Joined: Wed May 10, 2006 1:46 pm Posts: 58 Location: rehgahlpo
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Part of what needs to be thought about is what, exactly, we mean by guild, I think. The D'ni had their guild system, which, as has been pointed out, had some big problems. UruLive in 2002 inspired some communities to formalize a bit and call themselves a variety of things -- Guild of Greeters, D'ni Explorers Guild, Guild of Cartographers. The D'ni Linguistic Fellowship, which I co-founded with Jerle way back when, was definitely a part of this trend. Part of our name choice was to shy away from the connotations and hierarchy structure of the traditional guild; but then, I think most of the Guild-like groups that have formed don't rest too heavily on hierarchical structures.
It's important to remember that any social structure or system, period, creates a situation where some people have more power (I mean this in the sense of social influence, authority, responsibility, voice) than others. Sometimes this is good (Liaisons, betatesters, for example) sometimes this isn't so good (no good MREDU examples I can think up -- what does that tell ya? )
If we think about Guilds not as the rigid organizations of authority and deference that tend to come to mind, and rather redefine the Guild concept for ourselves (as I think GoG, DLF, et al have already largely done in practice) with the aim of community building always in mind, I think it can be a great opportunity for explorers to discover new interests, learn new skills, meet new friends, and get more out of the cavern experience...
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An open community of scholars, explorers, and enthusiasts of the languages of the D'ni and their many Ages
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