DC November 2007

Special notes of interest:

• Next Edition Submission Deadline is:

December 1st, 2007

• Promotion Submissions Deadline:

November 26th, 2007

• For those that are members of RL

STARFLEET, ADM Sal Lizard has

been confirmed as winner of the

Commander, STARFLEET elections,

to take office on January 1, 2008. Our

own Mateo Infinity aka Matt Moyer will

be serving on the Executive Commit-

tee as Chief of Computer Operations

Inside this issue:

From the Desk of the Vice-Commander 2

Academy News & Graduates 3

Why are we here? 4

Charity and Events Update 7

Move over Abby! It’s Dear EMH 8

Star Trek News 9

An interview with Mike Calhoun 10

Star Trek Museum Pics 15

To Boldly Go: an Interview LTjg Broek 20

Reflections 24

Brice Campbell Response to Edition 2 16

Stardate 071120.10 Issue 3

THE DELTA COMMUNICATOR

SL ST@RFLEET SL ST@RFLEET SL ST@RFLEET SL ST@RFLEET - DELTA QUADRANT

SEASON'S SEASON'S SEASON'S SEASON'S GREETINGS TO GREETINGS TO GREETINGS TO GREETINGS TO THE SL STAR-THE SL STAR-THE SL STAR-THE SL STAR-FLEET FAMILY FLEET FAMILY FLEET FAMILY FLEET FAMILY AND BEST AND BEST AND BEST AND BEST

WISHES FOR A WISHES FOR A WISHES FOR A WISHES FOR A HAPPY HOLIDAY HAPPY HOLIDAY HAPPY HOLIDAY HAPPY HOLIDAY

SEASON.SEASON.SEASON.SEASON.

We as members of a true inter-national group have many dif-ferent ways and methods of celebrating the holidays that are fast approaching. Not knowing all the dates and customs for each of you, I’ve decided to write this a little early.

This past year has been a chal-lenging one – and the vast ma-jority of you have risen to each challenge with the honor, cour-age and commitment that the Federation expects of its mem-bers. This holiday season again finds many of our real life mili-tary from around the world serv-ing in harms way in austere lo-cales or just returning from the fight. Know that they are mak-ing a difference for our future and show them that we are grateful for the service and the many accomplishments in this long war against terror.

If you are going to be home for the holidays, take the opportu-nity to relax and spend time with your loved ones as well as your friends. Never forget that

you are STARFLEETS most pre-cious asset. And your safety and welfare is always our concern. Please enjoy your time away from Second Life, but remember to take care of yourselves and each other. The worst end to a holiday season is the senseless and needless death of any one of our members.

My fiancée, Tig’s and I sincerely wish all of SL STARFLEET and SL STARFLEET families a memorable holiday season and a successful new year.

Semper Fidelis,

Brigadier

Sanstrom Laxness

Vice Commander,

SL STARFLEET

From the deck of the Vice Commander

“...but

remember to

take care of

yourselves

and each

other. “

Page 2 THE DELTA COMMUNICATOR

"I'm a doctor, not a doorstop!" --EMH Doctor

From ST: First Contact

Data and Guinan

Photo Copyright CBS Studios

I would like to say Wow! We have 8 new courses online or coming online in the next few days! We have 3 re-written / re-vamped courses being worked! We have commitments for 6-7 brand new courses over the coming weeks! We have a new Academy station. We average 6 classes per day! (and that average will increase very shortly with the new classes) We have over 20 people on the Academy faculty roster! We have OVER 40 classes in the curriculum!!! And! There is no end in sight... Well done to all of SL STARFLEET for making the academy something each and every one of us can be proud of.

[Editor’s Addition]

Some of these new course offerings include:

• Betazoid

• The Maquis

• Cardassian Union

• Andorians

Academy WoW! Moment By, CMDR Zed Drebin, Academy Commandant

“There is no

end in sight...”

Page 3 ISSUE 3

Lal PHOTO: startrek.com

Recent Academy Graduates Since Stardate 071009

We would like to acknowledge the following recent SL STARFLEET Acad-emy Graduates. Well done and congratulations.

Orion Pastorelli - 071109 - Science

Marla Marx - 071113 - Marines

Charity Kappler - 071120 - Communications

Daneil Collins - 071120 - Tact/Ops

Jaket Benelli - 071120 - Engineering

Januarius Allen - 071120 - Marines

Rod Halberd - 071120 - Marines

Life is an interesting subject. A topic I have personally wrote several papers on ranging from philosophical, ideology, and heavily on a religious and spiritual perspective. There are many views, ideas, and beliefs on the subject and many authors have chosen to write about life. Regardless the purpose behind the discussion of this letter will be rather refined and focus on some particular areas.

Why are we here is the theme behind this writing. It is not a discus-sion on what the purpose of life, why we are here on earth, etc. but why we are here in this venue in this time. So let me spin the question about to be more personal to “Why are you here”? Why have you chosen to be involved in a fan club? Why did you decide or are considering joining an organized fan club? What do you hope you will get out being a member? Finally, what do you plan to contribute to the group, what do you hope to invest into it?

Perhaps we should even take it a bit further and discuss what is an organized fan club or any social group for that matter. No matter what the group or term used to describe it, let’s look at the definition of a clan since that’s a term used to describe many online gaming groups as listed in Web-ster’s Dictionary: “Clan (2): a group united by a common interest or common characteristics.” So what is the commonality then, that defines why we are here? Well that is simple it’s Star Trek. How you got here was mostly likely either you found or what told about one of the chapters, perhaps you like “dressing up”, or for whatever reason it struck some interest in you so you decided to check it out. Or perhaps you were simply together with some members of the group perhaps they were friendly to you, maybe you just liked to tag along and was curious. No matter the circumstance you found out about the group and your interest grew.

Many people tell me that they are here because they want to be with their friends. While I will of course not question or discount this fact, we must take look back further. When you first came here you (for many) didn’t have a lot of friends within the group or maybe even none at all. The point being at some point you established those relationships, you had to “become” friends at some point with those you now wish to hang with. So while this point is very valid, it generally is not the real root reason you are here.

Something attracted you to the group, do you remember exactly what it was and what thoughts were going thru your head back then? I en-courage you to do so, because over time we tend to forget why we chose to consider coming here. So now that we have brought ourselves back to the starting point of deciding to join,

we can reflect upon those deciding factors that lead us to filling out an appli-cation to join.

Then now, let’s try to answer some of the other questions. What do you hope to get out of being a part of a Star Trek Fan Club? This can be answered so many ways, so I’ll simply start with sharing my views of what a organized group should be and what I hope to get out of it.

A Star Trek Fan Club should be a place where people regardless of background, country of origin, religion, etc. etc. should be able to come to-

Why are we here? By, LTCMDR Mateo Infinity

“So what is

the

commonality

then, ...? Well

that is simple

it’s Star

Trek.”


Alexander Siddig as Dr. Bashir Birthday: Nov. 21st

Photo: startrek.com

Continued on page 5

gether and enjoy the company of others that share a common interest or goals.

It should be a place where people can meet, interact, learn about, and perhaps even create and foster friendships that will last a lifetime. It should be a place to build memories that we will take with us forever no matter if we are a part of the group anymore or not. It should be a place where we recognize our strengths, lift others up, and build upon their weaknesses. Thus creating a well rounded organization, of commitment not to one’s self, nor really the organization but to others.

The above in reality answers both of my points. It is not only what I believe a fan club organization should be but what I hope (expect) to get out of it. I want to lift up others weaknesses and instill my abilities and talents into them helping them become something better in the end. I also expect the same of others to build me up, help me learn new things, see new ideas, learn new concepts, and embrace a greater understanding of subjects I know little of.

So I challenge this to you: If you are here only to get something out of the group without pouring your own strengths into it you are here for the wrong reason. Fan clubs, gaming clans, churches, associations are all about the people within its umbrella not the single individuals. We all make up the greater whole.

So answer these questions for yourself, and see where you are in the great scope of things. I leave you know with a few of my favorite lead-ership quotes.

Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton: Famous Leadership Quotes The best teacher is the one who suggests rather than dogmatizes, and inspires his listener with the wish to teach himself.

John W. Gardner: Famous Leadership Quotes The cynic says, "One man can't do anything". I say, "Only one man can do anything."

Confucius: Famous Quotes on Leadership The superior man is distressed by the limitations of his ability; he is not distressed by the fact that men do not recognize the ability that he has.

John Ruskin: Leader Quote You will find that the mere resolve not to be useless, and the honest de-sire to help other people, will, in the quickest and delicates ways, improve yourself.

Mary Pickford: Leader Quote You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down.

Harold Taylor: Leaders' Quotes The roots of true achievement lie in the will to become the best that you can become.

Why are we here? Why are we here? Why are we here? Why are we here? ---- CON’T CON’T CON’T CON’T By, LTCMDR Mateo Infinity

“...place

where people

can meet,

interact, learn

about, and

perhaps even

create and

foster

friendships…”

Page 5 ISSUE 3

Alexander Siddig At CreationCon’03

Photo: startrek.com

Continued on page 6

Jon Holt: Leadership Quotation The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we don't know what to do.

Arnold Glasgow: Inspirational Leadership Quotes One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.

Author unknown: Leadership Quotation

There is no elevator to success, you have to take the stairs.

John Kotter: Leadership Quotations Great leaders... motivate large groups of individuals to improve the human condition.

Aristotle: Leadership Quotations He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander.

Billy Graham: Leadership Quotations Hot heads and cold hearts never solved anything.

Og Mandino: Leadership Quotations I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply all my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy.

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt: Leadership Quote It is not fair to ask of others what you are unwilling to do yourself.

John C. Maxwell: Leadership Quotes A big man is one who makes us feel bigger when we are with him.

Unknown Author: Leadership Quotes A leader leads by example, whether he intends to or not.

William James: Leadership Quotes A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearrang-ing their prejudices.

Why are we here? CON’T By, LTCMDR Mateo Infinity


Janeway and Tuvok on USS Excelsior Bridge

Photo: startrek.com


Throughout the month of November, charity and events will be focused upon the charity group Autism Speaks in Second Life. This is on top of the charity collecting already being done for Avatars with Heart to aid in their five charities. There are donation kiosks in the welcome area for those who wish to help by donating.

We will be hosting a charity fundraising ball each month for a different charity. Please watch group announcements for times and dates.

For some fun, Chad Hoorenbeek has had a wonderful idea for a Star Trek themed Jeopardy game which can be hosted right on the sim. More infor-mation as this project continues underway.

If you have a special occasion that you wish to mark with the rest of the SL Starfleet group, but aren't sure how to proceed, or a charity fundrais-ing idea, or even something that justsounds like fun, please contact Lt. JG Ssaspriina Sismondi (preferably with 24 hours notice at least) for event coordinating.

Thank you so much for your time,

Lt JG, Ssaspriina Sismondi

Charity and events coordinator

Charity and Events UpdateCharity and Events UpdateCharity and Events UpdateCharity and Events Update By, LTjg Ssaspriina Sismondi

Morn (DS9)

Photo: startrek.com

This column in this edition is blank, as a result of no one submitting any questions to Chad. Let’s have some fun with this folks, don’t forget to submit for the next edition.

[Editor’s Note]: This is a new col-umn we will be featuring in every newsletter from now on. Do you have a question you would like to ask the EMH? Send a notecard with your question directly to Chad Hoorenbeek. Each issue we will choose hopefully several of the questions to be featured in the newsletter each edition. Questions do not have to be directly serious, they can be humorous in nature but let’s keep it clean and realistic.

Move Over Abby - Dear EMH is Here! By, LTjg Chad Hoorenbeek - Medical Div.

Submit EMH

questions

directly to

Chad


Zachary Quinto, who plays Sylar in Heroes ex-plains how two very different shows address the human condition.

Quinto compared Heroes and Star Trek recently in an interview with Cult Times as reported by SciFi Pulse. "The consciousness of these pro-jects is something that is overwhelmingly opti-mistic and hopeful and leads people towards finding our potential," he explains. "It's hard to articulate, but it’s the human condition. It's what we can create and what we can accomplish." Quinto adds that he is grateful to be part of both shows.

He went on to explain that Tim Kring, creator of Heroes had a lot of respect for Star Trek. "Tim Kring and the writers on our show have a lot of respect for Star Trek, they have a great sense of humor and they know how to have some fun too. I remember there was a scene earlier in the season that the license plate of the car had the identification letters of the starship Enterprise. It's just a really fun way for us to honor what has come before us and ease into the same energy of that world, it's really enjoyable."

Quinto looked forward to working with Leonard Nimoy in the upcoming Star Trek XI. "I feel this is just the beginning of a friendship and a col-laboration that is arguably one of the most ex-citing things that has ever happened to me in my career," he says. "He is such a great guy. I don't look at our friendship as lasting only the length of this project. I hope that I get to hang out with him a lot. And it doesn't just become an event. I will be like, 'Come Leonard, what you want for dinner?'"

Quinto on ‘Heroes’ and ‘Star Trek’ From, TREK Today.com - Nov. 18th, 2007 - Reposted under license

Page 9 ISSUE 3

The North American release of Star Trek: Conquest has occurred, with shipments en route to retail stores today.

As reported at gamesindustry.biz, the anticipated Star Trek: Conquest should be available for con-sumer purchase as early as tomorrow.

Star Trek: Conquest features a blend of strategy and intense action set in the Star Trek: The Next Generation era. The game relies on strategy and the goal is to build and manage a growing empire. Players must command ships, build support structures, research technology and engage enemies in combat. A ship level tactical view allows direct command of ships during battle to enable real time conbat. Players can use the Wii remote to aim and fire at the enemy.

Star Trek: Conquest will retail for an estimated MSRP of $29.99

Star Trek: Conquest From, TREK Today.com - Nov. 19th, 2007 - Reposted under license

Duty, Honor and Friendship: an

interview with Admiral Mike Calhoun

Admiral Mike Calhoun, or Commodore Michael Vermoesen as he is known in RL, has had a long and distinguished Starfleet career stretch-ing back 15 years. A native of Belgium, he served originally as a leading mem-ber of the Official Belgian Star Trek Fan Club, and later moved to STAR-FLEET – The International Star Trek Fan Association, holding positions such as the Dean of the European Academy, XO and CO of the USS Europe, and Vice Regional Coordinator for Region 9 (Europe). He is currently serving his second term as Regional Coordinator for Region 9 and recently stepped down as CO of the USS Europe to take the helm of the USS Aviator – the first official SFI Chapter in Second Life.

Innovation, dedication, honour and friendship have been the principles on which Admiral Calhoun has based his extraordinary career – values he still holds of paramount importance today. The Delta Communicator caught up with the Admiral as he came out of a meeting regarding the new SL STARFLEET awards programme and dragged him away from helping a ca-det retrieve a tiny lost prim.

Delta Communicator: Admiral, thank you for agreeing to speak to us today. The group has been through a very difficult time and is dusting itself down, taking stock and moving on. I think it would be fair to say that you and San-strom Laxness have suffered the most in this period by losing a personal friendship. An unusual question though it may be for this kind of interview: how are you both?

Mike Calhoun: Well, of course I can only speak for myself, but although I appear fine in public, I have been bet-ter. Loosing a friend is never easy, but

Duty, Honor, and Friendship By, LT Samuel Whizenhunt, Communications

“...and that's

what I did,

even though

it cost me a

friend. ”


I still believe that what I did was for the betterment of the group. When you choose to be in a leadership posi-tion you put the needs of the many first - and that's what I did, even though it cost me a friend. Eventually it will heal, but as they say: a leader suffers in silence.

DC: Have you spoken to Admiral Campbell since he resigned his post?

MC: No, sadly enough, not a single word.

DC: In last month’s edition of the Delta Communicator, we published a series of letters from yourself and some senior members of staff - prompted in response to a critical viewpoint from Lasynda Shichiroji. What kind of feedback have you re-ceived from the group and do you hope that this period of SL STAR-FLEET history can now be put behind us?

MC: I received some very, very good responses from members and former members alike that really made me happy. I have made it very clear that the line has been drawn and that it is time to put things behind us. We are actually healing very well and moving on and I am proud to say that our membership is growing again. It’s time to get back to having fun!

DC: One of the most striking things about your new leadership has been the speed with which things have be-gun to change and be achieved in SL STARFLEET and Sector001. Can you reassure the membership that their voices are being heard in this process and that quality as well as speed is of utmost importance?

MC: All I can say is that when I was Chief of Operations, and later Execu-tive Officer of SL STARFLEET, I al-ways placed the members first. I al-ways listened to everyone and tried to

Continued on Page 11

be a good friend. This has not changed. As CO, it is my duty to al-ways be available to the members at any given time. Therefore, my door is always open, for either group related business or just a friendly talk. It has always been like this and there is really no need for anyone to be afraid of ap-proaching me – even with criticism or negative comment. I will always listen to a point of view and, even if I don’t agree with it, I still want to hear all feedback. There are no punishments for being honest with me – no one was afraid in the past and there really is no need to be now.

I realize that I have put some changes into effect at a rather fast pace, but the group was really at a standstill – and in an environment like SL, standstill is moving backwards! So I used the momentum and built on that. The idea's I am implementing didn't come overnight - they where created a long time ago and only now have I had a chance to make them a reality. I want to be sure that the word gets out that the members are still the most impor-tant part of this organization. We (my command staff and I) are here for them 24/7. We will try to do what is best for all of us as a group and our goal is still to become the best and leading Trek group in SL!

DC: You must be immensely pleased with the recent round of promotion ceremonies that took place and were very well attended. Where did the idea for the ceremony’s style and procedure come from and how often do you and the promotions committee intend to hold them?

MC: The promotion system was imple-mented before the change of com-mand. While I created the initial plan, it was Lieutenant junior grade Dschuell Decosta who made it work. The pro-motion board is scheduled to meet once a month, so promotions will also

be done once a month, although I think that 6 ceremonies in 2 days is a bit too much! I created the style, but the lines came from STAR TREK Generations with a few adaptations to make it work in SL. The style is how I envision a promotion would be done if Starfleet were a reality.

It was great to see so many members attending the promotion ceremonies and getting the group to-gether – although maybe next time we can get it a bit more organized with some more protocol and decorum!

DC: Clearly the most obvious change you have made is the terraforming of the SIM. Can you tell us the idea be-hind this and what the members can expect when everything is completed?

MC: The idea behind it was that, first of all, a static SIM isn't attractive and people get bored very quickly. Sec-ondly, we have our storyline set on a planet in the Delta Quadrant and I hardly think a planet in the Delta Quadrant would look anything like San Fransisco! Thirdly, I can say that the SIM will never be completed - what I would like to see is someone who makes small, yet visible changes to the SIM on a regular basis; a Boothby, if you like, to place new plants and small terraforming projects.

DC: Will you be advertising that posi-tion or do you have someone in mind?

MC: The position will be advertised because I have no idea who is able to do it or is willing for that matter.

DC: Are you going to give Cyril a much-deserved rest then? The Com-municator is concerned for the brilliant engineer's health!

MC: LOL, we don't actually force Cyril to do anything, and I always ask him if he needs some vacation, but building is what he wants to do most. The rea-son why I like only one trusted person

Duty, Honor, and Friendship - CON’T By, LT Samuel Whizenhunt, Communications

“We will try

to do what is

best for all of

us ...”



building everything is to avoid the di-lemma we had with Ta Moxie in the past - plus it makes the style of the SIM more consistent and, most of all, he's great at saving prims!

DC: Everyone has been hugely posi-tive about the new builds on the SIM. Can you tell us a little more about the rental opportunities now?

MC: We have 5 price classes, ranging from 500L$ a month to 3000L$. The 500L$ units are the cadet quarters in Cascade Station, while the 3000L$ ones will be loft apartments in the tower Hellion II.

DC: How should people go about rent-ing one?

MC: Any questions about rentals should be directed to Macy Warren. I placed her in charge of all rental and vendor related issues.

DC: In general terms, how is the group in terms of finances? Is increasing traf-fic, rentals and sales something that is high on the list of priorities?

MC: The SIM and group have always been top priority, but I have to admit that making the SIM self-sufficient is high on the list. Because I'm in Europe, the cost has now increased by 21%, so I pay 236US$ to cover the island’s tier.

DC: What sort of percentage of that cost are you regaining from the condo and vendor rentals?

MC: Our income has increased signifi-cantly with the new rentals, but in the past, most came out of my own pocket. I think this month we will get 40%.

DC: A recent appointment you made was Colonel Kathryn Maxwell as In-spector General. Can you explain a little more about that role and why you felt it was important?

MC: Well, as I stated in the last news-letter, Colonel Maxwell is my best

friend in RL and for five years she has been my second in command, both at Chapter and Regional level. Needless to say, I trust her with my life and I also know she's a very honorable per-son who will listen to all problems that are brought to her. The position was actually created in the aftermath of the change of command to give the members someone neutral to turn to with questions and problems that they don't feel comfortable talking to Com-mand about.

DC: Another large and welcomed change you ordered was the con-struction of an Academy space sta-tion. Can you tell us more about the plans for making Sector001 full RP and continuing the immersive interac-tion of the Academy experience in the group as a whole?

MC: The Academy Station came into existence when Zed and I started to discuss the increasing number of courses and the lack of classroom space. I objected to having class-rooms spread throughout the SIM and wanted everything in one place to make it easy on our new members. The SL STARFLEET Academy, under leadership of Zed and Taylor, is the crown jewel of SL STARFLEET.

The idea for the Fleet Plan came from the fact that once some-one graduates from the Academy, nothing similar is to follow, despite the fact that everyone enjoys the Acad-emy experience immensely. The rea-son that the experience is so reward-ing is because of the Academy com-panies - they work very well - so I want to expand that to Fleet level. I want to develop SL STARFLEET to be more like a real Starfleet would look like.

The first part of the plan is to divide those that want to RP from those that don't want to RP. Being

“The SL

STARFLEET

Academy, ...

is the crown

jewel of SL

STARFLEET.”




assigned to the Fleet and its ships will mean that the member wants to RP. Being assigned to HQ will mean that the member doesn’t wish to RP a Star Trek role – at least not full time.

As it is now, a cadet graduates and is left on their own. They just hang around for a while and then we loose them. We know that most people want to RP, but something prevents that.

So here is the plan:

We adapt the same structure as we use for cadets: We take Alpha, Delta and Gamma companies and make them Alpha, Delta, and Gamma Fleets so that the cadets have a unit to graduate into. Each Fleet will start with one of our bridge sets - or more de-pending on its members. When a cadet is in their 4th week at the Academy, they will need to fill in a paper where they choose an assignment - either shipboard or Headquarters. After graduation, they are to report to their assignment (Alpha graduates will go to Alpha Fleet and so on). They are then required to file a weekly report just as they had to as cadets. Cadets and Fleet Officers who fail to report for a month and who didn't request a leave of absence are removed from the groups. This will effectively do away with our need for roll calls.

Each ship will have between 8 to 10 people - the smaller the groups, the easier it is for people to be on line at the same time and play. Each ship will be part of a fleet under the com-mand of a Fleet Commander, who will be under Tac/Ops. All CO's will report to their Fleet Commander and the Fleet Commanders will report to some-one in Tac/Ops. Tac/Ops will report to Operations who will in turn remove the people who didn't report and act on any requests.

As for who creates the actual RP, I have this in mind: a war room with a huge screen or table in the mid-dle and a map of the universe and a team of people moving red dots (ships) to places - a team of creative writers and storytellers. They make up the general objectives as if the 'orders' come from SL STARFLEET Command. This will leave the CO's and crew enough free space to come up with the stories to complete the objectives.

Moreover, anything related to promotions will be done by the ship CO's - they will send the request up the CoC to HQ and we will send it back, but they can do the actual hon-ors. Each ship can form its own tradi-tions and distinctive customs like real Starfleet vessels - though of course I expect to be invited to all Poker games!

[More details regarding the Fleet Plan will be reported in the Delta Communicator as the ideas de-

velop and are put into action]

DC: We caught up with you on your return from a meeting regarding the new Awards Program. What is that and what do you hope to achieve with it?

MC: The awards program will be an-other way to recognize those mem-bers who go above and beyond the call of duty each and every day to make this group fun for everyone. It's also a way to cut back on promotions - we don't want to end up with more captains then ensigns in a few months.

DC: Do you feel that some people expect promotion just for hanging around for a long time? What would you say to people in general about the value of promotions and what should be necessary to achieve one?

“The awards

program will

be another

way to

recognize

members...”




MC: Yes, some people believe that time in grade (TIG) is enough to get a promotion. I'm afraid I need to burst that bubble - it doesn't work that way. TIG is only a small part of it what really counts - it is the effort that you put into the group that really merits promotion and, of course, the higher you go, the more effort is expected from you. But please, always keep in mind that ulti-mately a rank is meaningless. What counts is the friends you spend time with, the lives you improve and the contributions you make and, most of all, that you have FUN!

DC: Fun is indeed a large part of SL STARFLEET - are more interactive attractions planned for Sector001?

MC: Several things actually! I wanted to add a Klingon building somewhere near the Volcano, but that would be inconsistent with our story line, so Ma-rine Commandant Tig Spijkers came up with the Preservers and how all Hu-manoid life originated on one planet, so we have decided to try and add some ancient ruins near the volcano. Another thing I want to see realized is the creation of Alien environments for RP away missions. I placed a huge prim as a sandbox at 800 meters, but it's not adequate as sandbox, so I would like to use that as a rezzer for different types of environments - class M, Y, H, a water planet and so on.

DC: Admiral, we've only been able to cover a few of the many exciting pro-jects currently underway in SL STAR-FLEET and Sector001. The Delta Communicator will, of course, keep reporting the news of new ideas and progress and we hope to check in with the Admiral for more insights on a regular basis. In the mean time, we'd like to thank Admiral Calhoun for talk-ing to us and we'll leave the last words to him. Admiral, what is the most im-portant thing you'd like to say to the group at this moment in time?

MC: We have a great group - at times we are like a real family. I'm really proud to be your Commanding Offi-cer, and I'm sure with the help of all of you, we will reach our goals. SL STARFLEET RULES!

“...at times

we are like

a real

family.”




Star Trek Museum Exhibit Pics By, Cadet TessaLee Writer, SNN News Agent

A view of the current exhibit being displayed at the SL Star Trek Mu-seum.

[EDITOR’S NOTE]: The following arti-cle is not being published in an effort to start or continue any drama. However, as we published several responses to Lasynda’s article in the last edition, in the fairness of the spirit of free press, we believe we have an obligation to print this. Let it also be known that I received this article via a Non-Modify notecard directly from Brice. []

The article authored by Lasynda Shichiroji in the latest newsletter re-sulted in a rebuttal made by Mike Cal-houn, and rather than address the points Lasynda made, he chose to make his commentary into a attempted attack on me. Therefore, I have made the decision to write the following in response to his statements. Unlike Mike, I will be addressing comments he made in his rebuttal directly. Fair warning, this is a rather long missive, but I feel it important you read it all the way through so you can form your own opinion based on both sides.

Mike Calhoun states: "..So why, under command of Admiral Campbell, all senior staff had to fight to get at least the ability to send a simple Group No-tice? Was micromanagement not one of the charactiristics that best describe Admiral Campbell's tenure as CO of SL STARFLEET?"

Some describe my manage-ment style as "micromanaging", and I find it very ironic that Mike, who at one time agreed that the folks screaming micromanagement didn't know what they were talking about, is now using that very catchphrase to try and make a point. Yes, I did limit Senior Staff from sending a group notice, because it is my belief that anything that comes from Senior Staff directly represents the group and as CO, I am responsible for the group as a whole. Now tell me, how responsible is it to the group as a

whole if you have members of your own staff posting about topics that should not be made public or are of a sensitive nature without your knowl-edge or say so? What does that say about you as a leader if you allow this behavior to happen? Is that responsi-ble leadership? Is it also responsible leadership not to know what is going on under your command? Thats all I ever really did, was want to know what was going on with each division. The fact that someone in Senior Staff recently changed the charter on the group profile without Mike's knowl-edge or consent is a perfect example. In this instance, Micromanagement is a buzz word that my detractors use to justify their personal attacks against me because I refused to allow a se-lect few to dictate their will on the whole.

Next, Mike Calhoun states that I "took over 6 months to pick a new XO" and that since I never left the group when when I "retired" that "it countermans my role as CS"

Well first of all, Mike...you are NOT CS, that title is held by one per-son, that being the President of S T A R F L E E T I n t e r n a t i o n a l (Commander, STARFLEET) and for you to even refer to yourself in this manner is, in my opinion, a insult to the parent organization, but obviously you doesn't care how your conduct or actions reflect upon STARFLEET, as I will touch upon more later...

Now, yes it did take me 6 months, because I knew if Mike did not get the position, he would do pre-cisely what he did when I finally told him my concerns about him being XO: Quit and turn the membership against me. Since he also had ownership of the sim, he could have easily taken it away as well. Hindsight being 20/20, I wish I'd went that route. As far as leaving the group...isn't happening.

“That’s all I

ever really

did, was

want to know

what was

going on with

each

division. “



A Response to the Last Edition By, ADM Brice Campbell

Mike may have been able to finangle and coerce his way into the center seat, but the only way your gonna be rid of me is to form your own group, quit using all the materials I created or provided (Like the Membership Hand-book, the brig, etc.) and leave SL STARFLEET. As it is, I haven't been on the sim since I left, I haven't posted any messages since I left, even though I have the ability to do so (The proof is when I sent my rebuttal to Sanstrom Laxness' comment that I had "retired" directly to him to allow him the opportu-nity to post it first) and have not inter-fered in any way with how you do things, so how exactly am I counter-maning you?

Next, Mike states: "If Admiral Campbell himself named me as the Commanding Officer and transferred all the authority to me, it is my belief that once Admiral Campbell did that, he removed himself from any command or authority role, so why the constant watch over my ac-tions?"

Actually, I haven't had to lift a finger...I have members who won't come to Mike because he has literally filled most if not every Senior Staff po-sition with members of your family and/or chapter and made it pretty clear that if a member is not with him, that their opinion doesn't matter. These members come to Lasynda to gripe, and Lasynda does her own thing, I wouldn't dream of playing puppetmas-ter with her, and in my opinion, it speaks volumes of your character to assume I would.

Then, to make things more interesting, Mike appoints his former SL partner, self-professed best friend and STARFLEET VRC to be the IG for the group citing they will be fair and impartial. As I have told you and countless others before, "Anything that even remotely resembles a conflict of interest, _IS_ a conflict of interest".

This would be no different if I had cre-ated the IG Role and put Lasynda in. Does she have her own mind? Yes. Will she argue with me? You betcha. Would this appointment be perceived as unbiasness my part? Not on your life. Recently, I read about a local court case in RL that had to be re-ferred to an out of county judge be-cause it involved a bailiff and every judge in the county knew him and recused themselves. Now, if this is the way that the judiciary handles it-self in RL, why is it acceptable for this to be different in SL, especially given the relationship the IG and Mike share?

Furthermore, out of the whole time I was CO, how many members who I talked to and befriended ended up joined my STARFLEET chapter? One, and that happened to be Lasynda. While I worked towards the betterment of the group, Mike hedged his political bets, worked behind the scenes for his own personal gain and waited. I believe Samuel Whizen-hunt's commentary in Las' article says it better than I ever could.

Mike continues with: "Why does Ad-miral Campbell need to have some-one or some people reporting every one of my actions directly to him? Why does Admiral Campbell feel that I need a conscience in the form of Ltjg Lasynda Shichiroji?"

Again, its not like I'm spend-ing all my time plotting like Mike and your cadre did to me, seeing from that "secret meeting" log that I wasn't sup-posed to see...the people come to me and tell me how much things are screwed up. (By the way, if anybody wants a copy of this log which was E-mailed to me to see who all was in-volved, feel free to IM me and I'll send you a copy so you can see what peo-ple in leadership roles presently are fully capable of.)

“Again, its

not like I'm

spending all

my time

plotting , ...”


A Response - CON’T By, ADM Brice Campbell


Mike then states: "If Admiral Campbell did not want to step down as the leader of the group, then why didn't he fight for his command? Why didn't he put in more of an effort in the day-to-day op-erations of the group, and is now trying to regain power through less than de-sirable means?"

I didn't want to stand down, I was led to believe by Sanstrom Lax-ness that the consesus was that either I stand down or I would be forcably removed (I believe the term for this in nautical sense is "MUTINY", this sound familar Mike? I believe you accused Lasynda of this very thing when you kicked her from the group for just TALKING to people on sim about their problems with you) and I did what I felt was in the best interest of STAR-FLEET. Remember earlier where I said I'd touch on this? It's a shame Mike isn't willing to put his ego and pride aside for the betterment of the whole as I have done. I've talked to numerous STARFLEET Members who will have nothing to do with SL or SL STARFLEET because of what Mike has said and done, one in particular happens to be an STARFLEET EC Member and the one that convinced me to help get Mike's STARFLEET Promotion to Commodore pushed through (Mike will know precisely who I am talking about).

As far as "put in more of an effort in the day-to-day operations of the group", Mike stated at one point in time that I was supposed to be a fig-urehead and let the majority of the day to day operations be handled by him, which did happen. Hell I wouldn't even post a notice without having him look it over first! Though I do have to admit I am confused...you just said above I was too "micromanaging" and now you said I should have taken a more active approach in the day to day operations of the sim, even though that was the

very thing you didn't want me doing? Make up your mind Mike, I'm either Micromanaging or I'm not taking enough of a role in day to day opera-tions, which one is it? I can't be doing both!

Finally, attempting to regain power? How? As Mike has told people, _HE_ own the sim, and can do whatever he wants. Nobody can throw him out, so how can I possibly regain power? Perhaps compile a cadre of my own and use his own methods against you? Sorry, as tempting as it is, I pre-fer to do my talking out in the open standing alone rather than in hushed tones with a group of yes-men whose only objective is personal gain, either via an appointed post or being "power behind the throne". That alone is probably the single biggest reason I didn't make many friends, because as I have learned in RL managing a com-pany, you never really know who is your friend and who is trying to use you. I abhor people who use others just to increase their own personal "power" and those in the group who found out they couldn't use me in that manner decided to find someone else to throw behind and support.

Finally, Mike says: "I allowed Admiral Campbell to run the sim and the group as he saw fit, now look at it ob-jectively, shall we? What is the result after a year of Admiral Campbell’s reign? For 3 times his leadership has come under fire, countless members of SFI and non SFI former members were banned. Yet, after less then a month after I took command, we have more income then we had before. I guess that might tell you something about the previous leadership.

Yes, lets look at this shall we?

I wasn't aware that Mike "Allowed" me to do anything...does this mean that he is partially responsible for

“I didn't want

to stand

down...”




everything that he just accused me of since you "allowed" it to be?

My leadership coming under fire 3 times - Was it 3 times? I remem-ber two and both those times, I was always told it was "a group of unhappy members". No names were ever men-tioned and when one or two actually became known to me, they happened to conveniently be associated in some way with Mike.

Concidence? I think not. Its very easy to say "Many people have issues with you and want you gone" and then hide behind the convenient "They are afraid of repercussions if they are identified" to further your own agenda. Do I believe there were peo-ple who wanted me gone? Absolutely, I don't believe for a second I could make 100% of the membership happy. I do believe however that the number was drastically lower than the 70% of the group that was quoted to me.

Countless members of SFI and Non-SFI Members were banned - As I recall, when Mike became XO, I left any member discipline issues in his hands...when Ta and Tia were banned, Mike was the one who issued the ban..when Nimitz Beck was banned, it was Mike who issued the ban. The only one I can think of that you may be referring to is Marie Lawson, and yes I did ban her and most the half dozen alts I knew she operates under be-cause my feeling was since she had left the group and only continued to come into the sim to create a negative atmosphere because of her knowing she could get away with it being your "daughter", I took action appropriate to the well being of the group.

You have more income than ever before - This is, of course, assum-ing Mike is being factual in stating that income has been up, since there is nothing showing exactly what funds

have been received. Nonetheless, I'm willing to take his word on this. This is also easily explained, since again, most of the Senior Staff it seems are members of R9, the Aviator and/or Mike's family group. One way to usurp power is to hit a group where it hurts, the wallet. To me, its no sur-prise whatsoever that Mike's support-ers would fund the sim now that he is in command. Furthermore, it also seems to me that this occurred after Mike opened the living quarters on the station, something that was already in the process of being done before I was coerced out.

Well, now that I said my piece, I would encourage each and every one of you who have a desire to know THE TRUTH to ask your own ques-tions, do your own research, and most importantly, make up your OWN mind. Don't let yourself be intimidated by what you find under fear of reprisal. There isn't one person in SL STAR-FLEET that can hurt you personally or ourside the game environment, and if they threaten to do so, by all means let everybody know about it. The ab-solute worse they can do is throw you out of the group and honestly, if they're willing to treat people that way for asking questions and seeing the truth, is that a group you really want to be associated with?

Finally to Mike: I am sure after you read this that you will be screaming and mad as hell and dashing off an-other attack on my character just as fast as your fingers can type. Don't bother. As far as I am concerned, I was right about you from the very start. Simply put, you can't be trusted, and I'm not interested in listening to anymore of your lies and propaganda. The only thing that I would ever want to hear from you is that you and your cadre of mutineers are "taking your toys and leaving".

“...ask your

own

questions, do

your own

research... ”



To boldly go: an interview with Lieu-

tenant junior grade Gijsjan Broek

This article is the first of a series the Delta Communicator hopes to do, in-terviewing various officers in SL STAR-FLEET to see the group from the eyes of its members and find out some of the interesting things that they are up to.

Lieutenant junior grade Gijsjan Broek is the head of the Astrometrics Depart-ment in the Science Division. Recently promoted to Lieutenant junior grade, Mr. Broek has been an active and imaginative member of the Science team since the day he graduated the academy, and even before. He had the dubious honour of being the 'guineapig' for the Academy Week 4 Science Pro-ject and performed beyond expectation in the task. Since then he has ex-panded the Week 4 project into a fully fledged Science Division endeavour for cadets to continue with once they join the Division. The 'Magellan Missions', as they are known, are just one of the many ideas Gijsjan hopes to contribute to SL STARFLEET. We caught up with him in his quarters in Cascade Station.

Delta Communicator: Firstly, con-gratulations on your recent promotion Lieutenant. You must be very proud?

Gijsjan Broek: Yes I am

DC: Could you tell us a little bit about your RL and SL self?

GB: I'm 34 years old, single and an ICT Helpdesk Engineer. I've been in SL for about 6 months and here I have been happily married to DameNikki Broek for 18 weeks. I have three loves in SL: my marriage, SL STARFLEET - I love being a member and i'm very proud of it, and the Old School Beach

Club - a disco I highly recommend visiting!

DC: Since joining SL STARFLEET, you've risen up the ranks very quickly due to no small amount of hard work. But how did you find SL STARFLEET to begin with and how has your ex-perience of it been so far?

GB: I was exploring a lot of places in SL and on one day I decided to ex-plore Star Trek SIMS in my ENT suit. When I came to SL STARFLEET I was very impressed with the place. It took me one hour to make my deci-sion to join and filling the application was done in 10 minutes. I have never regretted signing up for service to Starfleet.

DC: What has your experience of the change of command been?

GB: For me personally nothing changed. I focused on my assignment in Science and the projects.

DC: It is your impressive range of sci-ence projects that we want to focus on today; in particular, the Magellan Project. Can you tell us a little more about it? Where did the idea come from?

GB: The idea came from the fact that I love to explore in SL. Before I came to SL STARFLEET I explored in my ENT outfit. After I joined I kept the idea when I graduated. The aim of Project Magellan is to explore theme-based SIMs like Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate and other Sci-fi, Fantasy, Historial places.

DC: Have other officers joined you in these missions?

GB: About 6 with regular attendees including Samuel Whizenhunt, Eilish Flanagan and Chase Quinnell among others.

DC: What has been the most impres-sive SIM you visited so far?

“When I

came to SL

STARFLEET I

was very

impressed

with the

place.”



To Boldly Go: an Interview By, LT Samuel Whizenhunt, Communications

GB: That was BSG47 - a Battlestar Galactica sim. It is based on the cur-rent version of the television series and follows the fate of the Battlestar Pacifica, her crew and associated ves-sels.

DC: What made it so impressive? What do you think Sector001 can learn from such a SIM?

GB: I was impressed with the textures and the ships themselves. I think 001 could also benefit from a remote shut-tle like the one in BSG47. The shuttle runs a regular ‘bus’ service, moving from stop to stop and people can hop on and off and ride it to various ships. We could do the same with scheduled stops outside the condo towers, the Welcome Centre, the station and the ship bridges. It adds a level of realism to intra-SIM transport.

DC: Have you encountered any prob-lems following the Prime Directive or interacting with other Second Lifers?

GB: Not really. The only 2 problems I had were one in Little Mos Eisley where I was shot at by a security droid – it was fun actually and our weapons are most effective against Imperial ma-chines - and the other was a particu-larly rude member of a SIM who didn’t like Star Trek.

DC: How do you report your mission findings back to Starfleet?

GB: After a mission I write the report in my office here in my quarters, add the pictures, file it in my inventory and then head to the Planetarium where I add a planet with the report in it and place it in the Star Chart. I then add a com-ment on the Magellan sub-forum on the SL STARFLEET website.

To access a report, all a member need do is click on a planet with the name of the SIM they are interested in and ac-cept the inventory the planet offers them, including a landmark in the re-

port.

DC: What sort of feedback have you received from other officers about the Magellan Project?

GB: Pretty good comments. Chase and Eilish are doing a lot of missions with me.

DC: How many people can sign up to be on the away teams?

GB: Including me, four. I want to mini-mize the risk of the target SIM mem-bers thinking we are about to grief them Trek-style, especially when the team wears uniform. Any officer is welcome to sign up on the appropriate mission thread on the forum.

DC: Magellan is just one of the many projects you've come up with for the Science Division. What do you plan to do next?

GB: I have one other project in mind Project Daedalus – to create that re-mote control shuttle for travelling be-tween the surface and the shuttle deck in Cascade, like the one in BSG47.

DC: Is this something you hope to do in conjunction with Engineering?

GB: Yes, I hope so, I'm louzy at scripting.

DC: Finally, Lieutenant, do you have a message for our readers?

GB: iI’m proud to be a member of SL STARFLEET and I hope I can con-tinue to interact with my fellow Trek-kies. My biggest achievement is Pro-ject Magellan and I’m proud of its suc-cess and of those who’ve joined me on missions to boldly go to other SIMs where no Trekkie has gone before! I hope other members will continue to join in with my missions or create mis-sions on their own.

“...then head

to the

Planetarium

where I add a

planet ... ”


To Boldly Go: an Interview - CON’T By, LT Samuel Whizenhunt, Communications



To Boldly Go: an Interview CON’T By, LT Samuel Whizenhunt, Communications

Photo Left: The Project Magellan Away Team

Photo Below: The Planetarium Deck on Cascade Station

Photo Left:

LTjg Gijsjan Broek


Photos By, LT Samuel Whizenhunt, Communications

Photo Left: Admiral Mike Calhoun

Photo Below: A photo from a recent Promotions Ceremony


Reflections, A Column

By, Cadet Heiraxes Maximus

I was recently quite honored to attend one of our Promotion Ceremo-nies. A wonderful event which was en-joyed by all present. It was a pleasure to see our Officers honored for their Hard Work and Dedication to Duty. The ceremony itself was quite interest-ing and if you have never attended such a function I highly suggest you do so.

Admiral Mike Calhoun, of course presided over the occasion, and I expect that all of our recently Promoted Officers were quite happy to see such good attendence, including our Academy Commandant, Com-mander Zed Drebin, Lt Commander Mateo Infinity (Comms Chief), Lt Tay-lorholic Durant ( Academy Deputy Commandant and CoS to the Admiral) and many others, including our Non-Member Gusets who we thank for tak-ing the time to come along.

But, as this column is called Reflections, I suppose I should reflect on something. Perhaps the lovely building the ceremony was held in, per-haps the beauty of a Sea of Dress Whites, or perhaps the discourtesy shown when some guests spoke/had short conversations, not between indi-vidual Promotions, but during. I name no names, that is not for me to do. I am simply expressing my sadness that such an important day, for these de-serving individuals should be in-terupted in this a way.

Once the Officer Presiding stood to the Podium to begin, it would have been only polite to discontinue speaking until after the ceremony was finished. Or to at least have had your conversations in IM's so as to not dis-turb the ceremony.

Surely Starfleet Personnel should be showing much more respect than this. I can only say, I am sure you know who you are, shame on you. If

nothing else, common courtesy would demand this, to say nothing of Our Code of Conduct.

Well... I think I have ruffled enough feathers for one issue. Always remember:

Courtesy costs you nothing, Discour-tesy could cost you the respect of your peers.

“Courtesy

costs you

nothing,...”

SL STARFLEET is the Second Life Counterpart to the real life organization STARFLEET: The International Star Trek Fan Association, Inc. SL STARFLEET was founded so that should members of the RL STAR-FLEET find their way into the Second Life, they could immediately join a group that they would feel comfort-able and familiar with. SLSF however is not officially associated with SFI. However, SL STARFLEET has become so much more than that. It is a vibrant community of people composed of many beliefs, styles, backgrounds, and ideals. The concept of IDIC that the great bird “Gene Roddenberry” instilled into the Star Trek Universe is alive and well. A place for friendship, fun, and a sense of family abound.

SL STARFLEET - DELTA QUADRANT

“Boldly going…… Helm, what’s our heading again?”

The Delta Communicator is a production under the SL STARFLEET Communications Division - Information and Publications (SIP) Team.

Chief of Comms & DC Publisher /Editor:

LTCDR Mateo Infinity

Lead, SIP Team - Pending

Asst. Editor - Cadet Heiraxes Maximus

Website:

WWW.SLSTARFLEET.ORG

I would like to take a moment to say that as of this issue of the DC, we have pub-lished articles from all key persons involved in the Command Change. We in the spirit of free press have published these articles, and now that is complete, we will not publish any fur-ther articles on the subject. I would not nor-mally have published some of the articles we have not because of the subject matter but the way they were written. To quote a comment made in an article in this edition “you must make up your OWN minds.”

We all have one critical guarantee in life and that is the freedom of choice. We all have the choice to be a part of this group or not. We all have the ability choose our level or participation in the group, and how we try to impact, and affect change in the group.

May we all Thrive, Love, and Grow.

Greetings all I have a few things I would like to close this edition of the Delta Communicator with. First, there are a lot of very exciting things going on in the Communi-cations Division. The Internet Resources Team is busy involved in several projects, and as you can see the Information and Publica-tions Team is now well underway.

I am pleased to announce that this is will be my final issue as Senior Editor. Of course I will still have oversight of the Delta Communicator, but Heiraxes Maximus will be taking over as Senior Editor for the next addi-tion. I am pleased that there are several peo-ple now working on various aspects of the DC, including writing articles, collecting materials, and doing interviews. Including LT Samuel Wizenhunt, Cadet TessaLee Writer, and in the future VADM Rafkin Ashbourne.

The Editors Corner By, LTCMDR Mateo Infinity

Documents

DC November 2007