The Web Cadet Corps!!!

[Tim Medeiros]

From their awards page:

For those who have earned the WCC's highest honors...
WCC Medal

Tim Medeiros      Air Force       2007

Is this the same Timothy Medeiros, Capt, CAP here on this board?

I'm still not exactly sure what this is because the FAQ and "What is the WCC" pages are restricted to registered users...convenient.

Yes that is me, I've been a member since March 2003.  Its my way of "escaping reality" much like some people play EverQuest or World of Warcraft.  We don't have face to face meetings unless members wish to meet eachother for the heck of it, or primary forms of communication are email and a forum.  Activities range from games in an arcade that exists in concert with the forums or various "features" run by the individual units.  We simply try to learn from eachother and from various tests that our membership past and present have made in the form of "trades" and "qualifications".  The WCC is made up of primarily 15-22 yr olds who either have been or are currently cadets in their home countries.  Countries represented are Canada, England, USA, Germany, Australia, and others.  Feel free to ask directly if you have any questions, I'll try and answer as best as I can, until then I'll continue separating CAP from WCC like I have since I joined.

[Pylon]

To make new friends, get a taste of military life without ever leaving your computer, learn new and interesting things.

I think to gain the essential leadership traits our Cadet Program is intended to instill, our cadets need to leave their computer and interact with people in real life.  Camaraderie and like-minded friends are great (and so are online discussion communities), but encouraging people to make friends, contacts and network in real life is far more important.

[A.Member]

To make new friends, get a taste of military life without ever leaving your computer, learn new and interesting things.

I think to gain the essential leadership traits our Cadet Program is intended to instill, our cadets need to leave their computer and interact with people in real life.  Camaraderie and like-minded friends are great (and so are online discussion communities), but encouraging people to make friends, contacts and network in real life is far more important.

x1000! 

That really should be a selling point for a cadet programs at a national level.   There are people that live in the virtual world and those that go out and really do stuff.  Our cadets really go out and do stuff.

[thp]

To make new friends, get a taste of military life without ever leaving your computer, learn new and interesting things.

I think to gain the essential leadership traits our Cadet Program is intended to instill, our cadets need to leave their computer and interact with people in real life.  Camaraderie and like-minded friends are great (and so are online discussion communities), but encouraging people to make friends, contacts and network in real life is far more important.

x1000! 

That really should be a selling point for a cadet programs at a national level.   There are people that live in the virtual world and those that go out and really do stuff.  Our cadets really go out and do stuff.

Like we said, many of our WCC members do both. Most are members of a real life military, or cadet program.

[davedove]

To make new friends, get a taste of military life without ever leaving your computer, learn new and interesting things.

I think to gain the essential leadership traits our Cadet Program is intended to instill, our cadets need to leave their computer and interact with people in real life.  Camaraderie and like-minded friends are great (and so are online discussion communities), but encouraging people to make friends, contacts and network in real life is far more important.

x1000! 

That really should be a selling point for a cadet programs at a national level.   There are people that live in the virtual world and those that go out and really do stuff.  Our cadets really go out and do stuff.

Considering the current state of technology, it is also important for leaders to know how to operate in the virtual world., so I would say that both are important.

That being said, I would be willing to say that most teens already know how to operate in the virtual environment better than most adults, so the focus should probably still be on the real world environment.

[Eagle400]

I think to gain the essential leadership traits our Cadet Program is intended to instill, our cadets need to leave their computer and interact with people in real life.  Camaraderie and like-minded friends are great (and so are online discussion communities), but encouraging people to make friends, contacts and network in real life is far more important.

Absolutely, Captain Kieloch.  I would just like to add that face-to-face interaction is just as important for officers as it is for cadets.   

One big dilemma with discussion forums is that written communication only conveys about 15% of the whole picture.  The other 85% of communication (nonverbal) is hidden and it is very difficult to see someone's intentions if you can't see their body language. 

One of the reasons why meeting people online and developing friendships with them is not even near being as effective as meeting them and being friends with them in person is that a huge chunk of communication is absent, and it is impossible to define relationships without having met the other person face-to-face.  That's interpersonal communication 101. 

So what we have here is a forum largely made up of folks who have undefined relationships with people they've never met, and have the expectation of conveying full communication with each other when really only 15% is present.  What's more, these people actually expect their online relationships to be defined without having met the other person face-to-face.  This is the case with every internet forum, not just this one. 

I am a leadership major in college and am writing a paper on this right now.

So online discussion forums may be nice, but there is no substitute for face-to-face interaction.  A person can be one way online and be totally different in person, though I do not recommend living a "double life."  Doing so only adds an unnecessary burden to your life, and doesn't do much in the end except give you more stress than you need and confuse people about the way you really are.

[pixelwonk]

This is not generated at anyone in particular, but "thp," by virtue of being a CAP cadet, is getting all that real life interaction stuff.  This Web cadet thing, while kinda dorky and pointless, is no worse than hanging out here.

just sayin.

[thp]

This is not generated at anyone in particular, but "thp," by virtue of being a CAP cadet, is getting all that real life interaction stuff.  This Web cadet thing, while kinda dorky and pointless, is no worse than hanging out here.

just sayin.

My point! Thank you Tedda! Many of our members are in REAL WORLD organizations and participate actively. They just spend some time hanging out with other cadets from all over the REAL WORLD, have fun, and pick up some extra knowledge.