UnkleBob
Members
317
April 2003
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I just got the following mail. Is anybody already in this program? If so, what are your experiences?
I guess I got it because I'm an adept newbie helper.
Any other newbie helpers got the same message?
| Quote | Dear Martin,
We are thrilled to see that certain members are making a special effort to socialize and spend time with New Members to help them get oriented in There. You’re receiving this message today because your Skill levels indicate that you’re one of these members. (For more information, please look in your Profile for your Skill levels and in the Help Database for an explanation of the Skills System).
The "There Buddies" program will help you connect with New Members and reward you for helping them feel comfortable in There. This is your opportunity to influence an important program, and make up to T$ 7,500 Therebucks for each Buddy that returns for five visits.
Here’s how to participate:
1. Send a reply to buddyhelp@there.com letting us know you’d like to be a There Buddy. We’ll give you access to a special web page that lets you connect with New Members who are online. We’ll also send you an email with suggestions on how to get acquainted with your new buddy.
2. When you connect with a New Member, you will be their official There Buddy and you should contact them as soon as possible to make sure they’re having a good experience. Be yourself, show them around, and remember, the idea is to be friendly and helpful. There is a limit to the number of New Members you can claim a day, which allows you to spend time with your New Member Buddies, without getting overwhelmed.
3. You will earn a BuddyBucks bonus of T$2,500 when each New Member you are Buddying returns for their third visit (each visit must be during open Beta hours, on different dates, and must last at least 10 minutes each time). You will earn an additional BuddyBucks bonus of T$5,000 when each New Member returns for their fifth visit. These payments will be made to your T$ account in the week following their returning visits.
4. If at any time you have questions about this program, either email buddyhelp@there.com or Call for Help.
That’s it! We’re starting simply, and you input and ideas will help us shape this program. Thanks for helping us make There a great place to be. We look forward to hearing from you!
Lee Pearson, Community Manager
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Unklebob "un-kull-BOB" : More sexiness than you can shake a stick at.
Wow, those tattoos are soo Unklebob.
(from www.urbandictionary.com )
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Sumox
Members
579
April 2003
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Hmmm....all I have to say is, I need to bring my newb level up! lol 
Sumox
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Hush
Members
107
April 2003
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Myself and Akia got the same email =]
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WaterSign
Members
562
Feb. 2003
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Likewise. Obviously they don't realise what an asshole I am.
WaterSign
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ScottyIV
Members
234
May 2003
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And of course my newbie helper skill seems to be stuck!
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Trisha
Members
177
Mar. 2003
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I got the same email UnkleBob.
I have a friend who has been in the buddy system since it was started a few months ago. She has mentioned that the payments are not made very timely (I don't think she got paid anything for a long time). She has also mentioned that it sometimes has the feeling of a land grab as people try to claim newbies.
I like the idea of a buddy system and that we have a way to make some in game money. It does raise some concerns for me though. I mean I know I and many other people help newbies because we enjoy helping them and spending time with the newbies. If each newbie is going to suddently mean money in someone's there purse how will that change the experience for the newbie.
I guess what I am trying to say and saying it badly (bad trisha never write posts before drinking your coffee) is if people are suddenly helping newbies for financial reasons instead of a desire to help them are we going to see people helping newbies (or claiming them) just for the money and not really giving the newbie a good experience?
Just some of my pre-coffee thoughts
Trisha,  Trisha,
trisha278.blogs.com
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UnkleBob
Members
317
April 2003
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Yeah, I had the same doubts when I read the e-mail.
It probably won't matter how much you help, as long as you claim and approach the newbie. You could probably even grief the noob and get paid for it! 
But still, I spent a considerable amount of time showing new people around and lending them stuff. It's nice that it is rewarded in this way now. Unklebob "un-kull-BOB" : More sexiness than you can shake a stick at.
Wow, those tattoos are soo Unklebob.
(from www.urbandictionary.com )
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CrystalShard
Members
380
Feb. 2003
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I'm having some trouble with the word "claim" - It objectifies the newbies too much. That, and another thing: Whenever I help a newbie, its usually in a chatgroup with other people who also contribute help. No one has "possesion" of the right of helping that person. Although the buddy program is not giving anyone "possesion" over the right of helping, its still giving that kind of a feel...
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UncleJohn
Members
92
Jan. 2003
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I always thought having a Buddy Program like this would be a great idea, but don't like they way it's been implemented. Rather than each newbie having a price on thier head, it should be a job posting with a modest time commitment and low to modest pay structure. That way only people who truly enjoy helping newbies would participate.
I know several people that don't actively search for newbies to help anymore because they weren't invited to the program. And from what I hear the pay is very generous, so there are people with only $T in mind.
I would be pissed as a newbie to find that the only reason someone was helping me and inviting me to log back in was because they were being paid for it.
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Blaster
Members
107
June 2003
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Well, this is only open to adept newbiehelpers right? I think that weeds out the ones who would be in it for the money. It takes a looooong time to get to adept.
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The_White_Light
Members
1111
Mar. 2003
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Hopefully it is for adept newbie helpers only. I got the email myself, and told them I'm interested. I sometimes go around and help new people anyways, so now maybe I'll get paid. There Catalog
Art
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SilverFox
Members
707
July 2003
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I met a good friend not too long ago. She told me about this person who really helped her out when she frist joined and really liked talking with her.
However, yesterday she told me this person (who shall remain nameless.  ) was apparently just raising her skill level. Every time she would try to talk to this person, she would just say "can we talk later?" or something simular and blow her off.
She was really, really hurt and its too sad people like this person think of newbies as just a way to make cash. After my new friend was in for a week or so, this person is just flat out ignoring her.
I wish she would have met me before she met this other person. I could tell when she told me hurt her a lot because she thought this person really liked talking to her and just blew her off after a week.  
... but I being poor, have only my dreams. I have spread my dreams under your feet. Tread softly, becuase you tread on my dreams.
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Siobhan
Members
26
June 2003
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I got this email, too and sent a reply. I enjoy helping new members and have been doing it out of the goodness of my heart for this long, so I hope I don't become jaded once they start paying us to do it. I try not to blow off any newbies I've helped in the past, when they IM me to talk or for a summon and while I'm often busy or lost in IM hell, I hope no one ever gets the impression that I'm blowing them off. I'm glad you brought this topic up, UnkleBob. It's important to the long term success of There that newbies feel welcome and comfortable once they join and I hope this program is a success. It'll be nice to get some of the Therebucks back that I spend giving newbies drinks (when they ask where everyone got a drink, I almost always give them one from my inventory) and buying lip color for the ladies (ok, so I have a thing about makeup, so sue me). I think it's a good idea, I just hope There is able to keep tabs on what's going on, and keep the few who might exploit the program from ruining a good thing. IMHO, of course. 
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Trisha
Members
177
Mar. 2003
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That is really sad SilverFox. Perhaps that person was just having a bad week and did not mean to blow your friend off (I hope anyway)? I know I have made many good friends in THERE helping out newbies who then became friends.
It does seem that you have to be an adept newbie helper to get the invitation. At least so far it seems like only adepts have gotten the invite (if someone got invited who is not an adept jump in and let us know). This will hopefully help out since we all got to adept by helping people without any monetary reimbursement. It will be kind of nice though to get some money back since I also give out drinks  to newbies and clothes. Maybe Siobhan and I should get together and do newbie makeovers (Siobhan has a makeup think and I have a clothes thing) 
Trisha,  Trisha,
trisha278.blogs.com
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CrystalShard
Members
380
Feb. 2003
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I have to say I had to "blow off" some newbies too... sometimes i'm allready in another conversation or an event and cant just be summoned away or talk at the moment. They always seem to IM me right at the wrong moment. But I do take names and make sure to come back to them later, or answer if their question is short.
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SilverFox
Members
707
July 2003
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Perhaps .. Can’t say for sure either way really, only this person knows for sure.
But I just fear that there may be more of what I described, even if it’s a handful of people doing it. I couldn't imagine someone I thought was a good friend to me just saying one day that they just talked to me to raise their skill level.
... but I being poor, have only my dreams. I have spread my dreams under your feet. Tread softly, becuase you tread on my dreams.
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switch_79
Members
268
July 2003
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I just have to add that sometimes it hurts to be too nice to a newbie.
Most of the time it's great, they find their bearings and I hear from them once in a while, to answer a question or to summon them somewhere that they heard of but can't find. That's fine. However, I have had one or two newbies who believe that I'm their new best friend, or potential cybersex pal... and that's NOT cool.
I feel bad, but sometimes I just refuse to answer their IMs if they've contacted me more than a couple times a day, and any day after that... one of them I still try to see occassionally, but she also has her dialup connection problems and GOD ONLY KNOWS what kind of spyware, so it's constantly "hold on, got lag" or "where are you? i can't see you!" *LOL* It gets a little old, and so I'll try to shake her after a while so I can have my own adventures.
It makes me feel terrible, but i guess I am one of those people who likes to help the newbies out for the first week or so, and then "let them loose". And most of the time they don't come back to me. 
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ScottyIV
Members
234
May 2003
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We were all newbies once, perhaps if you would remember that, you wouldnt be so impatient with them. Whats the point of helping them out if you are gonna just ignore them later. Im sorry, but to me thats just mean and rude!
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Rayce
Members
789
Feb. 2003
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If THERE would get off their rear end and make an actual instruction manual that described controls and what you can and cannot do then we wouldnt NEED helpers!!! ...just call me Number 2
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switch_79
Members
268
July 2003
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Well, I don't think you're honestly sorry and that's okay. I guess I was asking for it, wasn't I?
It's difficult, but I believe I am a fairly patient person. In the newbie's case where she has connection problems I have tried on several occasions to help her fix up her system, but she's young and has difficulties understanding some of the inner workings of her comp. She also does not have admin privileges on it (her father does, and refuses to cooperate for some reason: eh) so that limits what I can really help her with. I genuinely hope she gets everything up and running better soon, but it's very difficult to communicate with her in regards to what can be solved, let alone general "getting to know you" chit chat.
Speaking of which, I should also renote that this is NOT the case with all these people I meet. Most are delighted to get a heads up from me and then we go our separate ways... probably because they learn our interests conflict. That's another thing. When you're meeting newbies, you have no idea if you WILL get along as friends later on. So far I've mostly made friends with people who've been here longer than me; that doesn't mean I'm shoving off all these newbies. I guess sometimes, most of the time, we just don't click as individuals.
At any rate, I don't think that should stop me from attempting to meet new people, show them around, give them free stuff and generally make them feel welcome...
and no, I'm not getting paid for it (which I don't mind).
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UnkleBob
Members
317
April 2003
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I do not agree on that, Scotty.
It can be very helpful to a newbie if somebody offers a helping hand. I guess There can be quite overwhelming on a 1st log-in. But if a newb decides to take it to the next level and is gonna claim you for every question they have, then I think you should draw the line. You shouldn't become their encyclopedia for life, they should go out and find out stuff on their own!
I like to help newbies, partly because it lets me experience There through their virgin eyes. The world also comes across as fresh to me that way (in a similar vein, I enjoy letting people listen to my favourite music or watch my fav movies in rl). If after a week or so I find that I don't have much in common with the now ex-noob, why would I want to facilitate having contact with them?? I would much rather spend my time with people I truly enjoy. Unklebob "un-kull-BOB" : More sexiness than you can shake a stick at.
Wow, those tattoos are soo Unklebob.
(from www.urbandictionary.com )
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Delilah
Members
16
July 2003
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Wow.. When I crash landed in There a couple weeks ago a guy was right there to say hello and show me around. I thought it was awesome! I hope he was getting paid for it because I was asking a lot of (dumb) questions.
And I totally agree with the comment about the need for better help in game. I still can't find a complete list of emoticons.
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UnkleBob
Members
317
April 2003
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Check the sticky topic from Spliff on the top of the screen, Delilah.
Great newbie tips and a link to all known There emoticons included! Unklebob "un-kull-BOB" : More sexiness than you can shake a stick at.
Wow, those tattoos are soo Unklebob.
(from www.urbandictionary.com )
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SilverFox
Members
707
July 2003
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The only dumb question is the one that's not asked.
^_^
People aren't born with the knowledge, shouldn't feel bad about asking for help.
... but I being poor, have only my dreams. I have spread my dreams under your feet. Tread softly, becuase you tread on my dreams.
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Delilah
Members
16
July 2003
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Thank you! Never would have seen that link
'woohoo
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Trisha
Members
177
Mar. 2003
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I agree UnkleBob at some point newbies need to find other avenues to learn things. That is part of the experience of THERE in my opinion the meeting new people and learning things from them. I always try to show newbies how to discover things themselves and that it is safe to try things. I think some of them are afraid they will break something or make a mistake that will prevent them from doing something later (gamer mentality from picking character classes and stuff I guess).
I still have people that I helped when they just started IM me with questions or IM and say they are bored or ask to borrow something. I always try to answer their questions or lend them what they need if I have it available and sometimes I invite them along on whatever adventure I am meandering through at that moment.
I am always happy to hear from people that I have helped and hear about their adventures. Usually this is the time that we begin to consider whether or not we are compatible as friends.
I also wanted to mention that on occasion I have helped a newbie and just gotten creepy feelings from them (usually male avies, sorry guys). In cases like this I try to give them some basics and politely excuse myself. I just think it is important to note that sometimes their are very valid reasons to extricate yourself from a mentor situation with a newbie.
Trisha, Trisha,
trisha278.blogs.com
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tempest
Members
154
Mar. 2003
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Hey Rayce - do you really reckon everybody would actually read the manual *before* they start playing the game?
Then I could do a T for with "Just RTFM" on it.
But seriously - a full manual/guide would help.
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UnkleBob
Members
317
April 2003
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Well, I guess I read everything there was to be read before I started playing there.
Then again, that was only because it took so damn long before I got accepted!  Unklebob "un-kull-BOB" : More sexiness than you can shake a stick at.
Wow, those tattoos are soo Unklebob.
(from www.urbandictionary.com )
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WaterSign
Members
562
Feb. 2003
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Everyone here's brought up some great points and I agree with all of you. I may participate in the program because I do like to help newbs (believe it or not) but will likely be very picky about the ones I babysit. I don't want to get stuck with some jerk, even if there is a profit motive. All in all, I think it's a good idea, but the pay is a bit much as I see it. Then again, I don't really need the money anyway.
WaterSign
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Krysss
Members
61
May 2003
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I was not aware of this particular program. At first glance it does seem a bit mercenary.
I too help new people when ever I see them, not too hard to spot in their prison kahki uniforms you know.
I don't tend to get 'stuck' with them, as some people here quite rightly mention, because of my particular way of getting them into the world.
I show them how to walk around, a few emotes, maybe a location or two (to get the hang of maps and places) and then a 'driving lesson'. It seems once new people get hold of the buggy/pack/board they tend to ride off into the sunset, and have their own adventures.
I am quite well aware it could be my terrible greepy nature that makes them speed off at high speed, but remembering what it was like to be new myself, I think not telling them everything, and letting them discover things for themselves is good fun for them.
I don't think I would like to be payed for that, as someone else mentioned here, that it would be a little disturbing to find someone only helped you for the money.....
Oh well, guess I must be stoopid.. Krysss in There, not bothering to post here anymore as all threads seem to get completely off topic within the first page or two....
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kiana
Members
319
June 2003
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I too received that same letter. I have not decided whether or not I choose to participate. I actually enjoy helping newbies. I agree with Trisha on this one. People are gonna start fighting over newbies and that can't be good.
like helping newbies to ensure they had a good experience just as I was helped out with when I arrived. i am living by the "Pay it forward" motto. I was hooked up with clothing and items when I was a newbie, so now I am returning the favor.
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UnkleBob
Members
317
April 2003
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As soon as this buddy program pays off I will organize more free events with T$ prizes. So I won't be the only one profiting from this. Hope it will stimulate others to do the same!
I started already with modest rewards. Check out the Mystery Box on G0D's cloud in Saja if you're interested.  Unklebob "un-kull-BOB" : More sexiness than you can shake a stick at.
Wow, those tattoos are soo Unklebob.
(from www.urbandictionary.com )
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Trisha
Members
177
Mar. 2003
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You started in the program already? I replied back that I wanted to join but got this response?
"We have received your request to join the Buddy Helper program. Your name has just been added to our list of interested members. We will send an e-mail in the near future containing further instructions for this program.
Thanks again for your enthusiasm and eagerness to participate in our Buddy Helper Program."
I am not sure what to make of this? Trisha,
trisha278.blogs.com
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"Cake or Death?" ~ Eddie Izzard