11. LIVE CHAT & The BUDDY SYSTEM: Guideline of the Day

[Guest guest]

The 12 sections of the " WTO Guidelines " are

posted at the rate of one per day, as below:

1 - Intro to WTO

2 - Technical Stuff

3 - List Facilitation

4 - List Netiquette

5 - Posting and Getting Responses

6 - Eggshell Resources, Abbreviations

7 - Offended? Send Problems to Us

8 - Confidentiality

9 - Humor and Off Topic Posts

10 - The Family of WTO Lists

11 - Live Chat & The Buddy System

12 - BPs on WTO

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11. LIVE CHAT & THE BUDDY SYSTEM: Guideline of the Day

A. PARTICIPATE IN LIVE CHAT WITH FELLOW NON-BP's

Welcome Ozzies to #Tinman's Pub!

A new chatroom is available on IRC just for NonBP members of

WelcometoOz. Please come in and avail yourself of the warmth and

camaraderie. Kick back and discuss whatever tickles your fancy, serious

or silly. It is OUR room, and gremlins clean up the room after hours.

Come on in and meet your neighbors at

http://www.homestead.com/TinmansPub

Your room hosts are (aka CuddlePuppy),

and

Deborah (aka PastorDeb)

Deb and are married. They met because of this list. They are

raising three children and have several years of experience with the

NonBP community. Their goal is to provide a supportive, safe atmosphere

to discuss whatever you like.

B. THE BUDDY SYSTEM

Who are these new people in my neighborhood?

Every day, five new people join a WTO group mid-conversation,

mid-confusion and not knowing a Hoover from a Scumbuster. Of course we

try to give guidelines and acquaint everyone with everything, but it's a

lot to assimilate at once, and assumilation in some cases is futile to

people in great need.

So we have a " buddy system " whereby people who have been on the list for

a while (a few weeks, months, or whenever you feel comfortable) serve as

a sounding board for list questions (as opposed to BPD questions). It

helps newbies feel more welcome and helps oldbies give back a little

from what they received from the list. Remember when you were new? And

of course the moderators are always here in the background to answer any

questions the bud or budee don't know.

To clarify, buddies don't have to solve people's problems (although they

can listen and say comfortingly, " There, there " ). They just have to

point out some obvious things ( " How to get off the list is at the bottom

of every message " ) and offer a cup of tea and scones and a smile. There

is a choice in scones between cranberry, cinnamon swirl, and low-fat

yogurt and granola, or a bran muffin if you insist.

While I am busy writing the workbook to SWOE, Edith is maintaining the

Buddy List. To request a buddy, send an email to Edith

and let her know which list you're on. If possible,

we try to match up people from smaller lists with others on smaller

lists. We keep the name of potential buddies in a folder and give them

out when we get a request. It is up to the buddy and buddee to get

together and see if they get along. No one is obliged for any length of

time and you can always say " No, " which is great practice.

Note: We DO NOT check out either party, so like life, you have to use

good judgment (ha ha ha).

Thanks again,

Randi Kreger

List owner, Welcome To Oz Lists

Coauthor, Stop Walking on Eggshells

Love and Loathing, Hope for Parents

www.BPDCentral.com

Addendum:

A portion of the guidelines to the WTO groups are sent out each day

because altogether they can be rather overwhelming. They are sent to all

lists in approximate order of what is important and are not making any

comment on any particular message on any one of the WTO groups. Please

note our guidelines have developed over the years by the group as a

whole to meet situations that come up again and again. Before you post,

you must agree to try to read and try to meet them. If you have any

questions, comments, or feelings you wish to voice about the guidelines,

please write to at bear454us@... or Edith at

PsychProf5@.... Thank you!

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Posted by Edith

Facilitator / WTO lists

PsychProf5@...

..