Tag: Gamesmaker

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Keeping this blog relevant

I realise I have neglected this site for too long. Every time it occurred to me that I have things to express to a wider audience, something else comes along and distracts my thought train.

“Hmm! If only I could publish my thought train?”

Heavily redacted of course! Even old gits have thoughts better kept to themselves. In this world of sanitised ideas, the stazi thought police and the like, it comes more and more difficult to express oneself the way of our forefathers. That may sound the wrong way round, given the explosion of social media faciliting instant declarations of stance on all subjects, but with so much fakery and downright lies, it becomes harder to stay honest.

Conversely, my grandfather would ‘call a spade a spade’ and anyone who objected (there were none that would dare, of course) might get subjected to having to confront 6 ft 7 inches of military bred muscle! Having said that, he was a soft spoken gentle giant with a wealth of military stories. I still regret today, falling asleep on his sofa as he imparted his tales of old, waking up an hour later and forgetting everything he had told me!

I have planned, and sworn to, a few features throughout this year to make amends. I’ve also planned new writings to appear over the next couple of years.

It is ten years since I attended the London Olympics as a volunteer and I will be reminiscing on my time as well as reviewing the voluntary sector in general.

Lockdown! Well that was interesting, so I will reflect on the consequences of having comorbidity conditions in the presence of a very nasty virus – Covid 19 in its many guises.

It’s an interesting time to be alive, but not everything goes to plan, but I promise to no longer neglect the blog.

Also watch out for a series of YouTube videos on the subject of looking after your data, on Windows computers in particular. The first will appear here in the Spring.

There will also be a YouTube series relating to 60s culture, which was dear to my heart as a youth. Not to be missed. Check in regularly to see the first video.

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London2012: Over-Thanking the Gamesmakers

In a spontaneous outburst from the audience at the Closing Ceremony of the London Games on Sunday, the Gamesmakers were recognized for their efforts. This I found embarrassing to say the least given I for my part did very little to deserve such an accolade. A thanks would have been enough. I’ll still volunteer in the future whatever the outcome of London2012.

As a way to balance things up I have published below some of the various comments I read on Twitter. Some are funny, some are not so funny, but most importantly they are all honest opinions. Make of them what you will. My own lasting impression of ‘Gamesmaking’ is that there were too many, the roles were ill-defined, sponsors were manic and over-zealous and that Lord Coe, Boris Johnson and LOCOG are the absolute masters of the bullshit!

 I am one of the volunteer, and so far I can see why so many people have not even been contacted. There’s way too many of us and I think the whole thing has been slightly mismanaged. Did my 7th shift today, so 70 hours in total so far and I’ve been busy for 1 hour. What a huge waste of time and resources. Considering I also took UNPAID time off work, just to waste my time, you can see why I’m considering abandoning the whole thing… I thought it would have been a nice experience but so far it’s just been seriously frustrating.

Had a fantastic day volunteering today, just a shame the workforce canteen ran out of sandwiches and the majority of the hot food before all the volunteers got their lunch

Why moan on Facebook if you are unhappy with your role? Get some initiative and go and ask for something to do, feed back where it’s not working, instead of sitting on your backside being miserable. So many people didn’t get the chance to be a games maker. Use the opportunity. Had a great day volunteering at the road race today. Exhausted but looking forward to doing it all again tomorrow

ask any of my team (T2 drivers), they’ll say the same thing, we’re all bored to death, with nothing to do 90% of our time. I applied for VOLUNTEERING, which means helping out DO SOMETHING for the greater good, not sitting there DOING NOTHING.

 you obviously misunderstood me. I didn’t say I don’t want to be part of it. Actually I’m more than happy and proud of being a tiny piece of the jigsaw and last night I was at the Olympic Park and stood outside the stadium for hours till the very end and froze to death (bloody windy and I forgot my jacket). I’m just saying I committed to it cos I wanted to help and I’m dying to do it by actually doing something rather than being asked to check out the car and go for a 10h ride!

7 shifts so far – that’s good going. Respect! I’m a T3 driver and cancelled my 4th shift yesterday. Doing nothing for 10 hours at a time is wearing me down. I call Eton Manor the drivers’ graveyard…

I volunteered for the games and was treated with nothing but contempt as was one of the women I work with. There was no thought as to where you were placed nobody I spoke to got the venue they asked for. When you got through to the volunteer help line it was manned by kids who had absolutely no respect for the people they were talking to. This is definitely NOT the British Olympics.

Packing my own tea bags and food for #Olympics2012 shift tonight. Everything else great but catering for #Gamesmakers missable

The cheek of #GamesMakers! I’m the only unpaid member in my team today, we’re all instructed to tell the public we’re volunteers

no one is pretending to be Games Makers; paid staff are pretending to be volunteers.

was only doing a few olympic shifts had no clients & felt totally unsuited for role hoping to do something different at paras

It seems I’m not the only young person hugely demotivated and hating the stuff we doing #Olympics

Friend said teenage daughter is being ‘exploited, not fed & expected to travel home alone at 2am

@sebcoe hearing news that food for #gamesmaker volunteers is running out & those spending all day on their feet going hungry. Can you help?

Usually love the v helpful #Gamesmakers but was verbally assaulted by one up at the park today. Gamesmaker? More like painmaker!

apparently games makers to take in extra tops today to look like reg punters in empty seats

It’s ok offering empty seats to games makers.What’s NOT ok is making them wear civvies so the public think empty seat problem is solved.

Make the games makers stand out and name and shame the sporting authorities who waste seats.

#Gamesmakers sitting in seats can wear what want say #london2012 – they were asked if could change out of uniform so emailed that they could

Does anyone know a person who has actually got these “released tickets” or is it all using games makers in civvies?

Seems to be a big problem ensuring GM’s are adequately fed and watered

Dear Games Makers, I get that you’re volunteers but that’s no reason for you to be seriously useless & know absolutely nothing.

Disgraceful attitude of “Show and Security Staff” at St Panc really highlights the fantastic Games Makers and Service Personnel.

Today I have put 6 cable ties on barriers!

It’s awesome! But I’ve been here since 6 and Games Makers don’t get to sit down…

ah mate, all them games makers are jarring me u’d think they were usain bolt the way they go on lol

After a week of seeing this happen I’ve got to ask: what’s up with ‘Games Makers’ and other official types using priority seats on the tube?

All the #GamesMakers on the First Great Western 01:00 train from Paddington have been upgraded to first class!

Early shift and check-in has run out of coffee!!!! THIS IS A DISASTER OF BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS!! #gamesmakers

BREAKING OLYMPIC NEWS – Several high profile pre-Olympic cynics have now tested positive. #London2012 #TeamGB

meant to have a 6 hour shift, after an hour and 10 mins they give me a ticket to the football and say watch it then go if you want

In the aquatics centre for free in £95 seats

the #gamesmaker helpline has utterly failed to provide reasonable adjustments we discussed. Now challenging & causing a fuss 🙁

disappointing from a #gamesmaker T3 drivers perspective. Hardly any passengers, sitting around for hours, terrible food, sad 🙁

LOCOG admits to taking on too many Games Makers for #London2012. Fortunately for them all 70,000 volunteers are unpaid!

Well, it turns out tonight was my last #gamesmaker shift -no-one required tomorrow afternoon. It has been brilliant. Rarely laughed so much

Games Makers are essentially like rats- wherever you go in London during the Olympics you’re never more than 5ft away from one

“No taking photographs on the stairs,” says a second Games Maker, “No walking on the stairs, no breathing on the stairs.”

Ticket office at #olympic park: there’s no tickets spare at all for today. Crowd of Games makers on way to sit in empty seats at handball.

Games Makers seem to think they are better than paid staff. They keep sending spectators to us for issues they should be dealing with.

Back at the Park – big crowds, games makers not quite so perky – a little fatigued I guess.

BMW, YC12 RSK, call sign R395, driver breaking no-smoking rules. Please investigate. People assume ALL #gamesmakers are like this

T3 driver shift. Lasted 45 mins as no work so sent home. What a disappointing experience it’s been 🙁

 #Atos sending round security notices at work about wearing Olympic lanyards in public.Been in town 10 mins and seen hundreds! #gamesmakers

Last #gamesmaker shift as they’re over-volunteered for the weekend!

My last two #GamesMaker shifts have been cancelled. Literally distraught!

Slightly jealous of the great stories. It’s been very quiet for the car service. We’re the Radio 3 of #gamesmakers

THe Games maker with a giant megaphone ‘God, the French, we really can’t stand them. Losers’ (cheers)

The volunteer unpaid #gamesmakers at #London2012 were trained and supervised by full time paid professionals.

I don’t understand the media banging on about the voluntary Games Makers “making the games,” being friendly etc- they all looked so bored!

I think the Games Makers are getting a bit demob happy. One of them called me ‘a windowlicker’ yesterday. I was being dim but still…
 
Gamesmaker interviewed on Sky News, just admitted to getting entry to 5 events for nothing.

very sad we didn’t get to see athletics or cycling. Park was awesome but games makers outnumbered people. Lots of empty seats in waterpolo.

The Victoria Gate is now closed. There are no Games Makers, only a lot of lost Closing Ceremony spectators facing a long unsigned detour.

Just saw a games maker give commemorative baton to a kid on tube who obv excited about Olympics.

Our PM insults #gamesmaker “purple tracksuits” condescending git!!

Just tapped my #gamesmaker oyster card at Stratford. It said ‘soon expires’ 🙁

my parents moved my house while I’ve been a games maker!

Just walked into my local pub wearing my #gamesmaker uniform and got the biggest cheer and applause.

RT if you think the Olympic stadium should be filled with #Gamesmakers tonight and not businessmen and rich sponsors

maybe we all need to learn a new trick about being together as part of legacy. Thnks for ur personal contribution

Word on the #Gamesmaker street is that Sue Barker in real life is an absolute bitch.

Dammit. Trevor. Effing. Nelson. How did he get through security at the Olympic park? Couldn’t a #gamesmaker have dealt with him?

Despite popular belief not every games maker was a volunteer. I got paid to do what they did for free. LOL. LOLLANDAISE SAUCE, ROFL, ETC

Being a Games Maker has been one of the best things I’ve ever done

Hope none of the athletes end up in a dreadful East London hipster bar. Get a four pack from Londis and sit by the canal.

I hope every single Games Maker gets a lighty-up-bowler-hat to keep for ever.

 

 

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What did the Ancient Greeks ever do for us?

Part of the Great British Garden on the Olympic Park. Copyright the author 2012

Part of the Great British Garden on the Olympic Park. Copyright the author 2012

The buzz around Gamesmakers has now turned to what volunteering legacy might there be once the Olympic and Paralymic Games have long left the shores of Britain and Stratford in East London has returned to some semblance of normality(poverty, overcrowding and all the usual inner London problems). I have given this considerable thought and indeed I have been thinking about it for some considerable time. That’s because I volunteered well before the Olympics reached Britain.

Clearly politicians have thought about it too. It has become a catalyst in Tory thinking for their Big Society ideas. It is not though a Tory notion and any proposals that are put forward that it is, should be rigorously rejected. Most of the 250,000 original applicants and the lucky selected 70,000 volunteers eventually selected, put themselves forward anything up to 7 years ago is the truth.

But what of the legacy of spontaneous sports volunteering? Can it be harnessed in the future outside the sports arena? I certainly hope so. Many Gamesmakers were already avid volunteers in their favorite sport and many had volunteered in other non-sporting roles like myself.

There were though, still thousands of Gamesmakers that had never before volunteered. So what will they be doing after the Games have left town? I hope they will see this as an opportunity to become involved in the voluntary sector on a regular basis now they have had a flavour of what volunteering can do for one’s self esteem. As Aristotle put it – Eudaimonia  or welfare and happiness as it might be translated today.

We can learn much from what the Greeks said about volunteering or civic virtue as they may have expressed it. However, you’ll be pleased that today is not a day for ancient history. If we did we might end up convincing ourselves  that volunteers were the modern day equivalent to the slaves in ancient Greece! So best not go there.

Whatever manifests itself in both organized and unorganized format, I trust it’s the voluntary sector that becomes the real benefactor.

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London2012: LOCOG admits taking on too many Gamesmakers

Gamesmaker in the Olympic Park on crowd control duty. Copyright the author 2012

Certainly can agree with that one! Spent most of the time watching the TV in a technology role. Didn’t really need any technology volunteers in my opinion.

The work was done by capable contractors. Nothing like the impression given at training sessions. I wonder if any of the medical volunteers got much to do?

Whose decision was it to employ so many volunteers? Just hope it does not put off many from taking up volunteering in the community in the future. I can assure them that volunteering is not the same as LOCOG volunteering.

Read the full report

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London2012: Gamesmakers are making a really good impression

The Olympic Stadium at night. Copyright the author 2012

The outside area of McDonald’s ‘largest restaurant in the world’ complex. Copyright the author 2012

Two articles today (links below) show that Gamesmakersare having a real affect on the general public that visit the various venues around London. The most visible are the wayfinders and event services Gamesmakers who stand out in all weathers along with the Gamesmakers on duty front-of-house in venues. As a Gamesmaker back of house, I can only admire their tenacity and patience during some very long shifts (I’m sure there’s a law against that somewhere) and I’m rather jealous to be honest, given I’ve done very little myself during my three weeks of shifts in a Technology role.

I have made up for it by walking the Olympic Park during breaks, etc. and mingling with the other Gamesmakersand visitors to the park where I get asked many questions given I wear the same purple uniform as everyone else on duty. I just trust I get the answers right. Apologies to Common Domain Gamesmakers if I don’t! These photos are some of the results from my Olympic wanderlust on day one of the park opening to ticketholders.

Some of the millions of planted flower beds in the Olympic Park at night. Copyright the author 2012

The most pressing and so far unanswered question on Twitter for Gamesmakers is where are the Cadbury’s chocolates?

Given Gamesmakers wear the corporate colour of this Olympic sponsor( purple was not by accident) this question will be increasingly asked of them. Their response so far has been we have no control over the 3,000,000 chocolates we delivered to LOCOG

A real side step there then and implying that LOCOG are the ones withholding these little demons from some very impatient chocaholic Gamesmakers! Revolution must be on the horizon in some venues if LOCOG don’t release them soon I feel.

BBC report

Part of Coca-Cola ‘Beatbox’. Copyright the author 2012

Evening Standard report

Velodrome from mid-Olympic Park. Copyright the author 2012

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London2012: Last minute nerves for the Opening Ceremony…

… – Don’t fret, I heard the National Anthem last night as I walked by the Olympic stadium after my shift. Glad they are practicing it, we fully intend to bore the pants off the rest of the world with it over the next few weeks!

 

On another note (pun intended) word has it that Danny Boyle is at loggerheads with other directors about the use of the overhead cameras during the opening ceremony. Oh these luvvies are such sweeties really. I’m sure it will all get sorted on the night.

An aerial view of the Olympic Stadium on 12 July showing preparations for the opening ceremony. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA

Also it looks like the title sequences from Eastenders(BBC1) from the air. How do they get those pictures with no fly zones in place? Risky business I’ll be bound.

The USA tweeting banter seems to have cooled today after one athlete got lost in a coach and threw a tantrum on Twitter. This is London!

Disappointed so far that the Workforce/Gamesmaker are not getting ‘Innocents’ brand (Coca-Cola) on their menus. I was so looking forward to a free smoothy!

…and finally, everything has to be shipshape and Bristol fashion for the ‘elf&safety’ people. What would we do without them.

Yes and finally, finally, the saga over the missing chocs goes on….

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London2012: David Cameron Heckled By Olympics Volunteer

Upset Gamesmaker heckles David Cameron about the poor in London before being escorted out of the UDAC building. Cameron retorts that politics should be ‘left out’! So why was Cameron there if it was not to gain political points for his road show?

I certainly trust the heckler will still be a Gamesmaker after today. I would not like to think that free speech suffers at the hands of LOCOG. Certainly the shocked faces of his fellow volunteers do not bode well.