Timo Gufler wrote:The list of candidates is going to be a list of unknown names for them. They can't have good enough understanding of the current issues of the community, without learning from it and communicating with its members.
I agree with you here. I think this has caused CDS problems in the past. That silent majority of 90% will just vote for names they recognize and no other knowledge.
I also suspect the voting system has thrown some residents for a loop, especially Americans who are not familiar with how it works. We're used to voting for one person. If we are ever asked to rank something, like in a survey, we are used to being told to rank a group of items from lowest to highest (or vice versa). I can see residents who aren't super involved not understanding they don't have to rank everyone running.
The question is, is there a way to educate them, especially if they don't want to be educated? I don't have the answer to this.
Some people turn off all group notice notifications. Some people decline every object or notecard given to them. You can practically kill yourself in trying to get the word out on something, posting it in every place you can think of and *still* end up with people saying "huh? what? I never got any notice/invitation/link." It's beyond maddening.
As for knowing the motives of residents...vell, I haff my vays!
CDS is very, very different from the rest of SL. I think CDS has a much higher level of community participation. I'd guess we are at 30-40% active residents and 60-70% "silent majority". We have far more engagement than most communities.
I think we can address a few things that might motivate people to participate more, but don't be surprised if the strategies aren't very effective. We might be able to engage a few here and there, but I think most folks will stay in their quiet spaces.
BTW - I am not saying don't do anything to try and engage people! I think trying several strategies would be a good thing. Just keep a realistic perspective on it.
“And this also," said Marlow suddenly, "has been one of the dark places of the earth.”
― Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness