Senior Membership Option without being Aes Sedai or Gaidin?

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Leese Sulan

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I'm asking here because I'm not really current on what the changes have been over the last few years, or if there have been any, because I mostly lurk periodically.

My question is simply if there's an option to somehow achieve SM without being Aes Sedai or Gaidin? I've been one before, but demoted over what I now consider was silly drama I was partaking in at the time.

I do like that I had the option to switch to Soldier. But I'm not necessarily finding a home with the companies. I've just kinda accepted that staying a Soldier forever is as far as I will get again, but I do miss the conversations that were had amongst other SM's.

I have a feeling the answer will simply be a "no, there's nothing, you can be a Resident Citizen", but figure it can't hurt to ask anyway.

Thanks.
 

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I think those are your only options, Aes Sedai, Gaidin, and Resident Citizen. I'm sorry. :hug You are free to try out the Ajahs, even as a Soldier, though. :pleased-1:
 

Leese Sulan

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Thanks for the reply
 

Leala ni al'Dareis t'al'Caleum

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You're welcome!
 

Ariadne Davion

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I'm a general advocate of people building paths that may not always be well-traveled. The Tower, in general, should be in a constant state of growth and it is acceptable to believe that more than one person may feel this way. MDD was able to petition for a 4th Company through research, proposals and Hall votings, etc. It is not beyond the possibility to petition with appropriate research and intention to revisit something different than Resident Citizen as a SM option.

That being said, I don't speak for anyone on this, this is purely a personal opinion and suggestion.
 

Leala ni al'Dareis t'al'Caleum

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I hadn’t thought of that! @Leese Sulan Arie makes a good point.
 

Alora Sionn

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Imo it's not a bad idea for those who are ready to be a senior member and have tried for a certain amount of time actively to find a home and can't :) could be fun brainstorming names for it
 

Leese Sulan

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Imo it's not a bad idea for those who are ready to be a senior member and have tried for a certain amount of time actively to find a home and can't :) could be fun brainstorming names for it

Wanderer. Or something along those lines. I've been a member for half my life and the people here were my family when mine did not seem to care for me. I've grown quieter as I grew up and learned some important lessons in life, but I don't think I would ever fully leave. Would be nice to feel part of it all again in an integrated feeling of belonging, instead of this through the looking glass outsider feeling. But then again maybe its as simple as we've all grown up and that feeling I miss has evolved into something quieter for all of us anyway. *shrug*
 

Ariadne Davion

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Adulting is a trap.
 

Calen Velervron

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I guess my thing is- and this is what I would say in the hall- I kind of look at long term resident citizens as senior members. I think that is the actual third path. I get that its got some different qualifications but I would like to see you experiment with tweaking those, at least until there was a number of people who wanted a fourth path.
 

Leese Sulan

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I guess my thing is- and this is what I would say in the hall- I kind of look at long term resident citizens as senior members. I think that is the actual third path. I get that its got some different qualifications but I would like to see you experiment with tweaking those, at least until there was a number of people who wanted a fourth path.


Yeah that's the thing eh?? I hate being like one rando who is asking for an exception, 'cause I also think that's dumb and unnecessary for me to go asking that. But I do miss being a Senior Member. I thought I could roll on and nothing would change, that I could still partake the same in the overall forum community much the same as a junior member.... but its now something like 7 years later and I've still not been able to fit back in. It's an outsider feeling. Not sure how to shake it! :scratch

I figure I'll keep trying, see if theres ways to mix things up a bit.
 

Kyla Sterling

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I definitely think that some shuffling around to the idea of Resident Citizens eventually gaining access to the SM forums could work - perhaps making that an official third path and then also having a way for people who don't want to do the raising process still have a bit of recognition. I'm not sold on the idea of just staying Citizen long enough to get SM forum access, but it's definitely something to think about for a future admin meeting.

*something something joining the Kin something something*
 

Qamra Daielin

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I don’t mind there being a third path as long as it’s more than just time (something like a contribution.. which puts it on pretty much on par with the Ajah/Companies). However, if one doesn’t find a sense of belonging among one of those 11 groups - is it guaranteed they’d feel that sense of belonging with that third path/group?

Either way ... it’s an admin meeting discussion ... I know the Kin thing was brought up in the past, and it may be time for a revisit.
 

Leese Sulan

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I definitely think that some shuffling around to the idea of Resident Citizens eventually gaining access to the SM forums could work - perhaps making that an official third path and then also having a way for people who don't want to do the raising process still have a bit of recognition. I'm not sold on the idea of just staying Citizen long enough to get SM forum access, but it's definitely something to think about for a future admin meeting.

*something something joining the Kin something something*

I don’t mind there being a third path as long as it’s more than just time (something like a contribution.. which puts it on pretty much on par with the Ajah/Companies). However, if one doesn’t find a sense of belonging among one of those 11 groups - is it guaranteed they’d feel that sense of belonging with that third path/group?

Either way ... it’s an admin meeting discussion ... I know the Kin thing was brought up in the past, and it may be time for a revisit.

Perhaps you could put together a proposal and send it to the administration?

I'm in general agreement with all three of you. I too would like to see there be more involved than simply being resident citizen for a long time to achieve SM in such a hypothetical path. I think there should be some effort made to try out the Accepted/Soldier path. And I am not sure either if a hypothetical Kin path as an alternative to the ajahs/companies would provide a real solution of a path of belonging. But maybe the point is that there are a few of us who never really fit in anywhere but are currently standing outside the larger groups because we can't get raised to SM by virtue of not fitting anywhere. Maybe there does need to be a catch-all backup plan.

I also kinda feel like a Kin option for SM-hood would be fair to restrict its members to not be allowed bonding. Bonding is an Aes Sedai/Gaidin thing, and if an SM in Kin wanted to bond in future, they could still have the option to transition over into an ajah/company via the traditional system? It's interesting to ponder possibilities.

When is the next admin meeting? I have some ideas for suggestions I could try to form a proposal from, but I am also not yet sure if I am committed to championing such a thing. I'm currently trying to give exploring the current groups another go.
 

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I haven't had the head space to contribute to this, but I've been following it, and I'm really happy to have seen it take off like this. :pleased-1: I hope your proposal takes off, Leese! :hug
 

Alora Sionn

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For those who would be concerned that this alternative would turn into a group with its own identity that people who don't seem to have a home anywhere also won't feel at home here:

I don't see it as a separate usergroup with its own private forum. I see it as a way for someone who has made a good faith effort to find a home to have a path to SM they normally wouldn't without shoehorning themselves into a group where they don't feel at home. So in a way they would be sacrificing having a specific usergroup forum, but will be gaining the normal Parlour/SM/Apartments forum combo that all SMs get upon raising. It would be the same level as Aes Sedai/Gaidin without anything extra, just unaffiliated.

For raising purposes, I would see there being a minimum good faith effort timeline of active guesting before the JM applies to the unaffiliated path. This application I could see going to the MoAS, then to the Hall to consider the case as in a normal raising, but instead of looking for how well they fit into their groups, how much they've tried to find a home in the various groups can be analyzed. I'd say this unaffiliated path can only be considered for someone if they have tried to guest everywhere.

I'll also say I have 0 intention of ever using this for myself I just like pondering things like this, and would rather there be an option for people who have tried hard but haven't been able to find a home. They should have the opportunity to be a senior member without having to feel like they are settling for a group which isn't fair for the person or the group.
 

Leese Sulan

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I don't see it as a separate usergroup with its own private forum. I see it as a way for someone who has made a good faith effort to find a home to have a path to SM they normally wouldn't without shoehorning themselves into a group where they don't feel at home. So in a way they would be sacrificing having a specific usergroup forum, but will be gaining the normal Parlour/SM/Apartments forum combo that all SMs get upon raising. It would be the same level as Aes Sedai/Gaidin without anything extra, just unaffiliated.

Hmm, I'm not opposed to this.


I also want to say I'm grateful this conversation thread is getting some feedback at all. I generally expected a yes or no answer and it's nice to see some interest regardless of if anything ever comes from it. At the very least, it's giving me some new life on the forums and I'm trying a little more to engage instead of just lurk. Thanks :)
 
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