NationStates is, by its very nature, a social game. It is uniquely so, given that almost all of it is player-motivated. The social aspect of NationStates breeds competition and conflict. Subjectively, some of this conflict is positive, and some of it is not. All of it, however, falls into one of two categories: In-Character and Out-Of-Character, herein referred to as “IC” and “OOC” respectively.
IC conflict deals with matters such as political races, coups, and infractions of regional law. These actions impact the game and the players as players. IC actions are not actionable by the administrative team unless on behalf of the regional government. It is the government’s job to deal with IC matters. If the government determines that an IC action is ban worthy, then the administrative team may enforce that ban. The administrative team will not be responsible for that determination; they will only be responsible for enforcing the government’s determinations.
OOC conflict deals with matters such as spamming and doxxing (revealing RL information about a person in public). OOC actions impact the people behind the nations and discord accounts in this game. The government has no place in handling OOC problems; the administrative team exists specifically for this purpose.
The administrative team keeps the region and it’s property safe. This is why the administrative team is composed of some of the oldest and most trustworthy members of the region as chosen by the Chief Administrator. The administrative team does not punish for IC crimes, but will carry out the directives of the IC government. The administrative team maintains the administrative separation between IC officials and server administrators to prevent a potentially rogue government from inadvertently taking down critical infrastructure to the region. Administrative action is generally conducted by consensus. If an administrator were to ban a player without the consensus of the team or the explicit permission of the Chief Administrator, it would be up to the Chief Administrator to hold that administrator to account and remove them from their position of authority.
There have recently been calls to legislate the role of the administrative team into regional law. No legislation can change how the administrative team does its job. A guarantee of safety is paramount to any online community, and if the administrative team was answerable to the IC government, regional safety could be compromised by the slow judicial system and the potential corruption of our democratic institutions.
Although the relationship between administration and government is non-negotiable, the people are not voiceless. It is imperative that the citizens of the region give consistent feedback on the handling of cases and hold the administrative team to account when they feel that the administrative team has overreached. The people can hold the administrative team to accountable by honestly discussing their thoughts. This can easily be done by creating a thread in the “Administrative Front Desk” forum. The administrative team protects the region, and if the teams conduct is in question, public outcry is the most effective way to procure change. The administrative team is extremely grateful to the people of the region for placing their trust in them to keep the region safe and hopes to maintain that trust going forward.
Signed,
Thatcher Whitehall
Chief Administrator
Kade
Discord Administrator
Associate Administrator
Ark
Associate Administrator
IC conflict deals with matters such as political races, coups, and infractions of regional law. These actions impact the game and the players as players. IC actions are not actionable by the administrative team unless on behalf of the regional government. It is the government’s job to deal with IC matters. If the government determines that an IC action is ban worthy, then the administrative team may enforce that ban. The administrative team will not be responsible for that determination; they will only be responsible for enforcing the government’s determinations.
OOC conflict deals with matters such as spamming and doxxing (revealing RL information about a person in public). OOC actions impact the people behind the nations and discord accounts in this game. The government has no place in handling OOC problems; the administrative team exists specifically for this purpose.
The administrative team keeps the region and it’s property safe. This is why the administrative team is composed of some of the oldest and most trustworthy members of the region as chosen by the Chief Administrator. The administrative team does not punish for IC crimes, but will carry out the directives of the IC government. The administrative team maintains the administrative separation between IC officials and server administrators to prevent a potentially rogue government from inadvertently taking down critical infrastructure to the region. Administrative action is generally conducted by consensus. If an administrator were to ban a player without the consensus of the team or the explicit permission of the Chief Administrator, it would be up to the Chief Administrator to hold that administrator to account and remove them from their position of authority.
There have recently been calls to legislate the role of the administrative team into regional law. No legislation can change how the administrative team does its job. A guarantee of safety is paramount to any online community, and if the administrative team was answerable to the IC government, regional safety could be compromised by the slow judicial system and the potential corruption of our democratic institutions.
Although the relationship between administration and government is non-negotiable, the people are not voiceless. It is imperative that the citizens of the region give consistent feedback on the handling of cases and hold the administrative team to account when they feel that the administrative team has overreached. The people can hold the administrative team to accountable by honestly discussing their thoughts. This can easily be done by creating a thread in the “Administrative Front Desk” forum. The administrative team protects the region, and if the teams conduct is in question, public outcry is the most effective way to procure change. The administrative team is extremely grateful to the people of the region for placing their trust in them to keep the region safe and hopes to maintain that trust going forward.
Signed,
Thatcher Whitehall
Chief Administrator
Kade
Discord Administrator
Associate Administrator
Ark
Associate Administrator