"The Foundation for Rich Content" (FFRC)

I'm moving this to it's own thread so as not to hijack someone else's thread. For reference, the original thread is here - read the whole thing, but my posts are on page 3.

Basically, I'm starting a foundation to help support event hosters in hopes of fostering more diversity. It seems a lot of people are tired of Tringo, bingo, etc. However, the problem lies in the fact that Linden Labs no longer rewards event hosters, so these types of events are most lucrative, thus the saturation.

But we don't have to sit on our laurels and accept the situation, nor are we limited to simply complaining about it...

So the foundation will collect membership dues and find other ways to raise money (fundraisers etc..), and this funding will be used to subsidize diverse events. We will have a seal for the event hosters to display, and will help foot the marketing costs for approved events. The point is to provide benefits to the event hosters so they will seek us out and be proud to be sponsored by us. Which means we need to be able to show them results in the form of getting the word out and driving attendances and general awareness.

I am toying with names for the foundation. So far I have what's in the thread title, and the other one which is "The Anti-*ingo Foundation" or A*F.

The rest I'll just quote from my other post in the above thread:

We'll need to figure out how to work the dues and paying out to event hosts. So I imagine we'll need a trust worthy treasurer or some sort of system to help with the trust factor. We'll need a charter statement, something that describes why we exist and what our goals are.

To make this work, we need volunteers on the fronts of marketing, organization, and public relations.

Anyone wanting to be a member reply to this thread. I'm working a lot lately so can't get in-world too much, but all we need at this point are interested peoples.

Any thoughts on the strucuture of this thing would help, as well as how can we truly provide benefits for event hosters. People need to proud to be A*F sponsored (or whatever we call ourselves). On the same token, we need to make sure the events we sponsor are rich, diverse, and help us support our charter.

The point of this is not to foster the "tringo sucks and so does anyone who plays it" attitude, so maybe Anti-*ingo is inappropriate. Can anyone else think of a better name?
EDIT: The real point is to provide a *user-created* mechanism to drive great new content and events. We need to stop being so dependant on LL to solve all our problems. This is a platform, both for content development and for community. We'll show 'em....

To clarify, please respond to this post if you would like to help!

Just another thought (so it gets recorded): The foundation will also organize a judging committee and there can be an awards ceremony celebrating the best events that people put on. There can be different categories for the awards, and it can be a black tie charity event type thing where proceeds go back into the foundation for future events.

An award ceremony sounds like a blast. Live music, awards and speeches, the worx.

If you kept the name "The Foundation for Rich Content", I'd be highly inclined to join.
It actually is logical:
Providing a root (a foundation, if you will) for ideas to stand on and grow from, and hopefully blossom into something healthy.


Perhaps one could consider a very minute cover charge: L$1 or L$2 or so -- something that even the basic account holders can afford each week, even if it means attending a club or a place with a money ball that sprinkles a few linden every few minutes or so -- atop the dues, once you calculate them?

Im interested in joining Please count me in.

Thank you April, Araiya and Gabe. I'll be working on a draft of our charter statement over the next couple days. I'm going to be busy with my family this weekend, so I might not get a chance to post it here until next week. I'd like anyone interested in this to add to it until we have a final draft we can all agree on. I see this as the first step (besides collecting names of interested people of course).

In the meantime, I'm at work so I'll just keep trolling the forums on and off during the day for appropriate places to make awareness posts for this thing. Please, if you see a place where people are complaining about *ingo saturation (and there are many many places), make a post with a link back to this one.

And talk it up... let's hear those ideas.

Your welcome RyeDin

If you have yahoo messagener. I could help with the draft. Here is my yahoo [email]acald161@yahoo.com[/email]

RyeDin please send alternate contact information so we can speak to you in detail about teh foundation. Thanks!

Right right, sorry... feel free to contact me on Yahoo messenger, screen name ryedin.

I'm at work during the day but can usually IM. If I don't respond right away, it's just because I'm busy. Also, if it's after normal business hours (CST), know that since I am a programmer I leave my work computer on 24/7 so it may appear that I am online when indeed I am home (and not on the comp)... still IM and I'll get the message when I return.

April and I have already been talking a bit. We're thinking a tentative date for the foundation's first in-world meeting is Sunday Sept. 4th. That should give us some time to promote in-world and off, and get a little organized.

More to come... keep the posts coming

Need to create an in-world group asap to help get the word out. Keep us posted.

Will do as soon as I can. I'll try to get in-world this weekend, but like I said it's going to be busy with family

Well it's late Sunday night, just back home from being with the extended family, and now my boss wants me to go to Cincinatti tomorrow morning and I won't be back until Thursday... Very sorry but I won't be able to post the 1st draft of the charter until Friday.

It's finished though, just sitting on my work computer

Ok, so I felt bad and VPN'ed in to work to get the draft to post it... let me know what ya'll think... like I said I'll be back on Friday to post, and should be able to actually get in-world (WOW) next weekend...


“The Foundation for Rich Content” Charter Statement

We, the members of The Foundation for Rich Content [The Foundation], set forth in this document our mission statement and core values [The Charter]. We are united in a common goal, which is to foster diversity and richness in content and events in Second Life. It will be our duty to provide the tools and funding necessary to support anyone wishing to host such events or create such content. It will further be our duty to aid in marketing, promotion, public relations and other activities to garner general awareness of such content and events.

Behind our individual goals lie a common core of ethics and our strong sense of desire to better the environment of Second Life, which we have all grown to love. The members and officers of The Foundation shall at all times demonstrate these values and act in accordance with The Charter. The list that follows contains our combined goals, creeds and core values, and can be taken as our defining mission statement:

1. We will act in the best interest of growth in diversity and richness of content in Second Life.

2. We will uphold a high level of excellence and trustworthiness in all manners of actions, communications and endorsements undertaken.

3. We will make every effort to develop and maintain a strong framework of support for content creators and event hosts alike.

4. We will accept membership from anyone who is interested in helping support the cause.

5. We will not engage in political favoritism when deciding which events and/or content to apply funding. It is based solely on the quality and diversity of said event or content. If funding is limited, the more diverse options shall get the funding, as decided by committee.

6. We will establish a system of checks and balances to ensure funding applied for and granted is actually used in an appropriate manner. Likewise, we will develop a system to ensure the handling of funds can never be abused by foundation members and officers. If anyone is found to be in violation or is otherwise making personal gain from this system we will take as severe of a course of action as we can.

7. No foundation officer may profit directly from the foundation. The foundation itself may host events or sell wares with the sole intention of raising funds to be used in accordance with this charter.

8. We will make the amount of available funding public knowledge and easily accessible.

9. We will make every effort to educate the general public as to our existence and our goals. Likewise, we will make every effort to promote awareness of the events and content we sponsor.

Have you created an in-world group yet ? If so I'm interested and would like to join it

I have not been in-world yet, just got back from a business trip. I'll go in this weekend (tomorrow) and set something up.

I just got the group created, I'll be sending invites to all who have posted here so far. I have it set up for open enrollment though so anyone can just join. It's called "Foundation for Rich Content"

I have a better idea - Foundation for Intelligent Content, aka FIC

You can call it the brotherhood of pickle relish if you want. As long you join and help us figure out how to make it work .

But maybe don't call it the brotherhood of pickle relish, might not get a lot of respect... FIC sounds good to me (might be able to get some publiciity mileage just by doing that too).

"The Foundation for Intelligent Content"
or
"The Foundation for Rich Content"

I'll make voting on an official name one of the first orders of business for our meeting in a couple weeks (pending, of course, people sign up!).

Please, anyone reading this, if you are interested in donating or know someone who may be... let us know here or by IMing me in-world or on Yahoo (ryedin).

We haven't figured out logistics yet (how to set up a central account etc...), but if we can start a list of names and pledges we'll be able to start gaining traction early on in the public relations front.

Please also join the in-game group (Foundation for Rich Content). Thank you!

I don't really care either, RM. I like the note of humor gained from FIC, but worry that (1) it denotes that we might not be entirely serious and (2) "Rich" seems to encompass more than "Intelligent" would as far as the group goals.

I do really like pickle relish as well, though. Can we make it Brotherhood of Relish Enthusiasts - BORE?

bump

Thanks for that bump - it made me aware of this thread, lol. Sadly, I can't join any more groups (arrrgh), but I wonder if you're interested in running a mailing list or so. I'm definitely interested in participating if I may, and, to be honest, I'll very likely talk to a few more people to join as well (also full on their groups right now!).

Great! Just so you (and anyone reading this thread) knows, things are going VERY slowly with this thing right now. I cannot be in-world more than 2 days a week (most weekends) right now due to working 50-60 hour weeks and having 2 small children. So honestly maintaining a mailing list right now might be difficult to do.

So now you might be thinking I bit off more than I can chew with this thing. I'm hoping not, because I'm hoping to find some uber-SLer who is in-world much more often to help lead the charge.

So, Gwyneth, I guess what I'm saying is welcome to the cause and please feel free to take anything into your own hands that you think of and are willing to "bite off".

April Chung, the group's first officer, has been gracious enough to allow the use of her island (Isle of Bliss) for our first official meeting. It will be at Club Jasmine.

There are currently only about 3 or 4 people, including myself, in the group in-world. Everyone who reads this is invited to join the group and also to attend the first meeting, which is at 5PM Linden time on Sunday, Sept. 11th (6PM CST/7PM EST/4PM PST). I am aware of the grand meaning of that day, so we will spend some time at the beginning of the meeting talking about and remembering our nation's greatest tragedy...

Please, set some time aside this weekend and come join us. We will try to hold meetings regularly to get the ball rolling and keep the ideas flowing. This is our first meeting, so it's very important to show up now and help set the stage. Remember, the goal is to support the spread of great content, everyone can play a part.

If you guys club together and form a group that puts on mentally stimulating, interesting events, I would consider a large corporate sponsorship for your group and it's activities.