WorldsAway Acolyte Meeting - September 16th, 1995
Dan Kuschner in this conversation is Oracle Teresias. This wasn't a typical Acolyte meeting, but one to discuss an issue with the avatar named MarvL and his wanting to create a constitution for WorldsAway that was causing issues amongst the staff and the users.
For more context, other transcripts, text and other articles will be added to the site so you can understand what MarvL's constitution was and how the community felt about it.
********** 9/16/95 8:37 PM Forum CO Dan Kuschner | Okay, I would like to start the meeting now. Indigo <busy> | Need that Turf Man!!!! Dan Kuschner | <gavel falls> Marianne G (Busy) | OUCH! Nicci | LOL! | I was gonna say that\ Marianne G (Busy) | ;;he gets me every time!;; Dan Kuschner | This is not going to be a usual meeting. Ed | Uh oh.. Dan Kuschner | I have a few things to say to set the tone | and then we will have a | structured round circle meeting. | First, contrary to the rumor, this is not | going to be a tactical | planning meeting. | I am not expecting to solve any issues in | this one meeting. | This meeting is more to epmhisize that we are | a team with | common goals and vision. | Therefore, we will not be following the | normal queue method | tonight, but will go around the circle in a | manner I will describe | later. | Because the Konstitution issues are very | present in our thoughts, | I wanted to answer Moria's post. | (in absentia, I will post this immediately | after) | This has reached a point where the | consequences of the situation are that one | person is attempting to dictate to the | service. | The Oracles, as representatives of the | service, will deal with this issue in an | authoritative (not authoritarian) manner. | The Acolytes are aked to refrain exhibiting | authoritarian moves. | Let the Oracles take any heat which might be | generated. | The Oracles ask the Acolytes for their | support by continuing to maintain | communiations with the Oracles and offering | their observations and opinions. | Is there anyone who does not know what issue | I am talking about? Speak | now. | Last call. Milen | Well... Dan Kuschner | Yes? Milen | ...I've not read the file because I've not | gotten Acrobat Reader yet... | ...but I know MarvL, and I have a general | idea of what you're talking about. Dan Kuschner | That's good enough for now. | Anyone else? Marianne G (Busy) | I haven't read it either, but I have heard | excerpts :D Dan Kuschner | Let me describe the method in which the | meeting will be conducted. Marianne G (Busy) | Plus have seen many of his board posts | leading up to it Dan Kuschner | We will proceed in alphabetical order. | I will begin. With the floor, I will state | 2-3 sentences. | I will end my statement with <done>. | Then I will pass the floor to the next person. | They will speak 2-3 sentences. (Statements | or rhetorical questions only) Brynne <busy> | (Can I change my name to Zebra, please? ;D) Chameleon<busy>:) | no you dont!!!<G> Dan Kuschner | Once they send <done>, I will pass the floor | to the next person on the list. | Once a round is completed, I will comment as | Oracle. | Then I will take the floor as an equal and a | new round will begin. | Remember that all our words, once spoken, | have a life of their own and should be | spoken from the heart. Ravenwhyte (busy) | Awesome. Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Dan. | I personally have been feeling pretty frayed | and some of it stems from the feeling | that we are drifting apart. | We alll seem to have the same basic idea, but | it feels we are splitting once we hit | the details. | I want to be able to give everyone wnat they | want and am trying to deal with the | reality that I can't. | <done> | The floor passes to Brynne. Brynne <busy> | I personally have been feeling very | frustrated, | because since I have been on this staff, I | haven't | really seen a lot of teamwork being displayed. | Sometimes I feel that we're all trying to | compete with | each other -- who's more of a leader than the | next. | And this disturbs me because I think we all | have | strengths that others may not have, and we | can | balance each other and bring out the BEST we | each | have to offer. <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Chameleon. Chameleon<busy>:) | although I know people invariably form | clinches among themselves, I am | sorry to see signs of people actually seeming | to put down their fellow | teammates. And I think our Oracles have been | stretched a bit thin, and | maybe we are sometimes a bit demanding | no they cant keep everybody happy, and | sometimes its easy to think me me | me and not whats its costing the one | providing, myself included<done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Data. Data <Busy> | We all have our own opinion about various | things. It is SO hard to bring a | group this size in and find pure | harmony. The thing to do is not to look for | what is wrong with an idea | but... | maybe what is right with it. All of us have | some good ideas and I think | we need to keep up a positive attitude | always. Even in our lowest | moments. | <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Ed. Ed <Busy> | I think that we should all start by making | sure that we show | each other as much common coertesy that we | ca... | Even in our bad moments and...We should all | respect each | other as peers | Not as leaders or followers, we must work | together as one | We all have varied talents that maek up the | whole | And to diminish that in any way hurts all of | us <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Electra. Electra | Perhaps I am too naieve, or too blind, but I | have always felt | that I have been treated well by each and | every one on the | staff. Everyone contributes in their own | way, which is what | a team is, after all. | <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to the bride. <g> Indigo <busy> | At the top of our inworld organization right | now are our dear | Oracles who are struggling worse than we are. | And as | swamped and overloaded. This trickles | down..... and we | Acolytes in Kymer, are mystified at all the | difficulties we face | and the seeming necessity laid upon us to | create an | environment for the good of humankind and as | a foundation for | the future. In my opinion, this is a result | of it being a | commercial venture. The Oracles are doing | their best. They | care. We need to support them by supporting | each other. | <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Libra. Indigo <busy> | <smile> Libra (busy) | I am increasingly frustrated by the fact that | we are letting our emotions get in the way of | ourselves. | We all have emotions and strong ones (me | included) but we need to be able to let our | emotions play themselves out before reacting | to the world and to each other. | <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Marianne. Marianne G (Busy) | I don't want to feel like I have to fight | with my friends, | and you all are my friends. If I knew you | before, if | I've only known you shortly, when I sign on | to a | team, I sign on to be part of a team. We all | want the | same goal, I know it. We are all people with | ideas, | opinions and different ways of dealing with | issues. | Life is finding a way to deal with, | compromise on, | give and take on issues so the common goals | are | met. I respect everyone here, and optimist | that I am, | I KNOW there is a workable solution to | everything. | We just can't always see it. <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Milen. Milen | Can't think of much to say. Struggling to | keep up with reading all this. | Go on without me. Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Mysteria. Mysteria | First, I like you all so very much. <s> But | sometimes I sense some competition among the | staff over who is the "best" Acolyte, or | the one who organizes the most games, etc. | That has left me feeling exhausted and upset, | and I did not want to "burn out," | so I took much of this week off. I hope | others will feel it's okay to do the same | when they need to. <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Nicci. Nicci (busy) | I came online yesterday after spending the | week away | from here and I litterally felt lost. I felt | like such an | outsider and all I could think of was how | stupid this | was. After a couple of conflicts and hurt | feelings I | found out that I wasn't the only person who | felt like this | and the others didn't miss a week like I did. | I think we | have comunication problems within our group | and the | result is that people feel alienated. It's | all | misunderstandings but the real result is that | people | are getting hurt. We really need to pull | together. The | burn out thing is a big thing too. People are | pushing | too hard. <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Ravenwhyte. Ravenwhyte (busy) | I wish that all the others from our team were | here, and I apprecite this intimate forum | where all voices may be heard. I feel torn | between what is viewed as a business at the | Fujitsu angle, yet has nothing to do with | business on a personal level. | We are all to a great extent in the same | boat, we are all asked to take risks | We are all networked. | As servants of Kymer, we are asked to pu the | good of the community before our own personal | desires. | <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Rosaleah. Rosaleah <busy> | :: sorry, thinking ... :: ;) | I think (heh) what I want to say is that I | wish we'd all talk to each other more ... | to remember to help each other as much as we | would any avatar out there. What's going | on in the World? Anybody to keep an eye on? | Someone need special attention/help? | And what sorts of things are working well for | you ... they'll likely work well for others | too. I, | for one, appreciate the sharing. <done> Dan Kuschner | Commentary as Oracle: | Though each of us, Oracles included, feel | frustrated because our desire for | efficient control cannot be fulfilled, our | greatest contribution to the strength of the | team is our own sincerity. | I thank you for sharing tonight. | Constructing a consensual evolution of even | the most worthwhile vision is not | easy. | It requires mutual respect and an emphasis on | cooperation, not competition. | By not focusing on competition, it is | possible to meet mutually exclusive goals | such as business and building the vision of | community. | The next round may be used to air views | regarding the MarvL/Konsitiution | situation. | The floor passes to Dan (as participant). | As frustrating as he can be and as far as | this has gone, I deeply feel there is a lot | of good and growth for the community which | can come from this. | That's been my light at the end of the tunnel. | <done> | The floor passes to Brynne. Brynne <busy> | ::thinking here ... one moment please:: | On the Marv situation: my only emotion here | is a | deep concern about his dictatorial style and | its | overall effect on the future of WA. | I know he is a great motivator, and if his | energy | could be channeled in a more positive | direction, I | think he would be good for WA. | Unfortunately, however, I believe he is a | manipulator | and will tell someone anything just to get | that | person off his real goal. As a result, I feel | Marv is | actually a danger to the future of WA. <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Chameleon. Chameleon<busy>:) | I think this meeting has been the best thing | that has happened in a long | time here! especially the way it is being | done. I am not worried about MarvL | but what he is doing. He seems to like | causing us to be at odds more than | anything else. Surely we can band closer | together, and not let something | like this seperate us further. I am sure this | is the first of many such | problems. <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Data. Data <Busy> | I am unclear on whether MarvL's intent is to | get a rise out of us or he has | blinded himself into believing FCT is just | going to hand the service over | to him. Whatever the case, I am not going to | let it bother me. I have faith | in the Oracles that the situation will be | handled correctly. He is a | customer and I will give him that respect | always. | <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Ed. Ed <Busy> | I think that we should let the citizens | decide what they want, after | all, we are in their service | I also believe that Marv's ideas could create | a lot of growth | But I just don't feel comfortable with the | way he words things | and | The way he goes about them | It's my opinion that he is very subversive | We should concentrate on sticking together | instead of MravL | Marv! oops! | We must also remember that he is also a | customer.. But.. | I don't think we should just hand him | everything he wants on a | silver platter | We should let the citizens decide what they | want ..... that's the | bottom line <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Electra. Electra | I find it almost incomprehensible that a | single person can be | the focus of so much time and energy. I | wonder if it's not | the attention that he feeds on? And is | anyone besides the | Oracles and Acolytes paying any serious | attention to him | and his dictates? <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Indigo. Indigo <busy> | As soon as the ability to have * more* than | acceptable or | agreed upon power over others, as this seems | to have turned | into for MarvL, predominates, all | civilizations start to deteriorate | and the original purpose becomes buried. As | this civilization is | both altruistic and commercial, we need to | find a solution which | accommodates MarvL as a customer, but is firm | in direction for | the good of all the community. | <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Libra. Libra (busy) | I have been personally very frustrated by the | MarvL situation. On the one hand he is a | tremendous source of good...helping newbies | inworld and out, creating one of the best | entertainments in town (Town Criers), | generating excellent debate in the forum, and | most importantly having an alter ego (Avatar | #2) who in my opinion is an excellent | citizen of the community. | On the other hand, he has used some tactics | which are underhanded and suggest an | ulterior motive which for the life of me I | can't figure out (my main frustration is | that). | So, what I have been trying to do is harness | the beast in him by befriending him | (legitimately, I consider him a friend) and | trying to understand him. Let me say I am no | more enlightened now than I was before, but I | hate to say this...I like him. He may be a | PITA, but he can be a very enjoyable person | to be with. <sigh> Libra's don't take well to | this. | <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Mairanne. Marianne G (Busy) | What if they hold an election and no one | comes? | Would you vote for a dictatorship? If | phrased in | glowing terms perhaps. BUT, would you then | spend time in that kind of oppresive society? | I don't | think so. So what happens if he holds the | election | and nothing changes? Win, lose or draw, | nothing | changes? I mean, someone can say they have | the | power, but when they do not have the | mechanism | for power, ie: tools to run the community, | who is | going to pay attention to what you say? No | election | is going to give him what he seeks. As for | what he | WANTS, if it's attention, he certainly has | it :D I don't | see him as a threat, because I don't see his | election being anything more then | entertainment. If | he manages to cause disent in our ranks, | among | us, when before we were so perfectly meshed, | then | he has created a loss far greater then giving | him | actual power could. That is the only threat I | see from | him. <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Milen. Milen | MarvL. What can I say? He's smart. He's | clever. He's funny. His | arguments cause headaches in laboratory | studies. And he's | oh-so-sneaky. I could tell you a story about | that, but I cannot safely | relate it from this idenity. But, from | someone who knows: beware, beware, | beware. <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Mysteria. Mysteria | Well, I think MarvL is nuttier than a | fruitcake -- which is his right. <g> | However, he doesn't have the right to impose | his vision | on everyone else. I don't think 99.9% of | avatars are interested in his Konstitution, | or any kind of WA government. <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Nicci. Nicci (busy) | I agree with Mysteria. Sure customers have | rights and so MarvL | has rights... | but I've already read a message speaking out | against the need | for the Konstitiution.... | the avarage customer is going to have no need | for it... | and so we just have to keep MarvL in check so | that they are not | effected by his politics. I don't know. I | don't think anyone can | control MarvL <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Ravenwhyte. Indigo <busy> | Ravenwhyte gracefully terminated for the | moment, sorry. Ravenwhyte (busy) | I do not know MarvL well, so I am not in the | front line with him as yet. I am willing to | take a more active role in engaging him | positively, but would appreciate some | direction to that end. I admire his passion, | but am challenged, at times, to respect Indigo <busy> | He did indeed crash - those lines made it up | there as it was | happening. He'll BRB! Ravenwhyte | Sorry, HDD spindown | to respect the way he chooses to channel that | passion | I believe he has a place in our growing | community | But it is ever so difficult to draw the line | between the good of the few and the good of | the many. | Not an easy job, I tip my hat. <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Rosaleah. Rosaleah <busy> | I'm surprised that the community hasn't | challenged MarvL's ideas more. For instance, | I've been waiting for someone to propose an | alternate "Konstitution" and gov't plan ... | even a *very silly* one (actually, | *especially* a silly one). But the whole | gov't plan idea is | rather a pre-emptive one right now -- | proposed way too soon for most to have a good | sense of what's being proposed / done. The | World, after all, is just beginning...and | most | are far, far more interested in fun than in | governments...and he's taking advantage of | that. I wholeheartedly agree that he seems to | want to divide us ... and to crave gobs and | gobs of attention ... attention stolen, in | the long run, from the many, many other | customers of the service. I _do_ think he's | delusional if he really thinks FCT is going | to | just hand over the running of the service | over to him. I don't fear *that* for a | minute! | I wish I knew how to turn his energy into | something more positive ... but I fear I | don't have | a handle on that at all. <done> Dan Kuschner | Commentary as Oracle: | It's pretty clear that we recognize that | someone like MarvL has two aspects: That | of community participant and that of | potential serious threat. | Our response should be to encourage the | community participant while protecting | our community from potential serious threat | at the same time. | Our primary defense is that of the | cohesiveness of our community, particularly | the Acolytes and Oracles as caretakers. | Correction: Our primary strength is our | cohesiveness. | There are enough seemingly exclusive aspects: | we should think on what | everyone has said for now. | I intend to have a personal talk with MarvL | next chance I catch him in the world. | We can use the next round to state any | intentions we may have and care to | share. | The floor passes to Dan (as participant). | I intend to be in the world more, both | officially and socially, to try to strengthen | my ties to the community. | When I feel my frustration rising, I intend | to remember the solidarity showed in | tonight's meeting. | <done> | The floor passes to Brynne. Brynne <busy> | My desire is a simple one. I would like to | see us all | functioning as a *real* team. To that end, I | plan to be | as supportive of each of you as I would like | you to be | of me. <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Chameleon. Chameleon<busy>:) | <picturing Oracle Teresias as he spreads | himself thinner and thinner>. I feel | so good about this meeting tonight, and | appreciate each and every one of | you views that have been shared with me and | all of us. I too will think of this | meeting when I feel down and disassociated, | and will remember I do have | friends here. | As to Marv, I will continue to do what I have | been doing. | Kill him with kindness | its seems to have the desired effect<EG> | <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Data. Data <Busy> | I believe in the potential of our team.... | I believe working together we can accomplish | anything.... | My highest goal is to work hard with our team | and to do all I can to help | us bond together.... | Remember the old addage, "United we stand, | divided we fall". Indigo <busy> | To have the Oracles more inworld and more | accessible will | help to disseminate the tension. We should | together give that | as much positive attention and support as | possible, drawing | the focus away from any serious negative | effects from | MarvL's behavior. By offering the gold | pieces of positive | communal effort, the pennies of negative | attention will be | dropped. Yes, killing with kindness | everywhere... way to go! Data <Busy> | If I can do anything to help PLEASE tell me. | If I have any needs I'll do | likewise... | let's just always be there for each other. | <done> Indigo <busy> | <Oh no, sorry...> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Ed. Ed <Busy> | I intend to keep my loyalties where they | belong, with all of you | and with the citizens of Kymer, as I have in | the past | It is my intention to continue with | everything I have doneto this | point | doneto=doing Chameleon<busy>:) | they really are married now, Indi is | finishing his sentences!!>sorry had to say | it> Ed <Busy> | And to expand on it as much as possible. | And to each and every one of you I extend my | helping hand if it is | needed | Just ask | And I'll be there if I can | <done> Chameleon<busy>:) | oops wrong box<sigh> my appoligies Ed I am so | sorry. Ed <Busy> | LOL!!! | No problem! | I'm easy to get along with | It happens Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Electra. Electra | I intend to make sure that my words and | actions always | reflect well upon the Oracles, the Acolytes, | and the | community. I will do whatever is within my | power to help | each and every one of you in whatever way I | can. I don't | know what more any of us can do but to pledge | to do our | best. <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Indigo. Marianne G (Busy) | Data, wasn't that a song? (One I now can't | get out of | my head). Anyway, I'm working on fitting in | a | scheduled time for assorted word and other | games, | called LETS TRY IT (or will work on that | title) to work | out various games for the community. As you | know, | with my memory leak, I need it to be a set | time each | week, cause otherwise I forget. I hope that | you'll | help with input, assistance running, if | needed, etc, | and in turn, the events will be worked out | and when | working, be available for all to use inworld. | I truly | believe that when we are seen as workers, | helpers, friends, in the community, that it | will | strenghten not only us with each other, but | the | community with us, and keep things like this | current | situation from ever reaching this point. | Drat, sorry, was not suppose to hit enter | ;;sigh;; Dan Kuschner | The floor is still with Indigo. Indigo <busy> | <grinning sheepishly> To have the Oracles | more inworld will | be awesome! We'll drop those dark old | pennies, and so will | the rest of the community. (scroll up to | read my original | statement). | Our strength is in our commitment to the good | of all and to | each other! <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Libra. Libra (busy) | I promise four things (1) To stop being such | a control freak and relax a | little...I can't be involved in every | situation everywhere (2) To continue to | trust you all as friends as teammates...that | means assuming that | whatever you say to me is meant in a spirit | of friendship and team spirit | (3) To continue to speak honestly about how I | see the world but making | sure it comes across in the spirit of | frinedship and team spirit it is | meant and (4) To sit back, watch and listen | more...taking my time | before reacting (5) To stop enumerating | lists of things all the time (I am | beginning to annoy myself with this too) (6) | To take a lesson in | mathematics...this was six I promised four | <g>. | Go team! | <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Marianne. Marianne G (Busy) | It is almost 2 in the morning for me people. | I beg | forgivness :D Anyway, what I said before, | and | before I go to sleep, I hope we have many, | many | years together as friends and workers and | think that | if you add cornstarch, it thickens things up, | and | maybe we can add them to the Oracles blood | and | they won't be spread so thin? <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Milen. Milen | Well, yesterday and today were two of the | worst days I've ever had. I | crashed *so* many times it was surreal. It | was about on a level with those | early, dark, pre-revision beta days, except | that this time I was the only one | crashing. I felt so alone, so left behind, | and so *frustrated*. I came | awsomely close to just dropping out right now | and resigning it was getting | so bad. In fact, I would have except for | just a few things. Their names are | Data, Indigo, Nicci, Ravenwhyte, VIQer.... | You all got me through a rough | time. I'm sure that we can handle anything | that comes our way, and, | wallet willing, I'm all set to forge ahead. | MarvL? Bring'em on! I eat three | MarvL's for breakfast! | <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Mysteria. Mysteria | I intend to focus my WA activities on | generating fun -- for those around me, and | for myself. I hope we'll all guard against | allowing Acolytehood to become a chore, and | try to keep perspective on its role in our | lives. | This IS supposed to be fun, right? <s> | <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Nicci. Nicci (busy) | Back to the communication breakdown issue. We | need to work | on this because MarvL assumes that we don't | have | communicaion between us. He tries to work on | us individually. | And when we prove him wrong and stand by each | other he turns | it around so it looks like MarvL vs. the | Acolytes (which in a lot of | ways it is but that is not becuase of the the | title, but becuase we | are the ones encountering problems with him | most frequently | since we are so active in the world). We need | to really plan | ahead and keep each other informed on this | issue. We have to | have at least an appearece of unity when | MarvL appoaches us | each indiviudally. We really need to think | ahead and to | communicate with each other <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Ravenwhyte. Ravenwhyte | I am so glad to know you all better through | your sincere sharing. Please do not ever | hesitate to call on me for help. | It cannot be truly understood what it takes | to support the community as we do until we | have walked here, in these Halls together | (huh? <g>). | I hope to continue to represent us as we are, | servants of the community . . . (Have I got | VC claening detail again?) | And dang! is this fun! | <done> Dan Kuschner | The floor passes to Rosaleah. Rosaleah <busy> | I, too, appreciate the sharing tonight, very | much. And offer my helping hand (and Razz's | too) whenever and wherever I can. <done> Dan Kuschner | (Final) Commentary as Oracle: | I want to thank you all for participating in | this different meeting tonight. | It showed that we are, indeed, a team with | common goals and vision. | I feel better. | One last thing: I want to thank Oracle Uni | who has guided me through this new | experience tonight. | (Uni waves) Data <Busy> | Hi UNI! <f^> Ed <Busy> | ::::;Waving at Uni:::::::: Dan Kuschner | Meeting done, kaput, fini! Rosaleah <busy> | <F6> <F6> Uni Mysteria | Hi Uni! <F6> Ravenwhyte | Awesome!! Hiya Uni! F7 Ed <Busy> | Best one we have had yet! Indigo <busy> | Hi UNI <Waving happily> Chameleon<busy>:) | <waving gratefully> needed this kind of a | meeting Milen | By, Uni! Electra | greetings, Uni <F6> <F7> <F6> Libra (busy) | <--------------------A very happy Libra...