[SCA-AE] Peer Density/Dispersal was Peerage

[Rob Baldassano]

I can certainly understand your point of view, as well as Guilietta's view on getting email as the sole source of communication for a request to write a letter of recommendation. 
   
  Guilietta spoke to the point of my specific comment. Which was, what if that's the only contact you have had with the person making the request? 
   
  If, perchance, it was me who wrote to you and asked if you could write a letter for me and my lady... how would you react? 
  If you know me, you might immediately (or relatively so), write up a letter that would make the angels pause. 
  Or you might write a letter saying "don't ever let this gentle enter your Crown list" 
  (all depends on your perspective of who Eirik Haarfager Goransson is, doesn't it?)
   
  If however, you had never met me, and only read what I write here on the list, there may be reason to pause and consider "Who is this person?" 
  
That is all that was intended in my original commentary is that you should not use email as your sole source of communication in this, you should get to know people, and in gettng to know them, you may find that you want to tell them your SCA dreams. 
  "I want to enter crown one day. Do you think I would make a good Soveriegn?" 
  That would make a good segway into asking for a letter to be written, and would open the door for an email to be the form of that request. 
   
  --Eirik
  
Katja Orlova <katjaorlova at yahoo.com> wrote:
  >>While in theory this might work, it's AWFULLY impersonal.
>>IF I were a peer, and had not been contacted at least by phone by a person prior to receiving said missif, I would toss it in the trash as a brash and brazen act. Unchivalrous at best. 
>>Yes e-mail does exist, and yes e-mail is used a lot in today's culture, but is it the best way to request something of such a grand nature? 

I can't speak for other peers but I was asked recently--via email--to write a recommendation letter for two gentles who intended to enter the upcoming Crown.

I was not at all insulted or offended by the manner in which the request was asked of me.

Rather, I thought it a perfectly natural method of communication--both in general in this day & age and in specifically how best to contact *me*. (I need to keep records of actions and decisions when my memory banks are full!)

Further, I was utterly thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to vouch for two extremely courteous and spiffy gentles who I felt would not blow up the kingdom.

Other peers may not rely on or access email quite so often for their communications, or may feel (as you noted) that this specific kind of communication should be in a more formal manner. It is best to communicate with them in a manner they prefer.

That being said, I gently suggest that many peers, like me, may feel it's perfectly fine to request a recommendation via email. You never know until you ask. 

When it comes down to, if anyone gets *offended* just because you asked a polite question at the wrong time or in the wrong manner, that person is being a poopyhead.

Just my two gp... 

Katja


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- 
---------------------------- 
Eirik Goransson / Rob Baldassano
Member, Barony of Endless Hills; 
House Odlahorde; 
Viking & All around Good Egg ; 
VROC #5029 (Tigger)
come visit http://www.dracowolf.com 
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