ZU Save or be Saved

People of ZU, gather!

This is an event that is currently in session. Please be aware of the rules and precautions you should take while the event runs. This is a contest that not only attracts artists or writers, but one in which everyone can participate in. Take advantage of this forum-viable event to be the one to claim the prize! The prize is declared to be worth between $80-$100 USD, but what it is will remain a secret until the event concludes.

ZU Save or be Saved in a nutshell:

The event involves about 14 lifeguards. I will list these users later. As lifeguards, we'll be on duty and on the lookout for danger. The considered on-duty times are:

10:00 AM -- 11:00 PM Central Time (Subject to change).

The lifeguards will be wearing a red LIFEGUARD banner for easy recognition. When this event starts, Moderators and Site Staff who wish to participate will indulge themselves in the best topics and threads around the ZU sections to begin a pretty exciting sequence.

A moderator/site staff, upon finding a new and original thread with a developing discussion, will post a DANGER Message (Keep reading for further details). This commences the DANGER-HELP-SAVE sequence. What the ZU members must do is cease their attention on the thread's topic and rush to be the first to request help to be saved by one of the lifeguards. Not doing so may be risky (keep reading).
Upon noticing the incident, one of the lifeguards must rush to the scene to end the sequence by declaring the saving of the first user to successfully post a HELP message. After that, the thread shall continue normally and on-topic.

Keep reading to find out how this works:

The duty of the Moderator/ Site Staff:

The whole thing starts when danger is introduced. The role of the mods is to look for interesting topics or threads. These threads are asking for danger. So, it is up to the moderator to judge the topics around select sections and suddenly decide to make a DANGER post. Note that this will inspire users to invite danger to the sections by posting exceptional and interesting threads.

Example of DANGER post:

A stingray has jumped out of the water to get you

Just an example. Moderators can do all sorts of similar posts that declare that there is danger inside the thread. Try to be creative or even funny. Always try to post a threatening image or even an animated .gif to bring danger up.

Shortly after posting the DANGER post, the moderator needs to try witnessing the first user to successfully ask for help and wait for one of the Lifeguards to end the DANGER sequence. Try to catch users that delete their posts to avoid losing points. That's pretty much it for the moderators/ site staff.

List of sections that will be allowed to have DANGER posts (I may decide to add more participating sections):

Future Zelda
Zelda Theorizing
Geral Chit-chat
General Gaming

The focus will be mainly the General Chit-Chat. Keep reading on to get a better idea of how the whole thing will work.

The duty of the Participant:

The Participants are pretty much everybody at ZU. This excludes Moderators/Site Staff and Lifeguards.

Shortly after the moderator has declared danger inside a thread, participants need to rush to be the first to post a HELP message. The HELP message is VERY specific. Here is what the participants need to post:

HELP! I am in danger and need assistance. O, LIFESAVER, I ask that you meticulously handle this arduous situation to save me!

(Username of participant goes here)

The post may be typed in any font, but it MUST be red. The message must also be exactly as seen above. Though it looks hard, the easy thing for the people to do is have the message ready for a quick cut and paste.

Now, here's an example of how this is going to look like:

Post 1: Moderator makes a DANGER post

Post 2: User "w" posts:

I don't know. I once smoked a cigarette while taking a...

(Evidently, this user doesn't know that there is a danger post and continued to reply to the main topic of the thread. This user will be deducted points.)

Post 3: User "x" posts:

HELP! I am in danger and need assistance. O, LIFESAVER, I ask that you meticulously handle this arduous situation to save me!

X

(This user was the first to successfully ask for help. Any other attempts for help will be deducted points)

Post 4: User "y" posts:

HELP! I am in danger and need assistance. O, LIFESAVER, I ask that you meticulously handle this arduous situation to save me!

Y

(Like said before, this user is deducted points for failing to be the first)


POINTS:

These are to be recorded and posted at the main event's thread. Users who successfully ask for help first will be awarded 100 points while those who don't (Example: Users W and Y above) lose 20 points. There are NO negatives here. If a user loses points, the minimum score is 0.

The duty of the LIFEGUARDS:

Upon being noticed that a moderator has posted a DANGER message and that users need HELP, Lifeguards need to rush into the thread to post a SAVE message. Like the moderators, SAVE posts may be creative and funny. Here's an example:

I hereby save "User X" from this anomaly

That's all there's to it. The Lifeguard SAVE message concludes the DANGER-HELP-SAVE sequence, and the thread should continue normally. Any other attempts to be saved or anything regarding the sequence will be ignored and not taken into account.

List of Lifeguards:

Avalanchemike
AxavierB
Bruce Leroy
BrokenWing
Dread
Forte
Liah
Light Speed
m0j0
Notsil
Raex
skittle link
SkullKidX
Teekay


NOTES:


To better orchestrate these sequences and not have a total mess of DANGER messages, I will have a daily Forecast of where danger is supposedly active for the days. This Forecast can be posted in the main event topic at the community section. This Forecast post may be edited several times throughout the day. How it will look like:

High waves are present in General Chit-Chat and Gaming sections. Use extra caution.

Shallow waters and serenity are present in Future Zelda and Zelda Theorizing sections. Use moderate to no caution.

Moderators should then put their attention to the General Chit-Chat and Gaming Sections and ignore the "shallow waters." It is up to the moderators to start a sudden or unexpected DANGER sequence at those sections.

Oh, and here's the important rule:

DANGER-HELP-SAVE sequences must only be active from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM Central Time. Moderators should also make sure that Lifeguards are online. We need to be on the lookout. We don't want to start a DANGER sequence and finish it hours later. If anyone has objections with the times, don't hesitate to bring that up.

Now, to avoid any unattended DANGER sequences, moderators should withdraw the DANGER message and declare that it has gone away or canceled. This is only if no Lifeguards can reach the scene promptly.


This is all for now. Please post your feedback here, and don't hesitate to ask questions.

I got a GOOD laugh out of this. It's sounds really fun!
I'll think about it for a while, but I may just join in. I can't wait to see what kins of DANGER messages the Mods come up with... This will get VERY interesting.

Sounds like spam. Encouraging people to just randomly pick threads and completely derail them?

I'll put a vote against it, but I'll probably just be completely ignored.

Only for a series of a few posts, then it's over, and the thread goes back to normal. It also encourages particularly good threads, because as it says, the Mods are to post DANGER messages in interesting threads that people are told to be making.

Wow, IGNIS, you've outdone yourself. Forget yourself, you've outdone God and all other dieties. This sounds brilliant. It's creative, it sounds fun, etc. It does seem like it could get a bit out if hand though, so a bit more thinking on rules and things may be wise. Otherwise, I can't wait! Maybe this could become an annual event!

How long does it last?

=P

(and pssst: don't worry about people deleting their posts. Some people have super powers which enable them to see that posts have been deleted. )

Originally Posted by Dog Dog 123

Sounds like spam. Encouraging people to just randomly pick threads and completely derail them?

I'll put a vote against it, but I'll probably just be completely ignored.

Here's the argument for that:

Originally Posted by BrokenWing

Only for a series of a few posts, then it's over, and the thread goes back to normal. It also encourages particularly good threads, because as it says, the Mods are to post DANGER messages in interesting threads that people are told to be making.

What BrokenWing says is exactly right. We specially need new and original threads at the Future Zelda section. Also, these sequences may be deleted when finished and recorded.

Originally Posted by EzloSpirit

Wow, IGNIS, you've outdone yourself. Forget yourself, you've outdone God and all other dieties. This sounds brilliant. It's creative, it sounds fun, etc. It does seem like it could get a bit out if hand though, so a bit more thinking on rules and things may be wise. Otherwise, I can't wait! Maybe this could become an annual event!

Thank you, good sir. Before we can even start, we need more feedback like this. It would be a flop to start without nobody knowing what's going on or not liking the idea.

But seriously, people-- it's a fun event, and there's a very good prize for the winner. There's nothing else going on so what's there to lose?

Originally Posted by Kasuto

How long does it last?

=P

(and pssst: don't worry about people deleting their posts. Some people have super powers which enable them to see that posts have been deleted. )

Well, I'm still not sure. I was thinking that if it would start July 25, it would end August 15. That would be 22 days? Now that I think of it, it seems like a lot of time. I may reduce it to 15 days. Sounds just about right. Still, the sooner we get this started, the better.
Oh, and you guys can see deleted posts? That will be of tremendous help

Ok, so-- not enough feedback yet. We need people to get a hold of this. Anyone willing to sticky this thread? Let's make it happen.

Well, I don't know that I can sticky it, but I can approve it and update the title to make it more appealing. ;D

EDIT: How's that?>__> Ahh heck maybe I'll sticky it for a little bit until it gets some more attention.

Ok, so-- not enough feedback yet. We need people to get a hold of this. Anyone willing to sticky this thread? Let's make it happen.

Stickying a thread in a dead-ish forum really won't help get it noticed. Fastest way to draw attention is to start PMing every person you see online.

Originally Posted by Kasuto

Well, I don't know that I can sticky it, but I can approve it and update the title to make it more appealing. ;D

EDIT: How's that?>__> Ahh heck maybe I'll sticky it for a little bit until it gets some more attention.

Well, if that helps

Originally Posted by Dog Dog 123

Stickying a thread in a dead-ish forum really won't help get it noticed. Fastest way to draw attention is to start PMing every person you see online.

But I feel terrible for sending PMs. Don't people find them annoying? You know what? Let's tell Jason to announce it on the top of the main forum page. People would read it and then dismiss it.

Also, I need to make sure all of the 14 LIFEGUARDS are committing to this. If not, I may need to recruit a few people.

The following people have accepted the LIFEGUARD role:

IGNIS
Dread
Forte
Light Speed
Notsil
Raex
SkullKidX
Teekay
Avalanchemike
BrokenWing
Bruce Leroy

Pending members:


AXavierB
Liah
m0j0
skittle link

I would love to do this, but I don't know if I have the time.

Dramatic sigh.

I accept, but give me a day or two to actually read what I have to do

Dude, if I could lifeguard I'd be so happy.

In for this. I completely forgot about your PM to me! Sorry ^^'

Wheres my banner?

Originally Posted by Matt

Dude, if I could lifeguard I'd be so happy.

But, dude, all we need right now are moderators who are willing to start the sequences But if you really want to join the lifeguard group, then sure.

People, still not enough feedback. I propose to just start and go along. People will eventually get what they need to do in the danger situation, and the one who gets the most points will win the prize.

But, yeah-- Jason doesn't seem to be too ok with this anymore, it seems.

Oh, and the proposed date to start this is tomorrow, July 25. But if not many people are up for this, it'd be a pity.

Oh IGNIS, I should warn you that m0j0 is pretty much never here. I wouldn't count him in

Meh...

Sounds like a big spam fest to me, not to mention a waste of time and an interruption of a discussion.

It doesn't matter if the posts will be deleted afterwards, the discussion will be paused until the spammy sequence is over, and pausing a discussion can kill one.