Hi—I’m Xavi, your new Community Manager. I have been working with Dirk Klees at Lionheart Estates since early 2008. My reputation succeeds me prior to then however, when Lionheart was at the time only consisted of apartment towers and I knew Dirk Klees (also Lionheart Milena) as a good friend. I’ve since then watched this planned project evolve into what I myself consider to be one of the most successful virtual estate establishments in Second Life. At the start my Second Life experience I had much opportunity to work in this particular trade industry of virtual land commodity. Any who know me personally would say that it is my passion to communicate with others. I silently smirk at that remark, not because I dismiss it as holding truth, but because I recall having once proclaimed myself to being very introverted…
Why I became involved
At Lionheart, there has always been a ready place for adding on to the social factor around the estate. If it can be said as fact that the social factor involved here is pretty much the community and that every community benefits from lead direction, then the Lionheart Community needs and deserves someone to hold that place. My goal is to help further build and sustain our community through shared commitment and knowledge. By constructing upon the basis of those visions many of you residents already have, I strongly believe that the estate and its inhabitants can and will benefit as one whole.
Until this point, Lionheart has formed its management, covenant, and landscape mostly around learnt experiences of the past. It has worked well and still continues to do so. However, I have acknowledged that the picture is even bigger than that. Our residents have wonderful ideas and questions waiting in mind that can pose as a great contribution to what we’re already doing.
Right now, in its current state, our covenant is structured to place our customers first. We hardly dismiss that we’ve done a good job since, but what’s more important is that we strive to do better.
First I have to say that our residents have remained loyal to us for three years now, since our first founding. We can simply do better by including the very ones that we owe credit to for our growth into the decision-making process at a democratic level. I understand that not everyone may necessarily reside in a real world place where democracy is advocated. For this purpose though, I think it is a fit idea. How often do you as a resident, wish you could see more done about certain matters, or perhaps you’ve had a suggestion in mind but remain uneasy about proposing it? This is where my role comes in as community manager. What might seem to be the smallest concerns to some could have the greatest impacts on our future together.
From what I’ve written so far, you might in your mind think “This guy is speaking in quite a serious manner, but will people will be interested enough to hear him out?” Maybe. Some of you will find my announcement appeasing, and some of you won’t. Let me assure you however, that there’s more purpose to all of this than just a “political regime.”
There’s a fun factor also
Apart from submitting your input on ways to which Lionheart could improve is management and make possible addendum to the covenant, there should be interactive events involving the community residents as well. I figure we can start it off in this manner, (and I owe credit to Sookie Slafford, a commercial resident of our very own Lionheart Scar) by making arrangements for what I’d like to call a “Howdy Neighbor! Day.” This is to work in conjunction with, or better as a followup to our monthly Town Hall Meeting, where the idea being pretty simple is to get to know your neighbors.
Of course, I would be the one facilitating as in preparing for such an event, but each month, one resident is chosen to oversee the event and organize it. Attendees may give that resident the landmark to their business or even residence to be collected in a folder and distributed to those who wish to collect it. Taking note of the factor involving privacy, not every resident may want to hand out their home location. Understanding this, those individuals can omit from doing so. Merchants will not likely have any objections, however anyone who does not want to participate in this should not feel obligated to do so nor left out.
A good probability tells me that it would get pretty boring meeting up with your neighbors to sit, stare and collect landmarks. Rest assured that we have ideas in mind that would make these meet ups fun and interesting for those involved. Additionally, we would love to hear your ideas on what activities would make a meet and greet fun for you.
When do we begin?
Immediately! I firmly believe that this isn’t a matter which requires further ado. The moment to start making things happen “live” in our community has already come, with our recent launch of the Under The Bridge music venue at Lionheart Scar. I’m basically catching up – but if catching up in this case means “adding to”, then hooray! This month brings a few continuing music performances to our stage, we also have been keeping up with Writer’s Open Mic hour, and then there’s the monthly Town Hall Meeting. Those are all great, but I have in mind to add more things to the schedule and I’m pretty sure some of you do also. That being said, feel free to contact me in-world via IM, a dropped notecard or by email with xavionsaltair[at]lionheartsl.com.
I look forward to the future coming of getting to know and working with all of you very soon, so stay tuned!
