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ABOUT THE CONFERENCES
Modeled after communities
such as the WELL, ECHO, and Cafe UTNE, Amazon City strives to create
intelligent, thought-provoking conversation and friendly community for
women of the world. The Amazon City community is centered around our many
topical conferences. Unlike chat, which is an immediate conversation you
have with someone where all participants need to be logged in at the same
time, a conference is a bulletin board where members leave messages for
one another at any time, creating some really great and in-depth online
"conversations."
Why would I want to
participate?
Amazon City is the daily hangout of a number of
interesting and dynamic women of all ages from around the world. You'll
hear new perspectives, share support, get useful information, network, and
above all, have fun, just by participating!
An overview of the
software
Amazon City uses a web conferencing system. A web
conferencing system is a series of bulletin boards (called conferences)
arranged by topics such as Spirituality to Entertainment, Issues, and
more. Users can customize their Amazon City experience by selecting
conferences they are interested in and adding them to their personal
"HotList." The software then keeps track of which conferences have new
conversations in them. Everytime you login to Amazon City, your own
personal "HotList" will appear, with a list of the number of new messages
since your last visit.
Who are hosts and
what do they do?
Each conference is moderated by a volunteer
host (also known as a fair witness). The purpose of the conference host is
to help guide the conversation by providing new topics to discuss,
steering conversations away from inappropriate topics, and mediating in
the event of a conflict between members. The host is like the host of a
party. The host's job is to ensure that the conversation remain useful, on
track, and flame free as much as possible.
As a moderated community,
Amazon City gives hosts the tools to direct conversation by creating
a new topic or conversation, "freezing" a topic if it is no longer useful
(i.e., shut off the topic from further discussion), and even "hiding" a
post of a member if it is inappropriate.
What are the rules
and why do you have them?
Some people claim that giving hosts
the power to moderate conferences amounts to "censorship." We feel that
hosts (and rules) provide the proper structure in which we can have a
safe, enjoyable community for everyone. Therefore, we request that all
conference participants read and abide by not only the Amazon City
Ordinances (which you agree to when you sign up for an account), but also
our Conference Guidelines. Members who break the rules may have
their accounts suspended, and if mediation does not work (or does not
apply), completely terminated. In our community, just like in real life,
we have to have certain "traffic laws" and etiquette in order to make the
experience livable - and above all, enjoyable - for everyone.
I have a favorite
hobby or interest. Can I host or suggest a conference?
You can
always suggest a new conference directly in the Hangout conference. If you
are interested in becoming a host of your own conference, we request that
you participate in the conferences for at least one month on a daily basis
(during weekdays) to demonstrate your ability to follow our guidelines and
approach other members with respect. Interested applicants can email
amazon@amazoncity.com. (Men are welcome to apply as hosts
as well.)
Conferences
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