| Being A JAK+ | |
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FaDed - Student  |
alrite, with all the discussion about ranks i feel it necessary to explain to the student body what it's really like being a part of the JAK+. this is solely my own point of view and in no way should this statement be used as an official definition of the JAK+ i'll begin with telling you what it's like to go through the process of becoming a JAK. it begins with the very instant that you join the academy and start playing on the game servers or chatting on IRC. you're watched and evaluated, some more than others, depending on how attentive the current JAK+ are and how much you impress them with your attitude. months go by, the typical amount being 5-6. if around that time the academy is in need of more knights, the current JAT+ will begin to toggle (make eligible for knight) a prescribed amount of students using the Knight Recommendation threads located in the Academy Discussion and the private JAK/JAT forums. if toggled, you are allowed to take a written exam. if you pass that and then are nominated by 3 JATs, you are allowed to take the server trial. if you pass that, you are promoted, given the title of Jedi Knight, and are entrusted with the responsibilities that go along with the rank. now that you're a JAK, let's take a look at how you spend your time at the JA. almost everyday you will read up on the forums which now includes the private knight forum. in there you will discuss matters with the other JAK+. you may choose to spend some time mingling with the students on the servers or chatting on IRC as you have always done. only now you have to be on your best behavior at all times because you are now the example, the one that others look up to. you'll also have to be on the lookout for lamers and other rule breakers and have to deal with them accordingly. you'll get countless requests from people asking you to help them, train them, take them as padawans, or they may say nothing and just follow you around. you may choose to take padawans and so then you'll have to take the time to train them, either in a regularly scheduled padawan session or other informal training sessions. also, as a knight, you may have the opportunity to teach and assist classes. lastly, you'll be asked to help out with the other knight trials. eventually you might want to become a trainer, a jedi instructor. you've been teaching your classes and assisting others. you've been doing everything that every JAK should do. so when there is a demand for some new JATs, the current JAT+ will go through a process of recommending who they think will make the best trainers. after the JAT+ have selected whom they want, the knights chosen must go through a series of JAT trials. if passed, the JAK will be promoted, given the title of Jedi Instructor and are then entrusted with all the responsibilities that go along with the rank. as a Jedi Instructor, you do everything that you did as knight, only now more is required of you. you have another forum to keep updated on, the private trainers forum. you now have new admin commands including the student favorite, spawning. so along with the other requests you'll get pleas for you to spawn. you can now create and schedule your own classes (before you had to ask another JAT+ to do it for you.) not only can you create them, but it is required that you teach one class weekly. otherwise, you will return to your rank as a JAK. you do your duties as a JAT and you've been around for a long time. as a gift of gratitude, a sort of thank you for your service, you may be given the title of Jedi Master. that is where the road usually ends for most, but let's say that you are promoted and you join the council. there is no special trial, no official procedure. you are simply given access to everything within the academy and asked to fulfill your responsibilities as a JAC. while on the council you have many new duties to perform, all to make sure that the academy runs properly. depending on what your role is on the council, what you do may differe slightly from the others. but there are some things that all the council members share in doing. student applications, coordinating and discussing with the other JAK+, reading the forums and keeping the content clean and respectful, and administrating to the student body. basically the role of a JAC is mostly administrative. you may, if you wish, teach classes or do anything that the other JAK+ do. you are looked up by all and what you say is law. aside from, but still a part of the JAK+ are the JAStaff. as a staff member you are responsible for one specific area of the academy, i.e. IRC or modding. you are given access to many things that will allow you to fulfill your function. although you are not always directly involved in the enforcing of rules, implementing new ideas, or the aquisition of new knights, you discuss and give input on many of the same things as the rest of the JAK+. on top of everything you do as a JAK+, you still have a real life. you are not paid to be involved in the things that go on here, you freely volunteer your time. and it's a lot of time. being a JAK+ is not for everyone, but if you truly have a desire to serve others, if you feel it is important to give back to the academy, then by all means pursue the goal. it is not my goal to scare people away from wanting to be a JAK+, but i want people to understand the huge time and often emotional committment of being a JAK+. This post was edited by Virtue on Oct 31 2005 04:17am. |
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| Comments |
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Phantom - Student 
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What Tido is saying is all very true... if you cant manage to do the things a Knight is suppose to do then you shouldnt become one. A knight must be dependable. He must make the JA a safer place. And he must be willing to help those who join the JA. _______________ -Phantom Ex-Master to Threat. Proud owner of Sazabi's 1500th comment! And Threats 50th comment "Insanity: a perfect rational adjustment to an insane world" |
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Tido - Student 
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Quote: not to be greedy but i would like to become a knight  Very few don't. And those who don't I think really have a good concept of what a Knight is/does and know it's not for them  . There is nothing wrong with wanting to be a Knight, but the issue is why do you want to be a Knight. Sure there are lots of neat things about being a JAK: you get a limited admin on the servers, you can have a class/padwans, you get more info on the inner workings of the JA - but there is a lot that isn't so enjoyable too. After the appeal of having admin and access to more forms fades away, and your dueling some buddies but some guy is blowing people up with an e-web in Vlad's Memorial...this is where all the appeal of being a Knight goes away. Sure you'd like to have fun with your bros, but you can't. You've got to deal with the guy breaking the peace/rules and it's probably going to take about all your free time to get it sorted out. You're not going to be happy about it, and it's certainly NOT fun. This is really the difference between folks who want to be JAKs, and folks actually become them. A real Knight of the JA doesn't become a JAK for himself, he does it for every person who registers on this site and sets a foot in the servers. He is giving away his free time and fun so that you can enjoy yourself and learn in the wonderful environment that the JA provides. Teaching is hard and takes tons of time and paitence, but a JAK does it because he really wants to help you out. Dealing with troublemakers is frustrating and depressing but Knights do it because they don't want you guys to have to worry about that stuff. Ultimately the perks of being a JAK are far outweighed by the negatives. However it all seems worth it in the end when you know what your doing is making this place that much better for all your friends here. |
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Jo_Mintaka - Student 
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not to be greedy but i would like to become a knight _______________ Joined Jan 27 2005 [Owner of Pink Floyd's 525th, 1100th and 4002nd comments! Darth Mike's accidental 999 and 1001 comments! addiat's 1975 comment! |
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Hitokiri - Student 
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I want to be a Jedi Guardian also Grad! _______________ Ph34r m1 1337 5k1llz! |
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OcarinaLink - Student 
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And THAT is why I'm not a Knight. I'm just not around enough to really be dependable... _______________ memento mori |
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Sfire - Student 
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lol _______________ |Sfire - Padawan to MOTREC, Gradius| |Owner of Motrec's and Gradius's 999th Comments! Also Smily's 5001 comment and 3th's 1903 comment! Also, cannot forget to mention the proud owner of Gradius' 3000th comment!| |
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Gradius - Ex-Student 
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Well, since that's not even a rank, congrats! You're a Jedi Gaurdian! _______________ - Proud padawan of Kueller. - We really are at the beginning of it all. The trick, of course, is to make sure we never find the end. - Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything - <gen-e-sis-happy> Liek, you can train, liek, a n00b, but he'll just be a trained n00b... --> Wise words! - "daer SOE me likes your a company i am having your some money for letting me do stuff cos mes the best amd i do it all meself" - Slider |
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Kestral - Student 
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I want to train to become a jedi guardian _______________ A full fledged Weapon master from where he is from. He is one who wants to learn the way of the Jedi, though he will not give up his love for the weemon!!! |
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Selph Senatu - Student 
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Sounds like being a slave to me |
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SilkMonkey - Distributor of Cold Ones 
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Guys and gals, let me state for the record AGAIN that being a Knight or Trainer is not a rank. It's a job. It can be more fun than a Real World (c) job...but it can suck much more than a RL job as well. The obligatory full staff (JAKs+) meetings tend to last for hours...and you're expected to pay attention and be able to contribute. All that, and you don't get paid, or get any compensation other than the satisfaction of keeping this place running. -SilkMonkey Knight: May of 2003 -> December 2003 Trainer: December 2003 -> April-ish 2004 _______________ |-HK-47 -SilkMonkey: You are receiving a warning for being_too_sexy. If you do not stop, action will be taken against you.|| (11:13:43) � Virtue dances for Silk ||Smiling owner of Smilykrazy's 6000th comment =) ||Odan Wei's Proud Big Brother|| Janus is my official TaruTaru Cuddly Animal Type Person. ||(@Virtue) Or you could just be a man and set fire to your genitals.....you won't fall asleep for days after that.......trust me.||Thomas Skywalker er for sexy for sitt eget beste!!!!| Not changing sig until the JA loosens up. (Started: Aug 31, 2005) |
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Ris Win Juljul - Padawan 
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Faded has really put in perspective on what being a JAK+ is like, it sound's difficult, and fairly fun at the same time, i would give it a try  Ris  _______________ -Padawan of Virtue -Brother of Menaxia, *|irael, Krynn Adept, Majno, Mic Den Octela, DaMi3N, Beowulf, Dash Starlight, Carrock and Yuken Zalak -Proud owner to Mics 100th and 777th comment's, Lady C's 700th Comment and Emm's 100th Comment ^^ -A Proud Knight of Nippledom This comment was edited by Ris Win Juljul on Aug 30 2004 11:51pm. |
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Carda Jowol - Student 
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Interesting.. altho it would be interesting to be a JAK+ I don't really mind its the fun really. _______________ [Gran Father/Founder of the Jowols] |
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gerbilOFdoom - Student 
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Well sounds hard but I will try. |
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Caos - Ex-Student 
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nice i like what has been set up hear a good feel about it an extreamly well put together academy Caos  _______________ they way of the sith is the way of my life |
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Menaxia - Student 
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They assess whoever has been recomended. Not everybody WANTS to be a JAK, + not everybody who's registered - plays. _______________ This is not the place to look for me |
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Bolto - Student 
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hmm if there are over 7500 people in the ja how do u assess all of them?  muct take a long time. _______________ Padawan of Flash |
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Lithaerien - Student 
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That's nice. I read the whole thing actualy. _______________ "The Dark Side? I've been there... Do your worst!" ~Kyle Katarn "Don't force it" ~GeForce |
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Halendor - Ex-Student 
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Thanks Nomi, that is exactly what I was talking about. |
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Nomi D'Kana - Student 
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I think this thread is related but I'm not sure if the idea has become inactive Class Transcripts Nomi _______________ "The crystal is the heart of the blade. The heart is the crystal of the Jedi. The Jedi is the crystal of the Force. The Force is the blade of the heart." Master Luminara This comment was edited by Nomi D'Kana on Apr 24 2004 03:54pm. |
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Hardwired - Retired 
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he he he...trust me...we got our hands full as it is.. _______________ ::Nothing wrong with a little shooting.....as long as the right people get shot:: |
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Halendor - Ex-Student 
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Hehe, Faded the idea-killer It's not an extra burden for the teachers, since what they put in the notes, they would normally type in class. But, if you think it's not neccesary, well, then it probably isn't This comment was edited by Halendor on Apr 17 2004 04:41pm. |
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FaDed - Student 
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no.. the classplans are what is going to be taught in that class. not how to do what is going to be taught. class literature is a good idea, but i don't think it's necessary and i don't want to overburden those who want to teach. |
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Halendor - Ex-Student
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But the class plan isn't the same as what I described as class literature right? |
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Katan - Student 
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Helendor, we've been doing that for a while We have to type up a class plan in order to make a class, and I guess the idea is to put them in the holocron. _______________ |
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Halendor - Ex-Student
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Oh, that's good to hear But this makes me wonder if the JAK+ should make a page where their plans are listed, including how much is done already and when it's approx. finished. That way students would be more up to date and know what to expect |
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