I agree, too. It should be a network/database/clearinghouse. Judgements should not be mad, just “clumns” like you were comparing PC’s at Best buy.
EX:
number name contact Cosplay Fan Fiction Website
GB Franchise 12 Steel City Ghostbusters Brad Bosshart/Dave Swartz Y N www.scgb.webs.com
or something like that. I’m not part of that ancient war, and I don’t want a new one. Can’t we all just get along??? : )
I think we’re all getting along just fine right now. 
Well, I didn’t get a Xmas card from you, and you never call, you never write BOO-HOO-HOOOOOOO! : P
Well, we just met. But fair enough…
Here’s an autographed picture of Johnny Cage.
you had me at hello…you had me at hello… : P
I never knew about these “wars” either. And the worst part is that Ghostbusters isn’t even important enough to fight about. Come on. It’s for having fun and it’s fictional. As soon as we start fighting it defeats the purpose of having it in the first place - a nice fun distraction from reality. It sounds like the GB community had “church splits,” which honestly isn’t something that should ever happen either, but at least religious beliefs are more important than whether or not Peter Venkman tucks his pants inside his boots or not.
Anyway, yeah. I’d love a list of all of the GB fan groups, whether GBI or not. Just as long as everyone plays nice now, lol.
WHAT! VEnkman with tucked in pants! Blasphemy! Burn him at the stake! : P
Well, it is an interesting parallel, like the “Butter battle” of Dr. Seuss. People cling to certain beliefs, like minded people join togehter, and then it’s “us” vs. “Them”. Sad part of human nature. Let’s hope for better times ahead. : )
I agree entirely.
But all that aside, Dan/AJ, what’s developing now with GBI since CNC’s last post? From what it sounds, I think we’re in agreement that Franchise teams and Fan-Fiction teams will be united. But for the websites (GBI and GBFans), what do you need from us?
Okay, so I emailed the head of GBI a week ago for application. Is that site dead? What should I do for eligibility here?
Not quite. Have you registered and posted on the forum there yet?
Nope, not yet.
Edit: Okay, I’m Dr.Jay on the website.
Tried sending an email to GBI today and it got bounced back: anyone know any other emails to send to other than [email protected]?
EDITED: [email protected]
Dan AKA,
I'm glad you posted this. Sorry about being a year late to the party. Thank you for taking up the reigns to do something here.
GBI
Where the 501st have a central hub for all things fan/event related, we Ghostbuster fans do not. I always thought Rich Roy did a good job on putting together a GBI central location but it never got used as some of us had hoped. In fact it's probably one of the most overlooked GB related websitesout there. To be blunt, it either needs a redesign or replacement. In it's current form, it's not doing the job of being a central hub for both franchises, events and potential vendors. Currently the fiction-based appearance of this website does more than "scare the norms" as Jeff so aptly pointed out. It tells a potential first time visitor "this place isn't serious." Keep the info on the cover factual and people will believe in you. Start the website with lies and fraud and that's what they think of you. ( A GBI gift shop? The Ectoplasmic Cafe? Puh-lease! ) That website needs an overhaul to be taken seriously. Events haven't been updated in 2 years.
SOLUTION #1
The simplest move ( IMHO ) would be to create a separate section on this forum dedicated to special events, event coverage, charities, and things of that sort. All of it could be readable but only the Public Inquiry section would be open for posting for non-franchise team leaders or forum mod/admin. It would be consolodating for us, but I'm not sure if the public would find it.
SOLUTION #2
The better solution is to create a separate URL that somehow comes up as the #1 hit for the word "Ghostbusters" or something like that. Have a public board where inquiries can be made by potential vendors/sponsors and members can respond or accept a job.
UNIFORMITY
I WOULD agree 100% with Jeff that we don't need to go to the crazy lengths of uniformity that the 501st does. Where they have a paramilitary arrangement, Ghostbusters is a little more freeform. This flexibility may be our strength where 501st needs uniformity as theirs.
CONDUCT
Ben and Jeff are both right about this topic. There are definitely some smacktards out there who ruin it for everyone. It should be a guilt-free decision to decline some applicants based on their known conduct. The only accountability should be as simple as saying "You're in this group" or not. No one's stopping them from being a fan or doing their own thing, but there is a need to tell the public "Look, here's this group of people who are up to a certain standard because they know how to conduct themselves without embarrasing themselves or their sponsoring organization."
QUALIFICATIONS
I would have to take point against the two posters here who defended fan-fic. If you're into fan-fic, fine, you have the whole rest of the internet. The focus HERE is to provide an actual team of uniformed Ghostbusters for a special event. If you don't like that you're being excluded from this concept, tough bananas. Go make a pack and uniform, then we'll talk. If you can't put in that level of effort then stop expecting that level of return for your efforts. It's absurd.
OVERALL
I would agree with Jeff that we need to focus on a united resource for charity work and special events. I'm not so sure we need any of the old GBI forms ( maybe as a novelty ) as much as we need a common resource for handout items. Buttons, pins, balloons, etc. I was thinking about getting a button making machine to make handouts to give people in a 4th of July parade we're scheduled to walk in. ( Come to think of it, such a resource would also let us brainstorm about what kind of things we could hand out, etc. )
I just got back from taking a look at the state of GBI. It doesn’t get updated often, doesn’t have a smooth flowing portal for visitors, and its filled with fictional references that wouldn’t attract a real organizer to come here and look for fans to promote any event. I stand by my earlier statement. If it claimed it’s job is to act as a central hub for events and co-ordinating with them, it’s missing the mark. I like the people involved, and always have, but the site itself is just plain missing the mark.
We need something else.
I have a contact at Sony, Keith Hargrove. Many of you know him as the guy from the Ghostbusters 2009 DVD re-release behind the scenes segments. if anyone would have a legit use to come to a centralized place and look for fans to promote something it would be him. You know who he called in 2009 when he needed fans? He called me. He didn’t go to GBI, he didn’t come here, he called me. My point isn’t “me, me, me” it’s “so why didn’t he go to GBI if it was working so well?”
Totally agree with everything you’ve said. The UKGB site doesn’t bother with fictitious nonsense (only for the equipment/prop page) straight off the bat we say who we are and what we do and we’ve had quite a lot of enquiries and done some cool events since starting around a year ago.
I’ve stayed clear of the GBI website as it looks messy and is difficult to navigate.
I suppose the hardest step to take in all of this would be settling just where this all will happen.
GBFans is, to me, the natural fit for many obvious reasons. Here we have a fairly open-source site that lets members have real input in just what information is on display. Frankly all thats left for us to add here is a true Franchise section. However, I don’t think many of us would want to cause a lot of heart ache for the guys at GBI, which is where our current dilemma stems from.
I agree that GBI has proven to be a bit slow to handle a lot of the basics. I also think fan fic teams might not really have a justifiable position alongside the type of teams we’re all talking about here. That is, of course, going by what I want out of a unified Ghostbusters Franchise union, or whatever you’d call it.
What, in the end, do we want out of all of this? “Where is this going?” (This thread is something we should all try and learn from, as all it winds up becoming is all of us hating on the 501st and not really concluding to much).
Every team and member should be given their own swing room and independence, but I think Dan’s guidelines hold true for most of us still:
Basically it seems like we all want a public, universal index for all the franchises out there. I’m positive AJ has been working on a GBFans-based Franchise section, but maybe these sort of discussions could help get open discussions on the boards started again. Let’s try and be cool and not just dump on the 501st or fan fic teams though. 
GBI has become a small place for the remaining fanfic teams.
Thats pretty much it. I don’t see any point dumping on them. Like Kevin said. The guy that runs the site has admitted he hasn’t updated in a very long time due to personal reasons.
I would assume anyone that tries to join will not get a response, it has fallen away from anything serious now. I’m pretty sure anyone can still join the forums though.
There seems to be a ‘treading on peoples toes’ feeling, if GBfans starts it franchise thing. What ever it will be. There wont be a revolt, GBI wont roar up in anger. The world will continue to spin.
Lets just do what we gots to do. If GBI doesn’t float your boat, and AJ is still in development, maybe some else one has to do something about it.
Agreed about not dumping on fan-fic teams. Wasn’t my intent. Sorry if it came off like that. I just see fan-fic as outside of the scope of this particular topic, that’s all.
Also, yeah, GBI sure seems to be the meeting place for fan-fic people and you know, that’s fine that people immersed in the fictional aspect of it have their place to go but GBI needs to understand that if you go down that path then don’t expect any serious business. I’m sorry to be the one to spell it out but it really comes down to “pick one or the other 'cause you can’t have both!” Is GBI about fiction or really co-ordinating events? Pick one.
AJ doesn’t want to infringe on GBI and that’s just fine. Heck, I respect the guy’s morals and personal values for that choice BUT since GBI isn’t the one picking up the gauntlet to address REAL concerns… (ahem)
Seriously AJ, what can I do to help? You need funds? Name it. What do we need to make this happen? Since GBFans.com already comes up in the top 20 hits for the word “ghostbusters” on Google I’d like to think it’s already a viable destination. ( Second only to the official Sony website and Ghostbusters.net, Troy’s site. ) I’m thinking that If GBFans.com could have a big, ugly button on the main page that would grab the attention of the casual first time viewer. Maybe it could say something like “Hire a Ghostbuster near you for a charity or special event” or similar. It would take them direct to the forum thread where they could post about it. ( And be prompted to join ) Or maybe it would submit a webform that could post on a thread or that an admin/mod could read over… You get the picture.
You want Keith involved in this? I just gave his info to Sean the other day so chances are we’re already in talks with him about other things and now would be a good time to move on this issue while it’s still warm.
I agree with everything you just said.
I believe GBfans should concentrate on the ‘live action’ franchises. And maybe a nod to the fan fictional ones. but a definite line dividing the two.