Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

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Johnny Canuck
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Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Johnny Canuck »

...if it isn't an in-person event, but rather an online one organised by way of Skype, FaceTime and/or a chatroom?

Yes, this question is blatantly and shamelessly self-centred. I have aspired to run a single-day CO-event for some time and will be available for several weeks either during my uni break over Christmas or immediately after graduation, but I am obviously hampered by my geographic location and the somewhat less intellectual TV tastes of my North American friends. I am asking this question not only on behalf of myself but also the admittedly small contingent of North American and foreign Apterites who are located in places where, through no fault of their own, they would have to spend hundreds or thousands of pounds -- or, in a few cases, sacrifice career and life responsibilities -- to run or even attend a traditional in-person event.

It is my understanding (correct me if I'm wrong) that FOCAL most likely has no reason to budge on the in-person requirement, probably because the effort would outweigh the benefits. However, I do recall that while Mark Mills' plan for a "CO-Radio" event held in his online chatroom was still in effect, it was going to be treated as an official CO-event, albeit not a FOCAL one. Are online events of any kind allowed to call themselves "CO-events" at all, or is this frowned upon? And if they are allowed to be designated as CO-events, do they need to meet any other requirements (e.g., a minimum attendance quota)?

Running a tourney over Apterous in lieu of a CO-event is off-limits for me, mainly because I've learned -- through personal experience (mock me if you want) -- that there is no way I could keep up with it over a period of weeks, and also because I would have no control over certain niceties, such as the conundrums, which give the CO-events their distinctive appeal.
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Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Gavin Chipper »

There is no official CO-event status.
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Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Johnny Canuck »

Gavin Chipper wrote:There is no official CO-event status.
OK, thanks. This is what I suspected (with regard to non-FOCAL events, anyway).
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Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Zarte Siempre »

You can call anything you want a co-event. But the generally recognised idea of what a co-event is, means it would be in person. Callum ran co-apterous online, but that was more because he wanted something that played out like a co-event, just online.
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Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Johnny Canuck »

I understand that CO-events are traditionally in person, but I do feel that foreign Countdowners provide an at least somewhat special case in which that perception should be overlooked. I can't pay for flights for myself to go over to the UK (let alone 40 people to come over here), and, unlike for Countdowners who are native to the British Isles, even if I could afford it it would cause a significant and probably very bad interruption to school, work, or whatever else I was doing in my life at the time since I don't have much job experience. With regard to Countdown enthusiasm, I feel like the foreigners pretty much just lost the birthplace lottery.
Last edited by Johnny Canuck on Mon Oct 31, 2016 5:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Thomas Carey »

I'd be down for doing a mock event over skype or discord or whatever, but like co-apto it's not really a real coevent is it. Then again co-apterous was called that. Whatever, doesn't really matter what it's called does it. Still good plan though
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Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Zarte Siempre »

Johnny Canuck wrote:I understand that CO-events are traditionally in person, but I do feel that foreign Countdowners provide an at least somewhat special case in which that perception should be overlooked. I can't pay for flights for myself to go over to the UK (let alone 40 people to come over here), and, unlike for Countdowners who are native to the British Isles, even if I could afford it it would cause a significant and probably very bad interruption to school, work, or whatever else I was doing in my life at the time since I don't have much job experience. With regard to Countdown enthusiasm, I feel like the foreigners pretty much just lost the birthplace lottery.
Yeah, but a co-event isn't just a tournament - it's the dynamic. You won't ever recreate that in an online event. You'd be better off going "This is a tournament that's something a bit different" than trying to brand it as a co-event IMO. That's not a crack at you, it'd be the same with anyone trying something like that.
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Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Gavin Chipper »

CO was originally just the CO part of COLIN because it made a good name. What I'm saying is (and this might sound blasphemous) that even a live event's name doesn't really have to start with CO if you think a better name or a good pun is available. If you have an event, call it whatever you feel like.
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Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Johnny Canuck »

Screw it. I'm thinking about asking my university's administrators for permission to do school by distance for two weeks so that I can come over for either a CO-event or a taping. Do you think I should go through with this?
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Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Mark Deeks »

No, unless someone else pays.
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Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Zarte Siempre »

Gavin Chipper wrote:CO was originally just the CO part of COLIN because it made a good name. What I'm saying is (and this might sound blasphemous) that even a live event's name doesn't really have to start with CO if you think a better name or a good pun is available. If you have an event, call it whatever you feel like.
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Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Conor »

Johnny Canuck wrote:Screw it. I'm thinking about asking my university's administrators for permission to do school by distance for two weeks so that I can come over for either a CO-event or a taping. Do you think I should go through with this?
Can't you do an exchange programme in the UK? Otherwise, it's a long way to go just for a recording or a Co-event. If you can afford it maybe you can make a nice holiday out of it.
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Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Euan Slatter »

I would be up for a Skype one, not least because I can only attend coBris, and that is looking less likely now. So as long as it's during the hols, count me in. If you do it.

PS Would there be a skype meal? Or would there just be a, say, 1/2 hour break in the thing?
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Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Euan Slatter »

Euan Slatter wrote:I would be up for a Skype one, not least because I can only attend coBris, and that is looking less likely now. So as long as it's during the hols, count me in. If you do it.

PS Would there be a skype meal? Or would there just be a, say, 1/2 hour break in the thing?
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Call it a draw :)

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Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Euan Slatter wrote:PS Would there be a skype meal? Or would there just be a, say, 1/2 hour break in the thing?
Something like this, presumably.
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Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Callum Todd »

Gavin Chipper wrote:
Euan Slatter wrote:PS Would there be a skype meal? Or would there just be a, say, 1/2 hour break in the thing?
Something like this, presumably.
What about for you Gev? Is there a vegetarian option on the internet menu?

As for Co:Apterous: I very much considered it to be, and intended it as, an apterous tourney in the format of a co:event, rather than the other way around. I think a skype/discord/whatever co:event (or whatever the remote communication equivalent of a co:event would be called if you don't want to call it that) would be a really cool idea. If it does happen, please let me know :)
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Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Johnny Canuck »

Long shot and I wouldn't even attempt it until the (hypothetical) second time I ran my online event (and even then, only if the first one proved a success), but whom, if anyone, could I talk to about getting it added to the FOCAL calendar? I'd do almost anything to become involved in the FOCAL community -- you guys are some of my best friends -- but I just couldn't run away from my education or career.
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Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Zarte Siempre »

Johnny Canuck wrote:Long shot and I wouldn't even attempt it until the (hypothetical) second time I ran my online event (and even then, only if the first one proved a success), but whom, if anyone, could I talk to about getting it added to the FOCAL calendar? I'd do almost anything to become involved in the FOCAL community -- you guys are some of my best friends -- but I just couldn't run away from my education or career.
Sorry, FOCAL is for in real life events. Not going to set a precedent by including online events in it too, no matter what the location of the originator.
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Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Johnny Canuck »

Zarte Siempre wrote:
Johnny Canuck wrote:Long shot and I wouldn't even attempt it until the (hypothetical) second time I ran my online event (and even then, only if the first one proved a success), but whom, if anyone, could I talk to about getting it added to the FOCAL calendar? I'd do almost anything to become involved in the FOCAL community -- you guys are some of my best friends -- but I just couldn't run away from my education or career.
Sorry, FOCAL is for in real life events. Not going to set a precedent by including online events in it too, no matter what the location of the originator.
Ah, no problem and I get why this wouldn't be a good precedent. Thanks for giving me an answer.
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Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Johnny Canuck wrote:
Zarte Siempre wrote:
Johnny Canuck wrote:Long shot and I wouldn't even attempt it until the (hypothetical) second time I ran my online event (and even then, only if the first one proved a success), but whom, if anyone, could I talk to about getting it added to the FOCAL calendar? I'd do almost anything to become involved in the FOCAL community -- you guys are some of my best friends -- but I just couldn't run away from my education or career.
Sorry, FOCAL is for in real life events. Not going to set a precedent by including online events in it too, no matter what the location of the originator.
Ah, no problem and I get why this wouldn't be a good precedent. Thanks for giving me an answer.
You can always team up with Tony Atkins in the rival group if he's OK with the idea of being part of a group that does online events along with real life ones!
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Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...

Post by Heather Styles »

[/quote]
You can always team up with Tony Atkins in the rival group if he's OK with the idea of being part of a group that does online events along with real life ones!
[/quote]

For the avoidance of doubt (and I think this is pretty widely understood), there is no such rival group. Most "Co-events" are currently affiliated to Focal. But as was the case before Focal existed, and would still be the case were Focal to cease to exist, "Co-events" can happen when and wherever anyone chooses to organise one.
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