URI for Delegate: Reflective Stewardship

[United Royal Islands]

United Royal Islands (URI) for Delegate: A Spirit of Reflective Stewardship

Hello, my fellow islanders, after a lot of thought and consideration - and with your encouragement, I have decided to announce my run for Delegate of 10,000 Islands.
Since November of 2016, I have been proud to call XKI my home, and have made many great friends here. So, while I know that many of you may know me, I want to take a moment to introduce myself in case you do not and to provide to everyone an understanding of me that may help in your choice for delegate.

I came to the region as my first choice, almost by accident, yet have not felt the pull to go anywhere else. When I first joined, I was lost and confused about everything -- the way Markanite as Minister of Education, and Boltor as Delegate welcomed me into the region made all the difference in feeling welcomed and seen. Since then, I have dedicated my time to serve the region and to be an active part of the community. With the help of the region, I was able to write and pass World Assembly Resolution #397 - World Assembly Central Library Compact. I was awarded the Rookie of the Quarter in January of 2017, for my engagement and initiative. At that time, I ran for and was honored to become the Senator for Himes West, where I ran the XKI Lottery for 3 months, before then running for Lyonesse East and was given the opportunity to run our House System for another 9 months. During my time in the senate, our former Chief Executive Grub decided to resign passing on the job to Woonsocket. At that time, in November of 2017 he asked me to join the Regional Reserve where I served the region administering our economy for a year. In March of 2018, nearing the end of my term in the senate, I was appointed to fill the vacancy in the Ministry of Education, where I served our region for another 9 months. Normally, here would follow a that I was still in one or both of those roles today, or that I retired and have been doing something else in the meantime -- unfortunately in late 2018 I became sick suddenly, and that required me to pull back from the region all at once. I have since recovered and have been regaining my strength and focus, with all the love and support of the community. I am honored to say that Sargon Reman choose me to remain with the Reserve and help in implementing his vision for the economy as his deputy during my recovery.

Throughout my time in XKI and in the Council of Nine, I have brought my ideas and focus to the tasks at hand, and sought to show leadership through service to the region. I strive in all things to maintain and modify only where necessary. This is the basis of my campaign to become your next Delegate; by bringing the principles and ethic of reflective stewardship I hope to guide our region on the world stage and promote our values globally. Fundamentally, I view the delegate’s duties as primarily administrative, and that the clear and consistent performance of the duties will be our best guide for foreign policy – as our allies and friends can count on our word and trust in what we say. Yet, even with all that in mind, if elected as Delegate, I feel the following areas will be areas which I can bring new energy and focus to:

SPOILER: Click to show

{Promotion of XKI internationally and immigration}
While our Ministry of Immigration works hard to bring people to the region, for many nations their first perception of the region is through its delegate. I want to work with our immigration team to develop strategies and messaging which help their efforts in recruiting new nations. As delegate I believe that my role will be to champion and advocate for our region and its values.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Promotion of the forum and engagement regionally}
Likewise, the Ministry of Education is there to help bring new nations to the region and forge the lasting bonds of engagement which provide us all the great new talent and ideas that keeps our system running. I want to work with our education team to help shape regional communications that helps promote their work. As delegate I believe I can be an advocate to the region for engagement and the forum.

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{Re-Thinking Foreign Affairs Programs}
While much of our FA programs help us to maintain and grow our international relationships, they should not be immune to critique and evaluation, and where they are failing to meet our region’s needs, they need to change. I want to do this work and where possible seek to improve our programs with the advice and input of our allies/friends, the Chief Executive, and the region as a whole. I believe that as delegate, my role will be to ensure that the machines of foreign affairs is well oiled and maintained.

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{Engaging WA activity and writing}
Over the past year there has been a growing trend toward block voting in the GA and SC. This means that even as the most populous UCR, we need to be engaging with other regions to maintain and grow our influence. I believe that by promoting aspiring resolutions authors and seeking favorable vote trades where possible we can begin to build our presence in these forums and bring our values to the table.

In many ways, some of this work has already begun, and in others we need to start the work. I want to build on the legacy of our delegates and be a gracious steward of the work that has come before me. I know that without it, 10,000 Islands would not be the region I know and love. I know first hand how a little bit of extra attention can make an enormous difference in the outcomes for our region and internationally. Please join me in celebrating this complex work and working together to build and promote the region we all love – and vote URI for Delegate!

[United Royal Islands]

URI Candidate Answers
I will be quoting and posting all the questions and answers here for ease of reading and access during the campaign.

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To save Paffnia some work, I will answer the long list of questions here first and let him move right on to other questions he may have

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{WA}

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

It's time for the the ol' barrage of delegate questions!

WA
- Except in cases where you have actively decided to abstain, do you pledge to vote on every single WA resolution during your term?

To the best of my ability. This is one of the main administrative duties of the delegate and maintaining our voting in the WA provides a clear and consistent signal to our friends and allies. I will also try to uphold Kuriko’s policy of voting early for resolutions where it is in our interest to do so, but I am not committing to doing so on every resolution.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- Do you plan on posting WA polls on the forums like our past delegates have?

Yes. This aspect of FA helps promote WA engagement in our forum and by maintaining good habits with things like these we are in a better place overall as a region.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- Any thought of using the regionwide vote displayed on NS instead of a forum poll?

As a general rule, I will probably defer to the forum polling in the event of conflict, but I am not sure there is any one gold standard for determining popular will. The region wide poll tends include more people outside the forum who are still engaged in the WA and is probably more representative of the region as a whole. Yet, I do think we should be encouraging and promoting coming into the forum especially for regional engagement, so I am inclined to favor that polling.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- Besides SC resolutions on matters concerning TITO and when a nation illegally mass-TGs the Islands about a proposal, will you always abide by poll results when casting the region's vote?
- What would you do in those two exceptions?

Not firmly. Like past delegates, I believe that there are resolutions and situations where the Delegate has a responsibility to lead the region, either by voting early to shape the vote, or by maintaining a vote contrary to polling. Now that said, in general I find that we have begun to build up a culture of in formed and engaged WA members, and part of building that engagement has been deferring to the polls in the majority. When I would case a vote in contradiction I will do my best to explain why and remain open to rebuttal.
As for the specific exceptions mentioned, I believe that where a necessary vote which contradicts the polling, I will do my best to explain the principles and values at stake in maintaining those stances.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- If you do decide to vote by forum poll or regionwide WA vote, are there any circumstances (other than matters concerning TITO and mass-TGs to the Islands) in which you would not be able to vote according to the poll results? In other words, are there any issues about which you feel so strongly that you could not cast a vote a certain way, due to conflict with your beliefs/conscience?

The only area of GA law that are likely to be strong motivating factors for me are in reproductive freedoms, lgbt rights, and the defense of GA#397. However I would remain open to rebuttal and persuasion on changing my vote even in those cases. In the S.C. the situation can be trickier, I find that more of these issues press into TITO concerns and will likely seek additional consult from command on liberation and condemn resolutions.
Now all that said the balance many delagtes have struck between affirming the popular will and the needs of the region have been well worn and I will try to remain as close to those precedents as possible.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- Would you have voted for this proposal?: 10000islands.proboards.com/thread/31560/ns230-mandatory-delegate-voting-rules

No. While I believe the delegate should be consistent in the application of their strategy for voting, a ridged framework and law is not preferable toward achieving those ends. I honestly believe that despite being a bit of a challenge to me at the moment, the format of asking candidates to clarify there positions prior to election is a better way to bring to the mind the consistency and values that XKI promotes.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- If FOR and AGAINST are tied on the forum vote, what then?

Unless otherwise covered under the reasons above for taking a stand or voting in contradiction to polling, I would default first to the region-wide vote count in game.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- When timing your vote, will you vote as soon as possible, with a XKI discussion thread set up even earlier in an attempt to sway the vote; or wait awhile before voting to get the full spectrum of opinion from more Islanders; or something else?

I tend to favor a balance and will err on the side of bringing WA issues and resolutions up early in order to have the most time for feedback;also in matters where we need to take an early stand, having the most flexibility to do so.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- In a close and shifting forum vote on a resolution, how often will you change your vote? As soon as FOR overtakes AGAINST, for example, or wait to see if it switches back?

I believe that consistency is key to regional leadership and once I vote I will only change it when there is compelling evidence to affirm the change. That is to say I will likely wait a decent time after any change in close polling. And for most issues I will attempt to provide the most lead time possible to garner a truer sense of what is the regional view.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- Will you keep the "delegate's prerogative" option?

Yes, an up-down vote which leaves little room for nuance on the issue is more apt to discourage participation than enhance it. In the event of a clear vote in favor of the prerogative I will seek to provide a clear rationale for the choice made.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- Will you provide Islanders with your own views on proposal, or merely seek their input?

In most cases, I will wait and let both sides on an issue have their say first. If I post my views too early it may be seen as biasing the discussion in a particular direction. However, like above, there will be times where regional interests are in play and I will take the opportunity to address what I find at stake early on or at the time of posting.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- Although this won't matter much if you vote based on polls, how do you align yourself in the GA? Do you side with the International Federalists or National Sovereigntists more (or some other position entirely)?

Generally more International Federalist in my writing, however I am sympathetic to NatSov arguments and have been known to endorse them from time to time. I’d characterize myself as a pragmatic federalist.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- How will you decide which WA proposals to approve for quorum? Would you do this just by your own judgment, take requests, or some other system?

Quorum votes I will tend to abstain from unless there is a compelling request, there is reason to do so as part of a vote trade with other delegates, or it is an resolution where there is compelling regional interest in allowing it to come to the floor for a vote.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- Would you create and regularly update a dispatch pinned to the WFE, with links to the most recent forum discussions of WA resolutions at vote, so that NS-going nations can find our WA discussions?

As apart of my campaign effort to promote activity on the forum, I will use the regional communication tools in a variety of manners to address our region and keep them informed of ongoing discussions.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- How will you encourage citizens to vote in WA polls (Side note: Lenlyvit , how did you get so many votes on most WA polls?)?

I believe a good strategy for increasing polling is to provide nations an earlier opportunity read about the resolution, to that end, I will be posting resolutions that are in the process of reaching quorum after they hit half the needed votes. Further i will be cross posting poll links on our discord and dispatch for all those resolutions which are in the queue. When a resolution is at vote I will make sure provide a reminder out for voting gameside.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- How will Islanders be able to hold you accountable if you fail to post polls or vote in a timely manner?

I expect that I shall be watched and interact with the council of nine, our chief executive markanite, and the region’s population as a whole, who can forum pm, telegram gameside, discord dm, and when elected I will provide a public email that people will be able to directly email me at if they have any concerns with my actions that they wish to address in private. Publicly I would expect that they would be mentioning me and or reporting it in our journalistic enterprises such as the mad surfer.

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{TITO}

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

TITO
- How do you feel about 6 months off of the TITO battle field?
- Would you still come to updates?

I was just getting back into the swing of update following my absence, as such being away from it is easy logisticslly but not emotionally. TITO service is a key tradition of the region and part of the reason I am running. I will likely continue to come to update and feel I can serve our military needs in other ways , such as through promoting TITO service to others and engaging our values in foreign affairs.

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{Foreign Affairs}

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

Foreign Affairs
- What criteria would you use to choose emissaries?

Willingness, activity, and good standing. We need those who can work as a team to convey our reports promptly and will be trusted in their communications abroad. I have to say that Kuriko has been highly diligent in this area and focused on maintaining staffing abroad. I hope to maintain this standard throughout my term.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- How would you ensure and monitor that emissaries actually do their job (posting our monthly reports, reporting back on the state of the assigned region, etc.)?

Like with many things, time and attention are important factors in overseeing work, and maintaining good relationships with all those doing the work.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- What criteria would you use to decide when to fire emissaries?

Generally, repeatedly failing to post reports in a timely manner, or if there is any disqualifying conduct either here or there, while as emissary.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- Should XKI sign new formal alliances with regions, or just keep it at embassies?

I have a much higher threshold for approving alliances, while beneficial in some instances, I find the ridged framework of alliances to infringe, a priori, on the ability of the chief executive and TITO command to make decisions and potentially prevent actions regarding regional security. So while some alliances may be in the long term best interest, it is my view that any negotiations or language must be carefully worded to not overly constrain our reaction space, or impose undue burdens on TITO forces.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- If the emissary corps is ever overstretched (as happened during my term), is lack of emissaries a valid reason to deny a new embassy with a borderline region? Or would you move to accept the embassy and then try to make do?

If a region is good enough to qualify for an embassy it deserves an emissary. However, in borderline cases I find that it is compelling to evaluate how much impact the relationship will have and whether it is in our best interest to approve it or not. All resources are finite, especially time, and overworked emissaries may do more harm to our foreign standing than the potential loss of a new embassy.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- Do you plan to continue the initiative of having Islanders visit friendly regions for a weekend? How long before the visits will you try to announce them?

Yes, I also believe that we should do more in general to promote our region through cross regional forum activities and events. With a renewed focus on rp especially coming to the front with the new Himes West duties, I believe that this gives us new opportunities and space to help promote ourselves globally.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- Will you appoint a foreign affairs secretary?

Most likely, I believe in a team approach to leadership and find that I do best when there is someone I can work closely with on exchanging ideas and keeping and eye on routine matters.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- Do you plan on adding your own touches to the emissaries' report, or just letting the BCN senator write it?

As part of my campaign promise, I believe that we can do more in promoting our region internationally including coordinating our messaging to appeal to nations. I want to work closely with our BCN senator to help craft the report in ways that will achieve these goals.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

Internal
- Will you endotart? Will you send messages to Islanders encouraging delegate endorsement?

Yes, apart of the core strength of being a delegate is amassing regional authority by which to influence international affairs. I also believe that a strongly endorsed delegate is reflective of a safer secure region.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- Will you post telegrams you receive, in a thread like this: 10000islands.proboards.com/thread/19903? Will you have an office thread (either combined with the inbox thread or separate)?

In so far as any communication impacts the region as a whole I will post it publically, as well as maintain an office thread.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- How would you have voted on this law?: 10000islands.proboards.com/thread/36910/288-delegate-term-limit-passed

As it came up during my time in the Co9, I believe I expressed concerns over the issue, and I still am unsure if it is a good idea. However given that it has passed I am not of a mind to second guess it or seek to repeal it. I am fairly aligned with Louis’s argument in abstaining. I would have likely voted in that manner.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- Will you mass-TG the Islands with updates? If so, what kind of updates and how often?

Yes I believe this is squarely within my campaign promise to promote the islands and the forum. I believe that a limited number of communications (likely not more than 2 per month) that encompasses a whole host of information for the region, will help keep everyone engaged and encourage them to get involved in the forum.

Mar 7, 2019 11:40:28 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

- Will you post the emissaries report in a pinned dispatch every month?

Yes, I also believe that a public facing version of the council report should be included as well. This will help demonstrate a wide range of activity that the region involved in.

Tada! All complete Paffnia enjoy!

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From Louisistan :

SPOILER: Click to show

{Regarding Views on R/D and Native Rights}

Mar 8, 2019 11:55:04 GMT -5 Louisistan said:

1.) What is your position on raiding and its influence on the game?

2.) Will you speak up for native's rights as Delegate of 10000 Islands?

1.) I have spoken on this variously over the years but I firmly believe that r/d as it is constituted now is flawed and should not exist.
Defending and detagging are goals I align with in the sense that no-one should have the power to abuse others for their own enjoyment. Raiding is grieving. The whole art form is bullying permitted in the ruleset.
Regions are in theory supposed to be an independent creative space and by coming in and destroying that harms and undermines the ability of people to build those communities.
I also have personal objections to taking over region admin -even if we leave it behind, has always makes me feel weird. It’s not my house, I did not build it, so why should I be elevated to that power. The people of that region have already had their will stripped once, who am I to further subvert their will again by claiming I know best.
And while logically I can understand that is how we must combat the prior actions, I sometimes also feel conflicted and wonder if we are not also enabling them through allowing them new clean slates to work again. And that is tough for me to square.
Yet is it very clear to me that one is better morally and justly than the over, despite the inherent flaws and contradictions within it. It is better to do a small harm in the service of something good, than a large harm in the service of something that isn’t.
Just because admin is unwilling to recognize an issue with the way they have constructed the system doesn’t make it an issue.
R/d is able to be better and more formalized and thus should be
R/d is able to incorporate a better understanding of explicit consent and thus should
R/d itself is not the problem in the abstract
R/d and admin’s lack of perceptiveness and willingness to improve toward the first two points constitute an issue with r/d as it’s conducted now and thus constitute a moral harm done to the game as a whole.
I would be further willing to elaborate any of these views in detail. That is highlights from a conversation i had previously on the topic in debate on the issue with a raider that i had inadvertently engaged with.

2.)Yes. Please see above views on regional autonomy and the right to peacefully exist without interference.

edit: In the interest of transparency, and that it may clarify my positition to have it made public; I am posting the full transcript of the impromptu discord debate mentioned in my response above. I had informed woonsocket and tito command at the time of this interaction. While I believe I defended my views well, I am somewhat regretful that I did engage as it is clearly a pointless debate.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Impromptu Discord Debate 01/27/2018}
January 27th 2018 - HP Festival of Friends
[12:40 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Hi hi :smile:
To get points for ravenclaw we need the picture in the housepounts thread like so:
I got House Ravenclaw! Which Hogwarts House Would You Be Sorted Into? ~quiz link removed~
BuzzFeed Community
Which Hogwarts House Would You Be Sorted Into?

[7:50 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: So who are you again besides the Ravenclaw House head?
[7:53 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: United Royal Islands of Euramathania, from XKI. I am helping escade keep things running
[7:53 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Ooooooo.
[7:54 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: You're not going to like me then
[7:57 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: I am already aware of who you are, and in consultation with the founder of XKI and the chief executive we have determined that for festival purposes some minimal contact may exist to help facilitate things, as we cannot enforce our rules in someone else’s discord
[7:57 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Smart
[7:59 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Aye. We try. So please enjoy the festival :smile: it was a lot of work
Are you a fan of Harry Potter?
[7:59 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: I did indeed read all the books
[8:01 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Escade's quiz is terribly stereotypical from an R/D standard, by the by, and clearly from a defenderist viewpoint.
[8:04 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Hence why I got Gryffindor when she clearly intended for me to get Slytherin and I was aiming for Ravenclaw
[8:04 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: You will have to take that up with her. I will state that I found nothing wrong with it however, even if it was a bit color coordinated
[8:06 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: She thinks all raiders are knuckle dragging, dimwitted, power obsessed fools who lack any pretext of forethought and planning.
[8:06 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Only those who don't last past a week, I say.
[8:09 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Not sure I am going to be the most receptive audience. I find the state of r/d as it is allowed to exist within NationStates to be quite reprehensible. While I do not characterize those who take part, I find myself philosophically and morally opposed to raiding at this time.
[8:11 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: There is no morality in a game. Even if there is, XKI itself is subject to brutal reprisals and revenge against its "enemies". It itself affords no mercy and yet demands it from its opponents.
[8:11 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: I can think of no greater hypocrisy.
[8:12 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Not to mention all the forced brain washing that would make any raider group blush.
[8:13 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: XKI is that group that called UDL "raider" that accused BT of being "disloyal and raider"..
[8:14 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Call LWU whatever you want, but we have always been a strong minded collection of independent misfits.
[8:18 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: And lest we forget who the first invaders of Osiris were. None other than TITO.
[8:18 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: All "for your protection", to borrow the LWU motto
[8:22 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: I will not speak to any past actions of XKI as I was not apart of those decisions, having joined in nov’16 merely the following observations:
Defending and detagging are goals I align with in the sense that no-one should have the power to abuse others for their own enjoyment. Raiding is grieving. The whole art form is bullying permitted in the ruleset.
Regions are in theory supposed to be an independent creative space and by coming in and destroying that harms and undermines the ability of people to build those communities.
I also have personal objections to taking over region admin -even if we leave it behind - always makes me feel weird. It’s not my house, I did not build it, so why should I be elevated to that power. The people of that region have already had their will stripped once, who am I to further subvert their will again by claiming I know best.
And while logically I can understand that is how we must combat the prior actions, I sometimes also feel conflicted and wonder if we are not also enabling them through allowing them new clean slates to work again. And that is tough for me to square.
Yet is it very clear to me that one is better than the over despite the inherent flaws and contradictions within it. It is better to do a small harm in the service of something good, than a large harm in the service of something that isn’t.
[8:25 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: You're argument of "this is legalized greifing" is so 2003. It's be a game feature since then and anyone who joined afterwards, which is the vast majority of the game, and anyone who argues otherwise is basically equal to the people on Call of Duty who argue that camping should be illegal.
[8:32 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: So you say, I was not here in 2003 so I cannot speak to that. nor was it very clear when I joined that it was apart of what I agreed to. If the goal of the game were to allow for war play in a systemic way then it should have been designed that way to allow people to opt into it. As it is, it is clear that regions can be subject to raising[SIP] regardless of the preferences of the people of that region. No matter how you dress that up, I still find it objectionable. If raiding and defending were solely a matter of skill involving only the people who agree to participate then I would withdraw my objections. But until such a time I cannot condone, accept or dignify the practice with anything more than my current level of disgust.

Please enjoy the festival however, just because we disagree on this does not negate mutual humanity and enjoyment of Harry Potter.
[8:36 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: The "opt in" myth had always confused me. Since 2003 the game has quite clearly stated that the invasion/defender game exists, right in the game explanation. These days you're even forced to click a box stating you've read such rules. You've been reading far too much Old Defender Propaganda.
[8:38 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: TITO has always been of the minority defender school of "I defend because I must, I'd rather not", rather than the majority of "I defend because it is fun".
[8:39 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: ~image link removed~

[8:46 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: First, I came to this understanding on my own prior to joining XKI. Second.that the argument has been around for a long time doesn’t negate its truth. I highly doubt anything I say will convince you that I am correct, just as I doubt there is any sufficient argument which would change my mind towards raiding as it exists currently. Including insinuations against my intellect and region.
As I said, this is not a receptive audience for your attempts. Let us enjoy the HP festival and the wonders of the world of magic and share in our common humanity, and leave arguing over our respective ideologies for a more appropriate context.
[8:49 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: I don't think I insinuated anything towards the state of your personal intelligence.

But as they once sang, "there ain't no good guys, there ain't no bad guys. There's only you and me and we just disagree".
[8:50 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: ~video link removed~
YouTube
Jr Fender
Dave Mason - We Just Disagree
[8:50 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Which sometimes breaks into military conflict...
[8:55 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Well being enthralled to propaganda wouldn’t speak well if my intellect btw, one doesn’t have to be indoctrinated to find the way things are run lacking logical or moral basis .
I also wish to clarify that I disagree with your actions. I have no basis for knowing if you are a “bad guy”, or merely doing things I disapprove of, especially in the context.
[8:59 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: But you do agree with the TITO propaganda that raiding is "immoral" and thus wrong. They clearly view me as a "bad guy" and bar the majority of the "impressionable" members from even talking to me. Congratulations for being accepted to a group deemed so "incorruptible" but TITO that you can actually have this conversation and not be banned from the region. If you do or do not consider that to be "indoctrination" is entirely up to you.
[9:10 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Although, I'm curious. What's the reason XKI gave you as to why LWU declared war against them and TITO in general?
[9:16 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania:
I agree to the NationStates Terms & Conditions.
Short Version of Terms & Conditions

NationStates is a free online political game. Players should respect the fun, playful atmosphere of the game, and remain civil when interacting with each other. However, this is politics, and there are more players than moderators, so someone may post content that you find objectionable. By continuing, you agree that you understand this, and that NationStates.net is not a publisher and not responsible for posts by players.

Please also note that the NationStates forums sometimes contain discussions of a mature nature and are not suitable for visitors under 13 years of age.

For full terms, please see here.

In order to get to the part that mentions you have to go through the full terms and conditions, where it says:
You agree to abide by all posted site rules, a fuller accounting of which may be found in the FAQ and The One Stop Rules Shop forum thread.

And then you get to read the FAQ in the very middle. It is not exactly front and center that NationStates is a war play game.
That I discovered this fact independent of any other reading material suggests that what you consider “player” might not be as so informed as you would believe. And the argument that it’s out fault for not reading everything is nonsense. Very few people read all of the fine print. We generally expect things to do what they say they do, and will worry about the laws governing it later. So I take issue with the notion that everyone provides clear consent in advance
[9:17 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: I know when I play call of duty that it will contain bullets
[9:17 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: It's still in the FAQ, which explains how the game works. It's a game feature.
[9:18 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: A poorly designed one that doesn’t take in to consideration how people approach the platform and what they expect out of it.
[9:19 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: It’s clear that many people will over look that aspect until they learn too late
[9:19 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: That's a bit nieve. Upon what do people base their game expectations but the FAQ?
[9:20 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Other games that are not NS? Their own pre-disposed expectations?
[9:23 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania:
NationStates is a free online political game. Players should respect the fun, playful atmosphere of the game, and remain civil when interacting with each other.

I don’t read the faq to understand Halo. The commercials are good enough
NationStates doesn’t sell itself on this aspect. It’s about building a nation and engaging in politics. R/d is vastly secondary to both those things.
[9:25 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: I find R/D to be very, very political.
[9:26 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Just like RL war is.
[9:26 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Just because it is listed somewhere does not justify it as the purpose of the game. If it was meant to be a feature it would have been coded for in a way that signifies to players that they were now actively involved in that aspect of the game.
It would be like Minecraft saying that because zombies spawn in the main game, your sandbox server is allowed to spawn zombies when you do not want them to because you knew that Minecraft spawns zombies and so you agreed to it. Technically yes, but in direct contraction to the spirit of the agreed to game
[9:27 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: That problem being that NS is is not "your sandbox"
[9:31 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: As a whole no it’s more like main Minecraft,which would be fine except for the fact that sells itself as sandbox mode in the first place and tells you about the xzombies in the middle of the faq instead of in the commercials
[9:32 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: I mean, Minecraft does the same thing.
[9:34 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: "Its all about mining and crafting" "Cool! goes to mine" SSSSSSSSSS BOOM "Did we mention the Creepers? No?"
[9:38 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Doesn’t make it right.
When people see:
NationStates is a nation simulation game. Create a nation according to your political ideals and care for its people. Or deliberately oppress them. It's up to you.

It’s not first on the mind that there is jumping and endorsing and changing someone else wfe because we can.
I have no problems with the strategy of it, merely that if the game devolpers had any sense that this should be a feature then they can and should have an obligation to make it clear that those that want to participate in it can, and how to do so, and for those that don’t a way to enjoy the other aspects of the game without being subjected to the other half.
And links to forum posts describing r/d don’t count. Honestly it seems more like it started out and the developers just let it happen more than cared for it to happen and built it to be this way
[9:38 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: And honestly wouldn’t a fully opt in r/d experience be vastly superior to the current iteration
[9:39 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: If it was built in and cared for the way other parts of the game are
[9:39 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: So you assume people can't read beyond the first three sentences of game description but are expected, in part, to come up with vast, complex role play worlds spanning hundreds of pages?
[9:40 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: See the hypocrisy there?
[9:41 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Even the issues players are expected to read beyond three sentences.
[9:42 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: And those are very short , perhaps even incomplete, sentences.
[9:43 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: No, I expect games to show what they are. The WA, the issues, the rp all fit the expectations of what NationStates bills itself to be. R/d as it is currently implemented does not.
[9:44 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: To you, at least.
[9:45 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: I expect a nation simulation to simulate international conflict.
[9:46 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: And I don’t disagree. But conflict by mutual consent. Regions don’t consent to having their wfe changed just because their founder goes offline for a while
[9:46 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Would you prefer the CN "let's allow nukes" route? Because there is a reason I don't play CN.
[9:46 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: CN?
[9:48 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Cybernations. It was where a lot of Defenders went to when to came online around 2007 when Influence came into effect. A lot of Defenders super groups declared "victory" and went to CN.
[9:49 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Also if your founder clicked "allow" on the "delegate can change the WFE" box...
[9:51 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Ah. Never heard of it tbh.
Yeah except by game coding that all defaults back when the founder CTEs making the founder choice irrelevant.
[9:51 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: So now you're complaining about founder and community incompetence.
[9:52 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: You are saying a founder can opt out their region from gameplay. But I am saying the game does not make it so. It is a temporary condition
[9:53 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: People are people and incompetence is bound to happen
[9:53 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: So long as they are active and their nation alive. Seems fair.
[9:53 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: We should assume and build for it rather than expect perfect compliance
[9:54 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Hence why opt out isn’t tolerable
[9:54 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: It's not at all "perfect compliance"
Ebil_Wolfie pinned a message to this channel. See all the pins.01/27/2018
[9:54 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: It leaves those who believe they have opted out subject to being opted in against their will
[9:55 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: That's just silly. Once again the defense is "I shouldn't have to read".
[10:00 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: That’s overly reductive and you know it. Now when you are done playing with the strawmen maybe you will have a better argument. It’s not a lack of reading but of basic understanding about informed consent. If I opt out i should stay opted out until I chose to opt in, no one else should have the power to determine for me my consent nor to change it after it has been made.
As I see it for r/d to be fair the following must be true: regions much opt in and it should be clear that it is the case. Non compliance should default to opt out and those who want out should not be penalized for leaving.
[10:02 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: It wouldn't be a true nation simulation if "no one else had the power to determine for me"
[10:03 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: And call of duty isn’t a real war simulation. We sacrifice some realism for the fact that it’s a game and that adhereing to common rules is what binds the game together
[10:04 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: You think any region, people, or nation in the history of Earth chose to have an outside influence attack or conquer them on a whim?
[10:05 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: You will not find a wars are moral arguement from me. Reality is real enough for all of us, games should be inspired by slices of that reality, but reality is never the goal of a game.
[10:06 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: To me you are complaining about game mechanics and stating that they need to be better explained, even if they are literally in the game explanation.
[10:06 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: I am stating the game needs better design
[10:08 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: If they truely want this to be a part of the game in an honest way, then it is clear to me that more effort should have been put in. Near as I can tell this came about as a fluke of the way the server processes delegate changes and has grown and changed with time but the fact remains it wasn’t built with it in mind and purposefully
[10:09 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: "Opt in" "Opt out" is silly. Obviously 95% of NS is going to pick the "win forever" button of "opt out". Even CN saw this and penalized players for opting out of being nuked by anyone at random.
[10:11 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: They have actually gone the opposite route and made "opt out" more determental than "opt in"
[10:12 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: And you stated that you dislike this game so why should I care what it does or doesn’t do.
[10:13 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: I dislike it because its got nukes. That's pretty much as far as skill based as possible for me
[10:13 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: "We no liek u. Drop nuke. We win."
[10:15 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: I also agree. So why should we consider its faults when we are discussing the faults of NS vs the nature of improvements
[10:15 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: At least in NS it's "me and 15 of my friends don't like you. Now we play a complex game to try and take control of your region and hold it until we gain enough influence to ban you".
[10:17 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: All I am suggesting is that if that region wants to partipate in that game and try to take your region back for what you did in theirs than that is great, but if all they want to do is discuss mlp or meme all day then they should be left alone
[10:20 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: The entire notion of "I get to remove my region from aspects of gameplay I personally don't enjoy" runs counter to all of NS. That's like saying "I want to be WA delegate, but whenever the WA passes anything I don't like, I don't want it to effect my nation and I still want to be WA delegate."
[10:22 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: That sort of thinking is a sort of "I want to feed the Wolf mutton, but keep my only lamb alive" logical falsehood. The best of both worlds with zero consequence.
[10:25 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Except that unlike raiding it’s clear on the acceptance page that by joining the wa that is the rule. Raiding can happen even in rp only regions without any delegate made up of all non WA nations whose only mistake as far as r/d counts is their founder CTEs and now the wfe and permissions changes happen, and people who thought they had opted out are now subject to ejection banning changing the wfe when it’s clear that the never wanted that in the first place even with it in the faq
[10:27 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Role play "raiding" has no in game consequence, just like all of RP, in fact RP doesn't even require NS to exist in order for it to occur.
[10:29 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: How about a solely issues region same scenario
[10:29 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Actually raiding an RP region usually goes unnoticed by RPers for weeks. I have a famous LWU example if you need an reference.
[10:30 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Issues are nation based, not reliant on the region at all.
[10:30 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: So it’s fine to just kick them wherever regardless of their thoughts on the matter because as a region it has no effect?
[10:31 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: I firmly disagree
[10:32 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Saying "NS isn't about raiding" means that "NS isn't about Zombies", or " NS isn't about April fools day jokes". Should we remove those? After all, those are even less talked about in the game description than R/D is.
[10:32 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: No, but they are all opt in
[10:32 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Are they?
[10:33 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Well April fools jokes might be a bit of a stretch
[10:33 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Zombies certainly was not "opt in"
[10:33 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Sure just ignore it and it has no consequences
[10:34 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Being kicked from a region isn’t the same
[10:34 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: The wfe isn’t the same
[10:34 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Those are material changes
[10:34 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: You can do the same with a raid. Ignore it and it has no consequence. Even if you are banned, your nation is not effected.
[10:35 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Yes it is, as I cannot return to a place I chose
[10:35 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: The zombies came and went regardless of my action
[10:35 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: NS is, after all, a nation simulation, is it not?
[10:35 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Not a regional or alliance sim
[10:36 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Bans are permenant unless reset
[10:37 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: You are getting lost in a rabbit hole
[10:37 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Nations aren't effected by raids other than locations. And the majority of nations are never banned, the majority of regions never raided.
Ebil_Wolfie pinned a message to this channel. See all the pins.01/27/2018
[10:39 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: I found out what raiding was on day 2 of NS. I remain astonished that people can live in ignorance for months of an entire game mechanic. But maybe these are the same people who don't even bother to learn how WA delegates work in general.
[10:40 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: So is there a region other than a gcr that you can say for certain is off limits to raiding regardless of what happens to the founder?
[10:40 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Yes.
[10:41 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: School Regions.
[10:41 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: So nothing open to the public
[10:41 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Mhmm.
[10:42 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Because while most haven’t been doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t be under the correct circumstances
[10:42 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: One school region was raided once by a newbie raider group. Everyone involved was deleted.
[10:43 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Partly because raiding them is expressly prohibited, partly because they guessed and "cracked" the password.
[10:43 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Which is illegal.
[10:44 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: I have no doubt
[10:45 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: But that is also explained in the rules if you get far enough
[10:45 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Actually, it was HYDRA, come to think of it.
[10:47 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: But my question stands. Is there an accepted public region which is exempt from raiding an banning that a person could choose if their own free will that isn’t a gcr , and will be so regardless of the conditions in the region?
[10:48 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Because even a gcr is subject to a raid if material conditions change enough
[10:48 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: No, because every region has bans. There is no region in the whole game other than TRR which you can't be banned from, even the school regions.
[10:49 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: You'd have to change the entire game right down to its foundations to be rid of that.
[10:52 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Yeah like actually incorporating gameplay as a substainal element with its own proper coding considerations and not just something we tacked in after it because clear people were not going to stop
[10:52 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: To ban raiding would to be a ban on ejections, on bans, on WA delegates. A complete rewrite of nearly every aspect of the game.
[10:55 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: I am not suggesting banning raiding. I am saying that for a supposedly default part of the NS game it is overlaid onto other systems as an afterthought. And it shows in how it’s treated and handled and players attitudes toward it. By fixing and making it clear what people are doing and giving them a chance to no particpate you improve not harm the game
[10:56 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: It's not an afterthought. To be rid of it would to be rid of Delegates, ejections, WFE editing, Regional Officers.
[10:56 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Which is why R/D is a fundamental part of the game, even more so than RP. It's actually coded in.
[10:59 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Except those things proceeded r/d to the best of my knowledge and r/d is a byproduct not an intent of many of those systems
[11:00 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: They didn't entirety
[11:00 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Also R/D is linked with delegates
[11:01 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: Can't have delegates who can't change WFEs and not have tag raiding
[11:01 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: And delegates who can change WFE have always existed, predating founders.
[11:02 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Yes but delegates make r/d possible but they didn’t sit down and say hey we want to add r/d to our game how about doing it with delegates. Delegates and the server update cycle gave rise to r/d
[11:03 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: The R/d proceeds from these thing but they were not created for the r/d
[11:03 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: They served other functions that made it possible to r/d
[11:03 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: No one sat down and said "we are adding RP". What point are you making other than a defender pushed logical fallacy about "legitimacy"?
[11:06 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: In fact, here is a [v] quote debunking that notion
[11:06 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=82988&p=4133790#p4133790
[11:07 AM] Ebil_Wolfie: "The invasion game doesn't exist because admin is incapable of stamping it out. There is supposed to be an invasion game."
[11:17 AM] Reyahtess-Euramathania: Just because admin is unwilling to recognize an issue doesn’t make it an issue. I am no less convinced of the folllowing.
R/d is able to be better and more formalized and thus should be
R/d is able to incorporate a better understanding of consent and thus should
R/d itself is not the problem
R/d and admin’s lack of perceptiveness and willingness to improve toward the first two points constitute an issue with r/d as it’s conducted now

---

From Jabberwocky :

SPOILER: Click to show

{Regarding Political Party Affliation and WAPP}

Mar 17, 2019 23:01:27 GMT -5 Jabberwocky said:

Have you considered resurrecting WAPP? It's ironic that you ran for office right after it was closed.

Lol yeah it kinda is but that’s how life works sometimes.
I have given thought to how I can best participate in our region’s political party system. Right now I am uncertain if I want to resurrect WAPP, establish a new different party, or join an existing party. For now my focus is on the delegate race and I would like that to be my primary concern at this time.

---

The answer to a question about the pitfalls to being vocally anti-raider as delegate and the concern about being ignored in the international community for espousing my views. The asker requested to remain annonymous, so this is my response only, with only minor edits designed to honor the request made.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Regarding R/D Stance and the Pitfalls therein}
Thank you for taking the time to write an eloquent and nuanced perspective and question. I hope to do justice to it in this reply. Despite being given a clear out, I take my role as a reflective and introspective leader seriously. I find myself compelled to tackle the issues mentioned and at-least address them in part. While recognizing that you are probably right with regards to my ability answer completely, the philosophical problems posed by your message challenge me to rise to the intellectual task, and merits a fully honest answer with the same candor as yours.

In the first instance, I believe that the basis of my critique of R/D, as it is currently conducted, may be germane to answering the question posed. If you have not read my impromptu debate with Evil Wolfe, it is posted on the campaign answers thread. I think it may help to clarify this issue further. However, I shall provide a longer synopsis of the critique here for reference and analysis, and put in spoiler to prevent an abundance of text in an otherwise long message. (no longer applicable because of cross posting)

There exists feasible and practical means to provide for an R/D game which doesn't suffer from the same moral harms done. This follows from the first principle that R/D as a game concept presents no obvious moral wrong. Just as children play cops and robbers, so to playing the brigand or the man of honor for fun, and sport, represents no harm done to willing participants. However moral harm is done from the outset when it is not made clear to players of all stripes of the inclusion of it within the game, thus preventing the necessary conditions for consent to the R/D game. Nationstates does not market itself on the wargame aspect of the game, nor was it provided for originally. To the best of my knowledge it arouse naturally out of an unrelated process and grew from there. That it is justified by the primary coder in the forum, and tucked into the middle of the FAQ, do not alleviate these harms as they are not obvious to any new person that they should have to check those places first, and lack the clarity needed for authentic informed consent. There exists processes which could be undertaken but have not been and likely will not, which would alleviate the initial moral harm done to players. However, it should be noted, that if it was intended to have been included in a transparent manner it would have been provided for in the coding and baked into the game more clearly. The other issue is that, the R/D game cannot be opt’d out of, not permanently, nor in a way which is not subject to reversal. This means even an RP region, or Issues Player must necessarily participate on either side in order to protect itself. There exist no where for that community to exist outside of the R/D game. Even if they are left alone for long periods, the durration of not being targeted doesn't protect them in the event of founder CTE. This harm is separate from the initial harm done in the design failure, and is instead continually perpetrated when anyone enters a region and undermines a communities expression of itself. In this manner, the harms here would be addressed if as above, but even if we allowed the flawed first harm, more can be done to address the specific reapplication of harm and thus should be. The failure of admin to provide for the informed consent to the R/D game, nor to provide a consistent opt out from it, constitute an clear logical and moral issue with R/D as it is conducted.

TLDR: The moral harm from raiding arises from its construction and can only be corrected by systemic fixes.

You asked me: how can I as a vocal opponent of raiding avoid falling into the trap —where due to my vocal stance I will be limited in who I can reach and be heard by?
In part, the construction issues of R/D need to be advocated for at a higher level than individuals. I am willing to concede that I cannot make anyone listen to me who refuses, nor would I wish that. In all my interactions I strive to remain open minded and free to critique and push back, and when addressing individuals it imperative that I act first to the individual. In a practical sense, this means patience with those who disagree with me and being willing to hear them out. However that is hardly a remedy for what is wrong overall. Without systemic reform, I am uncertain of any action which can be taken or words which can be said which redresses the loss of community suffered by many. The additional coda to your question being how to prevent the harm being done in the future.

As I see it being vocally against raiding isn’t a matter of converting individuals to the “correct side”. It is about the process of amplifying a critique of the system - and advocating for the necessary changes which would address the systemic harms in a comprehensive way. This may close some doors, I concede. However as a framework, it may draw others in who have not considered the issues in that way before.

As you mentioned advocates of raiding are not unintelligent, and nor would I accuse them of it. They have the longer standing intellectual case for the status quo and are given deference on the topic. I remain optimistic that as a defender region, we can provide the moral counter case and spark questions. Moral defenders needs to be at the intellectual battlefield as well as the actual one in order to obtain the reforms which are needed and will prevent future harm.

---

From Paffnia :

SPOILER: Click to show

{Regarding a Second Term}

Mar 18, 2019 22:52:25 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

No promises required at this point, but would you consider running for re-election if you win and serve out one term?

At this point I remain open to the possibility, provided that I believe that more of my vision remains — will be able to articulate clearly what that is, that I am comfortable with my activity level and will be able to maintain it for an additional term, and that my work as delegate has been productive for the region as a whole. I was closely aligned with Louis in my view that it wasn’t a priority change that needed to be made, but that the outcome isn’t that bad as it is likely I will decline given the strict test outlined above.

---

From kjumarshall:

SPOILER: Click to show

{Regarding Stopping Raiding, and Supporting XKI as Delegate}

Mar 19, 2019 23:10:20 GMT -5 kjumarshall said:

And, United Royal Islands, I have a few questions for you.

1) What is your view on raiding and how to stop its spread.
2) What will you do to support 10K if you become delegate

1) I answered part of this better for Louisistan, and anonymous above, namely how I view R/D as it stands. The short version is that R/D is a structural issue whose harm come from admin’s failure to address the inclusion of an R/D in a substantive way by building it into the game thus providing players a clear chance to consent in the first place, and further when as it arose they did not provide for extant communities to opt out of the system in any way which provides consistency to those who wish for it. That such solution exist and have been proposed but not adopted further suggests the culpability of admin in the harms done within their game.

As such I am pessimistic about how we as defenders are able to stop raiding outside of systemic reform. I believe that as a firm defender and intellectual it is my responsibility to provide argumentation and analysis of r/d which refuted assertions made by raiders and those who condone the status quo. Over time defenders have ceded the intellectual case against raiding as it became clear that the other side was more committed and vocal. By advocating this perspective we as a region affirm to all those who have been harmed by invasions, that their instinctive reaction that “this is wrong”, is actually based in a true understanding, and that the line that they “should have known” is designed to force compliance to a broken system.

2) I believe that if elected delegate my strength will be to promote our region and values abroad, especially as we standup for those harmed by raiders. I also believe that my most important responsibility as delegate is to maintain and strengthen the relationships we build in the world and seek out new relationships where we have capacity and will to ensure their longevity. These are the main areas I will focus on as delegate.

---

[Witchcraft and Sorcery]

Hooray! I have an opponent! I'm looking forward to a great campaign URI. Best of luck!

[Louisistan]

1.) What is your position on raiding and its influence on the game?

2.) Will you speak up for native's rights as Delegate of 10000 Islands?

[United Royal Islands]

Thank you everyone for your support and for your well wishes. I am honored and humbled and will strive to provide the best possible campaign for my beliefs.

[United Royal Islands]

As we are nearing the end of voting, and given how close everything is, I wanted to thank everyone who has voted for me! Your support and encouragement is what made me certain I could I could stand for this office.

Also I encourage all of you who have not yet voted to consider our campaign and vision. We are once again tied and your support can help make a difference in this close election. I believe that delegate needs to represent the values and traditions of the islands just as much as any work that they can do to maintain our international relationships. I hope that my record as a thoughtful and reflective leader demonstrates to you, that I am the best candidate to make this vision happen.

Thank you everyone for your time and please remember to vote here 10000islands.proboards.com/thread/36978/shall-next-delegate-10000-islands.
All the best,
United Royal Islands (URI)

[Jabberwocky]

Have you considered resurrecting WAPP? It's ironic that you ran for office right after it was closed.

[United Royal Islands]

Hello Islanders!

As the first round of voting has come to a close it appears that Witchcraft and Sorcery and myself are tied for votes, and the election shall be heading to a runoff. This means that we still have more campaigning and more advocacy to do over the coming days to win your votes. Over the next 4 days it will be my mission to provide the clearest and most thorough explanations for my views and for what I can bring you as your next delegate.

I am happy that the campaign so far has remained constructive between the candidates, and fairly positive in general. However, I understand that as elections draw to a close passions can flair up and that we all must remain vigilant to remain as constructive and optimistic as possible in our outlook and tone. I will do my part to uphold these standards and call on all those who support me to remember and act with them in mind. We must be committed in this time to not fall in hyperbole and attack; I believe that our ideas are strong and will prevail in the light.

I appreciate all of you whom have provided endorsements of me both publicly and privately. I hope I can count on your support going forward, and for all of you to share your views of the campaign so that others undecided may have the widest array of perspectives available to them.

For those of you who have endorsed my opponent, or otherwise have not endorsed either of us — I hope that my campaign platform, responsive answer of questions, and my willingness to debate and consider new perspectives, shall give you reasons to reconsider this race anew. I ask for your open hearted consideration of my campaign and hope that it will be enough to persuade you to vote for me in the runoff.

As a candidate, and if elected, as delegate, I firmly believe that reasoned debate and analysis leads to the best outcomes and the most consistent, reliable leadership. My platform has always been one of bringing this perspective to the job and how I will interact on behalf of all of you internationally. I hope that you will all see that my experience in the region demonstrates my activity and commitment to advancing our values abroad. Domestically, I remain committed to advocating for traditional security values and brining perspective and scope to reform efforts. I am proud of my work on the transparency law to right size the solution to better address the problems proposed. I believe, ultimately, that this perceptive works for the betterment of our region without scraping everything we know and love about our current systems.

I am proud to state that W&S and I are working on establishing a debate to occur here during the early part of the runoff to better inform the public of our respective views and positions on a wide range of issues and provide voters with our best possible arguments for becoming your next delegate.

Thank you and may the best candidate win.
All the best - United Royal Islands

[Paffnia]

No promises required at this point, but would you consider running for re-election if you win and serve out one term?

[Twobagger]

As we head to a runoff, I would like to take this opportunity to endorse United Royal Islands for delegate.

In the time that I've known her, I've known her to be kind, helpful, and hardworking. Reading over her ideas, I find myself agreeing more with her approach to foreign affairs, and with her views on what a delegate ought to do as delegate. In short, United Royal Islands is the candidate that, to me, most embodies what a Delegate of this region should be. I will be voting for United Royal Islands, and I urge everyone else to do so as well. I think the region would greatly benefit from her presence and leadership style.

United Royal Islands, good luck. I hope that you join us in the Co9 soon.

[Escade]

I'm not a citizen and therefore have no stake here other than to say you are an awesome candidate and someone I always think of when I think of XKI Active, helpful and awesome (like all the XKIers I know) <3 Good luck, lovely!

[kjumarshall]

First of all, sorry everyone, I haven't been active as much as I used to due to, erm… the dreaded word, High School.

And, United Royal Islands, I have a few questions for you.

1) What is your view on raiding and how to stop its spread.
2) What will you do to support 10K if you become delegate

[Paffnia]

Congratulations United Royal Islands!

[United Royal Islands]

Hello Islanders!

To start out, my thanks and sympathies to Witchcraft and Sorcery who was an excellent opponent and whom otherwise, ran an amazing campaign for delegate. If you have not yet read his concession speech, it is truly well written and entirely worth your time to do so.
I find myself agreeing that the campaign was one of heart and soul, and that it was truly historic. I believe there is a place for the enthusiasm expressed and the clear call to action he makes of our emissaries and Foreign Affairs team. If there is one thing this campaign has persuaded me on is that now is a time to take stock of our resources and make sure we are doing our absolute best as individuals and as a region in all areas of our Foreign Affairs Policy.

I also want to thank all of you who have shared your congratulations over the past 24 hours, and to all those who voted for me and placed their confidence and trust in my campaign. Your support and endorsements shall give us the opportunity to show how an incremental and measured approach can work, to shore up our alliances, to establish closer and longer lasting ties with our friends, and to remain committed to our core principles and beliefs while we do so. We have a bright vision of the islands that welcomes the world, expresses our defender heritage, and openly advocates for the rights of all nations and regions; first among them, the right to free from systems which provide for their abuse. It is these principles that have won yesterday, and will be upheld during my term.

Normally candidates will hold their victory speeches only a shortly while after they know they are going to win to thank allies and provide condolences and sympathies to their opposition, while leaving details to another time. In my case, I feel that this campaign has been historic in many ways and I wanted to take additional time to address that as well as provide all of you a brief roadmap for the coming transition and early days of this delegate term.

The historic nature of the campaign can clearly be seen in all the hard work done to facilitate the first ever live discord debate. I am proud of being able to work alongside our moderators (Markanite, and @tredania), the university team (Palman and Sargon Reman), the former debate host (Ater Nox), our transcriber (Twobagger), and our technical wizard (Kortexia), without any of whom this debate would not have been possible. I believe we leave the university and the region with a format and the means to ensure that the debates are a future tradition in the making.

Throughout this campaign we have also shown the value of civility and decorum, even when the ideas at stake are highly personal and charged. W&S has shown great resolve and commitment to his beliefs, as I have mine, and through reasoned debate we were able to explore and elaborate on the nuances in our positions. There is hope in all this that the ongoing suggestions to recommend that parties develop a clearer platform and messaging for their vision of the islands will not come to the polarization and tribalism of real world politics if we can stay committed to these values. At the end of the day a clear and friendly debate on the issues is as good for soul of the islands as it is for those involved.

And lastly, this campaign has been historic in that it has shown the need to be as inclusive and far reaching in our messaging as possible. By reaching out to all islanders ahead of registration closing, and by making everyone aware of the impact even a few votes can have in regional elections, we can drive up election participation, even in a runoff, and promote the values of civic engagement in all Islanders. Our debate has highlighted the need to reach out and provide counter messaging in the world to the forces of raiding and the mistaken and harmful message of the validity of the meta game. Both myself and W&S have demonstrated that 10,000 Islands is a proud and vibrant community that is welcoming of all, and asserted firmly we cannot allow others to shape the global vision of our region. Now that the campaign is over we have a lot of work to be done, both regionally and internationally in demonstrating our region and in championing our values.

Now, it is important to me highlight how I shall begin this work. Over the next several days it shall be my goal to achieve the delegacy game-side, and this shall be my primary focus. After which I plan on pivoting directly into communicating with our allies and friends to highlight my goals and introduce myself. During this introductory period I will be starting to work with my fellow council members on the messaging issues I mentioned in my campaign. Also during this time it is important to me, and I sincerely hope that I continue to have all your support and engagement as we transition from campaigning to governing, and ultimately as we advocate for the islands going forward. Only with all your support can we continue this great project and help reinvigorate the islands.

All the best,
United Royal Islands
Delegate-Elect of 10,000 Islands