The 'Shroom:Issue XLVIII/Director's Notes

Director's Notes

Hello, 'Shroomers. This would be the second issue that I have directed the paper so far. This issue is pretty good, but there are some problems I would like to address in my notes. I also have some updates on some of the projects that are being worked on by the Core Staff.

The first problem I need to address is for the writers: to further explain, it is about who you need to send your sections to. I found this to be an issue when I look at my Forum Inbox this morning and found that I had sections that 2257 had not received. This is a problem because 2257 is the one who checks through every section and makes sure that they have proper grammar, coding, and are overall presentable. When some sections are sent to me, and not to him, they end up getting lost in my inbox and I end up having to hunt them down, which slows down the process of releasing the new issue. I then have to check the sections that he was not able to check, which slows down the process even further. I did not address this before (even though it happened when we were receiving sections for the February issue) because it was very minimal. However, I had about five sections I had to search for in my inbox when I saw that 2257 did not get them. So please, writers, be sure to send all of your sections to 2257 on (or before) the day that it is due so that checking through them and posting them up is not a hassle.

The second problem is that a section or two that were received contained jokes that are not acceptable. Please use your common sense as to what is acceptable on this paper. I will not stand to see this paper contain vile and disturbing jokes or statements. To further the seriousness of this matter: any section that is sent in that contains such content will result in the immediate termination of the writer of that section. No exceptions will be made for anybody.

Now that I have addressed the problems, I will go ahead and make an announcement about the status of the Section of the Month: it is coming very soon. I believe that the Core Staff has everything sorted out regarding the process of selection and what the qualifications for the honor are. That said, this project will start up during the May 2011 issue. In Issue L, the Section of the Month for the previous issue at that point (April 2011, which just happens to be the next issue coming out) will be announced. So be sure to make next month's sections some of the best that you have ever made and be sure to turn them in on time, writers. Only one can be the first, so it will be tough competition!

Throughout the next month, I will go out and try to get some new additions to our affiliates. As I stated last month, the Core Staff created a list of organizations and websites that we can affiliate with. We were busy with what I will talk about in the next paragraph, so I was not able to find the time to go out and negotiate with our potential affiliates. I will be able to do so after this issue and will make an announcement next month on what will have been achieved at that point.

I will address 'Shroom Awards II, but would first like to make a general announcement on behalf of the Awards Committee: the Awards process has started! Earlier this month, the Awards Committee started forming, and discussion about the ceremonies later this year has begun. Meetings have also begun, so be sure to attend meetings every Friday to help shape the ceremonies! The Core Staff drew up a list of awards for 'Shroom Awards II, which will be presented to the Awards staff soon. Ten awards were created in hopes of expanding this year's ceremony from the five awards last year. I will do my best to push for a ten-award 'Shroom Awards II, and will do my best to work with the Awards Committee and Core 'Shroom Staff to make this possible.

Planning for Issue L will also begin immediately. I hope to be able to plan as many fun events, contests, and projects as possible. One thing mentioned earlier is the launch of the Section of the Month process. Another project that will definitely be included is the Feedback Survey I love talking about so much. If anybody has ideas, please feel free to send them in to me! I'll post them up for the rest of the staff to consider. I want Issue L to be the best and funnest issue in all of 'Shroom-history, and I will be happy to see it happen.

An update on the applications: we have gone through most applications and have either accepted or denied them. There are only one or two left with unsure status, which we will definitely come to a decision on soon. I would like to see more users join the team, so I will recommend all readers that are interested in picking up a section to write to go on over to the sign up page to see if there are any positions you would like to write. If you are interested, follow the steps for joining listed on that page.

As you all can see, the background color changed from blue mushrooms to green mushrooms this month. Some may know why this change has occurred, while some others may not. For those who do not know, every three months we will usually change backgrounds to fit the seasons. Now, there are some exceptions to this (like when there is a Special Issue; we will use a silver background as opposed to the normal seasonal background), but the changes are overall consistently every three months. Our seasonal background colors are blue for winter, green for spring, red for summer, and orange for autumn. It is not too big and overly noticeable of a change, but the staff feels that it gives a nice, small, and simple change every few months.

Overall, I am again pleased with the work and effort put in by our writers and Core Staff: the March issue was certainly not a disappointment. I look forward to praising my writers and staff again, along with making my other announcements, next month when the issue comes out on April 16th, 2011. Again, writers, be sure to submit your best sections on (or before) the release date announced in the next sent out! You very well could receive the first Section of the Month honor!

Until next month,

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