Impressed

...by the folks at the Guild of Messengers. Impressed with what has been done to the website, in getting the word out about our services. They have used the modern forms of internet communication, ie: Facebook and Twitter to raise the Guilds profile and to better serve the cavern community. There is a rumour floating about that a new publication maybe in the Guild’s future, distant future. This time though I won’t be doing much, apart from distributing. If they want me as Graphics/Photography helper then cool. If they don’t I would be happy with that also. I think it needs more artistic people than I to make a good e-zine. After my time with the TCT doing the Archiver, helping Blutec with the Guild paper and then doing most of it myself, after Blu left, has given me an insight. Like I have said before, “Jack of all trades and master of none”.We need masters now.

I still won’t commit to doing anymore than I have stated I would do. Don’t want to let anyone down. But, yeah there is always a but, I am surprised to see so few newcomers. Some old members haven’t returned, some that did contribute in helping the community which is a shame. They all had value in their own way that I cannot deny or begrudge.

I may sound like I am contradicting myself with only doing a small part but that is what it’s all about. More people doing small things, then we don’t get burnt out. Plus it helps with commitment. Heavy burdens drive people away. Lighten that load and things get more enjoyable and therefore tend to last longer.

I wish other people can see the benefit of helping the Guild of Messengers. What satisfaction one can get in helping others; trust me it is a great feeling even though you don’t get much thanks for it. There are a few that show their appreciation and that goes a long way. The more news about events

and ideas, fan fiction, news on fan ages, proper interviews of the community members etc, the more people will be interested in what the cavern has to offer.

Also I like to think I made a difference. Collating a list of forums from all over the world to bring them news and publications like the guild paper, the TCT Podcasts, and general news about the cavern hopefully helped to give them a feeling of belonging to this vast community we truly have. As in “I see you”. I think that is another worthwhile practice to restart. I will see to that next week.

Once Called, forever smitten

Well I didn’t think I would ever get out of that hole called depression. I can now see the light, the lake light revealing the cavern that is D’ni. Never thought I would get back there, never thought I would still be welcomed back at the Guild. I have offered to do some minor things. Not sure I could handle much more at present.

It does amaze me though with all the tales of compassion and understanding, well the lack off I should say, down there and among the ole ages of D’ni that some don’t change their attitudes. Instead some find it better or easier not to change, easier not to understand why something is done. In spite of this I am still drawn, to add my bit to the restoration.

Not the restoration to the cavern but to the D’ni art of age writing. That is where the future lies. As I have said before, need to fund my trips off-world somehow. :D

Here we go again!

Well I just couldn’t stay away but this time will be different. Gone are the days of doing so much I get stressed out. I have resumed a small part of my duties over at the Guild. I will keep it at the level it is. There are some very capable people over there trying to make a good go of it. I will try to support them as much as I can but they will have to organise themselves without me. I have faith that they can pull it off. I am not that much use to them apart from staying in the background and out of their way.

I think it is about time though that we got an office down there. So many new explorers coming in everyday but this time from all over the world. The word has certainly got out. But I fear without an organised support network these welcome new explorers might return to the surface taking their money with them. Not everything is about money I grant you but keeping this amazing underground city preserved needs money and manpower.

But what of the threat of the Bahro, is that still there, do these new comers know that danger could be around every corner or above. Might be wise to wear the DRC provide hard hats. Make the Bahro think twice...maybe. And what of Yeesha is she still lurking, watching and waiting. Old Atrus must be by now that infirmed by old age or even deceased. I wish she would pop in and give us an update on him. I often think of how kept going all those years and what of Marrim.

Oh well we may never know. But I do hope we find out....before I die....which is some way off....I hope.

Oh it's Open

Ok not quite yet! Nothing changes, one minute it is open then it's not. I thought I would have been more excited. Time to try something new. I am pretty sure my days at the Guild are over. I just have no passion for it anymore.

If there was more dedicated people around I might feel different but the plain fact is there just isn't. Yeah I know I am disabled which allows me more time to focus on projects. But many hands make light work. One person does one job properly and so on, and you have enough, then things will work a lot better and smoother. Some say "oh but it is only a cave" yes it is but you are dealing with people's time and dedication. Isn't that something to consider when stepping to do something and not doing it. I see people commenting on how it should be done but do nothing themselves.

If the cavern is to survive and this time it must or it will close forever people, need to start to or at least learn how to "work" together and to leave the ego in a little box in the corner.

I think I will carry on and see if I can get some cool technologies out of this. Bound to be some new ages found so I can plunder...Oh I mean legally obtain new gadgets and gizmos. Pocket size is good but backpack size is ok.

Got it!

YES. Finally, as a reporter this is great, as a person with feelings this hell but news is news.
This is what I do; this is why I became a messenger. (But not now)

Patience!

Patience is a virtue. Whoever wrote that never had to wait and wait I would suspect. Patience is ok when you know or even have a chance of something at the end. Say like trout fishing in a lake full of live food. Dryfly just won’t cut it but you try anyway as there is the possibility of a catch.
Ok I can still get to Relto and all the ages that I have already been to but to be alone forever. No, I would pack it all in first, burn my Relto book and be done with it. Yeah right!
But the longer things drag on the worse it is going to get. Apathy for the restoration is rife. Mind you I would imagine the restoration of D’ni is well good and buried. I hope I am wrong. I truly believe there are plenty more like minded people out there that have no idea D’ni exists. Ok I don’t want to see graffiti anywhere but it needs more publicity. We need to force some change. Force who though, who is stopping the instancing really? - The Bahro, Yeesha or the DRC with some technology found on some far off land and if so for what purpose? It is all a mystery. We need a change in the status quo. No not five band members.
Breathe....Szark......breathe...........

Back to reality for a moment: Trying to figure out how to write a descriptive linking book is proving to be a great challenge. Not for the faint hearted. I see it as a lucky dip. You make sure you don’t have any contradictions and obviously stable but at the end of the day where you link to is totally arbitrary. Also what you write is not always what you see. I will definitely have to dust off that maintainer’s suit I obtained sometime back, can’t be too careful.

Another month another paper! It is getting harder and harder to find news. Yes I see a lot of ages being written but until they are finished, so we can have a gander, we can’t review much. Mind you we haven’t reviewed any ages at all. We were hoping that the GoMa would make their findings public and give us their reviews. It would have also been great to get an explorer’s point-of-view when they finally get the linking book. It would have to be an honest review and not a pat on the head for the writer though.

Not much news coming from the DRC either in fact they have been more quiet than normal, if that is possible. Only joking guys.

Apart from the paper and news feed my guild work is nonexistent. Actually I don’t think anyone is doing any guild work at all when I come to think about it. Mind you I suppose there is not much to do.

In the mean time I have some experiments to finish up in Fens and some more domestic duties to take care off. Now where did I put that hydraulic excavator?

What’s my Motivation?

It has been a year since we saw each other in the cavern and I find myself with more motivation than I thought I would have. This came apparent when we recently had some assembly problems with the guild paper and I had to take the bull by the horns. Spending four eighteen hour days to learn a new program Scribus, to assemble a newspaper, was well worth it. First time for everything! I must give credit to Scribus and their Wiki for they made it an easy learning curve. Why, because it is a team effort and I just couldn’t let all their hard work go to waste. I also thought about all those community members that either like or rely on the paper. After all this is why we do it.

I had to think about this when I started to get involved with the guild. I had to ask myself “who am I doing all this hard work for”? Was I doing it for the right reasons? And what are those reasons? Not easy questions to answer at first. I suppose like most people we do what makes us happy as individuals. At first this was true of me. After a short time I started to get pulled into “the community spirit” and being a loner this was a struggle. I saw people helping each other not for money or for a favour returned but for the sheer pleasure of doing so. I had finally found likeminded people. This is why I do what I do, it is my calling. Not the calling of my parents or peers but the calling of my heart.

From this involvement I have met people that inspired me to broaden my creative skill. I know that at my age I may not get as good as others but for me it is an achievement and one that I continue to expand. So I write and post my pictures in the hope I make someone think, smile or encourage them that it is never too late to learn (some things). Not sure if I could manage brain surgery though, hopefully you get the drift.

The DRC stained glass project, which I never took part in, gave me an idea and inspired me to make my own Minkata stained glass whilst learning to use Photoshop. I approached this as though I was making it out of glass, thinking about the glass cutting technology and so on. After a month this is what I came up with.
Oh and I must get back to Fens again soon.........

End of the beginning:

That was a long three weeks. Three weeks away from the lonely cavern and ages. Spending so long travelling this globe have I forgotten my home? Why do I miss these far off lands in god knows what point in time, so much? Even alone I miss it all. Especially after these past weeks, I need to get away again. I know there are some new ages available. I need to source them other than going via that Age manager. He/she don’t like me. I must have written something he/she didn’t like.
I love the Guild work, don’t get me wrong but you can’t beat a bit of exploring. It’s good for the soul.

But so much more fun with others. That is why I love the guild work so much, the people. We have just moved to a new website so things are a wee bit hectic at present. That has got some excited to have everything in one place, finally. I confess I am one of those. I think this is the start of a new era for the Guild of Messengers. We might just have a fighting chance of attracting new or old explorers to come and help. One can only hope. Guild elections are in April. That should be interesting. There seems less and less of us but we still manage to fight on.

Methinks I think too much!

With a new year brings what? More days to do fun stuff like explore new ages in far of lands, in what time or universe no one knows and to have another birthday. I am going to start the New Year not by making a resolution but by continuing to grow and expand my mind. To ponder the possibilities of what this New Year might bring. Will we cope with the burden of responsibility of the restoration? Are we going to restore or just make new ages? Will some make a home in the cavern if so how will the Bahro feel about that? But most of all when do we get the keys?

I am so eager to get down there to set up my new desk. The one that the Guild promised me ages ago. They want to stick me in the GoMe Hood right in front of the link in point. This so they can show off their new mascot. What did Semp call me; yes that was it “The Tireless Messenger”. All I need it a snazzy outfit. How about a Yellow cloak with SK or TTM in big letters on my chest? I hope they don’t read this or they just might do it. The cloak I mean. I don’t mind sitting in the hood waiting for people to link in. It is a good way to help others and maybe to recruit some.

I feel we might have had a breakthrough in the Guild’s organisation. Hopefully we will be ready to help new and old explorers alike. I am feeling up about my guild work lately. I should hope so as I will put most of my time into the Guild, well I need time to play.For something totally different: As you may be aware I do a little photography and I purchased Photoshop a while back to aid me in this digital world of image manipulation. I have been practicing and with all its bells and whistles that this program has, the filters are much left to be desired. Don’t get me wrong there are good and you can get some really good results. Then a friend showed me Alien Skin Software. Well my mouth started to water, then after seeing the prices I had to have a drink. Not water either. - Choices always choices. - Then a lie down.
Nice filters though and I will just have to do some thinking on this.

Divergence!

Some of you know that I do a little writing for the GoMe newspaper. So when I found some of my journals that where saved from drowning (I had forgot that I had put them up higher than the flood line. – I was too busy with all the wet and damaged stuff to notice them until now) I thought about the Stories and Journeys section of the newsletter. I offered and they accepted. For those of you that are interested check out the November edition of the “Where R U Uru?” newspaper where I will start way back. Then over the coming months I will be sharing a little more. These will be the edited highlights of my early journey, as space is a premium. I hope you enjoy. Oh and by the way don’t worry only a few journals survived, I wouldn’t want to bore you. How many? You will have to wait and see...

X marks the spot!

Where my thoughts are I don’t know. I forgot to mention that we had some elections ourselves, at the Guild, recently. Marten your GM (Guild Master) stepped down for another to take the baton. Lynnutte is our new GM and she has a whip. I think, no, I know that Lynnutte will do a good job. Mind you there’s not much pressure at the moment as we can’t get in to a public instance. Public instance means work, yes please.
Anyway on top of that we had some change around. I finally shed the inter-guild liaison chair. Woot! I am not really a good people person but I am trying. I know Leonardo will do an excellent job. The depth of Leo astounds me for someone so young. Sorry but it is true.

That's me in the GoMe uniform, cheesy pic or what!

Six months. That’s how long I think it will be before everything collapses, if we don’t get a public instance going. It’s all the Bahros fault and Dr. Watson. Yes there are always consequences even when doing the right thing. No good deed goes unpunished, remember. The writers and maintainers will still be going; I don’t know what would make them stop.

Personally I would like to see us keep going as long as possible. Perhaps there is a solution out there somewhere.

Least I am trying!

I know that I will never rise in the ranks of the guild and I am happy with that. The main thing is that I tried and put all my effort in to trying. Yes I have grown and am better for it, but I have now come to an impasse. I do have something good to offer, so what if it is donkey work, someone has to do it. Workers are the backbone of any society or community and without us things would grind to a halt, and anarchy would ensue. This is something that the D’ni lost track of, in my opinion.

Knowing ones place in society or a community isn’t about class and in my opinion I think it is destructive. But having a place or a purpose, if you will and finding that place can be difficult for some, it was and is for me. But what is important? Well personal growth for one, to strive to be better than a year ago; the willingness to learn new skills and how one uses them, for progress not for hindrance. Something else that I think is equally important is how one behaves towards others. Behaviour breeds behaviour after all and that goes for the good and the bad. It is also up to others to realise that the differences between us make up the whole. How we look and react to the differences between us all as a community says a lot in my book. I am the least, but at least I try to keep my feet on the ground and a level head and not to judge others by my own standards, to tolerate the different, and even to embrace it. Rant over.......

Where was I, oh yes the GoMe well with this experience under my belt I am finally starting to get an idea of what I am good at/for and what I am not, regarding this underground restoration. It’s not about thinking big all the time or being on a level above others, mind you I have never been like that anyway, “competitive”. It is about what we do for each other and why we do it. Most of the time intent is more important than the deed.

I consider myself to be intellectually sound, but highly educated I am not. After all these years, my lack of education has come back to haunt me. So what do I do in this world of literacy and high standards? Well step back a bit for one and re-evaluate my position in the guild. That will not stop me from growing further though, I have started something now that will endure as I have endured. I never thought I would love being involved in this type of community but it happened, why, because unlike the D’ni there are some that embrace the differences and try to make something good no matter what your background.

It has slowly become apparent to me that I am good for the “behind the scenes” work. Now this is ok if we had more volunteers. Yep volunteers, as we work towards the restoration for love, not money. It is always hard to find backers for big projects like this, I suppose no one has thought about the prospects of the travel industry doing well out of weekend breaks in an age far, far away. Hmmmm “Linking Mile points”, how would you calculate that? It would definitely give them all a headache trying to work that one out.

Now this volunteer work is also good as I have an innate sense to help others as much as I can, not for a pat on the back but because it is the right thing to do; so yes I am a serf through and through, the least and proud of it...

Transition

I can feel the tension in the air of late as we all wait for the public instancing barriers come down, everyone changing this and that, new groups popping up, established groups giving themselves an overhaul . Everyone is busy and hoping that there are ready, some are and always will be ready, but a budding guild in its infancy; well we are doing our best.

Well nothing much has happened since I last wrote, I haven’t written much at all in fact and that bothers me. There are a few articles floating about but nothing meaty, nothing to get my teeth into. GoMe is keeping me really busy, or am I keeping myself busy, hum, I will have to ponder that one...

...pondered long enough, who cares as long as I am happy and nothing or no one suffers, like making my colleagues look silly. Another thing I learnt this week is always whisper the word liaison when in the company of other seasoned explorers.

After last weekend I am expecting the GoMe rule book to land on my door step, an updated version with a section titled: How to act like a Modern Guild Member. Ouch!

I distracted myself earlier by doing some exploring and checked out some new ages that have come on to the market recently; I wouldn’t call it a black market as such, more like grey market and it is not as though we pay for them. Some good writing skills emerging, it wouldn’t surprise me to see them getting as good as a D’ni student before too long; looks around to see if there are any writers lurking.

It has been suggested by my fellow Guild members that I need a desk in our Bevin, gees we are already planning on redecorating and we haven’t even got back down there yet. Could you imagine a GoMe yellow Bevin; might brighten the place up a bit. Hope I get a nice comfy chair... hey let’s face it there is plenty of room, might as well get a bed down here as well. Well you try to do an all nighter when you have a Guild meeting on and then have travel home again. Nope, I having a cot in Relto and a Bed in the Bevin, now where do I put it? Yes definitely need a comfy chair, one of those recliners, yes that should do it.

I still wonder if the Bahro are playing nice and will we be in danger if we do back down as a group; well the most we saw of the Bahro was in the public instances and on occasion in Relto, and that was only when there was a public gathering. Ok I hear them in the cavern when I am down there by myself but I have never seen one. So I conclude from this that they do not like crowds...there are in need of some therapy I think.

I saw this the other day and it is something I will remember and nourish with good intent.

A clever person turns great troubles into little ones and little ones into none at all.

MORE work! MORE fun!

Well I haven’t had much time lately, haven’t been anywhere near a linking book for weeks now, I’m getting withdrawals. Plus all my journals and most of my photos were destroyed, so there was only one thing for me to do, bury my head in my work. Since the DRCs’ announcement, that cavern will open back up sometime in the near future, but under another new name; MORE, an acronym for Myst Online Restoration Experiment. I wonder if there is a Guild of Acronyms, down some musty old basement where a couple of people throw acronyms at each other until one sticks, can I get a job there please.

Where was I, oh yes, an experiment for whom and what purpose and what’s with the online bit? The online bit; probably means that we will get public instancing back, in the same way as IMing works on the internet as in a members only instance, it must be. I wonder if the Bahro are playing nice. I think the experiment bit is to see if the community, overseen by the DRC, can make the restoration happen without a financial backer. It appears that the DRC will use our cavern entrance and members fees to cover running costs. It’s been rumoured that they will charge 25 American dollars for six months, now that’s a good deal. Far as I can see this whole venture will be based on trust, trust on both sides of the camp. The DRC working with the community; some will find it ok, but some groups have been anti-DRC for a long time. I see friction a head, but I hope not.

Saw a good one the other day, MOREon, but my favourite is MOREish, I love word play, seems such an intelligent sort of humour and whit.

Can’t keep my mind on one thing presently, ok that’s it, since the announcement we at the Guild of Messengers and at The Cavern Today Archiver have been franticly trying to get all the relevant information out to the community. Well they do say you learn from your mistakes, and these last few weeks have been no different, what a learning curve we are all on, especially at the GoMe where we are all newish to the guild and are just starting to get things together. But as with both community based groups, we are so short staffed, but we have had a few new recruits though, before and after the good news, but we need MORE. Sorry could resist the pun. What’s a messenger to do?

I suppose I am lucky to have the time and money to be a fulltime explorer and prospective Guildsmen, sorry Guildsperson. I must give at least 4 to 5 hours a day to my messaging duties, which include writing, which I know is too much for others, but as the old saying goes, many hands make light work; then I might have more time for exploring and analysing, fun.

Time to have a nosey over at the GoW to see if any new ages have been found, they like to call it written. You don’t write an age; you write a link to the age, Gehn couldn’t understand that and look what happened to him. I often wonder how he would have turned out if he never went to the GoW at the age of five and stayed with Anna for a few more years.

Wow my brain is fried; all I can see is the GoMe logo...............