Kitely welcome area: What information? How to provide it?

[Dot Macchi]

In the discussion thread Kitely welcome area: What does it need to include?, quite a few posts mentioned the types of information that might need to be provided, as well as ways of getting that information across.

However it is done, the provision of information will be a key function of the welcome area, especially from Kitely's point of view. As Ilan stated: "The main goal, IMO, is therefore to get SL and OpenSim veterans to understand the value of choosing Kitely over SL or some other OpenSim-based grid."

The key Kitely features mentioned so far are (in boring, non-marketing terms):

• pricing plans
• free region with every account
• Kitely Marketplace
• megaregions that work
• ease of OAR import and export
• connection to Hypergrid is on its way

Some of these are quite complex concepts to get across, especially how the pricing plans work. So let's use this thread to brainstorm ideas of how this might be achieved -- including, of course, the ideas that have already been mentioned in the more general thread:

• general points (Sierra)
• slide shows (Allen)
• information trails (Steven, Paul)
• game quests, possibly with kites (Allen)
• NPCs (Dundridge)

Dundridge's analysis of likely visitors and their questions is also a useful reference.

For this thread, let's focus on those who are familiar with SL and/or other virtual worlds, as Ilan suggested.

[Allen Partridge]

Let's organize them by interest (because the technical stuff is potentially scary if you're not into content creation.)

Everyone:
Free region - "Click here to Create your own Kitely World Right Now"
(On a related note, this should and I believe could, be done from in-world. They should click a Kite building kit or something, then it pops up a view of 4 basic empty worlds - or a few empty and the two free OAR options and they click the one they like / choose. For good measure let them click select any - unselecting last select and give a default selection. The only required parameter I suspect is the name of the world - so ask them to type the name into a menu dialog and poof - build it. Run some cool animation while the world building is happening - and send an inworld message / teleport to fly you home once it's done.)
Free to explore (for 240 minutes) - "Feel free to explore, you've got some time."
Community (small but present and engaged.) "Meet others with common interests, what interests you?" <-- with some common options linked to sims and people
(Marketplace - once it opens, only a call to action here for vendors)

Creators:
Marketplace
Megaregions
OAR import / export
NPC's
Mesh (*.dae)
Image / Asset uploads are free
Hypergrid (really shouldn't add this until it's implemented.)

I'd recommend keeping those in-world definitions extremely brief and pointed. (I'd also recommend doing that on the website, but that's another thread.)

How to provide it? Make it a narrative. We've got some great storytellers here. Keep it simple. Keep them engaged in the narrative. Keep it interactive. Lead to the big goals - e.g. create your own world. Then a success metric for this project could be (90% of new users create a world and build on it.) Personally i think it would be awesome if the new problem became 'how can we train new content creators fast enough.'

[Dot Macchi]

Shelenn is setting up a "Gamification Committee" that could well have a very useful input to the welcome center (though, as she says, the committee's focus "is not limited to the new user start region").

Minutes of the first meeting are here: http://www.kitely.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=586

[Dot Macchi]

Here's a gorgeous example of using signs along pathways to provide basic information for new users: Sri Isodhyana Online.

Ilan was rather taken with this world. It does things that he hopes might be possible in the welcome center.

It's well worth a visit.

[Dot Matrix]

As you'll see in the thread Welcome Center: Quick update the plans are now to release the Welcome Center in two stages.

For the first stage, to be ready by early September, the assumed audience is experienced SL and OpenSim users -- so assume they know the basics. The message needs to concentrate on "the value of choosing Kitely over SL or some other OpenSim-based grid".

Looking at Allen's post above, perhaps the "Everyone" list could be an initial focus:

Everyone:

• Free region -- "Click here to Create your own Kitely World Right Now"
• Free to explore (for 240 minutes) - "Feel free to explore, you've got some time."
• Community (small but present and engaged.) "Meet others with common interests, what interests you?" <-- with some common options linked to sims and people
• (Marketplace -- once it opens, only a call to action here for vendors)

Allen also posted the following in Kitely Welcome Area: What does it need to include?:

We kind of know that the desires of new visitors will fall into three or so groups. One that wants to spiff up the avie first, one that wants to understand the payment options / costs and world creation stuff - and one that likes to explore and discover.

The thought was - why not simply provide an easy mechanism for self-sorting at the landing, but... provide the required info (how to make a world, time based billing etc.) in the mode that suits each group - in the workflow / path of each group.

Eg. you can shop right away, but right within the freebie shopping / dressing areas etc. there are abundant info sources about building your first world etc. They are themed with shopping, so things like 'posters on shop windows' or in a dressing room 'Looking for even more privacy? - you can have your own world' - basically catering the message to the activity.

For info gatherers - it should be efficient, systematic, and built to minimize time and ease access to - basically a universal answer station for all questions - perhaps even a system to help people self-shop a plan based on their expected online usage.

For explorers - the quest option seems appropriate.

I would put an explanation of how the pricing structure works (or how to choose which option is right for you) high on the priority list. It seems everyone is confused by that at first.

However, because time is so short, any information delivery mechanism for this stage needs to be simple to implement and test. A more complex system can be developed for the second stage.

Could we, perhaps, meet up in world and discuss possibilities? The draft KWC is here: KWC stage 1 -- note the "Work in progress"!

[Sarge Misfit]

In the event of "virgin" new people arriving who know literally nothing of how things are done, Maria Korolov of HyperGrid Business has a great texture on one of her Hypergrid Hubs that shows how the arrow keys work for moving. Linda Kellie had some great textures that show how to build. They can be found at Zadaroo. Her's the specific page http://zadaroo.com/?page_id=1580 just scroll down towards the bottom. Add some things about how to wear and attach items and the "virgin" new person will have all the basic info.

[Dot Matrix]

Thanks, Sarge! I'll have a look at those.

[Allen Partridge]

Working on the core messages - Looking for thoughts / feedback regarding the way these ideas are expressed.

MINUTES:
Kitely is FREE for 2 hours each month.
If you want more than two hours, it costs
about 17¢ an hour while you are in world.

You can choose to play for free, or buy
additional minutes, like you would
for a cell phone. You also get additional
regions (sims) when you chose a paid plan.

Price Time Regions
Free 2 hours 1
$5 30 hours 2
$20 120 hours 10
$35 Unlimited 20

(Click opens http://www.kitely.com/settings) - could i add anything to open the change plan js window?

FREE WORLD:
Everyone who joins Kitely gets a free world.
You can do anything you want with it. To
claim your new home, just click the globe
behind you.
(Click sends whisper 'Click the globe behind you.')

MARKET:
You can buy and sell virtual goods to most grids
from the Kitely Market. Click here to get started.
(links to Market)

COMMUNITY:
Click to Join the First Flight Group. It's a cool way to
introduce yourself and meet others. You can
group chat your questions and enjoy great
welcome gifts.
(click sends group invitation)

[Sarge Misfit]

Thanks, Sarge! I'll have a look at those.

Np, Dot

One of my thoughts on this, well the future of the metaverse, is that eventually most of our new people will not be coming from SL. As OpenSim moves closer and closer to mainstream, we're going to see more and more people who are familiar with virtual worlds from MMOs or not familiar with virtual worlds of any kind. Perhaps it was my time as a Boy Scout, but let's "Be Prepared".

[Constance Peregrine]

I prefer this one-))

The Girl Scout motto is "Be prepared." In the 1947 Girl Scout Handbook, the motto was explained this way: "A Girl Scout is ready to help out wherever she is needed. Willingness to serve is not enough; you must know how to do the job well, even in an emergency." The same ideas are true today.

The Girl Scout slogan, which has been used since 1912, is "Do a good turn daily." The slogan is a reminder of the many ways girls can contribute positively to the lives of others.