Hello KittyCats Breeders/ Community,
For those of you who might not know me or have heard of my name I wanted to introduce myself and ask the community a question.
I have been breeding KittyCats for about 3 ½ year now. About 3 yrs ago a fellow breeder and myself created the KittyCats Gride Wide Auction Calendar. We both were working at Kitty Kottage Sim. It was generated as a community service project to help buyers know where KittyCat Auctions where taking place all over Secondlife and at what times. At that time, the calendar was very unorganized. When I took over full time 2 ½ yrs ago I made the point to go around the Grid and actually talk to Sim owners and Auctioneers to find out if they had auctions taking place and if they did not mind me adding their information to a Grid Auction Calendar for the community. I was met with great acceptance and excitement from the Sim Owners and Auctioneers. At that same time I posted about it in the forums so that anyone could view it to know where and when certain auctions were taking place.
It quickly grew and because I was updating the Calendar weekly if not daily, it became known to be pretty accurate and something the community could depend upon. Unfortunately, soon I started receiving several complaints from auctioneers upset and demanding to know why I had added other auctioneers at the same start times as theirs. Several of them wanted me to contact the other auctioneer and tell them they could not have their auction at the same time. I explained that the calendar was and will always ONLY BE A FORM OF INFORMATION of when and where auctions were taking place in Secondlife. I was not regulating who or what sims could have auctions at certain times. I have had to repeat this statement over the past 2 yrs.
Recently, I have gotten an assistant to help me with the Calendar. We have been brain storming some plans to try and stream line it and make it more user friendly. But before we even bother spending time on this project, I wanted to ask the Community of KittyCats if they think the Grid Wide Auction Calendar is something they want to see continue. Is it something you feel is a help to the community or something that is not needed? Please leave a comment so I can see if this is something I want to invest my time with. Thank you for your time.
Link to Gridwide auction Calendar
Keep and make sure the link is listed under Auctions on the Secondary Market List if it isn't. This grid is a great summary of what is happening when and where, and much easier for me to understand/process than the list view.
I personally like the calander and without looking at it right now I'm not sure if you are already doing this but maybe a rather large disclaimer stating that you are simply providing information and that the calendar is not a regulatory system actually on the calander.
Its a great community information tool providing essential information to buyers and sellers alike that has unfortunately become a weapon used by some people against others.
I think auction list is very useful and appreciate the work you've done to maintain it.
I didn't even know where it was until I saw this post (or maybe it was one before it because it had replies), so I think it would be good to share the link more widely. It doesn't have SURLs on it so adding them or having it listed somewhere with them is a really good idea. That way it could be used more easily by potential attendees/buyers, not just for auction scheduling.
Hmm...Arwen, I don't know all the details, but I can imagine. Generally, if someone schedules a regular weekly event on top of another existing one, at best they are shooting themselves in the foot for reducing their potential audience, and at worst, they are forcing people to "take sides". Neither of which would encourage me to go to their event. The more widely the calendar is shared, the more people know it would be good to check it when scheduling a new auction or event, so hopefully people will check it first, and avoid all that.
However, the fact remains that sometimes you have to schedule special events over someone else just because of all the people and resources involved and when you can get them. Having all the regularly scheduled auctions all in one place can help with finding a time that works for those involved and has the least impact on others.
Ultimately....It's a Tool, not a Rule!
Beyond that, it's a matter of Courtesy and Communication.
And, yes, it takes a LOT of work to maintain something like this, as it's only useful if it's as up-to-date as possible (and still, there will always be changes and exceptions). Thanks, to BreeAnn, and also to all those helping you.
(08-22-2015 10:40 PM)MsMagick Resident Wrote: [ -> ]Keep and make sure the link is listed under Auctions on the Secondary Market List if it isn't. This grid is a great summary of what is happening when and where, and much easier for me to understand/process than the list view.
MsMagrick-
I have a post that I have asked Kitten to sticky post in the Auction Folder. So it is always there for any one to find. I also post reply to it bumping it up to the top for 24 hours when updates are made.
(08-23-2015 09:03 AM)MsMagick Resident Wrote: [ -> ]I didn't even know where it was until I saw this post (or maybe it was one before it because it had replies), so I think it would be good to share the link more widely. It doesn't have SURLs on it so adding them or having it listed somewhere with them is a really good idea. That way it could be used more easily by potential attendees/buyers, not just for auction scheduling.
Hmm...Arwen, I don't know all the details, but I can imagine. Generally, if someone schedules a regular weekly event on top of another existing one, at best they are shooting themselves in the foot for reducing their potential audience, and at worst, they are forcing people to "take sides". Neither of which would encourage me to go to their event. The more widely the calendar is shared, the more people know it would be good to check it when scheduling a new auction or event, so hopefully people will check it first, and avoid all that.
However, the fact remains that sometimes you have to schedule special events over someone else just because of all the people and resources involved and when you can get them. Having all the regularly scheduled auctions all in one place can help with finding a time that works for those involved and has the least impact on others.
Ultimately....It's a Tool, not a Rule!
Beyond that, it's a matter of Courtesy and Communication.
And, yes, it takes a LOT of work to maintain something like this, as it's only useful if it's as up-to-date as possible (and still, there will always be changes and exceptions). Thanks, to BreeAnn, and also to all those helping you.
Ms. Magick,
At the current time the link to the Google Grid Wide Auction Calendar is in a SpreadSheet format. I have been brainstorming ideas on how to add the SURLs to the spreadSheet but at this time they are not something that can be added. But I have been brainstorming a new Google Doc format using Tables that will allow me to add SURL links. But before I do all that work I really wanted to see if the community was really using the Calendar.
I am aware that right now it probably is only being used by Auctioneers to see who is already holding auctions so to limit overlapping times. But I am hoping that with the ideas I want to add the calendar will be used more for Buyers as well. With the SURLs listed I think this will help. Keeping the SURLs up to date will be a huge undertaking. I had hoped to hear more feed back from the community on if this was a project they would like to see. I guess it is a bad time of the year to ask with summer ending activities. So instead I will just go a head and move forward with the new changes I want to implement.
So be on the look out for a Updated LINK to the improved Google KittyCats Secondary Market- Grid Wide Auction/Event Calendar. Also be ware that NEW eligibility requirements to be listed on the calendar will be added. I really want this calendar to be a list of current Auctions/Events taking place and not a "Spot" holder for Auctions/Events on vacation or hold. Limiting it to only current Auctions/Events makes it more user friendly to Buyers looking for Auctions/Events to attend.
Thank you so much Bree for all the work and effort you are putting into this list. I don't go to many auctions right now but this document is so useful
I have looked at this document almost daily for years now. Lets hope you get the response and understanding that is needed to manage to continue this gigant work. I am very thankful for everything you have done and still are doing for our community!
Thanks
I never use the auction calendar so perhaps it is not for me.
If I go to an auction, which I lately don't do, I go by the forum announcements and see if there is something of my interest in the line-up otherwise to me it is a waste of time to go.
Bottom line the line-up has to be better than what we see for sale at the local shacks.
Or I go to morally support and have fun with my favorite auctioneer and crowd and not per se to buy something.
She doesn't auction atm I think.
But if you like what you are doing you can just keep doing it I suppose.
Thank you for creating and maintain this auction list.
- As a new breeder at Kittycats since a few months this list is a very big help for me to see when what happens!!!
- Even i send before a IM to request for LM for the auctions, but if it's not possible, most important is Auctioneers send you the right information and keep it up to date!!
- When someone complain about a time slot that is already taken? Just say, "Don't shoot the Messenger"
Once again, Thanks for making this wonderfull list and i realy hope ALL AUCTIONEERS will respect time slots cause no one is waiting for a fight and timeslot competition.
Hello BreeAnn,
Thank you for your post, and leave open the answers, so that people can say exactly what they think.
From what I understand, this 'Gride Wide Auction Calendar' was created in order to "help people (community) to know about the events of the KC markets," regardless of whether a market or an auctioneer. This is a 'Gride Wide Auction Calendar' NEutral !
After understand that I made a analize the current situation.
What we see is that on the way to make a 'great help to the KC community', the purpose of 'Gride Wide Auction Calendar', was 'distorted'. Not by the people who created the 'Gride Wide Auction Calendar', as it keeps updating the Gride neutral, but by auctioneers who enjoy this 'Gride Wide Auction Calendar', as a way to publicize their own events.
This 'Gride Wide Auction Calendar' is for 'people to choose where they want to go', and not to control the time of each auction.
That said, if, auctioneers are 'distorting' the use of this 'Gride Wide Auction Calendar', thinking that is the time owners, making commerce of time, changes of time, reserving times, creating drama and fights between people in the community, and by putting friends against friends, the worst level waste possible drama, because of another auction at the same time, or only 30 minutes overlapped, I regret to say, 'you'd better remove this air Gride and allow disclosure of events for own markets'. Each market make its own disclosure.
Auctioneers are causing a lot of drama in the community. "seizing the time." Saying without any liability, out loud, that, the other auctioneer is overlapping your own auction. They want to keep the patrons, at any cost, even if using foul play to denigrate and belittle the work of others to achieve their ambitions and greed, instead of using their own talent and art auctioneers for this. Focus on making better auctions, and patrons will stay. Speak evil of another auctioneer, it hurts yourself. The auctioneer who has time to speak evil of the other, is because it has no confidence in himself. The amount of people in your auction does not mean anything!
Want to continue with the 'Gride Wide Auction Calendar'?
- Turn the GRID to its roots and initial feelings;
- Do a great job of learning, together with auctioneers, for them to understand the true purpose of gride, and stop creating dramas in the community;
- Tell auctioneers, "people who chooses where to go, worry about doing a wonderful job";
- Make a notecard 'use of start-'Gride Wide Auction Calendar'' and send it to all the names that are on the 'Gride Wide Auction Calendar', and for new auctioneers who will join the 'Gride Wide Auction Calendar';
- If an auctioneer does not accept that another auction may be scheduled at the same time, so do not deserve to be in 'Gride Wide Auction Calendar';
- The 'Gride Wide Auction Calendar' WERE MADE FOR 'PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY' AND NOT 'FOR THE AUCTIONEERS';
- Spread the word to all people (Community): 'This 'Gride Wide Auction Calendar' is for information only', so that people, when they look for 'Gride Wide Auction Calendar', know that it 'Gride Wide Auction Calendar' IS 'INFORMATION', AND NOT 'REGULATORY';
Thus, any auctioneer dramas that start saying that 'his time' was 'overlap', this will be seen as a lie.
In a ''Gride Wide Auction Calendar' INFORMATION' does not exist the word "OVERLAP". Avoid using this word in his sentences, and auctioneers who still use this word, it is because they have not understood the purpose of this 'Gride Wide Auction Calendar'.
Thank you for the opportunity to write