New Virtual Merits

[Toral Delvar]

Some time back, we added merits to recognize people hosting/attending virtual events. ter reviewing, we concluded that thsee were a little too hard to get, so reduced the requirements. We have been allowing time for people to submit their events, and checking what they submitted and are now going to announce the first set. We still may be able to release more in the main January batch, and it may also be that some people who currently are on silver could be upgraded to a gold

We will now only require 5 people to attend for it to count, and have added another (silver only) merit that will recognized that sometimes people will try and set up an event, but that it doesn't get enough attendance to otherwise count. We also added gold merits, as before they were silver only, and consequently, reduced the level required for silver for the coffee talk
We can only go on events we have been told about. We are also reviewing events that are held in an official capacity, or as part of a guild to determine the best way of recognizing these
Coffee Talk - online chats or virtual meetings
Gold (20), Silver(5)
Movie Buff
Gold (20), Silver(5)
Achievement Unlocked - Host an online quiz or game
Gold (20), Silver(5)
Online Social Butterfly - Attend
Silver (20)
Lonely Hearts Club - Host and event that does not have the required minimum attendance
Silver (20)

So, people getting something this time round
Coffee Talk
Silver
Laurien, Tree, Viktara
Movie Buff
Silver(5)
Atane
Achievement Unlocked
Silver
Alexr
Online Social Butterfly
Silver
Adina al'Mari, Polegnyn Nemeara, Alexr al'Petros, Boreas Silverfir, Hal Bahalla, Veluene al'Myr, Laurien Achaur, Nadezhada al'Lanahrin, Ananke Zaresh, Kenulin Falolin

 

[Viktara Fen]

Thanks for all your work on this! ❤️

 

[Polegnyn Nemeara]

Congratulations, everyone!

Alexr should have way more entries toward a gold (probably platinum by now. Hah!) for Social Butterfly between Zazen and D&D.

 

[Nadezhda al'Lanahrin]

Many congratulations, all!!

 

[Nadezhda al'Lanahrin]

Congratulations, everyone!

Alexr should have way more entries toward a gold (probably platinum by now. Hah!) for Social Butterfly between Zazen and D&D.

+1

 

[Ananke Ruadh]

Congratulations, everyone!

Alexr should have way more entries toward a gold (probably platinum by now. Hah!) for Social Butterfly between Zazen and D&D.

Feel the same way about those of us who tried to get up movie nights for SOA this year and didn't make enough people to count. Alas~

 

[Polegnyn Nemeara]

Feel the same way about those of us who tried to get up movie nights for SOA this year and didn't make enough people to count. Alas~

SoAt stuff goes toward a staff merit

 

[Ananke Ruadh]

SoAt stuff goes toward a staff merit

oohh I see I see


ETA: I feel like that first post might need a /j tag....

 

[Polegnyn Nemeara]

It would be nice to know the difference between “meetings” and “events”

 

[Boreas Silverfir]

Achievement Unlocked - Host an online quiz or game

When does the accumulation of these merits start? I know @Maibella ni Rhoiden t'al'Varrak ran two game nights this past year and may qualify for a merit.

 

[Alexr al'Petros]

Gee whiz, I can't wait to get the "Lonely Hearts Club" merit. Then I can be officially recognized as someone no one wants to hang out with. But hey, at least I'm a "Social Butterfly" that is such a wonderful compliment - thank you! Can't wait until I earn that Gold merit.

(Yeah, I'm being sarcastic. And yeah, I get that these titles are meant in jest - just like the merit they represent.).

It seems it has been forgotten. According to the Membership Manual, Merits are "Intended as rewards for continued and dedicated service to TarValon.Net " In other words, they are meant to be a positive way to encourage certain behavior. At this point, I'm changing my behavior. It is clear to me that being active and engaged online in the public Tar Valon spaces is more of a jest for the administration.

I'll be looking to move my activities (Games, Meditations, D&D, etc) to private spaces. It seems most of the Tower is headed in that direction anyway.

I know @Maibella ni Rhoiden t'al'Varrak ran two game nights this past year and may qualify for a merit.

Yes, I took care of her. I submitted the forms...but the events didn't qualify.

(As an aside, I appreciate the kind words of those that posted above. I have tried for 2 years to improve these virtual events merits, but I recognize that I am still a relatively new member. And so remain merely a PITA to be appeased or ignored as opposed to a serious voice to be considered and engaged with. I hope that someone recognizes that post-pandemic our Community is likely to remain predominately virtual (has anyone considered the dropping attendance rates at our live events and how that might indicate a fundamental shift in our community?). And we may want to consider, in a serious way, how we intended to reward "continued and dedicated service" when that service is virtual. In my, "Junior Member" opinion, this is an area RIPE for some fresh eyes and perspectives.).

 

[Adina al'Mari]

You matter and your efforts matter, and I thank you for all you have done. I want and have asked to get everyone properly recognized.

 

[Delara Morellin]

As one of the many members here who for reasons of health and/or geography is likely to only ever be able to interact with the wider TV community virtually, I have to say that I agree with every word of @Alexr al'Petros's post and I think it's a real shame that someone who has done nothing but champion the best interests of this community while he's been here has been left feeling like his efforts were in vain.

 

[Morrighan Daghdera]

You matter and your efforts matter, and I thank you for all you have done. I want and have asked to get everyone properly recognized.

Thank you, Adina. To no one’s surprise, the Director of Online Events apparently has zero authority over the merit for Online Events. I would think the Archivist aka Secretary would only be in charge of taking the notes/recording winners in the Library. Period.

When Draylyn and her minions first launched these after the focus group, wasn’t she Keeper? Not Archivist? I think they followed the person and not necessarily the most appropriate position as far as creating them. The Amyrlin hand picked the focus group to have reps from every department at the time, who created the initial categories. Dralyn and minions documented the winners.

I would think that the creative aspect of new categories would be better handled by a focus group or Community Council with actual community feedback. Since. Y’know. We’re supposed to be a community.

 

[Alexstrasz Ruskein]

Gee whiz, I can't wait to get the "Lonely Hearts Club" merit. Then I can be officially recognized as someone no one wants to hang out with.

See, the difference between you and me is, I'm sitting here like "What are 20 event ideas unappealing enough that I could cheese my way to a silver-that-doesn't-become-gold, thus snagging myself an Alchemist Merit..."

Spoiler

In all seriousness, though, it sucks that you're being made to feel like your efforts, opinions, and feelings don't matter.

I would think that the creative aspect of new categories would be better handled by a focus group or Community Council with actual community feedback.

I second this.

 

[Nadezhda al'Lanahrin]

Sometimes I do wonder why there is even a Community Council…

 

[Morrighan Daghdera]

Exactly.
The creation of the merit categories was by focus group in 2010/2011. A review of the categories by another focus group was in 2014. There hasn’t been any focus group discussion on merit categories since then.

Archivist oversight of merits seems limited to verification of awards and documentation of such:

• Overseeing our merits. You will oversee and manage the merits' minions and check their work. You'll be responsible for either verifying and approving merits that aren't as easily definable (such as Rock Star) or finding someone who can verify them, and then approving that verification. You'll work closely with the Director of Research & Records and the Tower Historians in making sure that all this data is housed appropriately and is accurate.

Duties and responsibilities

Why hasn’t there been another focus group on this topic since Serenla was Archivist? It’s been almost 9 years. And our precedent is that creating categories is done via focus groups. Oversight of merit awards for Archivist is limited to verification of awards and documentation of such.

 

[Idine Espanyas]

As one of the many members here who for reasons of health and/or geography is likely to only ever be able to interact with the wider TV community virtually, I have to say that I agree with every word of @Alexr al'Petros's post and I think it's a real shame that someone who has done nothing but champion the best interests of this community while he's been here has been left feeling like his efforts were in vain.

+1

 

[Boreas Silverfir]

but the events didn't qualify.

Well shit. Don't know how they didn't qualify.

I hope that someone recognizes that post-pandemic our Community is likely to remain predominately virtual (has anyone considered the dropping attendance rates at our live events and how that might indicate a fundamental shift in our community?).

As one of the many members here who for reasons of health and/or geography is likely to only ever be able to interact with the wider TV community virtually, I have to say that I agree with every word of @Alexr al'Petros's post

Virtual spaces are key in the current era. Prices for physical visits continue to climb. I'm sure the Executive team does what they can during negotiations with venues, but that doesn't change the price of fuel and airfare as they continue to rise steadily. This also doesn't cover health concerns folks have every time they leave the house. As someone with a high risk household, I need to be cognizant of where I'm
traveling to and how the people I'm interacting with have been behaving. I've skipped physical events in an effort to better protect my family. It's the world we live in now.

We had a fantastic turn-out to the "Um, Actually" trivia night as a part of the Halloween free week. And Tree Time is always popular. To Alexr's well formulated point, if Anni, Spring Fling, & EuroParty are seeing fewer attendees something must take the place of these events if we want the community to remain bound together.

@Morrighan Daghdera I did not know that was how the merit system was built back in the day. It is odd that that process wasn't used here as we're addressing the need to recognize people's support and encouraging folks to participate in virtual events.

 

[Polegnyn Nemeara]

@Raina Tsornin is missing from the “I hope these titles will be reconsidered” Social Butterfly merit as well.