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Bam Stroker for CSM X. Because it's the community, stupid.

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Bam Stroker
The Graduates
The Initiative.
#1 - 2015-01-16 02:27:37 UTC
Hey guys, my name is Bam Stroker and I want to represent all of you on CSM X.

TL;DR (I think these go better at the top than the bottom) - 6 year Eve vet, organiser of EVE Down Under, does a weekly live internet radio show about Eve, helped to build the AUTZ into an active community that punches well above its weight, mastermind behind evemeet.com, EVE Bet marketing duder, foamy-mouthed crazy about getting Eve nerds together to foster relationships and generate content, friends with literally everyone. (Yes, even you.) I’m seeking a seat on the CSM to use that platform however I can to empower other community builders and special interest groups. Community, community, community! Also: community.

I rolled my first character in 2004 and spent several years in a cycle of unsubbing and resubbing a few times a year until Eve finally “clicked” for me 2009. I’ve been playing pretty much daily ever since.

Since then my in-game journey has taken me from mining and mission running in hisec, to small-gang PvP in Syndicate and living in low-end WHs to my current home as a line member of an AUTZ corporation in Pandemic Legion flying in sov.

But it’s the things I’ve done and am passionate about when I’m not actually undocked which are why I’m putting myself forward as a candidate for CSM, because as much as I love this stupid game about internet spaceships the thing that really engages me are the people that I share it with.

By now the role of the CSM and our understanding of it has matured beyond the early days of it naively being treated like some kind of fantastical wish-granting factory: i.e. "if you vote for me I'll make CCP do X". We now all better understand the CSM’s role as a stakeholder in the development process and its limitations. That said, it's reasonable to expect that each candidate brings their own particular priorities to the CSM and I'm no exception:

With apologies to James Carville: “It’s the community, stupid.”



MY PLATFORM

The engagement and interconnectedness of the community is as important to the long term health of Eve as the resist profile of an IHUB, addressing AFK cloaking or the distance a capital ship can jump.

In-game special interest groups (or as I’ll call them: “societies”) are entities that come together around a particular activity, interest, language, location or external social platform. These are things like NPSI communities, Incursion communities, lore and RPing groups, players from the same city or timezone, forums, Twitter etc.

These societies have a tremendous impact on the game. They generate content for players to exploit, whether those players are members of the society in question or or just third parties that encounter those groups out in space. Beyond in-game content, these societies foster and maintain relationships that keep players engaged and logging in which feeds back into the generation of content.

Societies are also a boon to the retention of new players, providing many of them with a place to get assistance or mentoring and expose them to the wide variety of experiences that Eve has to offer which they simply don’t find out about from the tutorials. *IF* new players know they even exist or how to find them, that is.

The biggest problems facing these societies (or would-be societies) right now are a lack of robust administration tools and a complete lack of discoverability within the client.

Meanwhile, real-life player gatherings are an extension of these in-game societies into the real world and they are an enormous amount of fun and incredibly powerful in solidifying bonds between players. As someone who has either organised or supported countless player gatherings ranging from small pub meetups to major, multi-day events I’m acutely aware of the challenges faced by people trying to get an endeavor like that off the ground.

Community often gets overlooked in CSM campaigns though because the burning issues that many players are seeking attention for relate to high-profile, single issue mechanics or balance problems (eg. fixing sov, Ishtars).

The CSM shouldn’t be so myopic though. Although those other issues are important, remember that CSM X will have 14 members. Even if you don’t get out of bed to vote there’ll still be predictable mix of representatives from nullsec, lowsec, hisec and WHs as well as a couple with special interests like the new player experience or third-party tools.

But I need your support to bring a dedicated community focus to the council. I’ll put community first and will look at matters brought before the CSM through the prism of how the community will be affected and advocate for anything practical that will improve the experience of community builders like myself, which in turn will benefit Eve players at large.

I want more of these societies to emerge, grow and thrive so that more players - whether you’re actually involved in a society or not - can benefit from the friendships and content that they provide. If you see the value in that too then I humbly ask for your vote in the upcoming election.

EVE Down Under - a community for players in the AUTZ

In-game channel: evedownunder // Twitter: @evedownunder

https://www.facebook.com/evedownunder
Bam Stroker
The Graduates
The Initiative.
#2 - 2015-01-16 02:27:58 UTC  |  Edited by: Bam Stroker
WHY I’M RUNNING NOW

I had previously considered running for both CSM 8 and 9. In the end I deferred and decided that I wouldn’t put my hand up until I felt like I had something to offer the CSM that nobody else could. I hadn’t intended to run this year either, but then Mangala Solaris messed that up.

I had read many of the things he’d posted calling for support for special interest groups in Eve and I spoke to him at length about it at EVE Vegas. Mang and I shared many common ideas and concerns for community support and it seemed to me he was the guy to carry it forward in the CSM. I could rest easy.

But when I found out he wouldn’t be seeking re-election for CSM I knew that I wouldn’t be able to just relax and let someone else take care of all the work - I had to put my hand up if I wanted to see this important agenda advanced to CCP and so here I am.


WHAT I’LL BRING TO THE CSM

In real life I work in subnational government, specifically “non-media communications”. Note the “non-” part before media - I’m not a spin doctor; my job is to articulate and disseminate information to a large body of people and efficiently process the feedback. I’m also used to working in small teams that require frequent and clear internal communication. I can think of few IRL jobs that would have as much relevance to a body like the CSM.

In addition to my IRL skill set, my involvement with EVE Down Under has put me in regular contact with CCP. I have established relationships with many of the developers and already have a respectable understanding of the structure and culture of the company. I have also followed the CSM closely for several years and I don’t expect it to be some kind of special snowflake social club. In fact I anticipate there will a great deal of frustration that accompanies the role, but I’m prepared for that and will do my utmost to deal with everyone involved - CCP, other members of the council and the players - with grace and respect.

EVE consumes a lot of my free time and I actually like it that way. I’ve kept up a constant pace for the last couple of years organising EVE Down Under, handling our social media, attending player gatherings, doing a weekly internet radio show, playing the game itself and working on numerous side projects. People can vote for me with confidence that I’m not going to give up and go afk or burn out since if that were going to happen it would have already happened well before now.

Any organisation I've been involved with has been left better off than when I found it. I have a thick skin, play well with others and there's no task - no matter how small or mundane - that I'm too proud to put time and effort into. I will be a hard working, accessible and reliable member of the CSM - qualities I have already demonstrated many times through the myriad other projects I've been involved with in Eve.


SOME THINGS I’VE DONE

EVE Down Under - organiser of what was the largest player-run gathering in the world last year.
The EVE Down Under Show - a weekly live internet radio show about Eve with an AUTZ twist.
EVE Meet - a site to connect people with local player gatherings in their area.
EVE Bet - marketing and promotions guy. It’s been my pleasure to provide hundreds of billions in ships, PLEX and ISK vouchers to numerous NPSI communities, blogs, podcasts and news sites and to shower nerds with swag at player gatherings around the world.

Appearances on EVE TV and (wow) actual TV:
EVE Vegas 2014 - in which I talk a lot about my feelings about community and player gatherings.
The o7 Show Ep 1 - promoting EVE Down Under.
EVE Fanfest 2014 - promoting EVE Down Under and the AUTZ.
ABC TV’s Good Game - includes some clips of me talking about the community during a story they ran on B-R. I also spearheaded the effort to get this segment produced and on the air.


IN CONCLUSION

Storytime: I was at a player gathering in Melbourne late last year. It was a big event with about 40 people in attendance and I got talking to a player who I hadn’t met before. During the the course of our conversation he told me that a few weeks earlier he had cancelled his subs and was just running down the clock because his corp had gone afk and he’d grown bored. By chance he found out about the meetup while browsing the Eve-O forums and decided he might as well come along.

He went on to tell me that he’d just met some guys from a corp that sounded fun and was going to go home, resub and apply to their corp. His story was one of the main inspirations that spurred me to create evemeet.net to enhance the discoverability of IRL player gatherings.

In some respects the community also functions as a kind of lifeboat providing that extra incentive to encourage people to stick with Eve, even when someone’s going through a rocky phase. Its importance cannot be understated and it deserves the attention of at least one CSM who is committed to it full-time.


I’ll do my best to answer questions if people have any, but if the main things on your mind are “How will you fix sov?” or “What would you do to balance sentry drones?” you might be disappointed. :)

Cheers,

Bam.

Feel free to contact me via evemail or @bamstroker on Twitter.

EVE Down Under - a community for players in the AUTZ

In-game channel: evedownunder // Twitter: @evedownunder

https://www.facebook.com/evedownunder
Bam Stroker
The Graduates
The Initiative.
#3 - 2015-01-16 02:28:44 UTC  |  Edited by: Bam Stroker
ENDORSEMENTS

“I read your OP, and it was everything I could have hoped for and more. A HUGE +1 from me. Huge. +2 even.”
Jayne Fillon, Founder of Spectre Fleet

“Fully 100% endorsed. He's a community builder, he's thoughtful, and he's dashingly handsome. A gentlemen, a scholar, and the institution of the CSM would be lucky to have him.”
Sion Kumitomo, Member of CSM9

“… his dedication, passion, and energy for Eve the game and Eve the community are inspiring.”
Sugar Kyle, Member of CSM9

“His tireless energy and infectious enthusiasm, along with his keenness to provide sensible / meaningful feedback to CCP, makes him an ideal candidate for CSM.”
nGR RDNx, Founder of EVE Down Under

“Bam has my vote for sure.”
Asayanami Dei, Member of CSM9

“Bam has a rock solid track record in the community already, it's impossible to go wrong with him on the CSM. I'll go one step further: it'd be downright silly to not include this man on your ballot. A definite asset to the CSM.”
Elise Randolph, Member of CSM7

“I can firmly say that I endorse Bam. Having met Bam and heard his love for the community, and seen all that he does on your behalf, I find myself sold even more. With a true community representative such as Bam on the CSM, the future of EVE will be bright indeed.”
Mangala Solaris, Member of CSM8 & 9

"Was recently involved in saving a budgerigars life."
Sir Substance, Goon who I go to the pub with sometimes

"After researching all of the 77 candidates, Bam is one of only nine to earn a full endorsement from me. He's on my list and he should be on yours."
Rhavas, Interstellar Privateer blogger

"He's tireless, hard working, intelligent, loyal, honorable, selfless, and fair. He has a remarkable ability to see both sides of any debate, to put the needs of others in front of his own needs, to follow through on his word, and to always, always, remember it's about all of us, the community of Eve."
Greygal, founder of Redemption Road

"I've known Bam for a long time and can speak to his integrity."
Rixx Javix, CEO of Stay Frosty, spaceship corsair and digital milliner

EVE Down Under - a community for players in the AUTZ

In-game channel: evedownunder // Twitter: @evedownunder

https://www.facebook.com/evedownunder
Jayne Fillon
#4 - 2015-01-16 02:32:03 UTC  |  Edited by: Jayne Fillon
Well THIS came out of left field! Hopefully you weren't inspired by this tweet. :P

Either way, welcome to the rat race, I'm going to actually go back and read your OP now.

Edit: I read your OP, and it was everything I could have hoped for and more. A HUGE +1 from me. Huge. +2 even.

That being said, I do have a question for you:

With this announcement, you become the third member of Pandemic Legion to seek election to CSMX. Can you give us any insight on what you think about this, and how it will affect you? Are you running as an official candidate for PL?

Can't shoot blues if you don't have any. Long Live NPSI.
Sion Kumitomo
Garoun Investment Bank
Gallente Federation
#5 - 2015-01-16 02:39:52 UTC
Fully 100% endorsed.

He's a community builder, he's thoughtful, and he's dashingly handsome. A gentlemen, a scholar, and the institution of the CSM would be lucky to have him.

Even if all his dial-in video on conference calls would be upside-down.

On twitter @siggonK
Sarah Nahrnid
KarmaFleet
Goonswarm Federation
#6 - 2015-01-16 02:42:10 UTC
+1 AUTZ BEST TZ
Siobhan MacLeary
Doomheim
#7 - 2015-01-16 02:58:20 UTC
Definitely got a spot on my ballot. The social aspect of EVE is what keeps people coming back, and the more tools we have to enrich and expand that, the better.

“Point out to me a person who has been harmed by an AFK cloaker and I will point out a person who has no business playing this game.” - CCP Soundwave
Bam Stroker
The Graduates
The Initiative.
#8 - 2015-01-16 03:00:57 UTC  |  Edited by: Bam Stroker
Jayne Fillon wrote:
Edit: I read your OP, and it was everything I could have hoped for and more. A HUGE +1 from me. Huge. +2 even.

That being said, I do have a question for you:

With this announcement, you become the third member of Pandemic Legion to seek election to CSMX. Can you give us any insight on what you think about this, and how it will affect you? Are you running as an official candidate for PL?


First of all thanks for your endorsement, it means a lot. I know you and I in some regards are competing for a similar type of voter so it's particularly gracious of you to give it.

And yes I'm now the third member of PL to campaign for CSM but I am by no means running as a PL candidate (official or otherwise). I haven't discussed my plans to run with Manny, Xander or anyone in PL leadership. Within PL itself I'm not what you'd regard as a well known personality anyway.

That's not to say I wouldn't welcome the support of anyone in PL who wanted to give it by way of endorsement or votes, but for me to present myself to PL and say "I'm your guy." would be a conceit, because the priorities that big bloc sov candidates usually carry forward are quite different from mine.

[edit] Woops, I'm actually the fourth - sorry Bobmon!

EVE Down Under - a community for players in the AUTZ

In-game channel: evedownunder // Twitter: @evedownunder

https://www.facebook.com/evedownunder
Sugar Kyle
Middle Ground
#9 - 2015-01-16 03:01:34 UTC
I am delighted to see Bam running. He pulled me aside to chat at Eve Vegas about the CSM and what he can do and bring to the table. His seriousness in making the decision was commendable and his dedication, passion, and energy for Eve the game and Eve the community are inspiring.

Member of CSM9 and CSM10.
Sir Substance
Sebiestor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#10 - 2015-01-16 03:16:58 UTC  |  Edited by: Sir Substance
Bam was member #2 of the Adelaide Crew some time circa 2009, to date he has been a core member in building two eve communities, Adelaide Crew and Eve Down Under, from absolutely buttfuck nothing into active and open cross-coalition and cross-gameplay groups with strong communication channels and regular meetups. To date, no one has been bottled in the face.

11/10 would buy a beer at fanfest.

Was recently involved in saving a budgerigars life.

The beatings will continue until posting improves. -Magnus Cortex

Official Eve Online changelist: Togglable PvP. - Jordanna Bauer
HAMBER BOGAN
Royal Amarr Institute
Amarr Empire
#11 - 2015-01-16 03:59:17 UTC
Ive known Bam for about 3 years now since he piped up in the Australian eve community and was a MASSIVE help running EVE Down Under and, next to RDNx, is one of the key guys who has made the EVE Down Under community into what it is today.
There is no better person that I have met in my 6 years of playing EVE that I would love to see in the CSM than Bam.

Best Bogan

EVE Down Under - Australian EVE Community www.evedownunder.com
Alruan Shadowborn
State War Academy
Caldari State
#12 - 2015-01-16 04:13:20 UTC
I've only been playing since 2013, but in that time, there have been few people I have heard spoken of with respect to the extent Bam is.

He was just plotting his move from the corp I am in to Sov when I joined, but to this day he is spoken of with respect within our corp, and even within Syndicate as a whole.

The work he puts in to connecting and building the AUTZ community is characteristic of the person behind the character, and I feel he would be an asset to both CCP and the CSM should he be successful in achieving CSM 10.
LYGIA
Van Diemen's Demise
Northern Coalition.
#13 - 2015-01-16 04:17:14 UTC
+1!!!
Il Feytid
State War Academy
Caldari State
#14 - 2015-01-16 04:26:50 UTC
You have my vote!
Mynxee
Signal Cartel
EvE-Scout Enclave
#15 - 2015-01-16 04:40:27 UTC
Well THAT was quite a good OP! You've earned yourself a high-ish spot on my slate!

Lost in space, looking for sigs...

Blog: Cloaky Wanderer
Kryptyk
Van Diemen's Demise
Northern Coalition.
#16 - 2015-01-16 04:57:28 UTC
Big +1 to this man who works tirelessly for the AUTZ as a whole and not just his corporation/alliance. Would represent Aussies proud on the CSM.

Check us out at EVE Bet to bet ISK on your favorite sports!

http://www.eve-bet.com/
Renton Brax
Deep Core Mining Inc.
Caldari State
#17 - 2015-01-16 04:58:31 UTC  |  Edited by: Renton Brax
Hello, some of you might remember me from such OG events such as EDU 2015 where I, along side by good friend Dark Razer, gave a sterling presentation on leadership in Eve using as many double entendre as possible.

I've had the pleasure of knowing Bam for a while now and this is not unexpected, but welcomed.

He introduced himself at the first meet I went to in Adelaide, where a few weird blokes met at a pub in midday, suddenly were best mates and ended up sharing oysters kilpatrick late into the night. Since then I've known him to be a paragon of the AUTZ community.

The reasons he is getting my vote:

  • He spends a considerable amount of time already organizing events for players, both in game and out.
  • He strives to bring CCP into reach of the common player, giving advice, passing concerns and where possible sharing contacts.
  • He always takes time out to talk to new players.
  • He understands the issues coming out of almost every aspect of the game. He isn't an expert but he has put in the effort to know enough to understand when people are annoyed or glad.
  • Finally, he doesn't care what corp / alliance / sec / style / affiliation / age / experience you have. To him any player is worth listening to and addressing their concerns.


He has my full support in this election.

#Bam4CSM

Renton Brax


edit: so it did't sound like I was pleasuring Bam.
DON't SHOOTMEPLZ
State War Academy
Caldari State
#18 - 2015-01-16 05:05:45 UTC  |  Edited by: DON't SHOOTMEPLZ
Huge +1,

he is all about the community. I believe he did or attempted to attend casual EVE meets around Australia, If you know the geographical size of Australa, that is no easy feet. (I know he attended the last Brisbane EVE meet)

He has put a lot of work into the Australian EVE community, not only helping host/improve on the EVE downunder event that is held Annually alongside of http://evewho.com/pilot/nGR+RDNx. also helped launch http://www.evemeet.net/ to assist with the community being notified by nearby EVE meets.

Will not let anyone down.
nGR RDNx
Beta Crucis
Endeavour.
#19 - 2015-01-16 05:16:31 UTC  |  Edited by: nGR RDNx
I have worked closely with Bam on various project and definitely a big +1 from me.

His tireless energy and infectious enthusiasm, along with his keenness to provide sensible / meaningful feedback to CCP, makes him an ideal candidate for CSM

RD

EVE Down Under - www.evedownunder.com - AUTZ = Best TZ
Seraph IX Basarab
Outer Path
Seraphim Division
#20 - 2015-01-16 06:44:49 UTC
As someone that enjoyed devoting a good amount of his time helping develop and promote NPSI i'm glad to see someone on the ballot that can champion similar concepts. An NSPI candidate with an actual platform is both refreshing and unique.

+1
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