Updated April, 2004

Each city at AncientWorlds has individuals who have been nominated by their peers to Admin to represent their city for the benefit of the site. The scribes are the unofficial, but honored, worker bees of AncientWorlds. Their general mission is to promote and support the healthy development of their city in general, and the site as a whole, and to facilitate both fun and historical development. This includes some or all of the following:

1 - Scribes welcome newcomers to their cities and encouraging both city-wide and group activity, assisting citizens to locate answers to their questions, or to point them in the right direction academically or otherwise.

2 - Scribes help promote and support ideas for both academic and other site development, while encouraging as many citizens as possible to become involved in areas of interest.

3 - Scribes need to be familiar with their own city groups and topics. They can ‘feature’ groups, threads, articles or high-quality posts worthy of attention for good history or good fun. To achieve this, it is expected that scribes will be regularly online, at least several times per week, and keep up with the major developments in their cities. They should, whenever possible, remain accessible by having their “grams” available to questions and comments from city members. In smaller cities, the scribe can do this almost exclusively; in larger cities, a “Welcoming Committee” may be necessary. It is expected that the Scribes work with any such Welcoming Committee to oversee its effectiveness.

4 - Scribal terms are initially for one year, with the possibility of renewal for one further year. There will be a minimum of three scribes in each AncientWorlds community, where sufficient volunteers exist to fill these positions. Scribal terms generally are terminated after the “Gold Launch anniversary” on November 1, annually. In some cases a scribe may be asked to stay on for an extended one-year term. All scribes are encouraged, during their term of office, to nurture future scribes who can assist them with city projects and provide experienced nominations for the new scribal positions at the end of their term. All scribal nominations will be reviewed by the Cybergod and demigods. The final scribal election, after consultation with each community’s scribes, rests with Administration.

5 - In order to show support for the site, it is a requirement of the position that a Scribe be a patron of AncientWorlds. Any scribe who allows his/her patronage to lapse for an extended period may be asked to resign.

6 - Scribes should encourage the growth of leadership within their cities and groups and provide help and advice, when requested, in interesting new membership in both. It is a responsibility for scribes to alert the demigods to possible new talent with scribal potential for the future.

7 - Scribes are guides for all members, new and old, in learning how to enjoy AncientWorlds. They are direction-givers, for anything from html problems to questions about domus decoration, and can provide directions to where on site answers may be found. Scribes should be both the first contact and the easy access to all member questions from their own cities. If any citizen has a question, they can direct him or her to where they can find help in their own cities.

8 - The scribes oversee the integrity of their city’s main board and, in collaboration with each other, suggest necessary trimming for keeping city boards tidy and updated. They may edit the main city pages to reflect both interesting activity in their city and to spark future growth and development.

9 - The city Scribe is a primary guide to focus citywide announcements and promotions and works with other scribes in site projects for the benefit of AncientWorlds as a whole. Scribes keep an eye on developments in their city to both offer ideas and support for positive activities and to be aware of potential problems before they develop. It is expected for scribes to be involved in site-wide or city-wide festivals and projects.

10 - The scribe is the first contact to mediate problems between citizens. The scribe can objectively determine the gist of the problem and attempt to come to a positive solution in disputes between citizens or groups, advising the demi- and cybergods when problems need further resolution. Disciplinary problems, which are detrimental to the site as a whole, are referred to the demigods for further action, to the limit of the Code of Conduct.

11- Finally, the scribes’ bible is the AW code of Conduct. Scribes should know its guidelines to monitor their city behaviors, but should also embody its conduct themselves to lead by example. The following actions are in violation of the spirit of the Code of Conduct and the scribe’s commitment to the health of AncientWorlds. If a Scribe is no longer able to work cheerfully within the contest of AncientWorlds, he or she may be asked to resign, following both verbal and written warnings for any of the following reasons:

*Scribes work with each other and do not attack or bring other scribes into disrepute, particularly by disparaging comments to other citizens, scribes, or demigods.

*Scribes who ‘disappear’ from their cities are expected to notify the demigods by e-mail of real-life problems that make it difficult to maintain attendance and give a time frame in which they can again be active. Scribes who are repeatedly absent and do not advise of an extended absence may be removed from their position after written notice from the demigods.

*Scribes respect other scribes’ “city expertise” and do not take action in another city, even with other personae, without advising those city scribes of the planned action and getting their feedback. This includes creating groups or other substantive actions in a city for which the scribe is not empowered. Scribes do not attempt to undermine efforts of other scribes in a given city, even if they do think action is needed. In such cases, these disputes should be submitted to the demigods for action.

*No matter what the provocation, scribes should not respond in a cutting or personal attack to any post, no matter how idiotic. If a post, however, crosses the line of the Code of Conduct, the scribes should immediately bring it to the attention of the Demigods who will delete it if necessary and discipline the poster.

*Although scribes may disagree privately with decisions made by the site Administration, it is expected that they will not publicly display anger or negative comments about the site as a whole or its administrators. Negative posts dismay members of the community and serve no useful purpose. Scribes with serious concerns are encouraged to discuss them with the Demigods so that mediation can be attempted. Negative public comments over time will result in a verbal or written warning.

*Scribes are honored for their commitment to the site by their honesty and sincerity. Scribes who forfeit this trust will not be permitted to continue in their position, as will scribes who violate the Code of Conduct or misuse their authority for personal likes or dislikes against others of the site.

*If there is a problem between scribes, it should be addressed to the demigods who will try to act as arbiters. Public feuds between scribes will result in dismissal.