CAP 14 CAP 3 - Topic Leader Nominations

[Wyverii]

This is the thread for people to announce their desire to become the Topic Leader (TL) for this creation project. Do not suggest other users. If someone wants to become the TL, they will post on their own, and if they don't have a strong urge to be it then they shouldn't be signing up anyway. The CAP project requires the utmost dedication and a substantial amount of free time, especially to lead, meaning that only those who have carefully considered the magnitude of their application will apply at all. If you are not prepared to fulfill all of the responsibilities to the very end, then do not throw your hat into the ring.

Topic leaders should have the following qualifications:

• Deep knowledge of the game of Pokemon
• Familiarity with competitive Pokemon concepts, strategy and philosophy, as practiced within Smogon
• Willing to voice opinions and lead others
• Open-minded to new ideas
• Creative, "outside-of-the-box" thinker
• Good writing skills
• Level-headed when resolving disputes
• Liked and respected by the CAP community

Once this CAP starts, the Topic Leader will be the most important, most visible member of the CAP community, and is expected to be a strong guiding force throughout the creation process. If you are selected, you will have a great deal of power to influence the project. But you also have a responsibility to stay on top of things. You will have forum moderators to help you, but you need to be regularly active on the project until it is complete. All potential candidates should look through the Topic Leadership Guide, to get an idea of what will be expected of you, if you are selected to be the CAP 3 Topic Leader.

Topic Leader nominees will automatically be considered applicants for the Policy Review Committee, after the Topic Leader vote is complete.

This thread is strictly for candidacy posts and posts supporting those candidates. Please stay on topic. Below are the guidelines for posting in this thread:

• Candidates must have been actively involved through the entire duration of the most recent CAP project. Involvement in multiple CAP projects is strongly preferred.
• Do not suggest other people. If you want you encourage someone else to run, then send them a PM or talk to them on IRC.
• If you are new to the CAP project, do not sign up to be a TL. Instead, spend a project or two lurking, learning, and participating first.
• Include a summary of your involvement in the CAP project.
• Make a pitch for why you should be selected. If you can't present and defend yourself, then you can't expect to lead a project whose primary function is discussion and debate. Convince us that you are a good choice.
• Poor spelling, punctuation, and grammar are great ways to look as though you don't know what you're talking about. A thoughtful and intelligent community leader should be capable of typing at a level above typical internet banter.
• Even if you don't think you are better qualified than certain other candidates, you still should consider posting your application. Candidates not selected as the TL for this project will be on the watch list by the PRC for next time around. Don't post your name if you don't intend to be active in the project, even if you are not selected, since people will be scrutinizing your involvement more closely.
• Feel free to post support for any candidates already named.
• Do not post disparaging remarks about any candidates.

If these rules are not followed, the offending user will be subject to moderation.

As an additional note. The TL and ATL procedures have been changed. The ATL no longer exists and the TL's duties have changed slightly. The moderators will work with whoever is picked to help them get settled into the new routine. The TL's main function as a visionary and leader has not been altered.

 

[Meganium Sulfate]

I have been here only since the final stages CAP1, and to many that is reason enough to make me an unappealing choice. But I believe fully that my ability to lead and my knowledge of pokemon speak for themselves. My involvement in CAP2 has been limited only to what I've felt strongly about. Where my opinions have already been stated, I saw no reason to reiterate, but where I felt there was an aspect of the discussion that was unwise or unfair, I did not step down without trying to reach a compromise. Still, I know that I am not always right, and progress will always be the final goal. That is the style of leadership that I would bring to CAP3.

I'm applying first to make a statement. I want to show people that I can be a voice in this process, and even if I won't be the leading voice, I will make my opinions heard.

 

[phoopes]

I might as well apply.

Yep, I'm also another person who hasn't been around CAP long. My earliest experience with CAP was doing the Necturna playlist, which is pretty recent. However, I have been active throughout the Necturine process, and am starting to get active on #cap. I'm absolutely willing to voice my opinion, and have been battling competitively since mid-4th gen. And I care about CAP, too. I made a Smogon account in July, but really didn't get active until I was introduced to CAP. As of know, I'm content with contributing to CAP the way I currently am, as a normal user. However, I'd love to be a topic leader, and help with the CAP process as much as possible by leading it. I'll bring new ideas to the table, and will do the best that I can do to help create new CAPs for a while to come.

While I do seem like an unattractive choice as of now, expect to hear more from me.

EDIT: I'm aware of what Wyverii said. Heck, I knew that going into it. However, I'm just getting my name out there. Also, I figured if someone else who doesn't have the requirements was applying, I might as well go for it as well.

 

[Wyverii]

I'm afraid that that's not really enough from either of you. In addition neither of you have the activity for this position. You'll have to participate in cap for longer before you'll be able to be considered for TL. For others, please have a look at the last nomination thread if you're unsure of what makes good nominations:

http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3457129

 

[Deck Knight]

Hello everyone, Deck Knight here.

I'm throwing my hat back in the ring this time. I've been in CAP since the very beginning of the original Gen 4 CAP 1. Each CAP I've tried to improve myself, even as the metagame shifted. I've dedicated immense amounts of time to making sure the forum operates smoothly and community members communicate with each other effectively. Each CAP I do my best to compete in as many competitive polls as possible, making a case for a type, for abilities, submitting a stat spread, and submitting a movepool. In CAP 11 (Voodoom) I even took over the keys after Fuzznip's departure, so I've taken in a little sunlight, as it were.

While I'm not a prolific 5th Gen player, I always do my research. I look at stats, I ask community members for their opinions, and I try to sort out new and bold options. I'm not afraid to take risks when necessary, and I enjoy the back and forth of a well-thought out critique. I'm always willing to listen and to engage, and provide helpful feedback when possible.

I put my faith in this community, which has done so much for me. I now ask to be your Topic Leader for CAP 3.

 

[jas61292]

So, I figure I’ll throw my name out there for TL nominations.

Hi, I’m jas61292. I’m not exactly the oldest CAP contributor around but I have worked hard helping out here since the start of the 5th generation. Whether it be with discussion of the Pokémon themselves, both on the forums and IRC, or with policy review topics, I have always strived to do whatever I can for the project. CAP is what brought me here to Smogon and it would be an honor to lead the process.

I believe that over the past two CAP projects I have proven myself to be a valuable contributor with many intelligent posts. Some examples include this post about the direction we should follow with Necturna's concept, and this one highlighting my opinions on certain attack moves and whether or not Necturna should be allowed to learn them. More recently I have been voicing my opinions as a member of the CAP policy review committee, helping to bring about some of the recent changes that have come to CAP with posts like this one on the mission of the CAP project.

Now, there are a few specific reasons why I think I would make a good TL. First of all, I like to consider myself a highly knowledgeable person when it comes to anything Pokémon related, and competitive battling is no exception. While I have never been one to sit atop a main tier ladder, I regularly play almost all of Smogon’s official tiers, and try to keep myself up to date on all developments in the competitive game. I may not be one of the top players on this site, but I feel that my frequent battling has given me a wealth of knowledge that would be incredibly helpful for leading this project.

I also feel that I have some important qualities that would be useful in a TL. Anyone who knows about the kind of strategies I like to use in Pokémon can tell you that I am certainly not afraid to try new and unusual things, and in a project dedicated to creating a brand new Pokémon, I think this is incredibly important. Yet at the same time, I am very much aware that doing something new just to be different is not always a smart decision. So, while I will consider almost any option, I will require people to provide well thought out arguments before I consider their ideas. I very much enjoy the kind of intelligent discussion this can lead to, and I am always willing to talk over ideas. I believe that these things will help me better serve the community should I be chosen as TL.

Thank you for your consideration, and no matter what the result, I look forward to the start of CAP 3.

 

[Birkal]

Alright, the deadline for nominations is in roughly 24 hours. That means this will be closed a little before midnight (Central Time) tomorrow night. Get those nominations in!

 

[capefeather]

'Sup. I'm powering through a headache as I'm writing this, and the Advil is nowhere to be seen, but I'm not going to let that stop me from doing this.

You might remember me as an acting ATL for CAP 2, who stepped in to do the pre-evo project when DarkSlay went missing. I'm sure that people in the last three projects, as well as elsewhere, can vouch for my ability to demonstrate knowledge in Pokémon battling, as well as a willingness to voice my opinions. I play all of Smogon's usage tiers (albeit on PS! nowadays), giving me an appreciation of different metagame environments. I am presenting myself as a candidate who has knowledge and experience in discussing Pokémon battling, contributing to articles about Pokémon battling (mainly individual Pokémon analyses), actually battling at a certain level of proficiency, and even actually leading a project like the coming one (Necturine).

I would also like to think that I have the creativity that this position demands, or at least the kind of temperament that breeds it. In general, I am very contemplative and I always question various ideas, regardless of whether they are random ramblings or long-established "truth". This is exactly what I think gives me the ability and justification to defend an idea vigorously. While some of my first impressions of some off-the-wall ideas by others come off as rather negative, that does not mean I'm afraid to try it out if I see that it could have any kind of merit.

This also extends to my contemplation of myself. I am frequently thinking of where I went wrong, where I went right, and what the consequences are for the future. People will certainly point to the pre-evo's naming stage as a place where I may have done something wrong. I am willing to admit mistakes on such regards, but at the same time, I am more than willing to defend my actions where they are defensible, both of which I have done with my decisions on the naming stage. Everything is a learning opportunity, and I have certainly learned a considerable amount about the flavor aspects of a CAP project from leading the Necturine project.

As a TL, I would strive to put many options on the table, but in an intelligent manner. There is a difference between opinion and fact, but sometimes that is not so obvious. While everyone is entitled to have an opinion and express it with influence through an educated vote, the important thing is that decisions made by the community should be educated and based on really fulfilling the concept, rather than on ill-perceived decisions that don't actually do what they're supposed to do. I will also strive for greater participation in the discussions myself, because if I didn't think I could own up to that, I would not have posted this. I firmly believe that CAP is a great platform for talking about competitive Pokémon, and I like to talk about battling, so I would consider it an honor to be chosen as the TL. Any way this particular cookie crumbles, though, I hope above all that this project provides a good learning experience for all of us.

 

[Birkal]

Deadline~