Under the Freedom for Information Act, I would like to request all government records of communication with nations that were banned from the region in the last month regarding their in-game bans. This is to include telegrams, forum messages, discord messages, or any other form of communication between a member of the executive (including the Delegate, Vice Delegate, Ministers, and Gameside Advocates) and a nation that was banned in the last month (including Captain Caspia, Hardonius, Lord Ravenclaw, Eripolis, The Almighty America, Fahrenheit 69, The Hell To You Live, Muxo, Timey, Timeyz, and Gatyistan).
There is no need to include any communications that are unrelated to their in-game bans. This request is made out of an interest in discovering the government procedures regarding notices sent to nations preceding or following an in-game ban.
The only one of those players I believe I have ever spoken to is Hardonius, back when he was a member of the Ministry of Communications back in Siwale's last term as delegate. Since there is no need to include any communications that are unrelated to their in-game bans, then I can confidently say I have no documents to turn over. I have never discussed their ingame bans with any of the individuals mentioned above.
I will be answering this as I was a Gameside Advocate during the time. Lord Ravenclaw
This was before his ban when communications exists. I do not have any Discord DMs conversations with the Ravenclaw at all (before he returns and got banned, during, and afterwards). My only conversations with him were on the Regional Message Board when I was welcoming him back*. He then replied thanking me* and that was that. There also was two conversations on his profile**.
Unknown Conversations
As a Gameside Advocate, I need to try and enforce the RMB rules and guide people. Probably I had once communicated with some of the following but I can confirm that if I had "unknown conversations", it was not with Raven or Hardy. Me and Hardy barely communicated and our last talks were... I don't know. But it was before their bans. And I never tried to communicate to them afterwards.
No notification was sent to Fahrenheit 69 when I banned him for spamming. The nature of the spammer's actions didn't warrant notification and they were subsequently deleted by NS mods.
Rather than random officials chiming in with their own personal experiences, could I request that a coordinated search for records take place, and a report be compiled and posted here? In cases were telegrams were not cross-posted to the forum, this would necessarily include consulting the members of the previous administration, since we just had a general election. The request was not "how many officers didn't telegram any of the banned nations?" It was for "all government records of communication with nations that were banned from the region in the last month regarding their in-game bans."
I've got a conversation with Hardonius on monday. Nothing special, just a normal "hi", "how are you?", "How things are going?", Ecc. Before that he warned me against a spammer and asked the reason for his ban.
Other messages from other banned nations were simple insults, trolling and some admission from ban evaders who moved to other regions.
Rather than random officials chiming in with their own personal experiences, could I request that a coordinated search for records take place, and a report be compiled and posted here? In cases were telegrams were not cross-posted to the forum, this would necessarily include consulting the members of the previous administration, since we just had a general election. The request was not "how many officers didn't telegram any of the banned nations?" It was for "all government records of communication with nations that were banned from the region in the last month regarding their in-game bans."
I would like to reiterate this request, since it seems like it hasn't been understood. I am asking for a comprehensive report from the executive as a whole in response to my FOIA request. I do not believe the requirements of FOIA can be fulfilled by a random collection of vague memories from whatever officials happen to glance at this thread. The law requires ALL information I've requested to be provided unless it meets with a narrow set of exceptions. @Nessuno your response demonstrates that there is information that the government is not providing - namely, the telegrams that you referenced. Far from fulfilling this request, your response has only demonstrated that there is at least some measure of non-compliance.
@El Fiji Grande In the three weeks since I made this request, has any progress been made on it? Can you clarify whether you are withholding all information because of a legal exemption to FOIA, or are you still in the process of preparing your report?
@Crushing Our Enemies - I appreciate your patience. I only saw your most recent post and clarification this Monday, and have not had much time lately myself. However, my administration will compile a report to comply with the request.
Response to COE’s FOIA Request:
COE, May 24, 2019:
Under the Freedom for Information Act, I would like to request all government records of communication with nations that were banned from the region in the last month regarding their in-game bans. This is to include telegrams, forum messages, discord messages, or any other form of communication between a member of the executive (including the Delegate, Vice Delegate, Ministers, and Gameside Advocates) and a nation that was banned in the last month (including Captain Caspia, Hardonius, Lord Ravenclaw, Eripolis, The Almighty America, Fahrenheit 69, The Hell To You Live, Muxo, Timey, Timeyz, and Gatyistan).
There is no need to include any communications that are unrelated to their in-game bans. This request is made out of an interest in discovering the government procedures regarding notices sent to nations preceding or following an in-game ban.
As further clarification:
I am asking for a comprehensive report from the executive as a whole in response to my FOIA request. I do not believe the requirements of FOIA can be fulfilled by a random collection of vague memories from whatever officials happen to glance at this thread. The law requires ALL information I've requested to be provided unless it meets with a narrow set of exceptions. Nessuno your response demonstrates that there is information that the government is not providing - namely, the telegrams that you referenced. Far from fulfilling this request, your response has only demonstrated that there is at least some measure of non-compliance.
Thus, the delegate, ministers, and their respective deputies are included within FOIA, as well as any nations directly appointed by the delegate to their offices. However, when asked for clarification if deputies should be included in this specific request, COE responded:
As such, this FOIA request response will only include the delegate, ministers, and gameside advocates.
A full list of these government officials serving between April 24 and May 24 is provided. Note that this time frame spans two administrations - from Pallaith (Ghost)’s in the latter part of April and early-May to El Fiji Grande’s in mid-May.
Delegate: Pallaith (Ghost)
Minister of Communications: El Fiji Grande
Minister of WA Affairs: TlomzKrano
Minister of Culture: Prydania
Minister of Home Affairs: BMWSurfer
Minister of Defense: Bobberino
Minister of Foreign Affairs: McMasterdonia
Gameside Advocates:
Nessuno
Lotion Empire
Malphe
Highton
Dinoium
Sanjurika
Marcus Antonius
bootsie
Delegate: El Fiji Grande
Minister of Communications: Pallaith (Ghost)
Minister of WA Affairs: TlomzKrano
Minister of Culture: Prydania
Minister of Home Affairs: Marcus Antonius
Minister of Defense: Bobberino
Minister of Foreign Affairs: McMasterdonia
Additionally, El Fiji Grande directly appointed Robespierre and Bobberino to the role of Deputy Minister of Home Affairs. Since these nations were appointed by the delegate, they are government officials. However - as stated earlier, deputies will not be included based on the clarification provided by COE.
As such, testimony was collected from: Pallaith (Ghost), El Fiji Grande, TlomzKrano, Prydania, BMWSurfer, Bobberino, McMasterdonia, Marcus Antonius, Nessuno, Lotion Empire, Malphe, Highton, Dinoium, Sanjurika, bootsie, and Zazumo. This testimony is recorded below. For clarity, communications that are unrelated to the in-game bans are not included.
Pallaith (Ghost):
El Fiji Grande:
”I did not conduct communications of any kind with the nations included within this FOIA on the topic of their bans within the timeframe specified by this request.”
”I don’t”
“I have not spoken to any of the listed individuals, other than Hardonius, whose last contact I had on Discord was in November of 2018; irrelevant to this request.”
”I don't see any names there that I have had comms with in the last month. Hardonius, Lord Ravenclaw are names I recognise. There was my AMA weeks back on the RMB, which was a blur couldn't tell you asked me question though. Otherwise certainly no comms with any of the names mentioned and certainly nothing about the subject of in game bans with anyone.”
Nessuno:
Nessuno had two conversations that fall within the scope of this FOIA. While there were other communications, they were either not on the topic of the ban or since April 24, 2019. This conversation is only tangentially related to the ban, as it is merely implied, but it is included for completeness.
The other conversation took place via telegrams and was on the subject of the ban. However, these telegrams have since been deleted by Nessuno, and thus cannot be provided by this FOIA Request. Speaking on the matter, Nessuno says:
"those was a TG he sent me on the chat
I've already deleated It, sorry"
”From what I can remember, I might've had a short communication time with Eripolis, and it was because he kept mentioning me in TSP RMB for a politics discussion he had started. We moved on from it, and Im no longer communicating with him. Although, Im unsure if it was between those two dates, but it is something to note. Otherwise, I think I havent. At least, from what I remember as of this moment.”
”None then to my knowledge. I think I did have some super brief communication with Raven around the same time as when you were elected (forgot when that was) but it wasn't about ban stuff”
Lord Ravenclaw
“This was before his ban when communications exists. I do not have any Discord DMs conversations with the Ravenclaw at all (before he returns and got banned, during, and afterwards). My only conversations with him were on the Regional Message Board when I was welcoming him back. He then replied thanking me and that was that. There also was two conversations on his profile.”
Unknown Conversations
As a Gameside Advocate, I need to try and enforce the RMB rules and guide people. Probably I had once communicated with some of the following but I can confirm that if I had "unknown conversations", it was not with Raven or Hardy. Me and Hardy barely communicated and our last talks were... I don't know. But it was before their bans. And I never tried to communicate to them afterwards.
The conversation referenced by Dinoium on the Regional Message Board occurred prior to April 24, and is thus not included in this FOIA response. Furthermore, of the two conversations on Lord Ravenclaw’s profile, only one takes place within the specified dates. This conversation has been provided in the spoiler below for reference.
Sanjurika:
”No, I only can recognize Hardonius and Lord Ravenclaw and LR left before I got involved. Hardonius was banned before I became a Gameside Advocate and we never knew each other before”
Guslantis (bootsie):
Guslantis (bootsie) had some communications with Kuja prior to the dates indicated that included reference to a potential future ban against Kuja. However, as this communication occurred prior to April 24 (or one month prior to the May 24 FOIA Request by COE), these DMs have not been included here. Furthermore, there has not been any communication between Guslantis (bootsie) and the nations specified in this FOIA within the specified dates.
”I, Bootsie, of sound mind and body, did not communicate with any of the listed nations during the listed timelines regarding their bans, either personally, or through my service to the government as a Gameside Advocate.”
Furthermore, whereas the Vice Delegate is not considered under an Executive Officer under the definition provided by the Legal quote of The North Pacific, Sil Dorsett’s testimony is not required for this FOIA response. However, Sil Dorsett freely volunteered information in the thread above. As such, it will be included here for completeness.
Sil Dorsett:
”No notification was sent to Fahrenheit 69 when I banned him for spamming. The nature of the spammer's actions didn't warrant notification and they were subsequently deleted by NS mods.”
When asked further about whether he had had any other communications with any of the other nations specified within this FOIA request, Sil Dorsett responded:
