Ok so next year we'll decide who we want to win and install them.

Till then I'm thinking Mary needs to put a few of us in her government, you know, just so everything stays..cool.

epic, epic Putin win.

Originally Posted by A.Marlowe

To be honest, that's how most people feel about the MSU as well, that its a clique with no real significance except for people padding a resume. You should mention that if the SRA all started using MI it would help get rid of the clique impression (since they'd actually be reaching out to students, which rarely happens for some members); as well mention that having all the SRA members discussing things in one place would attract more people and help break any perceived MI clique-ness.

I completely agree and understand, but they just don't want to do it...trust me I've tried convincing them. If you try and read between the lines of the frequent infighting and negativity & other funny business there is golden amount of unofficial social research on student issues and opinion in here!

I remember in the summer an SRA who was initially very much against my arguments that this place IS valid qualitative research/opinion(In terms of the whole 1280 naming/logo fiasco) but eventually he became a regular user.

Some of them lurk from time to time but don't write anything :S

Hence, reason #445 of why we need a Marxist Revolution

Yeah, I assume most of them have a pretty firm opinion, but having a few extra talking points always helps.

There have always been mixed messages about this. I know last year at the beginning of the year I was working with Chad and the SRA to try and get more people on MacInsiders. Last year's SRA as a whole was less engaged than this year (even for those people who think this year isn't great...it really is the best in the 3 years I've been around now...the SRA was in a really bad place 3 years ago). However, when that attempt was happening, we were all being told that rather than posting on MI first, everything had to go on MSU website first. I think that's fair because we do want the MSU website to be the "official" place for MSU information, but then we just started waiting and putting stuff on MI next. I personally like to try and stay on here even for some stuff, because you definitely can get good feedback.

I think the few reasons why some people shy away are a) some people just really aren't aware what MI is all about, b) some are hesitant because it's no longer an MSU club and want to attempt to use mediums like the website (which doesn't have the membership base for such discussion, I know) and c) some are worried about writing down what they think and seeing the potential slew of disagreements. Although I think that's a fair worry to have, I think as publically elected officials we need to overcome that. Everyone is going to have some negative comments, and you just have to learn to respond appropriately and move on.

I would definitely like to see more MI usage - yeah it may not be an MSU Service, but it is a well known and becoming even more well used McMaster forum as a whole. I do still agree, however, that we want to try to post news things on the MSU website first as SRA members to try and promote the website as the official MSU news space.

Originally Posted by McIntyre

c) some are worried about writing down what they think and seeing the potential slew of disagreements. Although I think that's a fair worry to have, I think as publically elected officials we need to overcome that. Everyone is going to have some negative comments, and you just have to learn to respond appropriately and move on.

EXACTLY! I would absolutely love it if the rest of my caucus was put up for scrutiny the same way I put myself up here. Similarly for example the SRA has done assessments but in ideal circumstances they should have been on that thread asking people if they have comments for accountability sakes. Right now the assessments are just in some random obscure corner of the website that takes 5-6 clicks to get to and even then whatever they wrote up there no one can comment on it.

I also slightly disagree with their rationale for MacInsiders no longer being an MSU club either, I don't see how that changes things. If they come on here it will be for discussion and critique on a public forum and I don't see it as being any different from Facebook(Where my caucus leader for example puts up updates).

In other words when people put up updates on Facebook/MSU Website the issue is that there is only a possibility for your own friends list to comment on the former and none on the latter.

Plus MacInsiders is overlooked by some excellent admins who do make sure that everyone adheres to the terms of agreements.

Oh well....

Originally Posted by McIntyre

There have always been mixed messages about this. I know last year at the beginning of the year I was working with Chad and the SRA to try and get more people on MacInsiders. Last year's SRA as a whole was less engaged than this year (even for those people who think this year isn't great...it really is the best in the 3 years I've been around now...the SRA was in a really bad place 3 years ago). However, when that attempt was happening, we were all being told that rather than posting on MI first, everything had to go on MSU website first. I think that's fair because we do want the MSU website to be the "official" place for MSU information, but then we just started waiting and putting stuff on MI next. I personally like to try and stay on here even for some stuff, because you definitely can get good feedback.

I do still agree, however, that we want to try to post news things on the MSU website first as SRA members to try and promote the website as the official MSU news space.

I'd have no problem with using the MSU website as the official news source, but the fact is that students don't use it because of how infrequently there is actually news on it. Its updated on a pretty regular basis, but it seems like most of it is just advertising polls, job postings, or club events. Most student's simply aren't going to check the website when that is all that's there. I think the best solution is to post things on the MSU website and then link to it in an MI post, if keeping the site in the mix is very important. But that's still only valuable if the SRA has MI accounts so that they can answer questions.

I would like to say that the SRA is definitely doing a much better job reaching out to students than last year. Hopefully that continues!

Also, I think I saw you in clubspace today, but didn't say anything since I've never actually met you in person. /creepiness

All communications should be done over MI.

It will be more democratic with easy debate, people might actually care this way. It will be less alienating than some MSU angry drunk putting up a "there is a poll online, do it" or w.e
Maybe some kind of integration between both would be cool as some announcements are better for an MSU type website thing, but real control by the students works best where we can type back. i guess

can an SRA meeting could be done over internet chat?

Originally Posted by A.Marlowe

Also, I think I saw you in clubspace today, but didn't say anything since I've never actually met you in person. /creepiness

Probably was me! You shoulda said hi! It's not creepy if you use your MacInsiders username when introducing yourself ahahah!

Originally Posted by andrew22

can an SRA meeting could be done over internet chat?

maybe not over chat, but streamed! that's actually something the Speaker said she'd love to see, and I agree. other Student Unions do it. Our minutes are brutal to get through (I know, I've helped amend them, and going through 24+ pages.. ugh..). If engaged students aren't going to take the time to read through the minutes, why would anyone else?

There are lots of things to consider about streaming the meetings, such as where to host the video etc. Hopefully this is something that next year's SRA will look into implementing.

(but if you want to see the meeting 'live', it's tomorrow at 630pm in Council Chambers. But I won't blame you for going somewhere more awesome and watching the Gold Medal Hockey Game.)

Originally Posted by jmbauman

There are lots of things to consider about streaming the meetings, such as where to host the video etc. Hopefully this is something that next year's SRA will look into implementing.

The UBC Student newspaper Ubessey video streamed(Hosted on Justin.tv) and liveblogged(where a staff member who was at the meeting typed up what was being said while another member from the UBC AMS PR department was there to inform users about bylaws/policies/context) throughout the meetings in the chat room. They covered the President/BOD member lawsuit against Federal government controversy and subsequent recall.

I watched most of it and was very impressed by the service! I've briefly talked to Jeff Green about it but it will be upto the next Editor to see if that is a service he/she wants to provide MSU members with.

It can be set up next year either from the SRA/BOD Special Projects funding or If the Sil wants to take initiative and take reporting to the next level.

Or you know... all the SRA members who claim to Twitter updates could actually Twitter updates?

Saying "in the SRA meeting" is about as useful as a dog-tutu

Originally Posted by rohan10

[...] is about as useful as a dog-tutu

But they are useful!

I highly suggest that you guys crystallize the topics you're discussing here into concrete changes to bring forth to General Assembly. It's nice to see so many ideas, but only when those are transformed into action can students reap the benefits of this debate.

I don't think there will be a farmer's market