From: m.driussi@genie.com
Subject: (urth) Call 4 a FAQulty
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 99 18:09:00 GMT

Here's a thought--maybe a committee (a "FAQulty," if you will) could
begin the process of whipping up a FAQ ("Frequently Asked Questions"
and the Answers to Them) for a book by Gene Wolfe.  From time to time
there is a call for them, or a single voice volunteering for some
herculean task (e.g., "Let's do FAQs for =all= Wolfe books at
once!").  Yet nothing is ever actually done.

The opening steps (in no particular order):

A committee must be formed by volunteers and/or draftees, preferably
a mix of both.

The target text must be selected.  Avoid the series books for the
time being; give the committee a break as well as the slim hope of
getting a FAQ completed (in any sense of the word).  Obviously the
text must be one that the committee members are enthused enough to
work on (which is why this step might best work if it comes before
the committee formation--have potential committee members all cast
ranking votes on a short list to determine which text would be best
to start with).

=SCORE--MEANING=
 "5"   I am very interested in working on this text, in fact,
       I've already started!
 "3"   I am interested in working on this text.
 "0"   I refuse to work on this text.

=A SAMPLE SHORT LIST=
PEACE
THERE ARE DOORS
PANDORA BY HOLLY HOLLANDER
CASTLEVIEW
OPERATION ARES
THE FIFTH HEAD OF CERBERUS
FREE LIVE FREE

Finally, the glory and the gruntwork: the crafting of the FAQ!

Then, after it is done, a brief rest and then (perhaps) move on to
the text ranked number two by the committee preference vote.

The FAQulty could even put a deadline of one month per FAQ, so that the
project doesn't draw out indefinitely.  Each FAQ can/will be
revised/added to later--the point is to get something up and running.
If each one was completed in one month, and there was a one month
vacation in between each one, nearly the entire short list above
could be covered in one year (though since I doubt people will want
to do work on THE FIFTH HEAD OF CERBERUS or OPERATION ARES or PANDORA
BY HOLLY HOLLANDER, the official short list will probably be much
shorter and therefore the FAQs completed more quickly).

=mantis=

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