1. About time we had an update on the matter of volunteers within SL. Unlike most MMOs, SL has enough of a population that relying solely on Customer Service would bankrupt Linden Labs (not necessarily in financial terms!).

Does this mean we're going to have volunteer app reviews again?

Posted at 10:13PM on Jan 2nd 2007 by Patchouli Woollahra

2. The wiki will be integrated with Second Life authentication systems so that residents can read and modify it with their Second Life name and password.

Yep, here it is, the long awaited resident-government blessed by the Lindens, selecting their pets by discretion, and now blessing them with their own special "portal" which only they will be able to enter -- judging frmo this "authentication" system and comment on.

What will this "media wiki" closed to all but the select Overlords of Second Life contain?

Well, ratting out of fellow citizens might make a big part of any "griefer watch" that goes on there.

One can imagine BanLink type lists may be used in this fashion.

Of course, they may not put in dossiers on their fellow lesser mortals, but they will find ways of steering, shaping, controlling.

Nice work if you can get it!

Now, as to "an unfriendly and combative atmosphere promulgated by a minority of volunteers. Pathfinder resolved to investigate and to explore effective measures for reducing internal friction."

I can't imagine what this is about, but given that it is a power system to start with, it's not surprising that there are struggles of power within it.

What are Pathfinder's "effective measures" to maintain oversight over ALL these people so that they stop abusing the power of office?

As you know, I advocate the removal of this system entitely.

Posted at 10:19PM on Jan 2nd 2007 by Prokofy Neva

3. You'll have to ask Pathfinder about his plans. As for the wiki, I presume the simplest way for you to find out what's going on there is to read it once it launches, since it's open to all residents.

Posted at 10:23PM on Jan 2nd 2007 by Tateru Nino

4. Is the wiki going to replace the knowledge base that replaced the wiki?

Posted at 12:32AM on Jan 3rd 2007 by Frans Charming

5. I don't believe the knowledge-base is going anywhere in a hurry. Torley made mention that it was going to be expanded, if anything.

Posted at 12:33AM on Jan 3rd 2007 by Tateru Nino

6. I imagine that this sentence:

"The wiki will be integrated with Second Life authentication systems so that residents can read and modify it with their Second Life name and password."

means that the wiki will be open to registered SL Residents only (as opposed to any mope that wanders in off the Internet), and they can use their existing SL login information to access it. Nothing more sinister than that. Wikis are generally intended as highly-open environments for collaboration anyway.

Posted at 4:24AM on Jan 3rd 2007 by Erbo Evans

7. “Now, as to "an unfriendly and combative atmosphere promulgated by a minority of volunteers. Pathfinder resolved to investigate and to explore effective measures for reducing internal friction."

I can't imagine what this is about, but given that it is a power system to start with, it's not surprising that there are struggles of power within it.”

This is about the IM channels. Some of the volunteers consider anything other than official announcements to be channel spam. A still smaller minority will aggressively chastise those whom they consider offenders. Some of the newer volunteers are intimated by the vociferous “oldies” and are afraid to ask questions on the channel.

If I understood Pathfinder correctly at the meeting, he will be investigating the history of the alleged channel spam (it seems that there is an old rule against questions being asked) and ways to make it more fruitful to all mentor/greeters and thereby more helpful to the people we serve. The new wilki will go a long way in providing needed answers to new volunteers.

Posted at 8:21AM on Jan 4th 2007 by Jennifer McLuhan