Interview with FAdm Beckett Stardate 20302.23
This month's subject is FAdm Jonathan Beckett, CINC of Federation Space
What is it really like to run Federation Space?
It certainly isn’t as easy as it may look. It’s a lot of work! I’d guess I spend an average of 2-3 hours per day working on the site. Lately, it’s been closer to 6-8 as we’re working on getting the new site up. There’s always something to do and I’m never satisfied with the content on the site. That’s why you see site redesigns and me trying to jump up and down about making some content. It’s hard to run this place, even with help.
Some people seem afraid to approach you on MSN for a friendly chat, why do you think that is?
I wish I knew the answer to that one. At the end of the day, I’m an ordinary Joe trying to run a successful site and have some fun doing it. I chat with a lot of different people and if you’re unblocked don’t hesitate to pop in and say hello. I don’t bite…Really I don’t!
What is the best part of being the CINC?
The most rewarding aspect of the site is watching a new player come in that doesn’t write particularly well and seeing that player improve their writing. I whole heartedly believe the best way to improve one’s writing skills is by practicing the craft of writing, and doing a whole lot of reading. Luckily, we are afforded the opportunity to do both here. In addition, it’s rewarding to me to see this community develop from the ground up. It’s fascinating to me to see people from different parts of our world come together to play this game, have different opinions about issues, yet still respect each others opinions and maintain a friendship with them in spite of their differences. That, is the spirit of Star Trek.
What is the worst part of being the CINC?
Running the site is often a no win scenario of cause and effects. If I make one decision, this group of people is going to be upset. If I make I make the other choice, then a different group of people are going to be upset. In the end, when I make a decision, I’m the bad guy to one group or another. That’s a difficult position to be in. In the end, though, a decision has to be made. There have been some disciplinary issues lately and I’ve had to adjust the rules of the game to respond to those problems. Some of our younger players seem to think it’s more fun to push the rules to the limits than to play the game. That’s unfortunate and honestly, has been tolerated too long. I really don’t enjoy being the disciplinarian. It’s something I wish I didn’t have to do. However, every community has rules and here at Federation Space, our rules are in writing. I don’t believe I’m asking for too much when I ask our players to be respectful to one another. Honestly, I would hope we were all mature enough to play within the rules of the game and show respect to one another. If we all did that, I wouldn’t have to act as disciplinarian.
Would you ever consider being a full time Commanding Officer?
Yes, I would consider it, but it’s very difficult for me to dedicate the time that’s needed to do that job right. I ran the Republic for a few months, but couldn’t really be the CINC and a CO at the same time. In short, I don’t believe I made a very good CO. Not because I can’t be, but because with all my duties as CINC it’s next too impossible for me to find the time. Being a CO is more difficult than it appears and requires no small amount of dedication.
How long do you think, or hope, Federation Space will last?
Well, I hope it lasts for a long time. It will continue as long as I have enough money to keep everything running! FS has become one my passions and I don’t see it closing down anytime soon. Even if everyone left and we only had enough people to crew one ship, I’d still keep it going. Being the biggest is no longer a concern of mine. I’d be happy if we were known for quality over quantity.
After the new site launches, what is the next big event you have planned?
I’m going to take a few weeks away from doing any design stuff and maybe work on my 3D skills. I really want to build some models of our ships that are unique to FS. I’d also like to model some of our other items like our phaser and PADD. Most of my attention will be focused on the Borg plotline and planning for the conclusion of that plot as well as for what happens after that plotline ends.
There have been issues on site that have made you change the way the site is run. How has it affected you and your reactions?
In the past, I have been lax with the rules, not punishing people for some pretty blatantly wrong things. For example, one member impersonated me on MSN. That same member called one of our CO’s an idiot. I didn’t punish that member. My hope was that s/he would learn from their mistakes, gain a little maturity, and turn into a constructive member of the site. Unfortunately, a couple people seem to believe it’s their duty to stretch the boundaries of the rules. That’s no longer acceptable. I don’t like being the disciplinarian. In truth, it’s a role I don’t believe I should have to play in this environment. However, it’s a role that I’m not uncomfortable with and will assume if necessary. Everyone here has agreed to the rules of the community. There’s nothing in the rules that makes the game difficult to play. So simply play the game and abide by the rules so I don’t have to be the disciplinarian.
On the few occasions when you get to play in character, do you enjoy getting involved in the game part of the site?
Yes, I do enjoy it. I’m always thinking about running a character. However, just like being a CO, it’s hard for me to devote the time that’s needed to run a vivid character. I’ve tried it a couple times in the past, but I think I’m going to give it another try after the new site is up and running.
What is your favorite Star Trek series?
I’d have to go with TNG. To me, TNG’s characters had the most depth. I enjoy every one of the characters for different reasons. That’s the only series I can say that about. It’s the last series that had the hand of Gene Roddenberry on it, and from my view, it shows. Roddenberry had the magic touch that the current crew just doesn’t have. I believe, when he died, the show lost its vision and/or direction.
What would be the next series if you were in control?
Well, that’s a tough one. All of the ST series have focused on one crew or ship. I’d like to see a series that widens the scope a little and shows us Star Fleet from many different perspectives. I’d like to see a series that switches ships/crews weekly and shows us the Star Trek universe from the perspective of that ship/crew. One week, do an episode based on a science ship, the next week, do one on a pure warship; maybe the next week on a diplomatic courier. The problem with doing a series like that is that it’s difficult for the fans to associate with characters when there a new characters every week. So, my solution is to tell about 3-5 different ships/crews and cycle them weekly. Maybe they all share a star base, so that’s the focal point of the series. Star Trek: 1st Fleet. Our five ships are all based at SB (Insert fictitious number) and each week, we tell their story. That allows for diverse crews and almost any type of story. In the end, though, it’s got to be about the characters. I believe that’s what most people want to see….although an occasional, all out, battle scene wouldn’t hurt!*LOL*
What has been the greatest achievement, to you personally, on Federation Space?
Watching us grow from one ship with five players to six ships with over 50 players has been pretty rewarding. It shows me that I must be doing one of two things right, at the very least. :) Some of the major plot-lines have been very rewarding to me as well. The Pulsar mission where we had the museum ship, Enterprise-E, go after the stolen Pulsar was an entertaining storyline that many remember with fondness. The Borg plotline, I believe, has the chance of being our most well defined plot line the site has run, though it’s going to have a lot to do with the GM’s in the end. Capt Otlan and I worked on that plot-line for some time and it was rewarding to put it into play and see the reaction of the site.
As the CINC, what do you look for in a Commanding Officer?
I’m looking for a few attributes. I believe that new players are one of the most important assets of Federation Space. A player that goes out of their way to welcome a new player and help to get them involved in the game is more likely to get the nod to become a CO than a Pulitzer Prize winning author that doesn’t do anything but run his/her own story lines. In short, a person with a sense of community and a willingness to help the members of that community. Of course there needs to be a certain level of dedication to the site, demonstrated by consistent quality posts. FS is designed so that it takes some time to earn the ranks associated with command. One of the reasons behind that is because it’s easier to judge how someone will perform after you’ve seen them in action for some time.
How and why did you start Federation Space?
Back in the early days of the Internet, I used to play on a Prodigy board called STNG. That pretty much gave me the bug to run something like this. However, it was going to be about 3 years before I had the opportunity to set something up. Finally, once I got back to the States, I started to put FS together. Initially, we were running off two servers, both free hosts. As we grew, it became impossible for us to continue on free servers and we outgrew the bandwidth/space allotments of the free servers. The server we were using to run the board ended up closing down its free hosting, so we ended up buying the domain name for FederationSpace.com and eventually the Pro version of the Discus software (The message board we use to play FS). Our most recent acquisition is the purchase of the .NET name for Federation Space. This gave us additional space and bandwidth as well as domain name coverage.
Not everyone is aware of what you do on the site. Obviously, you pay the bills and set policy, but what is the day-to-day involvement on the site as CINC?
As I said earlier, I spend a couple hours every day working on FS. It ranges from managing the board by trimming topics, to working on graphics, to coming up with story lines. Lately, a lot of my time has been filled with stuff that’s been happening off the site or more correctly, behind the scenes. Whenever I have to deal with a problem, it takes away from the time I would normally spend doing something more constructive on the site. I also spend a fair amount of time trying to chat with members to get their views on issues.
We are entering year 4 of the site's existence. Where do you see Federation Space in 5 years?
In five years, I hope we have 3 ships in all of our fleets, that would be 21 ships or simms as some people call them. I hope we will have built up a solid core of players and senior leadership that will enable me to take as much of a hands off approach to running the site as possible. Mostly, what I am hoping for in 5 years is that this is still a site the people come to for fun and to make some new friends.
