Website apathy

So, how do I get people to check the guild website to keep up to date with guild activities, current game issues etc? It’s a genuine question. If anyone has any ideas, I’d be glad to hear them. I have tried a great number of things from making sure it is in the guild message of the day, having officers announce it once every play session, not advertising events elsewhere (so they have to visit the webby if they wish to participate in guild events), and reminding members at the end of a raid over voice chat of the importance in checking the webby. It is probably worth mentioning at this point that registering on the guild website is a requirement of being in AoV.

Part of the problem is that Acolytes of Valor is a casual guild. So aside from common decency rules, there are no requirements required of the guildies. Apart from registering on the guild website. Yes it is a requirement, and no it is not enforceable in anyway. So we end up with a lot of members (AoV was established on Nov 10th 2004) but a membership that even though they want to achieve stuff for their toons rarely make the effort to check the website or to post their requirements. There are of course a few select members (usually the main ones I see attending raids regularly) that do check the website and sign up for events, but aside from that the webby hardly ever gets used. It’s such a shame. You should see the wealth of information I have posted there over the years. From hints n tips, to events organised, suggestions to assist and specific posts asking guild members what updates they require. That’s just a small sample.

There’s the other side to it. Our guild website has available the full set of ‘in guild’ rules. Now I would have thought if you are interested in a guild and being a member you would at the very least read the rules you are supposed to abide by. They have been put in place for very specific reasons and it is almost impossible to chastise an errant guildy when they didn’t know they were acting incorrectly, because they haven’t read the guild rules. How can they be disciplined or dealt with if we haven’t enforced our other rules?

What frustrates me is the time and effort that I put in to make these things available, then no one bothers to do a little bit of ‘work’ to register and keep an eye on things. Not that I am one of those people who ‘expect’ that because I am doing something to try and help that they ‘must’ do likewise. Nah. That’s not what it’s about. I just get frustrated for them. Not with them. For them. It’s like someone saying to you, “Right. I know you have to drive all the way to Scotland. So I have taken the liberty to provide you with a Sat Nav system and have pre-programmed the route in for you” and them replying “Thanks, but I’d rather just take my chances and botch it”. The information to help and running of events to get updates are all there in the offerings, but don’t ever seem to be taken advantage of. Again, no great worries, it’s just I can’t understand it. Are they too proud to ask for help? To lazy to check the webby and sign up? To scared of using technology they are not used to? [WTF? To scared to use technology? Website = top of the range tech nowadays huh? It’s not exactly rocket science Adurj – Ed]. I guess I don’t know the answer. I just want to help. I see some of our members (especially some of our younger in game experience members) who are struggling to get some content sorted for important updates and they never seem to be able to achieve it. If only they popped their needs on the webby and we could help plan something out.

Aww. I really don’t know why they don’t check the webby. It’s simple and informative.

I guess I may have to come to the realisation that the guild webby provides a service no one wants or really needs. That’s the only sensible solution I can come up with. Strange.

I will hopefully be catching up on some of my posts this week (when my Mother goes home from visiting). I have fun in Lotro to cover, titles in EQ2, the general election (just kidding), collections, old style gaming, current reads and reviews and plenty of bike racing...quite a lot to do!

Anyhow, until next time.

Be well.