Heft

To be fair about the OOC thing, if you're posting an essay regarding an in-game philosophy from a basically in-game POV I'll generally take it as more or less IC, not that that makes any difference beyond semantics most of time anymore. Anyway, you took the time to write an article, it couldn't have been that much harder to take the time to write an article that had a legitimate argument to it. As for not calling out Vlad, I think that's more because I tend to view the type of argument you made as almost a sort of "pop" philosophy without much real substance. Also, it's all about context. Applying Hobbes to a political philosophy makes sense, applying Existentialism really doesn't, at least to me. The reverse of it would be taking Social Contract theory and using it to justify not committing suicide. I'm sure either of us could string together a few paragraphs to make it work in some half-assed way, but it would still be very "what does this have to do with anything? As for this being a game so therefore pursuing making suffering, okay from an OOC perspective creating tension and struggle and drama makes sense, but seeing as how I took this as a direct response to an in-game philosophy, it seems kind of like playing on a different field to use what amounts to an OOC argument, unless you are actually making an IC case for the pursuance of suffering. Either way, you make the claim that we should suffer as much as we have pleasure, which even with your arguments just seems rather baseless. And about a new philosophy, well you can argue that Vox has over these last few months (I'd probably disagree), but this particular essay doesn't.

Query spamming doesn't exactly equate to a peaceful overture to talks.

I don't care too much about the other two essays, since there isn't anything new or interesting to respond to (the first could maybe develop into something later, but right now it's just a a dictionary entry for a term). But, Mega Aros's article, that one just had me going "wtf?" the whole time. I'm not even going to get into whether or not you "correctly" defined Francoism because I don't really care, because the essay itself is just so strange. Your argument against Francoism is literally that it would end all suffering and make a perfect world. Regardless of whether or not that's at all related to Francoism, how is that a good argument? Then you turn towards some quasi-existential idealism to justify why a "perfect world" is bad and undesirable. You define the goal of "Voxism" (really?) as trying to keep suffering and pleasure in equal quantities. How can you take yourself seriously while writing these things? I feel strange that I even have to point out how absurd all of this is. Later in the thread you make a quip about Vladimir using some "philosophy 101" crap or something, when you just tried to apply some vague form of existentialism to a political philosophy debate. The hell is that? Your essay is built on an interpretation of Francoism that seems debateable at best and a series of abstract, philosophical premises (suffering is necessary for happiness, happiness gives life meaning, without meaning life is not worth living, therefore suffering is good and should be experienced in equal quantities as pleasure) that belongs in the "philosophy 101" classes, is filled with unsupportable assertions that plenty wouldn't agree with, and has a conclusion that doesn't even make sense in the logic of the argument (even if suffering is good and necessary, why must we strive to have so much of it?). If you really want a response, then the answer is that suffering may give life some measure of meaning. Even if it does, and even if it is essential to having a meaningful existence, and even if we assume that having a "meaningful" existence is necessary to having a worthwhile existence, none of that makes suffering good. Suffering is bad, it is something be overcome, it is the struggle (by your own argument) that produces good. But suffering cannot be completely overcome, and it is obvious that Francoism will never create a "perfect" world (assuming that that is even its goal or at least result), especially since it's also obvious that most people will never adopt Francoism. So, then, those that do adopt it are, in your argument, struggling against suffering, thus they have a meaningful existence and will continue to so long as they keep up the fight, thus Francoism is good. I should also point out that you haven't actually elucidated a new philosophy, you've just used a couple of idealistic assumptions to try and disparage another philosophy (Francoism, specifically).

The announcement was quite short and clear, and it answers your question. edit: as for the first question, no there was never any forum admin access involved in the terms.

Obviously the term was a nonissue for a long time. When it was brought up again, it was addressed. No one who was actually involved in the process on either side has any complaints about that process, and it certainly isn't indicative of some deliberate policy or whatever you're trying to spew. So kindly go away now, thank you.

Wait, they...I....oh $%&@ it, I'll just leave it like that.

The surrender terms at the end of the Woodstock Massacre, signed nearly 11 months ago now, included this particular clause, which specifies an "indefinite" time period. All other terms have long expired, but this one has remained, largely due to most of us forgetting about it. As the Woodstock Massacre is long over, and as the GPA has given us no reason to continue enforcing this particular term, the alliances which signed said terms have agreed to officially declare the "indefinite" time period over, therefore releasing GPA from the Woodstock Massacre terms completely and wholly. The GPA may now be the nuclear, neutral menace, instead of the other, less irradiated, variety. Green, indeed. GPA: President - Thomasj_tx Vice President - Pascal Paoli Minister of Defense - Jim Raynor Minister of Internal Affairs - ConfessorRahl Minister of Foreign Affairs - Ouchneddnesscooooo Minister of Economics - Magic Friend Minister of Membership Compliance - Biff Webster IRON: Heft, President Coursca, Secretary of State, IRON Councilor Shan Revan, Deputy Secretary of State, IRON Councilor FinsterBaby, Minister of Defense, IRON Councilor Peron, Deputy Minister of Defense, IRON Councilor MCRABT, Minister of Internal Affairs, IRON Councilor Matt Miller, Minister of the Vault, IRON Councilor Krash, Minister of Labor, IRON Councilor Iamthey, Minister of Intelligence, IRON Councilor NPO: Emperor Revenge Divine Bovine Overlord New Pacific Order Moo-cows with guns Bakunin's Dream Imperial Regent TOP: Crymson, Grandmaster Timberland, Grand Hospitaller Feanor, Grand Chancellor SomeGuy, Grand Legate Valhalla: Regent: Chefjoe Vice Regent: Pansy Marshal: Kryievla Security Consul: Toga Chancellors: Richard Rahl Emissary: SkyGreenChick TPF: Evil Overlord, The Hard Six, Mhawk Phoenix Magistrates, Desperado` Beernuts Wingwhipper Jr Ayrrie Minister of Foreign Affairs, Great Lakes Union FOK!: AvengerNL, President Mortale, Minister of Foreign Affairs Timmehhh, Minister of Defense Denniswerf, Minister of Economic Affairs Outlander, Minister of Internal Affairs Valhalla: Regent: Chefjoe Vice Regent: Pansy Marshal: Kryievla Security Consul: Toga Chancellor: Richard Rahl Emissary: SkyGreenChick NATO: High Councilor Potentia: Anu Drake High Councilor Augmentum: Lenny N Karl High Councilor Externus: Wentworth

Reading this, I can't help but think "If they had put all that effort into the war maybe they wouldn't have come out quite as bad." Especially since the only thing I leaked to Philosopher was something like "Really? Because she told me that they were attacking...." Though, being invited into #sanctum afterward (which was a massive channel and surely riddled with leaks everywhere) and having like ten people immediately erupt in violent protest was rather entertaining. At least people knew my name, right? Besides, "Heft is an NPO spy!" was an IRON joke the moment I put in my application, and continued to be so for a very long time. SM wasn't in denial, she and I had been close ever since I was the diplomat almost a year before that war started. It's not exactly surprising she trusted me over you. A number of the Aegis people seemed to think that IRON (and hell even GPA) were for some reason supposed to join them, presumably because the NPO and Initiative were evil and mean and bad and we would take the opportunity to throw off the yoke of WUT Oppression or whatever. They didn't seem to realize that we never felt oppressed. At the time, IRON and NPO had a more or less cordial, yet somewhat distant, relationship. None of us really liked GATO, and we weren't particularly fond of a number of other Aegis alliances. We just never went around telling people what we really thought about them (or talking to them much at all). Yet when war came around suddenly they were our allies and friends and they wanted to talk to us. To be fair, the NPO at that point didn't talk to us much before the war started either, except for a few person connections (i.e, Shan/Dilber Shan/Doitzel), but they didn't expect us to put our nations on the line for them, either. I also don't think people realized how undemocratic IRON is, because there were people who would try to sell the war as a last stand for democracy while trying to get me to support it. If they knew anything about IRON or myself, they would have understood how terrible an argument that was to use. Also, there was someone that kept querying me on IRC with that terrible "first they came for X" poem, which also kept getting posted and sigged everywhere. I hate that poem, and I'm pretty sure at a certain point we were half-jokingly considering attacking whoever used it next (only half-jokingly). For the record, it's a terrible poem and should never be used or reproduced ever. It's true, IRON hasn't signed a single PIAT since then. It also provided the impetus for us to create our treaty library because record keeping is really helpful.

On a related note, the /ns ajoin commands. /ns ajoin add #channel, mainly. Then people won't join until they've identified, at which point they automatically join all the ones on their list (/ns ajoin list). No need for perform or favorites or whatever else.

Well, the computer in the other room seems to load it fine. So for the time being I'll make do with that until a better solution is worked out.

Cleared everything except saved passwords and it still keeps timing out.

Some time ago (weeks, maybe a few months by now, not really sure) the CN website itself stopped loading anytime I used "www." It would load just fine without the www. though (http://cybernations.net). For any page. Now it won't do that either. Firefox seems to redirect it to a www. page and IE just won't load it period. Every other site has and still does work just fine and this latest problem started yesterday and still hasn't changed at all.

I think this would be an excellent time to uncap the GRL.

As a nation holding uranium as a natural resource, I entirely agree. But seriously, with all these changes very few people have any reason to trade with Uranium. I'll have to resort to temp-trading for whoever wants nukes or go back to duping noobs for cash. :/ Oil and Coal and Rubber have various redeeming features, arguably. Outside of nukes, which aren't so great anymore, Uranium doesn't have much. But really I think the largest complaint with this change is the way in which it was done. There are many nations which were playing the best they could under the old system and are now being penalized. Nations which were in the middle of an improvement swap are now bill-locked through no fault of their own. In other words, the abruptness of the change, if not necessarily the change itself, punished those players that do manage and do strategize their nations well. And not just out of a few bucks collection, but, in some cases at least, very drastically to the point they may need foreign aid to get back up.

I have 971 miles of land, 21 nukes, a coal trade, a pop density of 158, and 4 1/2 stars for my environment and still collect at least 10M before bills. Oops? I don't think this is having the desired affect, if that was to hamper 10kInfra/1ktech/0 land nations like myself.