I am about to run a real risk of being seen as a jerk for saying this--given my participation in the past and RL experience dealing with this, but I am dreading SLRFL season this year. My friend Crap spoke about this in a post recently and honestly, it was nice to hear someone publicly say what I had been thinking.In RL, I used to work for nonprofits. "Donor fatigue" is a term in the charitable and nonprofit world that is used to explain what can happen when donors or potential donors reach a point where they are unwilling to give. This can be due to feelings of not knowing/understanding how it'll be used, their being financially unable to do so, or simply being tired of constantly being bombarded by the nonprofit asking them to donate. It's this latter point I'm addressing.
This will be my 3rd SLRFL season. I have participated in it in donor, relayer, team activity, site building and creating for vendor capacities every time. I am willing to help in modest ways to benefit my teams, but already the notices are beginning. I heard this season would be a kindler, gentler one in my respective nations, with fewer events supposedly taking place, but I'm getting the feeling this won't be the case.
I originally came into SL due to cancer's presence in my RL. To be constantly bombarded and reminded of it with a undercurrent feeling of "if you don't participate or like how things are done you are somehow bad" is not the way to go and it seemed to reach a fevered pitch to me last year. Folks I knew grumbled, even if they didn't want to really say it out loud. I really don't want to knock the hardworking organizers, as I still think RFL is a wonderful thing and a great example of a virtual world helping to do something good for the real one, but I just don't feel like the overwhelming, inescapable nature of it.
I will create an item, make one-time donations to both teams and make my RL donation to ACS. If these actions and how I feel makes me a jerk...oh well. *sighs*
4 comments:
Nope, not a jerk.
And not alone.
What Otenth said. Seconded.
Not a jerk at all, the ACS is a great charity, but not the only one, and you, and Caledon as a whole have already contributed so much to it over the past three years that you are quite entitled to think that it is enough.
That being said, you are jumping the gun a bit for Caledon at least. We are still finalising the programme, but this year Team Caledon is aiming to have six events over the 5 months of RFL, including one which has already happened (which you can see here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pjsp3W1VNxw&feature=related )and a Grand Tour shared with Steelhead. So hopefully it will be a bit of fun, not more fatigue.
We intend to give everyone the chance to contribute if they want to, but if all they can give is their goodwill, then that is plenty.
Thank you for what you are giving Elle, it is greatly appreciated given how you are feeling about the whole thing.
Podruly Peccable
Co-Captain, Team Caledon 2009
Thank you for your thoughts.
I just believe it is a matter of being mindful of folks not wanting multiple notices regarding it and such. Keep up the good work though, as I know there is a lot involved.
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