Around AW

AWSchool lives!

Here is an interview with Kenny McC about the future of AWSchool.

1: What are the school's goals now? What are the aspirations you hope to reach?

The focus of our organization is on the new citizens and less on the advanced builders. We still offer monthly courses hosted by expert builders (such as Bach Zhaa) who discuss advanced topics. But this is handled by 1 person only, not half the staff.

The new citizens should have the best possible assistance from the organisations within AW and in AWSchool we try to provide that with our Guides and Teachers as well as our tutorials of various topics.

2: Do you have a schedule of classes? We would like to feature this in the YG.

We have implemented a schedule for both our Guides and Teachers. If no teacher is present in AWSchool, but a Guide is. The Guide can help the student set up a class and this is displayed in GZ on our teacher's calendar. The Guides know at what day and time of the week a teacher is available for teaching.

3: Are you looking for new teachers, teacher aides and such? And how can people apply?

We are always looking for more Guides and Teachers! Guides are there to help out new citizens who need help with the basics and even moderate AWSchool (so similar to what PKs do). The Guides are there to allow the teachers to focus on teaching, so no time to waste on how to fly, teleport or how to telegram! Teachers are there to teach basic building mostly, if they know of more advanced topics like particle emitters, zones, astart/adone, it is a big bonus, but NOT a requirement. There is a big misunderstanding that AWSchool teachers have to be the best builders out there. We don't need the best builders, we need the best teachers. So if you doubt about how good you are at building, we only ask that you know the basics, so do not hesitate to apply! You can apply at http://www.awschool.net/teachers.htm.

4: Are there any new features in the school that you would like to show?

Currently we're very busy updating the world and we have Bach Zhaa working on an ambitious tutorial that explains almost everything of AW. Dreme Loyk is working on updating the PE, zones and mover tutorials. Especially on the mover tutorial Dreme will introduce some amazing feats that can be pulled off with movers. One of the coolest features we have in AWSchool is our bot (by Tomas) which notifies online AWSchool staff when someone needs help in AWSchool. Either you type "is there a teacher here" or left click on the bell right next to the landing zone and the bot will notify us. The school has been idle for a few years, so we need to update a LOT of dead teleports, web pages and even the object yard is getting overhauled.

5: Anything else that you would like to highlight?

What I would like to highlight is how we have intensified our training program: No more "let loose and play", but a thorough training which has little theory but loads of hands on practice. We've seen trainees develop into fully fledged teachers in matter of weeks instead of months/years. This is a huge success :) Furthermore, we try to have the entire team involved in all that we do. My goal is to have a team that works well together, free of politics, backstabbing and other anti-social behaviour. We try to recruit people who have the desire to help, not the desire to have bold fonts. So far things are going well and we 'll work to keep it that way :)

Thanks Kenny McC. We appreciate your time.

[Ed. Note: awschool's new website: http://awschool.net/index.htm]

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The Peacekeepers

Lensman sent us a very good article and graphics which we present here.

Lensman's example of vandalism

Sometimes when you're building you discover an object is placed in the way of your planned architecture. These objects might be tourist objects and if they are you can erase them. Other times the object may be left by an old citizen and cannot be removed. The same is true if the object is placed by a contemporary citizen. This may be an accident or it may be on purpose. If an object or series of objects, gets purposely placed to block your building it is called vandalism by the Peacekeepers. The same and true if it's a sign or picture that is objectionable.

The Peacekeepers have a specialized team that deals with situations like those described above. This is called the Garbage Elimination Team "GET". The GET has the capability to erase objects in all of the public worlds, which includes Yellow. However, it is not possible to contact members of the GET directly because if that were to happen they might never get anything done so there is a very easy procedure. If you have a need to have an object removed you must use the following form which is found at this web address: http://peacekeeper.net/get/.

Before you fill out the form however, there are several things you could consider. The first is how you got the problem in the first place. The first and most important rule regarding building is to claim all of the land first. When this is done you should have no incursions at all. The process is a bit tedious but the payback in peace of mind is great. However, sometimes we don't plan ahead and bad things happen.

It is important that you provide critical information so the team will be able to determine exactly what and where the offensive objects are and what to do about them. It is very necessary that you provide information and fill out all of the blocks. Peacekeepers suggest that before you fill out the form you determine who owns the object and that you contact them via telegram and politely request removal. If this is an old citizen obviously you will not get an answer. If it is a contemporary citizen there's a strong possibility the two of you can work it out. In any case you should make an attempt to contact the original builder if for no other reason than to be able to check the "yes" circle on the form. Next you should identify all of the objects and the coordinates where they may be found. Please describe the object as best you can. Finally, provide a brief description of the objects and amy additional details and a short reason why the objects should be removed. Upon receipt the GET evaluates the merit of the removal request and if found appropriate will visit the site and remove the objects. The person submitting the form will receive an email or telegram alerting them that the offensive property is gone.

Peacekeepers strive to be of service to our virtual community. They are limited to the patrolled worlds and have no authority in private worlds unless requested by the owner. By the way, if you are an owner you do not have to contact the Peacekeepers to remove property because you own the world.

PK Center

Peacekeepers are always seeking qualified citizens and we actively seek new members all the time. The minimum age for applications is 18 years and you also must have been a registered citizen of the ActiveWorlds for more than 6 months. Any references you provide may be interviewed. The key elements of a good Peacekeeper is fair play and common sense. Here is the application form:  http://peacekeeper.net/application.php.

There is a briefing center that explains how the Peacekeeper Academy works as well as the responsibilities and powers you gain upon graduation. It is located at the following coordinates AW 11982.57S 12058.61W 1.30a 162. You can use the script below in the browser to go there automatically. http://objects.activeworlds.com/cgi-bin/teleport.cgi?aw_11982.57S_12058.61W_1.30a_162.