FAQ
This is a work-in-progress as we adjust policies and answer more of your questions, but we wanted to get some basic FAQs posted for your reference. Please feel free to leave comments here with more questions or asking for clarification on a point.
Full table of contents is under the cut. You can click on a header to jump to that section.
Table of Contents
1) General Membership
2) Suggesting Vids
3) Grokkers
4) Round Sign-ups
5) Being a Stranger
6) Fandom Posts
7) Behind the Scenes
Last updated: 6/12/09
General/Membership:
How often will rounds take place?
As frequently as the mods can produce, also taking in account quantity of usable fandoms. With time comes new shows!
Do I have to be a vidder to participate?
Not at all! A large percentage of our folks have never made a vid but love watching them. There is no actual vid-creating here, just lots of watching and discussing :-)
I'm a real spoiler-phobe, but I want to participate! What do you suggest?
Best to use your own judgment here. Most vids have at least the very minimal information such as actors, genre, and general feel of the fandom even if they don't include major plot points. Many synopses are pure crack with no nutritional (aka spoilery) value, so you would probably be fine skipping a Grokker synopsis and the vid(s), and jumping right to Stranger synopses for a given fandom. But again, only you can know how spoiler-free you want to be.
How many fandoms/vids/Strangers are chosen each round?
Currently, we are doing 10-12 fandoms per round, up to 3 vids per fandom, and up to 10 Strangers per fandom on average. This will probably expand as our membership grows. Some fandoms have extra synopses to accomodate preferences and keep things fair, and some have fewer if not enough people signed up for them.
Do the creators of the vids know you're using them for this project?
Yes. Before announcing sign-ups, we email every vidder whose work we want to include. We ask their permission, warn them about possible bandwidth spikes, and link them to the community to watch the fun themselves!
There were an awful lot of long mod posts for Round 1. Are you going to keep clogging my flist with your rambling?
We sure hope not! We're planning on referencing/linking to previous mod posts (including this one) as we go forward rather than retyping everything. We will continue to announce deadlines and policy changes in real time.
I have some suggestions on improving the project or process as a whole. Should I email you or leave a comment somewhere?
Whatever you are most comfortable with. You can leave a comment on a feedback post or here, or you can email us. Feel free to comment anonymously if you prefer. We are open to both criticism and feedback at any time, and we appreciate your input!
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Suggesting Vids:
How do I submit vid suggestions?
The full scoop is here: http://community.livejournal.com/strangefandom/690.html
Are vids made by you moderators eligible for submission?
You flatter us! Technically, sure. But we will not consider them unless someone else suggests them (i.e. we won't pimp ourselves out). And we prefer to use vids not made by us whenever possible.
Are anime vids acceptable? Or only live-action vids?
Anime is certainly acceptable, as are vids based on movies and video games.
I have ideas for fandoms you should use in the next round! Should I email you a list?
No--send us vid links. Which fandoms we use is fully dependent on which ones we have suitable vids for. We can't use a fandom we have no vids for.
Can I only suggest vids in fandoms I know well?
You can suggest vids in any fandom you please, whether you know it well or not. Some of our best vid suggestions come from people who don't know the fandom at all. They saw the vid and said, "wow, I have no idea what's going on, but it's fun to guess. Maybe other people will feel the same way." That aspect is what makes for a good SSF vid.
I have vid suggestions, but you haven't announced the next round yet. Should I wait?
You can send vid suggestions anytime, whether we're currently in play or not. In fact, having vid suggestions early helps us plan the next round with less stress. Our email inbox is never closed.
I suggested a vid for Round 1 that was in a fandom you didn't use. Do I need to suggest it again for the upcoming round?
Nope! Once is enough. If you emailed it to us, we've got it stored in our spreadsheet database. We treat every suggestion equally and don't ignore or delete any of them. Vid suggestions don't expire.
Do you actually watch all the vids that get suggested or just use vids you already like made by BNVs or your friends?
Every single vid suggested is watched by at least one of the mods (but usually both). One of the main aims of SSF is to promote vids/vidders who might not normally get exposure on this level. Our first priority is to select vids that provide the right balance of material for the Strangers, no matter where that vid comes from or what the quality of it is. We try not to use more than one vid per vidder in each round.
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Grokkers:
What in the world is a Grokker?
Grokkers are our resident experts in the fandoms we're using from round to round. The term is borrowed, appropriately, from Stranger in a Strange Land. Grokkers are volunteer only, and we only give Grokkers as many assignments as they ask for. They explain what's really happening in the fandom for readers to compare again the Strangers' synopses.
What exactly does a Grokker do?
Grokkers type up a general synopsis of the fandom that will serve as a basis for comparison when the Strangers' synopses are posted. These synopses need to be a minimum of 300 words and contain enough general information about the fandom (premise, main characters, genre, etc) without giving away major spoilers. It requires thorough knowledge of the fandom to do this well!
Why don't you just have the vidders (whose vids you're using) be the Grokkers?
They are perfectly welcome to volunteer; that would be great! But we are not going to ask them to participate in SSF if they don't want to, or imply that if they don't Grok for us, we won't use their vid.
I'm happy to be a Grokker for you, but I don't want it to interfere with the time I'm dedicating to being a Stranger. You won't overload me, right?
Right! In fact, we are now doing Grokker sign-ups before Stranger sign-ups, so you will get to decide for yourself how many Stranger assignments you want once you know how many fandoms you'll be Grokking for.
Are Grokkers supposed to keep their assignments secret, too?
Yes, within the walls of the community. Anonymity rules for Grokkers and Strangers are identical.
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Round Sign-ups:
That Round 1 sign-up poll was pretty confusing. You're fixing that, right?
Yes, most definitely. We promise the next sign-up poll will be much clearer in getting you the number of fandoms you want in addition to the specific fandoms you want. Now that we know exactly what information we need, we can better go about getting it.
I won't be able to sign-up until the last minute. Am I going to miss out on getting what I want?
No. The sign-up polls are not first-come, first-serve. Take your time!
I don't know if I'm going to have time yet to be a Stranger, but I want to! Should I sign-up anyway just in case?
Go ahead and fill out the sign-up poll, yes, but please email the moderators and let us know your situation. This way, we can tack you on the end if you come through without denying someone else a spot in the line-up.
I think I know too much about a fandom to qualify for "minimal knowledge" but I don't know enough to be the Grokker. Am I out of luck?
Sadly, you are, but just for that fandom! There are many others to choose from. And a lot of people probably fall in this range, so you're far from alone.
If you use a vid that I recommended, does that mean I'm ineligible to be a Stranger for that fandom?
Nope. It's very possible that you will know of a great vid without having the slightest idea what it's about. This happens all the time. So long as you are below the threshold of knowledge, you are fair game. Besides, you won't know if we're using your vid suggestion until the assignments are sent out! We wouldn't want you to not sign-up for a fandom just because you assumed we used your vid suggestion (when we might not have) and thought this disqualified you.
I was a Stranger/Grokker last round. Do I need to step back and let other people play this time?
Only if you want to. You are welcome to participate as much and as often as you'd like. We have room for everyone!
I want to be a Stranger, but I don't have a lot of free time. Can I only do one fandom?
Of course! You can specify exactly how many fandoms you want and your preferences.
I would like to do more than 3 fandoms. Is that possible?
In theory, yes, but it all depends on what we have room for. We will make sure everyone has as many fandoms as they wanted (up to 3) before giving out extra credit. But it is certainly a possibility!
I honestly don't care which fandoms I get. Is that a problem? Do I have to choose?
Not at all! In fact, the people with the most flexibility allow us to better cater to the people with more specifications. The folks with no preference have the most impact on making it possible to keep everyone happy. We appreciate you!
I want to be a Stranger, but only for fandoms I've heard of before. Why don't you include more mainstream fandoms?
Because this project thrives on people not knowing fandoms, we are keeping mainstream fandoms to a minimum (less than a third of each round). We highly encourage you to choose a fandom you haven't heard of. Be brave! Trust that we chose to include it for a reason.
I looked at the sign-up poll, and there are already more than 10 people volunteering for a fandom I want. Am I out of luck?
Not at all! Keep in mind that those people might have other preferences or may not have even filled out the poll correctly. Again, this is not first-come, first-serve. Fill out the poll as honestly as you can, and we will accomodate you.
I was in the middle of filling out the poll when lj messed up and submitted my answers before I was done. How can I go back and fill out the rest?
Not a problem! At the top of the poll is a bolded link "Poll #blahblah". Click on that, then click the link for [Fill Out Poll] at the top. You should be able to access all your answers.
I would love to be a Stranger for a fandom used in a previous round. Will you be repeating fandoms?
At this point, our stance is "almost definitely not." Because there are so many fandoms available to choose from, and because we have already presented the all-too-spoilery Grokker synopsis, repeating a fandom would be a long time off. It would require having a fresh new batch of vids that suited the project, a whole new batch of willing Strangers, and running out of better fandoms to include in a round. We are open to this down the line, but it won't be anytime soon.
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Being a Stranger:
I filled out the sign-up poll, but I was never assigned anything. Why not?
We must have made a mistake! It's our policy to include everyone who wants to play. We overlooked you by accident. Please email us asap and let us know!
I'm unhappy with the fandom(s) I was assigned. What should I do?
Please email the mods immediately and let us know what the problem is (and how we can fix it). Our decisions were made entirely on what we saw in the sign-up poll, so it's possible you misunderstood what we were looking for or we misunderstood your answers. We want to keep everyone happy!
I signed up to be a Stranger, but I changed my mind on which fandoms I want. Am I stuck?
You are welcome to make as many changes to your requests as you like before the sign-up deadline. After the deadline, you will need to email the moderators to see if there is a way to be switched. We can't make any promises at that point, but we will try.
Do I need to try to deciphering the fandom seriously? Or can I submit a purposefully incorrect, humorous synopsis?
You are free to approach the fandom from whatever angle you are most comfortable with, no matter how serious or cracked out. We welcome both, and anything in between, with open arms.
What kind of information should I include in my Stranger synopsis?
Here's a list of ideas, though you're in no way obligated to use it: http://community.livejournal.com/strangefandom/2448.html#cutid2 Write whatever you want!
This project uses vids as tools for discussion. How am I supposed to talk about vids without it being "vid critique"?
Don't talk about the vids, talk about the fandoms in the vids. Further clarification with examples can be found here: http://community.livejournal.com/strangefandom/2448.html#cutid1
The fandom I was assigned has more than one vid to watch. Does it matter which one I watch first?
We list the vids in a specific order to present the fandom in a particular light. We highly recommend you watch the vids in the order we list, but we can't police that, nor will it disqualify you in any way. Things happen; a download site might be down or not cooperating. But if at all possible, please stick to our order. We chose it for a reason.
Do you need my synopsis to be in plain text format, html, a Word document, or what?
We greatly prefer html (typing out your bold or italics tags, etc) if at all possible, since we just copy/paste your synopsis right into livejournal. We can edit these for you if you need to send them another way. Do whatever is most comfortable for you.
My writing style is pretty snarky, and I'm worried the vidder might get offended and think I'm knocking this fandom they love. Will they be coming after me with pitchforks?
Most people in fandom are pretty good-humored and can admit when their fandom is snarkable. It's very possible they will agree with your snark no matter how much they love the fandom. Still, no fandom is for everyone, and I'm sure they recognize that too. So long as you stick to discussing the fandom and not the vid, and so long as you aren't brutally flaming, there should be no reason for a vidder to feel personally attacked.
I'm going to miss the synopsis deadline. Do you take late submissions?
Yes. If we have already posted the fandom, we will add your synopsis to the very end (giving you whatever Stranger number comes next). When we do the wrap-up post at the end of the round, we will mention any fandoms that had late additions in case people want to go back and read them. Once the wrap-up post is made, we will accept no more late submissions.
I can't download vids, only watch streaming ones (YouTube, Imeem, etc). Why aren't there streaming links for my assigned vids?
We can only provide links based on what the vidder him/herself has provided. It is our policy not to re-upload any vid anywhere unless the vidder has specifically asked us to (usually to avoid bandwidth problems). If the vidder has not uploaded his/her vid to a streaming site, then we can't provide you one. If this means you can not participate as a Stranger for this fandom, please let us know asap so we can reassign you.
How do I download a vid from animemusicvideos.org? The site says I have to be a member to download.
Yes, you do. But fear not! This will only slow you down about 5 minutes and is totally worth it. Here are instructions for signing up and navigating the AMV.org site:
1) Go to http://www.animemusicvideos.org/home/home.php
2) On the right side, click the blue link that says "Become a member!"
3) At the bottom, click "Sign up for your membership"
4) Scroll down and click the top acceptance link
5) Fill out the information in "Registration Information" at the top. You can ignore the other sections. Scroll to the bottom and click "submit"
6) Working from memory now, we believe you have to go into your email account and click a verification link to activate your new account.
7) Make your way back to http://www.animemusicvideos.org/home/home.php and login to your account
8) Once you're logged in, paste the vid's address into your browser
9) Scroll to the bottom where there is a DOWNLOAD section. Under "Link" you will see either "Direct" or "Local" (or both). Click on that word.
10) The next page will explain pledging money. Feel free to pledge if you want, but you don't have to. At the bottom will be three buttons--two that say "pledge" and one that says "proceed." Click "proceed."
11) Now, SIT AND WAIT. After approximately 10 seconds, the download window will automatically pop up. You don't have to do anything but wait. It will come! Save the vid wherever you please.
After we watch our vids and write our synopses, can we go look the shows up on Wiki or IMDb to see how close we are?
Sure! As long as you turn them in first, please feel free to seek out new life and new civilizations all the information you want about your shows.
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Fandom Posts:
I don't care who knows which Stranger synopsis was mine. Why are you so hellbent on enforcing anonymity?
Our anonymity policy might change going forward, but for now it stands thusly: If even one person wants to remain anonymous, then everyone remains anonymous. Withholding identities allows for more honest synopses, since there is no fear of being publicly wrong.
Can I respond to a comment someone made about my synopsis, even though we're supposed to remain anonymous?
Yes! Just select the option to make the comment anonymously (ie not logged in as yourself) before submitting it.
Am I allowed to reveal my identity as a Stranger/Grokker outside the community walls?
Short answer: yes. Long answer: We encourage you to pimp both the project and your personal mad writing skillz far and wide across the internets. In your own personal lj, you are welcome to say which fandom(s) you were a Stranger/Grokker for and even specify which synopsis is yours if you link back to the community. However. If you do so, we ask that you please also mention the anonymity rule and ask people to cheer you on by stranger number only to avoid their comments being deleted. Please note that this policy is subject to change moving forward.
Why was I Stranger 3 in one fandom post but Stranger 7 in another?
Stranger numbers are completely random, but we do try to ensure someone does not have the same number from post to post. This is to assist assurance of anonymity.
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Behind the Scenes:
How do you decide who gets what Stranger assignments?
We look at several factors--how many vids people want, what people's preferences are, how many requests a particular fandom got, knowledge level, and distributing fairly and evenly. We do our damndest to make sure everyone gets what they want as best we can. If we have to give someone a low priority fandom, we try to balance it by granting them their first choice as well.
This round includes a fandom that I submitted a vid for, but you're not using it. Why not?
Vid selection is a very careful process by the moderators, and we never quite know what we're looking for until we find it. We try to present a balance of giving Strangers enough information to work with, but not too much. We often pair vids that present contrasting perspectives, or balance a character study against a vid that didn't include that character at all. If we chose not to include a particular vid, it's probably because the vid was too limited or spoilery, too similar to another vid we think suits the purpose better, or by a vidder we have already spotlighted in the round. It is never a reflection of the quality of the vid itself, nor is it any personal judgment on who submitted or created it. We will post a list of all unused vids at the end of each round so those vids can still get exposure to our audience. In many circumstances, we had multiple vids for a fandom but chose to only use one. Sometimes, less is more.
How do you decide in what order the fandom synopses posts will be put up?
We start with an alphabetical list and made adjustments from there. We try to start with any fandom that has all its synopses submitted on time to reduce late add-ons. We also try to space out genres (such as anime, sci-fi, etc) so as to not have two similar fandoms on neighboring days. In a time crunch, any fandoms with significantly few assigned Strangers (6 or less) might be paired together and posted on the same day to present approximately the same amount of reading material.
Why do I need to have my synopses submitted by a due date that falls over a week before the fandom will be posted? Can't I get until the last minute?
We ask that all the synopses be in by a certain date so we have a clear picture of how many we are working with. This helps us determine the posting schedule. If we set the schedule first and had staggering due dates, there would still be people turning things in late anyway, and we would be left empty-handed at the last minute. Also, it's just fair all around for everyone to work with the same deadline.
How are you so awesome?
Years of practice. :-)
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Full table of contents is under the cut. You can click on a header to jump to that section.
Table of Contents
1) General Membership
2) Suggesting Vids
3) Grokkers
4) Round Sign-ups
5) Being a Stranger
6) Fandom Posts
7) Behind the Scenes
Last updated: 6/12/09
General/Membership:
How often will rounds take place?
As frequently as the mods can produce, also taking in account quantity of usable fandoms. With time comes new shows!
Do I have to be a vidder to participate?
Not at all! A large percentage of our folks have never made a vid but love watching them. There is no actual vid-creating here, just lots of watching and discussing :-)
I'm a real spoiler-phobe, but I want to participate! What do you suggest?
Best to use your own judgment here. Most vids have at least the very minimal information such as actors, genre, and general feel of the fandom even if they don't include major plot points. Many synopses are pure crack with no nutritional (aka spoilery) value, so you would probably be fine skipping a Grokker synopsis and the vid(s), and jumping right to Stranger synopses for a given fandom. But again, only you can know how spoiler-free you want to be.
How many fandoms/vids/Strangers are chosen each round?
Currently, we are doing 10-12 fandoms per round, up to 3 vids per fandom, and up to 10 Strangers per fandom on average. This will probably expand as our membership grows. Some fandoms have extra synopses to accomodate preferences and keep things fair, and some have fewer if not enough people signed up for them.
Do the creators of the vids know you're using them for this project?
Yes. Before announcing sign-ups, we email every vidder whose work we want to include. We ask their permission, warn them about possible bandwidth spikes, and link them to the community to watch the fun themselves!
There were an awful lot of long mod posts for Round 1. Are you going to keep clogging my flist with your rambling?
We sure hope not! We're planning on referencing/linking to previous mod posts (including this one) as we go forward rather than retyping everything. We will continue to announce deadlines and policy changes in real time.
I have some suggestions on improving the project or process as a whole. Should I email you or leave a comment somewhere?
Whatever you are most comfortable with. You can leave a comment on a feedback post or here, or you can email us. Feel free to comment anonymously if you prefer. We are open to both criticism and feedback at any time, and we appreciate your input!
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Suggesting Vids:
How do I submit vid suggestions?
The full scoop is here: http://community.livejournal.com/strangefandom/690.html
Are vids made by you moderators eligible for submission?
You flatter us! Technically, sure. But we will not consider them unless someone else suggests them (i.e. we won't pimp ourselves out). And we prefer to use vids not made by us whenever possible.
Are anime vids acceptable? Or only live-action vids?
Anime is certainly acceptable, as are vids based on movies and video games.
I have ideas for fandoms you should use in the next round! Should I email you a list?
No--send us vid links. Which fandoms we use is fully dependent on which ones we have suitable vids for. We can't use a fandom we have no vids for.
Can I only suggest vids in fandoms I know well?
You can suggest vids in any fandom you please, whether you know it well or not. Some of our best vid suggestions come from people who don't know the fandom at all. They saw the vid and said, "wow, I have no idea what's going on, but it's fun to guess. Maybe other people will feel the same way." That aspect is what makes for a good SSF vid.
I have vid suggestions, but you haven't announced the next round yet. Should I wait?
You can send vid suggestions anytime, whether we're currently in play or not. In fact, having vid suggestions early helps us plan the next round with less stress. Our email inbox is never closed.
I suggested a vid for Round 1 that was in a fandom you didn't use. Do I need to suggest it again for the upcoming round?
Nope! Once is enough. If you emailed it to us, we've got it stored in our spreadsheet database. We treat every suggestion equally and don't ignore or delete any of them. Vid suggestions don't expire.
Do you actually watch all the vids that get suggested or just use vids you already like made by BNVs or your friends?
Every single vid suggested is watched by at least one of the mods (but usually both). One of the main aims of SSF is to promote vids/vidders who might not normally get exposure on this level. Our first priority is to select vids that provide the right balance of material for the Strangers, no matter where that vid comes from or what the quality of it is. We try not to use more than one vid per vidder in each round.
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Grokkers:
What in the world is a Grokker?
Grokkers are our resident experts in the fandoms we're using from round to round. The term is borrowed, appropriately, from Stranger in a Strange Land. Grokkers are volunteer only, and we only give Grokkers as many assignments as they ask for. They explain what's really happening in the fandom for readers to compare again the Strangers' synopses.
What exactly does a Grokker do?
Grokkers type up a general synopsis of the fandom that will serve as a basis for comparison when the Strangers' synopses are posted. These synopses need to be a minimum of 300 words and contain enough general information about the fandom (premise, main characters, genre, etc) without giving away major spoilers. It requires thorough knowledge of the fandom to do this well!
Why don't you just have the vidders (whose vids you're using) be the Grokkers?
They are perfectly welcome to volunteer; that would be great! But we are not going to ask them to participate in SSF if they don't want to, or imply that if they don't Grok for us, we won't use their vid.
I'm happy to be a Grokker for you, but I don't want it to interfere with the time I'm dedicating to being a Stranger. You won't overload me, right?
Right! In fact, we are now doing Grokker sign-ups before Stranger sign-ups, so you will get to decide for yourself how many Stranger assignments you want once you know how many fandoms you'll be Grokking for.
Are Grokkers supposed to keep their assignments secret, too?
Yes, within the walls of the community. Anonymity rules for Grokkers and Strangers are identical.
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Round Sign-ups:
That Round 1 sign-up poll was pretty confusing. You're fixing that, right?
Yes, most definitely. We promise the next sign-up poll will be much clearer in getting you the number of fandoms you want in addition to the specific fandoms you want. Now that we know exactly what information we need, we can better go about getting it.
I won't be able to sign-up until the last minute. Am I going to miss out on getting what I want?
No. The sign-up polls are not first-come, first-serve. Take your time!
I don't know if I'm going to have time yet to be a Stranger, but I want to! Should I sign-up anyway just in case?
Go ahead and fill out the sign-up poll, yes, but please email the moderators and let us know your situation. This way, we can tack you on the end if you come through without denying someone else a spot in the line-up.
I think I know too much about a fandom to qualify for "minimal knowledge" but I don't know enough to be the Grokker. Am I out of luck?
Sadly, you are, but just for that fandom! There are many others to choose from. And a lot of people probably fall in this range, so you're far from alone.
If you use a vid that I recommended, does that mean I'm ineligible to be a Stranger for that fandom?
Nope. It's very possible that you will know of a great vid without having the slightest idea what it's about. This happens all the time. So long as you are below the threshold of knowledge, you are fair game. Besides, you won't know if we're using your vid suggestion until the assignments are sent out! We wouldn't want you to not sign-up for a fandom just because you assumed we used your vid suggestion (when we might not have) and thought this disqualified you.
I was a Stranger/Grokker last round. Do I need to step back and let other people play this time?
Only if you want to. You are welcome to participate as much and as often as you'd like. We have room for everyone!
I want to be a Stranger, but I don't have a lot of free time. Can I only do one fandom?
Of course! You can specify exactly how many fandoms you want and your preferences.
I would like to do more than 3 fandoms. Is that possible?
In theory, yes, but it all depends on what we have room for. We will make sure everyone has as many fandoms as they wanted (up to 3) before giving out extra credit. But it is certainly a possibility!
I honestly don't care which fandoms I get. Is that a problem? Do I have to choose?
Not at all! In fact, the people with the most flexibility allow us to better cater to the people with more specifications. The folks with no preference have the most impact on making it possible to keep everyone happy. We appreciate you!
I want to be a Stranger, but only for fandoms I've heard of before. Why don't you include more mainstream fandoms?
Because this project thrives on people not knowing fandoms, we are keeping mainstream fandoms to a minimum (less than a third of each round). We highly encourage you to choose a fandom you haven't heard of. Be brave! Trust that we chose to include it for a reason.
I looked at the sign-up poll, and there are already more than 10 people volunteering for a fandom I want. Am I out of luck?
Not at all! Keep in mind that those people might have other preferences or may not have even filled out the poll correctly. Again, this is not first-come, first-serve. Fill out the poll as honestly as you can, and we will accomodate you.
I was in the middle of filling out the poll when lj messed up and submitted my answers before I was done. How can I go back and fill out the rest?
Not a problem! At the top of the poll is a bolded link "Poll #blahblah". Click on that, then click the link for [Fill Out Poll] at the top. You should be able to access all your answers.
I would love to be a Stranger for a fandom used in a previous round. Will you be repeating fandoms?
At this point, our stance is "almost definitely not." Because there are so many fandoms available to choose from, and because we have already presented the all-too-spoilery Grokker synopsis, repeating a fandom would be a long time off. It would require having a fresh new batch of vids that suited the project, a whole new batch of willing Strangers, and running out of better fandoms to include in a round. We are open to this down the line, but it won't be anytime soon.
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Being a Stranger:
I filled out the sign-up poll, but I was never assigned anything. Why not?
We must have made a mistake! It's our policy to include everyone who wants to play. We overlooked you by accident. Please email us asap and let us know!
I'm unhappy with the fandom(s) I was assigned. What should I do?
Please email the mods immediately and let us know what the problem is (and how we can fix it). Our decisions were made entirely on what we saw in the sign-up poll, so it's possible you misunderstood what we were looking for or we misunderstood your answers. We want to keep everyone happy!
I signed up to be a Stranger, but I changed my mind on which fandoms I want. Am I stuck?
You are welcome to make as many changes to your requests as you like before the sign-up deadline. After the deadline, you will need to email the moderators to see if there is a way to be switched. We can't make any promises at that point, but we will try.
Do I need to try to deciphering the fandom seriously? Or can I submit a purposefully incorrect, humorous synopsis?
You are free to approach the fandom from whatever angle you are most comfortable with, no matter how serious or cracked out. We welcome both, and anything in between, with open arms.
What kind of information should I include in my Stranger synopsis?
Here's a list of ideas, though you're in no way obligated to use it: http://community.livejournal.com/strangefandom/2448.html#cutid2 Write whatever you want!
This project uses vids as tools for discussion. How am I supposed to talk about vids without it being "vid critique"?
Don't talk about the vids, talk about the fandoms in the vids. Further clarification with examples can be found here: http://community.livejournal.com/strangefandom/2448.html#cutid1
The fandom I was assigned has more than one vid to watch. Does it matter which one I watch first?
We list the vids in a specific order to present the fandom in a particular light. We highly recommend you watch the vids in the order we list, but we can't police that, nor will it disqualify you in any way. Things happen; a download site might be down or not cooperating. But if at all possible, please stick to our order. We chose it for a reason.
Do you need my synopsis to be in plain text format, html, a Word document, or what?
We greatly prefer html (typing out your bold or italics tags, etc) if at all possible, since we just copy/paste your synopsis right into livejournal. We can edit these for you if you need to send them another way. Do whatever is most comfortable for you.
My writing style is pretty snarky, and I'm worried the vidder might get offended and think I'm knocking this fandom they love. Will they be coming after me with pitchforks?
Most people in fandom are pretty good-humored and can admit when their fandom is snarkable. It's very possible they will agree with your snark no matter how much they love the fandom. Still, no fandom is for everyone, and I'm sure they recognize that too. So long as you stick to discussing the fandom and not the vid, and so long as you aren't brutally flaming, there should be no reason for a vidder to feel personally attacked.
I'm going to miss the synopsis deadline. Do you take late submissions?
Yes. If we have already posted the fandom, we will add your synopsis to the very end (giving you whatever Stranger number comes next). When we do the wrap-up post at the end of the round, we will mention any fandoms that had late additions in case people want to go back and read them. Once the wrap-up post is made, we will accept no more late submissions.
I can't download vids, only watch streaming ones (YouTube, Imeem, etc). Why aren't there streaming links for my assigned vids?
We can only provide links based on what the vidder him/herself has provided. It is our policy not to re-upload any vid anywhere unless the vidder has specifically asked us to (usually to avoid bandwidth problems). If the vidder has not uploaded his/her vid to a streaming site, then we can't provide you one. If this means you can not participate as a Stranger for this fandom, please let us know asap so we can reassign you.
How do I download a vid from animemusicvideos.org? The site says I have to be a member to download.
Yes, you do. But fear not! This will only slow you down about 5 minutes and is totally worth it. Here are instructions for signing up and navigating the AMV.org site:
1) Go to http://www.animemusicvideos.org/home/home.php
2) On the right side, click the blue link that says "Become a member!"
3) At the bottom, click "Sign up for your membership"
4) Scroll down and click the top acceptance link
5) Fill out the information in "Registration Information" at the top. You can ignore the other sections. Scroll to the bottom and click "submit"
6) Working from memory now, we believe you have to go into your email account and click a verification link to activate your new account.
7) Make your way back to http://www.animemusicvideos.org/home/home.php and login to your account
8) Once you're logged in, paste the vid's address into your browser
9) Scroll to the bottom where there is a DOWNLOAD section. Under "Link" you will see either "Direct" or "Local" (or both). Click on that word.
10) The next page will explain pledging money. Feel free to pledge if you want, but you don't have to. At the bottom will be three buttons--two that say "pledge" and one that says "proceed." Click "proceed."
11) Now, SIT AND WAIT. After approximately 10 seconds, the download window will automatically pop up. You don't have to do anything but wait. It will come! Save the vid wherever you please.
After we watch our vids and write our synopses, can we go look the shows up on Wiki or IMDb to see how close we are?
Sure! As long as you turn them in first, please feel free to seek out new life and new civilizations all the information you want about your shows.
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Fandom Posts:
I don't care who knows which Stranger synopsis was mine. Why are you so hellbent on enforcing anonymity?
Our anonymity policy might change going forward, but for now it stands thusly: If even one person wants to remain anonymous, then everyone remains anonymous. Withholding identities allows for more honest synopses, since there is no fear of being publicly wrong.
Can I respond to a comment someone made about my synopsis, even though we're supposed to remain anonymous?
Yes! Just select the option to make the comment anonymously (ie not logged in as yourself) before submitting it.
Am I allowed to reveal my identity as a Stranger/Grokker outside the community walls?
Short answer: yes. Long answer: We encourage you to pimp both the project and your personal mad writing skillz far and wide across the internets. In your own personal lj, you are welcome to say which fandom(s) you were a Stranger/Grokker for and even specify which synopsis is yours if you link back to the community. However. If you do so, we ask that you please also mention the anonymity rule and ask people to cheer you on by stranger number only to avoid their comments being deleted. Please note that this policy is subject to change moving forward.
Why was I Stranger 3 in one fandom post but Stranger 7 in another?
Stranger numbers are completely random, but we do try to ensure someone does not have the same number from post to post. This is to assist assurance of anonymity.
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Behind the Scenes:
How do you decide who gets what Stranger assignments?
We look at several factors--how many vids people want, what people's preferences are, how many requests a particular fandom got, knowledge level, and distributing fairly and evenly. We do our damndest to make sure everyone gets what they want as best we can. If we have to give someone a low priority fandom, we try to balance it by granting them their first choice as well.
This round includes a fandom that I submitted a vid for, but you're not using it. Why not?
Vid selection is a very careful process by the moderators, and we never quite know what we're looking for until we find it. We try to present a balance of giving Strangers enough information to work with, but not too much. We often pair vids that present contrasting perspectives, or balance a character study against a vid that didn't include that character at all. If we chose not to include a particular vid, it's probably because the vid was too limited or spoilery, too similar to another vid we think suits the purpose better, or by a vidder we have already spotlighted in the round. It is never a reflection of the quality of the vid itself, nor is it any personal judgment on who submitted or created it. We will post a list of all unused vids at the end of each round so those vids can still get exposure to our audience. In many circumstances, we had multiple vids for a fandom but chose to only use one. Sometimes, less is more.
How do you decide in what order the fandom synopses posts will be put up?
We start with an alphabetical list and made adjustments from there. We try to start with any fandom that has all its synopses submitted on time to reduce late add-ons. We also try to space out genres (such as anime, sci-fi, etc) so as to not have two similar fandoms on neighboring days. In a time crunch, any fandoms with significantly few assigned Strangers (6 or less) might be paired together and posted on the same day to present approximately the same amount of reading material.
Why do I need to have my synopses submitted by a due date that falls over a week before the fandom will be posted? Can't I get until the last minute?
We ask that all the synopses be in by a certain date so we have a clear picture of how many we are working with. This helps us determine the posting schedule. If we set the schedule first and had staggering due dates, there would still be people turning things in late anyway, and we would be left empty-handed at the last minute. Also, it's just fair all around for everyone to work with the same deadline.
How are you so awesome?
Years of practice. :-)
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