Jorn and Chris, a proposal

[endwar@phys.psu.edu (Andrew Russ)]

Here's my proposal:

Given the strained communications between Jorn Barger and Chris Williams, 
and also their vital importance to the whole tree, i offer the following 
detailed proposal for getting the tapes through the tree, and allowing
both Jorn and Chris to prove each other wrong.  

The basic principle is to get the tree going, but ask the people involved 
to post at frequent intervals at expected times.  Since both Jorn and
Chris post frequently, this should not be too much to ask of them.  

Two pertinent facts:

   1.  Like it or not, it is Jorn's tape, even if he doesn't own a TV or 
VCR.   And even if he decides now that he does not want to part with it
even if he had indicated earlier that he would.  
   2.  Chris says he can do the conversion much better than anyone else 
on this group, and has an opportunity to do so soon.  

Also, Jorn has asked the rest of us on gaffa if he should go ahead.

Chris and Jorn are going to have to momentarily set aside their other
differences, which they can take up once they have finished with this
tape.  

So here's the plan, which can be modified, so long as .gaffa knows what's 
happening in advance (i.e. post when details are worked out and as we go 
along).  Please note this is only a proposal, so don't act on anything i 
say below.  I think Chris, Jorn, and other concerned parties should 
discuss this on the net (if they can) so that the tree can actually 
start growing.  

1.  Chris should post _and_ email to Jorn the dates when he is going
to Kansas City, including the date that he is leaving and the date he is 
returning to Chicago.  Exact dates, e.g. leave Friday July 16, return 
Tuesday July 20 (for example).  These should be firm dates that can be 
counted on, and if something does come up, then Chris should allow Jorn 
to reschedule this operation (with Chris's input) or have someone else do 
the PAL to NTSC transfer.

    1a.  The seven or eight people who are dubbing copies for others 
    (the "branches") should email Chris, telling him their addresses 
    (email and USPS), and discuss arrangements for paying for tape & 
    postage (read through the rest of this message for more info).  

    1b. Jorn should:  1) make sure the record tab is broken so the tape
    cannot be accidentally erased, and 2) make some secret mark(s) on the 
    tape so that if he does not trust Chris to return the exact original
    tape, he can still check that the tapes haven't been switched.  Jorn
    does have to remember or write down what this secret mark is.  

    1c.  If either Jorn or Chris simply cannot stand to contact each 
    other by email or in person, then they shall pick an intermediary 
    who lives in the area and who has net access to act as go-between.
    The go-between's name and email address should be posted by Jorn, 
    Chris, and the go-between.  Then in all the steps that follow, Jorn 
    and the go-between will post about their mettings, and Chris and 
    the go-between will post about theirs.  This means the go-between
    will have to do more posting, but it will help the rest of us
    keep close track of things.             

2. Jorn and Chris will work out a specific appointment where Jorn will 
give the tape to Chris to dub.  Jorn and Chris will each post the date, 
time and location of the date to gaffa, and will post later to confirm 
that the tape has been exchanged.  At the time they meet, they will make 
a firm appointment for Chris to return Jorn's tape, within two days of 
Chris's return to Chicago if at all feasible.  If Jorn wants an NTSC copy 
of the final tape, he should in addition give Chris a blank for that 
purpose.  

    2a.  If a go-between is necessary, the go-between will get the tape 
    from Jorn, and both Jorn and the go-between will post.  Then the
    go-between will give the tape to Chris, and both Chris and the go-
    between will post.  The go-between and Chris will make a firm date to
    return Jorn's tape within 2 days of Chris's return to Chicago on the
    publicly posted date.  Then the go-between and Jorn will schedule a
    date for returning the tape to Jorn.  

3.  Chris will go to Kansas City and do the PAL to NTSC conversion, as
many conversion master copies as possible.  Ideally, Chris would make
7 (or 8) PAL to NTSC converted masters for the branches, plus one for 
himself, plus (out of some spirit of generosity) one for Jorn (and
one for the go-between, if necessary).  

    3a. Chris should make a detailed set list for the tape, so that
    everyone will know what is on the tape, which he should post and
    mail with the tapes.  The set list should include the date of
    the original recording (e.g. broadcast date of the Aspel program:  
    June something, 1993), the title of the program (e.g. Aspel (full
    name of show if known)), and the titles of the songs performed
    ("Moments of Pleasure").  Since he's making the tape up, he gets
    to decide what order things go in, but also should tell us what's
    on it.  Then he should post the list, and make copies to include
    with each tape he sends off.  If he has net access from KC, he could
    post from there, or he can wait until he returns.  

    3b.  I ask Chris to make as many PAL to NTSC conversions as he can
    stand in one weekend in order to cut down on the number of 
    generations the later copies will go through.  It may be very very
    tedious to do this, so he may only want to make one conversion
    then dub that a few times, if the NTSC to NTSC equipment he has is
    much better than anyone else's.  

    3c.  Given the short time between "later this week" and now, i 
    suggest that Chris buy the tapes he wants to dub on.  The branches
    can pay him for the tape plus first class postage ($2.90).  

    3d.  This is definitely a "duh" kind of item, but Chris should
    check the first dubbed tape or two to make sure they're coming
    out OK (just a few seconds is probably enough), if he can.  

4. Chris returns from KC on the appointed date and posts a note.  We are 
all that much more excited.  

5. Chris mails the tapes to the branches, and the branches will send
payment simultaneously, i.e. when they read of Chris's return to 
Chicago.  Chris posts a message that he has mailed the tapes that 
day, after the tapes have been in fact mailed.  

    5a. Hopefully padded mailers will not be a problem.  I'm assuming 
    here that Vickie gets enough packages in the mail relating to 
    her radio show (or leftover fallout) that 7 or 8 padded mailers
    can be found.  Otherwise, that may be a slight added cost to 
    be passed onto the branches.  

    5b. Tapes should be sent first, not third or fourth (bookrate)
    so that they get to the branches faster.  Total cost should be
    on the order of $4-5 for the tape, $2.90 for postage, and maybe
    50 cents for a mailer (i really don't know what mailers cost,
    since i've never bought any, just saved and used old ones).  
    Cost is then betwen 6 and 9 dollars total, and the branches hopefully 
    save about $2.90 each in postage costs and hopefully Chris
    knows a good place to get good tapes.  

6. At the appointed time, Chris and Jorn meet and Chris gives Jorn
his tape(s).  Chris and Jorn can each post and confirm that Jorn has his
tapes back and is happy.  Maybe Jorn will even visit Chris and they'll
watch the video there because Jorn has no TV and no VCR.  Maybe i'm
dreaming :-).  

    6a. Or this can be handled through the go-between.  In the obvious 
    manner, so i will spare you the agony of my legalistic detailing.  

7. The branches can each post (or email their "leaves") that 
their copy of the tape has arrived and they will start dubbing.  
This should occur within a week of Chris's notice of sending out
the tapes.  (The post office says two days, but it usually takes
a little bit longer, certainly no more than a week).  The leaves 
should (have already) applied to a branch by email (responding to a
post) and (have already) sent a package containing a videotape
in a stamped, preaddressed, padded mailer to their branch.     

8. Everybody has a happy KaTemas and to all a good night!

----------------------------

Notes:

As i may have said before, this is basically an elaborate proposal for 
how Jorn and Chris can handle this phase of the tree.  

I haven't paid to much attention to the earlier plan, beyond enrolling as 
a leaf, so what i propose may be at odds with what has been planned.  

I may have left out some people above.  The person who originated the
tree, if he is not a branch, should get a second generation tape 
(counting the masters for the conversion as first generation).  
People who are not branches should be lowest priority for getting
second generation copies.  

If Chris can only make one copy, then that goes to Cynthia or whoever it 
was that was going to be a little further up the trunk, who makes the 
dubs for the branches.  She should keep the net posted when she gets and 
send the tapes.  I guess this would be step 5.5 or so.  Still, it's best 
to avoid a generation if possible.  Keep in mind making each tape will 
recquire an hour or two or more, so ten copies would mean twenty hours of 
work on Chris's part.  I wouldn't blame him for balking at this 
suggestion.  

My position in all this:  I'm a leaf, so i do have something at stake 
here, though it's only about $7 (tape and postage).  

I'm keeping in mind some experiences with pressing CDs that have been 
attempted on rec.music.industrial.  In the first case, a compilation
of RMI readers' music, a 2-CD set called Mind/Body has been apparently
swallowed by the presser (CMSI -- Avoid them!), along with the full
payment, though apparently 4 copies were pressed at one point and sent
to principals involved in the project.  The matter is currently under
investigation by legal and governmental authorities.  During the whole
process, starting with selection of tracks through the various
dealings with CMSI, the pressers have been keeping the rest of us
periodically posted on the depressing developments.  At least it keeps
us from feeling like we're being swindled by people on the net.  
The second experience is a 2-CD Negativland live album being pressed
partly as a net project and partly to raise funds for the band's 
defense funds.  Updates, usually by email, have been coming every few 
days for the past few weeks, so i'm much more optimistic about it.  
Still, of course, the payoff is when the product is in your hands, and 
neither of these has come quite to that stage.  
    At any rate, the key principle in doing these things, especially when 
people involved don't trust each other, is to keep everyone else posted.  
And also to plan in advance when and how things will be done and then do 
them.  

I recommend Jorn make a secret mark and punching out the record tab 
because of an experience a friend of mine had getting audio tapes
duplicated.  The first set of tapes sounded bad (cottony), so he
returned them with the master.  A second set was made, which also
sounded bad, and the master had the same problem, so then my friend
made a new master, which eventually disappeared.  Eventually this
person had to make an additional master and duplicate the tapes himself.  
Anyway, if trust between Chris and Jorn has deteriorated this much, 
here's a way to verify what is going on.  Jorn can also look to see how 
the UK tape he received differs in details (label design, etc.) from 
those available here.  

There's a certain amount of redundancy in all the posting involved, but 
if Chris says we shouldn't trust Jorn and Jorn says we shouldn't trust
Chris, then if both report we can try to sort out what is going on.  For 
instance if Chris decides to keep the NTSC tape, then we'll hear about 
it.  And then Jorn will have to write to the person in England who sent 
the tape about trying to get another one.  The UK gaffans (post 
everything to "world") will be reading so they'll know what's happening & 
maybe we'll be able to get a replacement.  Eventually, of course, the
proof will come to each of us when the tape arrives.  

If either acts truly selfishly at some point, we're sure to hear about it 
(and maybe never hear the end of it!), and it may be clearer just who is 
right about what.  I hope this doesn't happen, however.  

On the other hand, if all this goes through, Jorn and Chris will have 
done us all a big favor and we should seriously (no, joyously) thank them 
both.  

                                   andrew

                                   endwar@phys.psu.edu