12th Elements Council - Voting

[Hyroen]

Congrats to the 12th Elements Council

Discord
Hyroen
JonathanCrazyJ
mathman101
Physsion
rob77dp
RootRanger
Solaris

Read them all carefully before making your choice

Spoiler for CleanOnion:

You should vote for me

Spoiler for dark ripper:

Hello Hyroen and any other council members that may read this,

  As you may know I'm dark ripper, 20 years old and I have been on the forums since October 2013. In my time in the forums I've witnessed several phases of the game(mostly decaying), as I first played the game in 2010 and have an idea what it was like when it was actually being updated. Back when I joined, war #7 was going on and every day there were over 40 people in chat, many people participating in PvP and non-PvP events and in general the community was much livelier than today. I loved the community and thats why I got so attached to it.

  Why do I think I am suitable for a position in the council? Well, although I'm not exactly a veteran, I can say at this point that as a forumer I have a lot of experience. I believe that I can provide some valuable advice to new members and worthwhile discussions with the fellow council members to solve any problems that may appear. I have been a deck helper for quite a while now and honestly since there are no new cards my job has been pretty much stale for the longest time, so saying that I have much experience as a staff member would be a lie. Im awful at programming and sheets so dont expect me to do much work with it if need be, but I'm willing to learn with some help.

This is the first time I'm applying to the council and I have two ambitions. First is to learn how the council works and affects the community and second is that I want to help out the community as much as I can, if only a little, to regain some of its former glory.

Thanks for your time,
dark ripper

Spoiler for Discord:

Hello.
First off, I'd like to start off with some simple reasons in why I believe I'd make a good council member. As most already know, I made it into 11th council, and I feel as if I did a very good job for my first time as a member of council, though I also feel as if I could do better. Now I'd like to try again, this time perhaps being more successful. First off, I am a responsible, mature member that is capable of quite a bit. As a Newsletter Writer, I've done the best I can possibly do, and hopefully I can reach for even higher goals. I am a hard worker, and very careful in what I do. Out of the six months 11th council operated, I've grown to understand how council works as a team and a group quite a bit, and being a part of that helped me grow even more. Now that I have the experience of what it's like working as a council member, I intend to make work for future staffers fun, easy, and as productive as I can. I also intend to do whatever I can to make myself a better individual, not just for council, but as a community member and a contributor. I wish to do everything in my power to make the forums and fun and friendly place for everyone, and to do the very best for the community. That is all, thank you for your time, and I wish best of luck to all applicants!

Spoiler for Fippe94:

Hi it's me Fippe!

So yeah, I am active, I can do stuff, I help the community and all that. So why else should you vote for me in the council? Because I'm awesome, that's why.
Also this is just another step for me to my road to become admin

Spoiler for Hyroen:

Hello all!

I should start off by reminding everyone to read all other applications thoroughly as well as it is essential to picking the best team possible! It certainly feels odd sending an application to myself, but nonetheless.

With that out of the way, I'm Hyroen, a member of the community since as early as April 2010. I have seen our community evolve over the past 6 years and it has been an honour and fascinating experience to be part of the Elements Council. I submit my application for Council XII to continue to be part of an integral team of the forum essential for its evolution, growth and success.

While my application for Council XI came from the perspective of a Card Curator, this one comes from the perspective of a Council Member.

Please consider the following in your vote:

• Member of Council II, VI & XI.
• Served twice as Card Curator.
• Inspired the change for a new Cygnia board.
• Served as one of the first Guildmasters.
• Creator of Languages Spoken in the Community.
• Inspired the html function [pmstaff].

Having been part of the team, I have had the honour to work with people that I have agreed and disagreed with. This, however, I would not have any other way. Having encouraged a critical perspective in staff hiring and removal, I have actively dissented when counterpoints have been necessary and have always focused on finding the right person for each job. Furthermore, I have encouraged the undertaking of alternate projects to steer the forums in new and innovative directions. During my most recent term, Council XI, I can proudly say that with the help of other Council members, transparency and communication have increased, but there is still work to do as the community continues to evolve. Though, as it does so, the EtG community currently finds itself caught between a shrinking player base and a loyal forum following, and I am certain that with a hard-working, critical and creative team much can be done to keep the forum adapting, improving and thriving above all else.


Thank you for time and consideration.

 ~Hyroen

Spoiler for iancudorinmarian:

Hello everyone,

I would like to become a council member because I believe I have the ability and time on my hands to improve this community. I am quite a reliable member, as many of you can confirm either from my old TO days or simply by knowing me, and I am also mature, even if I appear very silly sometimes, I am serious when it comes to my work.

Short application, mostly because I'm not so good with words and I believe having a wall-of-text application is less important than the person who applies.

I hope I have convinced you with my capability and reliability during my long stay in the forums enough to receive your vote.

Thank you!

Spoiler for ji412jo:

Hello, I'm ji412jo, ji-jo, joey, spiderman or however you want to call me.

Introductions haven't been needed for a while now. I've been in this community for longer than most. More active than most. I've seen the community at it's peak, how it evolved, how it changed, how it aged.

I would like to apply to council because I know. Because I know what went right, what went wrong.
I would like to apply to council because I care. I care for things to go forward and not backwards. I care for this community to grow, and stay alive.

I'm also a person that is not afraid to tell his opinion. If I feel something is wrong, I will work towards modifying it. But then again, I know when I am wrong and to back off as well.

Why hire me for council? Because you're hiring.

Spoiler for JonathanCrazyJ:

11th Elements Council Application: JonathanCrazyJ

1. Requirements:

I meet all of the relevant requirements to be considered for council, having served for Council 11.
One of the requirements might need some explanation, so:

3. Reliability and maturity are essential. Unless a dramatic event occurs, I have always made deadlines and engagements. I have never failed to show up for a booked PvP game, for example, and I am currently running a PvP Card Design Competition Event, requiring a huge amount of work, and have not missed a deadline for an update.
My maturity varies depending on how much I have had to drink, but I am always respectful of others, and am extremely good at being a calming, diplomatic influence. I always like to see the best in others, even storming numpties like Solaris.

2. Why I wish to apply:

Having been an active member of the current council, I believe I still have a lot to offer the community, and am still willing to serve in this position. I enjoy the community as much as I did 6 months ago and still wish to have a say on how it is managed. In short, I wish to remain in the role because I liked the role. Just like I am still around in this community because I still like the community.

3. Why you should want me:

I am an extremely cheerful person and I have been told I am great to work with. I enjoy collaboration, diplomacy, and problem solving. I never rage out, always trying to be a calming influence, and I believe the council needs people like me to make the community a peaceful, enjoyable place to be. Having said that, I am not passive, and will always speak my mind if I think an issue needs dealing with, always ready to give constructive criticism, without being in any way patronising or hurtful. Finally, I am a well liked member of the community (god knows why), and I believe I can help to bridge the relationship between the council and the community, which is something I think has been neglected in the past, and sometimes makes non-council community members feel out-of-the-loop.

All of this is still true, except I now also have Council experience.
And people hate me now obvs.

Thank you fellow 11th council for your hard work over the last 6 months, we have had a lot of hiring to do, and it's been a pleasure working with you.
Thank you community for considering my application.

Spoiler for Linkcat:

I remember when the first Council was formed. I was glad that the community got a bigger say in what happened in the forum, and I trusted that those respected members would perform their duties well. I left for a few years, then went back to business as usual, mostly staying in the background, and playing some mafia. This time, however, I became more invested in the forum as a whole. Concerned about the community's state of gradual decline, and not being entirely satisfied with recent Councils, I humbly request that you give me the opportunity to help guide the forums through the next 6 months, and hopefully longer. I want this community to move in the right direction, and have the right people in the right positions. The best way I know to do this is to be right there when the decisions are made. All I need is a little faith.

Spoiler for majofa:

Dear voters,

Hello, I'm majofa.

I've been with the Element's community for a very long time now, and have been on the Council for a while, as well.  I'm, once again, applying to Council to continue in helping the community wherever I can. I have never gone missing since I've been on the Council and don't intend to any time soon. Through thick-and-thin, I guarantee I will still be here.

I look forward to working with whomever gets elected (provided I get reelected) to help improve things wherever possible.

majofa

Spoiler for mathman101:

Hello Current Council and Community Members,

I would like to apply for one of the 12th Elements Council positions by explaining what talents I have and how the next council could benefit if I were a council member.

- Currently I am a staff member as both a Tournament Organizer and a Warmaster helping to manage 2 different PvP sections. Creating, balancing, and running the weekly tournaments with my fellow TOs Ginyu and Solaris, as well as organizing, balancing, and maintaining any disputes in war along with my fellow WM Physsion. This means that creativity, organization and the ability to stick to deadlines are all things I am familiar with and would be assets if I were to be a part of the next council.

-  Participation in both War and in Brawl requires a participant to be a team player and cooperate with others on their team. A Brawl Boss must show leadership as well as be able to handle pressure during round deadlines. I have both participated in these team events as well as having lead a Brawl team. Leadership, cooperation, and attention to listen to others are all things I have shown in these events and would be able to use for the better of council if I were voted into council this term.

-  I have looked through and participated in many different sections of the forum including; participation in multiple forum games, playing multiple PvP Events, submitting entries in the Competitions section, and can bring with me a well rounded member who can aide in multiple areas should the council be needed in them.

- If you question my reliability, maturity, or commitment to this forum in regards to a spot on the council, hopefully any of my previous War Teammates, Brawl Teammates, fellow Tournament Organizers, fellow Warmasters, or any other forumers who know me can help reassure you of my abilities.


Thank you for your time, and I wish you the best of luck in making your decision for the 12th council.


--mathman

Spoiler for Physsion:

12th Elements Council Application

Dear 11th Council - please find below my application for a seat on the 12th Council.

I have previous experience as a member on the 10th Council, but reapplications went up right in the middle of final exams, and amidst me taking a little time away from the community due to War drama, I decided not to go for the position again. Now that I have a little more free time on my hands, I'd like to put my name forward again.

I'm an active staff member with plenty of experience in all areas of the forums. I actively involve myself in discussions on event balance, and enjoy discussing ways to improve the general community experience for everyone.

My priorities if I was made a Council member again would be to push forward ideas for improving the important PvP Events section, and providing some guidelines to moderators for more consistent forum curation and moderation. I'm more than happy to take these projects on myself. Those of you who have worked with me before will know whether my leadership skills, maturity and reliability are good enough to make me a valuable Council member again.


Thanks for considering my application. See you around in chat!


Physs

Spoiler for rob77dp:

To whom it may concern:

I have spent several years around this forum and community. I progressed as do many of us -- lurking guest to registered user posting once a week to daily posting to common presence in chat to Master/other-official-title to _________. For some months now I have on-and-off contemplated what fills in my blank around this lovely place. Here I am applying for a position on the 12th Elements Council to fill it in.

My Qualifications:

• I am a LONG time player of the game with a brief hiatus a few years ago.
• I am a 4-year member of the forum.
• I am a 3-time Master of Deathn which demonstrates
• An ability and willingness to follow-through a committment
• A certain capacity for focus on tasks at hand to plan the work
• And then work a plan
• A track record of working very well in team environments
• I am very level-headed.

If accepted to a term in the 12th Elements Council I would apply these characteristics to the tasks and decisions at hand with air of caring what we do around here.

Should you have any questions or would like to request additional comment or responses please message me - my Inbox is _always_ open - or hit me with a PM in chat at your convenience.



--Rob

Spoiler for RootRanger:

Hello, I'm Root. I've been around here a while and done a few things, including four PvP Events (1, 2, 3, 4) with a fifth on the way, four April Fool's jokes (1, 2, 3, 4) with a fifth on the way (but it's a secret!), and so many forum games I’ve lost count. I sincerely want this community to thrive because I am a genuinely caring individual (or because I’m arrogant and the Elements userbase is the audience for my creativity.)

The reason I am applying for council is because I believe the current council is out-of-touch with the hiring needs of the community, choosing to hire positions like Mentor Manager and Card Curator (the latter of which had an additional hiring thread only 6 months prior!) while arguably more important positions are left ignored. My plan would be for council to base decisions in part on a community vote for which positions need additional staff.

To those of you who skipped straight to the end of my post, I have summarized my ideas (with help from Legit) in an Elements Rap (click here!) that we made two years ago.

Spoiler for Solaris:

Hello Elements community! As I'm sure you know by the name next to the spoiler tag, I am Solaris. I am presently 16 years old, and have been staffing in the Elements community for about 9 months, 6 of which have been spent in Council. As I got some complaints about the length of my application (over-formatting, too), I will keep this application short.

As Council, I intend to improve transparency further. We've already set the groundwork for this the previous term, but there's absolutely more that can be done. Additionally, I intend to aide with the reforming/updating/etc as needed. I believe that I gave valuable insight when hiring staff members, and desire to continue further with the Elements Community Staff hirings.

Activity is absolutely not a concern with me, as I am homeschooled, and can be available whenever I am not sleeping. As my time as a staffer here has grown, so has my maturity. I meet all official requirements.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you consider re-electing me!

Spoiler for TheonlyrealBeef:

Helloes and stuff,

So I bet you're reading this expecting some formidable application or something. Well, you're wrong. Despite activity apparently being considered a must, I cannot even guarantee that. So then why should you vote? It's simple: I'm honest about these facts and about just about anything else. Wasn't I gone for 2 years what was supposed to be forever? Yes, if I'm angry about something I don't take it all out on the forums/chat, nothing good will come of it. Just chillax and stuff.

Last council "voting" barely even had people to "choose" from, so I'll be happy if you vote on any of the other fine applicants. That is, if there are enough of these fine applicants in your opinion.

TheonlyrealBeef

You can vote here http://elements.alanbeam.net/auth/

Instructions:

- Register with your forum username (or if you already have done so last time just log in)
- You'll get an email with a link that, when clicked, lets you set a password. You can then login and vote. (Note: receiving the mail may take a while.)
- Once you're logged in, just follow instructions.
- For any issue, ask UTAlan.

To submit your votes you have no more time. 12th Council will be announced soon

[Hyroen]

Please allow time for UTAlan to set up voting on the website provided.

EDIT: In the meantime, keep in mind that 8 applicants from those above will be selected for the 12th Elements Council.

Thank you.

[Fippe94]

Fabian's app seems to be for Card Curator, and not for Council member.

[TheonlyrealBeef]

Well, I know you (Hyroen) already promised to bump when voting does work, but seeing by the time that has passed, I'd like to request the timer to be set to 7 days at that point, too. Having such a timer count down when one cannot even vote yet... feels bad

[UTAlan]

Voting is up!

[Naii_the_Baf]

Fabian's app seems to be for Card Curator, and not for Council member.

Kind of got confused there. But.... meh.

[CleanOnion]

Fabian's app seems to be for Card Curator, and not for Council member.

Kind of got confused there. But.... meh.

You're not even on the voting list

[UTAlan]

I didn't add you b/c the app was for the wrong position. If you intended to apply for council, I can still add you to the ballot list. Let me know.

[rob77dp]

I think it is important for voters to know that the ORDERING of our ballots very much matters. Can you provide more information about how the run-off voting will be tabulated?

Is it a standard Instant-Runoff-Voting or is it something else being referred in short as IRV?

[UTAlan]

Standard. Here's my best "simple" explanation:

Spoiler for Hidden:

Only first place votes count on first time through.
If there aren't any winners, remove those tied for last place from all ballots and repeat count.
If there are winners, but not the required number (8 in this case), remove winners from ballot and repeat count.

Ties are a special case, though. For example, if we have 7 winners determined, then there is a 2-way tie on the next count, we have to determine which of the two gets chosen. Looking it up, ties are generally broken by going back through previous rounds and seeing who had the most votes in *any* previous round (starting w/ most recent) to determine a winner. That was going to be too hard to code, so I used a method of whoever had the most first place votes in the initial ballots to determine a winner. If it's still tied, goes to 2nd place votes, and so on.

I hope that helps! Lemme know if you have any other questions about it.

[Zawadx]

How are winners defined for 'If there are winners, but not the required number (8 in this case), remove winners from ballot and repeat count.'

[UTAlan]

When any candidate has enough (current first place) votes to meet the # of votes required to "win". This # is determined by the following formula:

Code: [Select]

$votes_required = floor(($ballot_box->getNumVoters($round) / ($election['seats'] + 1)) + 1);
In other words, (the number of voters/ballots divided by number of seats plus one [in this case, 9]) + 1. This is rounded down if it isn't evenly divisible.

For example, if there are 35 people voting on 8 available seats, the # of required votes is (35 / (8+1))+1, which is (after rounding) 4.