Community Management: Difference of managing or rulling

In two weeks time I had encounters how easily personal with business can be mixed in a profession of a community manager.
To understand the story I divided to Business and Personal.
This is a story how it is easy to go out of hand because of personal private issues.

In this case a community manager should be having an elephant skin and be modest.
Most important to be-aware that you represent a client / a brand.

This following experience is set in the Virtual World Second Life where the balance easily can be broken.


Business Wednesday 23 may 2007

Second Life just had its maintenance and as a co – worker I checked with my private avatar the closed Sims from various projects. Mainly because one of our clients warned that during these times bugs could be there. There was one project I would never check as it was personal but this day as a joke I did and could get on it with an avatar that should not be able to.

Personal Wednesday 23 may 2007

I panicked. I IMed a friend with “I am on it”. During that time I trusted this person so much as we had so much great fun together. We met each other in real life and yes we had same thoughts ideas. And admired this person for who this person was was.
The person knew I worked for this company and the person knew I was under NDA and never will tell projects items.

Business Wednesday 23 may 2007

I took an alt to see if more could be on this project and the alt could. More panic as if this was the case people that should not be there could.
Quickly got hold of the person to close the project and finally they came after long wait.
Got kicked out and all was set back as it should.

Personal Wednesday 23 may 2007

I had a small talk with my friend about it that it was a nerve wrecking moment. And we just forget and do as all just wait.

Business Thursday 24 may 2007

I got a phone call that I was fired told the community what was on the project. This was informed by one of the community around these islands.
I replied that who ever mentioned this should be glad the project was seen by me and could make it quickly closed. It was nobody faults then only the bugs.
These words made sense and I was requested to stay out of SecondLife for couple of days to sort out.

Personal Thursday 24 may 2007

In sadness I called this friend and the person sympathized with me and found it awful that someone
told that about me. Told her thousands of times that the client should be happy it was me, not a stranger.

Business Monday 27 may 2007

I got a phonecall that a mail was on it’s way and I would be chocked.

Personal Monday 27 may 2007

The mail was from the friend that sympathized with me.

I called and asked why this betrayal and a different person were on the other line.


Business Monday 27 may 2007

My personal avatar went back in to second life. Broke all the friendships I had in this community of fans and stayed away from this project as I did not want to jeopardize this project.

2007 – 2009

In the years developed myself as a community manager Virtual Worlds. Created the event yearly in Europe about Virtual Worlds and helped a lot of clients to understand what Virtual Worlds are about and can be helpful as a tool.
My focus went from one virtual world platform to many and goal is to make more people understand outside the virtual worlds what this is about. Guide them to see if this can be a useful tool. Exploring the different successful projects and grids.
Connect people to the right persons.

Personal
2007 – 2009

After awhile my avatar was back in Second Life I told my story. Specially to people that wanted to know why I am on Second life and yes my favourite band Duran Duran brought me there. Specially after seeing on 11 September 2006 a program on the bcc about them and the fan waiting room on a sim called Avalon.
I am proud and honoured that this is written in a book called Second Lives from Tim Guest. In this book Nick Rhodes explains what his thoughts were and plans for the Duran Duran universe.
Some I told the story above as they could never understand why we broke sudden our friendship with this particular person. People I knew that can be trusted enough and needed to understand.
We got to learn that the project was given to someone from the band and it turned quiet.

Personal 15 june 2011

The buzz was for a long time around that the islands will be opened by the person I met years before.
In the experience over the year I was prepared and it did not much bother me. Only my worry was the way it was presented.
There was poor pr and official channels announcing that most of the old community started to be worried.
Gladly in a poor state the official channels started to buzz.
I got an invite on 15th june to have a look and was pleased of course to do so. For me a burden goes of my shoulder of being secret for what was on the islands.
In an hour I got an IM from a person from time ago.
The content became ugly after awhile as I was not interested or impressed about all kinds of words. I was accused of being jealous while at that point I could not be as so much was going on as an event was about to happen two days later.
And I told the person that jealousy is not the case just worried specially with the history of this person.

After awhile I have been told I was insane and this IM will be forwarded to who ever.
And got banned.

Business 15 june 2011

As a community manager myself you represent a brand. You are a bridge between your client and costumer.
Personal issues should not be in your way. There for it so surprising that the issues of the past got in the way and the person in question forgot that the argument ever happened should not be a burden.
Every costumer is holy. And in personal sense you should rise above all.
As a private person and costumer in this case a fan of this great band I had personally an issue against this person which is logical but there was no attack to the brand / band.
Only a private issue between this person and me. The conversation was not in the open done in private as it should be.

Questions are rising up.

Is this person that representing the brand afraid of the costumer? That should not be good in the profession.

Issues are easily solved as I suggested in the IM but then became accused of being insane.
Modesty is a virtue.

So why raise me from the community?

Personally I am not bothered as in 2007 a alt is easily made and can still enjoy the Duran Duran experience
But business wise it is easy to see in this encounter that you can be mixed up easily with emotions and personal issues while you are on the job.

There is a difference between managing a sim in a virtual world like Second Life or a forum or a company’s community or ruling it!

....

Finally! Waiting is over!

Finally my waiting is over! Best kept secret revealed. I am happy as it gives a burden away.
Sad is though it took an hour and an IM fight was made. Accused for being insane and jelous! For what I do not know.. Guess it is all the old fashioned SL drama again when some people do not know how to handle emotions.
Anyway I am glad waiting is over and hope we all will have fun with no drama.

Virtual Worlds are the future for creativity and co creation!
Also for a great creative band as Duran Duran.
Wish them all the fun in this world!

MetaMeets 2011, Amsterdam

MetaMeets 2011, Amsterdam

“Are social virtual worlds like ‘Secondlife’® still alive?
What does it take to make a virtual world?
How do I stream into a virtual world?
What is Machinima?
How do I create 3 Dimensional content?
Are 3D virtual worlds useful for my students as E-learning?”

All these questions will be answered at Europe’s Premiere 3D Internet & Virtual worlds conference ‘MetaMeets 2011’ in Amsterdam.

Speakers and workshop leaders will guide you through the world of 3D environments.

‘Let’s Create 3D’ is this years theme to show interactively what software you can use to create what is seemingly the impossible. We will show you how to stream into a virtual world, how to make Machinima, the power of E Learning and how to co create with all kinds of people from around the world.

This years presenters include;

Ian Hughes from Feeding Edge who worked for IBM® on the platform ‘Secondlife’®
Noah Falstein from Inspiracy who developed the first graphic virtual world ‘Habitat’®
Ian Gee from Nokia® who inspires companies to dare to change
Ineke Verheul from Gameon, who does research on Avatar behaviour
Justin Clark-Casey OpenSim Virtual World consultant
Chantal Gerards Machinima maker
Stefan Lemper Managing Director from the 3D chat community ‘Club Coeee’®
Jolanda Verleg from Insperion who works with universities and schools to visualize ideas in 3D
Mathijs Hamers & Lars Dijkema students from Elde College Visualizing sustainable living in 3D
Raphael Isdant & Nicolas Sordello creators of ‘Virtual Windows’ for children isolated in their sickbeds

The conference will also introduce you to many more speakers who all share a passion for working, creating, educating and entertaining in 3D platforms.

Social Virtual worlds like Second Life®, Francogrid®, Club Coeee® and Open Sim will show their endless possibilities.

It will be an exciting weekend as MetaMeets will be combined with MMIF, (MaMachinima International Festival) and there will be an opportunity to meet, greet and network with cross media entertainment professionals.

The conference in past years has been well attended not only at the venue but interactively within 3D platforms and on the internet. All in all, it is looking to be a very informative and fun conference to attend this year!

For more information go to www.metameets.com
For tickets sales http://metameets2011.eventbrite.com/
For information about MMIF go to http://mmif.wordpress.com/
For Questions about MetaMeets email info (@) metameets.com
Contact: J.A.F Mastenbroek –Dobber

Team MetaMeets

Venue
Club Karlsson, NIMK gebouw
Keirzersgracht 264
Amsterdam

DDU?

These couple of days I got strange messages in world someone is going to let us come to a DDU Duran Duran Universe which seems to be islands of the great band Duran Duran that was planned in 2007.

I should jump up and scream FINALLY!!
Especially as this is the reason why I am in the wonderful virtual world of Second Life.

But unfortunate as people know me there is an awkward feeling. The message comes from a person that once pretended to be a friend but abused me and many others in second life.

Even at one point kept low profile and stayed away from the area during that time and its community to make sure the project does not come between the silly drama that was created by obsession.

We know the sims were made by a great branding company during that time and we had the most greatest fun with this company while they builded it up.
Then in 2007 they gave the project back to their clients and afterwards we did not hear anything.

The hype of Second Life went down and many brands left.

Still with a lot we did not lose the understanding of innovation and creation and as a social platform and moved on developing.
Me exploring around this virtual world and many other 3D solution platforms as to fill up the time of waiting.

With the exploration I understand that the project could be the first Virtual presence of a great group and its fan community but it was too early in a virtual world that was still developing.

Copy right issues maintenance issues and the fact that only 50 avatars could walk around.

The world is now more stable so a good thought to have it released now.

Only is it still from Duran Duran? As we did not see any official messages from Duran Duran itself through their own channels.

Are these islands maybe given to this person as not knowing what to do with it?
As it happened with many islands.

I notice more that fans and especially from around 2006 wondering these questions.

Nevertheless of course we will have a look despite it all as I am curious about the changes that are made.

For who ever now runs this project the true colours are known to some of us and we hope new ones never will find out the same way as some of us did.

Personally I am glad finally the project will reveal only not in the stage that I know but it will take a burden away from me as a best kept secret for many years.

.....

12 - 6 - 2011

One official channel is mentioning the presence
AskKatybook Ask Katy
Nick's bday playlist in Second Life: http://t.co/OFD3JoQ. Speaking of, the @duranduran Second Life Universe will open to public June 22nd!

Finally...