Conference Opening Remarks

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Conference Opening Remarks
Topic Started: Sun Dec 17, 2017 10:43 pm (27 Views)
HEM	Sun Dec 17, 2017 10:43 pm Post #1
Posts: 9 Group: Members Member #130 Joined: Dec 16, 2017	Hello, I want to take a minute to thank everyone who is participating in this informal "conference," even if just by reading this post. I believe there are some extremely important conversations we need to have as administrators of this game's offsite platform, and hope that at least some of those conversations can happen here. Most of the conference will be defined by discussion on a series of topics, but I want to open by discussing my evolution as an administrator and how I have grown and, over time, altered my positions to the ones I have today. When we think about offsite platform administrators, and the different systems in which they operate, I often like to consider a spectrum. On one far end, you have regions where powers of forum administration are mostly tied to the political government. That is to say, if you are elected Prime Minister that position comes with administrative privileges. Perhaps there is one standing root admin at all times, but otherwise, there is no real "administrative team." On the other end of the spectrum, you have regions where administrators are distinct entities and have almost unilateral power to help set the direction of the region. In these systems, administrators often interact within the political system and supercede the political government on key questions of regional importance. I was originally a citizen of the original Land of Kings and Emperors, which decidedly operated at the far end of the first spectrum. The Emperor held administrative powers by merit of being the Emperor. Various government officials including the Prime Minister, Director of Intelligence, Minister of Defence, Minister of the Interior, all were often given administrative powers as agents of the government. There was no recourse for issue of harassment, stalking, or predatory behavior besides the criminal courts of the region. That is to say, the region more resembled a micro-nation than an internet game. When I founded Europeia, while I was more cautious with the number of people I gave admin powers to, I used the Land of Kings and Emperors as a guide for how administration should work. In my mind, to have unelected members be able to impose their will on the region outside of the political process seemed un-democratic and unfair. As years pass, I eventually got involved in the South Pacific. During that time, the South Pacific represented the second extreme end of the spectrum. The region greatly distrusted the courts, and relied on administrators to handle day-to-day issues of discipline. Administrators banned members for being too aggressive in game-related conversations, and did not respond well to public feedback or critique. This system created much public instability and uproar, with un-elected admins sometimes taking unilateral action that the political system was more than equipped to handle. In the years since, I have come to realize that both extremes were toxic to communities. In the “hands off” extreme, too many members are susceptible to abusive behaviors with no speedy recourse available. In a game, nobody should been forced to go through a “trial” when subjected to abuse that impacts their real life. Furthermore, so long as we have RL legal obligations to enforce the Terms of Service we cannot allow trials to determine whether or not we comply. On the other hand, the “ultra involved” extreme is also not desirable. Political questions should be decided by administrators when it is not absolutely necessary to do so. By seizing more power than necessary, regions can quickly lose any sense of direction or purpose—particularly gameplaying regions established on democratic traditions. In that spirit, Europeia has been attempting to chart a path somewhere in the middle. We have a standing team of administrators who have a wide mandate to address behaviors that cannot be adequately handled by our political system. However, we also avoid any forays into political questions in order to allow the political system to operate ordinarily around us. We don’t have a perfect system. I don’t have all the answers. I look forward to learning alongside everyone else these next few days! Yours, most sincerely, HEM
Posts: 9 Group: Members Member #130 Joined: Dec 16, 2017


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