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The Power Behind the Upvote Squad; What are Squad Goals?
Topic Started: May 25 2018, 03:55 AM (267 Views)
Calvin Coolidge
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☆Kawaii Panda☆

On October 7, 2014 during my first term as Minister of Communications, I posted a brief announcement in the EuroComm Dispatch Hub announcing the formation of an official "Upvote Squad" to promote Europeian dispatches. Since that time, the Upvote Squad has grown in size and scale to become a fixture in the Ministry of Communications and the Europeian government.

Currently, the Upvote Squad sits at roughly twenty-five members, which is about a quarter of our citizenry. Our dispatches are consistently at the top of the NationStates dispatch page on the day of their release, if not the days after. The goal of this Squad, beyond simply upvoting our own dispatches was to ensure that the messages we promote get the best possible coverage. This means that in the past we have upvoted not only the official dispatches from Europeia Dispatch Office, but from the WA nations, or even the newspaper of The North Pacific. We'll even downvote dispatches that go against our strategic interest, if we are attacked by The Rejected Times, or we know a region has been downvoting our dispatches, we might respond accordingly.

At times, we even dive into real life issues, as Europeia is a region that strives to help its citizens in many ways be it through mental health awareness/resources, rebuking Nazis, or the promotion of LGBT+ issues. Europeia is touched by these issues, in one way or another, so providing relevant information on all of these topics to our citizens is a reasonable extension of our Squad's mission.

Tonight, however, something unprecedented was asked of the Squad. A dispatch laying out the case against abortion in relation to an upcoming vote on the Irish Constitution's 8th Amendment was in the crossfire. The nation that posted it resided in a region named "Right to Life", and seemed to be created simply for the purpose of taking a political stance on this issue. This dispatch did not really fit the mold of the typical dispatch targeted by the Squad, then, because it did not provide resources to anyone who might be dealing with the issue, and downvoting it would not hide something that the region has dedicated resources to fighting, like Nazism.

After protests in Discord's eurochat, Minister of Communications Kuramia reversed the decision and released a statement saying in part, "after consultation with the President, we will not be taking a stance on this issue in an official manner".

And that's really what the Upvote Squad is all about: taking a stance to promote a message. The message is usually clear, "Help spread Europeia's message", while sometimes it's a little more nuanced like, "People will benefit from reading this" or "This message should not be tolerated, so we will do what we can to suppress it". Abortion, regardless of which side of the issue you suppport, is an issue that has supporters on both sides in the region, and both sides are tolerated here. By throwing support behind one side, it tells the other that they are not welcome here, and this is a power we should not use carelessly.

Our region is better off without people who support Nazis, or don't support the rights of LGBT+ to live their lives. People who are against abortion, however? That's a political view within the norm, and as a political region we have to be willing to encourage debate, or we're all worse off. Until next time, this is Calvin Coolidge, looking forward to the debate.
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Vac
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Do we forget the part where a certain individual tried to commandeer the upvote squad for their own purposes then snap in ruthless fashion when called on it?
Vac mercer, ESSMinister of Communications
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Sopo
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Lord High Chancellor Emeritus

I agree, Calvin. Good article.
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The Right Honorable Sopo
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Le Libertie
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Back to business

Great article in quite the timely fashion.

Obviously, I am pleased that the ministry reversed this decision.

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Lethen
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Remember when I was famous? Neither do I.

Vac
May 25 2018, 04:01 AM
Do we forget the part where a certain individual tried to commandeer the upvote squad for their own purposes then snap in ruthless fashion when called on it?
That's what I thought this article would delve into. I suppose not.

Edit: where is the statement Kuramia released?
me, basically (click)

A letter to a friend

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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Calvin Coolidge
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I didn't address an individual co-opting the Squad for their own purposes because that's clearly wrong, and not an official action with long-lasting consequences. What the Squad actually endorses has more meaning, to me, so I discussed that instead. Kuramia made her statement in the executive updates channel, Lethen.
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Lethen
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Remember when I was famous? Neither do I.

Figured as much. God forbid a statement is also released on the forums :P
me, basically (click)

A letter to a friend

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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hyanygo


Lethen
May 25 2018, 11:17 AM
Figured as much. God forbid a statement is also released on the forums :P
You're irritation is well placed. The discord post will disappear and so will accountability.
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Vac
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hyanygo
May 25 2018, 07:19 PM
Lethen
May 25 2018, 11:17 AM
Figured as much. God forbid a statement is also released on the forums :P
You're irritation is well placed. The discord post will disappear and so will accountability.
Last I heard the admins are considering making using stuff like the upvote squad ping without authorization against the rules
Vac mercer, ESSMinister of Communications
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Kari
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Vac
May 25 2018, 09:59 PM
hyanygo
May 25 2018, 07:19 PM
Lethen
May 25 2018, 11:17 AM
Figured as much. God forbid a statement is also released on the forums :P
You're irritation is well placed. The discord post will disappear and so will accountability.
Last I heard the admins are considering making using stuff like the upvote squad ping without authorization against the rules
Given that it for some reason isn't disabled like other role pings, it would be a good idea to make who can ping it restricted rather than bringing in rules regarding it's use. if it is restricted the rules would not be needed.
Sopo
EuroToday 4/3/18
Almost shockingly aggressive.
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Calvin Coolidge
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☆Kawaii Panda☆

Kari
May 25 2018, 11:41 PM
Vac
May 25 2018, 09:59 PM
hyanygo
May 25 2018, 07:19 PM
Lethen
May 25 2018, 11:17 AM
Figured as much. God forbid a statement is also released on the forums :P
You're irritation is well placed. The discord post will disappear and so will accountability.
Last I heard the admins are considering making using stuff like the upvote squad ping without authorization against the rules
Given that it for some reason isn't disabled like other role pings, it would be a good idea to make who can ping it restricted rather than bringing in rules regarding it's use. if it is restricted the rules would not be needed.
Setting aside whether that's possible (I recall an admin saying that it may not be possible to restrict the role ping, but I have no insight on that, so I won't discuss it further), shouldn't individuals take some responsibility to not use an official branch of the government for their own purposes without restrictions being put in place? I'd hope that our citizenry has more self-control than that.
Posted ImagePosted ImageThe Panda's Pen is a newspaper I write. Posted ImageAll hail Swift.
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Vac
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I do not believe you can disable that roles ping use by everyone like you can for the @everyone ping.
Vac mercer, ESSMinister of Communications
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Kari
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Vac
May 26 2018, 05:09 AM
I do not believe you can disable that roles ping use by everyone like you can for the @everyone ping.
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You can disable it for any role group.

Tbh this entire discussion just reminds me of the old "X posted in the senate without permission" incidents, the forum maskings were changed to stop it from happening, no more problem.
Sopo
EuroToday 4/3/18
Almost shockingly aggressive.
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Vac
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Calvin Coolidge
May 25 2018, 11:51 PM
Kari
May 25 2018, 11:41 PM
Vac
May 25 2018, 09:59 PM
hyanygo
May 25 2018, 07:19 PM
Lethen
May 25 2018, 11:17 AM
Figured as much. God forbid a statement is also released on the forums :P
You're irritation is well placed. The discord post will disappear and so will accountability.
Last I heard the admins are considering making using stuff like the upvote squad ping without authorization against the rules
Given that it for some reason isn't disabled like other role pings, it would be a good idea to make who can ping it restricted rather than bringing in rules regarding it's use. if it is restricted the rules would not be needed.
Setting aside whether that's possible (I recall an admin saying that it may not be possible to restrict the role ping, but I have no insight on that, so I won't discuss it further), shouldn't individuals take some responsibility to not use an official branch of the government for their own purposes without restrictions being put in place? I'd hope that our citizenry has more self-control than that.

So unless the admins are prepared to make a special group for one deputy minister to utilize the upvote squad, it isn't going to happen. Like I requested before having you act like a school kid having a temper tantrum, just have self control.

Done with this thread now.
Edited by Vac, May 26 2018, 06:04 AM.
Vac mercer, ESSMinister of Communications
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Lethen
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Remember when I was famous? Neither do I.

Vac
May 25 2018, 09:59 PM
hyanygo
May 25 2018, 07:19 PM
Lethen
May 25 2018, 11:17 AM
Figured as much. God forbid a statement is also released on the forums :P
You're irritation is well placed. The discord post will disappear and so will accountability.
Last I heard the admins are considering making using stuff like the upvote squad ping without authorization against the rules
Last I heard, that's not what Hy and I had shifted to speaking about. :P
me, basically (click)

A letter to a friend

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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