Thinking about better communications - let's talk!

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Emilia Avindar
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Thinking about better communications - let's talk!

Post by Emilia Avindar »

During Sunday's meeting and since, we've discussed the difficulty of reaching many Citizens and friends because Group Notices are not reliably reaching or sticking in offline email. This is an old problem, but it seems we totally rely on announcements to reach those of us who are not often online. And aside from that, we have an issue with scheduling events or meetings at a time that suits everyone’s schedules.
Just today, I heard from Almut that 9am SL is far too early for her on a Sunday. I do regret that it’s nearly impossible to cover most time zones with just one meeting, and even more difficult to persuade us to have two meetings in one day.
Since we can’t be perfect, so we must be patient and prolific in our posts. Earlier today, there was discussion about the problems with communication between us, even when supported by email. As discussed at the last GQH, the best way to communicate with each other is IM. It was generally agreed that IMs are also the friendliest, most welcoming way to reach out to new members. We have Citizens that have been in the group for years, and yet I’ve possibly never yet greeted you. Well, I resolve to at least say hello to each one of you soon!
Even with IMs, they are susceptible to getting clipped, especially when a viewer crashes or updates.

Finally, we resolved to use this forum to post about events as well as ideas.
Cheers,
Emilia

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Almut Brunswick
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Re: Thinking about better communications - let's talk!

Post by Almut Brunswick »

[mention]Emilia Avindar[/mention] : Thank you so much for thinking about ways how to improve the communication within the CDS community. Though I'm actually persent at the CDS every day, I'm often be the only person in the sims whilst events apparently often take place when I can't make it. I'm well-aware that it is quite difficult to find a suitable time frame to reach at least a high percentage of active CDS citizens. On the other hand, I know from other internationally active groups that the time between 11 AM and 2 PM SLT is a good compromise to meet people from the U.S. and Canadian West Coast to Eastern Europe/Western Russia. Everything beyond this time frame practically excludes people who either have to care for their RL at that time or who have to get up early the next morning, especially when the event is scheduled on a Sunday.

In general it could be worth a thought that the Chancellor appoints either a PIO or a Vice Chancellor as her/his deputy who is from a remarkably different time zone (e.g. from Europe when the Chancellor is from the U.S. or the other way around). This officer could then run events like the GQH or similar even when the Chancellor can't make it - and vice versa. For sure, it won't be optimal to get together as a whole community then, but on the other hand there won't be active parts of the community completely cut off anymore. Keeping in touch with IM or via this forum is a good addition, but not a replacement for a vivid community life. Currently I would describe myself as a "CDS pen pal" in 2p2 communication with my friends in the CDS, but not yet as a really integrated CDS citizen.

The means of communication - especially those which are more reliable than sending Group Notices inworld - should be described in the New Citizen's Guide, too. I already have started to add some links, e.g. to the Google Calendar.

Almut

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Rosie Gray
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Re: Thinking about better communications - let's talk!

Post by Rosie Gray »

Great point about the time zones, Almut. I think we usually have our events starting around noon or 1 pm slt, although there have been some later usually because the performer can't do earlier. We've also had some privately run events like Kyoko's parties that may have been a bit later, but that is up to her or whoever hosts a non-community event.

FYI the CDS Google calendar is on the home page of our website, and there are also links to it and our Facebook group page in strategic places inworld. We can always do better though!

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Emilia Avindar
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Re: Thinking about better communications - let's talk!

Post by Emilia Avindar »

Thanks for your thoughts, Almut and Rosie. Certainly we can propose to have GQH meet a bit more towards middle of the SL day in the future. I think our Government structure emphasizes a single Executive. What are we but a shared fever and passion for thought and community discussion, which spreads slowly. Since we are truly global in SL, yet, we may reach for quantum entanglement as a model for how we meet and influence one another. By being spontaneous and authentic, we celebrate community and share our progress and our dreams. Let's keep meeting here as much as possible, to focus on freedom from schedules.

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Almut Brunswick
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Re: Thinking about better communications - let's talk!

Post by Almut Brunswick »

Emilia Avindar wrote: Tue Feb 18, 2020 8:34 pm

Let's keep meeting here as much as possible, to focus on freedom from schedules.

Once again: This is not my idea of a vivid inwold community! I could have this in any arbitrary web forum.

Emilia Avindar wrote: Tue Feb 18, 2020 8:34 pm

I think our Government structure emphasizes a single Executive.

That is something I would like to see changed in the future as soon as possible, because it is ineffective IMHO. Not only because of public relation reasons, the Executive should be shared in a reasonable way with the Chancellor in a "primus inter pares" role. It should not be like a (temporary) "king with a bunch of beadles" any longer, but more like a governing team similar to the Roman counsel system or a triumvirate made up with the Chancellor as leader and the PIO and the LRA who could both serve as Vice Chancellor in absence of the Chancellor. And I would like to see that fixed in the Constitution, not based upon Common Law. I know that some obligations of the Chancellor cannot be shared, but hosting a GQH could really be delegated without risking a political crisis :D

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Almut Brunswick
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Re: Thinking about better communications - let's talk!

Post by Almut Brunswick »

Rosie Gray wrote: Tue Feb 18, 2020 6:04 pm

Great point about the time zones, Almut. I think we usually have our events starting around noon or 1 pm slt, although there have been some later usually because the performer can't do earlier. We've also had some privately run events like Kyoko's parties that may have been a bit later, but that is up to her or whoever hosts a non-community event.

I totally agree. And I was just referring to community events with a governmental character, not to private parties.

Rosie Gray wrote: Tue Feb 18, 2020 6:04 pm

FYI the CDS Google calendar is on the home page of our website, and there are also links to it and our Facebook group page in strategic places inworld. We can always do better though!

I already have added the Google Calendar in the link section of the New Citizen's CDS Guide. I am (and probably others are) not on Facebook, so this is not a barrier-free way of communication and thus should not be used for any sort of official announcement.

Almut

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Lilith Ivory
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Re: Thinking about better communications - let's talk!

Post by Lilith Ivory »

Sometimes reading the laws can be very helpful to understand a complex topic.

Government Question Hour Act

Rationale:

In order to make the government more accessible this Act establishes an informal Government Question Hour with at least one government ‘official’ from each branch of government present, once per month. The Chancellor may schedule additional Government Question Hours based on public demand. These meetings will be open to all CDS residents to come and ask questions. The hours will rotate to suit the RL hours of our community.

The Chancellor is charged with organizing a Government Question Hour at least once per month. All members of the government (Executive, Legislative and Philosophical branches) will be invited to attend with at least one official from each attending.
The Chancellor is charged with facilitating representation from all three branches.
The Chancellor will rotate the hours of the Government Question Hour to take into account the different time zones of the CDS community and to ensure representation from the different branches of government.
Meetings will be chaired by one of the government officials present and will be open to all citizens to attend.
The Chair will post a transcript of the meeting to the CDS forums, which may also include a summary of the content of the meeting. At the start, participants shall be informed that a transcript will be posted.
For each Question Hour, the Chair will — in advance — announce date, time and location in a Forum and via group notice. In the minutes before each Question Hour begins, the Chair (or an alternate) will announce date, time and location via group notice and in group IM.

The executive branch can be represented by the chancellor or any member of the PIO team and any member of a branch can host.

As the meeting times should be rotated anyway I have no problem to meet a little later. We decided to meet more early last sunday as experience has shown this time works very well for most of our european citizens.

"The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."
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Emilia Avindar
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Re: Thinking about better communications - let's talk!

Post by Emilia Avindar »

Thank you for posting the language of the Law, Lilith
I will definitely accept the commitment of the PIO Han to the task, as her time allows, if she volunteers for evening hours. It will be necessary for both RA and SC to be available to facilitate such a GQH, should it arise without me. I am often online late at night and no doubt could meet for up to an hour for an evening GQH, but I will let RA and SC set a time. Otherwise, Almut, feel free to IM me when you see me, and we can have an impromptu meeting. :)

Otherwise, the next GQH has been set as 0900 am SL on Sunday, March 15th.

It was decided at this most recent meeting that some participants felt more comfortable that a summary be made, rather than a transcript, so I provided the summary.

Almut, I hear and cheer your appeal for a more active use of our sims. A more active in-world community begins with each of us as a commitment to be present and to greet each other and visitors, in such a gentle way as to not disturb privacy. The beauty of our Tuscan countryside, Alpine meadows and Bavarian enlave is that it invites quiet, visual meditation. To each his own.

Chancellor, 32nd Term, December 2019 - May 2020.
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