Making Wiz. . Wizards: The heart of an online community, Part 3

By John Suler, Ph.D.

(Page 26 of 53)

The Carrot

Most members would like to become a wizard. The more you hang out at Palace, the more noticeable and attractive wizardship becomes. A few members say that they're not concerned about it. Some of those users may be rationalizing their disinterest. There's no sense in longing for something that probably won't happen. Wanting wizardship is an understandable desire. Wizards seem to have a special status. They seem to know everyone and everything in the Palace universe, and everyone seems to know and want to talk to them. Sort of like a hybrid between a Zen Master and a rock star, except wizards can't easily sing a tune (at least, not at the Palace). Most impressively, they have those unique powers to pin and kill, which enables them to triumph over evil almost EVERY time.

Being asked to become a wizard often is a powerful experience for a user. It is an acceptance into an inner circle of the Palace community. It fulfills that need for status, power, identity, and the feeling that one belongs. Making wizard means that you were special and stood out. It meant that your skills and knowledge were both valued and needed in the service of the community. Here's how one oldtimer described it:

My most memorable early Palace moment was when jbum asked me if I wanted to be a wizard. I was overwhelmed. I remember my heart beating faster, and getting flushed. Wow! Of course I said yes, and he told me that I would be initiated, and when. I was amazed.... I'll never forget my initiation. I was so terribly excited that day, as I waited for the appointed hour to meet jbum on Main. I went to the cafe as instructed, and was totally confused. Where was everyone? Then Spingo came in and whispered to me to utter an incantation and I was magically transported to a room I didn't know existed! It was a hidden room, Murmoorerer, a copy of the Moor. My whole family crowded around the monitor to watch, and I was so excited I could barely type!... As I remember, Coyote, jbum, Digital, Spingo, Sleepy and Church were the only ones there that night. Because of the top secret nature of the Wizard Induction Ceremony, I cannot divulge what occurred after that to the general Palace public. Needless to say, it was thrilling, enchanting and hysterically funny!

As the Palace population grew, making TPI wizard became an even more distinctive achievement because one was being selected out of the masses. Wizardship became an important motivating factor for some users. It encouraged them to spend more time Palacing, befriending wizards, and making some contribution to the community that would distinguish them from everyone else.

Coming into the Fold (stages in wizard elections)

Every three months or so, new wizards are chosen. The formal election process takes place mostly on the wizard mailing list. Undoubtedly, there also is hidden lobbying and campaigning taking place at the Palace sites and via e-mail. The election process on the list is rather free-form, which on occasion has led to some confusion and complaints about whether the right choices were made. Usually the process is fast paced, taking no more than a few days. The election usually happens in 7 stages:

STAGE 1: DETERMINING THE NEED - Either a volunteer wizard or TPI/EC official mentions on the mailing list that more coverage is needed on the company's sites. The slack in wizard presence might be at specific times of the day or at specific locations (usually Welcome). The impetus for choosing new wizards is therefore need-driven. At times the process is a bit pressured because of that need. If the call for more wizards is coming from the volunteers (rather than the company), the list might discuss the problem with coverage and then attempt to convince the company to give the go-ahead for nominations. The most critical issue is to determine exactly HOW MANY new wizards are needed. Not making that specific determination has lead to confusions and controversy in the election process.

STAGE 2: NOMINATIONS - With the company's approval, an announcement is made to the list to “start nominating.” Names are tossed out. The merits of each nominee are discussed. List activity reaches an all-time peak (wizards take the election of new wizards very seriously). The most commonly mentioned merits of a nominee include: (a) the person is friendly, mature, helpful or generically “great,” (b) the person is good at handling snerts and/or helping new users, (c) the person is knowledgeable about Palace technology and culture, and, most importantly, (c) the person is online a lot (especially important if they are online at the time and place that coverage is needed).

STAGE 3: VOTING - A list of nominees grows and is continually circulated to the list. The Chairperson keeps track of who endorses which nominees and usually includes the tallies on the list. This stage is intertwined with the nomination stage. In other words, campaigning, nominations, debates, and elections are all occurring simultaneously - which can lead to confusion and controversy. The exact criteria for who “wins” the election varies from one election to another. Generally speaking, the nominees with the most votes win.

STAGE 4: COMPANY APPROVAL - When stage 3 seems to be tapering off, the results of the voting are sent to the company for their approval. Rarely (if at all) has the company overturned the results of the elections. They trust the judgment of the wizards. To overturn the elections would be a serious blow to the confidence and pride of the wizard group. Electing new wizards is the only group decision made by the wizards that occurs on a regular basis and leads to a very specific and important outcome. Most other important decisions are made within the company. Electing new wizards is essential to the self-esteem and self-efficacy of the wizard group.

STAGE 5: NOTIFICATION - Company officials notify the members that they have been chosen for wizardship. To avoid crashed hopes, a rule of thumb is that members are NOT informed of their having being nominated. The election process is secretive, although leaks probably occur (most likely from wizards who are nominating their friends). Unlike real world elections, those chosen for wizardship may have no idea that they have been elected until after the elections. To my knowledge, no one has ever turned down the appointment.

STAGE 6: THE INDUCTION - At a formal gathering, the new wizards are initiated into the fold. A few traditions have evolved for the ceremony. The initiates line up at the bottom of the screen and take their oath - usually a humorous pledge that highlights the woes and/or grandiosity of being a wizard, and the questionable sanity of anyone who would agree to becoming one. Then they are all ceremoniously pinned, which usually triggers a round of LOLs, feigned cries for help, and screeches of delight (if they haven't learned yet how to unpin themselves, some older wizard must take pity and do it for them). Sometimes the pinning party spreads to consume everyone in the room. Scripts are played to demonstrate wizardly magic - like transforming everyone's avatar into the three stooges. It's all a cathartic release of wizardly frustrations and a bonding in the experience of what it means to be a wizard. Finally, when the company official in charge eventually quiets the rambunctious group, some serious topics of discussion are introduced. The topics reflect the technical and social issues of the day - usually some problem that is facing the community.

STAGE 7: STARTING WORK - The new wizards jump head first into their work. Training sessions, on-site sponsors, and written documentation (e.g., the Wizard Manual written by Bumgardner) may help ease them into the technical and social aspects of the job. They also join the mailing list, where they are greeted with rounds of warm welcomes, friendly insults, and more jokes about the woes, grandiosity, and questionable sanity of being a wizard.

Guidelines for the Wanna Be

Exactly how does one go about achieving wizardship? Below are some generally accepted, “unofficial” guidelines at Mansion. The rules may be different at non-company sites, but a lot of these ideas are good common sense anywhere.

DON'T ASK TO BE WIZARD - This rule of thumb, originally proposed by Bumgardner, is a bit paradoxical. It's like really wanting a particular job, but in order to get it you can't apply. Or like Enlightenment, according to the great mystics. If you say you want it, you've already blown your chances. The logic behind this guideline is mostly practical. It's designed to prevent people from campaigning for wizardship and bugging wizards about being inducted. If you're wizard material, and don't ask to be wizard, you're also more likely to be humble and less power hungry. Of course, there's a vast difference between a newbie teenager who hounds and begs to be wizard and a 40 year old, long-standing Palace citizen who in earnest expresses an interest in the position. Some people may simply be curious about the mysterious process of wizard selection. In at least one case, a younger member did actively campaign for the position, got it, and eventually turned out to be a valuable wizard.* So there are flaws in the “don't ask” rule.

In one fascinating (but not entirely verified) story, a member who asked to be a wizard and was not considered “wizard material” switched personae in order to develop a character who WOULD be considered good wizard material. The strategy worked, resulting in heated arguments between wizards who knew about the personae and those who didn't. I wouldn't recommend “deception” as a tactic in attaining wizardship. Although identity play is part of Palace life, doing so to maneuver your way into the wizard clan will not sit well with some members of the establishment.

BE HELPFUL AND KNOWLEDGEABLE - If you're making some kind of useful contribution to the community, you're more likely to be asked to be wizard. Maybe you have valuable technical skills. Maybe you have good social skills, as in making people feel welcome at Palace or handling snerts (converting a snert into a respectful citizen is a HIGHLY admired skill). Or just offer to help out with activities. You don't have to be a genius at Palace technology and social structure, but you must have a good working knowledge of this world. If you have a UNIQUE skill to offer the community, put it to use. If you're a wizard at another site, that might be “job experience” to help you attain another wizard position - although the establishment may worry about your “divided loyalty.”

ACT MATURE AND FRIENDLY - People don't like to work with anyone who lies, manipulates, loses their temper, boasts excessively, or puts others down. Wizards are people too. Another rule of thumb among the wizards (which HAS been broken on occasion) is “No males under 25.”

BE THERE - Bumgardner stated that wizardship is not a “reward” for people who have been on Palace a long time. In other words, it's not a certificate for longstanding attendance. However, if you're not around a lot, or not very social when you're at the Palace, people just aren't going to know who you are. A big part of most wizardwork *IS* to spend as much time as possible on Palace in order to help people and control the snerts. So, generally speaking, if you don't look like the kind of person who will be online often, you won't be asked to be a wizard. During the election process on the wizard list, the most frequently mentioned merit of a nominee is “he/she is around a lot.”

BEFRIEND THE WIZARDS - If the wizards don't know you, you won't be asked to be a wizard. Duh. So talk to them, help them. If you're around a lot, this will happen naturally. DON'T be an opportunistic sycophant. Nobody likes an avatar with a brown nose.

Putting aside all these guidelines, it's important once again to remember that being asked to become a wizard is NOT a reward for good behavior or attendance. As if you're still in high school and accumulating points for being a good do-be. Some people get angry when they feel they've “met” the above criteria and still haven't been invited into wizdom. They get bitter when they see themselves being passed over for the big promotion. It's NOT A REWARD, they may be told.... But it sure often feels like that to people who ARE invited to wizardship.

About the Author

John Suler, Ph.D. is Professor of Psychology at Rider University. This article comes from his online hypertext book The Psychology of Cyberspace which describes his ongoing research on how individuals and groups behave in cyberspace. His work has been reported by national and international media, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, the BBC, and CNN. www.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/