International Volunteer Orientation Handouts

Out of Date

The volunteer information on this page is now out of date and will be kept for historical purposes. Please do not update information on this page.

Last update on '6 Volunteer Group Communication Guidelines 2.0', Feb. 20, 2008

This is the leading branch of the orientation handouts. The following shows the titles and version numbers, found in the U.S. handouts kiosk. If no version has been specified, the most current released version shall apply!

1 Objectives 2.1

Feb. 05, 2008

Orientation Objectives 1.0


2 Tao of Volunteer 1.1

Feb. 05, 2008 This is the first part of Tao_of_Volunteers. There will be a complete version later (including the "Consequences") in this folder, these should be jointed (or this one here should better be replaced by the "Tao_of_Volunteers_and_Consequences" notecard, I think! --Shiva Aabye 18:06, 5 February 2008 (PST)

Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9ggsWBG5YA

~TAO OF VOLUNTEERS~

-Vision and Mission-

Our vision is to lay the best foundation for volunteerism in Second Life by offering knowledge, assistance, and encouragement to residents in need. We believe volunteering in any world has the potential to enhance our character while reaching out to those who need us. Our mission is to reach that potential through our individual triumphs as well as team cooperation.

-Volunteer Behavior and Attitude-

Set The Standard

Each Volunteer has the opportunity to create an unforgettable first impression of Second Life for new residents while also helping more seasoned residents with quality assistance. We do it because we want to. We do it because we enjoy it. We do it with a smile. That is how we want such unforgettable moments to be remembered.

Our personal conduct and style sets the standard:

-Volunteer Goals-

Promote and Grow

As Second Life continues to grow as a global platform we have the ability and responsibility to increase our Volunteer team’s strength and numbers. We should actively speak about what we do and why we do it. While volunteering we should always be open to learning new solutions as well as teaching what we know. We hope to create an open, collaborative win-win situation, one resident at a time.


3 Infohub/WA 1.1

Feb. 05, 2008

Infohubs and Welcome Areas

Infohubs and Welcome Areas are places where Residents congregate and socialize. They are also the entry points on the Second Life Grid's Mainland for new Residents, after they complete Orientation Island, and optionally Help Island. Remember, Second Life Mentors are also given special access to Orientation Island 1-104 and Help Islands 1-14. Put "Orientation Island" or "Help Island" in the World Map search to bring up an available list.

On the World Map, infohubs are represented with blue "i" symbols. Make sure that the "Infohub" radio button on the right-hand legend is checked.

Finding Infohubs Through Search:

Click the Search button, then the Places tab and search for "infohub" (it's not CaSe-sensitive). This will show most of the Infohubs, although some are under other keywords. If you click the "Any Category" drop-down menu, you'll notice "Linden Location" is among the choices. At present, there's sadly not a way to show all of the Linden locations, but if you type in "infohub" or "welcome area" in the search box with this category chosen, many will appear.

Is there anything else special I need to know?

The first Infohub you land at after completing the orientation adventure automatically gets set as your home location. You can, infact, set any Infohub to be your home via World menu > Set Home to Here. You can expect questions of all sorts, ranging from the basic "how do I change my hair?" to the more complex, "I see red and blue cones on everyone and I don't know why!" Remember to work with one another in troubleshooting circumstances, and in the event that abuse is taking place, please abuse report the resident as a group to help us develop case files on problem residents. Remember to have fun! If there are no questions, make friends and congregate at your leisure.

Below is a list of some of the Infohub/Welcome Area locations. Other locations can be found in the search tool.


4 Volunteer Resources 2.3

Feb. 05, 2008

The Help Menu

This tool may change over time, but will always be a great first place to look for answers. At the time this guide was written, the Help menu leads to the Second Life Knowledge Base, Scripting Wiki, the Abuse Report tool, and so on.

Liaison Volunteer Specialists (VTeam!) The Liaison Volunteer Specialists are here to build a bridge for communication between residents and Linden Lab, and offer support for volunteer related concerns. For volunteer related or obstructing concerns, Liaison Volunteer Specialists can help. They also have office hours! Please see the volunteer portal (link provided later in the list) at the Second Life wiki for details.

http://secondlife.com/support This is a great resource, used for those sticky situations where the in-world team cannot readily handle a request for support, or for account pertinent problems such as billing. Please ask a Liaison Volunteer Specialist on which method of support is best to turn to if a problem’s solution is unclear.

Team Cooperation If in doubt, ask! Volunteers have to be able to rely on one another. Please remember the volunteer wiki, SL Volunteer Island, and various infohubs/welcome areas as hotspots for creative collaboration.

Volunteer Wiki The Volunteer Wiki is a great tool for collaborative work among volunteers. Many volunteers have contributed FAQs and resources to the wiki. Check out the volunteer wiki/portal which can be found at: https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Volunteer_Portal

Mentor Scribes: A new role within the Mentor group created for those who are great at wiki-development! For more details on who our Scribes are, please check out the Volunteer Wiki main page where it links to information about Scribes. They would surely be able to assist in getting you set up in the wiki if that is something you are interested in!

http://blog.secondlife.com When something global affects Second Life that may disrupt service and requires at-length maintenance to fix, this is where announcements are made on progress. This is the official blog where all official announcements from Linden Lab are made as well.

Mentors Teaching Mentors Mentors Teaching Mentors is a program within Second Life Mentors that allows Mentors to don the role of a 'coach' and teach residents in a classroom-type setting. All classes are hosted at SL Volunteer HI's sandbox unless otherwise explicitly noted with reason. Check the class offerings regularly for topics of interest and be sure to thank your Coach if you receive help from them! Class offerings list: https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Classes_Offered_By_Mentors To make a class request, please visit this link: https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Mentor_Coach_Class_Request


5 Mentor Buddies 1.0

Feb. 05, 2008

For detailed information on the Buddy System and how to sign up to become a Mentor Buddy, please read this wiki page: https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/SL_Volunteer_Mentor_Buddies

The following notecard is up to date as of August 31, 2007.

1. What Mentor Buddies Are

The primary purpose of the Mentor Buddy system is to help new volunteers get acquainted with the volunteer program by showing them the ropes. Mentor Buddies are seasoned volunteers who opted into this program and are willing to make themselves available to new volunteers. As such, please feel free to contact a Mentor Buddy regarding the following:

2. How to Find a Mentor Buddy

Edit>Groups>Second Life Mentor>Info>Members & Roles>Members/Roles

[At the top task bar within Second Life, choose Edit > Groups. Highlight the Second Life Mentors group, and click the Info button on the right hand side. Choose the Members & Roles tab next to the General tab along the top of the window. A list of Mentors Online can be filtered through the Members tab, and a list of Mentor Buddies can be found in the Roles tab. We will consider suggestions on how to make this process easier if you have some! This is a work in progress.]

3. Important Reminders

If you contact a Mentor Buddy who is busy, please respect the privacy of the Mentor Buddy. While he or she did opt into this Second Life Mentor role, all volunteers are free to enjoy a Second Life experience outside the realm of volunteering. As such, you may be asked to contact another Mentor Buddy, or may be told simply that the Mentor Buddy is busy and may need to address your concern at a later time. Still, Mentor Buddies are enthusiastic to reach out when they can. Please be sure to thank them for their assistance!


6 Volunteer Group Communication Guidelines 2.0

Feb. 20, 2008

The most current and updated communication guidelines can be found at: https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Volunteer_Group_IM_Guidelines

Below are the communication guidelines as of 2/20/2007.


The following are the formal guidelines to be followed in the Volunteer Group IMs:

Please remember, the Mentor Group Instant Message (IM) channel can reach over 1000 people and is not a general conversation channel. Make sure to use the channel only for important issues. Questions and concerns that do not need to be broadcast to the whole volunteer group should be brought up in a separate communication venue (see Second Life Mentor Q&A).

IM Policy:

Use the Channel for Helpful Reference:

Use the Channel to Rally Volunteers:

Use Channel Etiquette:

Consequences:

Second Life Mentors are expected to know the group channel guidelines and abide by them. If a Mentor does not follow the guidelines they may be removed from Mentors group back into Apprentice Mentors. At that time they will need to reapply via the website and note the application with "Reapply due to Mentor group channel." Please contact a VTeam Linden after you reapply for volunteer.

For Mentors moved back to the Apprentice Group:

7 SL Volunteer Island Policies 2.1

Feb. 05, 2008

Below are the policies for SL Volunteer Island attractions as of 10/14/07. For more details on adding decorations, hosting events, and using the islands as a sandbox, please see this link for details:

https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/SL_Volunteer_Island

Interested in hosting attractions of your own? Need a quiet place for a private event? With advanced notice to the VTeam, this is very possible!

To host an event on SLVI that requires a guest list that includes non-volunteers, please give at least one day (24 hours) advanced notice to a Linden VTeam member who can document your need. Such events can occur on SL Volunteer Island, SL Volunteer Island S, SL Volunteer Island SW, and SL Volunteer Island W.

The best way to be in touch with a VTeam member is to show during one of the volunteer specialist office hours, which can be found here:

https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Volunteer_Specialist_Office_Hours

If the times are not convenient, you are welcome to send an IM to one of the VTeam members, but please wait for confirmation before hosting the event to avoid any scheduling conflicts.

Help us keep SL Volunteer Island fun and functional! Thank you for your cooperation and participation!


HI Related Help Topics 1.0

Feb. 05, 2008

Help Island FAQs:

How do I get to the mainland? Find the big green beacon with the green exit sign underneath; click the sign for a landmark.

How do I find _____ ? How do I teleport? Once the new resident reaches the mainland, the Search tool will be fully functional to allow teleporting, etc. Once Search becomes available, finding things will be far more easy.

How do I do _____ on a mac? At the Knowledge Base/Solution Finder at secondlife.com Support area, searching for the term 'mac' will come up with a multitude of guides concerning Mac shortkeys and performance information.

How do I change my hair?! The resident may be wearing both a bald base and a hair attachment. They will likely need to remove the hair attachment and use the Appearance editor to shape hair to their liking. An easy way to find out what one is wearing is by searching "worn" into the Inventory search option in the Inventory window. Object attachments are noted with a yellow cube for an icon.

How do I get rid of the tutorial??? Some residents arrive on Help Island witht he Orientation Guide still intact on their screen. They may need to remove it; searching for 'worn' in the inventory for Orientation Guide, or "worn" and removing object attachments, is the best way to go in this case. If there is some reluctance to move on after the tutorial has not been completed, ensure there are many venues for help and continued assistance on the mainland through Help Island Public, Orientation Island Public, and a multitude of other places found in the Search tool.


HIP/OIP Related Help Topics 1.0

Feb. 05, 2008

Help Island Public is where many residents go for general questions. If you can help them with the question they have, please do! If it is a real stumper, feel free to ask them to check for their Support options at secondlife.com in the Support area. Finally, if Help Island Public (HIP) is handling any kind of griefing and a Linden is not present, please abuse report the abusers as a group to help us develop a case file for investigation.

Help Island Public FAQs:

What's the point of SL / what am I supposed to do? Personalizing this answer is fine! Remember in Second Life there are loads of events to attend, residents to meet, groups to join, places to explore! If a resident hasn't found something of interest, encourage them to make something interesting happen!

Where do I get money / How do I get a job? The Knowledge Base has some key tips on types of jobs when the term 'jobs' is put in the search field at the support portal/solution finder at secondlife.com's Support area. Encourage the use of the classifieds, which have a section for employment. Feel free to offer suggestions depending on what the resident wishes to supply the community!

How do I stop dancing/(animation)? If Tools > Stop Animations from the top menu does not work, please click on the Stop Animations objects located around Help Island Public center stage.

Orientation Island Public FAQs:

Why is this Island different than the first one I was on? Orientation Island Public is a walkthrough tutorial that does not require a guide.

What do I do here? Exit the corral area and follow the path marked by arrows on the ground. The path leads you through the stations.

What do I do at the stations? Click on the green rotating hand near the station for a notecard of information. Click the signs at the stations.

How can I leave this island? Can I come back? Go to the end of the path, there is a white pavillion. Inside the pavillion are 2 signs. One takes you to the Mainland, the other to Help Island. Click a sign and use the teleport option. If you want to come back to Orientation Island Public: (Inventory> Library> Landmark Folder> Orientation Island Public > double click on it to open > choose teleport)


Landmark: SL Volunteer HI (124,124,26)

Feb. 05, 2008


Tao of Volunteers and Consequences

Feb. 05, 2008

Tao of Volunteers

Vision and Mission

Our vision is to lay the best foundation for volunteerism in Second Life by offering knowledge, assistance, and encouragement to residents in need. We believe volunteering in any world has the potential to enhance our character while reaching out to those who need us. Our mission is to reach that potential through our individual triumphs as well as team cooperation.

Volunteer Behavior and Attitude

Each Volunteer has the opportunity to create an unforgettable first impression of Second Life for new residents while also helping more seasoned residents with quality assistance. We do it because we want to. We do it because we enjoy it. We do it with a smile. That is how we want such unforgettable moments to be remembered.

Our personal conduct and style sets the standard:

Volunteer Goals

As Second Life continues to grow as a global platform we have the ability and responsibility to increase our Volunteer team’s strength and numbers. We should actively speak about what we do and why we do it. While volunteering we should always be open to learning new solutions as well as teaching what we know. We hope to create an open, collaborative win-win situation, one resident at a time.


Consequences of Not Following Tao

The Mentor group has grown quite large and all members should be aware there are consequences to not following the Tao of Volunteers. Just as the Community Standards and TOS are the policies and rules of Second Life, the Tao is also the policy and rules of Second Life Volunteers.

Second Life Mentors who do not follow the Tao of Volunteers will be given one warning prior to removal from the Mentors group. Please be aware the decisions of the VTeam are final.

Examples of not following the Tao of Volunteers include but are not limited to: