[DRAFT] TNS - February 2019 - Interview - The Spotlight #16: Interview with Great Bights Mum[WIP]

[Marcus Antonius]

Interviewee Identified ✓
Questions set ✓
Interview - Carried out ✓
Draft Interview

 

[Marcus Antonius]

Marcus Antonius and GBM share a bottle of Shiraz​

Marcus Antonius: Welcome to The Spotlight, GBM! I am delighted you were able to take part in this series of interviews.

GBM: Thanks for asking me.

Marcus Antonius: I am relatively new to NS compared to yourself and I know little about you. Could you tell me how you came to join NS?

GBM: About 15 years ago, my brother, whose son had starting playing in college, suggested I might enjoy it. He said, "You make your own country and just answer issues. It takes only a couple of minutes a day." HA!

Marcus Antonius: (laughing) So, what made you pick TNP?

GBM: Fate. I was founded here. At first I wasn't sure I was going to stay, but everyone was so nice - Magicality, Thel D'ran, Blackshear, Poe/Indy Girl, that I decided this was the place for me. And Flem. Can't leave out Flemingovia

Marcus Antonius: That's exactly how I find TNP, really friendly and welcoming. Did you join the ministries straight away? What positions have you held here prior to being on the Security Council?

GBM: Actually, the whole thing was very foreign to me. I had no idea what a forum even was when I started playing. So I lurked for several weeks trying to figure things out.

Marcus Antonius: Yes, that was my experience as well, I found the spam games gave me more confidence. What ministries did you join?

GBM: My first position was MoC for Thel's Government-in-Exile during Great Bight's delegacy. I've been an ambassador, NPA, Vice Delegate and Delegate on a few occasions.

Marcus Antonius: That's really impressive GBM! What was your favourite Ministry or role?

GBM: Delegate. Hands down. It is a fine thing to be Delegate in a GCR.

Marcus Antonius: You mentioned Thel's Government-in-Exile during Great Bight's delegacy, this sounds like a very interesting time in TNP's history. Can you give me a summary please?

GBM: Yes, I hadn't been playing very long when all hell broke loose. We suddenly had a rogue delegate who was banning nations left and right. Great Bight was RPing a 12 year old pirate. (BTW, My original nation was not GBM, I created this one to harass him on the RMB. After all, how heartless would someone have to be to ban his own mother?) Anyway, GB had removed the forum link on the RMB, and replaced it with an elementary school student's piratey website. So we needed to reach as many nations as we could through TG, and by keeping the forum link on the RMB. Remember, in those days once the posts scrolled off the RMB, they were lost to the ether. There was no mass TGing. There were no scans for nations needing endorsements. Everything was quite labor-intensive. Also, there was no influence cost for the delegate in terms of banning nations. After several weeks of unendorsement campaigns, and rallying support from other regions, the Puppetmaster invasion led by Better Times/Ballatonia was successful in unseating GB. For me, the GB delegacy was an experience that fostered a true commitment to regional security. The GIE was created to have a functioning government which could step in once GB was unseated. Avengers Assemble was the region many of us gathered to coordinate things.

Marcus Antonius: That is incredible! That must have been a terrible time for TNP and very understandable that, like myself, you take security seriously. I wondered how you got the name Great Bites Mum. Are there any particularly noteworthy moments during your time as Delegate or the Security Council?

GBM: In 2008 Lewis & Clark, aka Westwind was elected Delegate. He established the Crimson Order, which was in fact a rogue delegacy. It very much divided the region, and it was corrupt at its core. Once I regained the delegacy, we had real problems in terms of unity. Now, we could follow the constitution and try numerous nations for war crimes, but I already had a deep disillusionment with the judicial process which was in place at the time. I also believed that drawn out litigation would further divide the region. So, I decided to grant amnesty to the members of the Crimson Order. I believed that rebuilding the community was more important than the letter of the law. I had already lived through the spirit-crushing Pixiedance regime, and I wanted to try and foster some unity in TNP.

Marcus Antonius: You have seen some really trying times GBM. Do you think the judicial processes in place now are better?

GBM: Of course, they are much improved now. Everything is improved! TNP is so much more sophisticated now than it was back then. Pre-McMasterdonia, we were a tribe. Now we are an organization.

Marcus Antonius: That is reassuring. Those must have been very dark times for TNP. Would you ever like to be delegate again?

GBM: No. Even after 15 years of NS, the list of nations who get to be delegate in a GCR is pretty short. I'd like to see as many people as possible get the chance to give it a go.

Marcus Antonius: Would you say being a delegate is a stressful position?

GBM: Yes, but in a really good way. It has become a much bigger job than it used to be, so if someone cannot make the time commitment, then that would be a problem. But the stress of running things here beats RL stress, since the consequences if you mess up are, well, make-believe.

Marcus Antonius: That's very true. What was the most, positive, memorable thing that has happened to you in NS?

GBM: It isn't just one thing. It is more the sense of community I've gained through sharing this NS experience over the years with so many people from different countries, with different viewpoints, and different walks of life. Yet somehow, by being brought together here, it gives us more in common than we know.

Marcus Antonius: You are right, it is a TNP family and that is great. My next question I hope, brings a smile to your face. What motivated you to eject McM during ZDay when you knew it would cost you so much influence?

GBM: It was an accident. I was looking for where to check to see what the influence cost would be if he were to be ejected. That button wasn't where I thought it was. And the next thing I knew - Poof! It said, in red, "McMasterdonia has been relocated to the Rejected Realms." And that's when the screaming started. OMG! I still can't believe it happened.

Marcus Antonius: (laughs) That must have been quite a shock! It's a shame it doesn't give you a warning like "Are you sure you wish to perform this action" Obviously McM made it back from the Rejected Realms OK. It must have been a bit embarrassing for you. I am sure the Security Council were supportive of you. I hope you laugh about it now.

GBM: I too, thought a confirmation screen would be a nice feature. But then I thought about how much it would slow down a delegate who wanted to do mass bannings.(laughs)

Marcus Antonius: What image is your Avvy?

GBM: it was a gift from Thel.

Marcus Antonius: Do you know who the character is?

GBM: I do not.

Marcus Antonius: Do you have any plans for where you want to take the Security Council?

GBM: Not really. The SC is here in case bad things happen. We aren't political. We are just defenders of the region. I do agree that every council member should be visible and active in the region.

Marcus Antonius: That's sensible. What's the best piece of advice you've ever received on NS?

GBM: Ah... that's easy. Thel once said "Everyone has the right to play the game as they see fit."

Marcus Antonius: For good or bad, hero or villain?

GBM: Yes. It is truth. There are so many paths to take and each is allowed to choose for himself.

Marcus Antonius: Wise words indeed, this is fantasy after all. What advice would you give any newcomers to the region to have a successful career here?

GBM: Have fun! Look around and find what interests you, there is so much to do. Talk to people in the ministries you want to be involved with. Ask for help if you need it. Have fun! Alternative advice: Join the NPA. Everyone should do a stint in the military. It builds character, teamwork and it's fun. If I wasn't SC I would be NPA.

Marcus Antonius: Two lots of advice from GBM! Both good. Is there anyone in the region in particular whom you look up to, and if so, why?

GBM: The short list of people I look up to is still pretty long. But, first would be Flemingovia, because he is God.

Marcus Antonius: Not that we are expecting you to disappear soon GBM, but how do you want to be remembered in TNP?

GBM: I resolutely do not like to blow my own horn, Marcus. Keeper of the flame, maybe. I've also called myself everybody's Mum.

Marcus Antonius: (laughs) I like that. What do you want your legacy to TNP to be?

GBM: That I did as much as I could to keep TNP safe. If a community doesn't feel secure, it is difficult for it to flourish and grow, and be creative and just have fun.

Marcus Antonius: That is an honourable and wonderful legacy GBM. What’s the question nobody ever asks you but you wish they would?

GBM: I'm drawing a blank.

Marcus Antonius: (laughs) That's ok. Alright, before we bring this interview to an end, is there anything you'd like to add?

GBM: No, I am done waxing philosophical on NS. Did you have fun?

Marcus Antonius: I certainly have. It was an absolute pleasure speaking to you. Thank you for answering the questions. I shall see you on the spam threads no doubt.

GBM: Thank you. It was lovely.

The lights fade and Marcus produces a bottle of Shiraz

Marcus Antonius: I thought this would be a change from Rum.

GBM: (laughs) I love Shiraz, mind you I will drink anything except Gin.

 

[Marcus Antonius]

[center][img]https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/1Hj.WIjCAv.7RiNfsB9Htg--~A/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9NjMwO2g9MzU0O2lsPXBsYW5l/http://media.zenfs.com/en-US/blogs/movietalk/MCDCLEO-FE002-H-jpg_160608.jpg[/img]
Marcus Antonius and GBM share a bottle of Shiraz[/center]

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] Welcome to The Spotlight, GBM! I am delighted you were able to take part in this series of interviews.

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] Thanks for asking me.

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] I am relatively new to NS compared to yourself and I know little about you. Could you tell me how you came to join NS?

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] About 15 years ago, my brother, whose son had starting playing in college, suggested I might enjoy it. He said, "You make your own country and just answer issues. It takes only a couple of minutes a day." HA!

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] [i](laughing)[/i] So, what made you pick TNP?

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] Fate. I was founded here. At first I wasn't sure I was going to stay, but everyone was so nice - Magicality, Thel D'ran, Blackshear, Poe/Indy Girl, that I decided this was the place for me. And Flem. Can't  leave out Flemingovia

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] That's exactly how I find TNP, really friendly and welcoming. Did you join the ministries straight away? What positions have you held here prior to being on the Security Council? 

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] Actually, the whole thing was very foreign to me. I had no idea what a forum even was when I started playing. So I lurked for several weeks trying to figure things out. 

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] Yes, that was my experience as well, I found the spam games gave me more confidence. What ministries did you join?

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] My first position was MoC for Thel's Government-in-Exile during Great Bight's delegacy.  I've been an ambassador, NPA, Vice Delegate and Delegate on a few occasions.

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] That's really impressive GBM! What was your favourite Ministry or role?

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] Delegate. Hands down. It is a fine thing to be Delegate in a GCR.

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] You mentioned Thel's Government-in-Exile during Great Bight's delegacy, this sounds like a very interesting time in TNP's history. Can you give me a summary please?

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] Yes, I hadn't been playing very long when all hell broke loose. We suddenly had a rogue delegate who was banning nations left and right. Great Bight was RPing a 12 year old pirate. (BTW, My original nation was not GBM, I created this one to harass him on the RMB. After all, how heartless would someone have to be to ban his own mother?) Anyway, GB had removed the forum link on the RMB, and replaced it with an elementary school student's piratey website. So we needed to reach as many nations as we could through TG, and by keeping the forum link on the RMB. Remember, in those days once the posts scrolled off the RMB, they were lost to the ether. There was no mass TGing. There were no scans for nations needing endorsements. Everything was quite labor-intensive. Also, there was no influence cost for the delegate in terms of banning nations. After several weeks of unendorsement campaigns, and rallying support from other regions, the Puppetmaster invasion led by Better Times/Ballatonia was successful in unseating GB. For me, the GB delegacy was an experience that fostered a true commitment to regional security. The GIE was created to have a functioning government which could step in once GB was unseated. Avengers Assemble was the region many of us gathered to coordinate things.

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] That is incredible! That must have been a terrible time for TNP and very understandable that, like myself, you take security seriously. I wondered how you got the name Great Bites Mum. Are there any particularly noteworthy moments during your time as Delegate or the Security Council?

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] In 2008 Lewis & Clark, aka Westwind was elected Delegate. He established the Crimson Order, which was in fact a rogue delegacy.  It very much divided the region, and it was corrupt at its core. Once I regained the delegacy, we had real problems in terms of unity. Now, we could follow the constitution and try numerous nations for war crimes, but I already had a deep disillusionment with the judicial process which was in place at the time. I also believed that drawn out litigation would further divide the region. So, I decided to grant amnesty to the members of the Crimson Order. I believed that rebuilding the community was more important than the letter of the law. I had already lived through the spirit-crushing Pixiedance regime, and I wanted to try and foster some unity in TNP.

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] You have seen some really trying times GBM. Do you think the judicial processes in place now are better?

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] Of course, they are much improved now. Everything is improved! TNP is so much more sophisticated now than it was back then. Pre-McMasterdonia, we were a tribe. Now we are an organization.

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] That is reassuring. Those must have been very dark times for TNP. Would you ever like to be delegate again?

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] No. Even after 15 years of NS, the list of nations who get to be delegate in a GCR is pretty short. I'd like to see as many people as possible get the chance to give it a go. 

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] Would you say being a delegate is a stressful position?

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] Yes, but in a really good way. It has become a much bigger job than it used to be, so if someone cannot make the time commitment, then that would be a problem. But the stress of running things here beats RL stress, since the consequences if you mess up are, well, make-believe.

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] That's very true. What was the most, positive, memorable thing that has happened to you in NS?

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] It isn't just one thing. It is more the sense of community I've gained through sharing this NS experience over the years with so many people from different countries, with different viewpoints, and different walks of life. Yet somehow, by being brought together here, it gives us more in common than we know.

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] You are right, it is a TNP family and that is great. My next question I hope, brings a smile to your face. What motivated you to eject McM during ZDay when you knew it would cost you so much influence?

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] It was an accident. I was looking for where to check to see what the influence cost would be if he were to be ejected. That button wasn't where I thought it was. And the next thing I knew - Poof! It said, in red, "McMasterdonia has been relocated to the Rejected Realms." And that's when the screaming started. OMG! I still can't believe it happened.

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] [i](laughs)[/i] That must have been quite a shock! It's a shame it doesn't give you a warning like "Are you sure you wish to perform this action" Obviously McM made it back from the Rejected Realms OK. It must have been a bit embarrassing for you. I am sure the Security Council were supportive of you. I hope you laugh about it now.

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] I too, thought a confirmation screen would be a nice feature. But then I thought about how much it would slow down a delegate who wanted to do mass bannings.[i](laughs)[/i]

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] What image is your Avvy?

[img]https://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/uploads/great_bights_mum__228333.png[/img]

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] it was a gift from Thel.

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] Do you know who the character is?

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] I do not.

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] Do you have any plans for where you want to take the Security Council?

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] Not really. The SC is here in case bad things happen. We aren't political. We are just defenders of the region. I do agree that every council member should be visible and active in the region.

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] That's sensible. What's the best piece of advice you've ever received on NS?

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] Ah... that's easy. Thel once said "Everyone has the right to play the game as they see fit."

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] For good or bad, hero or villain?

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] Yes. It is truth. There are so many paths to take and each is allowed to choose for himself.

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] Wise words indeed, this is fantasy after all. What advice would you give any newcomers to the region to have a successful career here?

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] Have fun! Look around and find what interests you, there is so much to do. Talk to people in the ministries you want to be involved with. Ask for help if you need it. Have fun! Alternative advice: Join the NPA. Everyone should do a stint in the military. It builds character, teamwork and it's fun. If I wasn't SC I would be NPA.

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] Two lots of advice from GBM! Both good. Is there anyone in the region in particular whom you look up to, and if so, why?

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] The short list of people I look up to is still pretty long. But, first would be Flemingovia, because he is God.

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] Not that we are expecting you to disappear soon GBM, but how do you want to be remembered in TNP?

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] I resolutely do not like to blow my own horn, Marcus. Keeper of the flame, maybe. I've also called myself everybody's Mum. 

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] [i](laughs)[/i] I like that. What do you want your legacy to TNP to be?

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] That I did as much as I could to keep TNP safe. If a community doesn't feel secure, it is difficult for it to flourish and grow, and be creative and just have fun.

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] That is an honourable and wonderful legacy GBM. What’s the question nobody ever asks you but you wish they would?

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] I'm drawing a blank.

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] [i](laughs)[/i] That's ok. Alright, before we bring this interview to an end, is there anything you'd like to add? 

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] No, I am done waxing philosophical on NS. Did you have fun?

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] I certainly have. It was an absolute pleasure speaking to you. Thank you for answering the questions. I shall see you on the spam threads no doubt.

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] Thank you. It was lovely.

[i]The lights fade and Marcus produces a bottle of Shiraz[/i]

[b][color=blue]Marcus Antonius:[/color][/b] I thought this would be a change from Rum.

[b][color=red]GBM:[/color][/b] [i](laughs)[/i] I love Shiraz, mind you I will drink anything except Gin.

 

[El Fiji Grande]

I know this is going to sound super irritating, but could you add a space between each of the names and the start of a new sentence? Instead of GBM:Hello, you'd put GBM: Hello.

 

[Marcus Antonius]

I know this is going to sound super irritating, but could you add a space between each of the names and the start of a new sentence? Instead of GBM:Hello, you'd put GBM: Hello.

No worries