What is a Navigator?
Navigators are chatters who volunteer to spend a lot of time helping out and keeping order on the chat.
The ideal Navigator knows every little secret on the Chat, he or she is extremely patient, both when helping out newbies and when dealing with occasional trouble.
Only very experienced chatters become Navigators, so if you feel like helping others and want to help make the chat a nice place for everyone, it could be just the challenge for you.
How to become a Navigator
Would you like to be a Chat Navigator?
Before answering this question there are some things you should know.
Being a Navigator is not an easy role to fulfil. It is demanding, takes hard work and dedication and a lot of online time. Despite this, it's also great fun. Many navigators much prefer it to being a chatter.
- As a navigator you're an ambassador for the Chat. This means that chatters watch everything you say and do. Behave inappropriately, and it gives all Navigators a bad name. Being helpful at all times when on and off watch, shows what a great team we are.
- Navigators are the first people new chatters meet and their most important task is to make sure that these newbies have a good experience the first time they are on board.
- Some chatters will see it as their job to try to wind you up. If they succeed, they win. If they don't, everyone wins :) Therefore you have to be helpful and patient when people ask you a question. As a Navigator your behaviour should be spotless on the chat at all times.
If you are the kind of person who gets emotional easily, then being a navigator may not be for you. You must be objective always; NEVER taking sides, even when your friends are involved, and always play devils advocate. Never make assumptions.
You must be able to keep confidences, both chatters and other Navigators may come to you with problems. And you will also be the first to find out about new things too – you must be able to keep these things close to your chest! Having the patience of a saint too is necessary! Some chatters take a while to help, and you need to ensure that your personality can cope with these demanding times.
You should also ask yourself, Am I a team player? This is a very important question as the Navigator system can only work with a team spirit. All ranks working together for a common goal.
All this said, being a navigator is very rewarding. Just ask any of our existing Navigators and they will tell you that nothing beats the feeling of when you help a chatter or solve a dispute and receive a huge Thank you.
So, still interested? Then you also need to meet the following criteria.
- You must have been a chatter for at least 6 months.
- You must have a minimum chat rank of Midshipman (although exceptions may be made by Chiefs).
- You must have a clear chat record, with no serious bans/behaviour issues in the last 6 months.
- You must also have completed the 5 standard chat quests. /sing, /shout, /whisper, /sleep, /love.
If you are a former navigator ranked 3rd or above and wish to return to the team on any name, please contact a chief navigator to discuss your options.
If you meet the criteria above, you can apply to become a navigator. Depending on the recruitment needs, you may be approached directly, you may be able to contact a 1st or Chief Navigator and express interest, or you may have to take the exam, or any combination of these. We reserve the right to change the recruitment methods at any time, and this is at the discretion of Chief Navigators.
If you would like to be a navigator, and do not qualify yet, then take this time to get to know everything there is to know about the chat. The more you know, the more you'll be able to help others.
Keep an eye on the bridge for opportunities to join as a navigator!