Events & programs: like to see them doubled. Let's talk.

[Jamie Palisades]

The fairly conservative CDS government budget, so far this term, is posted here, as part of our budget disclosures: http://forums.slcds.info/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2108

It includes an events budget which consumes about a quarter (25%) of our available monthly operating funds.
That seems *quite* low to me. There is no owner or profit from CDS. Our funds should be invested in the community. The fact that we have built up a huge reserve suggests that we haven't been doing so.

I'm aware of two basic models for success of themed estates in Second Life. One is encouragement of robust citizen activity. Sometimes it works really well (Caledon is one), and sometimes it doesn't. (I could name some big jumbled collections of estates with little social coherence. I guess they make money for the owners but ... why live there? In a virtual land recession, they will commodotize and get into a price race to the bottom.) There are reasons for the success of some ... which I expect we'll discuss as a part of CDS growth plans. But organic volunteer growth can be slow. So examination of the second path is worth our time as well.

That second path is using more of the rent-generated revenue for projects to enrich community life. Several estates (like Antiquity, in my view) have had great success fueling growth, participation and a rich cultural experience using that strategy. I would like to see us try to do more of that as well.

Also, personally, I do not think we should expect our citizen artisans and organizers to work for free, when creating specific projects for us. Creativity in virtual worlds should be supported. Tangibly. And we can afford it, within reason.

Please let us know what you think.

Among other things, your government team is discussing the following possibilities.
1. More social programs and bigger ones. Ideally with timing, publicity and features that are attractive to prospective citizens as well as our existing community .. who has something of an arts-centric focus.
2. More consistent appearances with more impressive displays at major SL events (LL anniversaries, Burning Life, etc.)
3. An environmental sustainability institute.
4. A virtual self-government institute.
5. Our own themed new-citizens facility.
6. Reconsideration of the economics for local museums to promote more artistic contributions.
7. Lowering rent (which really constitutes an 'expense') for special uses we wish to attract. (The arts is a possibility. Active in-theme commerce is a possibility. There may be others.)
8. Buying a fleet of Zeppelins, kidnapping Des Shang from Caledon and holding him for ransom.

(Well, no, that last one's probably not sufficiently attractive, nor feasible. It WOULD be an "operating expense", not a "capital expense", unless we walled him into the Schloss like Montressor did Fortunado. But the ROI's not there. Also, after all, we are at peace with Caledon. While his minions *did* kidnap one of our officials, there's no need to meet immaturity with immaturity. There even is an amnesty museum under construction to commemorate the cease-fire. Anyway, if we kidnapped him, we would have to *do something* with him. And he'd probably post here even more. Sigh. Never mind, forget I mentioned it.)

Expect more postings on items 1 through 7.

Other ideas are more likely to come under our capital budget planning. See the "Sim & City Planning" Forum board, later this month, for more on that.

Regards and SEND US YOUR IDEAS -- JP

[Jon Seattle]

That second path is using more of the rent-generated revenue for projects to enrich community life. Several estates (like Antiquity, in my view) have had great success fueling growth, participation and a rich cultural experience using that strategy. I would like to see us try to do more of that as well.

I strongly believe in the substance of this. The most attractive places are likely to be those that engage people, and that means both interesting events and activities and (for those who will) working on projects together.

It helps to have a theme for those events, so that outsiders will associate us with a particular kind of thing. "Ah, the CDS, those are the innovators who are trying to do such and such.." For a while I was in the Etopia island SL group and would receive several messages daily about environmental events. It makes places like that very engaging places to be.

Once I would have said, because it really was a strong point, our theme could be the promotion of democratic forms of collaboration in virtual worlds. Virtual world organizations would always have a number of shapes, but some, as in RL would be and could benefit from democratic forms of organization. There is a whole kit, from seminars on the political science, sociology, and anthropology of small electronic democracies, to software that integrates SL with web-based collaborative systems that could be developed around this idea.

What other strengths do we have? A theme can be as simple as Medieval Bavarian or more generally historical reconstruction if it generates ideas for attractive events and goods. But we need to have one (or two) if we don't want to fade into the background of SL islands.

[cleopatraxigalia]

I know SL and certainly CDS isnt about fun Jamie.. but as I suggested during the CC meetings I think we should have a weekly event that alternates from sim to sim ..............simple and free not much planning needed.....................it should be at a set time each week where we know that a gathering will occur......some communities in sl do this and it is really a hit................... for an hour or so a week they know that everyone who can will be at a place, music and dancing.. a little chat.......a little gathering....some do two times.. to take care of time zone issues.. it should be just a light social gathering.................gosh a different citizen could host it each week at theirCDS land even...........or it could move from forum to platz to am to la..............spot to spot.. we could always invite inerested new citizens to gather with us at that time each week... or a community business could sponsor.....

i am trying to think what evil may be lurking behind this idea.

[Arria Perreault]

1. More social programs and bigger ones. Ideally with timing, publicity and features that are attractive to prospective citizens as well as our existing community .. who has something of an arts-centric focus.

I agree, but I think that CDS has to organize some official events (like Oktoberfest or Balls) and encourage citizen to organize social programs, furnishing infrastructures, support and some money.

2. More consistent appearances with more impressive displays at major SL events (LL anniversaries, Burning Life, etc.)

I don't think that this solution will bring a lot of activities. We are with many other communauties and it's hard to be outstanding: a lot of competition ...

3. An environmental sustainability institute.
4. A virtual self-government institute.

I think that organizing some events about political questions or about about our experience in virtual democracy could be interesting. In this case, I suggest that we work with other SL groups or even with RL entities.

5. Our own themed new-citizens facility.

Instead to have several activities in our sims , we can have some sims dedicated to special activities: we could have a mall-sim, an education-sim, a museum sim. We can also imagine very attractive thems: Nea Hora is probably a good idea, because its them is popular.

6. Reconsideration of the economics for local museums to promote more artistic contributions.

I absolutely agree. I try to develop exhibitions in the Monastery, to invite artists. I have started also to develop a virtual library. I am ready to host SL groups which try to organize activities compatible with our charter. I had several contacts from groups or interested people.
We have other museums, we have theater, public or private, a church, a castle.
We should also consider to work with RL entities like museums or institutes.

7. Lowering rent (which really constitutes an 'expense') for special uses we wish to attract. (The arts is a possibility. Active in-theme commerce is a possibility. There may be others.)

I think it is a good way to attract interesting people and activities. I am ready to pay full fee for my own SL residence. If I use land for special activities, I would expect to pay lower fees, instead to be paid.

In any case, we should try to be present, as CDS, in more networks: SL Library, SL museums, SL ... We can attract more people. When I came to CDS, Roma SPQR and Colonia had good relations. Poeple came from Roma to our provincia and we went also to Roma, the urbs.