Sil Dorsett for Vice Delegate

Sil Dorsett

Sil Dorsett

The Belt Collector
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Deputy Speaker
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TNP Nation
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Discord
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SD for VD
The Right Person in the Right Job​

Greetings! It's hard to believe that it's already been over two years since I arrived in NationStates and The North Pacific. I remember the bombardment of telegrams from when I was founded, I remember learning about the World Assembly and how endorsements worked, and I remember winning my first Click-to-Endorse champion award in the 29th WADP Awards. It was after that when I joined the forums. I figured it was a good idea so you all knew who came outta nowhere to win that. ;)

Very quickly, I found my place in WA Affairs, even running the ministry for just about all of 2017 before stepping into roleplay moderation. The vacation didn't last all that long, since after Deropia's disappearance (; ;) some positions were shuffled and I was back in government with another half-term in WA followed by an admittedly forgettable term as FA Minister.

Now, why would I bring that up you ask? I believe in making sure we have the right people in the right jobs, and I believe that the right job for me is as your Vice Delegate, the ever-vigilant watchman scrutinizing all and ready to step in temporarily should the worst ever happen. Here, I hope to convince you that I'm the right person for that job. Let's have a look at some talking points.


Security Council Endorsements
Let me start off by saying that I love numbers. I love charts. I love analytics. I was definitely a STEM student back in High School. In my time as Security Councillor I've noticed some trends around the ebb and flow of nations participating in the game and joining the WA. People were thinking there'd be a summer boom with people having more free time. Never happened. Instead, there were more people vacationing and doing other things besides NationStates and numbers actually dropped. Look at Siwale's endorsement count over the last summer and how he lost 100 endorsements before an autumn recovery when people were back playing the game.

These trends have consequences for the endorsements levels of the Delegate, VD, and the Security Council. Now, the first thing we need to do is get the Security Council back in full possession of the Top Ten and build a gap to ensure it stays that way. I will continue to see the Security Council Endorsement Alert dispatch system updated frequently to bring attention to the Security Councillor that needs endorsements the most, but I'll also consider utilizing it in strategic ways to either lock the top 10 down or build that gap. I also want to promote more telegram endorsement campaigns for other SCers, where SCers send out telegrams to boost other members either individually or along with their own numbers. I won't say we'll boost numbers up to raw values of 875 or 900, but maybe a percentage of 60%-65% of regional WAs would be a good goal for all SCers. (For reference, the delegate is at 80.6%)


Regional Endorsements
I believe a more strenuous campaign to encourage Non-WAs to join the WA will do us wonders. We already have our Home Affairs telegrams encouraging joining, but we should also be looking at why nations are not joining. I plan to survey the region, similar to how we've done regarding WA Affairs performance and feedback for the WADP, to find out why WAs joined and stick around and why Non-WAs haven't. Gaining knowledge will help us come up with new programs to make the WA worth another look.

Last year and this year, we ran successful campaigns to bring TNP to #1 in the average endorsements per nation count, even if just briefly. Europe responded and are back on top. Encouraging non-WAs to reconsider participation in the WA and join will only help us, and I want us to develop a program to maintain the number one spot once we reclaim it, which admittedly is difficult for a feeder region to do.


Citizenship Checks
I hope to earn your trust, so I will be perfectly honest here in hopes of doing that. Past candidates and even current ones have promised turnarounds of anywhere from 8 to 12 hours from application made to Vice Delegate check done to move citizenship applications quickly. As a full-time worker, I cannot promise that specifically. I can, however, promise to make the checks part of my daily routine, just like I had a routine while WA Minister.

However, I also would like to point out that that the Vice Delegate legally has three days to make the check, and I don't believe any check should be treated as just running through the motions. I see nothing wrong with using the full time to make sure the check is done right. Being a member of the Security Council, I believe, provides an advantage in making sure the checks are comprehensive and not just running through the motions, as I'm already familiar with current notices and recommendations. I am very thorough, and I am not afraid to ask for a second look if something doesn't feel right. The Four Eyes Principle applies very much to regional security.

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I hope I can count on your support! Feel free to ask me questions, and also check my Security Council admission debate thread here -> http://forum.thenorthpacific.org/topic/9128992/ just in case I already answered your question. But, even I did, ask it anyways if you want. Nine months since that vote is a significant amount of time to build new perspectives, and maybe I'll have something new for you.

Thanks,
Sil Dorsett
 
Hello! This is an adept and thorough platform and your interest in statistics makes you a brilliant choice as a vice delegate candidate. You also serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs so you should be as good as Pallaith is for Vice Delegate checks.
 
I agree with what Yuno's said above. I think you'd make a fine VD. So far? You've got my vote.
 
I find that it would be very difficult to find someone I would vote for over yourself. You are a dedicated member of this region, and I think you would be an excellent VD.
 
I like your motto. The right person for the right job.

I think most of the positions available this election you would be right for. Except maybe AG, only because I don't think anyone should do that to themselves.
 
Sil, you're a fellow member of the Security Council, which gives you a leg up on anyone who isn't and pursuing this office. You know the people and the culture and even before you joined the SC you were helpfully pointing things out and tracking endorsements. One could say you're a natural grassroots security person, and this job seems like a natural extension of the work you've already done for us. You're a numbers guy and you have a genuine passion and skill for this work. It's just a perfect match, so I can't help but say you have my support, even before taking into account working with you in the SC and having worked with you in the executive.

As the current occupant on his way out, this job is near and dear to my heart. So I would like to know what your intentions are regarding the weekly endorsement checks that are currently performed by the VD. Will you continue them, change them in some way?

I'm also curious what you mean when you say that you will use the alert system in strategic ways. Currently the lowest endorsed SC member gets featured in the alert, and if that person doesn't change week to week the second least, and then on, is featured. What other scenarios do you envision that this would be done in a different way?

Disclosure is a perennial topic and part of Brendog's campaign. As a sitting member of the SC I feel your opinion might be worth hearing especially in contrasting with your opponent. I just want to know, what is the criteria for you personally? What situations or discussions would you feel should be or shouldn't be disclosed, or do you have no limits in mind at all? Is the current amount of disclosure insufficient, is there information that you think is missing, or is it more of a general changing the process, broadening the access compared to what we have now?
 
Well, it's about time I got a question! To those who have shouted out your support, thank you! Now, let's take a moment to tackle Ghost's and Lore's queries.

Weekly Endorsement Checks:
Continue with enhancements. Charting that shows progression over time compared to the number of WAs in the region, so that the charts not only track raw numbers but also by percentage of WAs. This way the endorsement check factors in those dips in WA participation in some seasons.

Security Council Alerts:
To be honest, I missed the fact that you would change the alert to the next lowest if the actual lowest didn't see enough improvement that resulted in a change in position. It makes sense to do it that way, though, as notices become more "in your face" the more frequently they're published. Letting the notice sit for a few weeks eventually results in diminishing returns. So, in the current situation, a back and forth between Novare Res and Sundred could help, while also supported by other SCers mentioning them in their endotarting telegrams.

Now, strategic usage of the Endorsement Alerts... I was concerned about Non-SCers being in the top-10 and having overtaken a few security councillors, and my thought was to have them quickly overtaken so that there are more SCers outpacing them in influence gains. But, I realize that's a short-term fix and the long-term solution is to build the other lesser-endorsed SCers up. So, you're right, Ghost, and you've managed that very intelligently. Plus, with new SC applicants, building them up if they're approved will likely solve the top-10 thing anyways.

Disclosures:
I addressed this very issue in my Security Council application discussion thread. Here's what I said before:
Sil Dorsett:
I believe the current state of disclosure is appropriate. It is wise for the SC to take into consideration the sensitive nature of discussions as it relates to regional security prior to making disclosures other than what is required by law. Even applications and nominations fall into that category, especially when there's the possibility that disclosing a discussion may compromise the SC's ability to act on a potential threat. I think that even disclosing conversations about nominees that passed the first layer of scrutiny compromises conversations about those who have not for a security reason. I would be really curious how the rest of the security council sees that.
Click to expand...
Here's what I say now, with a few months of experience in my belt: The Security Council needs to consider the impact of a conversation before disclosing it. "Duh," you might say. But, remember that Article 10 of the Security Council Procedure gives the Security Councillors wide discretionary powers to decide what is safe to disclose.

Now, to answer the question: Security and VD check recommendations are clearly not subject to disclosure based on their sensitive nature and how a leak could compromise our ability to identify future threats. Discussions on encouraging activity and the WADP I would consider safe to disclose. Discussions on changes to procedures I would take on a case-by-case basis. To me, it's all about identifying what could cause a security problem if it got out.

SC application discussions are tricky. The applicant can already see the discussion if they get into the SC. We already have to defend a decision to deny an application in the RA. If there are concerns about activity, we usually address it with the applicant, and we've also added a blurb on our application thread that points out the informal factors we consider. If an application is withdrawn, it's usually because of those informal factors. The only really complicated area is when someone comes back after being denied wanting to see the conversation, and let's be honest here - this is the internet, a place where it's really easy to hold a grudge.

How would I sum it up? "Is there a Need-to-Know?" is the question I would be asking about SC applications.

Secret Prison Camps:
I think TNP's revenues would be better utilized purchasing hardware upgrades or software add-ons rather than implementing dystopian fantasies.
 
Congratulations on your win! I look forward to working with you as Vice Delegate this term. :)
 
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