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filler@godaddy.com
Eddie, how's this?
HERE is the NEW Spreadsheet
Eddie, I cannot tell you how valuable your insight and guidance has been! -- Katherine
Notes on the General Idea
Getting New Members
Obviously, the best is if current members invite people. Also, we have the listing in the guild finder. The addon that invites people is called "SuperGuildInvite" and it can 1) invite then whisper 2) invite only 3) whisper only. And then anyone can "advertise" in the Looking for Group or Trade Windows. I'm not exactly sure how, but my new alts get invited quickly and automatically to guilds now (but not the guildless older alts).
Unproven Members
Since there are three types of members (newbie, guides and blindspotters called advanced learners), there are three basically equivalent ranks that will help knowledgeable members know whether to simplify and be warm and encouraging (to newbies) or talk normal. But the access and priviledges are low enough that they cannot ruin anything or steal much if they are not who they appear to be.
Trusted Members
A trusted member, like yourself, ought to be an officer. BUT STILL the increase in bank access can be case by case so that they also cannot be stealthy and ruin or drain something. The logic of allowing officers to promote and demote is obviously so they can move someone to guide or AdvancedLearner if that person has joined to help as opposed to receive help.
Can a rank promote someone to itself?
ANSWERED. Thank you! This is a burning question I have for you. I am assuming that, with permission to promote or demote, an alt can only promote up to the rank BELOW themselves and not to their own rank. If not, I have to rethink my strategy. Can you please test whether you are able to promote to Guide if you're still a guide? or to officer if I make you an officer? and may I do that now?
The Logic of the Guide Rank
As a regular guide who isn't an officer, the idea is that person can also promote someone right away out of the newbie category. It is my strong suspicion that the success of this guild will be based on keeping the newbies a pure category. If a guide has to always check, "are you actually new or just stuck in that category until you are properly sorted out", then the guides will not be as free to be appropriately warm and nice and welcoming in that special way to the actual beginners.
The Logic of the AdvancedLearner Rank
I myself would fit best into AdvancedLearner if I were not the Mistress because I know squat about raids, arenas, battlegrounds and nearly squat about dungeons. So if I were to join this guild, I would need a category that let's someone advanced invite me to an experimental raid but lets me coach a real beginner in the things that I do know about.