This will also be a test of sorts: I will only have two dates to vote on instead of the usual six, since the discussion of the ABR teaser is the main focus. If you still want to attend but can't on either of these two dates, I'll consider doing an impromptu Skype meeting on one of the two subsequent weekends.
If you would like to attend, but don't know what we do during these Skype meetings, here is the FAQ:
What do we do during a Skype meeting some of you say?
- Interested members gather together at an appointed date and time during a voice-only Skype call with instant messaging and talk for a few hours about random topics. It's a laid back online get-together where you can verbally chat with fellow members and get to know them a little bit. Interested members can also join through just instant messaging if they can't use voice chat or choose to not use voice chat.
There are still a few rules that you must follow though, just like on the forum.
- You must respect your fellow members during the Skype Meeting. Discuss topics in a civil manner with each other.
- No political or religious discussion.
- You must Skype from a quiet area or area with very little background noise. If you have background noise and are unable to get rid of the it within 15 minutes of joining the Skype call, I will drop you from the call and give you a chance to eliminate the background noise before allowing you back into the Skype meeting. If, when I allow you back in the call, you still have background noise coming from your end of the call, you will be banned from the rest of the Skype meeting.
How do I participate in the Skype meeting?
- Make a reply in this thread saying that you are interested in participating. Also, make sure to cast a vote in the poll indicating the date you think or know you will be available to participate in the Skype Meeting. You can vote on both dates if you want just in case you may be available for Skyping on both dates.
- Then, you have to PM me your Skype name. I will add your Skype name to my list of contacts, and on the day and time of the Skype Meeting, you'll indicate that you're online on Skype, and I'll send you a message on Skype to confirm that you want to participate in the Skype meeting. Once you confirm, I'll call you to add you to the Skype call. Once all participating members have been added to the Skype call, the Skype Meeting will begin!
- DO NOT CALL ME ON SKYPE TO ENTER THE SKYPE MEETING. You will not be put into the same Skype call as everyone else. Just indicate that you are online and ready to participate on Skype, and I will give you a call on Skype to put you into the Skype meeting.
What date and time will the Skype meeting occur?
- The date with the most votes will be the date that the Skype meeting happens. If both dates get the same amount of votes, Saturday, March 21 will be the date that the Skype meeting happens.
- Voting will end on Thursday, March 19 at 2 PM Eastern Time.
- The time that the Skype meeting will happen will be 3 PM Eastern Time. To convert that time into your own time zone, click this link. I realize that this time may be inconvenient for some people, but this is the best time that I can manage for hosting the Skype meeting.
How long will the Skype meeting last?
- Typically, Skype meetings of the past have lasted 3 or 4 hours. However, the Skype meeting will only come to an end when the remaining participating members agree to end the Skype meeting. Just be aware that if the Skype meeting drags on for several hours, I might drop out myself and let participating members continue talking on their own until they decide to end the Skype meeting themselves.
Can I join the Skype meeting after the time it begins?
- Absolutely! If you can't join until an hour or two into the Skype meeting, I will still let you in. You may also drop out of the Skype meeting at any time if you have other obligations.
Any further questions about the Skype Meeting?
- Ask them in this thread! Otherwise, use this thread to discuss this Skype meeting!
EDIT: Going to add something here since I just thought of it:
Because Skype generally tends to freak out and have technical issues whenever there's a large amount of people on Skype, I'm going to do the following (if it's necessary):
I'll give voice chat three tries to work correctly and not crash. If, after the third try, Skype crashes, then I'll change the Skype meeting to only instant messaging until there's a small amount of people left (probably four or five, since Skype does pretty good with that amount of people). At that point, I would bring voice chat back.
This isn't to discourage more people from joining this, but mainly to serve as a precaution on my part to prevent things like November 2014's Skype Meeting technical problems from happening again.