A Proposal

Anymore suggestions on how to improve the proposal?

I really don't like the idea of having to pay to put an event on the calendar.

The calendar is there for information, there are categories for you to decide what you want to see and what you don't want to see.

As far as commercial and non commercial, classes already get event support why would they not have to pay to be on the calendar as well. Not to mention to get that support you have to give...a right arm, a first born child...kidding, but you have to jump through hoops to get it.

The money would go toward supporting classes? Well there are very few classes that are given and they already get linden support. So how much more do the classes need to be supported?

I think we should work toward making things easier, not harder.

Great points... As far as classes being supported I agree the hoops to receive the support is great. The reason I think few are willing to hold classes is the rule requiring a minimum of 5 attendees to receive support. More than half of the classes I hold fall below the 5 attendee requirement, so I don't get support for those classes even tho I am on site for the entire class time. The support isn't that big of a deal to me because I teach out of personal pleasure seeing people learn. However, in order to get more people teaching LL needs to concern it self with making classes avaliable rather than counting how many attend.
I do see a need to weed out those classes where people are teaching a worthless class no one ever attends only for the tiny support offered, if it ever becomes a problem. In the mean time the incintive to teach needs a big boost.
I would also like to see the process of getting a class approved streamlined so someone willing to teach can apply today and get approved by tomorrow.
I also think we can recognize these teachers by adding top teacher to the listed in the leader board.
Another incentive might be LL support the class land with a tier upgrade at no cost to the teacher/group as long as the class is offered X number of times a month on the land regardless of what else is placed on the land. If that number of classes aren't held the following month the teir will reflect the going rate. I don't mind offering teachers big incentives if they are willing to do the work LL needs done. To me these are people who should get compensated for their time and efforts. I would be more than happy to forgo any of these benefits to quell the nay sayers who think I'm saying these things for my own pocket. It's my hope teaching will become a major part of SL's activities I don't plan on teaching everyday and I make these suggestings out of my lazy nature. I would rather let others teach classes, I prefer mentoring newbies one on one which isn't supported.

As educational classes would no longer receive direct Linden support as they do now, the fees collected for posting commercial events would instead pay that support. It may even allow for more monies to pay out in support for educational events and possibly with fewer hurdles to jump over. If you would, maybe create an addendum to the current proposal that would spell out exact L$ amounts and the rules for receiving educational grants/support.

Hey y'all. I'm stickin my hand in a bag of cats again, I think, but here goes...

First off, maybe the term "dividing" isn't just the right way to put it. How about a better system of defining and highlighting what event is for what. Events calendar has grown since I joined, but the method of listing hasn't. Our tools need to evolve to keep pace with our society.
Change is always disturbing, and Second Life is changing quite quickly, becoming more complex. From a newb standpoint, I'm bettin' that events listing looks pretty confusin, and I'll tell you what..a better way of searching/posting events would make my life a little easier.


As far as judging what classes are worthy of what, that's getting into some sticky territory there. Anytime you start saying something has no worth, basically, you're giving your own perspective on things. I know some folks who teach an excellent class, but due to time or lack of publicity or what have you, only get maybe one or two folks signed up.

Class numbers can be as much about luck of the draw as anything else. Which case, I'd be happy to pay any Pathfinder in that situation what the Lindens would. I know my teaching folks, all of em do a very good class, and I try to survey the folks that attend afterwards. Haven't had a complaint yet.
As far as monitoring all classes for quality. It takes poor Mel 4 hours to knock together my weekly report (we're working on a better way Mel I promise) , how the heck are the Lindens going to do quality control on classes.

And there's another hiccup. Control. This games all about the players developing content. Once the Lindens start judging the WORTH of a product, and classes ARE something players produce....that opens up a whole new can of worms.

There's always gonna be folks that take advantage of a system. Folks that are honestly about education need to make sure that thier own classes are top notch, and word of mouth is a powerful tool. Ask anyone who reads these forums.

As for paying to put a class on the calendar and the money going to support educational events, well that would be nice wouldn't it.(No bias here LOL) Kind of like a PBS sort of thing (publically funded television, no commercial support).
Maybe it should be an option for commercial ventures. Have $25 L be the donation, and an award of recognition that folks can show for donating. Heck I'd be willing to construct an awards night for Educational Support Leaders.
Folks always give more happily when they know it's not demanded and that they'll be at least told "Thank you"
Recognition for a good deed is something everyone enjoys. No matter what the motivation.

Money. No matter what, folks are gonna be fretting about people earning soemthing off education. Be it dwell, or funding what have you. Like I said further back on this little novella, a class is something a resident produces. They take time to prepare, time teach, time to create class materials. Requesting to be supported, for something that's not designed to make money, and running the risk that you wont get it, well. Teacher's are that well paid in real life either LOL..

But..go on back, and read over Mel's. She's been doing these reports on classes for over two months now, and some folks at Touchstone are working on a database the hopefully, will clear up some fuss and confusion over where education is at in Second Life.


Peace and brownies folks

Jase

But see, I am not saying to give all the support to classes. I am saying that making the others pay for the little amount of classes that are held is not a good idea.

The one thing you have to look at is the popularity of the events. Yes, the calendar is crowded but people are going to these events. Be it tringo, slingo, bingo, sexy in black, blue, red and orange...they are going.

When you ask the club owner to put out more money out of pocket...its hurting the overall economy. Lets face it, there are not ready made ways to make money in here. I mean, OBVIOUS ones...so a lot of newbies go to clubs to dance and host events. These newbies are the same ones that are starting out fresh and pretty much overwhelmed by what SL has to offer. So they buy clothes, buy furniture, buy land...different things to help keep this going.

If the land owners have to pay for event posting then that cuts down on what they pay the workers. They aren't going to lower the cash prizes for the events.. its what draws people in now.

I agree taking more from the economy isn't needed right now after the recent changes that already decreased the money supply. If at some time in the future the value of $L goes down too much the LL may consider taking more out (They control the money supply with taxes and fees like in the real world). At this time LL has decided offering $500L( completely new money created when the class is held) isn't harming the value of the currency. With that newly created money more goods are sold or the money is sold on GOM making it avaliable to those seeking to buy money. If that stops the value of $L may increase too much. Especially if money is removed from the event posters to support the classes. I think that $4us per $1000L is where LL wants to stay.

As for educational events, you have a vary valid point about content control by the LL. Unfortunately, LL already controls supported class content through their approval process. There might be valid reasons to hold m rated classes, but they won't be approved or supported.

I'm glad you brought up the point of small class size. Many excellent classes are small, most people would rather dance in a club or play some kind of -ingo game. The best classes I ever attended were small, many less than 5 attendees, which would not be supported under current rules for supported classes. In a climate where it's difficult to get teachers to hold classes perhaps we should err on the side of liberal rules for class support, at least until we see more than a class or two per day.

I'd say that anything for which there is no cover charge or no game charge should be considered non-profit, notwithstanding if there are malls on the land (many clubs offer a place to sell stuff as one of the only benefits "staff" see, particularly as clubs and other venues can't afford to adequately pay staff without going into their own pockets.

I guess what I wonder is how the money will be used to pay for those events. And why shouldn't the Lindens be paying for educational events when they are mostly about how to use the world's interface?

Who will shell out the dough? will it be an independent council of business people? and if so, what measures will there be to ensure transparency and lack of bias?

I am a big believer in arts and culture funding. I hope a workable version of this plan happens, but I don't see why it also needs to pay for educational events, unless it plans to top up the $500 that the Lindens already pay. I wonder how many events per day would be able to be funded? If the answer is not many, I wonder if we might leave the payment of educational events to the Lindens and the subsidy of non-profit events to this fund. Just my .002. Hope everyone has had a great 10 days without me chiming in! lol (took a vacation).

I agree 100% with the last post and for me this is the whole crux of the argument.

Why should we have to stump up money to teach people how to make their way in Second Life?

This also filters down to event support as well and while many people come up with the 'freeloading' argument I beg to differ.How many trail accounts became full or premium because of the fun and friends a player made at an event?

Linden support of events was a good thing & in my opinion they should support the educational events too, because at the end of the day the thing we're ALL promoting IS Second Life.