Communication

Tothian and many other RLS are stepping up to try and help with more sophisticated communication tools and I think this is great. I have some expereince with this and see this as a growing interest in the community. Be that as it is, I'd like everyone interested in this to ask themselves two things. One, who in the rls community has experience running boards or websites like this? And two, if we are suffering from lack of experience in this, would we want some seasoned guidance?

If 'no one' and 'yes' are the overall answers to the questions above, please take the initiative and contact me. I can and will help get something 'real' going. Blitz, Tothian and others are are scrambling to make a difference here and I have some unique experience that can contribute.

Its important to say, I'm not trying to create another brand of something others have been working on. If I could caution everyone on one thing and one thing only, it would be running off in different directions. The last thing we need is everyone proposing something new. I'm trying to help unify the many people who see a need. Hopefully, a combined effort will lead us to a quality platform and a connected community.

Why even create a tool? Don't we have MySpace and Frappr? First, I feel its important to create a virtual Hall of Superheroes where we control access. I want someone (or a council of someones) to have some control over who gets to read what. Forums are great for this as are rl chat systems like TeamSpeak. I believe this would lead to better communication and better trust over allowing us to put things out there and ask for help without feeling like we are being watched or monitored. If this was not already obvious, I'm sure there are least a few law enforcement folks watching the super hero movement on MySpace.

Like Tothian, I'm not so much concerned about leading this effort as much as contributing. I can offer my significant experience in this and hopefully that can make a difference. My experience? I led one of the top City of Heroes portals for over a year (forums, roster, news, live chat, all that junk) and, as my secret identity, I have created and managed a business website that maintains a forum (for three years) as well as host and present at conferences (7 years).

So if you would like, coordinate through me, or if there is a solid movement, I'll give input if invited. I'll gladly do whatever I can to get something 'quality' up and and running if this is something people want to see.

I realize not everyone in our community is a team player (and thats just fine). We do need to unite on this, however, and get behind a process that has us coming together - not leading off in different directions.

Throwing My Helmet Into The Ring

I mentioned in an earlier blog I was doing two things. The first was finding ways to define and coalesce my contributions to society into a form people can get a handle on. Real life super heroism seems like the perfect solution.

The second thing constantly on my mind in auditioning for the show Who Wants To Be a Superhero. A lot of people have very strong opinions about the show. Most the field guys, like Superhero and the like, seem to have a negative opinion of it. I’m not quite sure why. Perhaps they think it is a mockery of what is happening in their world. Perhaps they think it’s a joke. I can’t help but feel this show and its message, though hidden in a reality show, is truly what I am after.

What better way to spread the message that we can all stand up and be heroes in our communities, our cities, our sphere of influence, than provide a source of inspiration? What better way to inspire than to be on the show delivering the message to millions of people. I can’t imagine a better opportunity. It has always felt like the right thing to do.

Media is media. What were we inspired by, but comics. The ones we read as kids. The ones we read today. Finally a show has taken the elements of modern society and melded it, albeit in a pioneering effort, into a delivery mechanism for an appreciative audience. And it worked!

I thought Feedback and Fat Momma were very inspirational. And Fat Momma was her own first convert! By her admission, she thought the comic superhero thing was a lark. But here she is, delivering an exceptionally valuable message to the masses.

Yes, Who Wants To Be a Superhero is the gold ring. I hope I’m good enough.

This One Time In The Men's Room

So many avenues and so many choices. Life has a funny way of showing us which road to choose. Many say its not the easiest. In a way, that’s wrong. I find when I am doing what I am suppose to be doing; living the life I am suppose to be living, life is, in fact, easy. Everything falls into place, lights turn green in long strips of open road, people open doors, opportunities arise like coy fish in a pond.

Two avenues seem to open in tandem. The first one, fired by my hardwiring. I am meant to help people. I know that. I do. When I can.

An experience that happened today. I was shopping for costume stuff (what else?) and had to hit the head. While in the men’s room, a kid, a gang banger, came busting in. I glanced over, sized him up. He was jumpy, nervous, calculating. I watched him but smiled. Always be polite. I washed my hands and walked out of the men's room. Slight shock! Eight guys were standing in the hall, waiting for … guess who. I chuckled. To catch a thief. I was there with my wife. Eight guys seems enough to take down one gansta', so we walked out the front door.

Suddenly, there was yelling. A huge ruckus and commotion erupted behind us. I turned. The little thief was getting away! He eluded all eight guys and had a healthy lead! Running full bore, he bumped past my wife. Instinct made me grab him and ... throw him against a cement planter box. Ouch! Need to watch my aim. Stunned, he tried to rise. The eight guys dogpiled him and were telling him to stay down … relax … they were putting the cuffs on. Someone shook my hand. I gave him a passing, "Your welcome," as I scanned the parking lot. Sure enough, the thief yelled for a buddy to come save him. I thought I better stick around and see what his friend looked like. Or better yet be ready for a drive by. The kid must have been hopped up as the eight (yes, eight) guys were having trouble cuffing him. Telling my wife to stay back, I applied a nasty (and system jarring) ankle lock on our screaming, struggled thief. They got cuffs on him. They gave me a gift certificate for my help. Funny. I didn't quite know whether to say no thanks or what. I think people have a need to show their gratitiude.

At the end of that event, one thing occurred to me. Helping secure the thief seemed perfectly natural. I wish I was around to help more situations like that.

So I am meant to help people. But I’m not that special. We all are. Its just a matter of waking up and realizing that. Its like digging a well. It has to be primed. People are like that. There is so much heroism in each one of us. It just needs to be primed.