SmallWorlds Blog
Help - I Need A Helper!
April 24th, 2009 - SmallWorlds Chronicle
Greetings SmallWorlds citizens, Kent Kronkite here. Do you know what the most popular mission in SmallWorlds is for our team of SmallWorlds Helpers? The one they keep on doing over and over again? The mission that they love the most… is Helping You. When it comes to helping out SmallWorlds citizens, they, er… well they just can’t seem to help themselves from doing it.
I held a secret meeting with an Anonymous Panel of SmallWorlds Helpers, to learn more about what they do and why. When I said that I wanted to ask them some questions, they were only too happy to, well, you know… help.
The Oaken Chair, and other tricky questions
The three questions most often asked of Helpers are:1 - Where’s the oaken chair?
2 - How do I get my pet to follow me?
3 - How do you become a helper? (click here to find out). One of the Anonymous Panel members shared with me “… the oak chair. Why? Because at that stage in the game, they don’t really know how to walk yet, let alone, click an item, see it’s description/price, etc. I thought it would bother me, but I actually look forward to the oaken chair question. It makes me smile.”
That comment really did make me feel all warm inside (or perhaps it’s some spicy salsa I ate still affecting me?).
My Blindfolded Interview with the Anonymous Helper Panel Back to the Anonymous Helper panel. At no stage was I allowed to know their real identities. I was led blindfolded into a room. I couldn’t take notes so I had to rely on my well honed top-reporter-super-memory. I wanted to find out what they enjoy about their role and what challenges they face. So here it is, both the good and the bad!
[A Blindfolded Kent Kronkite with the Anonymous Helper panel]
Kent Kronkite: Tell me what you enjoy about your role as a SmallWorlds Helper
Anonymous Helper #1: “The helper takes on a very unique role in SmallWorlds, they help newcomers quickly and easily assimilate themselves into the game. I am very proud to be a part of this team. It makes me feel that I am making a difference that helps the community as a whole.”
Kent Kronkite: Do you feel appreciated by the SmallWorlds community?
Anonymous Helper #2: “While 90% of players are grateful to the helpers, a small minority don’t seem to realize that we are here for THEM when they need help. It’s a constant team effort between the helpers and mods to keep the site fun and friendly for EVERYONE - we aren’t “mall cops” lol. We are here to help!”
Kent Kronkite: What would you like people to understand about the Helper role?
Anonymous Helper #3: “I feel the important thing for people to know about helpers is that we are here to help and answer questions, we are not here to do things for people because what is the point of the game if someone does it for you! It’s also important for players to know that our job is not easy!”
Kent Kronkite: Tell me about a typical day or shift for a SmallWorlds Helper…
Anonymous Helper #4: “Some days are nice, the people are nice, they thank you for helping. And if people start piling questions up on me, a fellow SmallWorlds citizen will step in and give some help. On bad days, I am yelled at, told I am not a very good helper, or not helping even though I have probably already answered the question or told them to hold on.”
Kent Kronkite: What really makes your day as a SmallWorlds Helper?
Anonymous Helper #5: “Some of the best things I’ve seen is when other players step up and help a new player.”
Kent Kronkite - well and truly Helped!
I had to see for myself just how good these helpers were, so I went straight to Mary’s Antiques to try out that oaken chair question:
“Where might I find the chair which I understand has been made from wood hewn from a majestic oak tree?” I asked. (Being polite is important).
A wonderful helper rushed to my aid. I snapped a picture of her (identity concealed) helping magnificently. Needless to say, I found my way to the chair!
[This Helper was even more polite than I am, and that's saying something!]
Inspiring to others.I also held a spontaneous group interview session with a very helpful group of SmallWorlds citizens: Abbie Kiryu, Ivan Ortiz, Ryder Smith, Becca Classy and Maddie Nicole - thank you all for your time. All reported good experiences with Helpers and all agreed that the presence of Helpers positively contributed to creating a better, safer and more enjoyable environment for all in SmallWorlds. There’s some real enthusiasm out there!
“I think they are good citizens who try and keep SmallWorlds out of danger and trouble“
“I think Helpers are for the best - I think there should be a SmallWorlds Helpers Day! In fact, why not throw a parade for the SmallWorlds Helpers, or a surprise party for them!”
“Helpers inspire me to help others. I see them helping out and think that maybe I should too - so they inspire good deeds in others and that’s got to be good“
In-World Reporting - a few guidelinesHelpers are there to answer any questions you have, but remember that they don’t have any of the powers that Moderators have. If you find yourself in a situation with another player, space or mission that is making you feel uncomfortable, SmallWorlds has set up reporting procedures so you can send the information through to our Moderator team. On-duty Mods read all reports ‘live’ - as they are submitted. Response time all depends on how busy things are in-world at that time, but rest assured they will deal with the issue just as soon as they can, sometimes within minutes.
When should I Report?When another citizen uses obscene, racist, or otherwise vulgar language
When another citizen talks about, asks for or simulates sexual acts
When you know a citizen is cheating or otherwise violating the SmallWorlds Terms of Service
When a citizen is spamming (repeats same message over and over)
If a citizen engages in scamming other citizens
When a space or mission contains offensive material
If a citizen states they are under the age of 13
There are also some other very common things that SmallWorlds citizens sometimes report. Although these may be both annoying and even upsetting, they are not things that Mods will respond to, so it’s worth knowing what not to report.
What NOT To Report!Mods will NOT respond to reports about the following issues:
1 - being booted from someone’s private space,
2 - another citizen being mean or unkind to you (If this happens just block them) or
3 - a citizen requesting that you be their bf/gf/ mom or dad.
Mods also won’t respond to reports which don’t have enough information. It’s REALLY important to make sure that your reports have a full description of the problem or issue. Quote where possible. Reports with insufficient info cannot be actioned by the Mod team. Like the Helpers, they really want to help you, so please make it easy for them to do so!
How to Report A Space, Citizen or MissionSmallWorlds Moderator Meta Morphosis has posted a great summary of exactly how to report, complete with screenshots of every step. Here’s a very brief summary:
To report a space, take a snapshot of what you’re reporting and click the Report Content button.
To report a user, click the wrench button for the user’s avatar and choose Report User.
To report a mission, click on Active Missions on your toolbar, click on the task of the mission, and then choose Report Mission.
You can check out the full details here. Thanks to Meta Morphosis for such a great post! Please take a read to familiarize yourself with the “hows” of reporting - it’s useful to know.
Making SmallWorlds a better place to be - together
With the combination of Helpers, Moderators and YOU, we can all work together to make SmallWorlds a safe, respectful and fun place for everyone!
A big thanks once again to our volunteer Helper community. Your presence here is truly appreciated by everyone I spoke to, and as a team your ‘always there to help’ friendly attitudes makes SmallWorlds a great place to spend time in!
~ Kent Kronkite
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Topic: 4/24/2009 Help - I Need A Helper! (Read 4691 times)