Sime~Gen™ Inc. Annual Meeting - 2009

This is a record of the formal meeting of Sime~Gen participants for purpose of voting the Awards due for tasks accomplished during 2008, and for awarding Preferred, non-voting shares of stock in Sime~Gen Inc.

Below is the log of the business meeting.  Informal discussion was taking place in a separate room.

The meeting was called to order by Jacqueline Lichtenberg <JL>  & Jean Lorrah <jean>

irc_name -- 'real' name
<JL`> -- Jacqueline Lichtenberg
<Midge1> -- Midge Baker
<Karen> -- Karen MacLeod
<Donna> -- Donna Halper
<patric> -- Patric Michael
<Seanara> -- Seanara Coyote
<Kaires> -- Kaires Tevesu
<Mary Lou> -- Mary Lou Mendum
<MTZ> -- Margaret Carr
<Anne1> -- Anne Pinzow
<Lexie13> -- M. Alexis Pakulak a/k/a "Lexie"
<Eliza> -- Eliza ambrov Halwyn

Session Start: Thu Jan 01 14:28:30 2009
* Karen changes topic to 'Annual Business Meeting HERE -- chat room in #sgtalk'

<JL`> Since Jean Lorrah, Sime~Gen Inc. CEO is not present, Jacqueline Lichtenberg, Sime~Gen Inc. President will preside over this official New Year's Chat. 
The meeting will come to order at 2:11 PM Mountain Standard time. 
Dispense with Reading of minutes -- URL from last year. 
The logs of these annual New Year's Chats can be found at http://www.simegen.com/sgfandom/chats/
I'd like to take a moment to note the passing in 2008 of Joan Winston and Majel Barret Roddenberry. Karen has a tribute page to Joan Winston's accomplishments posted at http://www.simegen.com/joan.html

President's Report - by Jacqueline Lichtenberg

Since we replaced our hardware last year, we have had no further difficulties with outages caused by anything in our systems. Hacker attacks are up all over the net, but Patric has kept us secure. However spam is still a problem, so most of our simegen.com email accounts are now routed through g-mail for spam filtering. Because spam filtering is not reliable, we have lost some correspondence with our customers and responded late. 

The Reviews Department is hanging in there, but struggling. 

Looking for new revenue to pay for our new hardware, we did install GOOGLE ADSENSE on our global main entry pages, and have a few hits that will pay when the total reaches $100. It seems we stand now at about $31 and goes up very quickly with click-throughs and subsequent orders. Google pays very well, but visitors strongly resist clicking.
 
Amazon hits and sales went up when I fielded 2 new types of amazon products called 'astores', one for books in general (Keybooks) and one for gifts. Patric, however, ran into a customer service problem with one of Amazon's independent vendors, and for that reason we don't want to support or recommend any of Amazon's independent vendors in any direct way. Has anyone had problems with their book sales division? 

We also have space to host more domains on our new hardware. 

That concludes the President's report.

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<JL`> Reviews Dept report.

Reviews Department Report - by Midge Baker

2008 was a lonely year for the Reviews Department. As in previous years, we've had our ups and downs. As with the faded economy - and perhaps in part because of it - this time it was been mostly down. 

The good news is that we've added several fine interviews. WorldCrafter's Guild Writer In Residence, Anne Phyllis Pinzow, has interviewed Screenwriter Alan Cole. Karen MacLeod conducted another interview of Mr. Cole for Writer's Spotlights, with an entirely different focus and content. Alice Klein has added interviews with Victoria Rosendahl author of BITTER TASTES, and Jacqueline D'Acre, whose book , FORECLOSURE was featured. Sheila Finch, short story writer. also has been interviewed.
 
The bad news is that our same old problem with active Reviewer participation has faded to virtually NO participation. Out of 42 listed Reviewers, nearly a dozen have been blocked for e-mail-delivery failures.
Just five people accounted for all of the 162 reviews we've added this year. There are Laurraine Tutihasi, with one; Alice Klein, with seven; Wanda Maynard, with eleven; and our champion-but-unofficial visiting reviewer, Harriet Klausner, with 142. Except for Harriet, all of us are Reviews Department Staff. Apparently, not one regular list member has requested a book or posted a review. 

On a final note, we've had a change in staff. I became ill in July of 2007, and was forced to take a sabbatical as Reviews Coordinator. My Assistant Coordinator, Alice Klein, took over the day-to-day running of the Department, pending my return to health. With luck, I'll be able to return soon, as my health continues to improve. When Alice returns from her vacation, I'll consult with her about what new books and review requests we've received. 

I would appreciate hearing from anyone with any suggestions on how to revitalize ourselves.

That concludes the Reviews Department Report.

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<JL`> Thank You Midge.
<Midge1> You're welcome
<JL`> Sime~Center and Con reports will be deferred. Possibly Karen will get something from Kaires to include in the posted section and the next Newsletter. I will take something from the Newsletter, if I do not hear from Kaires.

[Karen's Note: Kaires's Simecenter and Convention reports have been moved 
 here from below. I've also added my own report on Darkover Grand Council.]

SimeCenter Report - by Kaíres Tévesu

Such as it is...Simecenter report:
We got SIX new authors this year, and ONE new artist (another one is in the wings, but we can't seem to mesh schedules). 

I'd still like to hand this off, but don't dare do it until I have a backlog of stories to hand off with it. That's always the most time-consuming part of the job. I have all the code in templates. Once the story arrives, and is edited into HTML, it only takes a couple of hours to update everything and assemble/test/post it. 

--- addenda, submitted after the meeting ---
The new contributing authors and artists who were featured in 2008 all resulted from contacts made at conventions. Several are members of BroadUniverse, the organization for female writers of speculative fiction, which is one of our partners at all the convention parties. And some--not a mutually exclusive set--are active in the well-known Clarion Writers Workshop.

One of the authors who appeared in SimeCenter for the first time in 2008 was Danielle Ackley-McPhail (a/k/a GreenFirePhoenix, a/k/a SidheNadaire), a "broad" in BroadUniverse, and also a volunteer for Clarion. She donated FOUR stories, designating one for Modest Needs (because one of our own staff members needed their help at the time), and one for Clarion...the others TBD. 

This is really important, I'm hoping to use the latter to make contact with Clarion again. Clarion represents a huge group of talented writers who might be encouraged to donate stories. That would be so couth!

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<Kaires> Equally informal report on parties...Convention report
Conventions were mean to me this year. I tried and tried to get party rooms at FOUR conventions, and every one of them did me in; either didn't accept my request or claiming I had cancelled it. We did manage to rent a (hideously expensive) room for one night at WorldCon, and it was a very successful party. We gave away most of the stock of door prizes...but I've been acquiring more on eBay.

--- addenda, submitted after the meeting ---
Our party at WorldCon was mentioned in the convention newsletter the next day, for the dubious distinction of being the party with the longest name: Sime~Gen, BroadUniverse, & EPIC -- 7th Annual Unity Day Party.

I wish I still had my box of Sime~Gen zines, to give away at parties (and put out for the fanzine reading rooms at MediaWest*Con and WorldCon). They were always much appreciated in those venues, and garnered us several new--and recidivist--fans. But I had to send them off to "Agent With Style" some years ago, and there they languish.

In 2009, expect to find "Unity Day" Parties * at WesterCon (in Phoenix) and WorldCon (in Montreal)...and probably LosCon (in Los Angeles), just because it's close to home.

* I realize that the "real" Unity Day was probably in October or November, but the only other holidays we know our future friends celebrated were Faith Day (in March or maybe April), and Years Turning (at the Winter Solstice). Unless someone comes up with a suitable Summer holiday to celebrate, I'll stick to Unity Day.
When was Zeor founded? What part of the year? Only "The Farris Channel" knows, and he's not telling.

I can drive to Phoenix, so all the usual party paraphernalia will appear at WesterCon. This is a particularly important convention for Sime~Gen fans:
   - it's practically in JL's back yard, so we can revel in her presence that weekend
   - the artist Guest of Honor is Todd Lockwood, creator of the spectacular Unity Trilogy cover

Montreal may pose some problems. I want to have Kerkaday ("Ancient Egyptian Kool-Aid") at the party, but I kinda have to make it there, now that all liquids are verboten on airplanes. The bathroom area of a hotel room won't serve. Do we have any fen nearby, who could loan me a kitchen for a couple of hours?

<Karen> Report on Darkover Grand Council - Thanksgiving weekend, annually.
Since Jacqueline and Jean no longer attend, we have a very pitiful turnout for "Shiltpron/Faith Day." Usually only three of our own die-hards attend: Ronnie Bob, Margaret Carter, and Julia (a friend of Ronnie Bob's) usually attend. This year, Julia and her husband were ill, so the only people attending were Ronnie Bob and Margaret. I attribute this to the unfortunate non-attendance of Jacqueline and Jean, but that can't be helped.
I consulted with Charles Butler, who runs the Esoteric programming -- under which "Faith Day" falls -- and suggested we could free up most of the time allotted to us. He doesn't wish to do that, in the hope that at some future time Jacqueline and Jean can attend.

<JL`> System Administrator report?

Sime~Gen SysAdmin Report - by Patric Michael

2008 saw a major upgrade to our physical server. More than double our capable speed, and slightly less than double our storage. This is extremely good news because of the increased overhead in handling the increasing automation software. The reviews department remains the shining example of how all that works, both in front of, and behind the scenes. 

Unfortunately, upgrading additional sections has been stymied by my volunteer status since I am caught in a career change as the movie industry (my livelihood) is changing dramatically. Since I don't live in Canada, I don't work as much. That means finding other, less reliable (and more of them) projects to fill the gap, which takes away development time on the domain. Thus, our "face" is old and wrinkled. 

We need a facelift, and I am scrambling to find time to do it. In my estimation, this partly contributes to our lack of reviews/reviewers. Not fresh enough. After this first of this new year, things should settle for me. New projects, new clients (predominately the lottery) are proving consistent enough that I can get back to the new domain face, which is wholly dependent on the new programming behind the scenes, which is wholly dependent on the new machine architecture. So while it hasn't happened YET, it *is* in work, although progress is slow for the reasons mentioned above. 

That's enough for this report, I think.

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<JL`> Thank you Patric. Unfinished Business. Is there any unfinished business?
<Karen> I don't think so. Con reports and Simecenter I'd have to cobble from the newsletter.
<JL`> No Unfinished Business. New Business.
Before we get to Stock Awards and voting awards for our industrious contributors, here's some speculation about the future. Projects currently being launched. 
- PDF DOWNLOADS FOR SALE CURRENTLY BEING POSTED. Karen has edited (and will get credit for editing) the 5 Tarot books, and I have to final-edit and make the PDF's. I have technical issues with getting all the formatting neat, clean and easy for the various formats of PDF that are available. This could take time.
- Midge is currently trying to assemble and edit several volumes of "INSIDE THE WRITER'S MIND"
the series of essays on how to reverse your mental mindset from READER to WRITER. She's working from the blog entries I've done the last few years at http://www.aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/
When she's finished, she'll get her name on the cover as EDITOR. Being as how the inside of THIS writer's mind is rather - um - convoluted, that could take some time even though the woman's brilliant. It's hard to dig out a series of connected essays from blogger, and in the compilation, some of it may get significantly rewritten to smooth out some of the points. After compilation, we'll be posting those essays, PLUS MATERIAL FROM JEAN, divided into volumes by topic.
- these will be available for sale at: http://www.simegen.com/marketplace/downloads/ TECHNICAL ISSUES that will require Patric-time include getting a shopping cart installed. We're planning to use PAYPAL. Any objections or alternatives would be helpful. What price anyone would pay for this material as PDF download? These are all separate "rights" by contract and so there's still the possibility of print or regular e-book versions. 
Once we get it all set up, though, the really hard part will be publicizing the existence of this material and that's a whole other project requiring different skills. However, if we can sell a good number of copies of these PDF downloads, the money goes to pay for our new server and increased speed and capacity. The downloads section is a simegen.com owned and operated revenue source. 
LIKEWISE: Sime~Gen new original material plus reprints are still looking for a publisher, and possibly a new agent since we're stalled out at the moment. (You all know Sime~Gen Inc owns all the Sime~Gen novels, and proceeds of sales go to support the domain.)
<JL`> So meanwhile, Jean and I are working on S~G scripts among our other script projects. I've done a first (very rough) draft of a post-apocalyptic shoot-em-up western set about 100 years after the Mutation -- part of that was read at Darkover. Jean has one set about the year 1,000 that she hasn't written yet. 
OTHER SCREENWRITING PROJECTS: I've just finished the very rough first draft of a screen version of DUSHAU (working in bits and smidgets of time, it took me from about March to November to complete that rough draft).
Patric is starting to create a WEBISODE VERSION of Dushau in still images. This is a great adventure. Since it won an Romance Award, we are planning to post the Visual Dushau in http://www.simegen.com/romance/ Patric? Show us?
<patric> Point a browser to http://www.patric.com/dushau/ and click on the RoyalChamber4.jpg link. Its a rough draft of the potential. For fun, there is a second image, a "behind the scenes" as it were, wholly reminiscent of when I am working on a movie and what *I* see behind the camera. Comments invited.
<JL`> That is VIVID! I think though in the scene depicted, Krinata is wearing a cloak that's probably white.
I am seriously impressed with what the technology can do. Patric has the talent to use 10 times the tech level he's got at hand, but he can make these little home-sized toys SING!
<JL`> Stock awards

STOCK AWARDS

The Board of Directors of Sime~Gen Inc have voted the following shares of preferred non-voting stock to the diligent workers who have made simegen.com work this year, people who have been with us for at least one full year. They are listed here in absolutely no order whatsoever..
Kaires 4
Karen MacLeod 4
Lois Wickstrom 4
Patric Michael 6
Wendy Fisher 1
Lisa Saunders 2
Ronnie Bob Whitaker 2
Martha Ann DellaCamera 1
Wanda Maynard - 1
Alice Klein - 1 FIRST TIME NOMINEE
Total 26 shares

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<JL`> Congratulations. You will all receive your stock letters by the end of January. We're a little behind this year because Jean Lorrah is on a tour of India. (India!!!) Her report on that will be in our monthly newsletter, I'm sure.
<JL`> INDIVIDUAL AWARDS Here's a list supplied by Karen: Let's take the DIGEN AWARD for Meritorious Service first.
Digen Award

<Midge1> Nominate Patric and Karen for Digen
<Seanara> Second both.
<JL`> Patric and Karen have been nominated for the Digen Award. And seconded. All in favor of awarding Patric and Karen the Digen for Service in 2008 say AYE
<Midge1> Aye
<Seanara> Aye
<MaryLou> Aye
<Anne1> Aye
<Lexie13> aye
<JL`> I need one more vote here to make a majority.
<Donna> Aye, if I can vote!
<MTZ> aye
<Karen> aye for Patric, but I can't vote for me.
<JL`> aye aye for Karen specifically.
<patric> Aye for Karen, but I can't vote for me.
<JL`> Aye for Patric.
<Donna> Aye for Patric, absolutely.
<JL`> Thank you, that concludes the vote for Patric and Karen.
<JL`> Patric and Karen have been awarded the Digen for 2008. Any other nominations for the Digen for 2008?
<Midge1> Nominate Alice Klein for Digen, for taking over when I got sick
<JL`> Second for Alice Klein?
<patric> Second Alice.
<MTZ> as amended, second
<JL`> all in favor of Alice Klein for her FIRST Digen Award?
<Midge1> Aye
<MTZ> aye
<patric> Aye.
<Anne1> Aye
<Karen> aye
<Seanara> Aye
<Lexie13> aye
<Donna> Aye
<JL`> Thank You - Alice Klein has been awarded the Digen for 2008.
<JL`> Any further awards to nominate for?
Karen Award

<Midge1> Nominate Margaret Carr for Karen Award.
<MTZ> huh?
<Midge1> For spotting the glitch in the Reviewers Agreement.
<JL`> Oh, that really sounds like a Karen Award to me!
<MTZ> when?
<Midge1> Months ago
<Karen> Karen Award: Created in 2002, this award for Creating Foundations is awarded to those individuals or organizations who have helped to create the Sime~Gen fan universe or, who have proven indispensable in growing and maintaining the Simegen domain.
<MTZ> okay. memory slipping
<patric> Second Margaret.
<JL`> Margaret Carr (MTZ) has been nominated and seconded for the Karen Award 2008 for spotting a glitch in our Reviewer's Agreement. All in favor?
<Karen> Aye
<Anne1> Aye
<patric> Aye.
<Midge1> Aye
<Seanara> Aye
<Lexie13> aye
<MaryLou> Aye
<Donna> aye
<JL`> Margaret (MTZ) has been awarded the Karen Award for 2008. Thank You Margaret!
<MTZ> thank you all
<JL`> Any other Awards to nominate for?
<Karen> Karen award to Borderlands role players....
<Midge1> Second
<patric> Third!
<JL`> The Borderlands Writers have been nominated and seconded for the Karen Award for 2008 for their ongoing Sime~Gen RPG http://www.simegen.com/sgfandom/fans/bev/boom/index.html All in favor?
<MTZ> aye
<Seanara> Aye
<Midge1> Aye
<Karen> Aye
<patric> Aye
<Donna> aye
<Lexie13> aye for my co-members, though I can't vote for myself
<JL`> The Borderlands Writers Beverly Erlebacher, John Cowan, Mary Lou Mendum, M. Alexis Pakulak, and recently added Flora Raynor have been voted the Karen Award for their diligence and meticulous work creating and posting ongoing episodes in the Borderlands Saga. Any further award nominations?
Nager Award

<Midge1> Nominate Ronnie Bob Whitaker for the Nager
<Karen> Seconded
<JL`> Ronnie Bob Whitaker has been nominated and seconded for the Nager Award for 2008. All in favor?
<MTZ> aye
<Karen> aye
<Seanara> Aye
<Donna> aye
<patric> Aye
<Lexie13> aye
<Midge1> Aye
<JL`> Ronnie Bob has been awarded the Nager for 2008 -- for all his computer work, hand-holding, donating and support. That's in addition to all he's done that's earned him stock. Any further nominations?
Out-Territory Award

<Midge1> Harriet Klausner for Out-Territory for adding 142 reviews last year
<MTZ> second
<patric> Seconded.
<patric> Er.. Thirded then.
<JL`> Harriet Klausner has been nominated and seconded for the Out-Territory Award for 2008. All in favor?
<patric> Aye
<MTZ> aye
<Seanara> Aye
<Karen> Aye
<Donna> aye
<Midge1> Aye
<Lexie13> aye
<Kaires> aye€
<JL`> Harriet Klausner has been awarded the Out-Territory Award for 2008.
<JL`> Any further nominations?
Tech-Ton Award

<Lexie13> Patric for the Tech-Ton
<Midge1> Second
<JL`> Patric has been nominated and seconded for the Tech-Ton Award. All in favor?
<Seanara> Aye
<Midge1> Aye
<Karen> aye
<MTZ> aye
<Lexie13> aye
<Kaires> aye
<Donna> aye
<JL`> Patric has been awarded the Tech-Ton for 2008.
<JL`> I have two other items of NEW BUSINESS.
<Donna> Donna L. Halper, longtime lurker and friend of sime-gen, from Boston. Met you years ago.
<JL`> 2009 will be Sime~Gen Inc.'s 10th anniversary and we're looking for recollections, anecdotes and comments on what simegen.com and/or the novels and fandom has meant to you.
<Donna> I've got plenty of recollections!!!
<JL`> We'd like to celebrate 10 years with a BANG. So think hard and email simegen@simegen.com with our stories. DONNA! wonderful. Thank you for coming.
<Donna> Wouldn't miss it.
<Karen> Recollections can be sent to ME at karen@simegen.com by the middle of the month.
<Donna> And I even have a couple of new ideas to help with publicity.
<JL`> Publicity is a big hole in our operations. Wait just a minute and we'll get to that.
<MTZ> ooh, good stuff
<JL`> Are there any further nominations?
<JL`> If not, is there an motion to adjourn?
<Donna> I so motion.
<Karen> Kaires report is missing....... (Inserted above)
<Kaires> Simecenter?
<MTZ> uh, JL, you said two items
<JL`> I found a HARDCOVER RenSime at the library and nabbed it for $1.00. That's my other item of new business.
<Anne1> I nominate Jacqueline for the in-out-in-out territory award for getting lost giving me a tour of chandler and not knowing where anything was. After living here 8 years.
<JL`> If someone needs it, I can sell it for postage, but otherwise will donate it to the party door prizes.
<Karen> Sounds like me if someone came to visit me. I'll second that nomination.
<JL`> Oh, Anne did it to me!
<Anne1> She even misplaced historic Chandler.
<Karen> Well, that deserves an award of some kind.
<Midge1> Then it should be Golden Yo-yo
<JL`> Yeah, I think it's a Yo-Yo. http://www.simegen.com/sgfandom/awards/gold.htm
Golden Yo-Yo Award

<Karen> Yo-yo makes sense ----- Golden YoYo Award -- this is an award for going around in circles until you finally get it done.
<patric> Second JL for the Golden Yo-Yo.
<Donna> third
<JL`> I don't think we have a nomination to match for the Golden Yo-Yo
<Karen> You're the nominee, Jacqueline, for your Anne tour.....
* Karen ducks and runs with Anne to hide.
<JL`> I know, and I'm presiding and being picky.
<Anne1> She also kept telling me that I could find my way around if I just remembered the beige house. ALL THE HOUSES IN THIS CITY ARE BEIGE
<Midge1> Nominate JL for Golden YoYo
<Donna> second-- it's better than a golden goose, is it not?
<JL`> All in favor?
<patric> Seconded JL for the golden yo yo.
<Karen> Aye
<Kaires> aye!
<Seanara> Aye
<patric> Aye
<Donna> aye
<Lexie13> aye
<Midge1> Aye
<MTZ> aye
<JL`> JL has been awarded the Golden Yo-Yo for being a confused tour guide, trying to get a former Ambrov Zeor editor to move to Chandler.
<Karen> Looks like Jacqueline gets one of her FIRST awards..... Congratulations, JL
<Midge1> Hurray!
<JL`> Do I have a motion to adjourn?
<Karen> Kaires report.....
<Anne1> Move
<JL`> Kaires, do you have a report on SimeCenter?
<JL`> That actually goes under REPORTS, but you can enter it here if you have it.
<Karen> I'll fix it in editing. Kaires came late, unfortunately.
<Kaires> such as it is...Simecenter report. (see above)
<JL`> Thank You Kaires.
<Kaires> Equally informal report on parties...Convention report (also above)
<JL`> Yes, I've been looking for someone to take over SimeCenter. OK, if that concludes the meeting, do I have a motion to adjourn?
<patric> Moved.
<Anne1> Seconded To adjourn and adjourn
<Karen> Works for me.
<Midge1> Aye
<Donna> aye
<JL`> The meeting New Year's Day 2009 is ADJOURNED!!! PARTY DOWN!!!
<Seanara> Aye
<Lexie13> aye
<Karen> Party in #sgtalk
<JL`> OOOPS - vote.
<patric> Yay! (aye)
<Kaires> aye
<Karen> aye
<Donna> aye
<Anne1> Aye
<patric> Donna.. Jon us in #sgtalk please...
<patric> Join, even...
<Donna> how do I do that?
* JL` PARTY DOWN!!!
<Karen> Same way you joined here. If on the website, open another browser.
<patric> You /leave this window, and /join the other one.
<JL`> #sgchat is the party room.
<Donna> will try-- I am such a Luddite...
<patric> No need. This window should go back to moderated.
<Laurraine> #sgtalk
<Karen> This window will be closed out. Party in #sgtalk. You missed the meeting Eliza. Chat in #sgtalk only going on now.

Session Close: Thu Jan 01 17:49:14 2009

Session Moderated by
Karen MacLeod 		Logs edited by
Karen MacLeod 		Page posted by 
Kaíres Tévesu

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