Activity 2: The Art of AIM (democrats) + Results!

[Judge Sam]

The Art of AIM

Activities are small, additional events during the game. It may be a discussion topic, a challenge, a poll, or any other of many creative twists. This Episode's activity is a poll and discussion topic.


AIM chatting is essential to Spies, as I'm sure you've noticed. It takes effort and work to have a good chat on AIM. I'm sure already you've experienced dead-end conversations, boring chats, and laconic characters. This activity will do what we can to change that!


A good conversation is a two-way street, of course, but a good rule of thumb is that you should put in more effort than the other person. If everyone did that then conversations would run very smoothly.


Of course not every AIM conversation is going to be a humdinger but here are some tips to get the most out of each conversation:

• Try and continue the conversation by asking more questions, even if they have little relevance to the current topic. Keep a repertoire of questions in your head that you could ask, or post some in this topic for others to keep in mind.
  
  
• Be random! Start up a random thread of conversation, anything works!
  
  
• Try and maintain a maximum of 2-3 one-on-one conversations at a time. I know that's the most I can comfortably conduct at the same time. Any more, and you don't really remember what each conversation is about, and you take 3 minutes in between responding each time. Don't be afraid to say, "I'm in a lot of conversations right now, could we talk in the group chat or maybe talk later?"
  
  
• Use your spies8democrats or spies8republicans group chat to chat with everyone at once.
  
  
• Be sure to say "bye" when you leave, or "brb" and put up an away message if you are busy. It's frustrating to IM someone and not get a response.
  
  
• Of course it's good to talk about who is a Spy, but don't feel restricted from just relaxing and chit chatting about general life or random things you like talking about. It makes the game more fun.
  

I'm sure there are many more tips for having successful AIM conversations ~ please post them here to share them with your teammates! If you like, you can also give targeted advice to specific people.

______________


Okay, now the poll part ~ all players please vote in your own team's poll before Exile 2. Poll results will remain hidden until Exile 2. Please vote for yourself, and then vote for up to 5 other people who you enjoy having AIM conversations with. It could be for any reason - maybe you like their character, maybe they are talkative, maybe they are good at getting information out of people.


You may change your vote before the Exile 2 deadline if you wish.


That's it! You are also required to give your opinion on this topic ~ make at least one post on how you think AIM conversations could be done better. Ways for yourself or others to improve, how to have better conversations, or ease the flow of communication.

[Chance]

be careful in a group chat. i can speak from experience that it sucks to be bombarded with what seems to be five thousand questions at once. don't be afraid to say 'hey, i just got asked a lot of stuff, gimme a sec to sort through them all'. if you need to take a break, don't be afraid to do that either. i had that brought home to me a couple of times today. if you're on the other end, be considerate! realize that the person you're so eagerly interrogating might be feeling a little overwhelmed. i'm not saying you shouldn't ask your questions, but there's no reason you can't space them out and give them a little bit of breathing room.

also, do your part to make sure people feel welcome in a group chat. just say hi, or something. people who don't feel welcome come in to chat less often and it makes the game less fun for them, and ultimately less fun for you (if you're feeling selfish).

[Broderick]

If you are unable to chat, let people know with an away message or the sort.
Approach people, don't wait for them to come to you.
Speak up in the group chats - don't act afraid to communicate with your teammates otherwise it will continually revolve around those who know how to communicate amongst each other.

[Jasmine]

Don't hog the attention in a group chat for a very long time. It becomes repetitive and annoying. Let other people have their thoughts.

[Mary]

Never ever call people mean names unless the names are really funny.

[Cory]

• There is no "Claude" in the chat room. He is a figment of Mary's imagination. Using her psychic energies, she has convinced us that he does, in fact, exist. We, as a group, will eventually need to overcome this deception and accept that he is not a part of our physical universe.
  
• Even if you possess the amazing ability to type at 153 WPM, show some mercy to us mere mortals who are working vigorously to advance beyond using just our index fingers. Slow it down a bit.
  
• A sense of humor is highly recommended. Maybe even mandatory.
  
• Running your playboy mouth in a conversation with someone who is disinterested is an excellent way to ruin a perfectly good conversation and scar a (wo)man for life. JasMan, I'm looking at you.
  
• A wise man once said, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." That man very likely cut himself as he lay in bed at night. Thick skin is mandatory.
  
• Talking with food in your mouth is rude and obnoxious. Promising to pick up lunch for a colleague and eating it on the ride back is outright discourteous. Not that I'm naming any names...
  
• When you're rambling for minutes at a time, and you start to go off topic, stop and take a hint: It's probably time to stop typing.
  

It's time to stop typing.

[Lawrence]

Try to stay focused on your conversations, instead of doing other things. (Yeah, Larry! Follow tour own advice, please?)

Read what the others in your conversation are saying, and be polite.

[Gertrude]

Please spell words correctly and use proper grammar.

[Cinnamyn]

make my azz want 2 talk 2 u. if i no u jus' gonna talk bout sumthin' stoopid lyke ur family or new episodez of desprite howsewives den honey i aint gunna wan' 2 talk 2 u. n' if u iz borin' den at leas' try 2 keep da conversashun flowin', i at least apreshiate da effort.

n' also dont make shit personul cuz i want uz all 2 have fun n' i dont want 2 b yallz mother.

[Awohali]

I believe the most important thing when on AIM is attentiveness. Pay attention not only to those you are directly engaged with, but also peripheral talking. If you see someone is trying to enter a conversation or discussion, accommodate them as best as you can.
It is important to involve as many people with direct game discussion as possible. If someone is always chatting only off topic, you should begin to ask them questions about the game. If someone is constantly changing subjects, you should constantly change the subject back. Et cetera.

[Isaac]

After a group chat today I thought this point was obvious, but apparently it's not. Don't put down an argument or discussion thread because it's long and you don't feel like reading it. It least if you feel that way don't come in and advertise it. It makes the rest of us feel like you can't give a damn.

[Magalie]

Aim would be better if uptight people would not only focus on one goal...Winning.
If you don't have fun then this would not be a game.
When this game is over you would not be remembered much after.

[Gertrude]

[23:54] spies8mary: You're an English teacher, right?
[23:55] spies8gertrude: Yes.
[23:55] spies8mary: I just learned a new word of sorts.
[23:55] spies8gertrude: Oh? Which?
[23:55] spies8mary: imbo.
[23:56] spies8gertrude: The thing Cinnamyn says?
[23:56] spies8mary: Yes, did you already know what it meant/
[23:56] spies8mary: ?
[23:56] spies8gertrude: That's "LMBO." Laughing My Butt Off
[23:56] spies8mary: I thought it was imbo for "in my black opinion".
[23:57] spies8mary: Now I'm embarrassed.

This is why I voted for Mary.

[Margot]

Be chill. It's just a game, so if you go into AIM chilled out, you'll be able to absorb a lot of information and be attentive with the people you are talking with.

[Jasmine]

Jun 23, 2010 21:16:35 GMT -6 Isaac said:

After a group chat today I thought this point was obvious, but apparently it's not. Don't put down an argument or discussion thread because it's long and you don't feel like reading it. It least if you feel that way don't come in and advertise it. It makes the rest of us feel like you can't give a damn.

I couldn't give a damn. Chance is a joke.

[Claude]

I think some people's idea of having fun in this game is different than mine. I am really not a fan of all of the roleplaying. I feel like it adds nothing to the game, and is largely just a distraction from what I really love, which is the game of mafia itself. Although Mary does amuse me regularly, I suspect that this is more just her real sense of humor carrying through her character, not anything to do with roleplaying.

[Judge Sam]

Results revealed.