CSM XI campaign retrospective

Now that CSM voting is over, here are some of my thoughts about what I did and didn't do during the campaign.

I probably have more freedom to speak now than I do at any other stage.  Voting is complete so I dont need to worry about picking up or even losing votes.  Results are not in so less accusations of vindictive victory or bitter loss.

Application

I had formally applied applied to join CSM at the start of the official nominations period, but the submission form didn't 'feel right'.  I was expecting some form of confirmation that my candidacy had been received but I got nothing.  I reached out to a couple of existing CSM reps but was told that this was normal not to know.  You are only 'allowed' to apply once.

When I sent my passport photo in, I reapplied, and sent an explanatory note to the csm contact email that was published.  I evemailed CCP Leeloo I still did not get any feedback.

Towards the end of the nomination period, I sent a copy of my application to the contact email address.

When the nomination period closed, I got an email from CCP saying ... you application has been accepted, but can you re-apply on the website.  There was apparently a timeout issue on the website where if you took too long to fill in details

Doing the chase up work that I did was the difference between being accepted and not being accepted.

Interviews

I jumped on the  Cap Stable CSM Watch interviews very early, getting a time that suited.  I listened to some of their earlier podcasts to get an idea of what questions they were asking.  This research worked well for me, and my interview received good reviews.

I contacted Nosy Gamer about  https://sites.google.com/site/csmwire  and ensured my spot was up to date.

I answered the Eve NT http://www.eve-nt.uk/tag/csmxi/ questions.

I contacted (very late in the piece) Eve Guardian http://www.eve-guardian.net/article/22/csm-behind-the-platforms-dotoo-foo

Due to some confusion about my application (see above), I chased up Eve-Match http://match.eve-csm.com/  Eve Match is not available to be updated until the nomination period is finished, and put aside a couple of hours to fill in their questionnaire.

I did not chase up enough interview options.  I should have sorted out months in advance for various podcasts and bloggers for blog posts and nominations.

There was one prolific and somewhat caustic blogger that I spent too long trying to persuade to change his stance.  Hopefully I persuaded some undecided readers on that blog to vote for CSM.  I should have spent this time elsewhere.

Getting my name out there to friendly audiences

Before the CSM period started, I made sure I had more blog posts.  People come to blogs to read new material.  Hopefully it is good reading (daily posts are even better).  With lots of postings, players get a feel for what type of player I am, and if you are reading regularly, you can not help but have some empathy for the writer, even those you disagree with.

I re-titled my PI spreadsheet to ... beg for votes (no other word for it really)

My POS were renamed to something along the line of Vote for DoToo Foo.  The nullsec output that I had naming rights on, we renamed.  However, you can not use the words CSM in an outpost name so we used the word elections instead.

I spammed alliance and the Foo corps.

I even manually grabbed pilot names from zkillboard in wormhole space. ( eg https://zkillboard.com/api/kills/w-space/page/2/xml for the second page of kills) and spammed them.  This got some interesting responses to the effect of:

• Hey man, I already voted for you.  Love your PI spreadsheet.
• I can not vote for someone who's name sounds like a sneeze
• I am less likey to vote for you now (from a serious hunter corp that was not likely to vote for me anyway)
• Who are you, what is CSM, and why should I care?

I contacted some no longer actively playing alt-a-lots to vote for me.  Hopefully I got some votes there.

Our nullsec alliance leader spam friendly alliances.

I should have spent more time going through my email and conversation histories, and spamming everyone that I have ever spoken to.

I should have spent more time finding out the names of groups that play similarly to myself.  Zkillboard Epithal losses would be a great place to start.

I should have contacted every blogger on my blog role, active and inactive.

I finally got onto tweetfleet slack as well as on anoikis.slack.com for wormhole groups.

Cross endorsement

I spent some time blogging about the importance of this before the official nominatio period, and did some work, but should have spent more time teaching the other candidates about it's importance, and getting their official endorsements.

Slack was a good place to catch up with other candidates, where we sought cross-endorsement.

Time

I did well by handing over most wormhole responsibilities to other corp members.  I probably did not give enough support one one or two members but I only have so much time.

I picked up too many responsibilities in nullsec, but when first life illness intervenes with existing leadership, someone has to step up.

I also know that other candidates were feeling a little election weary by the time the period ended.

I only have so much time to go around.  The karma of this is that if I feel I should have spent more time campaigning, then I probably will feel I should spend more time on CSM.  I still spent more effort than many others.

So will I get in and when do we find out?

To be honest, I feel I am an outside chance for this run, and in at least Australian political terms, I am claiming underdog.  This is politician speech for 'I really hope I will get in but don't allows me to save face if I don't'.

I have laid the groundwork for next year's run and some pilots that didn't know me before now do.

In many ways however, CSM is a loud voice for taking our concerns to CCP, but it is only one (well 14) of many different voices.  I am still going to blog, sometimes more than others.  I now lurk where I know at least some devs also lurk, so will be able to poke and prod.

For now, situation normal (all fouled up?).  Some other blogs to write - especially about citadels and what I will and won't use them for (hint : not highsec or nullsec markets), Apparently some wars to fight (and if you want space in null, now is the time.  Recruiting for both PVE and PVP, in both wormholes and null.)

The big reveal is 21 April 2016 at Fanfest.  Then we can all find out together.