Draft Press Release with edits/images for consideration

like the wording on the proposal. i don't care for the 2 images together at all. the artwork, font, coloring don't match. also, should just be 1 image included. i'm partial to the phoenix line of artwork

oh shit, major omission - the DONATE link!

We are close enough to having the link that we ought to sew that up and add either a sentence or a simple Donate down below with the other info.

John McGloin mentioned on the e-mail list that stating that we were not dead was not a great strategy (“doth protest too much”) and that it should have focussed more on the future, not used so many code hashtags that nonOccupyers might not know. Good points, I thought, although I like the general direction of this—and pointing out accomplishments is good. I will take a crack at it on the TitanPad.

Can we survey local Occupy groups everywhere in the next week or two and get a sense of what battles and campaigns are happening now in different Occupy groups; what victories and milestones, large or small, have happened recently; and, without revealing spoilers, what goals and ideas we have for the coming year?  This would definitely help us make our press release reflect Occupy's bright future and active, evolving present, while defying media pundits' premature obituary for our movement without simply adding the word “not”.

I made some edits on TitanPad, but as Loomio does not do strike-through text, it did not come through as edited when I tried to post here.

+1 @delphinebrody

I like the survey idea, but think by the time it was up and reviewed and something written from it, it'll be a month.

I think we ought still to try and get an initial simple info pr out asap, get a survey going, and remain flexible enough to include some initial reportbacks from there.

or - do wait to align on a more formal "launch" first press release, but get more informal info updates out immediately through the hub newswire, which gets out to all our occupy media and lists.
http://interoccupy.net/natgat2014/newswire/

within a week, we could get a survey up on the site and out through the announcement lists of I think 8-10k. We can start another discussion or work on titan if folks want to work on this.

survey suggestion using mostly dephine's words:
Hello Occupy _____!

This year's natgat crew would like to hear what you're up to locally and what your future vision looks like.

This will help us in planning an event Occupy wants, and create our press messaging to.reflect Occupy's bright future and active, evolving present, while defying media pundits' premature obituary for our movement

what battles and campaigns are happening now in your Occupy?
what victories and milestones, large or small, have happened recently?
without revealing spoilers, what goals and ideas do we or should we, Occupy, have for the coming year?

We hope to see you there! If not, stay tuned for ways to participate online during the gathering.

NGWG2014
The NGWG2014 comprises Occupy Sacramento on the ground, and Occupiers and allies from far and wide online, hopefully soon to include you!

Find us:
Contact: natgat2014@interoccupy.net
NATGAT2014 Hub
Twitter @NATGAT2014 #Natgat2014
ONG Rebelmouse
Occupy National Gathering Facebook Page

Plug into Planning and Organizing:
Attend our Planning and Working Group Calls
Join Working Group Mailing Lists
Volunteer/Offer an Activty
ONG 2014 Group on Commons
NatGat3 Facebook Planning Group
Loomio – ONG Organizing Group

http://interoccupy.net/natgat2014/newswire/

Moved the closing date up to tomorrow in the interest of moving forward.

I put some alternate wording at the bottom of the pad that Daniel may want to incorporate.

Thanks for the feedback, everybody!

How do we start on the suggestion from Jackie, 7 posts up (19 hours ago), about a survey of Occupys? I would like us to do that ASAP.

http://natgat2014.titanpad.com/58

@delphinebrody, can you get this idea to Gandalf? I know he's been wanting a way to contact Occupy.

Daniel: thanks for being open to criticism. It is not easy to work so hard and then have the peanut gallery pick it apart. Keep on plugging.

There have been other surveys of Occupies. It is probably a good idea to use some of the same questions, so that trends can be seen.

This post could go out as a personal (DH) or Outreach post on the newswire.
http://interoccupy.net/natgat2014/newswire/
occupiers will read it just fine, and contact info added, getting some info out.
We haven't had a post since march, which also was an earlier press release try that we posted in the newswire
http://interoccupy.net/natgat2014/nat-gat-planning-under-way/

no use in wasting time/content re-purpose.

"...the report of my death was an exaggeration." Mark a Twain
It's a funny way if saying I'm not dead." And gives lazy reporters a quote

Agreed, Tricia, but folks were not looking for a reason to declare Mr. Twain dead (to my knowledge); quite a different situation for Occupy!