Difference between revisions of "Community Communication Channels"

Revision as of 23:45, 19 April 2007

When building any society, communication is a vital tool in the establishment, promotion and persistence of that community. As the Dragon Isles grow and prosper new ways of inter-dragon interaction are being created, and established methods are being promoted so that we can all communicate in an organised and fun way. This page is intended to highlight the most common ways of both contacting other dragons in the community and of how you might be contacted yourself.

Generally in this document, the mention of "Isles Staff" refers to members of the High Council of Wyrms group, and mention of "Community Leaders" refers to the IoW Mayor, IoW Mentors and IoW Guides, with the new IoW Volunteers being mentioned later on too.

Isles Staff/Community Leaders to Citizens

From time to time the High Council or the Community Leaders may make in world announcements to inform Citizens about upcoming dragon releases, changes to the Isles, dragon events, community messages and other pertinent information. These can take several forms depending on which dragon-related group they are made in:

The "Three Councils" Groups

These are the Council of Wyrms, Council of Wyrmlings and Council of Wyrm Hatchlings groups. Citizens can request to join these groups after purchasing an avatar. Please see the Dragon FAQ for more details.

Usage

Only owners of the relevant Dragon Avatar can be members in these groups and they are mainly used for administrative purposes. The Group Instant Message chat facility in these groups should not be used by anyone other than members of the High Council.

Communication Types

Members of these groups will see two types of announcement:

• The "Group Blue Popup" or Group Notice to use the correct Second Life terminology, which as its informal name suggests manifests as a large blue popup with the group name and the announcement prominently displayed. This type of communication is stored by the SL system for historical viewing and can be re-read at any time by going into the group information and clicking on the Notices tab. This type of message can only be sent by authorised personnel.

• Instant Messages from/to to the group. These appear in the same way as person to person IM's in the Second Life interface, but are viewable by any member of the group who is online at the time. This type of message cannot be limited by the SL Group permissions system, so while any member of the group is technically capable of sending one the High Council ask that you refrain from doing so. Repeat violations of this rule are likely to result in being ejected from the group.

The IoW Citizens Group

This group is the Isle of Wyrms Citizens group and it fills several roles. You will find this group mentioned several times under each of the main headings in this document, as it is the primary group for general communication on the Isles.

Usage

All members of the community may use this group for general communication and chat. You will not be penalised for typing on the Group Instant Message area in this group and citizens are encouraged to chat meaningfully amongst themselves, provided that all usual IoW content rules are adhered to. In a Staff/Community Leaders to Citizens context, the following types of communication are most likely to occur:

Communication Types

• The High Council will occasionally send "Group Blue Popups" - Group Notices - in this group if these notices pertain to general community issues rather than specific dragon avatar issues. For example, this can include notification of upcoming community events or announcements relevant only to subgroups of the community.

• Community Leaders have the ability to send "Group Blue Popups" - Group Notices - in this group and may do so on infrequent occasions, for example to announce community meetings or citizen-driven events.

Note: These communications are stored by the SL system for historical viewing and can be re-read at any time by going into the group information and clicking on the Notices tab.

• Announcements may be occasionally made in the Group Instant Message, but these will usually be spur of the moment or transient announcements that do not require or necessitate a Group Notice. Mostly everybody will be joining in the friendly and engaging banter and inspirational chat that is sure to take place.

Citizens to Staff/Community Leaders

There are several channels of communication that enable Isle of Wyrms Citizens to speak with the High Council or with the Community Leaders:

General Channels of Communication

Perhaps the most obvious way is through general chat or personal Instant Message, depending on the nature of the communication. But to whom should you direct your message? IoW Guides, IoW Mentors and IoW Volunteers are your first line of communication for general enquiries. They will do their best to provide accurate and informative information and can help you to find answers. The Dragon Guardians and other High Council personnel are also there to assist you, but their role is more of a peacekeeping and administrative one; if you are in the midst of a griefer attack or need to request membership in one of the dragon avatar groups then they are your people.

If in doubt, look for an IoW Volunteer, Guide or Mentor; they will be able to assist or redirect your communication as necessary.

The IoW Citizens Group

For new citizens of the Isles with general enquiries this can be a good place to start. Lots of experienced community members are part of this group and many people read the group IM chat. If you need to talk to a Staff member or a Community Leader privately, popping a message into the group chat here can be an easy way of finding out who's online and available at that moment in time. However, for non-general purpose enquiries, such as specific questions about using the dragon avatars or other "Help me!" requests, a separate group exists:

The IoW Help Forum Group

The Isle of Wyrms Help Forum group is a valuable resource for prospective avatar owners or newborn dragons getting to grips with the avatar, as well as for seasoned community veterans with intriguing problems. The good part about this group from the newborn dragon's point of view is that membership is "open" - meaning no invite is required - so you can easily join up in order to get help with any aspect of the dragons, from pre-purchasing questions through to many advanced topics. Lots of experienced Citizens as well as Staff and Community Leaders frequent this group, making it a valuable resource. Please remember though that it is a Help Forum and is not for general chat, as there are other groups for this purpose.

Citizens to Citizens

The Isles is a community first and foremost and communication between the Citizens and friends of the dragons is important and encouraged through the following avenues:

General Channels of Communication

Socialising and social events on the Dragon Isles are some of the most fun aspects of the community springing up around the dragon avatars. As well as getting out there and meeting dragons at the Drum Circle, in the "common room" on the top floor of the Cathedral or on and about the Isles in general, there are also several ways to interact with fellow citizens:

The IoW Citizens Group

For those who have knitted into the community enough to join the ranks of the IoW Citizens, this group provides everyone with the opportunity to interact; share thoughts, ideas, information or friendly chat via the Group Instant Message feature in this group to connect with other dragons. Group chat in this group is not restricted and everyone is encouraged to join in, provided all usual Isles rules are observed.

The Dragon Friends Group

This is a social group for dragons and friends of dragons alike. If you know someone who might be peripherally interested in the Isles or the avatars then this group could well be of interest to them to experience a flavour of the spirit of the Isles.

The IoW Help Forum Group

This group is for help and support rather than general chat, but experienced citizens are welcome to join and participate in helping their fellow dragon avatar owners get to grips with their dragon form, or help prospective owners pick the right form and navigate the purchasing procedures.