Things have been pretty hectic since I got back from retirement. Lots of changes and adjustments that needed to be made. One of the key areas that needed work (and that we’re still working on getting right) is communications.
NCI Class Stats Dec 07 to Dec 13
Hello all. Me again from the desk of the Education Dept with the class stats for the week of December 7th.
- There were 43 classes held this week
- There was a total of 365 students in attendance
- The most popular class was a tie with 16 students at each class. These classes are:
- SL Skills – EVENT ORGANIZATION, colleen Criss – Boomer classroom
- SL Skills – Starting an SL BUSINESS, Devon Chaffe – Beach Sky classroom
Thats it for this week. See you next time.
Gid
morning all
Â
 It has been quite some time since we last shared a cup of coffee. However,  it will be even a longer time till we can share the next one. I have been busy getting things ready to move.
NCI Event – Oldbie Blitz Build, December 12/09
Hello all. This week’s theme was ‘Fish Tales’, hosted by Miter Lorefield.
The participants this week were (in alphabetical order):
- Alexander9 Carver
- Christine Grigorovich
- Cy Orfan
- Garn Conover
- Gideon McCullough
- Jason Arun
- Jeramy Zuta
- Katydid Kidd
- Krystal Devonshire
- Laeluna Galuptra
- Leix Luik
- Technus Grayman
- Teddybear Hansome
- Terryj Winkler
- Vertrell Luik
- Zoom Quan
Continue reading NCI Event – Oldbie Blitz Build, December 12/09
NCI Class Stats – Nov 30 to Dec 06
Hello all. Me again from the Education Dept with the class stats from the week of November 30th.
- There were 43 classes this week
- There were a total of 458 students in attendance
- The most popular class this week with a total of 26 students was Clothing – BASICS, taught by Feldspar Epstein at the Boomer classroom
Thats it for this week. See you next time.
Gid
NCI Event – Oldbie Blitz Build, Dec. 5th/09
Hello all. This weeks event was ‘Jousting’, hosted by our new Event Host, Miter Lorefield.
This weeks participants were (in alphabetical order):
- Airedale Magic
- Alexander9 Carver
- Calica Siamendes
- Christine Grigorovich
- Cy Orfan
- Gideon McCullough
- Jason Arun
- Jeramy Zuta
- Jeremios Constantine
- Katydid Kidd
- Krystal Devonshire
- Laeluna Galuptra
- Leix Luik
- Technus Grayman
- Teddybear Hansome
- Terryj Winkler
Continue reading NCI Event – Oldbie Blitz Build, Dec. 5th/09
NCI Class Stats Nov 23 to Nov 29
Hello all.. Me again from the desk of the Education Dept. with the class stats for the week of November 23rd, 2009.
- There were 44 classes this week
- There were a total of 451 students in attendance
- The most popular class this week with a total of 21 students was Animation – GESTURES, taught by Protomas Ludwig in the Boomer Classroom
Thats it for this week.
Gid
NCI Class Stats – Nov. 16 – Nov 22/09
Hello all, me again from the Education Dept with the class stats for the week of November 16.
- There there 40 classes held this week
- There were a total of 424 students in attendance
- The most popular class this week was another three-way tie with 20 students at each class. These classes are:
- SL Skills – EVENT PARTICIPATION – Any1 Gynoid – South Classroom
- Starting an SL BUSINESS – Devon Chaffe – Beach Sky Classroom
- SL Skills – CONSUMER SKILLS – Seshat Czeret – Boomer Classroom
Thats it for this week. See you next time.
Gid
NCI Event – Oldbie Blitz Build, November 28, 2009
Hello folks.. This weeks theme was ‘Sleigh Bells Ring, Are you Listening’ – hosted by Gramma Fiddlesticks.
This weeks participants were (in alphabetical order):
- Alexander9 Carver
- Christine Grigorovich
- Cy Orfan
- Gideon McCullough
- Jeramy Zuta
- Katydid Kidd
- Krystal Devonshire
- Laeluna Galuptra
- Lex Insippo
- Pontius Gigamon
- Purple Baum
- Technus Grayman
- Terryj Winkler
- Zoom Quan
Continue reading NCI Event – Oldbie Blitz Build, November 28, 2009
NCI Event – Oldbie Blitz Build, November 21, 2009
Hello all. This weeks theme was ‘The Tool Man’, hosted by Gramma Fiddlesticks.
This weeks participants were (in alphabetical order);
- Alexander9 Carver
- Caillaigh Elfenbeim
- Christine Grigorovich
- Cy Orfan
- Doreen Garrigus
- Garn Conover
- Gideon McCullough
- Jason Arun
- Krystal Devonshire
- Laeluna Galuptra
- mcarp Mavendorf
- Miter Lorefield
- Septerra Yuhara
- Technus Grayman
- Terryj Winkler
- Vertrell Luik
Continue reading NCI Event – Oldbie Blitz Build, November 21, 2009
NCI Class Stats – Nov 09 to Nov 15
Hello all :) Me again from the desk of the Education Dept. Here are the class stats for the week of November 9th, 2009.
- There were 43 classes held this week
- There were a total of 444 students in attendance to these classes
- The most popular class was a three-way tie with a total of 18 students at each class. These classes are:
- SL Skills – EVENT ORGANIZING – Any1 Gynoid – South Classroom
- Animation – GESTURES – Protomas Ludwig – Boomer Classroom
- Building – 1st Cottage – Sally Savard – Boomer Classroom
Thats it for this week. See you next time.
Gid
Morning All
Thursday, November 19, 2009. Ok so what is so special about today’s date?
The date in itself is not whats important, it is the fact that it is the third Thursday of November.
Still saying what the heck Jims, OK . It is the:
“Great American Smoke out”
NCI and its staff: How we bring new staff on board
As you’re probably all aware, Linden Lab’s volunteer mentor program (which was effectively closed a little over a year ago from memory) is now finally being disbanded. We’ve already had a number of folks from the program ask to sign on with NCI staff, and so this is probably as good a time to talk about that process as any.
NCI is, as you should know, a volunteer organization. Nobody gets paid for the work they do, except for instructors and event hosts who are paid a small fee for classes. NCI has a very large footprint in Second Life, in terms of people, land and facilities. It is not cheap to run, and there’s nothing left over for wages.
NCI does not have ‘positions of power’ (with the exception of the owner/trustee). Instead it has positions of responsibility. NCI staff and officers are expected to fulfill those responsibilities with diligence and principle.
Being a volunteer organization and a widely distributed one, we value key criteria in different priorities to what you might find in more centralized organizations or businesses. Your principles, trustworthiness and reliability are more important than raw ability. The latter can be learned. The other things are harder to come by.
Civility, courtesy and respect are the three things we look for in people dealing with new Second Life users, and in dealing with NCI responsibilities. Those three core qualities should be a part of everything you do, whether you’re dealing with new users, your fellow staff, or griefers (whether accidental or intentional). Everyone makes mistakes or slips up now and again, but those three qualities will help get us all past mistakes and failures, whether we’re NCI staff or new users.
We select staff members through a double-probation system. Anyone who is willing to comply with the rules of our spaces, and who is willing and able to help new users is welcome to do so — just show up and start helping. Ask one of the staff for more information about the rules of the spaces, if you need to.
Not everyone who is both willing to help and able to help is necessarily an ideal fit for NCI’s operation, but those that distinguish themselves in action and principle, are provisionally taken on staff as Helpers. Helpers who continue to distinguish themselves are given increased responsibilities within NCI, if they want it and some appropriate role is available.
At one time, we had an actual application process, but the actual results were quite poor compared to this rather longer process.
Your ethical compass is, of course, expected to point firmly towards new users and, by extension, NCI. Assisting as many new users as possible, and as effectively as possible, is why we’re all here. It’s good for the new users, and what’s good for them improves all our Second Life experiences as a whole.
We help more than an estimated 40,000 new users each year, and that number continues to grow. We remain the most vigorous and heavily trafficked organization of our type because we stick to our principles, we maintain order in our facilities, and we’re selective about our staff.
NCI Event – Oldbie Blitz Build, November 14, 2009
This weeks theme was ‘The Good Ol’ Days’, hosted by Krystal Devonshire.
The participants this week were (in alphabetical order):
- Alexander9 Carver
- Christine Grigorovich
- Cy Orfan
- Dave Ramos
- Gideon McCullough
- Jason Arun
- Katydid Kidd
- Laeluna Galuptra
- Leix Luik
- Phreaq Foxclaw
- Rezago Kokorin
- Seafore Perl
- Technus Grayman
- Terryj Winkler
- Zoom Quan
Continue reading NCI Event – Oldbie Blitz Build, November 14, 2009
NCI Class Stats – Nov 02 to Nov 08
Hello all. Here I am again with the class stats for the week of November 2nd, 2009.
- There were 45 classes held this week
- There were a total of 467 students in attendance
- The most popular class was Textures – ANIMATED TEXTURES, tuaught by Protomas Ludwig with a total of 21 students
See you next time,
Gid
Morning All
 Well here I am again, coffee in one hand and pop tart in the other trying to figure out how to type. I am just a bit worried as to how things are going in our great little group. With some of the talk that I hear on the info channel, the lack of people at the newbie get togethers and the continual change of command at the top. That worry my friends is the simple thought of:
“Then There Were None”
NCI Class Stats – Week of Oct. 26/09
Hi Again folks. From the desk of the Education Dept., here hare the class stats for the week of October 26th.
- There were 47 classes held this week
- There were a total of 428 students in attendance to these classes
- The most popular class this week was a three-way tie with a total of 19 students at each class. These classes were:
- SL Skills – EVENT ORGANIZING – taught by Any1 Gynoid at the South classroom
- Textures – BASICS – taught by Gramma Fiddlesticks at the Boomer classroom
- Building – POWER TOOLS – taught by Gramma Fiddlesticks at the Boomer Classroom
See you next time.
Gid
NCI Event – Oldbie Blitz Build, Nov. 7/09
Hello all. This weeks theme was ‘The Days of Wine and Roses’ , hosted by Gramma Fiddlesticks.
The participants this week were (in alphabetical order):
- Christine Grigorovich
- Cy Orfan
- FairyQueen Axel
- Gideon McCullough
- Jason Arun
- Jimbo Mimulus
- Katydid Kidd
- Laeluna Galuptra
- Miter Lorefield
- Phreaq Foxclaw
- Starkiller Turbo
- Taegan Clarity
- Technus Grayman
- Teddybear Hansome
- Terryj Winkler
- Vertrell Luik
Class Reporting
Hello all,
As some of you are aware, the nci-sl.org site isn’t that reliable at the moment to send reports in for your classes. I am recommending that you cease using it for now, until the hiccups get ironed out. Please use the alternate site until further notice – http://www.roscrow.uklinux.net/NCI/instructorreport.cgi
As soon as there is progress in the nci-sl.org reporting system, I (or someone from the Education Dept.) will let you know.
I know some of you are ready to pull out hair because of it, so instead of having to purchase wigs, this would be a simpler solution.
Watch this space for updates,
Thanks,
Gid
Everything old is new again
Dear NCI folk, before I get to the heart of the post, I want to thank each of you for dedicating your time and skill (be it scripting, building, helping new citizens, or a sense of humor that can help lighten the mood of Group Chat.) NCI can be a great organization without a single Linden Dollar or a single square metre of land. But it must have great people to be a great organization. And NCI is full of great people. Thank you for making NCI what it is.