In the Mentor Hood: October 2008

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

SL Forum and Negative People

I often try to keep my blog positive. Today I was sorry to have to read the SL forums
http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=289874&page=1&pp=15
the above post made me very not happy. Why? The people who posted to it did it to harm 1700 other people. To demean the work of so many people because you did not remain active enough in a group to read your notices and renew your Mentor tag is just selfish beyond reason.

I encourage you, no I implore you to take the positive side. Go to forums and answer negative attacks with all the style and patience of a Second Life Mentor. Kill the rumors and negative attacks with resources, facts and solutions. Do not feed into their negative vent. That is how they win. I also invite you to take any negative rumors or accusations to the horse's mouth. If someone states a rumor that you know is untrue, verify it! Use your resources, IM a Coach or a Buddy or a Vteam member.

The people who spun that load of crap on the forums were aiming for us. Their aim is weak. Too bad we are prepared with facts and the many resources that all SL residents have at their disposal.

Lastly I want to thank you for all your hard work and efforts. For being on HIs, WAs and Infohubs. For taking time out of your Second Life to make time for people who just need a little support. You are exceptional people one and all. You didn't deserve those attacks. The people who did that were just plain wrong.

Good Mentoring!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Graduation Party Planning

Monday is the planning meeting for the graduation 10 am SLT at Center Stage.

If you would like to participate please join us.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

JIRA Hijinx

http://jira.secondlife.com/browse/MISC-1728

Have some fun with it. The issue has been resolved. It is just for amusement.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Gesture Project Deadline Extended Till Monday Oct 20

https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Gesture_Project
The deadline for submissions has been extended to MONDAY October 20th so if you have any entries drop them on a committee member listed on the wiki entry. This is a great time for you to enter a gesture you find helpful or fun. Have a look. Come on people look over your gestures and throw some good ones this way.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

If You Did Not Renew Your Mentor Tag and Need a Help Group

If you did not renew your Mentor Tag and have been removed from the Mentor group, please see Rails Bailey or myself as soon as you can.
We can get you into a Help Group (SAM or Help People) while you wait for applications to open again.
If you are upset or angry please IM us and we will try and help you as best we can. If you need to speak to a Vteam member please do so.
Rails and I will always be around to help any of you at any time. Just IM us.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

An Open Letter to the Upset Mentor in my IM Box

Dear Upset Mentor,

It is truly nice to talk to you. Thank you for only IMing me when you are really ticked off.
I wish we could have said three words to each other when things were nicer. Maybe had a nice discourse on the Help Islands or what you thought of a Wiki entry. But you did not give me the courtesy of a baseline conversation and now you are in my IM box losing your mind in 2000 words or less.

I am all about helping other mentors. I am very pro mentor and pro resident. So I am going to be courteous and read this small novella you are typing to me. What I am going to do is try and figure out which one thing needs attention first.
In the meantime, while you type away, I am going to list off some things I have wanted to mention to you about IM messages and common courtesy.

Doc this is all screwed up! is not how you say hello.
You are a giant butthole!!!! is not how you get my attention.
Rails told me to IM you, doesn’t tell me why.

If anything as Mentors, we should know how to IM someone. If you are not in a chat group at the time of the need to contact someone, please remember to say hello. If you are talking to someone in a chat group then you do not have to say hello because a conversation is already in progress.

If you are angry or upset over something someone said, do not take it out on the person you go to for help. This is a matter of focusing and trying to find solutions if you have IMed me. It is not about unloading your frustration on me and making me into the target. That doesn’t help anyone.

Issuing threats in an IM is a TOS violation, DO NOT do it!!!!
MUTE is your friend!
Just because someone is saying something that hurts you does not mean you have to listen.
You do not have to like everyone but you have to be courteous to them as it states in the Tao.

Not everyone thinks before they open their mouth, unfortunately, and sometimes they put their foot in it. Learning to know when to say nothing and walk away is a great skill. It can be your skill as well.

This has been a hard week for us all. Mentors not renewing and being removed. The group being cleaned up and our roles in the volunteer program changing. Change is something that in SL and RL happens. As with any other challenge we will all work together through the difficult patches.

The volunteer email list is not the place to air these issues. If you have been removed from the mentor group, do not email 2000 people to tell them about it. If you have any questions about your removal go directly to the source and IM a Vteam member.

Emailing 2000 people to tell them about how you think the renewal should have been run and your thoughts on it also not good. IM the Vteam and tell them. You need to speak directly to the source.

If you are upset, by all means, IM me and tell me what I can do to help you. Just try and communicate effectively. I know you know how.