scholar. What does that mean? That means I will fight tooth and claw for your creative works if ever approached by any of the Tolkien Estate. By tooth and claw, I mean using elaborate legal reasoning, historiographical, and textual reasons from the legendarium itself.

-I like cute things like turtles and pikachu.

-I don't roleplay much anymore which means I will have much fewer biases toward RPers. Much easier for me to be an objective person in these situations.

-Due to real-life character growth, I am a much more flexible and inclusive person now. I think this is starting to reflect in my writing too but eh, that's for others to figure out in terms of subtexts.

-I'm a founder of another LOTR site. A distant, satellite admin I am for that. I have experience with the technical aspects of maintaining boards.


Cons to voting Rivvy Elf to adminship:

-It's harder for me to create an aesthetically pleasing and creative thread with good art, rules, and other stuff compared to the other nominees. Vote for the other ones if you want an admin who's a pro at that.

-Rivvy sometimes can turn into Joss Whedon, using humor at moments when things should be serious. I can also flip this around and be serious at moments when things should be comedic.

-I am not an active RPer and that may create a "what does this person know? He's not in the planning room with us, precious. What does he know about our situation, love?" situation if I privately ask questions about some content.

-Rivvy Elf has never been a plaza admin before. What if he turns the site into a Pikachu and tortoise fandom forum on accident?

-I'm hard to fit into anyone's schemas which has actually led to people being intimidated by me or finding it difficult to approach me since I could be unpredictable.

-I am biased against the Tolkien Estate because of their collective stance on fanfiction.

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Ma Dance Macabre.

My basic real life profile surrounds these conditions: Organising, (flexible) problem solving, analytical, friendly, reliable, respectful and accurate. Just plucked from my resume and translated. An emphatic lass I was never, yet with love I care unconditioned for my dad with Alzheimer to who my life is mostly dedicated to these days, which now has stopped and he is be placed in carehome soon. And I have a niece who demands my attention when she comes around visiting. I was promoted to aunt nearly six years ago. Further I am member of old, joined in 2004 and have a total of 19.707 posts. My face can be found >>here<< in Under the Hood in Imladris. I am not easily rattled by something nasty, I was trained as social worker and know how to keep the balance of the mind. It is a piece of equipment to live alongside a person with progressive mental illness. Most of my interests dwell around handicrafts, history, space travel and social developments, music, writing Dutch and English stories, poems and other forms of poetry and photography. I guess this sums up a bit what my real life person could be? Regardless Rivvy's feelings, I have no objections to what Tolkien's Estate feels to Roleplay. The Plaza is our community, not theirs. And with this my dance macabre ends.

NB: This was posted before, but edited to the present day.

[Lail]

​I've been Entishly sleepy and quiet here lately, mostly just trying to keep up where I've been posting and having fun when doing so. I was a little unsure about running because of that but since I think admins should post only as much or as little as they want to and should not be held to some special standard of activity, I thought I'd stand by that statement myself. Basically I thought I should walk the walk if I'm going to talk the talk.

I've had a nice break from my one term of adminship. As an admin before, I tried to be objective, fair, and unbiased in decision-making/rule-enforcing. I really didn't enjoy the less pleasant tasks and issues to be dealt with (or the site crash and recovery which was honestly a lot and I wasn't even dealing with the code/technical aspects) but I did my best. I don't like to rush into decisions or judgments. My most important motto was not to take anything here too seriously (we're all here to have fun) except those certain issues which required sensitivity. If elected again, I would try to do the same. Though I think admins should do as much/little as they want in terms of posting, I would also put more effort into being around and reading more but I also won't promise to read everything because I think that is an impractical expectation and we all have lives.

Most of all, I want this continue to be a place where people have fun and are kind to one another. There are lots of wonderful people elected who I feel confident will do well in the role and follow similar philosophy as me so I'm sure the next group, whoever they are, will do a wonderful job and I hope very much they have a smooth term.

[Silky Gooseness]

I’ve only broken the Plaza once, at most twice, and it all turned out mostly fine in the end

But in all seriousness, very fine bunch of nominees this time round, and I’m very happy to do whatever whether that’s stick around or sit out - I think you all know my style by now.

Thanks all!

[Winddancer]

Going to echo Sil, you know me by now :) If you want me to continue then by all means vote for me, if you have had enough and want someone else then vote for them :)
Just want to add that just because my muse is off on a wander, doesnt mean I am not doing my admin job, which I am <3

[Pele Alarion]

Hmmm. I am not sure I have anything new to tell about myself. Don't make me tell embarrassing stories or anything like that. Otherwise I just do what I can and will keep doing that. :)

[Arnyn]

I'd bring potatoes and stuff.

[Rillewen]

Potatoes? What's potatoes, Precious?

I'll bring cookies

[Aikári Salmarinian]

That is a hard clump of mud.... Give me juicy fishies.

As usual.... steals the cookies and runs off. Ya knows me.

[Silky Gooseness]

I'd bring potatoes and stuff.

This is genuinely one of the best electioneering promises out there. I have very fond memories of the Great Potato Event Arnyn ran a few years back…

[Arnyn]

Hahaaaaaaa, the great potato armada and the fight for fry-dom to Sil for remembering

BUT I did not do it alone. Credit for that silliness must be shared for perpetuity with @Burnt Toast especially.

[Pele Alarion]

I approve of potatoes. Should I bring meat and veggies? lol *watches Gondorians go silly in a very serious thread*