Beware the Ghosts of Chuqui Futures

(author’s note: we have just transitioned some of our mailing lists to new owners and new homes, including the Sharks list, which we’ve managed since before the Sharks existed. The Sharks, Senators and Hawks list all finish moving to their new homes tomorrow, and the Leafs and Habs lists will move sometime later.

We’ve been involved with most of these lists a decade or more — but the Sharks list was our “home port”, so to speak. And so I decided as things wound to a close, to write up my thoughts on the whole thing.

This turned into a three part essay, of which this is the second, the Ghost of Chuqui Futures)
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Yes, I know it’s not in the proper order. But it is, just not HIS order. Mine. So be it.

From looking back to looking forward.

It’s important to see this not as an ending, but as a new beginning. Because it is, for all of us.

For the list, it’s a chance to take a fresh look at what it wants to be, and how it wants to be that. A chance to perhaps grow beyond the habits and conflicts that have become so entrenched on the list, move away from the point we are at, where we don’t even need to have an argument, but merely stand up to the microphone and declare “17″ to the audience, saving ourselves the actual hassle of revisiting Kerry Fraser’s hair one more time. (his reffing, of course, is discussion “42″). One indication to me that it was growing time for a new beginning was an increasing wish to start responding to messages with URLs into the archives of my messages from the last iteration of a discussion, to save myself the typing.

Fortunately, I didn’t — it would have been an insult to many, and would have likely been intended as one. But I sure thought it, and I know, from the email of the last couple of weeks, that others have noticed this. Fresh blood is critical in any social group, and when it stops showing up, the group starts shrinking and dying, and turns inward upon itself. This is a problem I never solved, although I tried any number of times, and I’m not sure it’s solvable. The problem involves three parts: getting people to know the group exists, convincing people to join the group, and then making them feel welcome once they arrive. On the Sharks list, for a long time I felt the problem was a lack of proper “marketing” — but over a year or so, I started contacting some of the people who unsubscribed from the list, to ask them why. The answer really floored me: we were, in fact, attracting new members, maybe not a huge number, but they were there. And few, if any, stayed, because they didn’t feel welcome, and if they did post to the list, they usually got, in their words, shouted down.

So I stopped worrying about getting the list known, and tried to figure out how to make it more accessible to people who don’t see the “mosh pit” as a recreational activity. Which, of course, lends itself to a different set of conflicts, but that’s a different time. I have talked to some current members very hesitant about moving to the new list for just this reason, because the “protection” I tried to give to the quieter voices is going to go away, and they’re unsure that the new moderators are going to try to protect the new list as a place for all voices, not just the happily loud ones. I’ve encouraged them to talk to the moderators about this, and I’m encouraging the new moderators to think about it now, as well. But otherwise, it’s not my call any longer, nor do I want it to be. It’s part of the choices you need to make as you define what, exactly, the list is to be about.

But right now, I’m thinking more about what I am to be about, not the list. It’s been something I’ve been thinking about a lot the last couple of years. As someone on the list so nicely put it, “thanks for reminding all of us we’re old”; well, I am, or at least firmly ensconced in middle age, and I’m thinking about a time beyond high tech, a time beyond Apple. Not soon, but inevitable.

Our plans for “after this” are still very tentative. Laurie is looking at starting up a blog called “Kill your IT department”. I’m working with an old friend of the list to start up HIS blog. Some of you will remember him fondly, but he’s expressed an interest to return from his self-imposed retirement and get back into the hockey world, and I’ll be helping.

Laurie and I are also talking over a new shared blog, where we’ll combine our hockey writing and other hockey stuff — tentatively called “Two for Roughing”, and she’s agreed to bring back her goalie scouting, and I’m starting to get back into game analysis and referee discussion, and I’ll be bringing back the jersey and puck collections, and I hope to also start making parts of Laurie’s collection (some 450-500 books, and multiple thousands of programs and other items) available as we find stuff we feel ought to be brought back out of the morgue. And Laurie is going to write her history of Bay Area hockey if it’s the last thing I do, and I’ve threatened to lock her in the garage with a laptop until she does. She’s been doing a lot of research and the commonly published history — isn’t correct. The truth is a lot more complex, and interesting. But that’s what you get when everyone uses one or two “expert sources” instead of doing original research — and those experts have an interest in how the history is told. The story is fascinating, and I really need to lock her in the garage… Oh — and she has about 4000 photos taken since our days back in the Cow Palace…

So there’s no lack of material for use to use over there, once I get it running.

I’ve been considering other things, as well. My interest in first nations art continues to grow (as does my collection), and I’ve been seriously considering a second career either starting a gallery, or doing some kind of online gallery. Honestly, I don’t think most galleries really “get” how to take advantage of the online world yet. But that’s later, and sooner — I’m considering starting a place for collectors and artists, just to see what happens.

Another thing we’re considering is (don’t listen, Rene), a foodie group, focussing on the south bay area. As most of you are probably tired of hearing, we’re very interested in the pacific northwest, and especially the vancouver and victoria areas. Vancouver is an amazingly busy and wonderful food area (from Lonsdale Quay to Fernie’s to Lumiere), with an equally active and busy geek-food contingent. No offense to the old ba.food crowd, but there just isn’t a good place for us to talk about the food scene in the south bay. Or perhaps a full lifestyle place. We don’t know yet, we might not get there. But we’re pondering.

All I know right now is we’re ready to try some new “stuff”.

If you’re at all interested in whatever it is comes next, the best place to keep an eye out is my blog, Teal Sunglasses, and the URL is in my signature. And if you’re not, I won’t mind, either.

So we are all preparing to face the future collectively and as individuals. The list is readying itself for a new beginning and a fresh start, and so are we. And each of you, who’s lives have interacted with the list and with Laurie and myself, are going to undergo some change and a fresh start, also. I sincerely hope that we all use this as an opportunity to improve things for ourselves and those around us, and not just change the email address to the same old thing.

chuq

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