Staff Structures

There are various types of remote staff working online with us at the present
time, including (but not limited to):

- Guides: Specially trained staff which serve as an extension of our Customer
Service division, based in the People Connection, to meet and greet people as
they enter the general chat areas, answer questions, and direct members to
other areas of the service. They can usually be identified by the prefix
"Guide" in their screen names.
- Forum Personnel: Trained remote personnel who work in the Computing and
Software forums, offering technical support on computer software and hardware
issues for Macintosh, Apple II, and PC computers. Each forum has a forum
leader who directs the activities of the individual forums (identifiable by
the AFL prefix for Mac/Apple forums and PC for PC forums, forum staffers
usually have the prefix of AFA, AFC, PCA, or PCC).
- Hosts: These are often special interest group forum leaders, directing a
general forum area online and leading chats on a specific topic.
- Interactive Games Staff: Specially trained staff which help run the
interactive games online, including RabbitJack's Casino, Neverwinter Nights,
MasterWord, and more. These are usually readily identifiable by the screen
name prefix of NW, OGF, or QRJ.
- People Connection Game Parlor and Trivia Forum Staff: These are trained
interactive game hosts who host the People Connection games such as "Query
Quest," "Harmony," and "Trivia."
- Event Room Staff: Theme and discussion room hosts who run such rooms at
"Romance Connection" and the "Teen Chat" in People Connection.
- Company representatives: These representatives may work for one of the many
companies which offer support online, such as Microsoft (MSFT), Gateway,
Digital Research (DRI), PC World (PCW) or others too numerous to mention
here, or may work as a remote staff liaison between America Online and a
supporting company.
- Tutors/Teachers: These are staff who are part of the educational services
online, either teaching in the Interactive Educational Services (IES)
department or helping tutor homework sessions online. They will often have
the prefix "Teacher" in their screen names.

Information providers, regardless of what department or area in which they
work, are a vital link in the overall chain of service which AOL provides by
managing, maintaining, and/or supporting the department or area in which they
work.

It is important to remember, however, that while you play an important role
in the overall service, your primary responsibility is to your area. While
suggestions in other areas are welcomed by area managers, it can be difficult
to appreciate precisely how another area works. Please bear in mind when
visiting another area online that, even with the best intentions, you should
do nothing to interfere with that area's day-to-day operations.


Transmitted: 94-11-10 02:32:13 EST