White Tiger Mentors

Welcome to the White Tiger Mentors Wiki Page (Including the New Resident Services Group)

New Resident Island (New Resident Services Group) NEW RESIDENT ISLAND (NRI) Home to New Resident Services help group, New Resident Island will welcome you to a great and safe virtual environment. For an alternative experience in interactive helping, feel free to visit New Resident Island! Basic colourful tutorials including the official LL viewer 6 (x86/x64), free shopping at the medieval village, fantasy learning garden. NRI/S Helpers are affiliated Volunteers. They are willing to help with high standards of assistance by sharing knowledge and useful tips in Second Life®. New Resident Island is designed for simple and fun learning. Have fun with your new Residents. Of course, even though New Resident Island has its own dedicated NRI/S Helpers, the White Tiger Volunteers are allowed to help at this private location if they wish it, however they have to contact Treacle Darlandes at first, to avoid any possible conflicts between Helpers, that would be a shame for a such awesome island ! Obviously, the White Tiger Mentors can also help at the Help Islands 1 & 2 (Public), Social Islands or Official Infohubs if needed. Feel free to visit us, we will support you as best we can, that's our priority in Second Life®. Here is the SLurl to New Resident Island. Enjoy! How To Join & Guidelines The applications for membership as Mentor Apprentice must be sent in-world with a notecard to a listed Co-Owner of the group. The title of this notecard must preferably include the Username used to create the SL account instead of the display name used in-world, with the following format: <Your Username> - WTM Application. The applications will be subject to screening. The profiles must be G or M rated. Any inappropriate applications -or membership- (e.g. with an A rated profile) are subject to revision at any time, based upon WTM Management discretion. At least 6 months of practice in Second Life® is required to apply. The applications can include informations such as any other places you have helped out at, what viewers you are familiar with, if you have any specific interests in SL such as creating, fashion, health groups, any languages you fluently speak and so on. If you don't have any experience or skills and just want to help with basics for the Newcomers that is perfectly fine. Membership as Mentor Apprentice is for a period of 3 months maximum. The Trainees that have not completed the training within these 3 months will be removed from the group. However, if they still wish to become a White Tiger Mentor, they can apply again for another training, but one time only. It means they will have to start a new training from the beginning. White Tiger Mentors group is a Member of the approved Resident Help Network, therefore a WTM training is required to become a Mentor/Linguist in this group and will be provided in-world, effective March 10, 2010. The Linguist role in the group is optional, and reserved for qualified Mentors. They must be able to fluently speak at least 2 languages to get it, more than 2 will be appreciated. General talk is OK, but disputes, unauthorized advertising, spam of any kind or politics about software in both group channels will not be appreciated and can lead to loss of membership at any time and without prior notice. Any in-world activity that is against ToS, CS or WTM Tao will lead to a definitive removal from both groups. Do not forget to detach your WTM tag when you are not actively mentoring. Due to the size of the group, the ability to send Group Notices have been permanently disabled for Mentors, effective January 30, 2010. If you have a group notice to send, please do send a notecard to a Co-Owner for review and posting. All Members of both groups have to abide by the Second Life Terms of Service and Community Standards. The White Tiger Mentors must also follow the WTM Tao of Volunteers below.

Group Charters White Tiger Mentors : Member of the approved Resident Help Network (RHN), official Linden Lab's program. Active Volunteers who are willing to help people by sharing knowledge and useful tips. Real international Network of assistance for online, 3D virtual environment Users (SL). At least 6 months of practice in Second Life® is required to become a White Tiger Volunteer. This is a Q&A group (M rated). http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/WTM New Resident Services : Community help for new & older SL Residents. This is a G rated group, which means no adult topics or language. Please respect our choice of maturity rating. Do feel free to say 'Hi' in the group or ask questions. No spamming, no commerce. Thank you. :-) Home to New Resident Services group: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Lawst%20Paradise/136/26/22 Who We Are Founders White Tiger Mentors: BΞNJI RΞZ New Resident Services: Treacle Darlandes Co-Owners Amsutekan Overland (WTM) BΞNJI RΞZ (WTM - NRS) Till Pierce (WTM) Treacle Darlandes (WTM - NRS) Total Group Members White Tiger Mentors: 700+ New Resident Services: 3000+ NRI/S Helper or White Tiger Mentor? The Newcomers can ask to join the New Resident Services group at any time for a good experience regarding the group channel usage and any other basic learning. When they consider they are experienced enough and want to become Helpers themselves in the NRS group, they will have to follow a basic training to get the role of NRI/S Helper. If the NRI/S Helpers want to provide more technical knowledge to people, they can apply to join the WTM group as Mentor Apprentice for a period of 3 months maximum. Afterwards they will have to complete a training session, including a simulation of mentoring (RP) and a shadowing session with a Mentor Instructor. The Mentors Instructors will advise the group Owners that the WTM Cadets are ready to be a qualified RHN Mentor/Linguist and the Owners will make the final decision to accept them as Mentor or Linguist, according to the skills of the Applicants. Note: The NRI/S Helpers can stay in the NRS group even if they successfully have been trained to get the WTM Mentor/Linguist role, however the NRI/S Helper title is dedicated to help people at New Resident Island only.

WTM Tao of Volunteers

First Impressions

Each White Tiger Volunteer has the ability to influence new Residents’ first experiences of Second Life®. How we do so may vary by personality, but we must also adhere to standards. We have adapted the Second Life® Tao of Volunteers to our group.

Mentors are Teachers or trusted Counsellors. If you are simply answering questions to passersby on Help Island Public, you are not mentoring – you’re providing support services. If you take aside a new Resident and take time to show him how to use the tools given to him (such as Search, or Make Outfit) or spend hours or days helping him with a technical problem, you are mentoring. Mentorships often end up in friendships with their charge.

Attitude And Behavior

• We will help anyone to the best of our ability.
• We will be humble, polite, and patient with those we help.
• We will treat those we help with dignity, despite knowing it may not always be returned.
• We will mentor and help and ask for no reward.
• We will work as a team, help each other solve problems and show respect to each other.
• We will be reliable, committed, and trustworthy.
• We will be funny and playful.
• We will be respectful of the guidelines under which we serve.

Group Notices

Mentors of WTM can request to send useful notices.

• Notices must have relevance to the mentoring program or be used to promote non profit events and charities.
• Notices are broadcast to the entire group, and are kept in the Second Life® archives for all to see by design. Please keep this in mind as you create your group notice posting.
• If you have questions to the group, broadcast it in group chat - not in Group Notices!
• Notices may be used to share full perm gifts providing the person sending them out has created them or obtained written permission from the creator to distribute them.
• Notices may NOT be used to promote your own for profit business. If you would like to share information about cool sims, great shops and live performances -- please do so in Group Chat and NOT via Group Notice. The exception to this would be events like the Hellen Keller Day, major upcoming meeting SL events (like Burning Life). Again -- common sense stuff.

Stay Informed

Each Volunteer is responsible for reading notices and guidelines beginning with the WTM Wiki Page. It will have useful information and links to relevant materials as we build out the site.

An accomplished Mentor may be able to operate alone in situations where no other help can come. That Mentor is aware of the many resources available (translators, grid statuses, Second Life Knowledge Base Articles, etc.) and can tap into them, on-the-fly.

If You Don’t Know The Answer

It is perfectly OK to say to the Resident, “I do not know the answer to that.” It is BETTER if you tell the Resident, “I do not know the answer, but I know someone who might,” or “I can research that and get back to you later.” In doing so, you are taking ownership of an issue, and providing good mentorship.

Consequences of Not Following the WTM Tao

White Tiger Mentors should be aware there are consequences of not following the WTM Tao of Volunteers. Just as the Community Standards and ToS are the policies and rules of Second Life®, the WTM Tao is the policy and rules of the White Tiger Mentors group.

Important: Volunteers who do not follow the Group Rules and Tao of Volunteers will be removed from the White Tiger Mentors group. Owners, Representatives and Volunteers of a RHN group must be respectful in their communications with Linden Lab®. Your behavior and communications reflect on yourself as White Tiger Mentors and on our status as a RHN group. Please do remember that when you are speaking, IMing, emailing or filing support tickets, or in any communication with an official Linden Lab® Representative or Employee. Thank you for keeping that in mind as long as you are in this group.

• Please be aware that the decisions of the WTM Management are final. Both White Tiger Mentors and New Resident Services are private help groups and as such, are not endorsed by Linden Lab®.

History and Intent

Main Focus: New Resident Basics - General Help - Technical Issues - Multi-language Support - Peer Support.

The White Tiger Mentors group is an international Network of assistance for online, 3D virtual environment Users and has been created to provide an effective help to the Residents in need at the Help Islands Public 1 & 2, Welcome Areas of Second Life®, and anywhere in-world, including New Resident Island (NRI) of course. This Organization includes qualified Helpers (Mentors) that are willing to spend part of their time if they are online & available, in all cases a large range of friendly people. The goal of the WTM Team is innovating, and the potential of each Resident is the engine of our motivation. WTM is an independent group and not reserved for only Ex Second Life Mentors, it means all motivated Residents who want to join us have also a chance to become a real official Mentor Volunteer (RHN). Obviously, those who are Ex Second Life Mentors are welcome to be a part of this Team if they wish it. As a member of the approved Resident Help Network (RHN), the White Tiger Mentors group requires a certain standard of help and the motivated Resident who wants to provide some help with the Mentor title will have to follow a specific training. This training will focus particularly on the assistance to the persons who may have some disabilities in real life. However, we are NOT professional Counsellors. When appropriate, you will need to encourage those you are mentoring to reach out to real life support. The satisfaction of each Resident we help in Second Life® is our priority.

Information about mentor role in WTM group: As a RHN group we are serious about our Members having a good knowledge of helping and what the WTM group hopes to achieve. If it is your intention to suggest to anyone to join WTM please let them know they will be required to do some training, and they will need to complete all 6 parts of the WTM training schedule. Training will be tough, reading and learning will be required. Emphasis will be placed on Customer Services, the TOS, CS and Tao of the group.

The New Resident Services group was set up by Treacle Darlandes to work within the ROF Organization, to play a role helping new people and those who wish to learn more technical elements of Second Life®. Treacle has a lot of experience in Second Life®, formerly Manager at Help People Institute (HPI), now SecondAbility Mentor (RHN) and White Tiger Mentor (RHN). The association of New Resident Services with White Tiger Mentors is that as two separate groups they work side by side to assist new Residents or even any seasoned Residents in need. Together we will co-ordinate training for Helpers, pool our knowledge and resources and continue to plan learning classes and live music events. NRS and WTM Members will support each other as Partners, Associates and Friends in helping, greeting, mentoring and any other associated activities that Members from each group would wish to be involved in, whilst retaining individuality both in terms of status and goals.

Testimonials

Have you met our group? Have they made a difference in the way you see New Resident Help? Maybe you had an experience with the White Tiger Mentors you'd like to share with us. If you do, please contact Treacle Darlandes or BΞNJI RΞZ in-world.

Below's what others are saying about us...

Winter Wetherby "When I came into SL in the Spring of 2009, my main motivation was to perform my music. This meant that besides learning the "nuts and bolts" of SL, I also needed to learn how to bring my sound into SL, make contacts with those involved with SL music, etc. I was extremely fortunate to come under the wing of Treacle Darlandes who was (and still is) extremely patient and thorough in guiding me through this process, whether it was upgrading my appearance, adding animation to my avatar, introducing me to some contacts in the SL music world, and much else. I would not be anywhere near as far along in acclimating to SL and reaching my music goals without Treacle's wonderful help. Treacle also has high ethical standards and actively promotes honesty and civility in SL which is a benefit to all those she assists and to SL in general. I would just like to add that I have been to visit New Resident Island that Treacle has recently built and I was hugely impressed with the creative combination of help, fun, and information that it provides for newcomers and in fact anyone who wants to explore and learn more in SL. The White Tiger Mentors group is also invariably helpful and supportive, seeming to always have someone ready and knowledgeable to resolve SL or technical issues. I see Treacle and her colleagues as a huge asset to SL." Winter Wetherby, SL Performer. Tiamat Bingyi "The White Tiger Mentors group is an inspiration and a reference as a Volunteers Team for the Ajuda SL Brasil - Voluntarios group. Since most of the WTM are experienced Residents and have also worked as Volunteers and SL Mentors in many regions, they have a great knowledge base and experience in dealing with and helping the Residents from various countries, cultures and different languages. Ajuda SL Brasil - Voluntarios is a relatively new group, focused in helping the Portuguese speaking Residents and although many of our Members have not had the same experience as the WTM group has, we would still like to offer the same helpful hand and respect for Residents and Newcomers." Tiamat Bingyi, Ajuda SL Brasil - Voluntarios co-Founder.

Mike Burleigh "In my partnership with The White Tiger Mentors (until 2010/12/12), they have proven to be very Dependable , Knowledgeable, and the most professional Mentor Group I have ever been associated with. In the five plus years I have been in Second Life they are hands down the best in my opinion." Mike Burleigh, Founder of Remembering Our Friends Memorial and ROF Group. iSkye Silverweb "Since having joined the WTM group, I've observed that the training is very high quality and very thorough. The support I've received from other WTM group Members is fantastic. Knowledge and tools are freely shared. As hard as the WTM Members work, they play just as hard, too, and everyone is made to feel welcome as a part of the group. At first I thought I would be expected to leave the other Mentors group I belong to in order to continue with the White Tiger Mentors, but it has not been so. If anything, my knowledge and experience of working with new Residents with disabilities, along with the patience required to determine the new Residents' needs and address them, has enriched my ability to serve with the WTM. And when I need help, I can ask for it and know assistance will be given in a friendly and supportive way. Everyone's point of view is respected, everyone is professional. This is a great group of mentors!" iSkye Silverweb, White Tiger Mentor. Kalli Birman "We at Solace Beach Estates want to really thank the White Tiger Mentors for help at our gateway sim. They have really helped to make for a great experience for new residents trying to aclimate to Second Life. Thank you very much for everything." Kalli Birman, Operations Manager, Solace Beach Estates.

Locations, Resources & Partners Resident Help Network Portal (RHN) New Resident Services (NRS) Wiki Page - New Resident Services is also on Facebook Home to New Resident Services group : New Resident Island Affiliated group of WTM (including Mentors in training) : Mentors ! (World Wide Mentors) Ajuda SL Brasil - Voluntários : Community Gateway Second Life Community Platform : Answers Second Life Community Platform : Forums Second Life Community Platform : Blogs Second Life Community Platform : Knowledge Base Second Life Grid™ : Status Reports Second Life Help : Search across the Knowledge Base, Second Life Answers and the Forum More Second Life Help : Second Life Wiki > Help Portal

Photo Gallery 2.0 New Resident Island, owned by Treacle Darlandes @ Lawst Paradise : Click on this link to see the photo ! The Yard @ Honie Isle was owned by Till Pierce and closed on 2012/04/14 : Click on this link to see the photo ! White Tiger Mentors' booth @ the RHN Fair 2010, an awesome moment ! : Click on this link to see the photo ! Ajuda SL Brasil - Voluntários, owned by Roth Grut, Inside Me - 2009 : Click on this link to see the photo ! Ajuda SL Brasil - Voluntários (Roth Grut), Inside Me - 2014 to 2015 : Click on this link to see the photo !