WorldsAway Miscellaneous Documents

Miscellaneous documents relating to WorldsAway can be found here. These might take the form of files uploaded to the WorldsAway forums on CompuServe for example. Some of these are official communications from the WorldsAway team, but not all of them are. If it's not immediately obvious, then it will be noted if it comes from another source.

1995

August

17th

On Being an Acolyte

On Being an Acolyte		
August 17, 1995
		

What is an Acolyte?

Phantasus is filled with many wonderful people.  People who help others.  People 
who run events and sponsor activities with their own money.  We are truly 
blessed to have such a caring community.  Within that community, however, it is 
necessary to have several layers of support.

Acolytes are those avatars who take an active role in orienting new arrivals, 
helping other avatars, and supporting and motivating the community on an ongoing 
and consistent basis.

In truth, avatars become Acolytes by *being* an Acolyte.  In fact, those who are 
Acolytes would continue doing the same kinds of things even if they weren't made 
Acolytes--and they do so out of a desire to help others and to make Phantasus a 
more enjoyable place to live.

The title "Acolyte" brings with it a wealth of responsibility--and not much 
else.  Beyond being able to receive Pages from other avatars, Acolytes have no 
special powers.  On the other hand, they are expected to be "On Duty" at 
scheduled times, to work the Help Desk, and to sponsor (and help with) 
activities and events.  Sometimes Acolytes have access to special or unique 
items--but not for long.  Usually they are simply "showing off" the prize for an 
upcoming event.

Acolytes are not a special club or "clique."  They are, however, organized and 
do hold a title.  However, that title doesn't give them anything they didn't 
already have or earn.  The Acolytes do have a private place to go in order to 
organize themselves, find out who is on duty, etc.  All of the Acolytes’ 
"benefits" are geared toward helping others.  A common misconception is that 
Acolytes have advantages over other avatars.  This isn't true.

Acolytes must mediate disputes.  They handle conflict resolution and more.  As 
the code of conduct of the community evolves, it is up to the Acolytes to 
provide the first level of support (or enforcement).  An analogy might be 
Oracles are judges while Acolytes serve as agents of the court.

Do you want to be an Acolyte?  If so, asking to become an Acolyte isn't the way-
-acting like an one is.  Through a continuous display of the efforts described 
above,  the Oracles will come to recognize those who fulfill the role of 
Acolyte.  Although it may not happen immediately, given time and help from the 
Acolytes and the rest of the community, it will happen.

"In your training do not be in a hurry, for it takes a minimum of ten years to 
master the basics and advance to the first rung. Never think of yourself as an 
all-knowing, perfected master; you must continue to train daily with your 
friends and students and progress together in the Art of Peace."

       - Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969)
         Excerpted from The Art of Peace translated by John Stevens.


Sincerely,

The WorldsAway Oracles

1997

February

Dealing With Inworld Crime: How to Protect Yourself in Kymer

Dealing With Inworld Crime:  How to Protect Yourself in Kymer

-- Introduction --

We all would like to think of the Dreamscape as a place where we can escape all the burdens
and worries of the Waking World.  Unfortunately crime, one of those worries, is also part of our
inworld lives The intent of this manual is not to scare people off but to arm you with the
knowledge you need to protect yourself  The truth is: No one inworld has to be a victim. By
reading this document and understanding and applying everything stated here you will be doing
your part to ensure that Phantasus becomes a crime free city.

While you can trust many of the avatars in Kymer, you can't trust everyone.  If you ever have
any doubts about the intentions of a person, or if you need help of any kind, page an Acolyte.
Acolytes are the official helpers of the Dreamscape and can always be trusted.

You can also always feel free to ask around the community for advice. You'll find that the
reputation of a criminal spreads quickly. One's standing in the community is always a good
indicator of a person's intentions.  Also know that the majority of Kymer's population is made up
of friendly, helpful citizens who are always willing to lend a helping hand or help you to learn the
ropes.

While most of inhabitants of the Dreamscape are friendly others choose to commit acts of theft
and harassment. However, all crimes are preventable.  Keep in mind that we all choose to live
the Dream in different ways.  Your version of fun may not be the same as someone else's.  Role
plays can go to far though.  The most important thing to remember is that there are real people
with real feelings behind the keys.  It's not just a game.


-- Inworld Crime: How to Avoid and Deal With It --

There are 3 primary types of inworld crime. Theft, cons, and harassment.  Many situations
inworld can be avoided and for those that can't this manual will seek to teach the tools that you
need to deal with them in the best possible manner.

* Theft *

Theft is the most common type of crime, yet is also the easiest to defend against. An item (such
as a chest or head) becomes accessible to anyone in the locale after it leaves your hands.
Whenever you place an item on the ground, on a table, or on/in any other object in a public
locale that is capable of holding items (i.e. a table or a public Christmas Tree), you risk having it
stolen.

Please never forget that not all crimes of this nature happen intentionally.  I have been witness to
several "thefts" where the person who took the item honestly didn't know that they were doing
anything wrong.  If you do get stolen from first try to contact the person via ESP and ask if they
were aware that the item they just took was yours.  Try explaining the situation.  If you don't feel
comfortable doing this Page Acolyte and tell us the name of the person who took your item and
we will try to contact them.  Often when someone did intend to steal they will immediately log
off. In this case report the name to the Acolyte on duty or write the name down and report it later
if there isn't one available.  Reporting helps the Acolytes to better assess and deal with situations if
they know that the person has repeatedly been exhibiting such behaviour.

Keep in mind that when you do decide to place a chest or object on the ground you are taking full
responsibility for your actions.  When you place an object on the ground you must keep in mind
that you might loose it.

To prevent theft, simply go to a locale that has limits on the number of avatars who can access
the room at a time.  These special rooms are located in the following buildings:

V-Mart -There are 4 "Changing Rooms" which hold 1 person at a time.  These rooms are ideal if
you have to get something out of a chest and don't want to risk placing it on the floor.  The rooms
are located on the first and second level of the V-Mart on the far right and left sides.  Be aware
that if you are prone to crashes this may not be a good place to set your valuables down in.  If
you crash with all of your items on the floor someone else can walk in and take them.

Temple -Alternatively you can go with a friend (or 2) to the Temple of Morpheus.  There are 4
special rooms --Air, Fire, Earth and Water. The Air and Fire rooms have a 2 person maximum
limit and the Earth and Water rooms hold only 3 people at a time.

By using these rooms when you need to place items on the ground, the chances of a theft
occurring are almost nil. If you don't have a friend to take into one of these rooms, page an
Acolyte and see if they can locate someone to help you. There are also single person changing
rooms located in the V-Mart on the far left and right sides where you can rearrange your items
without having to worry about other avatars walking in. However if you are prone to crashes you
may want to think about investing in a turf. If you take the proper precautions and lock your turf
it is the safest place to set down your belongings. If you crash you will return to your turf and all
of your items will still be on the floor. You won't have to worry about someone else walking in
and picking them up.

Turfs -The safest place to rearrange items or place them on the floor is your turf.  Turfs can be
purchased for 199 Tokens/month.  If you crash while in your turf your items will be there waiting
for you when you return.


* Turf Thefts *

While turfs are one way of avoiding theft they are also in a category themselves when it comes to
inworld crime.  Since a person's turf is their main storage unit it makes them an ideal place for
thieves seeking accessible items. The best way to protect yourself is though education.  Download
and read TURFGUID.TXT available here in the AWAYFORUM.  Learn how to set your turf
options so that you "lock the door" upon arrival.  This ensures that you won't have any
unexpected guests come calling.

Use a Welcome Room

If you use your turf for storage it's a good idea to keep all of your valuables in a room separate
from where you receive your guests.  Always be aware that if someone gets your address they
can come up and steal any items that you have left on the floor.  By having an empty "receiving
room" you have an area where you can entertain people without having to worry about your
belongings.

As a rule of thumb do not give your address to strangers or publicly announce your turf name
and never use the default "Chez <avatar name>".  Both of these can lead to turf robbers getting
or guessing your address.  If you are holding a public function in your turf make sure that there
isn't anything on the ground that you would mind loosing.


* Scams and Cons *

Another type of crime in Kymer, closely related to theft, is the scam. People will try to sell
something to you that doesn't exist, such as a key to open locked doors or a method to get an
unlimited amount of tokens. Neither of these things exist.  If you ever doubt then Page Acolyte or
ask anyone on the street.  They will usually confirm your suspicions.

One simple rule: If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Protect yourself with
common sense.

The most important thing to remember to do in any transaction is to use a third party.
Someone you trust.  If you can't find a friend Page Acolyte or ask on the street for help from
citizens whom you recognize.  Acolytes are always very willing to act as the third party in an
exchange because it shows that both parties are being responsible and doing their part to
prevent theft.  Additionally there are several non-staff groups inworld who focus on preventing
crime and assisting in these types of transactions.  The Golden Knights (they have the title
Golden Knight or the initials "GK" in their names), Sunrays (Srk, or Sunray) and Duckolyte
members are all caring members of the community who will be happy to help you out.

The way a third party works is that the seller will hand the item being sold to the third party.  The
buyer will then pass the tokens to the third party.  Once the amount of tokens is confirmed the
tokens are passed to the seller and the item to the buyer.  The result is that no unwanted risks
are taken and no one gets ripped off.

If you are ever unsure then don't go though with the transaction.  Either wait until you have a
little more experience and knowledge or just buy from the vendroids. 

The same goes for offers from other avatars to buy items from you. When in doubt, sell at the
Pawn Machines. One is located outside the V-Mart, the other at the corner of Temple and
Gnarled Oak. They may pay less, but a  pawn machine won't rip you off. Of course con artists
don't make up the majority of the population. Most avatars are honest with good intentions. In
fact, you can find listings of used-item dealers/auction houses in the WA Yellow Pages.

Other cons to be aware of:
* I'll trade you your head for a better one.
* Charging entrance fees to get into public locales --such as the Bar
* People posing as crime victims and asking for token handouts.
* People pretending to be representatives of the WARaffle or any other raffle.


* Harassment and Disruptions *

Often the best way to deal with someone who you see as a potential trouble maker is to just walk
away.  A large percentage of the people inworld who cause trouble do it in an effort to get
attention. Many of these people will give up and leave if you simply don't give them the response
that they are looking for.

If the person was harassing you or using inappropriate language you can notify an Acolyte once
you have left the locale.  This removes you from the situation so that you will not be further
angered or upset.   The Acolyte will have a talk with that person so you should not feel as if
nothing will be done if you leave .  You personally will not be forced to deal with any more
headaches concerning that person.

If you think it's necessary and want to be able to communicate what exactly the avatar was
saying to you save the transcripts (File | Save Messages).  The Acolyte will often provide you
with an email address that you can forward the transcripts along to.

If you can't just pick up and leave the locale (for example if you and a number of other avatars
are playing a game) the second best thing you can do is ignore the person.  Again, when you
refuse to give the troublemaker the attention they desire you take away their fun and the very
purpose of their behaviour.

If a person ever follows you and you neither authorized nor welcomed the follow and wish to get
rid of them, simply click on their avatar and select stop following me. Ghost and leave the locale.

If a person is persistently following you and won't go away, you can always exit the program and
re-enter as your alternate avatar or page an Acolyte.

If you ever think a crime is of such a serious nature that you require assistance or you need
advice on how to deal with the situation, just Page an Acolyte by selecting the Page Acolyte
option from the Help menu. The Acolytes are here to serve you, the citizens of Kymer.

If you are unable to contact an Acolyte at the time of the crime take down all the important
details.  When you are able to contact an Acolyte they can provide you with their UID and you
can forward along the information for them to report.  Alternatively you can email the Acolytes at
the UIDs listed in the WorldsAway Yellow Pages.

--The Acolytes --

The Acolytes are the volunteer staff of the WorldsAway Dreamscape and can be identified by the
title Acolyte in their name and by their Tell Me About.

The Acolytes are:

Acolyte BLD Stalker           Acolyte Milen
Acolyte Brynne           Acolyte Moria
Acolyte Chameleon             Acolyte Nicci
Acolyte Data                  Acolyte Rosa Peace
Acolyte Electra               Acolyte Ravenwhyte
Acolyte Elizabeth             Acolyte Sabertooth
Acolyte Hindemith             Acolyte Serena
Acolyte Indigo           Acolyte Tulip
Acolyte JWFriendly            Acolyte VIQer
Acolyte Kari Peace            Acolyte Zippy
Acolyte Michael


-- When You Do Page Acolyte --

If you are within a large group of avatars when the situation arises and you agree that Acolyte
intervention is required ensure that only one person pages.  When an Acolyte receives pages en
mass it limits their ability to effectively deal with the situation.  Also, when more than one Acolyte
is on duty the pages rotate from one Acolyte to the next.  What this means is that if there are 3
Acolytes on duty and 3 different people page (from the same locale) each Acolyte receive one of
the pages from that locale and  will believe that only they received a page to deal with that
particular situation.


Tips To Remember When Paging:

* Only page once.

If an Acolyte doesn't respond to you immediately it could be because they are swamped or
scrolled up looking for information on a previous page.  Be patient, chances are we'll be with you
within a few minutes.  If a lot of time passes you can page again because sometimes pages do
become "lost" to a high scroll rate or simply missed.

* If you are with others inform them that you have paged.

It's also a good idea to say "I'm going to page" before you do.  This is especially useful if you are
paging for a trade so that both people involved don't page.  When this happens usually two
different Acolytes are reached and both show up at the scene of the trade. Informing others that
you are paging also cuts down on multiple pages.

* Try to have as much information as possible ready when the Acolyte responds.

Have the exact name of the person, the actions which have lead to you sending a page, how
long it has been taking place, et cetera.  Any information that you think will be valuable in
helping the Acolyte to deal with the situation quickly and effectively.

* When trying to locate an Acolyte/Avatar.

If you need to check for an Acolyte ESP them directly as you would to find out if anyone else
was on.  If you are trying to get in contact with a specific Acolyte you'll find that the majority of
us are listed in YELLOW.TXT, the WA Yellow Pages and you should feel free to email us.  The
Acolytes have no means of checking who is inworld beyond those which are available to every
avatar.

* Use the forum to your full advantage.

The forum is a very useful for finding out information about Dreamscape happenings. If you have
a question about the last resource update or about an event happening inworld you can usually
find it here.  The Acolytes depend on the forum as their source of information too.

* Remember that it can get hectic while on duty.

With only one or two Acolytes on duty sometimes it can get very busy inworld. Try to keep this
in mind when paging.   Sometimes the questions add up and it can be nearly impossible to deal
with everyone at an ideal response rate.  We always appreciate your patience and
understanding.


Along with the Acolytes and Oracles, there are many caring and concerned members of the
community who will always be more than happy to lend you a helping hand. With a little work,
we can all help each other. If you look out for others, you will earn respect and esteem in the eyes
of the community.


-- Using the Forum to Inform Others of Inworld Crime --

Be sure to keep informed by frequenting the WorldsAway forum. The Kymer Clarion and other
publications and numerous forum posts in the "Discussion and Issues" and "Inworld Events"
message sections are invaluable sources of information.

When using the forum the most effectively way is to post the avatar's name and a summary of
what happened.  Please remember that due to the fact that transcripts can be edited they aren't
accepted in the forum.  Chances are you will get your message across to many more people if
you give a personal summary of what occurred and what people should look out for you will
succeed in effectively educating other citizens.

Remember, the key to stopping crime is education.  Setting up people through "sting" operations
or blasting them with slander doesn't accomplish anything in the long run.  Most trouble makers
do it for the attention and the effective way to combat this is to take away their spotlight.


-- Remember Your Agreement --

Everyone wants to have fun in WorldsAway and you do have the right to portray any type of
avatar you wish to play. Whether it is just an extension of yourself or if you choose to role-play
your avatar's personality is up to you. You have to keep in mind, however, that you can't expect
your rights to infringe upon the rights of others. If you are having fun at the expense of other
avatars you are doing yourself a disservice.

WorldsAway is a service and people pay to ensure that they won't be subjected to behaviour
which has been deemed inappropriate. When you download the WorldsAway Client you are
asked to read and agree to a set of rules referred to as the Terms of Service (TOS). If you
violate these agreements inworld there will be consequences for your actions.

The best way to mesh with the community is to have a basic understanding of the morals of
our society. Treat everyone in a fair manner, the way you would expect to be treated, and you
can't go wrong. Also keep in mind that you have no idea who is watching or exactly how old the
people you are interacting with are. If you ever have any doubt it's always best to play it safe and
refrain from actions which you consider to be borderline inappropriate.

It's often easy to forget that there are real people behind the keys and without the added
communication of voice infliction and body language it is very easy for miscommunication to
occur. Always try your best to put yourself in the other person's shoes and don't force someone
into a situation where you can tell that they are uncomfortable. Treat everyone with the same
respect that you would show for them in real life.

It's not as complicated as it may sound. It is extremely easy to blend into Kymerian society and
soon you'll be just another avatar on the street. Everyone is fairly easy going, warm and
welcoming. There are of course exceptions but keep exploring and you'll find that you make a
few friends in no time flat. Never be afraid to ask questions either. Many avatars love to help out
and it's a great way to get a conversation started.

For additional information on the Terms of Service and the Guidelines for Community behaviour
consult the following documents: GUIDE.TXT, WAGUIDES.TXT, and TERMS.TXT.

Any questions or comments or questions can be directed to Nicci at 104706.725.
DATED:  February, 1997.