Geek of the Week redirected from GOTW

History

The Geek-of-the-Week (GotW) concept was first proposed by Critical Mass in this thread in Sept, 2005, as a way to get to know the diverse people in the BGG community. Since then, it has grown into one of the most popular features on the site. The GotW’s week normally lasts from Sunday through Saturday.

The Nomination Process

The current GotW alone chooses and introduces the next GotW. There are no official qualifications for this honor. The nominee is simply someone that the current GotW thinks the rest of the BGG community should get to know better. The reasoning and choice is entirely up to the current GotW. However, there are a couple traditional guidelines that the GotW should consider when choosing the nominee:

• The nominee should not be known personally to the current GotW
• The nominee should be from a different continent (or country)

While the guideline that the nominee should not be known personally to the current GotW has existed from the start, the principle that the nominee should be from a different continent/country was added at a later time (although many early GotWs followed this).

After settling on a few potential nominees, the current GotW sends a geekmail to one of them asking if they would accept the honor. This should be done early in the week to give everyone time to prepare for the next week. In addition, if a potential nominee declines, the current GotW can quickly contact another nominee.

What Does the Nominated GotW Need to Do to Prepare?

The nominee needs to write a brief introduction of him- or herself. The contents and length of this introduction are entirely up to the nominee, but should focus to some extent on their gaming career and interests. Some honorees have written only a brief paragraph, others have written several paragraphs that go into great detail. In addition, the nominee should compose three statements - two of which are truthful, and one a lie. Then, at the end of his or her GotW week, he or she reveals which statement was a lie. When finished, this introduction is sent to the current GotW.

What is Expected of the GotW During His/Her Week?

The main responsibility of the GotW is to answer questions, to the best of their ability, from other board members interested in learning more about him or her. Aside from this core responsibility, there are a few other expectations. He or she should:

• Display the GotW microbadge in the center of their display for the week.
• Add an entry to Geek of the Week (GotW): The GeekList, listing their favorite game, username, and links to their profile and GotW thread.
• Decide on a successor, and prepare for introducing him or her the next week.

How Does the GotW Introduce the Next GotW?

After receiving the nominee’s personal introduction, the current GotW does the following:

• Creates a new thread - late Saturday or early Sunday - with the subject in the format Geek of the Week #___ - username.
• He or she then writes a brief personal introduction of the new GotW, and includes the nominee’s introduction in quote format.
• It’s also expected that the GotW include a number of questions to get the week started.
• Once the thread has been created, the retiring GotW should send a message to a BGG Admin asking them to pin the new GotW thread. Currently the admin handling Geek of the Week threads is Octavian.
• Important: To keep things simple, the current GotW should include three links when they notify Octavian:
  1. A link to the outgoing GotW thread that needs to be un-pinned.
  2. A link to the incoming GotW thread that needs to be pinned.
  3. A link to the new GotW's profile (so Octavian can give them a shiny new microbadge: ).
• After that, the retired GotW can relax and appreciate his or her participation in a great BGG tradition.

Previous Geeks of the Week