Linden Lab Bringing Back Second Life Mentors

 

 Longtime residents of Second Life may remember when Linden Lab had an official Mentor group in it's early days. But in November 2009, the Lab announced it was retiring the program, saying, "While the official Mentor Volunteer Program has been an extremely valuable endeavor, its sheer size has made it increasingly difficult to support, and we need to reallocate our resources at the Lab for other Resident-focused programs." The move has long been criticized as another example of the Lab's shortsightedness, at least during this time.

After more than thirteen years, Linden Lab seems to have changed it's mind. Yesterday on June 8, it announced that it was calling for people to sign up to be part of "A New Generation of Second Life Mentors!"

To coincide with our 20th Birthday celebrations, we are excited to announce the introduction of a new generation of Second Life Mentors.

Second Life Mentors will be the first ripple in the pond of “Paying It Forward”. 

Paying it forward is an ancient concept but we are bringing it right up to date and beyond in our amazing Second Life Community and “Our Fantastic Future”!

There will be two teams of volunteer Mentors.
 
-The Second Life Mentors, welcoming and guiding New Residents arriving at the Welcome areas and helping with ongoing assistance. 

-The Bellisseria Mentors, introducing people to the many themes and choices of Linden Homes and assisting people to settle into their Community across the Bellisseria Continent.

We will welcome Mentors with all levels of knowledge and experience. The most important qualities will be patience, warmth, positivity, fun, and a focus on inclusion. Mentors will learn and develop new skills and information within our teams with ongoing skill-sharing, training, and Community development ideas to take forward and share with our wonderful fellow Residents. 

 

In the blog post were links to two separate applications, in Google docs. One was for the new regular Mentors group (here). The other was for a special Mentors group for the BelliHub in Bellissaria (link).  It stated there would be training sessions to attend, and that this was a volunteer position so there would be no pay. They would also need to list days of the week and times they could regularly be available. And, a detail that some residents will find annoying, Mentors must use the official, or Linden Lab, Second Life Viewer. 

In a thread in the official forums, reaction from commentators was skeptical. For some, having to use the official viewer was a dealbreaker. Others felt there were reasons the Lab discontinued the old Mentor program, such as drama and people abusing authority. There were also people recommending that the Lab not use volunteers, but make the Mentors paid workers, "You get what you pay for."

So Linden Lab has brought back a group whose removal people complained about for years. But with its return, different people are complaining.

Bixyl Shuftan

Announcement: "A Sad Loss in SL, RL and Builders Brewery," William Beauclerc Has Died

Today, we grieve one of our own at Builders Brewery. I am sorry to announce the passing of our very dear friend, Williambeauclerc. Known and loved by so many as BB's Show and Tell host, teacher, script guru, moderator, mentor and the calm in all our storms...

He passed away from complications un-related to COVID19. He knew this may be coming, yet he faced it  with amazing bravery and acceptance, just like how he handled all of us in our moments of chaos ... always

From Sensuous Maximus in Builders Brewery group

Newcomer Hangout "The Shelter" Turns Fourteen

Most new residents to Second Life need a helping hand. And one place they've gone to for help and guidance is "The Shelter." It was on August 20, 2004, Travis Lambert and Lars Bismark established the place. While it didn't start out as a newcomer helping place, with people bringing in newbies to the location, it eventually focused on helping them. For most of it's history, it has been in it's current location in the Isabel sim.

The Shelter is doing a couple things to celebrate it's birthday. At 1PM today, they will be having a music event with DJ Spug Shinn. They are also giving out copies of a vehicle.

To read the Newser's article on The Shelter from March 2011, Click Here.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Isabel/25/207/59

Hat Tip: Daniel Voyager.

Bixyl Shuftan

Dirk Talamasca, Noted Second Life Mentor, Dies

It was reported on his Facebook page by his real life brother that Dirk Talamasca, an early land baron whom came to be a noted mentor, had passed away in real life. Saffia Widdershins described Dirk as "one of the strongest proponents Second Life had. He was an early Land Baron, a Second Life Mentor, a supporter of artists in the virtual realm, and a wise and witty friend to so many." He passed away on Sunday March 30, 2014. Numerous people posted on the Facebook page and other places their condolences. Stoker Serpentine commented, "For anyone who has ever had the honor of meeting Dirk in person or SL, you are instantly swept up in his razor-sharp wit and gregarious humor. He radiates charm with a tempered humility that makes you immediately gravitate to him as if you have known him your entire life. He can be the life of the party or a concerned listener. He has been a neighbor of mine in SL for many years and has always..ALWAYS..been one of Second Life's biggest cheerleaders."

Dirk Talamasca's SL Wiki Page

Dirk Talamasca's Facebook Page

SL Universe thread on Dirk Talamasca's declining health and end.

Newcomer Area "The Yard" to Close

Some sad news for newcomers to Second Life. "The Yard," an area with freebie stores aimed at newcomers located at the Honie Isle sim, will be shutting down. The place has apparently been up for seven years, and the closing date is this Saturday.

As from Saturday the 14th April 2012, this island will be closed to public access. The Yard management have decided its time to retire from mentoring. The island will be gone at the end of the month. We wish you every (bit of) happiness in your Second Life.

Dropping by the Yard, there were a few notes set up expressing their thanks to the owners Til Pierce and Min Ixtab, or "Min and Til." Looking around, there were a few games, such as a "Wack-A-Mole" and a mechanical bull (I got 79 seconds). But the big thing were the freebie items, and there were a *lot* of them, from ladies clothes, to shoes, to jewelry, to skins, to even an adult items shop with things like intimate animations beds. Not everything is free, there is one shop with clothes you need to pay for, but most everything is.

Daniel Voyager had his own article on The Yard, including some comments from Till.

To get to The Yard, go to Honie Isle (145, 124, 24)

Bixyl Shuftan

The Shelter

Open for almost seven years, "The Shelter" is one of the oldest and most noted newcomer help places in Second Life. Xymbers Slade recently stopped by, and asked one of the staff a few questions.

Read more about The Shelter in People.

Delinda Dyrssen Challenges Second Life Users to “Mentor a Linden”

In one of her recent posts on “Delinda’s Diary,” Delinda Dyrssen brought up that a number of people she communicated with felt that ironically most of the people behind Second Life, the more important workers of Linden Labs, don’t go about on the Grid much, “Hence the (Viewer) 2.X.”

Paisley Bebee wrote in a reply to a blogger post on the subject:

... unfortunately I have to say that in my experience there are quite a few Lindens who don't know how to cam to click and sit, and certainly don't shop for clothes, skin, hair, ect. Therefore don't know how to adjust clothing, or wear it, or even find it after purchase. This is clear when you see Lindens wearing the same outfit year after year, same original system skin. .... I'm afraid rightly or wrongly, it is suspected that you don't care enough about your customer base to use your own product! And I don't mean, click and sit in a chair. I mean make machinima, take photo's, build something - create something, shop and rez something, wear something, find an event based on a narrow perimeter, go looking for an object that is really obscure on Search (etc.).

Considering what’s been going on in the Metaverse, this might explain more than a few things. Blue Linden was one willing to mingle among the residents, but he’s not around as a Linden any more.

What to do? Delinda had this suggestion:


I believe the idea is ... If some of the really hard core users who spend many hours trying to educate, work, create, collaborate and or play in SL were to spend a few hours with some of the key Linden Labs employees.. one on one..doing what they do..showing these talented Linden Labs people the pitfalls.. the needs, the it would be cool or useful if we could, just even how to sit down or put on a pair of shoes (Phillip did say it was difficult to do that). Then .. and only then could they really come up with a viewer and platform that serves most people needs in a “Fast Fun and Easy” way.


Delinda’s suggestion was that the higher profile bloggers could get their attention, “Pssst, Philip ... “ Her suggestion was that involved Lindens would spend 4 hours inworld with their mentor, phone off the hook with nothing to interrupt baring emergencies and maybe a few breaks. Paisley Bebee felt the mentoring time probably should be a week, “Not only would you learn an enormous about your software, you would learn about your customers!! AND the PR would be fabulous, absolutely fabulous. Linden Lab you need to do this. Most other companies do this these days. Good customer service and increased sales demand you get over your ego, admit you DONT know it all. And be humble enough to find out what we the customers use your product for, and what we want.”

So what do you the readers think? Do you feel the Lindens, to borrow Paisley’s words, can get over their egos to get a mentor? How would you feel about mentoring a Linden? How successful do you think such a program would be?

Bixyl Shuftan