The Quest Rules Committee

How You Can Help Out

Here's a few ways that you can give us a hand, and help us with our little bit of Quest. This covers most of the requests that people usually make. But if it doesn't describe what you want to do, then all you have to do is email the Rules Chair, and we'll figure something out.

Giving feedback on the web site

Do you have any comments or suggestions about the web site itself? Are you having problems finding the information you want? Do you think this site could be organized better? Then email the Rules Chair - I'd appreciate any help you could give me.

Giving feedback on a proposal

So, you've been reading the proposals, and you've got something to say about one of them. The first person to contact is the author of the proposal. If you liked their proposal, well, it's always nice to get positive feedback. If you didn't like their proposal, maybe you can convince them to withdraw it. And if there were details about the proposal that seemed wrong to you, point them out, and perhaps the author will revise the proposal.

Making a statement about a proposal

But maybe feedback wasn't enough. Is there a proposal that you feel very strongly about (one way or another)? Or do you think something's wrong with a proposal that the author just won't see? Well, if talking to the author wasn't satisfying, you can submit a "statement" to the Rules Chair. The statement will be posted on the web next to the proposal, and forwarded to the rules list when discussion starts.

Joining the rules list for a proposal

If you feel very very strongly about a proposal, and even statements won't cut it, then you can join the rules list temporarily for the discussion on the proposal. Just use the form, specifying the Rules list, and you'll be placed on the list. When you're on the list, you'll probably receive rules list emails about other proposals too - feel free to read or delete them, as you see fit. When you're done reading the Rules mail, use the same form to remove yourself from the Rules list.

Making a proposal

If you have a specific idea on how to improve the rules (or on how to improve the way the RC functions), then what you want to do is make a proposal. Instructions are located on the "How to Make a Rules Proposal" page.

Submitting a "discussion topic"

If you know in general what you want to see done, but just can't seem to find any good way of doing it, then instead of a proposal, you can submit a "discussion topic. This is basically the same as a proposal, except that there's no actual proposal. All you do is present the problem, and start a discussion. There's no guarantee that anything will be proposed in the end, but you'll at least be able to talk over the idea with the entire rules list. Maybe you'll find a new way of looking at the problem, or maybe someone else will have an idea for a proposal.

Joining the rules list

If you want to be involved in rules discussions in general, then you can ask to be put on the rules list. Just use the form, specifying the Rules list, and you'll be on. Be warned that the list can generate a fair amount of email, so you may want to filter it to a separate folder. You can actively participate in the discussions, or you can just listen in and not say anything. (You can even delete all the email without reading it, although in that case you might as well ask to be taken off the list.)

Volunteering to be on the Rules Committee

And if just being on the list isn't enough, you can also volunteer to be on the Rules Committee itself. RC members act as Rules Marshals during games, vote on proposals, and have a responsibility to participate in rules discussions. Aside from that, it's just like being an active member of the list. Every fall, after the new officers are chosen by the Board, a call goes out for volunteers for the various committees and staffs. If you respond, there's no guarantee that you'll be picked, of course. But even if you aren't on the committee, you can still be on the list.