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Welcome to Europeia!
So what the heck is Europeia anyways?

Can I join?

So, I came here representing another region? I do not want to become a citizen. Where should I go?

What offices are there for people to be elected into?

What is there for me to do in Europeia?

That answers most of my immediate questions. What if I have any more?


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The Stench Of Decay
Topic Started: Aug 13 2017, 04:26 AM (685 Views)
Aexnidaral Seymour
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Somebody's got to keep you entertained.

Slightly unrelated, and I'm unsure how to write or speak about this eloquently-- but often times it seems that we play a zero sum game where we compare candidates for Office (especially ones we don't like personally) to far-outclassing members like Malashaan and Drecq. I recall vividly in one of my Senate elections where I was thrashed for, in effect, not being as good as Malashaan is. It's perfectly fine to have high standards of what you believe defines "qualified", but to compare people directly to some of our most prolific members is silly. Not every candidate is going to be a body-double of an existing politician or leader-- nor should they be.
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"... Aex, who is treated like the Europeian version of Nickelback by a lot of people here."
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Lethen
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Aexnidaral Seymour
Aug 13 2017, 06:07 PM
Slightly unrelated, and I'm unsure how to write or speak about this eloquently-- but often times it seems that we play a zero sum game where we compare candidates for Office (especially ones we don't like personally) to far-outclassing members like Malashaan and Drecq. I recall vividly in one of my Senate elections where I was thrashed for, in effect, not being as good as Malashaan is. It's perfectly fine to have high standards of what you believe defines "qualified", but to compare people directly to some of our most prolific members is silly. Not every candidate is going to be a body-double of an existing politician or leader-- nor should they be.
This post is interesting, honestly, but its not nearly as high-quality as an in-depth r3n or NES post. Sorry, not going to read further posts by you.

:orly:
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By the Prophetical Blessing of Nethel, Supreme Chancellor of the Republic of Europeia and the states within, Destined Overseer of His rightful yet forgotten realms of Estalcia and Old Europe and Crystal Falls, Defender of the Faith and New Jersey, and Heir to the concept of Sarcasm
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Aexnidaral Seymour
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Somebody's got to keep you entertained.

Lethen
Aug 13 2017, 06:09 PM
Aexnidaral Seymour
Aug 13 2017, 06:07 PM
Slightly unrelated, and I'm unsure how to write or speak about this eloquently-- but often times it seems that we play a zero sum game where we compare candidates for Office (especially ones we don't like personally) to far-outclassing members like Malashaan and Drecq. I recall vividly in one of my Senate elections where I was thrashed for, in effect, not being as good as Malashaan is. It's perfectly fine to have high standards of what you believe defines "qualified", but to compare people directly to some of our most prolific members is silly. Not every candidate is going to be a body-double of an existing politician or leader-- nor should they be.
This post is interesting, honestly, but its not nearly as high-quality as an in-depth r3n or NES post. Sorry, not going to read further posts by you.

:orly:
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"... Aex, who is treated like the Europeian version of Nickelback by a lot of people here."
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Punchwood
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JayDee, Sam, Siol, Pyn, UV would be the first that spring to mind.

EDIT: I would have also put XIV in that first list, however he has served in the Cabinet before just not very long unfortunately due to real life issues.
Edited by Punchwood, Aug 13 2017, 07:25 PM.
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JayDee
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Siol has been involved in radio but was on LoA recently, before that Radio needed Cat at the helm
Pyn isn't active enough
Sam I'm not sure
UV has had many chances but he consistently falls inactive in ministries
I only recently started really standing out in any ministry and when I was offered MinComm by two of the candidates last cycle I was forced to decline.
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Kylia Quilor
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JayDee
Aug 13 2017, 07:32 PM
Siol has been involved in radio but was on LoA recently, before that Radio needed Cat at the helm
Pyn isn't active enough
Sam I'm not sure
UV has had many chances but he consistently falls inactive in ministries
I only recently started really standing out in any ministry and when I was offered MinComm by two of the candidates last cycle I was forced to decline.
Besides, last time I checked - and it has been a while, I recall Siol saying that he didn't actually want a Cabinet post in Europeia, though I suppose that might change if someone actually offered him the gig. And that's rather the issue - it's not just a function of can they do it, but would they take the job if offered, or refuse it either because inclination or time. I mean, Carrot (not a newcomer I know) has the chops to run Radio, but even if he had the time (and as I understand it, he doesn't), hasn't Carrott explicitly said he doesn't want any cabinet post?

@Aex: I don't agree - Drecq or Mal has never been my standard of comparison for any position. And I don't think that's true for many people anyway. I could be wrong, but no discussion I've had with anyone on the subject has ever held them up as the baseline measuring stick. Very few people compare well or even remotely well to them. They're just that good. Comapred to them, I know I'm a fucking potato, and I have a pretty high opinion of myself and my ability, as a rule.
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Never underestimate the power of cynicism, pessimism and negativity to prevent terrible things from happening. Only idealists try to build the future on a mountain of bodies.
Unfocused populism is just as dangerous, if not more so, to a Republic's survival as creeping authoritarianism.
Tell people how you feel, honestly and frankly. If you like someone, tell them. If you don't like them, tell them - the world would be a better place if we all knew where we stood.
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Punchwood
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JayDee
Aug 13 2017, 07:32 PM
Siol has been involved in radio but was on LoA recently, before that Radio needed Cat at the helm
Pyn isn't active enough
Sam I'm not sure
UV has had many chances but he consistently falls inactive in ministries
I only recently started really standing out in any ministry and when I was offered MinComm by two of the candidates last cycle I was forced to decline.
Siol could have also taken up Interior. He also could have taken up radio, Cat has not had to be in Radio for this long.
Pyn is one of the most active in Culture.
Sam I think is deserving of Interior.
UV I think there were times when he could have been a Minister yet then fell to inactivity.
As for yourself that's up to you.
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JayDee
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Siol has done a lot for recruiting but I haven't seen him in integration. It's also a bit ironic you use MoI as your example when we've had 3 newcomers as MoI in the past 4 terms. Leo was MoI twice.
Pyn is active on weekends, that's not enough
He recruits a lot for sure but I'm not sure about anything beyond that
Precisely, UV is unreliable
It is indeed
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Darcness
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Interior is, unfortunately, one of those places where only the most driven, organized individual can make any sort of headway in 70 days. Recruitment is something we've got down to a science. Integration, on the other hand, is a VERY soft science (I can feel hyanygo's death stare as I type this), and the results of integration efforts aren't something we can quantify in such a short span. It takes a few months to get acclimated to Europeia, something to which I can attest (it took me almost 2 months to join a Ministry at all), and the integration efforts we propose shift often enough that they have no real time to take root.

Mentoring new citizens is something I've really come to enjoy here, and is something I'm good at. I would never serve as the Minister of the Interior in this region. Why? Any project I create, no matter how successful it might eventually be, will be seen as a failure, because it couldn't produce results during my term. We are Europeians, after all, and having opinions is our favorite pastime. Mentoring and Integration are NOT 70-day jobs, but we keep treating them like they are... which is why they will never be better than what we have now.

So, Siol Alse, Le Libertia, Sam111 for Minister of the Interior? It doesn't matter. This region will never give them the time or care they need to 'succeed', anyway. I wish any and all of them all the luck I can spare.

Pyntuma has exactly the energy, innovation, and downright infectious mood that I LOVE to see in Culture. By her own admission, her availability keeps her from being Minister of Culture. On the other hand, she is a VERY dependable force when it comes to her specific portfolio, and that is a strength that is good for a Ministry. Pyntuma is to Culture what CptCarrot is to Radio: Someone that has a specific niche, that is dedicated and effective. If either of them were ever willing to run their respective Ministries, I'd hire them in a heartbeat. But they're not, so until then, we look elsewhere.


Since we're talking about Cabinet posts, let me share a little secret: it is fucking hard to build a Cabinet in this region. HEM would have us believe that it is easy: grab someone that is talented and hard-working, and slot them into the spot where you want them to go. Okay, fine. Nobody knows their Ministry better than the Minister, yes? When I took over for Calvin, I approached all of the currently-serving Ministers and asked them to come up with a single name for the 'If I get hit by a bus' file. Should hell rain down, who should I find to replace them. Care to know what happened? Only 3 Ministers could name someone to replace them, and 2 of those ministers named the same person. So I looked into it and found out that the Executive is held together by about 20 people (this includes the Cabinet and the Ministries, it doesn't include the ERN or the EAAC). I see the same score of people people taking initiative, asking for work, coming up with ideas, pushing for change. That includes newcomer and old hand alike. We don't have a problem in the number of newcomers who aren't getting their shot... we have a problem in the number of citizens that are (not) actively engaged in their government.

JayDee is one of the people that deserve a shot, and has been given it (although he had to turn it down). He's had some marks against him in his time here. Some were gaffes, some were missteps, some were mistakes, and there was the occasional outright fuck-up. But he keeps trying, and I respect his tenacity, and his drive to learn from his mistakes, no matter how much the mistakes frustrated me in the past. I think, like many of our older members, he has the potential to have a long and great career here. But the core of that career is that he tries, and he learns, and he keeps trying. I don't see anyone who I can say the same of. Maybe they existed in the past, but they haven't lately.

Do we punish failure too harshly? Overall, I would say no, or we'd have tossed JayDee out on his ear by now. Do some of us enjoy cutting others down (privately counts here, there is no such thing as a secret) more than building them up? Definitely. Coherbia's flame-out is proof of that. Because having an opinion is fun, and teaching someone something is work.

HEM, I agree with you, that there is trouble in the region. I disagree that there is a systemic issue of deserving citizens who are consistently shut out, though. We are supposed to be the preeminent UCR in Nationstates. But claiming and holding on to that title takes work. From where I stand, there aren't enough of us working to really back that up. That work comes in the form of leaving behind the fear of failure, of asking for more, of proving that you're ready. For those of us who have done those things, the work is in helping the others, in overseeing and guiding, and providing real constructive advice.

Building something up takes work. And it's never going to get there (and stay there) until we all get (and keep) our hands dirty.
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Kylia Quilor
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Darc is absolutely right about the way we as a region treat the Interior.
The Rt. Hon. Commodore Kylia Quilor, Dux Emeritus, Legatus, Quartius, Primus Pilus, Praefectus Vigilum Noctu, ERN
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I. Am. Not. A. Nice. Person.
Never underestimate the power of cynicism, pessimism and negativity to prevent terrible things from happening. Only idealists try to build the future on a mountain of bodies.
Unfocused populism is just as dangerous, if not more so, to a Republic's survival as creeping authoritarianism.
Tell people how you feel, honestly and frankly. If you like someone, tell them. If you don't like them, tell them - the world would be a better place if we all knew where we stood.
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HEM
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former substitute senator to aexnidaral seymour

Most of the discussion of this article has centered around one of it's several points. Here's a tl;dr guide to the other points:

1. Europeia has not adapted to RL changes in technology and how it is used
2. New members are not being given proper opportunities to be successful in Europeia,
3. However, newcomers are also less motivated than previous generations to make themselves thrive
4. Perhaps because there is no greater vision of Europeia beyond keeping the trains running on time
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Kylia Quilor
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Well, what is your magic solution for our use of discord? I thought you thought it was hell and not to be encouraged? Shouldn't the solution be to discourage its use for most purposes?
The Rt. Hon. Commodore Kylia Quilor, Dux Emeritus, Legatus, Quartius, Primus Pilus, Praefectus Vigilum Noctu, ERN
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I. Am. Not. A. Nice. Person.
Never underestimate the power of cynicism, pessimism and negativity to prevent terrible things from happening. Only idealists try to build the future on a mountain of bodies.
Unfocused populism is just as dangerous, if not more so, to a Republic's survival as creeping authoritarianism.
Tell people how you feel, honestly and frankly. If you like someone, tell them. If you don't like them, tell them - the world would be a better place if we all knew where we stood.
Professional Credentials

Testimonials To My Character
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Sopo
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Unfortunately, I think most of us are looking for a dick-around political game/community, not a part-time job. The time commitment demanded for most positions these days is hardly bearable once you've moved out of the infatuation stage of your relationship with Europeia.
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HEM
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former substitute senator to aexnidaral seymour

Kylia Quilor
Aug 17 2017, 01:13 AM
Well, what is your magic solution for our use of discord? I thought you thought it was hell and not to be encouraged? Shouldn't the solution be to discourage its use for most purposes?
I'm growing increasingly convinced that you straight up didn't read my article. :lol: I have at least one proposed solution in the text.

The answer at this point is adopt to Discord, not resist. It's a part of a wider mobile culture that isn't going away any time soon. We should've give up on the forum, but content should but written mobile-friendly, which means shorter and more tl;dr.
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Kylia Quilor
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HEM
Aug 17 2017, 01:38 AM
Kylia Quilor
Aug 17 2017, 01:13 AM
Well, what is your magic solution for our use of discord? I thought you thought it was hell and not to be encouraged? Shouldn't the solution be to discourage its use for most purposes?
I'm growing increasingly convinced that you straight up didn't read my article. :lol: I have at least one proposed solution in the text.

The answer at this point is adopt to Discord, not resist. It's a part of a wider mobile culture that isn't going away any time soon. We should've give up on the forum, but content should but written mobile-friendly, which means shorter and more tl;dr.
So... dumbing it down?

I don't play Europeia to have shorter content. I don't Play NS so we can try to keep things short for people who can't be arsed to read a long post if a long post is the best way to make the relevant point(s).

I mean, I know I've always argued variations of this notion, but again, if people need a tl;dr to get into our politics, do we want them running for office or engaging in our politics?

Also, HEM, it's been several days since you posted the thing. God forbid I ddin't memorize it.
Edited by Kylia Quilor, Aug 17 2017, 01:49 AM.
The Rt. Hon. Commodore Kylia Quilor, Dux Emeritus, Legatus, Quartius, Primus Pilus, Praefectus Vigilum Noctu, ERN
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I. Am. Not. A. Nice. Person.
Never underestimate the power of cynicism, pessimism and negativity to prevent terrible things from happening. Only idealists try to build the future on a mountain of bodies.
Unfocused populism is just as dangerous, if not more so, to a Republic's survival as creeping authoritarianism.
Tell people how you feel, honestly and frankly. If you like someone, tell them. If you don't like them, tell them - the world would be a better place if we all knew where we stood.
Professional Credentials

Testimonials To My Character
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