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The Problem with these new events…

…Are that they are being scheduled opposite existing ones. Primtime is a tough range to expect people to break existing bonds for.

But you see, that’s when my RL friend comes into SL once a week and we fish at a friend’s place each Saturday.  After that I usually hold a dance party at my diner on mainland. I forfeit about two other Saturday events already since they’re nightly and this is my friend’s night.

And every other Friday I DJ at my gallery on mainland to raise money for RFL, so attending a Brunel Hall event is out.  Would have liked that. I enjoy everyone’s company at these events, but I don’t get a chance to hang out with any of you very much.

Fortunately the Aether Salon talks and Clarendon dances are outside the scope of primetime, but we’re talking about just two monthly gatherings.

Another place I go to schedules dance events outside the realm of USA primetime which not only lets me attend regularly, but pick n choose since they tend to host 2 to 4 of them
over a typical weekend. 

For the record, I’d really REALLY like to go to the Clockhaven trivia
one too, even though I’m not bound to get any answers right.  If anything
I’d learn more and meet people from my part of town.

Few people I know schedule 2-5 SLT. Sounds more like late primetime UK, but a great window for me on most nights.  I’m not expecting anyone to customize their times for me of course, but it seems like it includes a wider range of attendees while it steers clear of established events – and RL work

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27 Comments

  1. Phaedra Underby Phaedra Underby May 23, 2011

    A problem with ALL events in SL (and especially in the Steamlands) is that they will almost always happen during times when something else is happening. And the problem with having events from 2-5 is that a lot of people simply aren’t free during that time. Victor has had dances which started around 2:00 and generally the big crowd doesn’t appear until five or six, when everyone logs in. I’m sure this was a factor in deciding when to hold his dances. 

    Yes, Primetime is a difficult time to expect people to break bonds for, but that’s for good reason. It’s the time when people are actually ON and willing to go to events.

  2. Jonathon Spires Jonathon Spires May 23, 2011

    It would be nice to have events round the clock, especially to benefit people who’se own timezone is nowhere near SLT, but unfortunately it’s really the constraints of the person having the event. I hold the skeeball event fairly late because I want to make certain my kids are in bed and don’t need anything so there won’t be interruptions for that. It’s not in prime time, but close enough, and it still gets a crowd.  Basically you’re competing for people’s time during those hours, but if you get people to show up, that means the event is well worth it to some, and that’s a pretty good feeling.

    • Sky Melnik Sky Melnik May 23, 2011

      Excellent points. Those holding the events are constrained as well, and though we hold events for folks it’s for our benefit too. Thus, we throw events when it’s good for us.

      Best possible answer if you see a hole? Start your own event for your friends and other people who will be available at that time.

  3. Holocluck Henly Holocluck Henly May 23, 2011

    Think it depends on the demographic. Are there more Americans or Brits attracted to Victorian Steampunk?  Australasians & Southeast Asians – well it depends on whether they’re home for something, right?

    Maybe holding them in primetime UK/EU attracts more attendees.

     

    • Jedburgh30 Dagger Jedburgh30 Dagger May 23, 2011

      It’s a balance, but I will say that there are a big core of us who are on US Eastern time or thereabouts.

  4. Mr Tenk Mr Tenk May 23, 2011

    Aether Salon and Town Halls are designed to fit in the UK/US compromise slot. There is usualy one Piermont Ball a year scheduled for an early time too (often the december one since many of the urchins are in UK and they want to see santa). Breakfast/Brunch moves time twice a year to adjust for the 2 hour seasonal time shift that happens with australia. i have never been more accutely aware of world time zones in my life. who says sl is not educational?

    btw- the timing of breakfast in babbage is my fault. the first one was actually my 2nd rezday party, i wanted a saturday morning show that felt like getting up early for saturday morning cartoons when you were a little kid. pearse thought it was a pretty unusual request if i recall right, and it does keep him up very late to put on. or maybe it was i was trying to get him for the usual 1pm slot which is impossible for aussies, so we said let’s do breakfast. or something.

    I am rather grateful we don’t have a heavy schedule of regular weekly events here. it keeps the calander open for more variety and doesn’t get into that “hey, that’s MY macho dj night you’re muscling in on” mentality i’ve seen in other places.

     

  5. Breezy Carver Breezy Carver May 23, 2011

    To be honest years ago I had a mid day Ball ..trouble was it was not good others in USA ..Some try having two events :) ..

    New Babbage has built up in it’s own quality of UK and other said time zones members .. Trouble is no one venue can be all to every genre .. as much we try ..

    *smiles* Like anything it is really more of frequency and Constancy trick ….I have shot for monthly venues * because it is what I can handle .. and what the guests seem to enjoy .. No more no less :)

  6. Blackberry Harvey Blackberry Harvey May 23, 2011

    I try to vary the days and times of my events so that a variety of people can attend at least some of them.

    If anyone on alternate schedules wants to use Huxley Hall or the CocoaJava for an event, be my guest and just ask me. I can even set up your music stream.

  7. Holocluck Henly Holocluck Henly May 23, 2011

    I’m starting to learn that being persistent can sometimes be an investment toward a regular crowd.  Friday at 6pm used to be a bit dead for me, but I’m getting more and more coming to the RFL dances. People are getting used to them.  Either that or I’m totally wrong and it’s a fluke.

    The Greening event was well-attended. Maybe that’s a good day and time to consider.

  8. Tepic Harlequin Tepic Harlequin May 23, 2011

    hehehe yup! the urchins are sort of divided into groups according to time zone, we see each other occasionally, but it’s usually the same ones of us that see each other regular.  i rarely get to the Balls, but hey! that’s a chance to rp a bit, cus of course a small urchin like Tepic is going to be asleep at the time the adults are having a formal dance! Anyhow, Mr Emerson and myself and Jimmy are trying to organise a party around our new builds, which is likely to be UK evening timed….. oh goodness! i’d better go pay the rent!!!

  9. Giles Berithos Giles Berithos May 23, 2011

    If this trivia event I’m hosting in Clockhaven goes off well, then I would certainly be willing to reschedule the next one to satisfy the vox populi.  I’m starting a new job soon and I live on the US east coast, so I’d be unavailable from 5 am to 5 pm SLT, Monday through Friday.  Any other times, suggest away.

  10. Zaida Gearbox Zaida Gearbox May 23, 2011

    We all have this problem.  I have trouble with events that start at 7SLT or later because that’s 10pm my time.  I usually go up to bed around 9:00 although I may not actually go to sleep until 10 – 10:30, but – even if I wait and go up to bed at 10:30 then I’ll be awake until around midnight and 5:00 am comes real early.

  11. Holocluck Henly Holocluck Henly May 23, 2011

    Ditto. Depending on the weekday I can attend a 7pmEDT (4pmSLT) event easier than a 10pm (7pm SLT).

    Bay City sort of solved it by alternating meeting times for community discussion: one week it’s 1pm SLT the next it’s 4pm SLT.  

  12. Edward Pearse Edward Pearse May 23, 2011

    For those of us closer to the international date line, timezones present other problems. I’m currently 17 hours ahead of SL time, which is why I rarely host or attend events run on Sundays. The scheduling for Breakfast in Babbage is so that it doesn’t clash with work for anyone. AM for ‘mericans, ‘evening for Europeans and 1am Sunday morning for me.

    I’ve offered to do a trivia event but that probably won’t be until late June at the earliest. Though Dr. Watson and I have been discussing the possibilities of Prim Charades at staggered times to let people get a feel for it.

  13. Victor1st Mornington Victor1st Mornington May 23, 2011

    Ive tried having events like Phaedra said, during UK primetime or late UK primetime…no one appeared.

    There might be a fair amount of UK and EU folks living in Babbage, but only a small percentage of them are actually activley taking part in Babbage, and although i dont mind hosting an event where only 4 people show up, week after week its gets disheartening.

  14. Lady Chronometria Cogshine Lady Chronometria Cogshine May 24, 2011

    I`m in the UK. Breakfast at babbage was nice as that was at a good time for me.

  15. Maddox Sinclaire Maddox Sinclaire May 24, 2011

    I can agree with everything stated here. Being as I’m trying to get a dj spot here, this is going to be an issue for me too… I don’t want to go setting up something that’s not gonna be a good time for everyone that wants to attend… or that I can’t attend. I suppose it’s just a guess when you make an event. But I can agree that I like 7pm SLT and later events because my job usually lets me off around 9 – 9:15 CST. (Central standard time, US). That’s why I keep missing hours of the important Balls and such… But so far, I’ve been able to make excuses for Maddi to be late, so it’s not a real issue too much.

    I just don’t want to schedule and event and not be able to show up. That would not be good.

    • Holocluck Henly Holocluck Henly May 24, 2011

      Oh I don’t like your hours. Sounds at least as though your commute is a short one.  I rely on subways and walk a mile from the station :P 

      The regreening is an indication that weeknights are sometimes favorable. That at least brings down much of the competition against bigger events.

      btw a word of warning that SL8B will be diverting prospective attendees next month.

  16. Blackberry Harvey Blackberry Harvey May 24, 2011

    Also I don’t agree that this is a problem with “new” events.  As far as I know, this has been an issue ever since someone on SL first came up with the idea of holding a social event, and someone from another time zone wanted to attend.

     

    • Stargirl Macbain Stargirl Macbain May 24, 2011

      I agree, Blackberry. Trying to schedule an event for a “good time” is a silly idea, there is not such thing as a good time. People can either attend or they can’t. You can’t cater to everyone all the time. 

      Trying to do so would just drive you bonkers. 

  17. Lady Chronometria Cogshine Lady Chronometria Cogshine May 26, 2011

    Though there are reasonable compromise slots that are more likely to allow GMT and american timezone players happy, however. There are such things as “good times” and “bad times” to set events.

  18. Dr. Cyberusfaustus Dr. Cyberusfaustus May 26, 2011

    I agree with Mr. Harvey and Ms. Macbain. Schedule the event. If I can make it I will come. Having events which are around a specific timezone actually makes it more attractive to me. I am in the US, but on occasion it is fun to go to a UK timezone event. I won’t be able to attend every time, but I will make an effort to attend occasionally – just for the novelty, and the different crowd.

    The problem I have is that no matter how fast my internet or how good my video card or how much memory I have, the parties devolve into displays of jittery manequins rp’ing via chat rather than the 3D interface SL was intended to be. Does anyone have a set up that allows them to attend a party and not have this problem? For instance, I was at the Melnick’s greening party. (lovely party btw, thank you for putting it on). However my interface did not really allow me to experience it in all of it splendor. Do I just need to build an Ueber computer?

    • Tesla Tripsa Tesla Tripsa May 27, 2011

      I believe the “jittery manquins” you’re talking about are the avatar impostors.  If you go into the graphics tab of the preferences menu, under the heading “avatar rendering:” you can uncheck avatar impostors.  At events I always turn down my draw distance to the minimum needed to see everyone at the party and the venue.  If you find your computer is still struggling, you can turn the “quality and performance” slider down as well.  I’m sure there’s other tricks, but those are the 3 I use to get a decent framerate at events.

  19. Grendel Footman Grendel Footman May 26, 2011

    any event is going to have competition with other events, time zones, RL, people’s jobs in RL, etc

    sometimes it means you luck out and get a full house, othertimes it means you might have 1 or 2 at most show

    I know speaking for myself, starting a new job in RL, weekly RL gamin group meets for DnD/Rogue Trader, etc, weekends now that it’s nice I try to get out more, or have sudden unexpected BBQ’s to go to, then when I’m in SL, lately I’m either busy building something, or caught up in something in another sim, or in an RP.

     

    I try to make it to events I can, and don’t to events I can’t, not much can be done for it.

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