User blog:Sci100/2015 - A Year of Community: Update 1 - Fanon Con

Hey guys. I am not officially back but because I didn't get the chance to do it eariler, I need to do this now so you know the plan, and we can get things moving. I will completely return on June 12th, but until then, please just know that I am still officially "inactive", this is just an overdue reminder. Also, this isn't a true Year of Community blog (which I know has been lacking), but I'm going to release another one once summer kicks off, so not to worry.

So as you guys know, Fanon Con has been long overdue for some updates, and now, I am here to present to you a new version of Fanon Con, that for the first time ever, will extend to an ENTIRE WEEK! What will happen during this week? Well find out below.

The New Schedule
So I have a new schedule of events during the week of June 21st to June 27th, and I'm here now to present them to you. But first, I want to briefly address something: The last Fanon Con did not have chat presentations due to the rushed conditions it was in. I'm pleased to announce that they will make a return starting this Fanon Con, and that they will now take place on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays for Fanon Cons.

With that said, let's take a look at the new Fanon Con:



Day One: Art Competition
Now I know we have some artists on this wiki, yet they aren’t represented the way they should be. So, Fanon Con kicks off with the first ever ART Competition. This competition can be submitted in two ways: Image or Video. It can be anything Ben 10 or Ben 10 Fan Fiction related, even your own show. All submissions will go to Special:MyPage/Fanon Con Art Competition. All art must be your own work, and must follow our guidelines.

Day Two: Writing Contest – Normal
You may notice this Writing Contest is named Writing Contest – Normal. That is because for the first time ever, we are having TWO Writing Contests! No longer will the contests be broken up by new users and old users. Instead, we will break it up into two different styles:  film/television writing (the normal writing on this wiki), and creative writing (more on that later). This contest will have its own unique theme separate from the Creative Writing category. The theme of this category is: What Makes a Villain?. All submissions to this category will feature the villain/bad guy/antagonist as the main focus of the episode or film. This can range anywhere from a single villain to a Suicide Squad-esque group of villains. Dig into the villain you have. The winner will be decided based on how each person answers these questions: '''What makes a person a villain? Why did they go down this path in life that they went down on? Are they the villain, or is the usual protagonist the true villain of the story?''' Creativity and believability will play a role in deciding who wins. All work will go to Special:MyPage/Fanon Con Writing Contest, but must be labeled which category it is for, as both writing contest entries will be placed here. Best of luck.

Day Three: Writing Contest  - Creative Writing
I realized something one day, about two months ago. Writing is not limited to television, as we all know. Writing can extend beyond the world of the screen, and had for hundreds of years. So, for this particular category, you must find another way to write using the theme. You can do poems, rap battles, diary entries, songs, be creative. Images should only be used if part of your creative way to write the story. Music should only be used if it is a song. This is very different from the normal writing we do on here, but consider this a chance to explore another type of writing besides TV and film. I’m interested to see what you will come up. I know it’s not what you’re used to, but please attempt it, and try it. You might be curious what the theme is. The theme is…. '''Nothing! There is no theme for this category!''' It’s part of the creativity. Just pick something and go for it. Creativity will factor into who wins. All work will go to Special:MyPage/Fanon Con Writing Contest, but must be labeled which category it is for, as both writing contest entries will be placed here. Best of luck.

Day Four: The Forum Story
On this fourth day, we will be taking an adventure to the forums. On this day, a member of the Community Committee will create a thread that will be highlighted containing the beginning of a story. From there, each person can reply to the thread, adding on to the story. The story will be constructed piece by piece by different users over a 24-hour period. The only rules is that you must make sure your addition works with the thread (for example, Toon wrote “Ben went to the closet, only to discover”, and Sif might reply “a mysterious wooden box with ancient symbols carved on it”, but Ulti might reply and post before him “a stuffed bear with a missing eye”). Sif and Ulti’s statements conflict, and should this occur, Sif’s reply would be removed. The thread will only be open on that day, and you do not have to sign up for this.

Day Five: Writing Contest – Ultimate Winner
After both categories are revealed, the winners of each category will be voted on to decide which one is the best. The Creative Writing category blog will have a message asking you to vote between the creative writing winner and the episode winner for whose work is the best. The winner’s work will be re-posted on Day Five as the Ultimate Winner. The Ultimate Winner, if they have a Fanon Con entry, will be placed at the very top of the Fanon Con blog as the first entry seen.

Day Six and Seven: Fanon Con Submissions!
The final two days will reveal all the entries for the normal Fanon Con blog over the course of 48 hours. Half of the entries will be revealed on Day Six, and the other half on Day Seven. With that, Fanon Con will come to a close. All entries of course will go to Special:MyPage/Fanon Con.

The Community Committee
Now some may ask: What about the Community Commitee? Well I've crafted a first version of the commitee, and I'd like to try it out and see how it works out. So here's the information you nee to know about:
 * Who? - The Community Committee will be compromised of the following:  One permanent seat reserved by Sci100, a fellow admin or chat moderator, and three non-rights users. Each position will be rotated, with the exception being the one permanent seat reserved by Sci100. The fellow administrator/chat moderator position switches after two Fanon Cons, and the non-rights users switching after one Fanon Con.
 * How will members be chosen? -  All members will be elected by popular vote in the forums.
 * What will they be responsible for? - It will be the duty of all members of this committee to effectively run and host the Fanon Con festivities, and should be noted that responsibility will be placed on each user in the committee, not just the administration. The intent is that each user learns how to manage the event in the hopes that one day; they can take over the committee if needed. They will also be in charge of running the bi-annual Alien Fest, the International Week, the Omniverse Awards, Ester Sunday, Halloween, and so forth.
 * When will the members be rotated? One group will handle the Summer/Fall events, while another will handle Winter/Spring events. Summer/Fall elections will normally take place during Memorial Day Weekend, while Winter/Spring elections will normally take place during Thanksgiving Break.
 * What if I can’t fulfill the duties given to me? If you are nominated by a person, you have the right to request the nominations to be considered null, thus meaning you won’t be placed in a vote as an option. If you believe you won’t be able to get things done when necessary, please inform another member of the Committee. More lenience will be given during the Summer/Fall seasons, when more users are more likely to be active to help the events.
 * So I’m a normal user waiting for Fanon Con. Should I just expect the Committee to do all the work? – Yes, it is the job of the Committee to make sure Fanon Con runs as smoothly as possible. But things happen that result in difficulties. So yes, while we should be able to take care of it, do not place all your eggs in our basket. If something needs to be done and the committee is unable to do it, then it is up to YOU, the normal user, to make sure Fanon Con occurs the way it needs to. Please, try your best should this ever occur.  Expect but don’t assume.
 * Wait, so is there a Community Committee this time? – Yes, the nominations will begin immediately on this thread and will continue to the end of the 6th. The following week (7th to 13th) will consist of voting. The 14th will reveal the members of the Committee.

Other Events
Once the summer really starts rolling, I’m going to evaluate the wiki and then release A Year of Community: Update 1.5 for other matters non-events related, and to address the rest of the events taking place this year including July’s International Week and Omniverse Awards. Until then, let's get Fanon Con rolling, and I will see you all on my official return on June 12th. Ciao! - Sci.