Post date: May 22, 2016 6:35:28 PM
I need to begin by saying that this is a compilation of discussions that have been held on Facebook during 2016. This is in no way an official declaration of SCA College of Arms policy, procedure, intent, etc. All information below is unofficial and not to be taken as anything other than informational.
Some kingdoms are testing and using electronic submission systems for names and armory, and people are frequently curious why that system has not been adopted Society-wide. There are a lot of reasons which all play into one another and make electronic submissions less easy to implement than the average person might think.
Note: Once submissions pass the kingdom level, the process is already completely electronic. The discussion concerns implementing electronic submissions for kingdoms.
✓ No unified submissions process
In some kingdoms, all submissions must come through a warranted herald, who fills out the paperwork and sends it to the submissions herald, and so on through the process. In those kingdoms, it might be feasible to require a warranted herald to be able to create and process electronic submissions. However, that would have the effect of requiring warranted heralds to maintain a certain level of computer design skill and have equipment to process submissions. This could place an undue burden on individual heralds and make those positions hard to fill.
In some kingdoms, individuals are free to submit their own name and armory direct to the kingdom submissions herald. For this reason, any electronic submission system would have to be understandable and accessible to the lay user.
✓ Accessibility for all
At its core, the SCA is about all of our individual members. Consider the challenges faced by a submitter who has hand-drawn their design, and wants to submit it, but has no scanner or means to get their drawing into the electronic submission system.
When all is said and done, we will still need the paper submission process to accommodate those who do not have access to electronic submission resources, or those who do not have the graphic design skills necessary to create electronic submissions.
✓ Fees vary
Submission fees are different from kingdom to kingdom, a lot of which depends on how each kingdom funds their College of Heralds. In the East, the College is funded entirely out of submission fees, so those fees tend to be higher than in other kingdoms that subsidize their College. In Lochac, there are no submissions fees and the College is fully funded from the kingdom revenue. Because each kingdom has different fees, it's harder to create a centralized system.
In addition, tax laws in the US govern how non-profit agencies can use their budgets. Kingdoms in the US are prohibited from using kingdom funding to pay for submissions (i.e., make them free) because that would make submissions a gift that directly benefits individuals. Tax laws for non-profits are complex, and contribute to how the College of Heralds is funded in each kingdom.
✓ Payment method hurdles
There is no Society-wide system for electronic payments, so there will always have to be a part of the process that is done on paper, via postal mail or in-person exchange. This policy comes from the SCA Board of Directors, and is not something that the SCA College of Heralds can change or influence in any way. Only the BoD can authorize use of electronic payment systems, so kingdoms cannot set up their own.
If a unified payment method were to be implemented, the SCA College of Heralds would no doubt request that the Board allow it to be used for submissions payments – but that time has not yet arrived. If you have questions or concerns about electronic payment methods, those are best addressed directly to the Board (http://www.sca.org/BOD/).
It is also good to remember that online submissions are not without cost - server space can be a costly resource, and that cost will continue to rise.
✓ Technological hurdles
Simply put, the infrastructure needed to support Society-wide electronic submissions is not as easy to build and maintain as many people believe that it is. The hurdles are not impossible to overcome, but they are non-trivial. In addition, the solution must be viable in the long-term – it must work solidly for years to come.
The initial programming, the ongoing maintenance of that code base, the purchase and maintenance of servers – each of these have a cost in volunteer time and real world dollars. Developing standards for submission that can apply universally is also a challenge – there is a huge list of operating systems, graphic programs, and differences in equipment to take into account.
We need to keep in mind that registration is based solely on the emblazon (submitted artwork), so any inconsistency between platforms or programs has a huge impact on the registration process.
To reflect the increasing reliance on electronic means of storage and processing heraldic submissions, the SCA College of Arms (and therefore each kingdom that charges fees) increased the submissions fee in August of 2016. This increase in fees reflects the increase in need for additional server space, which is expected to sharply rise in the next few years, and to continue to rise.
Color profiles are often discussed, and as of June 2016, Laurel has declined to create a list of acceptable hex, RGB, CYMK, or LAB color designations. The "really safe" 22-color palette does not include options for all heraldic tinctures (most of the greens are lime, the purple is nearly pink), and the wider palette of 216 colors does not always render the same from program to program. Different graphic programs use different standard color profiles (CMYK verus sRGB, for example), and even within the same program, different versions can have different color profiles. "Safe" colors is a long and interesting discussion, you can read some of the history in this article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_colors
It is worth noting that OSCAR (the submissions system) cannot parse CMYK colors, and requires .jpg files at 300 dpi, in the RGB color profile.
(Istvan Non Scripta is writing an article about color profiles, which will supplement or replace the above paragraph.)
✓ Who accepts what?
That is a really complicated question! Not every kingdom is attempting online submissions, and of those that are, each describes something different when they talk about online/electronic submissions. Are the forms generated solely online through a program? Do you download and fill out PDFs, and then email completed PDFs to the submissions herald? Where does your payment get sent, since that's not an online system yet?
The only real answer is that each kingdom does it differently. Get in touch with the submissions herald for each kingdom to find out how they do things.
In conclusion
If you want to volunteer your time and energy toward creating or maintaining an electronic submission platform for kingdom or society use, you should contact your kingdom’s submissions herald, who can share with you the current status of efforts in your kingdom and direct you to where your talents can make a difference.