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. The dates of these communications are either mentioned in the original document, or taken from the date the file was last modified.
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
November
5th
WORLDSAWAY COMMUNITY FORUM ON-LINE MANNERS GUIDE
WORLDSAWAY COMMUNITY FORUM
ON-LINE MANNERS GUIDE
The tips given here we consider to be more common sense reminders
than steadfast rules. Keep in mind however, that if you follow this
guide you are more likely to be keeping with the forums' rules as stated
in the WorldsAway Guidelines for Behavior.
We hope that all members practice these manners and alert new
members to them when needed.
Remember our Guidelines for Behavior Mission:
The WorldsAway Community Forum is a place for everyone to
enjoy. We promote an atmosphere of good feeling,
enthusiasm, and genuine concern for members. Open, honest
exchange is encouraged. Any abusive behavior that
violates the general positive feeling of the Community
Forum will not be tolerated.
*******************************************************
1. Approach others on-line with the same courtesy and respect that you
normally would use in real life.
2. Tolerance of others and consideration of their feelings should be
observed at all times.
3. No sends that are just a 'hi' or 'hello', M/F?, "how old are you?, or
the like. ("sends" means using the "talk" button)
4. Never reveal what someone has told you in email or in private sends
to others in a conference without permission. People can be
inadvertently revealing and later regret it.
5. When someone replies to a send that they are busy or cannot talk,
believe them. Cease sending right away. Also, if someone simply does
not respond, you should assume that they are busy or have their ignores
set and cease sending messages.
6. Don't invite people you don't know into a group without warning
them first with a send. Suggested approach if appropriate: "I would
like to get some talking going on in here. Join us if you'd
like!" Also, encourage people to use the Avatar's Lounge conference
room rather than a group chat. Multiple groups can get confusing.
7. After getting to know someone over a series of emails and sends, if
you subsequently find you're getting cold feet and need to bow out, do
so with grace and respect. Send an email explaining your position and
decision to the best of your ability. Suggested approach if appropriate:
"I've been very troubled lately by our sudden intimacy, and have
concluded it's too much for me. I can't do this any more, but I wanted
to let you know directly rather than just disappearing. I wish you
well."
8. Cyber relationships move at lightning speed. This can make it
easy to miss important information. Take your time to get to know
someone. Have fun with the intensity, but know that you can't learn
everything in an hour's talk.
9. If you see someone on-line that you spoke to in times past, be gentle
about reminding them that you've already met. Women in particular get
many more sends then they can generally recall. Suggested approach if
appropriate: "Hi, I'm Bob/Michael/David/John/et al. remember me?
We had a nice conversation a few weeks back about my [soon to be]
ex-wife/cats/how to make a good cup of coffee/how good looking I
am/diving in Belize/Hillary Clinton. Are you busy?"
10. Mom was right. Lying rarely works. [for exceptions, see
handbook on IRS, page 9, sec. 12, line 4, charitable contributions]
However, if you *do* tell a lie, try hard to remember which lie you
said to whom. This will make both of us more comfortable, and is
known in Lake Forest, Nob Hill, and on the Upper East Side as "social
grease".
11. If what you truly and deeply in your heart of hearts desire is "hot
chat", don't expect a lot of replies to said approach. CB Simulator is
probably going to be better for you.
12. Respect the rules. (see "Guidelines for Behavior") They are pretty
liberal, and this is a private, for-profit place. If you don't like it, you
could always leave. Most people here expect them to be followed, and
long arguments about why you can't have a nickname like Long Dong
or make offensive jokes are tiresome and a waste of everybody's CI$
bucks especially in forum messages.
13. Don't insult or attack people's religious beliefs, race, creed, color,
gender, or sexual orientation on-line.
14. Stay away from generalizations. "The So and Sos....do bad things
to people and mess up their lives" or "those fascists...are all malicious
pigs." If you want people to respect your point of view, you must do
the same.
15. No all-cap messages.
16. No calling someone a liar on-line. "I disagree" will suffice.
17. Keep personal messages to email or mark them as "private" forum
messages.
18. Take the time to read messages from the point of view of the writer.
Very often a different life, even a different language can add a slant
which will make the words read entirely differently.
19. Do not send unsolicited email. If you would like to start an email
relationship with someone, ask them first if it's OK.
20. Everyone here has other aspects to his or her life. Realize that they
do not exist solely on-line. Do whatever you can to respect the fact that
someone real is on the other side of your chat window.
21. Above all else, have fun, and watch your ci$ bills!!!
(adopted with permission from the HSX Forum's "On-line Miss
Manners")
1996
March
22nd
On Privacy In WorldsAway
On Privacy In WorldsAway Posted Friday, March 22, 1996 in the WorldsAway Community Forum Many questions have been asked about privacy in WorldsAway. Here are some explanations from our WorldsAway Team that may help clarify things. Privacy in locales ------------------ WorldsAway was designed with the right to privacy as a fundamental principal. Each locale is designed so that if you cannot see anyone else, you can rest assured you are alone. You cannot hide behind objects. You cannot "lurk" without being seen (as a ghost). The Ghost image cannot be suppressed. However, failsafes have been designed into the system for the unlikely event that the ghost icon cannot be seen (such as a bug). The ghost icon is a representation of a user. That user takes up space whether or not the ghost icon is there. So, if indeed the ghost icon does not show up, the user is still there--simply choose "Who's in here" from your avatar's "Status" menu and the system will tell you if there are any ghosts in the locale. It has been asked if the private rooms are truly private. Yes, they are. It is possible for Oracles to become a ghost in those rooms, but as noted above, it is not possible for *anyone* to not take up space in a locale. So, even if it were possible for someone to "hide" in a MAX=2 private room, only one person would be able to enter. Oracles can enter a full locale (including private rooms) but have no way to hide their entrance. Again, as noted above, you can always choose "Who's in here," and the system will tell you who is in the locale. Oracles can appear to materialize out of the clear blue sky if they teleport from one location to another. Similarly, Acolytes can do the same when responding to pages. An avatar may seem to appear out of the clear blue sky if summoned by an Oracle. There have been many discussions in many places on the reasonable expectation of privacy. For the Dreamscape, it might be said it is reasonable to expect privacy in a private room, but not reasonable to expect it out on the street. Monitoring conversations ------------------------ WorldsAway is an on-line service. For communication to be possible, those conversations need to exist somewhere. In WorldsAway, they exist on an FCT server. It would not be honest to say these communications could not be monitored. However, I can assure you that *they are not monitored.* Neither are they logged. ESP cannot be "hacked." It is private communication between two avatars. Peeking in pockets, hacking --------------------------- (important note-the term "hack" is not used here as a derogatory term, but as a way to describe the external modification or addition to the WA client) It is possible to monitor the data stream coming through the modem and see what is in other people's pockets. It is not possible to see into a closed container, however. It is possible that the client could be hacked to do all sorts of "interesting" things (just as it is possible to hack any piece of software), but they would only occur locally--our server does not "trust" the client, and will not allow any "illegal" operations to affect other users. One could write a program that interfaces with the WA client and distribute it (such as games and host programs that have been written), but again, the server will not execute operations that would be detrimental to others. FCT is not supplying *any* such software. Whether or not there is a black market for these things (if they exist), we do not know. That sophisticated software exists to do such things, we sincerely doubt--but I suppose that depends on one's definition of "sophisticated." Actors, NPCs ------------ NPC stands for "Non-Player Character." NPCs, or actors, are and will be used in the Dreamscape for storylines, to facilitate plots, to introduce new items. These actors may or may not be FCT employees. They may simply be avatars spreading rumors. The FCT staff does use our service. Some reveal themselves, some do not. So do CIS employees. I'm sure people from other companies with competing services use WorldsAway without revealing themselves as well. FCT monitors the product, not individuals. In this respect, it is no different than the any CIS Forum. Strange Occurrences ------------------ One post mentioned the possible spontaneous appearance of the heart decoration on the altar in the Tabernacle. This is no mystery--it was placed there on Feb. 13th by an Oracle while decorating for the Waking-World wedding (along with the extra vases). Things like this happen *all the time.* It isn't a secret, it's just perception. The Dreamscape is a roleplaying world. That is, for the most part, people are doing things they wouldn't normally do, such as changing heads. We have elves, we have ducks, we had a "flashing" statue for goodness sakes! :) There isn't anything stop someone from logging in and saying, "The sky turned pink yesterday!" And we wouldn't want to stop them, either. Monitoring the service ---------------------- WorldsAway is many things to many people. One of those things is a business. In order to run this business properly, FCT requires tools to measure their success or failure. These measures come from statistics such as average login time, number of active users, etc. Server tools also allow the Oracles to tell how many people are on-line, who is on-line, and where they are. These tools are used on an as-needed basis. This is not any different than any other on-line service--it is simply a necessity for running such a service. But is it private? ------------------ Yes, mostly. As an entertainment service, WorldsAway provides a medium for interaction and communication. FCT has endeavored to provide a secure environment for that interaction, and we continue to ensure that it is as secure and private (where appropriate and reasonable) as possible. WorldsAway Dreamscape Team Fujitsu Cultural Technologies
May
22nd
RECENT SECURITY ISSUES AND THE WORLDSAWAY DREAMSCAPE
May 22, 1996 RECENT SECURITY ISSUES AND THE WORLDSAWAY DREAMSCAPE Dear WorldsAway Dreamscape Community, There is a rumor spreading in the Dreamscape Community regarding avatar security and hacking. We have indeed discovered a (now closed) security loophole which would allow an avatar to be used by someone other than the owner of the corresponding CompuServe account. This loophole is only possible through TCP/IP or Winsock connections. Correspondingly, as we are working to fix the problem, we disabled TCP/IP and Winsock connections to the Dreamsape. Direct connections known as X.25 lines remain available and very secure between our server and CompuServe. Currently, there is NO way into the Dreamscape other than through our direct lines from CompuServe. The server is now set up only to accept users from these direct CompuServe lines and NOT from TCP/IP protocols. This is why you cannot connect to the Dreamscape with Winsock enabled in your Session Settings. Using CompuServe as your bridge provider, Winsock essentially enables your computer with TCP/IP protocols to communicate with other systems on the Internet. In looking through our records, we know exactly what happened, and we have a good idea who did it. We are currently tracking the perpetrator down and are investigating legal action. Members whose avatars may have been compromised will be reassured to know that you will not be billed for any of the time your avatar was logged into the Dreamscape during the break-ins. As our server records indicate which avatars were compromised and which items may have been lost, we can restore any items missing consequential to this security compromise. --Resolution-- We are working hard on finding a solution to logging into the Dreamscape using TCP/IP Winsock protocols that are indeed secure. This will, however, take time as we work with CompuServe to find better encryption and security measures between our two services. Presently, the fix should not take too long. We will post information as soon as it becomes available. Please be assured that we want to offer you the best possible service we can. The Dreamscape is a happy and fun place. We are working to keep it that way. Sincerely, The WorldsAway Team Fujitsu Cultural Technologies, a division of Fujitsu Open System Solutions, Inc.
June
9th
WorldsAway TurFAQ
I do not believe this was an official communication from the WorldsAway team.
***********************************
* WorldsAway TurFAQ *
* Created June 9th, 1996 *
***********************************
This is a list of the ten most frequently asked questions about turfs not necessarily offered in any type of order. Also remember to view the TurfGuide documentation in the "WA Official" forum library section....
------
Q1: What's a turf?
A1: A turf is your own private living quarters in the Dreamscape, a place to call your own. They can be rented at the Manger's office in the turf building. You can invite or remove guests, display your posessions or paint the walls! Invite your friends up for a visit!
------
Q2: When will furniture be available?
A2: Furniture will be up for sale pending a couple of things. The most important is secureing the furniture against theft. As of the creation of this FAQ, it is not available yet...
------
Q3: How do I add someone to my lease?
A3: To add someone, both an owner and the person to be added must be present in the Manager's office. Click on the desk and select:
"Add Owner to lease". Enter the turf name and person to be added.
------
Q4: How do I get someone off my lease?
A4: There is no way at present to remove an owner from a lease. One way to resecure the turf would be changing it's name. Without the new name, the previous co-owner will find it difficult to locate.
------
Q5: How do I add my alternate Avatar to the lease since we can't both be inworld at the same time.
A5: One possibility is to have a trusted third party added to the lease who can then add your other avatar for you. Be careful who you
add to your lease!!
------
Q6: What happens if I break the lease? Do I get money back?
A6: If you break the lease, the amount returned is proportional to the amount of time you have used the turf. For example, if you used a 30 day lease turf for 15 days, you get back roughly half your rent paid. To break the lease, select the "Break lease" option in the managers office from the desk menu.
------
Q7: Where is the turf building?
A7: The turf building is located two locales left from the Magic Shop locale, in the Northwest corner of Phantasus.
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Q8: What is the name of my turf?
A8: You name your turf when you buy it. It's very important to write your turf name down when purchasing the lease, there is no way to get the name if it is forgotten! The turf can be renamed in the manager's office if need be.
------
Q9: Where can I buy something for turf?
A9: There are Vendroids at the Vmart, Nu Yu, Bar-L, Starway Cafe, Meditation Park and the Visitor Center right room. All of these sell
items that can be placed in turfs from heads to knicknacks to paint.
Turf paint is found all the way in the back of Vmart at several locales. Try some on the walls and floor!!
------
Q10: How much do turfs cost?
A10: Turfs are priced from 195 tokens to 995 tokens for 30 days. The rent depends on the size of the turf. A one roomer is economical at 195 but the 4 room is spacious at 995.
------
********************
Here are a few more added that were also frequently asked and warranted mention:
********************
Q11: How do I use the elevator?
A11: Click on the elevator door and either select home or other from the menu. You will have to type in the destination turf name for turfs other than "Home".
------
Q12: My turfmate, Kiz, robbed my whole turf. What can I do about it?
A12: First thing would be to contact an Acolyte to report the theft.
Remember, your turf security is up to you. Be careful who you add to the lease!
------
Q13: Are they working on turf walls? My fireplace is gone and there's a "soon to be completed" sign here.
A13: This is an indication your software has become corrupted in some way. Speak with a forum sysop in the event of this problem and also review the tekfaq document in the "WA Official" section of the forum library.
August
1st
Fern Day Issues
Dear Dreamscape Customers, This is a letter to discuss the most recent and unfortunate events which occured on Fern Day. The terrible problems we experienced with our servers on what was quickly turing into an extremely festive occasion was as emotionally draining for us as it may have been for you. The Dreamscape was unavailable from 2:00 AM WAT - Noon WAT and from 2:00 PM WAT - 8:00 PM WAT. We have been working continuously to find the source of the problem and make the Dreamscape available to you. Unfortunately, at this time, we have been unable to determine the exact source of the problem. We are still investigating the situation and have implemented some changes which should keep the service stable. We deeply regret the inconvenience and imposition on the fun promised. The Oracles have every intention of getting as much out of Fern Day as we hoped. To this end, we have extended the Fern Day Festival to Noon, August 2. We encourage you to come out as often as possible during the next (Posting time to Noon 8/2 hours to celebrate Fern Day as we had intended to celebrate. We hope that those who had initially captured the spirit of Fern Day will regain it and sponsor or participate in the variety of games which were spontaneously popping up. At Noon, there will be a closing ceremony at the Main Doors of the Temple and soon after, the vendos will be removed from the streets. Even after this, we hope you will enjoy the ferns you have and the good memories which we will all share. The Oracles and the Forum Sysops thank you for your generous patience and support in this matter and wish you a very happy Fern Day! We would also like to thank the Acolytes and the Forum Staff who helped out so much during the times in which the Dreamscape was unavailable. Most sincerely, Oracle Uni Oracle Vaserius Oracle Teresias WorldsAway Community Forum Sysops WorldsAway Team
October
25th
Oracles Announce Meditation Park Opening
Oracles Announce Meditation Park Opening Phantasus, Kymer, Oct. 25, 1996 -- The Dreamscape Oracles, the caretakers of the Dreamscape, today announced the opening date for Meditation Park. Meditation Park is an area of the city of Phantasus, just West of the Temple of Morpheus. Initially opened to hold "Winter Wonderland" in 1995, it was nominally expanded to hold a Spring themed area in early 1996. Through the efforts of artisans and Temple Stewards, a new permanent Meditation Park has been built on a theme of the Four Seasons, Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn of four to six locales for each season for a total of 22 new locales for the enjoyment of the citizens of Phantasus - the largest single addition to the Dreamscape to date. The new Meditation Park represents a new standard in design, art and attention to detail for the Dreamscape. In addition to the rich new areas, a number of new heads, nicknacks, accessories and activated nicknacks will be available from stylish, non-obtrusive vendos throughout the park. The vendos currently in the park will be held in temporary storage until retail space for them can be opened. The date firmly set for the opening of Meditation Park is Friday, November 1 with the "ribbon cutting" taking place at 10 AM WAT. The Oracles invite everyone to attend and participate in the exploration of the newest and largest outdoor area of Phantasus.
November
4th
Letter from Oracles
Subject: Letter from Oracles It is a very rare occasion that an Oracle will post in the "Waking World" forum. On behalf of all the Oracles, we feel that what needs to be said, will be best said as a direct public letter to everyone. Please feel free to translate this to any language and distribute it as you wish. Meditation Park was a great effort put on by a good number of people behind the scenes. As with any undertaking, some unexpected things can happen. This is a letter to point out some of unexpected events and the results. Meditation Park is made up of many small pieces going to create the whole of what you experience. Some of these pieces are objects placed in the locale so we can walk around them and are made immobile so they will remain to enhance a locale. Several items were accidentally left portable when Meditation Park opened, which allowed people to "get" them. These objects were: The hands of the Three Graces Fountain, the bowl and falling water of the Three Graces Fountain and the animated Juicer from the Autumn area. Additionally, it turns out that a Temple Steward left behind an ornate key in one of the Park areas. Several people did find these objects and were quite pleased with having such extremely unique items. The real purpose of this message is to thank each of those people for returning the items to the Oracles so we may all enjoy them. Because we figure we deserve what we got by not keeping an eye on our own objects, each person was thanked and rewarded for their honesty in returning the items. - A hearty thanks goes to Eddie Thorn Knight, who found the water and returned them to Oracle Uni. In return, he received a specially engraved Guitar and the warm appreciation of the Oracles. - Thanks also go to Sythia who found a key and found the hands of the Three Graces had come loose. Upon returning the hands and key, she was returned the ornate key which was then engraved, "Key_to_the_World". - Shadow Pet found the Juicer and as a reward for it's return, she received 5000T and the Juicer was renamed "Shadow_Pet_Commemorative_Juicer". We thank her for her integrity in returning the Juicer. - Additional thanks go to Swifty and Acolyte Michael who were instrumental in bringing these people together with the Oracles so the items could be returned. I would also like to take some space to thank everyone who cooperated and assisted others in working the vendos and who helped others explore the park. It is in these tangible ways that we can see how the community has grown and grown together since the foundation of the Dreamscape. It is all of you who make and shape the community and I thank you for your care and generosity. Sincerely, Oracle Teresias
Dreamscape New Year's Celebration
Dreamscape New Year's Celebration Phantasus, Kymer, Nov. 4, 1996 -- The Dreamscape Oracles, the caretakers of the Dreamscape, wish to remind everyone that the Dreamscape's New Year Holiday Celebration is fast approaching! On November 15th, confetti will fly and the countdown will fall to rejoice in the one year anniversary of the release of WorldsAway 1.0. One year ago, on November 15th at 5:00PM WAT, WorldsAway 1.0 was officially released and for everyone involved, it was a time of celebration. Members of the community at the time suggested that the occasion be marked as the Dreamscapes own New Years. We didn't forget and now, it's time for a city-wide celebration! What a year it has been! Our pioneering community experienced the delight of new friendships, new clubs, new games and events, new bodies, new heads, new items, new locales, as well as the growing pains of crashes, killer ferns, turfmate disputes and social controversies. We immersed ourselves in mysteries (dancing eggs, teleporter fly heads, flashing statues) and magic (ghosts fallen from ghost clouds, avatars in love, and the exquisite beauty of Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall in Temple Street's Meditation Park). We played BINGO and TRIVIA, named constellations, entered dance, poetry and story contests, looked into our deeper self for star readings, whispered hopes to Santa Claus, shared our hearts with frenzied fuzzies, cyberpartners and designer bears. We are newbies and guildmembers, athletic and stocky, communityolytes of every hue. Come share your stories of the Dream and party the New Years in! Spend the day playing games, joining in a parade, remembering the good ol' days or planning for the future. Then, be there to commemorate the Dreamscape's exciting official anniversary moment, November 15th at 5pm WAT in front of the Main Temple Doors. Let's join together in the Happy New Year!
15th
Kymer New Years Vendos and items
Dear Community Members of the Dreamscape, This is a letter to inform everyone the intentions for the Kymer New Years Vendos and items. All changes, vendos, etc. will be taken out or reversed around Noon on Monday, Nov 18. We feel this should give a lot of time for everyone to shop with a minimum of stress. WHAT WAS PUT IN: - Confetti and Champange Vendo in V-Mart Center. - Food items in V-Mart Left - Balloon vendo in Visitor's Center (center) - Mask Vendo #1 at South Fountain Center and between Temple Street Turfs and the Magic Shop - Mask Vendo #2 at East Fountain Center and at the first left locale of Starway Cafe. - We reduced the Body Changer Price to 100T per change. Last year on Nov 15, we introduced the Athletic and Stocky bodies. For a week we cut the price so people could experiment with new bodies. As New Years can be a time of new changes, we cut the price again for the weekend. WHAT WAS TAKEN OUT: - Nicknack vendo at V-Mart Center - Keepsake Vendo at V-Mart Left. OTHER ITEMS: - Banners and Countdown clock will be removed at about 5PM Saturday, Nov 16. FUTURE PLANS: - The Balloons are so neat we want to find a spot for them very soon. - The food items will wind up somewhere (Maybe finally having food in Starway? <g>) - We unfortunately found that the sashes have an "invisible" oritentation which will cause the same lost problems at the ponytail. For this reason we limted the sashes to Karnival Host as a thank you for their effort. We will be fixing the sashes and adding a few versions for more events or general release. THANK YOUS: I want to thank Sunray Ann for pulling the Karnival together. She put in a huge amount of effort in organizing and making sure things happened when and where. I would also like to thank the Acolytes for pulling extra duty today. They answered questions and helped make sure everyone was having a good time. Our server group deserves no small credit for working out the server problems of October in time to give us a (server) crash-free day! May Morpheus grant us many more. Various groups and individuals helped distribute masks to as many people as they could get to. They ran around loading up and passing them out. Because of their efforts, 2000 masks were freely distributed. There are a host of names I could not possibly remember or even know. It was to the whole of the community who worked together on this event. Everyone should be very happy and proud of what they helped achieve. I have not heard of any major incidents (yet) and we had record numbers of people on the streets of Phantasus. This was truly a community owned event. I thank you all for being a part of it. Sincerely, Oracles Teresias, Vaserius and Uni
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.