Moonlight Fridays - how to include non-US members?

[allegrita]

MLA is a worldwide community, which is wonderful in most ways--but the drawback is that there's no one time that is convenient for everyone to participate in the episode watching discussions. We'd like to find a way for everyone to feel that they can participate in Moonlight Fridays, no matter where they live.

A couple of different options have been suggested, and we'd like to get your opinion on them. Or maybe you have a better option to suggest.

1) Keep the current watch and chat for the US members, but add one or two more: one that is convenient for our European members and one that is convenient for our Australian members, should any of you want to participate. I'm not sure how many members we have from South America, but hey--the more the merrier.

2) Continue to have only one set time for the watch and chat, but change the time to accommodate people outside the US. Of course, anyone is welcome to watch the episodes at any time, and pop into the discussions whenever they like.

Also, since our German members are already enjoying their own watch and chat, they may or may not want to participate in an English-language one too--especially since they're a week ahead. Ladies? Do you have any opinions?

Your MLA admin/mod team

[cassysj]

I don't know if making them Moonlight Saturdays or Sundays would be better. Meaning something like 3P EST 12N PST would be 8 or 9P in Europe.

People generally have a lot of errands on the weekend days so I don't know if we'd lose most of the U.S. people.

If you had two separate times it would still be interesting to see what others had to say when the Episode discussion popped up in subjects.

I'm good with whatever works for most people.

[francis]

I followed your discussion of the episodes after you watched and chatted, and it was very interesting to see what you came up with. But I didn't feel the need or even the possibility to add my own thoughts as the discussion was over, and the scene long gone I would have commented on.
I would like different times for different time zones, as I don't think a time that is not evening would work. So we could watch the episode 3 times and just add to the discussion that was a few hours ago.
I enjoy chatting in German but would totally do it in English again.

[fairytoes]

I did enjoy the watch and chat we had going on when Moonlight was on TV in the UK. Although I don't have that much to add to the actual discussion (by the time I figured out the right grammar the scene is long gone ) but I simply love watching the episodes together.

So if it would be possible to find a time where most people could watch, that would be really fantastic!

[jen]

Just an opinion, but I think that we in the States and our friends in Europe already live our lives on different schedules because the Earth is round. There is in some cases a language barrier, too.

I think two separate watch and chats are a fine idea. I know that I work and would not be able to participate in one where the hours were too extreme [not saying that I don't set the alarm and get up and watch an episode of Moonlight telecast in the middle of the night] so I guess that techically I could, but I think that two separate events are the best idea.

Just my two cents...

Jenna

[SharonC]

I always find ML W&C's are always way out of my reach as on a Friday night I am usually exhausted from the working week and still can't stay up too late. I think another for the European members is a great idea.

[wpgrace]

Since I cannot commit to any one time or night anyway, due to kids and all, I am open to either option. But if we are trying to find a common time, perhaps a Saturday evening in the Eastern US might work? It's late night in Europe, afternoon in the Western US, and God bless y'all but I cannot recall what time that would be in Oz, but it's something to ponder anyway.

OR you could do two viewings but on the same thread...

So you pick a time for one half the world; another time for the other half, but the discussion takes place in teh same thread both times, so the first group watches and comments and then the second group joins in when their appointed time starts and it's still kinda a running discussion on the same thread. Folks can then come back into the thread the next day or whenever they do watch, and see and read and respond to commentary from either viewing.

Another thought.

[nutmegger911]

I'm okay if we bounce the time around, if it's on the weekend. Weekdays are pritty tight. The more folks can participate the better.

[Luxe de Luxe]

I'm not sure what the answer is, Alle, but I'd love to be able to participate in live chat about the episodes.

[AussieJo]

Yeah Luxe, we could lead the discussion 'cos we would've already watched it!
Just a little time travel joke.......

[allegrita]

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughtful comments and ideas. And my apologies for letting this slip... RL has been interesting this past week for quite a few of us. Hopefully, things will calm down soon!

Anyway... it looks like the majority of you think that it would make most sense to have separate watching times for separate geographical areas. Also, several people have mentioned that they would like to use the same discussion thread for all the chats. This makes a lot of sense to me personally, although I wish we all had time travel so we could find a median time to chat all together--that would be the best. But since it's not easy to do it that way, I love the idea of using the same discussion thread, and chiming in at your agreed-upon watching time. And hey--if people from other parts of the world happen to be awake during that time, they can participate too!

If members from different areas would like to use this thread to find a good time to watch together, please feel free. And we can just use GuardianAngel's wonderful discussion threads to talk about the episodes.

[jen]

Sounds great.

Technology really does make some amazing things possible, doesn't it?



Jenna

[nutmegger911]

Technology really does make some amazing things possible, doesn't it?

And that time travel technology will be developed. It's only a matter of time.

[francis]

Once they develop it, they could travel into our time and show us how it's done.
But dang, that's impossible. If they did, we would already have it.
Damn paradox!

[nutmegger911]

Do you think they might be snubbing us? Maybe they've already shared it with another time.

Anyway, for the other time zones, if you agree on a time would you post it? That way, maybe the regular Friday crowd can join you when we are able.