Lee McKay (2017 – Archived)
Candidate for IT Director
My name is Lee McKay, and I am offering my candidacy for the position of IT Director. I have served in this role informally as far as designing, hosting, and keeping this year’s website up to date, including the election process. I have a significant number of years’ experience in IT, both corporate (Information security functions) and personal. I currently have a small computer repair business and also perform web hosting and design services for a limited number of small businesses. I’m also an active DJ, host, store owner, and novice maker of things. I work best when given a task and left to it.
The majority of my work is done in WordPress, which is also what I built the current website using. I would like to continue to expand the functionality of the website and other in-world technologies to enhance our “connectedness” and make Second Pride even better. Am I a web guru? Absolutely not, but hopefully the current website will show that I can provide what is needed.
5 thoughts on “Lee McKay (2017 – Archived)”
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Ahhh Lee, you cannot know how happy I am to see a person I already know and trust among the candidates. Thank you!
I have already noticed the impressive work you have done with the website and am eagerly waiting for what is to come in the future.
As a member of the board of directors of Second Pride you will also be called upon to voice your opinion on matters outside of your departmental chores.
My question to you is, do you believe there is such a thing as a LGBT+ community and, if so, how would you respond to those claiming they do not belong to a community and do not need one?
Great question Bock, and not an easy one to answer. I remember going to my first Gay Pride event a number of years ago, and I thought I had found nirvana. I had that sensation of “I’ve found my people!” Sadly, I no longer feel that at a Pride event for many reasons, not the least of which being general apathy coupled with an indifference to our history. Unfortunately, I don’t see that changing. The new generation has moved on from that history and have grown up in a world that, while still being filled with hate, is more accepting than the one others of us remember. Given the current political climate in the US, another generation is very likely going have to take up that fight all over again. All we can do is share the information with them. They have to decide what to do with it.
Now, that’s my reference to RL. As far as the community in SL, yes, there is one, and it is less complicated by the alphabet soup we have in our RL community, at least from my perspective. Granted, the circles I travel in are probably more limited than some. Would I use the term “necessary” in reference to the community? I think a better term is valuable. Each individual benefits from the community at different levels and in different ways and on their terms. Some will be a part and benefit from it, and others will not…there’s no one size fits all, but we can do our part by providing a welcoming space, in world, on the web, and in our own regions and communities.
I hope that made sense!
Thank you, Lee, for the great response which made a lot of sense to me! 😉
Lee thank you for running for the Second Pride IT position. Often a behind the scenes position, what are your plans to continue to deliver the mission and the experience of Second Pride. Technology is such a fast and evolving medium, what do you see as the opportunities for this organization in the coming year and what are your thoughts to address these issues. Lastly, as I had mentioned IT is often behind the scenes but at the same time very much a part of the board and the decision making process. What are your thoughts on staying motivated and energized through the year?
Lledge, it has been an absolute pleasure working with you in my “non-official” capacity for this year’s celebration and the election. If it hadn’t been for that experience, I probably would not have tossed my hat in the ring.
To the issues…
Second Pride has a “recognizability” problem. Half the time I mention Second Pride to someone, even in the weeks leading up to the main event, the immediate response is “What is Second Pride?” This issue has prevailed for all the years that I’ve known of Second Pride’s existence, and I don’t know what the solution is, other than we need to get back to promoting SP in every club and community willing to let us display a poster or donation kiosk. We need a strong marketing person/team on this, and unfortunately, no one ran for that position, so we’ll need to recruit. I also think the events that SP does throughout the year could do with a bit more attention and hype, to keep the public’s interest up, and our own. Maybe even some regular scheduled events on the SP sim wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Second, the bylaws need a total overhaul. They simply do not fit the current organization. Too much of the existing document is outdated, or consistently overridden, such as the requirement for the full meeting within days of the main celebration. It’s never done, so let’s move that date out to a date that is practical. Of course, that’s just one example of many.
There’s a lot we can do, and I think we made amazing progress with this year’s event. From what I saw, there was very little drama, a lot of excitement, and a ton of happy people. That’s what’s important. Happy people talk about events where they had a good time, and they come back for more.