Disclaimer: When I post about negative experiences it is rarely if ever out of any smug satisfaction. There are no winners. It is a "buyer beware" as I stumble through the metaverse. This post definitely serves this purpose. You have an opportunity to learn from any mistakes I've made and spot warning signs in advance. Those who know these people and find me relating a story: take it for what it is; there's no glory in it for me. I am sure to lose several from my contact list. I always blog with the expectation that someone is going to find out, whether there are tattlers or not. This is The Internet. Just keep in mind that my opinions may not be that of the ACTS, and that taking anything out on the team or creating difficulties getting the team resources or preventing them from representation or fundraising is an attack on innocent people - both from the team and American Cancer Society - who have nothing to do with this post
Fantasy Faire has been - as it often is - an experience for the senses.
The kind and selfless people running it, the vibe of a major convention with the added element of complete immersion, those caught up in the vibe and committing themselves completely (from DJs departing from their usual fare to sim creators auctioning off region content to a media entity such as SaffianWiddershins coordinating LitFest & bringing inworld published authors & overseeing writer's workshops. Saffia's costar of Designing Worlds, Elrik Merlin, has ever served as Fantasy Faire Radio's Laird, bringing it to life in collaboration with Zander Greene.
Thank you Fairelanders!
Next Stop: Halfway There Fair
The Halfway There Fair was a bit of a joke this year.
Not because teams had no spots on a dedicated region (it was held on 3 sims last year I think. You can go look it up in my archives from last year) but instead used a little area on American Cancer Society sim with prefab decor & some space for team gachas. The turnout was much less than in the past, and to be honest you weren't missing anything. Their much touted committee hour wasn't a time to encourage relayers but to pat themselves on the back. More of an eyeroll and what else is going on elsewhere. There really wasn't any reason for a volunteer to stick around for that unless you were on their teams or were their friends.
The attention they drew were similar to that failed 1950s weekend we had back in 2012, with teams manning kissing booths, dunk tanks and other midway amusements for donations with about the same results. Relay Rap always delivers at least.
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| sigh... when will anybody learn that high attendance and mesh don't mix? And I have far from the worst connection to Second Life. |
Meanwhile, More Skybox Stupidity
I spent about 4-5 days on a Filmore style poster for my upcoming Relay Stock gig. A LOT more than I did for the Pirate Radio poster from 2015. Finally done - and fixed since I got the time wrong on it, I submitted the event.
And was taken to that damn skybox again.
So I IMed a committee member. And they gave me all sorts of lame excuses like routing problem people away from ground level. The issue is there is no direct access to the RFL building, and when someone specifically comes to complete a registration process (the SLURL is provided as part of the registration), being shucked up to a skybox on the other end of the sim is just plain rude. That and a paranoid mindset which chooses to discard one of America's disappearing policies "Innocent until proven guilty."
Unless of course they're referring to Relayers? Let's face it: What would you think is the ratio between relayers and people looking for info or support versus griefers? Exactly. Again someone on the committee forgot their purpose was to act on our behalf.
I responded with this:
So far you havent given a valid reason to explain why ACTIVE RELAYERS are FORCED to a skybox when they are TRYING to complete their event set up. I dont believe you have a realistic perception of what happens. Most Relayers are eager to get to where they need to go. They are rudely routed to some noob intro room with signs all over that look the same, some not having been fully rezzed. And Lord help those with computers not as fast as mine. There is no clear stand-out prim or anything the average person can differentiate between a teleport to the RFL building and any other wordy poster on the wall when they DO rez. And you know something? I've tried to aim and TP and THERE IS NO DIRECT TP ACCESSS TO THE RFL BLDG which is the problem, because you send everyone who creates an event to that damned skybox. There are only like a couple of places one can direct TP to on the island, and they are nowhere near the RFL bldg. If it isn't a blatant statement on how lowly the committee regards people who work their asses off then it is just poor planning and user-UNfriendly. Speaking as someone who took communication in design for a 15 yr graphic arts career and a 20 year history in customer care. btw this response will be saved as well (not your part of the discussion and no naming names). There is a large contingent of unhappy relayers who are being discouraged from participating because of this BS. That's not counting the people who were driven from inworld Relaying but it DOES count many who thought "okay maybe they're back." Not with excuses instead of adjustments. btw Nothing personal UNLESS you have a personal vendetta against volunteers and a positive inworld Relay experience.
*Mic drop*
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| Why don't they focus instead on snerts who disrupt the sim when people are actually on? Dork shows up with a donation prim and stands before the committee during HTF Relay Rap. |
At Least There's Relay Stock!
On a POSITIVE note, I've got my set coming up this Sunday at Relay Stock. Kudos for my team captain for securing a spot for me. You know I love that era in music and it doesn't get enough respect. During a recent Relay Rap someone must have whined over do we hafeta play 60s music tsk garrrrrr to which Trader said hey play anything you want: modern, country, it's all good.
*death stare*
Anyway if you miss that swell of happy and optimism all but gone from this millennium, if you want to hear tunes you loved back then or on really good oldies stations, come to my set this Sunday 14 May at 11am SLT (that's 2pm EDT / 19:00 BST) on the Relay Stock stage.
And if it's Mother's Day where you are for a modest Linden donation I'll provide you the URL of my stream for that time. Let Mom in on it: She'll love you for it!
I have an incentive - I always have this incentive, to be honest - to avoid songs that could potentially be overplayed by an ongoing lineup of DJs. There's SO MUCH STUFF from the peace/love/hippie era that it's easy to come up with great tunes you're less likely to hear again or very much over the weekend.
It'll sound a LOT like this poster I made:
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