#a!archives

[mindthegapingabyss]

BRIAN. You're in public, and such a fan. Oh my god.

[mindthegapingabyss]

I'm not sure if this has changed in the three years since this episode, but Sam here states that basically, the three of them do the big picture design together, and then the more operational stuff, like challenges and so on, are done by Ben and Adam while he's off handling the nerdy educational channels and shit.

Given his relatively increasing familiarity with the specific challenges especially in certain seasons, as well as the introduction of Amy into the operational work as their game design increases in scale and so on, I think it would reasonable to presume that Sam has gotten more into the operational design of their games these days, it may be in a mostly oversight role than anything, and of course there are overlaps I don't presume he's ever fully disconnected anyway.

There's also the consideration that nowadays for things like challenge decks, they have less to make from scratch as they're sixteen seasons in and have all the previous years of designed operations they can fit into the broader picture, so Sam has also just known by virtue of experience.

He also says he and his partner's underdog Strat and usual high risk high reward comes, in the preceding seasons (which has changed since to be a little less high risk high reward) was by virtue of wanting to compensate of Team Badam's inherent upper hand in knowing the game. However, as he's realising, that's allowed them(Badam) to play the strategy they're most comfortable with, which isn't great and allows them to nail it. Their goal inthe season, therefore, is to push them off that pre existing track a bit, per Toby.

Basically, so much of it comes down to these edge cases that make the game interesting, and this is one of those seasons that really marks a milestone of a really good, well designed thing, as well as being able to hit those spots and incentivise a dramatic, good gameshow. The realisations to follow, as this was made and in the aftermath, will be fascinating. This also means I need to watch their post season analysis on this season specifically for that breakdown, to see how much of these preliminary conclusions based off this testimony and me watching a fuck ton of other jet lag seasons in no particular order is validated or what and how it may be wrong/right re: any public discussion.

[mindthegapingabyss]

Tom Scott, as part of the work towards an Ethical Investments Policy in 2009 for York University, then student + President of the York University Student Union (YUSU) gave an interview regarding it once the policy was through.

This is the video, and it is originally sourced from youtube here. Video Description, transcripts, and more contextual information below on the topic and policy. This is placed here as an archival effort, all rights to YSTV.

[ Video Description: Tom Scott stands in an open, grassy, area, a line of trees behind him. It seems to be filmed on the rear lawn of Heslington Hall, a Tudor manor at the University of York. Behind him stand the students who were part of divestment campaigning who are slowly cleaning up, and with signs such as "People over Profits".

Tom adjusts his glasses before beginning, gesturing with his right hand.

Transcript begins.

Tom Scott: Uh, yup, the university's Ethical Investment policy is through, um-,I can't give you a copy here, you'll have to go to David Dunkirk for that, and he'll note and pass it on as soon as it's been written up. But, it's uh, it's through! It's done-uhm, there was no real, no real movement against it. Uhm, obviously there's still the issue of the pension fund. I know these guys behind us are still gonna, still gonna campaign on that. The university officially has no say over what the pension fund invests in, but they are gonna pass it on to all the trustees and they're gonna make sure that [unintelligible].

The video cuts to a new answer.

Tom Scott (continued): The wonderful thing about how the policy's written, again —you'll see this when it comes out— is that it's not a policy for now. It's a policy for the next twenty years, and thirty years, and maybe even a hundred years. It's designed in a way that makes sure the university isn't gonna invest in unethical stuff, even when all of us are dead and buried. If that policy's still there it's still gonna do that, and, and I think it's worked pretty well, it has.

Interviewer: And do you think the fact that, that the protests led to something actually being done on this issue will lead more students to sort of, take up [unintelligible] causes and trying to convince the university to do what they want?

Tom: Oh I hope so, I really do hope so.

Transcript Ends.]

Here are more details on the gist of the policy.

"The policy, which University Council passed on Friday evening, mandates the University to 'not knowingly invest in companies whose activities include practices which directly pose a risk of serious harm to individuals or groups."

Tom Scott provided an official announcement to the divestment campaigners as he was present at the council meeting, as well as elaborating on statements regarding what impressed the council.

"YUSU President Tom Scott, who was present at the Council meeting, announced the decision to divestment campaigners waiting outside Heslington Hall: "This is the result of years of work by former Ethics and Environment Officers, former Presidents, and former Campaigns Officers. The whole working partnership put together the policy; this has been years of work that has finally come to fruition today." "

...

There are already worries that the policy will not necessarily have to be accepted by the Pension Scheme's trustees. Scott stated the proposal is now "out of Council's hands. It's up to the Registrar and the Director of Finance to see where it will go from here."

"The divestment petition was read out during the Council meeting. Scott stated "I think [Council] was surprised to find people coming up with a well-worded petition with thousands of signatures. It greatly impressed them."

"This is a major thing. Let's not forget that there aren't that many universities with something like this even now [Mar 2009]," Scott added.

...

Scott explained that the document ensured that the University would not invest in unethical companies for the foreseeable future: "The policy was deliberately non-specific. This is meant for the long term, for 10 years, for 100 years from now."

...

All Tom Scott quotes and the information provided has been sourced from a news article from nouse.co.uk, published on March 10th, 2009, and the rest of the article in its archived form can be found here.