Is there a technical solution to the Mentor Chat problem?

People complain about the chat on the mentor group chat window.

Is there a technical solution to this problem?

Perhaps some kind of scripted chat repeater that you could put on when you are feeling both chatty and mentorish and take off when you aren't?

Could the Linden coders make groups that could be joined and left at will but only by people who are members of a certain other group, in this case the mentor group?

Maybe create a group in some more sophisticated chat system like AOLIM, ICQ, or some such with membership limited to members of the official SL volunteer groups, membership in this group being of course opt in, and thus one would gain the ability to turn it on and off at will?


Just a little thought inspired by some mentors spamming the mentor chat with a discussion of spam in the mentor chat.

Ok what about what LH has? the abily to turn on and off the IM

lol.. seems to me most chat in the mentor group chat is about the fact that the mentor group chat is being spammed with unnessasary chat.. *my head hurts*

There will be a revamp on the whole IM system (see Vivox's site for a list of things that might get implemented in SL). But some of the issues with the IM Group chat for Mentors is that it should serve a purpose. The original purpose (Char getting in touch with us) is simply too limited; we need a way to communicate, request assistance, ask for help, etc.

Remember, the IM chat group is the fastest way for "newbie Mentors" to get their questions answered quickly. So I see it much more as a "social" problem, not a technical one. If you're not even willing to help fellow Mentors, why would you be willing to help new residents...? The point is, spamming the group for announcing events/products/services or saying "hi everybody, I'm bored" is naturally an abuse due to lack of education — but that's a social issue.

This concept is lost these days in the group, and some believe its their right to be in this group. Wrong! Helping each other and new people is the reason for this group........Reaching out to others in the group when they need help is vital..that goes for new mentors and newbies.......Its a dual role we play.

Because, well, being a Mentor implies that you know how to do stuff.

If you don't even know how to put a URL stream on your land, why are you a Mentor? I am a patient person, and I am not saying that Mentors have to be experts in everything. But they should at least have a sound base of knowledge of the basic SL tools.

Now, I do not agree that Mentors berating other Mentors in the group channel is constructive, but I definitely relate to where they're coming from. Let's look at it this way. If you were a teacher in a school, you'd assume that the new geography teacher would know certain things, like for instance the location of France. This is, of course, addressing a different issue, namely the application and acceptance process of Mentors (and no, I'm not trying to be elitist, I am trying to be clear). I believe it is a combination of the frustration at that process with being bombarded with 50 IMs at once that creates a rather cranky atmosphere in this group.

It would be nice if they had it set up like Live Help, where you only get IM'd if you have the group activated, but at the moment it's more constructive to discuss what garners an IM to 750 people.

Well, no one is an expert in everything... the best we can hope is that Mentors are roughly familiar with most things, and ask for help if we need to know more! That way, you spread a vast amount of knowledge across several people. But there is a need to tap that knowledge; and sadly, the only tool we have for that is IM.

I definitely agree that the best way would be to have the IM Group function work like the one for Live Help, since we know it's technically possible.

This one i propose that should happen........As I said above it could be possible to have a LH type of IM on and off system.

Just to point out: The way Live Helpers are described as being able to turn off/on their IMs is not alltogether accurate.

The Live Help group is unique because there are two types of IM chat:

1. Group chat: This is the same sort of group chat that the other helper groups receive. We have no more or less ability to turn this off than anyone else.

2. User Help Requests: These are requests sent to Live Help by clicking "Help" // "Live Help". These requests only go to Liasons and those who have their Live Help tag active. These requests don't go to the group per-se, but instead show up in their own special IM session.

Note that it is only the latter flavor of chat that we have any control over. For group chat, we're in the same boat everyone else is in.

I look forward to when Linden revamps... ahem... overhauls the entire chat infrastructure. Its long overdue.

sorry but I have to let this out. What annoys me is someone asking..."Is there a Linden Liason online?" Instead of asking in the mentor group chat, the mentor should search for Linden in find and click on "online."

Sorry for the rant

I personally will not be holding my breath waiting for this to happen.

I'd prefer a simple, limited solution that might be able to be implemented in the next version of the main grid, to waiting for some indefinite period of time for something that might never happen.

oh boy

Thank you for the clarification!

Lindens, please! We're running around in the dark here ... with laser guns.

Then check the Linden staffer's group affiliation to make sure they are a Liaison, sometimes the programmers, bug men, etc. are online and should be left to their programming and debugging and such.

I'd add to this asking to be TP'd to Waterhead. Sheesh! Get a landmark, or pull up the map and type waterhead in the find region. Or learn where it is on the map and click on it and click teleport or doubleclick it. If you don't arrive at the exact location, use the minimap to see the green dots and fly to them.

Or use the find dialog and type in waterhead, in the places tab, or type in welcome area, or type in linden location, and click the teleport button.

To comment on the LiveHelp IM system, we still get all LiveHelp GROUP IM's, we can only control if we get LiveHelp IM's for people needing LiveHelp, then also if you limit it to people who have there tag on when somone needs help and you dont have your tag on then that could be 1 less person able to help, I dont always have my mentor tag on but i will still go and help if somone needs it.

Exactly. The people I saw doing this weren't even new mentors either.

When you say "have your tag on" does that mean having the Live Help group set to Active, or does that mean you have a scripted object attached, or something else?

having your tag on, you only get LiveHelp IM's from peopel needing help when your tag is actvie, you still get LiveHelp group IM's though

Having the group set active.