How can I join the staff?

I always keep an eye out for members who display the qualities I look for in my staff, so you may get online one day to find an invitation PM in your inbox. However, you can also apply, either when I open applications (for summer jobs, for instance) or at any time. Just PM me the following form. :D

     [b]Position you're applying for:[/b]
     [b]Why do you want this job?[/b]
     [b]General activity on EF:[/b]
     [b]Do you have AIM?[/b] 
          [b]If so, are you willing to join staff discussions regularly?[/b]
     [b]Do you have other commitments that might interfere with your job on EF?[/b]
     [b]Which is your main character?[/b]
     [b]Samples4:[/b]

Do I get any special privileges if I'm a member of staff?

You'll get access to a private staff board on all your characters, and your main will be moved into the appropriate staff usergroup, which come with a special group icon and symbol. You'll also get a custom profile field, "Job", for your main.

You'll be able to influence how the site is run (to a greater degree than non-staff), get to know about upcoming events and features before other members, and Writers will be able to run larger plots than members would otherwise. (You'll also have access to the ONPC password for the wiki in order to edit and add ONPCs.)

You'll also earn my undying love and free cookies⁵! :D

What do you look for in staff?

In general, I look for members who have shown they enjoy the game. I like to get to know people before I hire them as staff, and for that reason, I don't want to hire strangers to the board. I expect you to be a fully active member of the site (I normally say a minimum of one month, and ongoing whilever you're on staff) and familiar with the game before I consider promoting you.

I also like to chat with staff in AIM, because most of our event planning seems to take place there rather than in the staff boards. xD

Whichever job you'd like to apply for, I hope you'll bring some enthusiasm to the site. I love it when members get fully involved in the development of the game and setting!

What do you look for you in a moderator?

• You should be patient, approachable, respectful, helpful, firm and fair, and able to communicate smoothly and clearly.
• You should know the rules inside and out, or at least know where to find the information if you're not sure.
• You should be active (which means posting at least once a week on all your active characters, or twice a week if you only have the one) for a minimum of three months, and continue to be active once you have the job.
• You should be an active reader, too, since you'll be required to read current and recent threads regularly to keep an eye out for trouble.
• Private activity checks for staff are held every three months in August, November, February and May. Any members who fail to post to these checks are removed from staff, but are welcome to re-apply starting from the next quarter.

What do you look for in a Writer?

• You should be active (which means posting at least once a week on all your active characters, or twice a week if you only have the one) for a minimum of one month, and continue to be active once you have the job.
• You should be an experienced roleplayer and a creative writer.
• You should be able to spell (or at least know how to operate a spellchecker) and be able to communicate your ideas (both in the planning and roleplaying stages) clearly.
• You should be creative, organised, helpful, and able to work alone or as part of a team. You should be able to not only create but also develop ideas for plots both big and small.
• You should have a good understanding of the setting (you should be familiar with the pages listed in the Getting Started guide at the bare minimum), or have an idea of where to find information as you need it.
• Private activity checks for staff are held every three months in August, November, February and May. Any members who fail to post to these checks are removed from staff, but are welcome to re-apply starting from the next quarter.

What do you look for in an Advertising Manager?

• Passion for the game and a willingness to go out there and tell people about EF.
• You don't need to be code-savvy because I've provided ad codes for several different board formats already. However, you do need to be able to recognise which software sites are using, and copy the appropriate ad code for that format.
• You need to have patience for mind-numbing tasks, because advertising is an awful lot of copy-and-pasting.
• Advertising Managers don't only copy-pasta our ad everywhere, though! I'd like to brainstorm with you on other ways to promote EF and make it more appealing to both guests and members alike, so a bit of creativity will go a long way.

¹ Mid-thread prompts are geared toward threads that have been started by regular members, usually to prevent stalling or to make players more aware of the setting. They may not be posted in [C]losed or [Q]uest threads without prior written request or consent from the participating members, but everything else is fair game. They include anything from monster sightings to shifts in the weather. ⇑

² Starter prompts, like mid-thread prompts, can include anything from monster sightings to shifts in the weather, but are aimed more at starting threads than continuing them. They are not intended as full, interactive threads, but rather set the theme and location of a storyline for joining members to continue. ⇑

³ Interactive threads are just that — interactive. For these, ONPC is expected to post more than just the once, but the subject can vary. Interactive threads are usually requested for pre-planned mini or personal plots, or might be the monster the participating members want to defeat. ⇑

⁴ I only want samples to be sure you understand what's expected of you for the job you're applying for, so they vary from job to job. Town Cryers: Please provide examples of two quests or rumours. Heralds: Please provide samples of two prompts. Advertising Managers: Please post at least two ads on other sites (preferably on different software formats, eg. ZetaBoards and InvisionFree) and then link me to them. ⇑

⁵ The cookies are a lie! ⇑