Class: Getting Involved at TarValon.Net

This a transcript of Erin Sedai's class on how to get involved in the community of TarValon.Net. The class took place between March and June of 2011.

Introduction

Hello! :D

My name is Erin. I'm a Blue Aes Sedai here at TV.Net, and I'm also the Editor of the Tar Valon Times. I'm doing this class because I've seen too many novices/recruits join up and get lost in the myriad options they have. Some have no trouble, but others can't figure out how to navigate, you know? So I figure that maybe presenting "getting involved" as a class might help.

The plan is to do weekly lessons with discussion throughout the week. Homework will drag everyone into site participation across the board.

If you're interested in participating in this class, post! :D Tell everyone about yourself. And let's see how things develop. :)

Kiante Draktis said

I really should sit down and write something for the Tar Valon times though. I've been thinking about it. It would make a decent contribution, and could be fun.

We add new staff in June and December, but are always happy for freelance submissions. ;) Get in contact with me at editor@tarvalon.net if you have any ideas.

Mernea, I have 2 cats as well. Mine are named Bella (not after Twilight :look) and Jerry. Adding offspring to the mix would drive me batty.

Leo Kian said

I am a bit lost as to what to do for my contribution, and also just to be more involved, so looking forward to this lesson :D

This class will totally help you out with that. :D And I mean that in the most sincere, non-infomercial way. And if after the class you still need a project, I'll personally help you find one. :p

Elizabeth, I also am in school full time (though for middle grades education, not social work) and have a part-time job to help with bills (library page). It can get so hectic at times. I think the closer I come to graduation the more gray hairs pop up on my head. :lol

Hanajima al'Cere said

Well. I'm 18 (going on 19!!) and I'm currently a University student. But I'm switching to college cause University sucks :look

Do you go to school in Canada? A friend of mine did the University degree and found it utterly worthless, and is back in school now at college getting a something computer related just so he can get a job. If you're not in Canada, where do you live that has that sort of higher education system?

Marivea al'Corriyi said

I'm seventeen going on -counts on her fingers- I believe that would be eighteen, ma'am, I'm currently not in school having graduated highschool last year, and am in hiatus between that and college. I live with my mother and three out of six of my siblings, and teach snowboarding at a ski resort on the weekends. Also, I'd make a way better roomie for Hanajima than her current one. :p

1. Please don't call me "ma'am". :cry 2. I wish I could snowboard! I've never tried it, but I'm fairly clumsy, so I'm sure I'd bork it up. :look 3. Yay hiatus! I jumped into college right after high school. After a few years I dropped out because I had no goal; I just took classes hoping something would click. Five years later I went back. So while I'm old now, at least I have a purpose for being there. I wish I'd taken a breather year myself, in hindsight.

You guys all sound utterly awesome. :D I'm looking forward to doing this class even more now. I was worried that no one would want to bother with it. :look If you haven't posted yet but are interested in joining this class, jump in whenever you want to -- just post and tell us about you first, and review the thread so you have an idea of what we're doing.

Some more elaboration on the class content/structure! The first lesson will be posted on Tuesday, March 8. I'll try to post them every Tuesday; I like regular schedules, and stay on task better that way. Every lesson will have some form of "homework". This may or may not include sharing your own experiences/perspectives on a topic, interacting with TV.Net members, participating in various and sundry events/activities, or creating something TBD. You'll just have to wait and see how it develops. I'll try my best to make it fun. :p

Lesson 1: Overview and OE Intro

Getting involved means that instead of sitting back and letting everything pass by in front of your eyes, you jump in and do something. You could very easily do the minimum you need to get by in many aspects of life, including TV.Net. Just pretend everything is a TV show, and you're the viewer -- but as the viewer, you aren't interacting with the show. You aren't participating in it, and you won't suddenly walk on stage and tell so-and-so that their acting is flat. :p

The purpose of this class is to get each and every one of you involved at TarValon.Net. Each week a new lesson will go up, and each week you'll have an assignment to do that will require you to get involved here at the site. I'll do my best as instructor to keep the lessons and homework entertaining. And I will appreciate it if you guys and gals all take the time to read, respond, and interact throughout this class. :)

What are online events?

TV.Net has 2 primary kinds of "events" for people to attend and/or participate in -- real life events and online events. Real life events involve face-to-face meet ups between members; an example of this would be the 10th North American Anniversary Party that was held this past weekend. Online events happen online, primarily on the message boards. TV.Net has four official freeweeks. For each of these weeks, the Online Events team organizes and runs any number of events for the members of TV.Net to participate in. They've done a whole slew of things, from contests to story rounds to PM gift giving. On occasion other events will spring up exclusive of the freeweeks -- like the Seanchan invasion and Project Gaidin. Whatever flavor the event, the purpose and intent is to get people involved, engage their interest, and entertain them.

Homework

The next freeweek will be Bel Tine. It will kick off on March 18, 2011. I'd be willing to bet that most, if not all, membership groups have started planning something in regards to Bel Tine. So your job is to get in on that planning! Find out what your membership group is doing, and pitch in. Help out wherever you can -- be it brainstorming, working on avatars, pledging time in keeping your thread(s) active in the Faire Grounds when they go public for Bel Tine, etc. The goal here is to get involved. :p

Then come back here and discuss what you've done to help your group out. If you're on the Online Events staff, and would like to tell us about some activity you're planning for Bel Tine -- feel free! (Don't share anything that would make Lii or Aldus mad though. :p)

Kiante Draktis said

Well, I didn't want to leave you hanging totally, so I do have a small update. It would appear that the Soldiers have decided on a theme for how to dress up our avatars. Oh, and we're doing it with the recruits too. I don't wanna reveal it yet.

We don't really seem to be coming up with any other ideas though. What else do groups normally do? Secrets are cool. :p The purpose of this is to get in on the planning if you can, and not to make you tell us everything your group is planning to negate the surprise/fun aspect of it.

Groups can be as involved or not involved as they want. It all depends on the interest of the participants. Most groups tend to adopt at theme at least, and decorate avatars/signatures to suit. The OE team runs a group avatar theme contest, and everyone gets to vote on their favorites. Groups will typically have a thread or two describing their theme and inviting chatter in the Faire Grounds. Some groups go more elaborate, and offer a service (like Valentine deliveries). Others will host a game or some interactive activity.

It's up to the groups how involved and creative they want to be. :)

I'm glad the Novices are working on something as well. :D

And I happy you both posted! I was starting to think I made lesson 1 too hard/annoying. :lol I was plotting out a tutorial on how to post intelligently. :look But anyway -- since you are now aware of what your group is doing, is there any way you can think of to get involved in the planning or execution of those plans?

Elizabeth Ayrahien said

I will be involved in the execution of those plans and am still contacting our main organizers to see how I can get in on the last bit of planning as well. It should be exciting to see our plan actually in action. :)

And no, Erin Sedai, I don't think you made lesson 1 too hard, but it took some time to actually get anything done towards the homework that was enough to write about. There was a lot of back and forth talking and planning and asking questions, but it took me a while to figure out how to post in here without actually revealing our plans.

Lesson 2: It's not just planning, it's doing!

As mentioned in Lesson 1, Bel Tine will start in 3 days on March 18, 2011. For last week, I asked all of you to get involved on the planning done by your various membership groups. This week, it's all about having fun with Bel Tine. :p

Homework

Keep working on what planning you have going. During Bel Tine be sure to actively participate in Bel Tine. Go outside of your comfort zone and post in at least 3 Ajah/Company threads that you normally wouldn't. If you just post where you normally do, you won't interact with nearly enough people! :p

Participate in at least 1 contest/event hosted by the Online Events team (unless you're on the OE team, in which case tell us about your particular contest(s) instead). Also, participate in at least 1 contest/event hosted by a person/group other than OE. I know of several that will be available. No matter what your interests, there will be ample contests/events to participate in.

In summation:

• post in at least 3 Ajah/Company threads[/*:m:y54lbt3t]
• participate in at least 1 contest/event hosted by OE[/*:m:y54lbt3t]
• participate in at least 1 contest/event hosted by a person/group other than OE[/*:m:y54lbt3t]

Before Tuesday, March 29, 2011, come back here and post links to the Ajah/Company threads you've posted in. Also, tell us what contests/events that you have chosen to participate in, and why you picked the ones you did.

You guys are so freaking awesome. :D Getting in and participating is what makes these events fun and enjoyable for everyone.

So! For those of you who have already done the homework -- or even if you haven't -- is there any one particular thing that stands out about the Bel Tine festivities? It can be something you enjoy, something you dislike, something you wish were done in a different manner, or something you're going to remember for years to come. Share whatever that is with us. I'm curious.

Elizabeth Ayrahien

As for what stands out to me, I think what really stands out for me, at least right now, is how much of a team the novices have pulled together to be. No complaining, no fighting, just everyone pitching in and helping out to make the quiz fun for everyone. And seeing how much fun and enjoyment everyone is getting from the quiz is amazing

Keladria Tulin

I'm with Elizabeth the novice cooperation and the quiz that's been put together is awesome. I found it super easy just to jump right in and join in with everything while they welcomed me in with open arms. :) Also, seeing all of the different options that've been thought of and the research we've put into making them results is simply awesome

Taelinn Dolivras

As someone who has helped organize Bel Tine in general, it is always nice to see when people enjoy the event. When preparing this kind of thing, there are always little things that you wish could have gone smoother, but there are always a few hitches in the organization of an event. The important thing is that people have fun and (correct me if I'm wrong! :look ) but it seems that people are enjoying themselves.

Lesson 3: Forums

People join TarValon.Net for many reasons. Some stumble across Tower folk at RL events like Dragon*con or JordanCon, realize how utterly awesome we are ( ;) ) and join up. Others find us via social networking -- or even through something as simple as a search through Google to find other people who like the Wheel of Time. TarValon.Net even pops up in the books themselves now -- we're mentioned on the back cover flap of Towers of Midnight. Whatever the means though, the primary method of communication for all of us is these forums.

In order to structure conversation and debate, the forums all serve a purpose. The Tar Valon Community Boards are broad in scope, with several sub-boards for specifics. In this section, there is an Introductions forum so that people can have a chance and opportunity to say "Hey, this is me!" and get initial interaction. Site Announcements and Ask the Tower are self-explanatory. We have a General forum, where whatever goes; subforums of General exist as a home for more specific topics, such as Tech & Media, Frivolous Fun, Current Events, and Job Hunters. Rounding out this section of the forums is Events -- which, like General, has subforums. These are for specific events, local events, and conferences.

Beyond the first section, there are numerous others. A lot of them exist for interaction within and without specific membership groups. Others are there for the sake of different interests, like the Guilds. We have a Library section for WoT book discussion, other book discussion, and WoT book news.

..and you know? I don't need to list out all of the forums. If you're in this class, you can just go see them for yourself. :p The point I'm trying to make is that we have myriad boards with specific purposes and intents here at TarValon.Net. It's huge for communication. These forums are the link many of us have with one another. Sure, there's chat and PMs, and IMs or other methods of contact that can flow from interaction amongst people. But these forums? They're big. They're the place you'll get to meet the most people at any one time. So use them. :D

Homework

1. Do you have a favorite forum? Tell us about it!
2. Do you have a forum that you dislike? Tell us about it!
3. Jump into a conversation that appeals to you in a forum you don't habitually frequent. Tell us why you picked that forum, and what the conversation/thread/post is about.

Next week I'm debating a group activity. So if you've been thinking about joining this class but have not yet, speak up and let me know so I can plan better. :p

Lesson 4: Let's get together, yeah yeah yeah!

The intents and purposes of this class were outlined at the start. But before we continue on with broader aspects of TarValon.Net, let's take a moment to step back. To look at the members of this class specifically. :D We are all members of TarValon.Net. We should get involved with each other as well. :p To that end, I've decided to divide everyone up into groups. Each group will have the same assignment, and for the groups to pull off said assignment, you will have to work together as a team. I'm sure you'll do marvelously. :p

The Teams

Kiante, Taelinn, Elizabeth, Keladria Mieriana, Idine, Mernea, Hanajima Samarasin, Leo, Marivea, Kantoka, Miriama

The Assignment

Plan and execute a prank.

prank /praNGk/ Noun: A practical joke or mischievous act.

Get together with your team; use this thread, or some other means of communication, whatever works for you guys. Plan out some prank that does not violate any rules at TarValon.Net. (Rules and regs can be found in the Membership Manuals.) It can be a complex prank, or something relatively simple. It can be something that's been done before, but nothing too recent in memory. You will have until April 19, 2011 to plan, execute, and report on your pranks. I understand that some people have more time than others to devote to an endeavor like this, and have done my best to balance the groups accordingly. You must work with your individual teams, but if you require the aid and assistance of others in your plotting, feel free to recruit them to your purpose. I'll do my best to help you guys out with your plans as well.

This lesson has a lot of reasons behind it. One, getting to know each other is important for all sorts of reasons, and working together in teams will help that along. Two, the Tower loves a good prank; giving people a chuck and/or entertaining them is just a part of interaction. Three, if the prank is awesome enough, you guys have a chance at a Merit Badge. It would have to be seriously epic for that though! So plan well, work hard, and may the force be with you. :p

And...

For the sake of keeping things organized, from here on out each lesson post will also have some administrative doohickey additions -- links to previous lessons and a list of members who are attending. To the side of your name, you will see numbers. These indicate lessons completed. If you fall behind, feel free to go to the lesson you missed and do it, and I'll update accordingly. If I've missed anyone's responses, my apologies -- I'm only human. Just point out where you did the lesson, and I'll fix it. :)

Remember, you guys will need to wrap up your pranks and report here to get credit for doing Lesson 4. You'll have until the end of class. I'd recommend not dragging it out too long. :p If your group completely fails ( :| ), talk with me and I'll consider arranging an alternate prank.

On to the next lesson!

Lesson 5: No cookies in the library!

The Library is a massive resource here at TarValon.Net. It not only contains information on the Wheel of Time books that brought us here, but on the community itself. Even the Who's Who is hosted there now. :p The Library is maintained by the newly renamed Department of Research and Records, headed by Toral Gaidin.

For our lesson this week, I've gotten in contact with one of the Tower Historians -- Kerna. She brainstormed this idea as something that this class could do to better familiarize themselves with the Library in relation to the goings on of TarValon.Net.

Homework

1. Pick a thread, or the gist of a thread, in a public forum here on the current boards that would add quality information to the Library. Examples would be a successful prank ( :| ), an announcement, the thread about winners from the last Bel Tine, etc.
2. Decide how the thread/gist of thread should appear in the Library. Like if it's a prank, it should be in story form with the fat (miscellaneous non-relevant postings) trimmed off. Also be sure to include any images from the thread.
3. Figure out where the article should go in the Library; location is important!
4. Post in this thread claiming a thread/gist of thread/topic so that we don't have overlap within the class. When you have all of the information for your proposed Library content, post it here.

The purpose behind this is to familiarize you guys with the Library. While it's not an active interactive thing by itself, it is a source of information on the community as a whole. Learn it, study it, and you'll have a step up on knowing what goes on around here.

As an additional enticement to do well with this, Kerna will actually be putting your suggested Library content in the Library -- provided that it's up to snuff! :p You will not need to know any Wiki code for this; she'll take care of that part. So do well, and you could be credited with a Library article/compilation in the near future. :D

Kiante's suggestion

Okay, I've got a sort of idea. It could be difficult, and I'm not sure how I want to implement it yet, but I was thinking about something for our Amyrlin. Take the best...speechs, messages, whatever, from her announcement thread, maybe add in other stuff, compile it kinda, then put in an article for our "Goodbye wishes to Amyrlin Eleyan Sedai". Or something like that.

Can we do this as a team effort? Because I'm open to help on this one.

Erin

Yeah, there will be something of this nature -- though not this exactly -- in the next TVT. How about you restrict it to just the thread in SA? So rather than a complete compilation of everything, have it on the initial thread reaction posts.

And yes, you can work on this with others. Just be clear as to who you work with so that I can credit the appropriate people, and so that Kerna can credit them too if she decides to use it in the library.

Mieriana's suggestion

Is there anything about the Classroom in the Library? I don't see anything, but I may have missed it?

I think it could be useful to keep a list of current (and past) classes. Name, teacher, brief description. If anything really notable happened, maybe include that too. What do you think?

Taelinn is going to help me, I think. And thank you for the link to the old forum. I will include those classes.

Keladria's suggestion

I'm gonna archive the Bel Tine winners (as Erin Sedai knows already, but though everyone else should know in case they were thinking of it :look )

The MIA Monster is such a meany, too. :p Work on what you can, and email me projects. As I get them I'm sending them to Kerna. So far the feedback from her has been good. :) It's been a really busy weekend for me, and I'm catching up on stuff, so anything from the weekend up until tonight, I'll get to her tomorrow. I will also be posting the next lesson (for sure! :p) tomorrow.

Lesson 4 pranks and lesson 5 library articles -- quite a few of you still need to do these. I know that some pranks happened, but I haven't received any writeups/info on them. And I understand that life has gotten hectic (finals season always is!). Just get stuff done when you can, and if you'd like to make alternate arrangements, let me know. :)

Lesson 6: Private messaging hopefully won't be hazardous to your health.

One way to get to know people is on an individual basis. Talking with them one on one opens up a line of communication between you and them. So the goal for this week's lesson is to start up a conversation with someone who you don't know via private messaging. :p Go outside your comfort zone -- if you are perpetually glued to the Dormitories or Barracks, message a reclusive Senior Member. Just don't pick your TV.Net BFF and PM a few times. :arch Find someone new, someone you don't know, and communicate. Post here in the thread telling us about who you pestered (be polite!) and how things went. Feel free to direct them here and blame me for your impinging on their awareness. :p

This is the last lesson for our class. It's taken about 3 months to get to this point, and I want to thank everyone so much for participating. You rock. :D The attending list below should be up to date with completed lessons; anything not completed, feel free to work on. You'll have until June 14, 2011, before I wash my hands of you.

Lesson 7: Give a helping hand!

TarValon.Net is a community that likes to give back. We have the RJ Memorial Scholarship, and have helped raise funds for many charities in the past, including Heifer International and the Susan G. Komen Foundation. So for this lesson, I decided we should give back. :p Giving back to the community means interacting with it, after all!

Homework

Do something for others here at TarValon.Net.

It's a pretty open assignment. :look You could do something as simple as make people feel welcome in the Introductions forum. You could volunteer as someone's minion and help them with a task they need done -- Kariada might possibly still need some helping hands for the project/job she's posted about in SA. Know a member who's having a bad day? Do something to cheer them up. See someone/group going out of their way to be awesome in some fashion or other? Let them know you appreciate what they are doing -- it will brighten their day immensely.

When you do your random act of kindness, post about it here. Additionally, all responses for this lesson will be compiled into an article for the July TVT. It's good to read about people being nice, and helping others. Do me proud.

Elizabeth

I love the concept of this lesson Erin Sedai :) And thanks so much for teaching the class, it's been an amazing experience and I definitely learned a lot.

I don't think it would be wise for me to try to take on any more responsibility right now as my time is stretched pretty thin...but I can tell you about some of the things on the site that I've been taking part in recently that I think would qualify for this assignment. First, I'm always trying to make sure I greet every new member to the site in their introduction thread (kind of behind on this right now though). I also help Avendaella send out the pms for The Great Game that she started. I'm helping Dralyn Sedai with the archiving of the old forums. And I'm writing the Introductions and Congratulations columns for the Novice Newsletter each month.

Mieriana

I am Dralyn's archival minion, Kariada's minion, a "greeter" for the Red Ajah (when someone gets raised to the Tower, I PM them), and I write up all the local events that are going on for the Novice Newsletter every month.

Erin, this class has been awesome! It's the first class I ever had that actually was completed. I'm glad I got to finish a class, and your class! :) Thank you for teaching us! :)

Graduated Students

• Elizabeth Ayrahien
• Keladria Tulin
• Kiante Draktis
• Mieriana Souvra