Beginner's Path

System is now 85% complete and 100% functional at http://www.rebelsquadrons.org/path/ . -Licah

Next step: post-Beginner's Path -- to outline a clear path of items for the recently joined person hungry for more things to do. There's been some discussion of this at Member Pathway, so we'll start there.

New BP updates

The new updates will aim to make the BP system 100% complete.

Points to be earned - Changes/additions

All 25 points should be made available.

• Points to be removed - 6:
  • Fun points to be removed - 2 points
  • Point for executive offices to be removed - 1 point (will be moved to post-BP Path)
  • Participate in one standard gaming activity - 1 point
  • Pass two courses - 2 points

• Points to be added/made active (6 needed):
  • 3 points (instead of 2) for IRC
  • 3 points (instead of 2) for the Advanced Bio requirement
  • 2 points (instead of 1) for 5 forum posts
  • 1 point for passing one course (will apply to UG courses and knowledge courses)
  • 2 points for passing one additional course (will apply to UG courses and knowledge courses)

Rewards - Changes

Once all 25 points would be made available, the rewards system would switch to:

• 10 pts - Beginner's Path Ribbon & promotion to Lt. j.g.
• 20 pts - Beginner's Path Honors Ribbon & promotion to 2nd Lt.
• 25 pts - Beginner's Path Master's Ribbon

Reasons are that 5 points are to quick to achieve, and a 10 point gap between the Honors and Master's Ribbons might lead new members to stop doing the BP at 15 points.

Points to be earned

As currently in use:

• Basics (5)
  • 1 - confirm email address
  • 1 - edit profile
  • 1 - send email using rs.org
  • 2 - write biography
• Communication (6)
  • 1 - sign up for forums and link profile
  • 1 - make one forum post
  • 2 - sign onto IRC, join #rs_bar_and_grill, and log in to MrBot
  • 1 - make a comment on a news post
  • 1 - install Xfire and add rsdale to friends list
• Education (2 of 4)
  • 1 - read all 5 bylaws pages
  • 1 - read all 13 operations manual pages
  • 1 - visit all 7 executive office pages
  • 1 - take one academy course
• Other (2 of 3)
  • 1 - vote on ten quotes
  • 1 - upload one picture to the gallery (if uncomfortable with RL pics, can be of your character)
  • 1 - make a "funpoints" submission
• Advanced (5 of 8)
  • 2 - pass two academy courses
  • 2 - 500+ word, quality biography
  • 1 - participate in one standard gaming activity
  • 1 - 5 posts on the forums, at least 2 with 100+ words
  • 1 - earn 3 funpoints
  • 1 - sign up for the RS wiki and make an edit

Total possible points: 25
Total available points: 20

Rewards

• 5 pts - Beginner's Path Ribbon & promotion to Lt. j.g.
• 15 pts - Beginner's Path Honors Ribbon & promotion to 2nd Lt.
• 25 pts - Beginner's Path Master's Ribbon

Proposal

To High Command: "BEGINNER'S PATH" PROPOSAL

This proposal is intended to teach new members to use our site, and give them something specific to do immediately. This is designed to keep more people interested in our club after they have joined. As part of the Beginner's Path, new members will be asked to do a variety of things that will get them started on their RS career. They will also be rewarded with a medal and a promotion, if they have not earned that promotion by any other way, each time they reach a certain mark in the Path. The clear goals and rewards should make this system effective both at creating activity and teaching new members about the RS.

The administrators of this system, initially, will be the Executive Staff, although other administrators can be designated. The Path will fall under the purview of the Training Office, but the FC and IO will be largely involved in making sure that it functions as designed.

If passed, this proposal will be put into effect as soon as the Internet Office can code the system. A notice about the proposal will be sent to the entire club once it is activated. Estimated time to code after approving is one week.

25 points will be possible in the Beginner's Path. The exact ways to earn points are detailed at http://wiki.rebelsquadrons.org/Beginner's_Path . The rewards for earning points are as follows:

• 5 pts - Beginner's Path Ribbon & promotion to Lt. j.g.
• 15 pts - Beginner's Path Honors Ribbon & promotion to 2nd Lt.
• 25 pts - Beginner's Path Master's Ribbon

Bylaws revision

Bylaws Section 4.4 - Level 1: Squadron ranks will contain the following addition:

Level 1 ranks are to be awarded by the Primary Squadron CO for proven activity and contributions at the Squadron level, or by a higher level officer in the PCoC. Minimum time in each rank is two weeks.

• LJG - Lieutenant Junior Grade
• 2LT - Second Lieutenant
• 1LT - First Lieutenant
• CPT - Captain

The promotion from CDT to LJG is to be achieved either by graduating from a fleet's Academy or by earning the Beginner's Path Ribbon. A promotion to 2LT can be earned by graduating from a fleet's Academy "with Honors" or by earning the Beginner's Path Honors Ribbon.

Additional material

Coding

• Automatic (14) (instant approval of points upon completion):
  • 1 - confirm email address
  • 1 - edit profile
  • 1 - send email using rs.org to instructor (Spokes or Snap for now)[still me & Snap?]
  • 2 - write biography
  • 1 - sign up for forums and link forum profile
  • 1 - make one forum post
  • 1 - make a comment on a news post
  • 1 - read all 5 bylaws pages
  • 1 - read all 13 operations manual pages
  • 1 - visit all 7 executive office pages
  • 1 - vote on ten quotes
  • 1 - upload one picture to the gallery (if uncomfortable with RL pics, can be of your character)
  • 1 - take one academy course
• Approval (11) (requires instructor approval)
  • 1 - sign onto IRC, join #rs_bar_and_grill, and say hello (note: to make this automatic, have the cadet submit a brief log excerpt of their time in the B&G to be reviewed later by an instructor)
  • 1 - install Xfire and add instructor Spokes to friends list
  • 1 - make a "funpoints" submission
  • 2 - pass one academy course
  • 2 - 500+ word, quality biography
  • 1 - join one MP game (non-MP gamers: fly one mission, make one post, participate in one sim, etc.)
  • 1 - 5 posts on the forums, at least 2 with 100+ words
  • 1 - earn 3 funpoints
  • 1 - join the RS Myspace group and make a post (you can create a new myspace profile for this if you want) OR sign up for the RS wiki and make an edit

Note that at least one item must be approved by a senior RS member before the cadet can accumulate enough points to graduate to 2Lt.

HC's original notice of the project

Excerpt from Licah's email to High Command:

Beginner's Path - A rather coding-intense project that gives someone who's
just signed up a very specific list of things to do in order to earn his
or her first promotion.  I'm sure I fired off an email or five about this
to various people, and I even started working on it once, but basically,
you get promoted to LJG (or whatever) if you:
- Edit profile
- Sign up for the forums
- Make one forum post
- Send one email using rs.org
- Find the pages listing honorary members (two pages - one for those with
the medal, one for those with the roster status) (exercise in using site,
also a bit of a history lesson)
- whatever else you might care to add
This gives people something to do right at the beginning, there is
absolutely no dead time, you click the "Join!" button, and there's a big
"Welcome!" page, and a big "Next Step -->" link.  This should really cut
down on lost members; it's easy, you get rewarded for it, you learn how to
work the site, and you build a connection with the site.  The main reason
I haven't done it yet is the amount of coding involved.  Snap and I have
discussed this, and I'll bet you it could be all done within 4-6 hours of
coding, but I haven't done it yet.  Also, the specific details, like what
exactly the steps are and OKing a change in the bylaws to allow promotion
to LJG, haven't been finalized.
Needed: IO staff, HC approval of project