Some thoughts about The Grid-Wide AuctioN Calendar for KittyCats

[Beloved Ruby]

Hello everyone,

A couple of days ago, I was informed by Bree that she has a new assistant, Sierra, and told me that a lot of changes were happening with the calendar, and mentioned a few to me and I was very excited to hear about them and also that she had extra help. Sierra got in touch with me about The ScratchN Post schedule and I filled out all the questions required for the renovated calendar.

A day after I sent that notecard back, it was brought to my attention that there is a new rule in the calendar which is that any auctioneer who doesn't do their auction for two weeks in a row, would be dropped from the calendar.

I immediately sent a note to Sierra, to ask if this is true. I had to wait a couple of days for a response, and in the meantime I sent a copy to Bree. Today I did get a response which was not really a response, not denying nor confirming this information, but the way the note read, it led me to believe that I did get a correct information and I replied about that.

I do not think that the grid wide calendar should impose this rule on any auctioneer because we are talking about people, not just simple Second Life dolls/avatars. People need vacations, people get sick, people go into the hospital, people have deaths in their families, people have a real life that cannot be controlled, and much less be penalized to lose a time slot they have been doing for a long time over an illness or a well deserved vacation.

If the people in charge of the grid wide calendar cannot see this very realistic point of view, I believe that there is a huge problem ahead of all of us. I understand a rule not to keep TBA's forever, when someone could be using that time, but really, there needs to be respect for the working auctioneers of Second Life.

I understand that there are a lot of auctioneers, and I also understand this rule would benefit them as far as snatching a long standing time slot, but it is not fair to the auctioneer that has been doing this for a long time and suddenly now, they cannot have a break or real life.

I sent Bree a note today, stating this. She was online and I did not get a reply, not even an acknowledgement of receipt. This is something I was not expecting, especially when I respond to all my IM's, regardless of who is IMing to let them know I got what they sent or their question.

A new calendar has come up now, grid wide as well, that will not be attached to any sim in particular, but for the benefit of the community. Should you want to be listed there, send a note to LickN Wonder. This calendar at least will be a fair one and not connected to ScratchN Post whatsoever, except for being hosted by the website until further notice.

http://scratchn-post.com/auctions/kittyc...-calendar/

That is the url, and if you have an emergency or go on vacation it will be listed as such. I think that way we uphold a respect for everyone's time and real life.

Thank you.

[Tad Carlucci]

Sounds good but, to me, de-listing an auction which does not occur as scheduled actually seems like a Very Good Idea.

Remember, getting on the listing is free and easy.

For a calendar to be useful, it needs to be accurate.

If auctions are only removed when the auctioneer actually requests they be removed, the calendar will eventually become filled with events which no longer occur. As a result, the calendar will become increasingly meaningless, gain a reputation for 'always being wrong', and fall into dis-use.

[Arwen Swordthain]

I realise that you have reached out to Bree and not recieved a reply but before splitting the community maybe you try again. 2 calendars will serve to confuse people. I totally agree that an auction should not be delisted without first talking to the auctioneer. How Bree & Sierra expect to check the auctions didn't occur is beyond me and frankly if the don't ask the auctioneer open to abuse from people saying auctions didn't occur that did.
Amber was away for 2 weeks in the summer resulting in no auctions for 4 weeks due to how her travelling fell. She informed her patrons and all was good, had she been delisted and another auctioneer jumped on her time I agree that would indeed have been unfair.
I agree with every Beloved Ruby says except about creating another calendar, this is devisive and its far better to make further attempts to work with Bree & Sierra.

[Icestron Resident]

I think thats starting another calendar is perhaps a bit premature -- and we could probably extend BreeAnn and her helper the same "maybe real life has happened" curesy here.

They have maintained this calendar on a volunteer basis - and without representing a specific auctioneer or kittycats sim for long enough to show independence from all the kitty politics that is involved in our little community.

I think we should continue with the calendar we trust - or else what prevents multiples of auctioneer calendars popping up all over the show. That will defeat the purpose alltogether.

Perhaps instead of another calendar - an offer of assistance to help maintain the existing one might be an idea.

[Beloved Ruby]

Tad, I agree with removing the inactive activities from the calendar. I support that 100%. But not over a two week period when a person may be sick or on vacation. They are not robots.

Arwen and Icestrom, thank you. We do not want to confuse the community with a second calendar and of course, we would support a fair calendar, but making rules such as a two week no auction drop, is absolutely ridiculous. Real Life happens. What happened to understanding that? Also, Bree was online when I sent her the note, for a long while I waited for a response and none came in.

PS. I wonder who gives them rights to create rules without bringing them to the community if the calendar is a community effort? Shouldn't the community vote?

---

This is no personal attack to Bree or the work she has done. I have always respected it and she knows it. I am saying NO to a ridiculous and insensitive rule that treats people inhumanely. If the calendar is a NEWSPAPER, as it was called by Sierra in her note to me, then the information in the calendar NEEDS to be accurate: Auction X returns on X/X.2015 (vacation) or (illness). Newspapers send the information accurately. The auction does not vanish, it just has a hold for real life reasons and any respectable newspaper will bring the news as they are. So if the calendar is a newspaper as they called it, then please, keep the news accurate. A dropped auction means it DOES NOT EXIST.

[Brunabug Nightfire]

Bumping this back up to remind everyone why I created this calendar in the first place. It was for current active auctions taking place. Anyone who contacted me to add them to the calendar was added no matter if another auction was taking place at the same time. This calendar was created as a resource for the community for those to see where auctions were actually taking place. Unfortunately over the years auctioneers and sim owners have twisted it in to away to control things. A certain sim has chosen to create a new calendar because they don't agree with me trying to keep this calendar up to date. They also don't agree with the idea that multiple auctions can be listed at the same time and to control this they will hold spots for auctions that are not happening and not allow any new auctioneer blood to be addeded. Just a reminder... When a auction returned to happening because of vacation or health issues or what ever, I was ways willing to add it back on. It is others in the community who have been vocal about it not being fair. I have gotten an ear full about it. For years. The calendar I created years ago was never ment to be used as a pawn for sims or auctioneers to control things. I was trying to get this back to the original goal of this calendar. Forgive typos. I am on my phone. I am copy this comment t on the other forum post that you. popped up complaining about the changes made. Thank you


Also want to add - I was in the middle of things when you sent that Notecard to me Ruby. I am sorry for not saying i got the notecard and I will get back to you. I glanced at the notecard as I was busy....and figured that Sierra would read it and get back to me and we would talk about it when she was online. She has been a good friend to be the person to deal with complaints. I am sorry if me not responding to you upset you, but I felt I needed to speak to my assistant to discuss how to reply first. She has not been online and I have yet to discuss things with her, but be sure I will when she is. She has offered to help me by talking to the auctioneers and sim owners directly so that I can get some of the stress off me over the past few months.

I have never said I had made rules...this was my list...that I created on my own..and it was a service to the community. When did the voting take place that stated that only one auction could be happening at the same time. When did that voting take place?

[LickN Wonder]

I would like to point out that we would support a Community Calendar that wasn't biased or changed based on what the administrator felt it should be. For years, the calendar would list when an auctioneer was taking a vacation and their return date. Now, all of a sudden, Bree, who happens to work for Too Adorable, and Sierra decides to make changes. If this truly is a community calendar then maybe the community should have been asked and this conflict wouldn't have happened. It seems as if Bree and Sierra are deciding the fate of auctions and events in the KittyCatS Community for themselves and it does make me wonder which KittyCatS market stands to gain from it. If this is truly your list, maybe the community could use a different one that is geared more towards the KittyCatS Community instead of just what you feel you should list.

Thats why this was created: http://scratchn-post.com/auctions/kittyc...-calendar/
I have sent a notecard to Kitten to have it listed in the Secondary KittyCatS Market Notes as well.

I would also point out that The ScratchN Post has never been against listing more than one auction during a time-slot. And we have never listed an auction just to hold a time-slot, that is quite a ridiculous statement. The Auctioneers at The ScratchN Post are well-respected and they have those that will always support them. Patrons will make their own decisions and go to the auctions they want to. Of course auctioneers will come to you when they see something happening that they feel shouldn't. As the administrator of the calendar you should be prepared for that as communication is a huge part of doing something that involves an entire community.

Thank you, LickN Wonder

[Beloved Ruby]

Bree, the answer to my question was never given. It required a simple yes or no. This dragged out for a couple of days and I don't see why there needed to be a conference on how to respond when the response should have been a yes or no. Simple as that. It was a straight-forward question. In terms of times, you can add as many as you want in the time slots, but I must ask as well, then what happens to consideration?

[Crepe Myrtle]

I was once an auctioneer and when my health came into place, I spoke to BreeAnn to remove my schedule to give opportunity to other auctioneers. However, I absolutely don't agree with the rule by removing an auctioneer from the calendar list because they are taking a deserve vacation or having health issues. Only the auctioneer who either has health issues or taking a vacation has the right to remove themselves, not the one who is keeping the calendar. That rule is very biased, ridiculous, and unfair. It shows favoritism and becomes unfair to other auctioneers. if this is supposed to be community calendar, then the auctioneer has the right to tell BreeAnn to either remove or keep on the calendar. So to show fairness to everyone, then someone need to be fair and not create rule on the fly. There, that's my two cents on this.

[Aubreygrace Starlight]

I thought the calender was a tool a guide to help the community. I understand you may need some guidelines to keep it intact and so communication can be there. I just don't see why it would be ok for someone to remove an aucutioneer from their spot. I think it would lead to more confusion and possibly less attraction to auctions. I believe the best way is always through communication and the only person removing themselves from something should be the auctioneer themselves. no one else has the right to say ok its been 2 weeks without an auction you're removed from the list. Yes i understand you wnat to keep the calender active with active auctions but just because an auctioneer is away or is sick doen't mean they aren't coming back so why is it ok to just go ahead and remove someone?It's not. Its always up to the auctioneer if the want to clear that if they are unwell or whatnot. This is just anotehr example of how someone wants to control the market/community, and that is not a community i want to be in. I want to be in one thats united, and can help each other, make it easier for everyone, not one that is looking to control certain aspects of events.