Nominations are now open for the next Member Advisory Board!

The time has arrived once again to nominate members for the next Member Advisory Board (MAB). This position is a non-paid volunteer role within the community to create an effective dialogue between There staff and a committed group of community leaders who represent the diversity of There.

What is the MAB? The MAB is a small, rotating group of There members who have demonstrated leadership and passion in the There community. This highly-engaged group works with There staff to improve the There experience for all members.

Who is on the MAB? Members who could qualify for the MAB include: Leaders of specific in-world communities Members who spend a lot of time in the There community Active club leaders and event hosts Racing/paintball/etc. enthusiasts Neighborhood owners, Funzone operators and PAZ building enthusiasts Publishers/Writers of major fan sites Active designers, builders, and merchants What is the MAB’s role? The MAB members are community liaisons who work to do the following... Gather issues and questions raised by the community (through forums, in-world discussions, etc.) Work together to prioritize these issues and questions for presentation to the staff Present the items to staff for discussion and help staff to understand the wishes of the community Relay the results of this discussion back to the community in some format MAB members also promote the interests of the community as a whole by generating ideas and insights on such topics as: Community Health Behavior Guidelines New Features How do you nominate a member? If you are a member of There, you can nominate up to 3 of your fellow members. (Yes, you can even nominate yourself.) Your nominees should: Be able to commit to a 6-month term! Spend at least 6-hours in world each week Be able to attend meetings on Thursdays at 6pm Pacific Be willing to use Voice Chat Be willing to participate in forums and community focus groups Not miss more than 3 consecutive meetings Not miss more than 6 total meetings. Have completed any prior MAB service before January 1, 2007. To nominate a fellow member, please complete the survey at http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB2275N6JMUVT by 12:00 p.m. Noon Pacific Time on Monday, November 19th. Please only nominate once per person! What happens after the nominations? There staff will send a questionnaire to the qualifying nominees, to determine their interest in participating on the MAB and to find out more about their history and experiences in There. We will review all the information and then extend invitations until we have arrived at a body of 12 members. NOTE: There is an inclusive community and follows policies and practices that are designed to prevent discrimination against any qualified applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability and medical condition to the extent protected by law. We look forward to receiving your nominations!

As many of you know, we have "one term on, two terms off" policy for MAB service. This means that members who served on the Winter 2007 and Summer 2007 groups are not eligible this time. In other words, you shouldn’t nominate these people for the upcoming MAB. 1BlackBelt albinovulcan Angelius Aveena BlueGrassTIGGS Celtic Chagall Country_Squee Dihtri Elaur ForSheetzNGigglz Gabi23 Geea Haloeighty8 JDin707 juliaaedans Neema Nema PrincessPebbie Ravenzia Shivaki SilkenKitten Stungthumbz susanszy TBelle This should be a complete list of everyone who is NOT eligible for a spot on the next MAB. Please send any questions/corrections to me via e-mail to community@thereinc.com.

Advice that bears repeating: If you are contemplating the idea of pursuing a spot on the Member Advisory Board, we highly recommend that you speak with someone who is serving now or has served previously. It is a demanding experience that takes up a lot of time. Don't throw your hat into the ring unless you're truly ready to commit to a 6-month term. If you are currently experiencing a period of "burn out" with There and think you might need to take a break soon, this isn't the time to begin a term on the MAB. It has been described as both a rewarding and frustrating experience. As mentioned in number 1 above, it also takes up a great deal of time. Being on the MAB requires working with a diverse group of individuals, all with differing opinions and ideas about how things should be done. If you don't do well in group settings, or are sensitive about having your ideas questioned, this isn't the place for you.