Today is Player of the Week!
On Autcraft, my Minecraft server for autistic children and their families, we have one day a week where we share announcements and also celebrate our Player of the Week!
While most Minecraft servers are setup to be automated and reward players that finish first in some competition, Autcraft is different in that we reward people who help the most, are the most positive, who make the most self improvements, and so forth. We do that on the spot as it happens, in the form of CBAs (Caught Being Awesome), and we do it weekly at Player of the Week.
All players can get it, any age, regardless of how they did the week before. Have one good week and it just might happen!
Those who get Player of the Week get some credits to use in our store to buy some perks and also get their head and name showcased for all to see.
By encouraging everyone to be helpful and positive and supportive, the entire community benefits but more so than that, we see less anger, less meltdowns, less competition. We can actually see a direct correlation between the number of CBAs we give out and the number of incidents that happen such as arguments or rage quits. The more they are rewarded for the good things they do, the less likely they are to do the negative things due to negative emotions.
I may be biased, being the guy who started the server, but I can honestly say that I feel just as fortunate to be a part of this community as anyone else because everyone is just so kind, and encouraging, and supportive. It's a joy to be there each and every day, not a chore or a job, and it's always there for me when I feel down... and yes, me being autistic, and human... I have my days where I could use some support and encouragement too.
TED Talks and BuzzFeed have both called Autcraft "The Best Place on the Internet" and I agree with them... not because I started it, or because I made it that way, but because the community and each and every person it, makes it the best.
I'm just lucky to be a part of it.
@AutismFather that's a really awesome idea!
@AutismFather Thank you for this. I sent the link to family so they are aware of the resource you provide. Your work and the effort of the community you support is pretty valuable to me. Cheers!