Lani's Blog

December Challenge:Still a Little Clueless About WDC

My perspective on WDC auctions, raffles and Merit Badges.





I love WDC, but ( and you knew this was coming) it doesn't have a good natured forum where you can go vent or ask for help or make friends. Its too big to have such a place. A place to sit down and have a cup of coffee, bitch or praise about how the world of WDC is treating you without someone chewing your head off. Or if there is, I haven't found it.





There is a "Technical Support Forum" ,"Non-Technical Support Forum"  (huh?) and a FAQ sheet about most anything. They are are easy to understand if you are not overwhelmed by the site. Which I was, when I first started here. I joined WDC in July 2007 but did not post until the following March. One reason for the overwhelming feeling was the size of the site. It takes forever to find what you need or an answer. Another reason was figuring out how to post. I kept hearing about bitem. I needed to learn this to post my stories. I don't consider myself technically stupid, but its easier for me to learn a new skill if someone shows me rather than just reading it. I didn't realize that bitem was the language of contests. It was not critical knowledge to just post in my own port. Okay, so maybe the blonde roots were showing a little.





I did look into some of the Newbie adoption programs and mentoring when it became apparent that I needed some help. I joined the site, but I didn't really get active until 8 months later. So it's too late for most of those programs to apply to me. I am just now really finding my way around, making friends or at least acquaintances and favorites. 





After I posted my first poems, gifts points (gps) started showing up. "Virtual Tokens" was the explanation. I  didn't see the significance of them. They clogged my email like spam. Soon I realized other people enjoyed getting gps and that they could buy things on the site.  One of my first acts, after this realization, was to upgrade someone. This had been done for me anonymously so, I returned the favor. I have donated to a raffle and an auction for members that I enjoy reading, but I have not figured out the whole process or how its done. I don't have any good insights.





Merit badges again, are something I'm still not sure how they work. It seems you can earn them in contests but also they can be given by anyone at anytime. It seems arbitrary. Like the star system. That's whole 'nother blog entry or just read Four is the New Three in Scottiegazelle 's port


http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1005075