Kondratev
TNPer
I resign from all positions in TNP. It has to do primarily with the last three paragraphs of this letter, and the subsequent treatment of Syrixia and others.
I think the delegate's treatment of Syrixia was disgusting for two reasons. For one, Syrixia was treated like a bitter enemy rather than a friend, partner or valued team member. There was never a serious attempt at dialog or explanation, only threats and mocking him behind his back.
People who wield internal power in such a way are worse than the most aggressive enemy trolls, because they control some level of access to other players' friendships and their very identity in the game. This is doubly true for longstanding RPers.
People are willing to submit when they feel they will lose their place in the community and the good relationships they've made. As one cabinet member described it, there's no choice but to "sit there and take their assholery."
I only endured it for this long because after Ash and Praetor were called “cowards” for leaving, I sought to stay and fight for the release of information and some redress for people who were wronged. I stayed even after being effectively run out of Discord by a small group of people who would spam vitriol in my direction for up to 45 minutes at a time.
Within the region, there's an implied camaraderie involved when participating in the same community. Syrixia's handling of the situation shows he honored this sense of community, while Plembobria did not. Disagreements are a fact of life, and they make a political game more interesting. Games like NS are fun because they provide a forum for people to put their ideas on the table and debate about the best way to run the group. People who have confidence in the strength of their ideas should work to persuade others, not intimidate others through bullying and threats.
Between NS and Cyber Nations, I played for the better part of 2005-2012. The majority of that time has been in government or the big chair. What I've seen here in modern TNP is contrary to all my principles, not in NS politics, but in OOC conduct. I've only ever been a member of one other group with such deep internal divisions and lack of trust. It was the beginning of a death spiral.
My enjoyment in this game has always stemmed from fostering a sense of friendship and common purpose by expanding participation in the community. I still regularly play games and talk with people whom I recruited through ingame spam in 2008. TNP used to have a reputation of aligning with my values, but recent events have shown me that its culture doesn't match its political structures. I fear TNP today is not a place where I can invest my time in my favorite activities.
My values have always been consistent. NationStates is a game. Games should be enjoyable and challenging. They shouldn't be mean-spirited and they shouldn't make people angry or sad. If it stops being fun, stop doing it.
NS government is not the sort of position where you can wield real power over others. If people believe they are living in a hostile environment, or being mistreated, they will ultimately leave with the single click of a button.
That's what I'm doing today.
I think the delegate's treatment of Syrixia was disgusting for two reasons. For one, Syrixia was treated like a bitter enemy rather than a friend, partner or valued team member. There was never a serious attempt at dialog or explanation, only threats and mocking him behind his back.
People who wield internal power in such a way are worse than the most aggressive enemy trolls, because they control some level of access to other players' friendships and their very identity in the game. This is doubly true for longstanding RPers.
People are willing to submit when they feel they will lose their place in the community and the good relationships they've made. As one cabinet member described it, there's no choice but to "sit there and take their assholery."
I only endured it for this long because after Ash and Praetor were called “cowards” for leaving, I sought to stay and fight for the release of information and some redress for people who were wronged. I stayed even after being effectively run out of Discord by a small group of people who would spam vitriol in my direction for up to 45 minutes at a time.
Within the region, there's an implied camaraderie involved when participating in the same community. Syrixia's handling of the situation shows he honored this sense of community, while Plembobria did not. Disagreements are a fact of life, and they make a political game more interesting. Games like NS are fun because they provide a forum for people to put their ideas on the table and debate about the best way to run the group. People who have confidence in the strength of their ideas should work to persuade others, not intimidate others through bullying and threats.
Between NS and Cyber Nations, I played for the better part of 2005-2012. The majority of that time has been in government or the big chair. What I've seen here in modern TNP is contrary to all my principles, not in NS politics, but in OOC conduct. I've only ever been a member of one other group with such deep internal divisions and lack of trust. It was the beginning of a death spiral.
My enjoyment in this game has always stemmed from fostering a sense of friendship and common purpose by expanding participation in the community. I still regularly play games and talk with people whom I recruited through ingame spam in 2008. TNP used to have a reputation of aligning with my values, but recent events have shown me that its culture doesn't match its political structures. I fear TNP today is not a place where I can invest my time in my favorite activities.
My values have always been consistent. NationStates is a game. Games should be enjoyable and challenging. They shouldn't be mean-spirited and they shouldn't make people angry or sad. If it stops being fun, stop doing it.
NS government is not the sort of position where you can wield real power over others. If people believe they are living in a hostile environment, or being mistreated, they will ultimately leave with the single click of a button.
That's what I'm doing today.
