Wednesday, January 30. 2008
Elections Start Back Up
As if on cue, four people declared their candidacy to AWTeen Governor yesterday, two days less than a month until the new governor takes office. Some of the candidates came as a surprise to many, and others said that they would run only if Mark decided not to. Mark has not yet officially announced intentions to run, however it is predicted that he will.
Of course, GC declared that he would be running, which came as no surprise to most people. He only outlined a short and vague platform in his announcement, but one that would come with big changes to AWTeen nonetheless. The biggest change GC wishes to make for the world is a schedule of AWTeen events, as opposed to the random but successful events that the current Governor, Strike Rapier, runs. GC also wants a leadership council to vote on things such as banning, day and night cycles, etc. He claims that this will help give the users representation in AWTeen Government. Despite these intentions, the feedback in GC's announcement thread was either negative or off topic, as he holds a very bad image with most people in the community.
GC was not the first to announce his intentions to run, however. GSK started the avalanche of intent to run threads when he announced that he would be seeking election. GSK plans to "continue where Strike left off". The first change to the world that he mentioned would be the reversal of Strike Rapier's recent decision to change the name of the Just Ask Me Guides to the AWTeen GZKeepers. He says that unlike some other candidates, he would not just bring in a completely new organization to the world or fire everyone who is already staff. Overall, he claims that he wants to turn AWTeen into a place for teens to chat, build, and hangout.
Another candidate who declared candidacy shortly after GC and GSK was Chorus Line. The serious part of her announcement was short and sweet. Like Strike Rapier when he was running for Governor four months ago, she wants to stop the hindering of the world's staff by politics or personal opinions. Getting users of AWTeen more representation in the government is also a large part of her plan. Like GC, she wants a council of caretakers to make decisions for the world, or a "Queen's Court", as she calls it. Responses to her in the thread of her announcement were mostly focused on how funny it would be to have Chorus Line as Governor, although Asuran has given Chorus Line backing in the thread.
Last but not least, Gnu32 announced that he would be running for Governor too, or at least if Strike Rapier does not attempt to get re-election. He offers many of the same ideas as Mark did four months ago, including the ever popular "place a permanent ban on GC", claiming that this would be a decision "making AWTeen better". He also claimed that GC got AWTeen into the "shithole" that Strike got it out of. In his policies, he offers a Chuck Norris style of administration, promising to roundhouse kick anyone who disobeys his rules.
No matter who comes out on top, announced that they will be running next, or whatever happens in this election, it is sure to be an exciting one.
Of course, GC declared that he would be running, which came as no surprise to most people. He only outlined a short and vague platform in his announcement, but one that would come with big changes to AWTeen nonetheless. The biggest change GC wishes to make for the world is a schedule of AWTeen events, as opposed to the random but successful events that the current Governor, Strike Rapier, runs. GC also wants a leadership council to vote on things such as banning, day and night cycles, etc. He claims that this will help give the users representation in AWTeen Government. Despite these intentions, the feedback in GC's announcement thread was either negative or off topic, as he holds a very bad image with most people in the community.
GC was not the first to announce his intentions to run, however. GSK started the avalanche of intent to run threads when he announced that he would be seeking election. GSK plans to "continue where Strike left off". The first change to the world that he mentioned would be the reversal of Strike Rapier's recent decision to change the name of the Just Ask Me Guides to the AWTeen GZKeepers. He says that unlike some other candidates, he would not just bring in a completely new organization to the world or fire everyone who is already staff. Overall, he claims that he wants to turn AWTeen into a place for teens to chat, build, and hangout.
Another candidate who declared candidacy shortly after GC and GSK was Chorus Line. The serious part of her announcement was short and sweet. Like Strike Rapier when he was running for Governor four months ago, she wants to stop the hindering of the world's staff by politics or personal opinions. Getting users of AWTeen more representation in the government is also a large part of her plan. Like GC, she wants a council of caretakers to make decisions for the world, or a "Queen's Court", as she calls it. Responses to her in the thread of her announcement were mostly focused on how funny it would be to have Chorus Line as Governor, although Asuran has given Chorus Line backing in the thread.
Last but not least, Gnu32 announced that he would be running for Governor too, or at least if Strike Rapier does not attempt to get re-election. He offers many of the same ideas as Mark did four months ago, including the ever popular "place a permanent ban on GC", claiming that this would be a decision "making AWTeen better". He also claimed that GC got AWTeen into the "shithole" that Strike got it out of. In his policies, he offers a Chuck Norris style of administration, promising to roundhouse kick anyone who disobeys his rules.
No matter who comes out on top, announced that they will be running next, or whatever happens in this election, it is sure to be an exciting one.
Tuesday, November 20. 2007
On Strike Rapier's lack of respect for AWTeen and its Citizens
I had hoped that, by now, I would be able to write about Strike Rapier in a positive light. After all, he did get AWTeen's world services restored quickly and world population has increased significant week-over-week. However, I can't help but think that either DaBean or Matthew would have done an equal job in restoring world services. However, Matthew and DaBean would both have been superior Governors because both would have been considerably more helpful and forthcoming to AWTeen's Citizens than Strike Rapier has been.
Why is it that the AWTeen Caretaker position seems lately to always end up in the hands of those with excessive hubris and arrogance? While one could argue that JerMe and Dr. S developed their arrogance towards the world's population during their tenures, Strike Raper hit the ground running, chewing people out within hours of taking the position. In fact, over the past five days, the following statements are a fraction of what has been posted in the Activeworlds forums alone. First, DaBean offered a suggestion to Strike in regards to his testing a bot that constantly changed the world's attributes:
Why is it that the AWTeen Caretaker position seems lately to always end up in the hands of those with excessive hubris and arrogance? While one could argue that JerMe and Dr. S developed their arrogance towards the world's population during their tenures, Strike Raper hit the ground running, chewing people out within hours of taking the position. In fact, over the past five days, the following statements are a fraction of what has been posted in the Activeworlds forums alone. First, DaBean offered a suggestion to Strike in regards to his testing a bot that constantly changed the world's attributes:
Continue reading "On Strike Rapier's lack of respect for AWTeen and its Citizens"
Thursday, November 15. 2007
Martin: unprofessionally representing Activeworlds, Inc.
I have a lot of respect for how Activeworlds, Inc. handled the last election, but actions this morning have caused me to question that respect. The voting was fair and honest, the results were announced publicly, and the schedule was followed as prescribed. Flagg definitely knows what he's doing, communicates well with Citizens, and he is a great asset to the community. However, one of AWI's other employees, Martin, has not been as understanding.
After the election concluded, there was some discussion in the AW forums about how to improve the political process after Strike's term concludes. Nobody was inciting "revolution" or even stating the current results should be changed. Instead, there was what many considered a simple debate of process and procedure on how to improve the elections system in the future. Several citizens even posted real-world examples of different types of voting systems, comparing and contrasting the advantages and disadvantages of each. There wasn't any hint that anyone considered the results to be illegitimate.
Then Martin inappropriately decided to end all discussion by locking threads of which he (personally) disapproved.
After the election concluded, there was some discussion in the AW forums about how to improve the political process after Strike's term concludes. Nobody was inciting "revolution" or even stating the current results should be changed. Instead, there was what many considered a simple debate of process and procedure on how to improve the elections system in the future. Several citizens even posted real-world examples of different types of voting systems, comparing and contrasting the advantages and disadvantages of each. There wasn't any hint that anyone considered the results to be illegitimate.
Then Martin inappropriately decided to end all discussion by locking threads of which he (personally) disapproved.
Continue reading "Martin: unprofessionally representing Activeworlds, Inc."
Wednesday, November 14. 2007
What's next
Well, unfortunately, the news has broken that Strike Rapier won the election. I'd like to congratulate Strike on his victory, and wish him the best of luck during the coming months.
There isn't really much else to say. While I'm obviously disappointed in the result, I'm much more disappointed in the voting method. Flagg himself said that this election was won with only a plurality of the vote, and I have no doubt the results would have been different had a runoff been used. The results here show that the majority of AWTeen's citizens do not support Strike. I hope that Flagg seriously considers a runoff system for the February election.
As to me, you might recall that I had committed to writing this blog only for the duration of the election. Now that someone with opposing views has been elected, there no place for me in a Strike-run AWTeen, and my criticism would mean very little until the next election approaches. For now, I plan to focus my attention on a new Activeworlds project that I hope to propose next week. I reserve the right to write periodically, however, and to resume posting as the next cycle heats up after the holidays.
I wish Strike the best of luck in the months ahead. Hopefully, four months from now, AWTeen will once again be recognized as one of the greatest communities in Activeworlds. Live long and prosper!
There isn't really much else to say. While I'm obviously disappointed in the result, I'm much more disappointed in the voting method. Flagg himself said that this election was won with only a plurality of the vote, and I have no doubt the results would have been different had a runoff been used. The results here show that the majority of AWTeen's citizens do not support Strike. I hope that Flagg seriously considers a runoff system for the February election.
As to me, you might recall that I had committed to writing this blog only for the duration of the election. Now that someone with opposing views has been elected, there no place for me in a Strike-run AWTeen, and my criticism would mean very little until the next election approaches. For now, I plan to focus my attention on a new Activeworlds project that I hope to propose next week. I reserve the right to write periodically, however, and to resume posting as the next cycle heats up after the holidays.
I wish Strike the best of luck in the months ahead. Hopefully, four months from now, AWTeen will once again be recognized as one of the greatest communities in Activeworlds. Live long and prosper!
Tuesday, November 13. 2007
Why DaBean will take AWTeen
Flagg has announced that the AWTeen election results will be published tomorrow, November 14. We're not completely in the dark about how the race might turn out, though, as exit polls have shown a close call. However, some interesting interviews have shown that additional forces are at work that I believe will lead to a startling upset in this race. After analyzing data from several sources, I predict that DaBean will be AWTeen's first Governor.
I recently labeled DaBean the "Ron Paul of Activeworlds." Just as Paul is experiencing a late surge in the presidential race, DaBean surged late in this campaign. Before the official list of candidates was announced, DaBean was polling with near-zero support in the straw polls. His campaign, with Kapara as co-Governor, seemed loosely defined and even more loosely organized. It looked as if he wouldn't have the slightest chance of even getting onto the ballot.
I recently labeled DaBean the "Ron Paul of Activeworlds." Just as Paul is experiencing a late surge in the presidential race, DaBean surged late in this campaign. Before the official list of candidates was announced, DaBean was polling with near-zero support in the straw polls. His campaign, with Kapara as co-Governor, seemed loosely defined and even more loosely organized. It looked as if he wouldn't have the slightest chance of even getting onto the ballot.
Continue reading "Why DaBean will take AWTeen"
Sunday, November 11. 2007
Runoffs, and what Flagg can do the next time around
Well, the endgame has arrived. I cast my ballot for Matthew earlier today, and there are only a few hours of voting for the AWTeen elections remaining. With the election drawing to a close, I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at the process while awaiting the winner to be announced.
The most striking detail I noticed was how non-political the elections process was. There was almost a taboo against asking or answering any questions of substance about the candidates' plans for the world. When someone did speak out, the candidates and a few other select citizens chewed the person out on the Activeworlds forums. Furthermore, anyone who chose to speak out against the "chewers" was derided either for "not having a life" or for "taking things too seriously." Well, "seriously," the community needs to have more of an open mind and be willing to discuss the issues that matter.
The most striking detail I noticed was how non-political the elections process was. There was almost a taboo against asking or answering any questions of substance about the candidates' plans for the world. When someone did speak out, the candidates and a few other select citizens chewed the person out on the Activeworlds forums. Furthermore, anyone who chose to speak out against the "chewers" was derided either for "not having a life" or for "taking things too seriously." Well, "seriously," the community needs to have more of an open mind and be willing to discuss the issues that matter.
Continue reading "Runoffs, and what Flagg can do the next time around"
Friday, November 9. 2007
"Crusher" Strike Rapier: Unfit to lead AWTeen
Strike Raper expressed his displeasure with the use of free speech in the Activeworlds forums with several long tirades and a series of personal attacks. His recent behavior both in the forums and in the Universe itself clearly shows that Strike is not fit to hold the office of Governor, and AWTeen's citizens will benefit most from a responsible and open leader like Matthew or DaBean. It is in the community's best interest for everyone to ensure that Strike Rapier does not continue the tyranny that has brought AWTeen down into current broken state.
Continue reading ""Crusher" Strike Rapier: Unfit to lead AWTeen"
Wednesday, November 7. 2007
DaBean/FlyYukon: The Ron Paul of Activeworlds
DaBean/FlyYukon, while currently in third place out of the three candidates for AWTeen Governor, could draw a significant number of votes in this election. DaBean, unlike the other candidates, hasn't posted a detailed platform containing numerous paragraphs of text. Instead, he and Kapara have simply stated they would ask for community suggestions and implement whatever the community wishes to get done. While community input is a great idea, his lack of specificity and weak assertion of leadership could also be seen as a sign of weakness by the voting public.
Continue reading "DaBean/FlyYukon: The Ron Paul of Activeworlds"
Monday, November 5. 2007
The age of AWTeen's Caretakers
Eric (XelNaga) recently made a post in the Activeworlds forums regarding the age of AWTeen election candidates. The topic has stirred up quite a bit of controversy in recent days. Some believe that the world should be For Teens, by Teens, while others believe that older people will have more experience and be more suited to the job.
I subscribe to neither. Nobody should care how old someone is if the person does a good job.
To illustrate, imagine that someone is chosen for AWTeen Governor and has been in the position for six months. She has done an excellent job, earning the respect and admiration of everyone who visits the world. World visitors double under her Governorship, and the world sees events the like of which Activeworlds has never seen before. AWTeen's petty bickering and squabbling dies away, forgotten in the sands of time.
I subscribe to neither. Nobody should care how old someone is if the person does a good job.
To illustrate, imagine that someone is chosen for AWTeen Governor and has been in the position for six months. She has done an excellent job, earning the respect and admiration of everyone who visits the world. World visitors double under her Governorship, and the world sees events the like of which Activeworlds has never seen before. AWTeen's petty bickering and squabbling dies away, forgotten in the sands of time.
Continue reading "The age of AWTeen's Caretakers"
Saturday, November 3. 2007
Strike Rapier: We need more information
Strike Rapier posted his "manifesto" before all of the other candidates in the AWTeen election, way back on October 21. Currently leading the polls, Strike seemed all but guaranteed a win in the election. However, with the recent announcement that GC had been eliminated from the race, Matthew appears to be gaining votes from GC and his supporters, shortening the gap.
Strike Rapier starts off well in his platform by stating that he would appoint two "co-Caretakers," Silverliner and s e V e n s. Both are good candidates for the positions, should they accept. Interestingly, Strike has chosen to limit his administration to two co-Caretakers, whereas Matthew has insisted on three people for the job. Having fewer co-Caretakers may increase the workload on the main Caretaker somewhat, but enacting such a policy also reduces the security risk of the Caretaker privilege password being divulged.
Strike Rapier starts off well in his platform by stating that he would appoint two "co-Caretakers," Silverliner and s e V e n s. Both are good candidates for the positions, should they accept. Interestingly, Strike has chosen to limit his administration to two co-Caretakers, whereas Matthew has insisted on three people for the job. Having fewer co-Caretakers may increase the workload on the main Caretaker somewhat, but enacting such a policy also reduces the security risk of the Caretaker privilege password being divulged.
Continue reading "Strike Rapier: We need more information"
Thursday, November 1. 2007
Matthew: Covers the basic issues, but what about leadership?
With the deadline for candidate registration having passed, today I'll start by writing one of a series of articles reviewing each of the candidates' platforms. I've chosen Matthew first because he recently entered the race to replace Jaguar Hahn, who effectively had been running a campaign in absentia.
It is a good move that Matthew became the head of his own campaign, because his commitment to Jaguar Hahn's campaign shows that he definitely has the motivation to succeed at the AWTeen Governor position, and that motivation is sorely needed. However, his stances on several key issues leave one wondering whether he would be able to maintain strong leadership throughout his tenure as Governor.
It is a good move that Matthew became the head of his own campaign, because his commitment to Jaguar Hahn's campaign shows that he definitely has the motivation to succeed at the AWTeen Governor position, and that motivation is sorely needed. However, his stances on several key issues leave one wondering whether he would be able to maintain strong leadership throughout his tenure as Governor.
Continue reading "Matthew: Covers the basic issues, but what about leadership?"
Wednesday, October 31. 2007
A comment about optimism
Over the past few days, I have been working on a proposal to change AWTeen. I had figured that it would be better to actually do something about the things I'm criticizing instead of simply commenting on them. Before I was able to finalize the proposal, however, it was leaked to the Activeworlds forums. Now that it's already publicly available, I figure there's no reason to take it down from the website, so instead I'll comment on its seemed reception.
I should point out that the leaking of the proposal does not state my intent to run for an AWTeen position. If I had wanted to declare my candidacy, you would have known about it in no uncertain terms, and I did not send a telegram to AWTeen Elections with my name (so don't telegram mine either). The proposal was and still is a living document, with about 10 versions being created over the past two days. In fact, those who knew about the proposal can tell you that AlexTheMartian was the Governor candidate just yesterday, and I was trying to convince Eric to take the top spot before I noticed the thread. The proposal was not about me, but about the idea.
I should point out that the leaking of the proposal does not state my intent to run for an AWTeen position. If I had wanted to declare my candidacy, you would have known about it in no uncertain terms, and I did not send a telegram to AWTeen Elections with my name (so don't telegram mine either). The proposal was and still is a living document, with about 10 versions being created over the past two days. In fact, those who knew about the proposal can tell you that AlexTheMartian was the Governor candidate just yesterday, and I was trying to convince Eric to take the top spot before I noticed the thread. The proposal was not about me, but about the idea.
Continue reading "A comment about optimism"
Tuesday, October 30. 2007
An Open Letter to AWI Regarding AWTeen
I wrote this open letter to AWI regarding the current happenings in AWTeen. My point was not to comment on anyone's actions, but to encourage AWI not to write awteen off and to keep an open mind towards its future, along with providing some context and history of where I'm coming from. I figure this to be an appropriate venue to share it.
-----
Aloha,
My name is Eric Rosloff, citname Eric (formerly XelNaga), citnum 315650. I'm writing this letter to express my thoughts on the current situation that has befallen the world awteen, a community in which I was, some years ago, a very active member. In recent years I have used active worlds only sparsely, and as I am now 21 years old have no real remaining connection to awteen, save through those other citizens with whom I shared my time with back in the day.
-----
Aloha,
My name is Eric Rosloff, citname Eric (formerly XelNaga), citnum 315650. I'm writing this letter to express my thoughts on the current situation that has befallen the world awteen, a community in which I was, some years ago, a very active member. In recent years I have used active worlds only sparsely, and as I am now 21 years old have no real remaining connection to awteen, save through those other citizens with whom I shared my time with back in the day.
Continue reading "An Open Letter to AWI Regarding AWTeen"
Monday, October 29. 2007
Stop defending those who got us into this situation
Every time I talk with people in-world and on the AW forums, I am shocked at how many turn a blind eye to the actions of JerMe, Tony M, and digigurl. Apparently, the three citizens still have quite a few supporters, and I'm writing this article to question why. It is time for members of the AWTeen community to show themselves some self-respect and stop defending the actions of these former Caretakers in any way.
There have been many Caretakers of AWTeen - some good, and some bad. However, before those to whom I have referred above, none of the Caretakers has so hatefully harmed the world on purpose. There were Caretakers who didn't have enough time, and there were Caretakers who were inept, but they certainly had the best interests of the world in mind. These three, however, have demonstrated a complete lack of respect for the community that has worked hard to make the world what it is today - and they should not be a part of it in the future.
There have been many Caretakers of AWTeen - some good, and some bad. However, before those to whom I have referred above, none of the Caretakers has so hatefully harmed the world on purpose. There were Caretakers who didn't have enough time, and there were Caretakers who were inept, but they certainly had the best interests of the world in mind. These three, however, have demonstrated a complete lack of respect for the community that has worked hard to make the world what it is today - and they should not be a part of it in the future.
Continue reading "Stop defending those who got us into this situation"
Sunday, October 28. 2007
Why global chat relay is a bad idea
It's interesting how often references to the former global chat network in AWTeen are appearing in recent flame wars. Often, one side has a beef with the other because that person made a disparaging remark against the other across global chat. Many of the alleged abuses of powers also involve the global chat network: for example, digigurl was recently accused of muting people for little cause, and Tony M has been accused of monitoring the chat over the bot even when people wanted logs to remain private.
Whether these accusations are true or not, they highlight the potential for abuse of the global chat network. In recent months, use of the network has become almost a right, and those who are denied access for whatever reason take up arms against the Caretakers. I propose that the global chat network is partially responsible for many of the problems that led to the recent shakeup, and I suggest that reducing the scope of the chat network is the best path forward for the continued development of AWTeen.
Whether these accusations are true or not, they highlight the potential for abuse of the global chat network. In recent months, use of the network has become almost a right, and those who are denied access for whatever reason take up arms against the Caretakers. I propose that the global chat network is partially responsible for many of the problems that led to the recent shakeup, and I suggest that reducing the scope of the chat network is the best path forward for the continued development of AWTeen.
Continue reading "Why global chat relay is a bad idea"
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