Best Of
Re: Microsoft acquires Skype for $8.5 Billion
Re: Microsoft acquires Skype for $8.5 Billion
BuddyJ
Committees Kickoff 1 Aug! — Icrontic Board Meeting highlights
Icrontic's Board of Trustees met on 28 July and the minutes are available: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13WNJDdt3t7qWYbF8lJ7xx4GvG_gCSLjUx4FFAmn0wDY/edit
Highlights:
- We finished defining Committees: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DQpcm-F-_drjSVZMoJ1gGsfEWdd4nAxyHa99rth915Y/edit
- We assigned folks to Committees (but you can still volunteer! https://forms.gle/k4Rp8i1otKZbyvju8 )
- We made minor revisions to the Code of Conduct based on community feedback: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z9qYna1hbyxABfxsMTFxD2BH2V50khKHQYR8bBbmYZI/edit
- At no time did Rob leave his son out in the rain.
We chose a controversial selection strategy: If you volunteered for a committee — tag, you're it. 😂
Committee assignments start 1 August, and your first act should be to choose a Chair, read & understand your committee definition (and ask for clarifications if needed), figure out how you'll work, and recruit anyone else you think is required for success. Each Committee will have its own private Discord channel to facilitate communication. It would be great to read the other committee definitions as well so you understand the overlap!
The Board is here to help if you have questions or challenges!
Here are the current committees:
- Membership: @primesuspect, @CB, @FridayUnited, @DontCallMeKelso, @Massalinie, @GnomeQueen
- Moderation: @BobbyDigi, @CB, @cola, @DontCallMeKelso, @Linc, sparkles, @Sazbean
- Expo: @Linc, @CB, @BobbyDigi, @GnomeQueen, sparkles, @FridayUnited, @SailorDoom, @GHoosdum
- Events: @Annes, @Linc
- Platform: @Linc, @Strikes
- Archives: @GnomeQueen, @Linc, @primesuspect
Thanks to all our past and upcoming volunteers!
We would especially like to request WOMEN to volunteer for the MODERATION committee! 
Volunteer here: https://forms.gle/k4Rp8i1otKZbyvju8
Linc
Re: Importing a car from Japan
My turn to actually import one. My path was slightly different than BuddyJ's, but everything he posted is still valid.
Went searching on https://carfromjapan.com/. It's not an auction site, so there's no bidding. They have just about any kind of vehicle you could possibly want. In my case, I found a 1995 Toyota Hiace Super Custom Limited with 55,800km (just under 35k miles). The interior looked to be in great condition, and it even had a few surprise features like an ice maker and water heater between the front seats. The price was pretty good too.
Feb 27: Sent a message inquiring about the condition and had a good conversation with Mr. Ken. He assured me that it's in good mechanical condition, although the air conditioning didn't work well and there's a bit of rust due to the age.
Feb 29: Payment sent, name, address, and shipping port confirmed
Mar 1: Payment receipt confirmed
Mar 20: Export certificate sent electronically. It's in Japanese.
Apr 9: Export certificate sent electronically. This time it's the English translation.
Apr 23: Estimated shipping schedule received. It should depart Japan on May 14 and arrive in Freeport June 11. Final opportunity to make any changes to shipping instructions.
May 8: Bill of Lading released. Electronic copy sent.
May 14: Car departs Japan on the Hoegh Jedda, a vehicle transport ship. Fun fact: you can track almost any ship's movement via https://marinetraffic.com.
May 17: Contacted the freight forwarder (long story) and started the process to arrange transportation from Freeport to my house.
May 20: Shipping agent releases Surrendered Bill of Lading. Electronic copy sent. The real one will be sent via FedEx.
June something: Ship stays in port in Jamaica for an extra day or two. Maybe weather related, no idea.
June 3: BuddyJ's "Cost Group 2" logistics worked out with the freight forwarder and payment sent via wire transfer. They didn't offer a credit card method for some reason (didn't ask).
June 12: Ship arrives in Freeport, TX
June 14 @noon: Freight forwarder calls to say the vehicle is being picked up that day (Friday) and will be delivered early Saturday morning.
June 14 @6pm: Freight forwarder calls to say the driver arrived 15 minutes after the port closed, so he won't be able to pick the van up until Monday morning, but he will be at the gate when they open. Cool. I'm leaving for Detroit in the morning, so I gave him BuddyJ's contact information as well (and separately arranged for a couple of backups just in case).
June 17 @1pm: Got a text from the freight forwarding company stating the driver arrived at the port at 8am and got the van loaded at noon. Delivery would be somewhere between 9-10pm.
June 17 @9:15pm: BuddyJ sends two videos from my driveway. The first is the truck pulling up to the house with the van on the trailer. The second is the van starting up in my driveway. He parks it in the garage and lets me know the couple minor things he saw that need fixing.
And that brings us to today.
So, here are my thoughts on the whole process:
First, keeping in mind the CFJ folks are actually in Japan, response times are delayed, but Mr. Ken was very good about getting back to me as soon as possible. Any question I had he answered clearly and to the best of his knowledge. Would I go through them again? Absolutely.
Second, the freight forwarder I used was not the same one BuddyJ used. For some reason I couldn't get his contact to return my phone calls, and when I finally did get hold of someone, they said they don't do customs clearing. BuddyJ then recommended Penbroke Cartainer. I was able to get in touch with them through their Customs House Brokerage contact link. They've been around long enough and have a good reputation which is why I was ok with doing the wire transfer. They were very prompt with communication, charged very reasonable prices, and worked with me to get the cost down as much as possible - things like an itemized invoice to break the vehicle, shipping, and other costs to separate line items. They managed to knock around $300 off the initial estimate thanks to things like that. The cost to get the van through customs and to my door was just over $2k (the van was significantly more expensive than the Suzuki or the Beat). Would I go through them again? Yep.
I'll post pics when I get home from Expo.
mertesn
Re: Anyone still having fun with overclocking?
Hi, Marcus. I don't spend much time OCing CPU or GPU, as manufacturers have gotten a lot better at giving you everything the silicon can do out of the box. But memory OC is still pretty rewarding, and that's where I've been spending my time.
Thrax
Re: Icrontic Board Meeting: 8 June 2024
We also passed a resolution officially thanking the Transition Team for their work last year! That was @BobbyDigi, @GnomeQueen, @Annes, @Winfrey, @Garg, @Sazbean, @primesuspect, & me. Thanks all!
The Board hereby resolves to recognize and thank the Transition Team for their hard work, insight, and dedication to Icrontic in the drafting of the Bylaws of the Icrontic Social Club thereby ensuring Icrontic’s continued success into the future. The Transition Team is: Brian Ambrozy, Lincoln Russell, Sarah Worsham, Jonathan Rush, Charles Winfrey, Anne Baynes, Jackie DiOrio, Bobby Cometa (aka Bobby Digital).
Linc
Icrontic Board Meeting: 8 June 2024
Hello Icrontic!
On 8 June 2024 we had the second Board of Trustees meeting for the Icrontic Social Club. This was our first time meeting as a "complete" board! I was joined by @primesuspect, @sazbean, @ghoosdum, and @massalinie. We're excited to make a few announcements from our very productive 3.5-hour session.
First, we officially added @ghoosdum & @massalinie to the Board and selected board officers. For the term ending 1 Aug 2025, our President will be @sazbean, our Treasurer will be @ghoosdum, and I'll be our Secretary.
Second, we established an official system for club membership, Code of Conduct, and official communication channels. Those were announced separately.
Third, we approved the mission & scope for our first two committees. They will be the Membership Committee and the Moderation Committee. We'll explain them in greater detail and solicit volunteers in a separate announcement.
There's still lots to do! Our next Board meeting will be the first day of Expo, 19 June.
Linc
Icrontic Membership: How to join Icrontic
Icrontic is many things, but at its core it is a social club made up of members.
Membership in Icrontic is not required to participate in the community, attend events, or game with Icrontic folks, but membership carries with it the benefit of having a voice in the shape and future of the community. Some of the benefits of membership include:
- Eligibility for board seats and committee positions!
- Swag! (Including a very nifty official membership card!)
- Receiving official club announcements and communications!
- Potential discounts on events and activities!
- Respect and admiration of your peers!
- A special role in our Discord server!
- Probably a lot more!
Membership is granted on an annual basis, and is $5 per year. If you participate in ANY Icrontic event that has a ticket cost or fees associated, that purchase also includes membership if you'd like (e.g. all paid Expo attendees are eligible to become members). Membership can also be sponsored by another member if you are unable to pay!
In order to be eligible for membership, you must be 13 years old and you must agree to the Icrontic Bylaws and to abide by the Icrontic Code of Conduct
To sign up as a member,:
- STEP 1: Fill out this form: https://forms.gle/g4wgq4bejo21TWP8A
- STEP 2: Until we have a better mechanism in place, send $5 to @Linc via Paypal, CashApp, or Venmo per the instructions on the form. If you have bought a 2024 Expo ticket, just fill out the form and we'll handle it manually since your ticket includes eligibility.
Membership is opt-in so if you DON'T want to be a member, that's fine!
Announcing the full Board of Trustees for 2024
We had a truly outstanding group of folks nominated to be on the Icrontic Board of Trustees. Thank you to everyone who nominated themselves and others!
The initial board (Sarah, Brian, and myself) sat down to consider them all on Sunday, 5 May and talked about how we hope to see things organized. After a thorough discussion of all the candidates, we realized we could move forward much quicker than planned.
We want the Board to strictly be an oversight body. They set the guardrails on governance, interpret the Charter, and provide a backstop for accountability. And… that’s about it. We don’t want the Board to get directly involved in things like organizing events, moderating Discord, or managing where we keep files & photos.
These areas and many others are (or will soon be) places for leadership in our community. We hope EVERY single person nominated volunteers for prominent roles in the committees that will soon be forming, because we need their support.
As an oversight body, everyone has to live with the results if the Board decides something. Who would everyone trust to make sober, considered but also emotionally intelligent choices when it really mattered? Empathy & curiosity were at the top of our list for priorities.
After thoroughly reviewing all the candidates, we had enthusiastically unanimous agreement on exactly two. We also decided it was best to start conservatively with a 5-person Board, leaving open the possibility of a bigger Board in the future if it’s warranted. Therefore, we chose to SKIP the planned interview process and move forward immediately with those two appointments.
We’re excited and pleased to announce that Emily McRae (@Massalinie) and Rob Updegrove (@GHoosdum) will be rounding out the first full term for the Icrontic Board of Trustees.
Please join us in congratulating our new trustees!
Linc
Nominations for the Icrontic Board of Trustees are now open
Hello friends, I'm happy to announce the wait is over! You can nominate yourself or another Icrontic member to the new Board of Trustees using this form: https://forms.gle/JrxuiBqJfWsjyZcS6
Please make your nominations by the end of April!
Not sure what this means? Read the background: The path to the Icrontic Board of Trustees — especially read the charter attached to my last comment there!
We will be selecting no fewer than two additional Board members. Our process for selecting additional trustees will be for the current Board (myself, Brian, and Sarah) to select a pool of finalists from the applications received and conduct one interview per candidate at a time that's convenient for all 4 of us. We'll then make our final selections.
Joining the Board is an act of volunteerism for the community. It does not involve directly moderating members nor technically running our systems. It is the oversight body for all Icrontic business that appoints the leadership for those areas. Experience working as part of a committee is valuable but not required.
Feel free to post your questions here or in the Discord #meta channel.
Linc