Goodby SecondLife Mentors

LOL. Seriously???

First post at http://www.sluniverse.com/php/vb/general-sl-discussion/36994-mentors-disbanded.html

I haven't seen the transcript, though. I didn't even know about the meeting until I read here that the group was getting shot.

That's the deal LL are offering "amateur" sellers to get them off XStreet.

Pep ("A new life awaits you in the Off-world colonies."

Bots????? With, presumably some utterly inadequate form of AI?

/me facepalms . . .

Paradise!

Did you see that episode of Doctor Who, too?

They stole the concept from Bladerunner.

Pep (Or was it Neil Young?)

Fritz Lang?

What songs did he sing?

Pep ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ5vhYtu71s&feature=related )

Yes - I got it.

Natalie Merchant did a pretty good cover, as well.

(About "Metropolis" - probably not a clean analogy:

"Metropolis was promoted on the basis of its images of our urban future. However the opening shots of the film make clear that even for the privileged of Metropolis that urban future is an urban nightmare."

I was probably still stuck thinking about the future of LL rather than failed societies/false utopias. Then again...)

Actually, Oxbridge does offer that sort of targeted-right-to-your-question help. It's only recently that they started offering formal classes *in addition to* the mentor-type activity.

Newbie: hello HelpfulBot25756
Bot: hello (???)
Newbie: ?
Bot: Please state your question.
Newbie: how do I get off this island??
Bot: Response missing from database.
Newbie: what?
Bot: The HelpfulBot service is currently experiencing difficulty. We apologize for the inconvenience.
*Newbie logs off*

Or they could be truly sadistic and train the bots with Torley's "yayzorama" blog posts.

You haven't realised it, but one of these these bots has been trialled here in the forums for some time now. It had initial problems with the spelling of the definitive article, but that seems to have been rectified now.

Pep (It still doesn't make much sense though.)

Oxbridge almost always has people hanging around who will greet new residents with a "Welcome to Second Life and Caledon!" and ask if they need any help--then answer those questions. Sometimes of course, the answer is to take the new person to the portion of the tutorial that answers that question

There are a number of other places that do the same sort of thing including both Community Gateways and resident run help organizations like NCI and the Shelter. Lots of SL Mentors worked through and with such organizations, so it may have seemed to LL that the resident organizations were doing all the work and the Mentors were not.

Interestingly enough, I got an invite to a group for ex-Mentors yesterday, even though I had never in my entire time in SL been a Mentor!

That's actually reassuring, Carl. Do you think that LL will start routing noobs directly to such places? And that Oxbridge, NCI, et al. will be able to manage to take up the slack?

(I suspect you were contacted by the ex-Mentors because of your legendary status as sort of Über-Mentor )

"HelpfulBot25756" sounds about twice as responsive as most of the bots I've met.

/me whacks Pep over the wrist with a ruler.

That's great to hear. Now, I suspect, the problem is getting the noobs there.

Fixed that for me.

I'm really unhappy with this fact that LL has decided to do away with the group. Wonder what they are going to put in it's place.. more Lindens? Riiiiiggghhhttt..

/me looks for the "Violence Against Men" discussion line in the *absolutely gender-unspecific" month-long event currently happening . . .

Pep ( . . . but astonishingly enough, can't find it. )

PS Hypocrite.

Well, Pep, it's like this. The in-world events for this have all been put together by volunteer groups and individuals willing to volunteer their time. I know of no group or individual who has been turned away. But it would seem that there are no men's advocacy groups in SL willing to contribute. In fact, it seems that there are no men's advocacy groups in SL, period. Now, do you think we should find some willing women to present on behalf of men, given that there are no men apparently willing to do so?

Here's a completely serious offer. As you feel so very strongly about this issue, if you are willing to put together a presentation -- and assuming that it isn't a tirade against women, but rather a thoughtful discussion of the issues -- I will do everything that I can to have you added to the schedule of events. I'm creating an exhibit and co-presenting a presentation myself: I'm sure that your passion for this subject extends at least so far as that?

Give me a call Pep, and we'll discuss this.


"Is this a raised middle finger I see before me?"

/me has always loved Macbeth, but wishes that the Scottish hero had found less violent means of expressing himself.

Macbeth was simply a mindless drugged pawn in the hands of a violent woman with a sickness of the brain.

Pep (Do you think perhaps that is Rhonda's fantasy - and the reason she is so bitter about not being able to fulfil it?)

PS It was the raised ruler rather than the middle finger that was relevant; you obviously don't have personal concerns about exacting violence upon men. Retribution? Punishment? Or how do *you* justify it? Your original post's manifesto claimed that violence in rp was as relevant as in rl, so where do you stand on violence in the forums? Your own in particular.

I should probably read more about this before posting, but: Is there a "Community Partnership Program" opportunity here somewhere? Ignoring for the moment the land ownership issue (details, details), would it make sense for some "community" to form from former Mentors, Helpers, Greeters, etc., to devise some new plan for helping with NUE?

Is there (or could there be) enough known about LL's plans to prevent going in directions that might be redundant, irrelevant, or counter-productive?

Would there be motivation for it--if not among the many-times-bitten former helpers, perhaps with a new cast?

(I know who I'd wish for leader of such an initiative, but he might be a little busy now... and as I've said before, I hope LL's New User Experience initiative is already doing whatever he might recommend.)

I would like to issue a most sincere and heartfelt apology to anyone and everyone on this forum, and most especially to Mr. Daniels, for my employment of an image of excessive violence in response to a posting by the latter:



I realize now how very inappropriate this image is, and will be seeking counselling in an effort to overcome what I now see to be a serious personal problem. I ask that your hopes and prayers accompany me as I work to overcome this latent tendency towards assault and violence.

I would like to further assure Mr. Daniels that I have removed all measuring instruments from the proximity of my desk, to ensure that there is no repeat of this incident. Please rest easy knowing that you will not find yourself faced in the future by the threat of assault with a deadly calculator or slide rule.

Contritely,
Scylla Rhiadra