Null Signal Questions Thread

NSG Discussion
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Those of us on the NISEI Acting Staff figured that it might be useful to open up a thread here on ye ol’ Stimhack to help answer any questions or concerns about the leadership roles that we’re currently accepting applications for.

If you did not see that article, we announced open applications for the various roles. If you would like to see a description of the roles, there are links in the article or you can access the roles description document here.

Anywho, this is the tread to ask anything that you would like and the Acting Staff (@Orbital_Tangent, @jakodrako, @absotively, @emilyspine, @grievy, @shanodin, @dr00, @3N1GM4 ) will do their best to answer.

You can also submit questions anonymously here. We will post answers in the thread below without knowing who asked the question, so you have no worry about any questions affecting your application.

Some Sample Questions:

Q: The Lead Developer developer application asks what my top tournament results are. Do I have to be a top player to apply?

A: Heck no! We’re asking about results where a solid understanding of game mechanics and balance is important, but you don’t have to be a Worlds Top Cut competitor. Also, tournament performance is just one aspect that may play into the decision. If you think you’re a good fit otherwise, APPLY!

Q: I can’t spend more than X amount of hours doing this each week. Does that mean I can’t apply?

A: Not at all! Just give an estimate in the application. Everyone understands this can’t be a full-time job. Even a small amount of time per week might be exactly what we’re looking for, and we’re aware commitment can increase or decrease over time.

Q: Should I apply if I don’t have any direct experience, e.g. if I’ve never designed a game before?

A: Absolutely! We are interested in hearing from everyone who wants to apply and if you think you’re capable then we want to know.

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When will decisions be made?

Will applications for one position automatically be applied towards related positions? As in, I applied to the OP position, but would be happy to work in a lower capacity if I don’t get the spot I applied for.

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A: Applications close July 13th but no time has been set for the Selection Committee to make their final decisions. We want to give them as much time as they feel they need. We’re hoping it only takes a few weeks, but it may be longer.

A: Applications will only before the role you applied to, so apply to all the ones you’re interested in (up to 3 maximum). The leaders of each division will build their teams however they see fit or in whichever way the President directs them to. This may include using leftover applications, this may not.

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Addendum: To add a bit onto that, the Selection Committee has already committed to supplying the selected Board with recommendations from other applications, but it will ultimately be up to the team leaders.

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Anonymous question from the form:

Q: What If I am not confident that I have the appropriate leadership skills to be the lead for one of the roles? Should I apply for the lead role regardless, or should I wait for a separate application process for the related non-leadership roles?

A: One of the core values of NISEI is inclusiveness, so everyone should feel welcome to apply for any role they have an interest in taking on! Even if the selection committee do not select you for a leadership position, they will be making recommendations to those who are selected with regards to filling other roles in the teams, as mentioned by @jakodrako above. However, if you feel certain you’re only interested in non-leadership positions, it’s probably best to wait until an application process for other roles is announced.

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More questions from the form:

Q: Are the responsibilities listed in the description of the President role the sole factors which will be used to select a President? Or does the President ideally also need to be especially well known within the worldwide Netrunner community, or have any other particular qualities/skills/experience?

A: The responsibilities listed are what we’re concerned with. We are not looking specifically for well-known people, or for people with some specific qualification that we haven’t published. However, if you have other qualities/skills/experience that you think are relevant to your ability to lead NISEI, please do mention them in your application!

Q: Will decisions be made based on the questionnaire alone? Will there be follow-up questions or additional research on promising applicants?

A: The Selection Committee will mainly use the questionnaire, but if there are two or more candidates that are close they reserve the right to have follow up questions.

If you’re unsure, or don’t think you’re qualified, apply and the committee will make the decision. It’s better to apply than not apply. More candidates is only ever better!

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I’d assume there would be some kind of interview for the top applicants or maybe a follow up portfolio review for the creative positions. What is the leadership selection process?

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I just want to mention that when it takes us longer to answer a question here, it’s generally not because we haven’t seen it, but because the answer needs input from several people, or from someone who isn’t online when the question comes in. I hope the resulting delays haven’t been too frustrating for anyone.

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After consulting with some of the Selection Committee, let’s put it this way.

A: Applications for positions will be read and reviewed by the Selection Committee. From there, the Selection Committee or the Acting Staff will follow up with prospective applicants if they think it is necessary prior to selection. This could involve questions, portfolio requests, or other things, but the main focus is to find candidates that are enthusiastic and are willing to work/compromise with a group of diverse opinions.

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From the form:

Q: Why isn’t there application for Technical Writer?

A: The current application process will select the leaders of all the teams. The other members of the teams will be recruited by the leaders once the leaders have been selected. Technical Writer isn’t a position we have planned as a leader, it’s a position we expect the Rules Management team to have. So once the leadership selection committee has picked a Rules Manager, the Rules Manager will decide how to recruit Technical Writers.

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So, in other words, if I don’t feel qualified to take up any of the leadership positions, but wish to be involved in a lower capacity, I should just wait and contact the members of the leadership committee after they’re chosen rather than throw my hat in the ring now?

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A: If you would like to take up a leadership position, but are worried that you’re not qualified, it’s absolutely fine to apply. It may very well be that the Selection Committee will like your qualifications more than you think!

Those who don’t want a leadership position, and who would rather be involved in a lower capacity, should wait. We can’t say for sure exactly how the leadership team will handle recruitment, since we want to leave things open for them to handle as they think best, but we expect that probably they will have some kind of applications or sign ups.

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From the question box:

Does geographical location matter for the selection process? The community seems to be quite spread out across different time zones, but maybe for some roles it will be important to be closest to the biggest concentration of players in the meatspeace?

A: While the Selection Committee do believe that the Board should be able to work effectively across timezones, they don’t see it being an important consideration for selection - nobody will be turned down because they are in the timezone of a smaller meta! When the Board, particularly the Organised Play and Community managers, start putting together their teams, some thought may be given to location, because it’s important to make sure all metas are represented :slight_smile:

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Can we actually withdraw our application for a leadership position? The more I think about it, the more it seems that I can offer more in a lower level position than as an actual leader. Not so much time available right now, parenthood and real life…

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A: That’s unfortunate, but we do hope to have you contribute however you can. You can withdraw by PMing me on Stimhack with your full name and handle details, or DMing @SimonMoon directly on the Stimhack Slack.

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From the anonymous question box:

There’s a sharp dichotomy between how you’ve been considering art and writing. Both are creative, difficult jobs that people might do for fun, but due to the nature of netrunner it has been common to pay artists for their alt arts. However as there has been no need for writers to do anything (sure you’d pay for an alt art card but not for an alt flavour text card or for a Netrunner short story) there isn’t the same culture. This has permeated NISEI - you’ve made it clear writers will be volunteers but also that artists will get paid for their contributions. Do you have any plans to address this disparity?

A: The details of how NISEI will interact with artists and writers are up to the not-yet-selected leadership, so we cannot commit 100% to any approach.

We do know we can’t assume artists will work for free and we certainly won’t demand they do so.

This is true of every role, including writers. We’ve clarified it for artists specifically in response to an incident of miscommunication.

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Just a note that leadership role applications are now closed. We are still taking questions about NISEI, both here and through the form.

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From the question box:

I would like to be a part-time card designer, but can I do so over the internet or do I have to be physically present? Also, if I submit a concept, will I be credited for it?

A: We definitely expect that most NISEI teams, including the design team, will do most or all of their work over the internet. We also expect that people who work on a set will be credited, though we don’t know yet whether the credits will break down who submitted which concept. Please ask the lead designer about that one, once they’ve been chosen.

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Although I can’t be sure how much time I’ll have in the week to dedicate on this, I’d really like to support the creative writing section in some way, even if it just involves writing some flavour text or dumb limericks. Reckon that will be helpful?

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A: There will be lots of opportunities for people to get involved at various levels. Once the team leads have been decided, they will need teams to lead. How they will pick those teams hasn’t been decided, and if you want to be involved, keep an eye on Stimhack and other media to make sure you don’t miss any calls for volunteers!

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