(cross-posted text from the SMC forums to follow this mini-post.
Dear QuestStudios members,
Currently only 4 people from the QuestStudios forums are eligible SMC Gold members, and that's very disappointing and frankly far too low. Please, support both communities in the interest of preserving the old music! SMC and I have come a long way since 2002, and I'd love every QuestStudios member to be a part of it too. Absolutely EVERYONE is eligible, who's joined my forums and posted once. And every QS member who's interested in new recordings and new official tracks being uncovered should want to be part of a soon-to-be frequently updated site.
I don't mean to sound negative- I'm VERY upbeat and excited about this.
I've also written a reply on SMC which is a sort of condensed couple of paragraphs with 5 major points I feel cover my sentiments about SMC Gold- Participation, Prosperity, Commitment, Respect and Multiculturalism. If you have limited time, skip on over and just read that part.
Please support the Sierra music of old by joining today!
Regards, and thanks for reading this,
- Alistair)
Hey folks,
I've been thinking about this a lot, and I've decided to make it a reality. SMC Gold is
live as of now and will be explained below.
Because most of SMC's work is done behind-the-scenes (right now for example I have 10 soundtracks I'm working on getting released in May, most of which are ready, some of which are official and unseen before, like SSCV2), regular members don't get to see a lot of it. I introduced a Moderator/Webpage Discussion forum area a few months ago which only the moderators have access to- Jan, Bountice and myself- and I'd like to open it up to everyone and expand its' scope/ideas, as well as reward members who care about SMC.
Basically, I want all members to share in the soon-to-come prosperity of SMC. So I have implemented a scheme (SMC Gold) to try and achieve that.
Some clarifications/explanations:
First, what does the current SMC Moderator/Webpage Discussion achieve?
It's a place for the mods to gather and talk about SMC, any problems we're having (very few of those!), suggestions to make the place better and plan for the future and a place to explain, clarify, revise and plan for updates as well as achieving the updates themselves.
Secondly, what do I want to achieve with the new section? SMC Gold will incorporate the same moderator/webpage discussion areas, but will now include all SMC registered members, and will also be expanded to include a special offer and exclusive-access (not to be confused with the porn kind) section.
Also, Shannon/Skeen (my wife) once said, "Why can't I be part of deciding what the website will look like or what direction the site will take?". I've been wondering ever since, and SMC Gold is my solution to the problem.
I think this will be revolutionary for SMC. Why? Well, because from
Wednesday, April 11th (today for me), nearly all SMC forum members* will be able to:
[*New SMC members: 1 post or more is required, then contact Alistair via email for access.
Existing SMC Members: You need to have posted within the last month (March/April), and if so you'll already have access, otherwise you need to request access from Alistair via email after your next post.
Losing the privelege: SMC Gold Members should post regularly, or should at least let me know if they're not going to be around for a while. SMC Gold Membership will be reviewed on a monthly basis, to prevent leechers simply taking advantage of generous downloads and offers, while not participating in the overall website discussion/wellbeing of SMC. Known regulars will not be denied access under this process, however.]- access all soundtracks/webpages/cover art ahead of website visitors, not just beta/demo tracks
- access rare soundtracks/files/unreleased tracks both upon request and when SMC makes such special offers/releases
- request special offers/releases such as DVD/CD's of master WAV files of SMC recordings/releases (i.e. things I didn't record myself but released, like official soundtracks), shipped to your door
- receive discounted shipping rates on having a SMC CD burnt (from master WAV's) and shipped to your door (10% off)
- have a say in webpage discussion/development, that is, the future of SMC and where it's headed, but also current things like current updates as well as upcoming (near-future) updates.
- to quote what I flagged on QuestStudios, I want SMC Gold to be "an elite member group who can decide on future releases, art/webpage design, the future of the website/etc". Your input could become part of the reality!
- special contests run by SMC for members, with prizes! (not just SMC CD's, but things like discounted Sierra game CD's and boxes/other stuff)
- a place to showcase your Sierra music work/art/etc and potentially become part of the SMC team
- and much, much more.
If that sounds good to you, please visit SMC Gold today. Current registered members who visit regularly should already have access, other members who don't need to comply with the rules listed above. (new- 1 post or more, then contact Alistair, old- contact Alistair if you don't have access now).
And the bottom line- SMC is always looking for new, passionate, interested people who want to be more involved in the community than they currently are! I want to grow the community into something better, with a good end result for me, our site and all the fans out there.
Being a SMC Gold Member is a privilege, and is equivalent to being an administrator here, in my book (although you can't edit others' posts or the forum of course). I hold it in such high regard, such is the level of trust and mutual respect that I'm holding out here. Please don't abuse it by leeching. All I ask is that if you can't post regularly, occasionally make a suggestion, request, or provide feedback/constructive criticism. I don't expect every member to design everything or provide the backbone for SMC's updates, the three administrators will take care of business like usual. It's just a chance to play a bigger role in the community than "I like the music!", which isn't enough for everyone.
Any comments, suggestions, questions and the like are not only welcome, they're encouraged!
Regards, and thanks for reading this and helping to keep the Sierra music and SMC alive folks,
- Alistair
