Help Desk Pawbook
by Inhandra



This document was prepared to provide an overview of the Beekin Help Desk program and to explain the duties and procedures used by Beekin Help Desk. While it is not comprehensive, it should provide Help Desk Beekins with the basic ideas and techniques needed to do their Beekin duty.



Table of Contents



1.0 Mission Statement

The mission of the Help Desk is to provide assistance, in a friendly and courteous manner, to furres who come to the Help Desk in New Haven. We, as helpers, are to serve our community as best we can, with smiles and an open paw.

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2.0 Help Desk Defined

Help Desk Beekins are Helper Beekins that sit behind the Help Desk in New Haven. Desk Beekins ("deskies") answer questions and provide general help relating to Furcadia to those who come up for help. As our job is to the Help Desk, we do not roam from it while on duty.

To learn more, or to share information about the Help Desk Beekins with furres curious about what we do, you can refer them to our homepage, located at http://www.furcadia.com/beekins/desk/ .

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3.0 Badge Commands

`bb Turns your badge on! Command is obsolote and may be removed, but still works.
Note:  If you have more than one badge, this will only turn on your main/first one.
`jg This command also turns your badge on. `jg stands for Join Group.
`jg helpdesk If you have more than one badge, and desk is not your first one, this is how you should turn your helpdesk badge on.
`helpdesk This is the command that places you behind the desk in New Haven.
You must be on duty and in New Haven for it to work.
list Lists Beekin commands that are available to you. Great for reminders!
`leave Turns off your badge. This will also turn off the chat channel.
This will not remove you from behind the desk. You need to F3, or teleport to another map to get out from behind it.
chat (message) Sends (message) to the channel.
Any other on-duty Help Desk Beekins will hear this message. Note:  If the channel gets spammy, you can tune it out by typing: ignore [H] but be sure to unignore it later!
listf Lists the names of all on-duty Help Desk Beekins.
`onduty Typing this will give a list of the different Beekin groups and the amount of on duty Beekins in each one.
This command does not list names, but is very helpful for when you want to send someone to the Guardians or Welcomers and first want to make sure there are some online.
sendw (name) (message)   Sends (name) to the Welcomers.
Use this when they ask something that is definitely a welcomer issue (such as, "Can I be shown around Furcadia?" or "I need help because I'm new.") so they can be helped better. You can also supply a location after the name of the furre in (message) to aide the Welcomer Beekins in finding the furre in need.
sendg (name) Sends (name) to the Guardians.
Note:  We are not to filter Guardian calls. If they request a Guardian, send them to them immediately without question. The Guardians themselves will decide how to handle their request/complaint. :-)
sendd (name) (message) Sends (name) to the dreamers channel.
Pixels, Scribes, and Masons all share this channel. When you use this command, it is imperative that you supply a reason so they know what type of Beekin should respond. You can send furres to the masons and pixels when you feel that you are incapable of answering their dream or patch related questions.
sendh (name) (message) Can't figure out the answer? No one else around you knows either?
You can also send furres to the Help channel using this command for the Channelers to help them.
Beekin Bugges also share this channel. It's generally not a good idea to send furres to this channel unless they directly want a Beekin Bugge.
url (name) Typing this will print the URL to the Beekin webpage to (name).
This is useful for when the furre wants to know where to apply to be a Beekin, needs to see the calendar, or just wants to know more about our Help Program.

Omit any parenthesis when using these commands.

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4.0 Desk Behavior

As some of the first helpers many individuals will see, it is imperative that you are helpful, friendly, and patient. Keep in mind that many that you will be helping will be from varying backgrounds, and a wide range of Furcadian or computer knowledge. Use many smileys to convey a willingness to help, and try not to sound sarcastic or rude. If you're having trouble keeping a positive attitude at the desk, then perhaps it is time to go off duty and have some fun. :-)

Note that you are not Guardians. We ask that you do not request furres to leave the desk area. Stay calm and peaceful, and call a Guardian if necessary.

You may be the first Beekin a new furre will see, so it's up to you to give them a good impression about our community! After all, you may influence whether they stay, or if they leave.

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4.1 Helping Policy

Please only help furres that sit in front of you while at the desk. This is to keep confusion down and prevent you from stepping on each other's toes. The exception to this is when a furre sits where there is no helper--then, whoever greets first "claims" the furre for helping.

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4.2 Policing

Policing your fellow Beekins is not a good practice. Please, live and let live, and let your peers learn through your good deeds, not by your words. As well, if you see someone behaving in such a way that you feel it is wrong, send a log to desk@furcadia.com and/or notify your desk councilors.

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4.3 Roaming

Did you know that unlike the other Beekin groups, the Help Desk Beekins are centralized around the Help Desk? What does that mean? Well, it means that you're not supposed to have your badge on unless you're behind it and helping, though it you have to take someone away from it to talk to them, that's okay too! We know how spammy the desk can get when it's busy.

If you do take someone away, please come back afterwards and help out more! However, if you are tired and done for now, please turn off your badge and go have some fun. No sense in working yourself to death and burning out! We'd like to have your company for a while! :-)

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5.0 Helpful Hints

Below are a few things that you, as a Beekin, should know. These are not super important things, but they can help you keep from stressing, or worrying over what to say to someone. This section tends to change often, so check the table of contents regularly for when we address new situations. :-)

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5.1 In-Character Clients

Let's face it; at least a third of Furcadia, if not more, is geared towards role-play. It makes sense that you will get some calls that will sound or even be IC. If they ask a question such as, "Help, my friend has been shot!" or say, "Where can I get a weapon?" you can calmly tell them that you deal only in OOC matters. Don't be rude, just explain you can't help them that way. :-)

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5.2 I Don't Know It!

First of all, don't freak out! There's going to be a lot of times when you won't know an answer. There's many resources open to you as a Beekin Helper so you can effectively do your duty! Firstly, you can ask individuals over the Desk chat channel if they know the answer. If they don't, search the Beekin's Guide (seen on the right collumn). Still nothing? Have you tried your Help Scrolls? When it all boils down to nothing, just tell them you don't know. There's nothing wrong with admitting that you're not "all knowing." ;-) They may even respect you for it. The best thing you CAN do for them is tell them that you'll continue to search for the answer and will get back to them when you find out--and keep to your word.

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5.3 Problematic Furres

During your time at the desk, it is inevitable that you will, eventually, encounter furres who are there just to test you, to annoy you, or even to just try to get booted as odd as it sounds. If these furres have legitimate questions, please answer them! However, they usually won't if they're spamming, idling, or just causing trouble.

"What do I do?" First of all, don't provoke them further, and certainly don't tell them to leave the desk! Quietly call for a guardian like this:   sendg YOURname Problems at the HelpDesk!

Be sure to put YOUR name, not the trouble-maker's name. If you want a tip on how to remember when and when not to put the furres name, then only put their name if THEY asked for the guardian. Under any other circumstance where they did not ask, put yours.

"But there's no guardians online!" Don't panic! Keep calm, and try to call one of your councilors. If one of them are online, they might be able to get a hold of an associate to help with the problem. Alternatively, you can go ahead and send the call into the guardians, and when one goes on duty they can help you out.

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5.4 Non-Beekins Behind the Desk

Sometimes you may discover someone behind the desk who is not on duty. With recent problems concerning furres getting behind the desk, you might think there's nothing you can do short of telling them to get out. Don't! :-) Quietly call for a Guardian, whisper an Associate, or send a log and/or screenshot to the Beekin Council. If you are unsure of who the Associates are, here is a list you can look at. But please remember, as with harassers on the outside, don't tell them to leave! If you must, put them on ignore until they are taken care of. :-)

As well, please do not summon friends or alternate characters behind the desk! This can lead furres who need help to believe they are a Beekin when they are not. Summoning others can get you in trouble as well as those you summoned, and only adds to the problems we are having in this area.

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6.0 Emotional Troubles

As helpers, we may often encounter individuals that seek us for help on emotional troubles. It is not our job to help others with emotional problems, such as being dumped by a boy/girlfriend, or being upset over family matters. Some of these individuals are just searching for attention. It is best that you tell them that you do not deal with issues like this. However, if you decide you want to help, please turn off your Beekin badge and take them somewhere else.

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6.1 Suicide Policy

(from the General PawBook)

Simply stated, we are not trained counselors. If we attempt to do any kind of counseling, we could put ourselves at risk (and there are legal issues to consider). Suicide situations pull at our humanity and are extremely painful because we feel so helpless to do anything. But when all is said and done, we really can't do anything except listen and try to encourage the person to get waking world help from family members and friends or to seek professional counseling. There are a number of web page resources, which can be used in situations like this. Below is the recommended one to have book marked if needed.

http://www.metanoia.org/suicide

There are other pages, but in our opinion, this one is the best for someone who is clearly in the frame of mind where they are thinking of suicide. What was done in one instance was to talk the person into following on a web tour directly to this page. We have no way of knowing if this person was serious but all such threats should be treated as such. This page links to all sorts of resources all over the web. But that initial page grabs someone and makes them stop and think. Again, please do not attempt to counsel a suicidal player on your own.

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6.2 Another Beekin

We're not all going to get along, and sometimes, another Beekin is going to either do or say something really bad to you and it's upset you. Don't fret--just keep a log and/or screenshot and email the group of the offending Beekin, the mentors, and the council with the log, also explaining any troubles you have.

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6.3 Feelings About Being a Beekin

Is it not someone in particular, just been feeling down about your duties? That's all right too--you can talk to your Help Desk councilors, or send an email to the mentors requesting some time to sit down and talk to them. They are here for you. Usually we can get something worked out so you can feel better about yourself and your role.

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6.4 Contacting the Mentors

If you need to get in contact with a mentor for any reason, you can either search for one online, or you can contact them via mentors@furcadia.com. For more information, including a list of mentors, please see:

http://www.furcadia.com/beekins/mentors/

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7.0 Sample Q&A's

Here are some common questions you will often be asked while at the Help Desk. There are other answers to a few of these, so just the most generic ones have been provided for your usage. Only the more frequent and complicated questions are provided. If you feel there is a question that gets asked often that not many know, drop us a line at desk@furcadia.com and let us know.

  • How do I make an alt?
    Click on the Start button in your lower left-hand corner of your screen, then click Program Files (All Programs if they have XP), then click Furcadia, then click "Furcadia Folder." Find a file named "Furcadia.ini" that will have an icon like a notepad with a gear or two on it. Right click on it, and then click "Rename." Rename it to charactername.ini and then restart Furcadia, which will take you to the New Furre Generator.

    Alternatively, you can click the C-tab under their portrait box, and then click on "Edit my Settings." This will bring up the Configuration program. Click the "General" tab up at the top of the new window. Where you see "Default FURCADIA.INI file," delete everything in the text box, then put in a new INI name, such as myalt.ini or charactername.ini. Then hit save. The next time Furcadia is opened you will be brought to the New Furre Generator.


  • How do I switch back to my other alt?
    Click on the Start button in your lower left-hand corner of your screen, then click Program Files (All Programs if they have XP), then click Furcadia, then click "Furcadia Folder." Find a file named "Furcadia.ini" that will have an icon like a notepad with a gear or two on it. Right click on it, and then click "Rename." Rename it to charactername.ini and then find the ini file of the character you want to use. Rename it to Furcadia.ini and restart Furcadia.

    Alternatively, you can click the C-tab under their portrait box, and then click on "Edit my Settings." This will bring up the Configuration program. Click the "General" tab up at the top of the new window. Where you see "Default FURCADIA.INI file," click the "Browse" button. Double click on the file that contains the desired character. Click "Save." Next time Furcadia is opened, the character will be loaded.


  • How do I transfer [wings/avatar]?
    `wingtrans (name)Transfers classic wings to (name).
    `3wingtrans (name)Transfers tricolored wings to (name).
    `bflytrans (name)Transfers butterfly wings to (name).
    `drgntrans (name)Transfers your dragon to (name).
    `phnxtrans (name)Transfers your phoenix to (name).

    Omit the parenthesis when using.
    This as well as other transferring information is available at:
    http://www.furcadia.com/transfer.html


  • Can I get my password changed?
    Yes! You can go to http://www.furcadia.com/passwords/ to get your password changed. You will need to make sure you registered with a valid email address at character creation, though! Instructions on how to update your email address are on that page too.


  • My (special item) hasn't arrived yet!
    Send an email to orders@furcadia.com for special item inquiries.


  • Help! I'm a Beekin in training, and there's no classes I can take!
    First of all, keep in mind that the calandar is updated whenever a teacher has time and wants to do a class. Just because there aren't any now doesn't mean that there aren't anymore for another year. :-) If you can't make any of the classes being posted, send an email to teachers@furcadia.com with the times that are good for you and the class(es) you need. They will find teachers that can teach at times that you can attend.


  • I need to talk to a Pixel/Scribe!
    [Use the sendd command. All masons, pixels, and scribes share this channel. Just be sure to put what type of Beekin they need in the reason so they will know who should answer their help call!]


  • ACK! I accidentally deleted the ini file that had my character! Can I get it back?!
    As long as you remember the name and password of the character, you CAN get your character back. Click on the Start button in your lower left-hand corner of your screen, then click Program Files (All Programs if they have XP), then click Furcadia, then click "Furcadia Folder." Find a file named "Furcadia.ini" that will have an icon like a notepad with a gear or two on it. Right click on it, and then click "Rename." Rename it to charactername.ini and then restart Furcadia, which will take you to the New Furre Generator. In there, when it asks for the name and password, but the old information in. If it is correct, it will give you your character back! However, it won't remember the old colors or description.


  • How do I add a patch to my dream?
    Firstly, you must have a patch you want to use. The Furcadia Patch Archive (http://www.furcadia.com/patches/) is a good place to start. Once you've downloaded a patch, unzip it to a folder somewhere you can remember for your dream. All patches for the dream should go into that folder. Then, open the dream in the Dream Editor and click 'Patches' then 'Dream Settings'. Click the second circle marked 'I want to use files from this directory with my dream:' and then click Browse. Go to the folder where your patches are kept and then click OK twice. Save your dream, and your patches should not be available! You can also refer to Talzhemir's "The Basics of Patching" (http://www.thegenieslamp.com/patches/) for more patching tips and tricks.

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8.0 Desk Councilors

Your Help Desk Councilors are here to help YOU! Your councilors are the ones that do the helpdesk applications, see to it you are trained to sit behind the desk, and take care of any problems that may arise to disrupt the Help Desk Beekin community. Therefore, it is important for you to know who they are, and how they can be reached.

Collectively, you can reach your councilors at desk@furcadia.com. Or you can privately speak to one via the contact options provided below:

[Badge]Rune Skylar
ICQ: 162388948

[Badge]Eidan
ICQ: 172593578

[Badge]Solyce
ICQ: 343398303

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9.0 Appendix

The following information is from the General PawBook and is provided to you here as a reference. It contains the important things you should know as a Beekin, such as the staff agreement, how to acquire the help scrolls, as well as some important links for you.

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9.1 Staff Agreement

As Beekin volunteer of Furcadia, you are bound to the Staff Agreement. Every Beekin accepts these terms and are subject to these policies. You are bound by this agreement the moment you receive your badge. You can review this document here:
http://www.furcadia.com/beekins/staffagreement.html

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9.2 Help Scrolls: How to Install and Use

The latest install and usage information for the Help Scrolls can always be found here: http://www.leandria.com/beekin/scrolls.htm

Please visit that URL to learn more about the technical requirements and instructions. The latest version of the Beekin Help Scrolls is available at this URL: http://www.leandria.com/beekin/helpscrolls.zip

Please make sure you always have the newest version of this software.

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9.3. Important E-Mail Addresses

Technical Support:
furcbugs@furcadia.com		Beekin Council:
council@furcadia.com
Welcomers:
welcomers@furcadia.com		Help Desk:
desk@furcadia.com
Help Channel:
channel@furcadia.com		Guardians:
guardians@furcadia.com
Pixels:
pixels@furcadia.com		Dream Masons:
masons@furcadia.com
Bugge Hunters:
buggehunters@furcadia.com		Scribes:
scribes@furcadia.com
General Questions:
service@furcadia.com		Press Inquires:
press@furcadia.com
Community Management:
cironir@furcadia.com		Digo Market Order Inquiries:
orders@furcadia.com

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9.4. Important Web Addresses

Furcadia Digo Market for Orders:
http://www.furcadia.com/digomarket/		 Technical Support:
http://www.furcadia.com/tech/
Beekin Information/Applications:
http://www.furcadia.com/beekins/		 Guardian Information:
http://www.furcadia.com/beekins/guardians/
Mentor Information:
http://www.furcadia.com/beekins/mentors/		 Patches:
http://www.furcadia.com/patches/
Downloads:
http://www.furcadia.com/download/		 Creations (Dreams/Patches/Software/Art):
http://www.furcadia.com/creations/
Community/Links:
http://www.furcadia.com/community/		 Password Changes:
http://www.furcadia.com/passwords/

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Version 1 -- Revised:  July 23rd, 2003 Revised/Approved: Cironir, September 2nd, 2002