Post by Kanoria on Nov 16, 2014 22:00:12 GMT
First Debate
Kanoria: Welcome to the First Official Social Liberal Union Ministerial Candidates Debate! The format for this debate is simple, questions from the region will be submitted to the chair. The chair will then ask candidates these questions.
Tonight's debate will not be on your platform specifics, but more on general ideas, remember, campaigning has not yet begun, be friendly, and just answer the question presented. Good luck everyone.
Your chair tonight will be Anaaxes, our delegate.
Anaaxes: You may private message me with your questions for Ceni and Jas (Chameliya). If you wish to remain anonymous, please indicate so in your message.
Question 1: First question from Avaerilon: What should be the main priority for DA to focus on in the coming term? (Adjusted as appropriate for other departments)
Ceni
I'd say it's getting people involved in the region. There are two kinds of people in the region - "issue solvers" and RPers. The RPers are usually the people that are involved in forum RPs and in elections, and as well as stuff like this. In contrast, the issue solvers just solve issues and really don't care about the things going on in the region. If we can convince the issue solvers involved, then election participation will go up, RP participation will go up. We convince them to get involved by showing there is something worthwhile for them to get involved in that won't take too much of their time up.
Jas
I think that the main priority is to help stimulate regional activity which is most easily done through the forums. I want to turn the forums from a fun little add-on to a central part of our region which everyone feels ownership of. I want to encourage people to take on responsibilities within the forums such as independent media, or running sports RP etc. in the same way Avaerilon has been the regions cartographer. I believe this will lead to an active region that attracts newcomers as well as encouraging non-active members to join in.
FA
NI
In terms of Foreign Affairs, the main priorities remain, as always, defense and maintaining relations to other regions. What I see as specific opportunities for the upcoming term include the possible establishment of an embassy with LSI, something I look forward to, if OP decides to approve the embassy. Additionally, there is the NS world fair coming up, an event I definitely think the SLU should take part in. Of course, I will continue with the objectives outlined in my platform for this short, past term, namely looking for new potential allies such as the LSI and maintaining a well-staffed and active CUS.
Question 2: Next question: What makes each of you keen to run?
Jas
I really love this region and the people in it. I think there is a real community that shines through with the active nations. However, I do sometimes feel frustrated that great opportunities are missed because we simply do not have the numbers to take them up so I hope I can increase the numbers of people participating in regional affairs.
The other reason is because being relatively new to NationStates, I can remember clearly how confusing it was to enter such a deep and intricate game like NS, let alone this region which has a long and proud history. I hope that by being DA, I can help new nations hit the ground running and become active members in the region quicker and more easily than might have happened before.
Ceni
I've had some ideas over the course of the past few months that I think will really help the SLU mature and grow more prominent in the NS world. I've been exposed to a lot of great RPing regions that have been successful and I'd like the SLU to be as successful as they have been. Like Jas, I've been kind of frustrated at the lack of activity in the SLU and I'd like to get that kickstarted. Also, I was mentored about a year ago and I think the new members of the region deserve to have someone that can help them navigate the complex world of NS. So, overall, it's attracting more quality RPers and getting more activity.
NI
I'm very excited at the atmosphere that is currently evident in the region – I'm not sure I have seen so much enthusiasm during the time I have been in the SLU, which is the better part of two years. To me, this is the ideal environment to make a real lasting difference since we have so many nations willing to join in and make the community a better place. At the moment, I see myself being of most use in FA, especially as I have already spent one term as deputy minister and a shorter one as minister – a time I have certainly enjoyed.
Question 3: Next question, from Nytavuthar: How would the two candidates get me involved with the forum and such? How will they persuade me into being an active part of the region? I'm not only talking for myself. I'm talking for the issue solvers.
Ceni
Well, I think there are several parts of the puzzle. The first part is getting to know about the events that we hold. If you know about the forums, then you'll see some of the cool stuff that we have, but if you aren't involved, then you won't know about some of the cool things. So to solve that part, I would help to get some of the events more noticeable to the in-game issue solvers - give them RP samples, let them know about some of the events that will be fun that we will be holding here in the SLU. The next part of that puzzle would be interesting people. If we're going to have a debate about the minutiae of quantum mechanics, people aren't going to be interested in that. We want to find out what people are interested in and bring that to the table. Part of that is also the KISS rule - keep it simple. Complicated things that are hard to keep track of won't be as popular as things that only take half an hour or less to do - I think that issue solvers are people who don't have much time, and if we do more casual-type RPs that don't take that much time, we should get more interest. I've seen IRL that people are also motivated by external not intrinsic rewards. While I know that a lot of us are motivated intrinsically, a lot of people are not motivated that way, and are motivated externally. So if we introduced more competitions that offer the chance to win something, I think a lot of people would be interested in that. So, to sum up, three points: getting people to notice, simple and interesting activities, and external rewards.
Jas
Well I think the best way to convince people to participate on the forums is by showing how much there is to do on the forums. Having members who are perhaps not part of the administration taking a more active role on the forums will demonstrate that anyone can participate. I think having things like independent media, sports events, competitions and RPs mentioned in the RMB will certainly stir interest. And likewise, the more people there are participating, the more opportunities on the forum will grow ensuring there is something for everyone to enjoy and participate in. One example is the Art & Literature board which I would like to get going again. Hopefully it will draw people who may not take to everything at once, but will introduce them to the wider regional scene.
NI
Although this question is no doubt more in the field of DA, I also think FA has an important role to play in activating nations. In fact, this is something I'd like to focus on, as I outlined already during the previous campaign. While the traditional way of engaging nations within FA has been ambassadorships and I certainly appreciate their continuing value as such, I'd also like to see nations engaged in looking for potential allies, a difficult but important task that is an essential part of my objectives, and in events such as the NS world fair where a plethora of different skills would be needed to present our region as well as possible.
Question 4: Next question: Would you consider a forum redesign, if elected?
Jas
I wouldn’t rule it out completely however I think it is a lot more effective to just maintain the current forum setup while making sure it does not get clogged up with dead threads that aren’t conducive to activity. If there was demand for change I would definitely look into it, but it isn’t one of my priorities.
Ceni
I'd think it would be too time-consuming to be practical - I'm not really a coder, I don't really know how much of the forum works in order to change the forum to something that looks good. While archiving and pruning the forum is important, I don't think that a forum redesign is warranted unless there is a lot of demand for it.
NI - No answer given (Not Applicable)
Question 5: A question from Avaerilon: How do you foresee developing mentoring?
Jas
I assume this means RP mentoring; I think it is good to have a range of RPs available as not everyone RPs well in every single RP (ie. someone who does well in a sports RP may do less well in say a diplomacy RP) so having that range is important so members can find what suits them. For the actual mentoring, I would like it if members were able to volunteer to mentor so that new nations are able to get more one-to-one attention. I think this fits in well with my core message of people taking ownership of the forums and participating even if they aren’t a member of the administration or an established member.
Ceni
I'd agree with the principle of that being a volunteered position. I also agree with a one-on-one mentorship system. The way I see this working is that someone asks for help on the way the RP system works or a piece of advice on RPing, and someone would answer that. On regional mentorship, I see a mentor/ "Welcome Committee" member TGing new members explaining how the forums work, how the SLU works, what we have going on in the SLU, etc. That way it's a mix of people who care getting info and people who also might care getting info
NI- No Answer Given (Not Applicable)
Question 6: Possibly the final question of the day: What manner of co-operation do you see being the future for Domestic affairs when dealing with other regions? (adjusted as appropriate for other departments)
Ceni
I'd see mostly cooperation in the RP department - if we wanted to do a sporting event together, for example, or a joint RP. I see the SLU and other regions collaborating with other regions on topics of joint interest to create RPs that have more participating and (hopefully) better fleshed-out plots, etc. So I see cooperation with other regions on the RP scene as an opportunity to grow our own RP base as well as having more connection with other regions.
Jas
I would certainly like to see some sort of inter-regional event take place and agree that this is likely to be some sort of RP (probably with an embassy region). I cannot say I am massively familiar with our embassy regions but I know for definite that the DSA has a history of co-operating with us and I would choose to pursue any inter-regional event with them. I have a few ideas about what this event could be (a sports tournament, a diplomatic conference or perhaps even an expo), the only issue being how to hold such an event. Personally, I think the most viable option will be to hold it on the NationStates forums. Although this does risk nations turning up, I have seen many regions hold similar events on there and believe it will be possible to do the same with us.
FA
NI
This, as I see it, is very region-specific. In terms of the DSA, for instance, a large region we already have strong ties with, I'd love to see cooperation between DA and FA in interregional projects, such as the ones described by the DA candidates in this debate. The VF, on the other hand, can be a more fickle place – here I'd like to focus on strengthening our ties further and perhaps opening a dialogue that would allow us to better understand the areas in which we could cooperate. In terms of smaller regions, especially newer ones we might establish embassies with, I can see us taking an active role in aiding the establishment and maintenance of regional government by sharing our experience – this is often where new, promising regions tend to have issues.
Any other candidates are welcome to contact me, and I will add their responses into this.
Kanoria: Welcome to the First Official Social Liberal Union Ministerial Candidates Debate! The format for this debate is simple, questions from the region will be submitted to the chair. The chair will then ask candidates these questions.
Tonight's debate will not be on your platform specifics, but more on general ideas, remember, campaigning has not yet begun, be friendly, and just answer the question presented. Good luck everyone.
Your chair tonight will be Anaaxes, our delegate.
Anaaxes: You may private message me with your questions for Ceni and Jas (Chameliya). If you wish to remain anonymous, please indicate so in your message.
Question 1: First question from Avaerilon: What should be the main priority for DA to focus on in the coming term? (Adjusted as appropriate for other departments)
Ceni
I'd say it's getting people involved in the region. There are two kinds of people in the region - "issue solvers" and RPers. The RPers are usually the people that are involved in forum RPs and in elections, and as well as stuff like this. In contrast, the issue solvers just solve issues and really don't care about the things going on in the region. If we can convince the issue solvers involved, then election participation will go up, RP participation will go up. We convince them to get involved by showing there is something worthwhile for them to get involved in that won't take too much of their time up.
Jas
I think that the main priority is to help stimulate regional activity which is most easily done through the forums. I want to turn the forums from a fun little add-on to a central part of our region which everyone feels ownership of. I want to encourage people to take on responsibilities within the forums such as independent media, or running sports RP etc. in the same way Avaerilon has been the regions cartographer. I believe this will lead to an active region that attracts newcomers as well as encouraging non-active members to join in.
FA
NI
In terms of Foreign Affairs, the main priorities remain, as always, defense and maintaining relations to other regions. What I see as specific opportunities for the upcoming term include the possible establishment of an embassy with LSI, something I look forward to, if OP decides to approve the embassy. Additionally, there is the NS world fair coming up, an event I definitely think the SLU should take part in. Of course, I will continue with the objectives outlined in my platform for this short, past term, namely looking for new potential allies such as the LSI and maintaining a well-staffed and active CUS.
Question 2: Next question: What makes each of you keen to run?
Jas
I really love this region and the people in it. I think there is a real community that shines through with the active nations. However, I do sometimes feel frustrated that great opportunities are missed because we simply do not have the numbers to take them up so I hope I can increase the numbers of people participating in regional affairs.
The other reason is because being relatively new to NationStates, I can remember clearly how confusing it was to enter such a deep and intricate game like NS, let alone this region which has a long and proud history. I hope that by being DA, I can help new nations hit the ground running and become active members in the region quicker and more easily than might have happened before.
I've had some ideas over the course of the past few months that I think will really help the SLU mature and grow more prominent in the NS world. I've been exposed to a lot of great RPing regions that have been successful and I'd like the SLU to be as successful as they have been. Like Jas, I've been kind of frustrated at the lack of activity in the SLU and I'd like to get that kickstarted. Also, I was mentored about a year ago and I think the new members of the region deserve to have someone that can help them navigate the complex world of NS. So, overall, it's attracting more quality RPers and getting more activity.
NI
I'm very excited at the atmosphere that is currently evident in the region – I'm not sure I have seen so much enthusiasm during the time I have been in the SLU, which is the better part of two years. To me, this is the ideal environment to make a real lasting difference since we have so many nations willing to join in and make the community a better place. At the moment, I see myself being of most use in FA, especially as I have already spent one term as deputy minister and a shorter one as minister – a time I have certainly enjoyed.
Question 3: Next question, from Nytavuthar: How would the two candidates get me involved with the forum and such? How will they persuade me into being an active part of the region? I'm not only talking for myself. I'm talking for the issue solvers.
Ceni
Well, I think there are several parts of the puzzle. The first part is getting to know about the events that we hold. If you know about the forums, then you'll see some of the cool stuff that we have, but if you aren't involved, then you won't know about some of the cool things. So to solve that part, I would help to get some of the events more noticeable to the in-game issue solvers - give them RP samples, let them know about some of the events that will be fun that we will be holding here in the SLU. The next part of that puzzle would be interesting people. If we're going to have a debate about the minutiae of quantum mechanics, people aren't going to be interested in that. We want to find out what people are interested in and bring that to the table. Part of that is also the KISS rule - keep it simple. Complicated things that are hard to keep track of won't be as popular as things that only take half an hour or less to do - I think that issue solvers are people who don't have much time, and if we do more casual-type RPs that don't take that much time, we should get more interest. I've seen IRL that people are also motivated by external not intrinsic rewards. While I know that a lot of us are motivated intrinsically, a lot of people are not motivated that way, and are motivated externally. So if we introduced more competitions that offer the chance to win something, I think a lot of people would be interested in that. So, to sum up, three points: getting people to notice, simple and interesting activities, and external rewards.
Jas
Well I think the best way to convince people to participate on the forums is by showing how much there is to do on the forums. Having members who are perhaps not part of the administration taking a more active role on the forums will demonstrate that anyone can participate. I think having things like independent media, sports events, competitions and RPs mentioned in the RMB will certainly stir interest. And likewise, the more people there are participating, the more opportunities on the forum will grow ensuring there is something for everyone to enjoy and participate in. One example is the Art & Literature board which I would like to get going again. Hopefully it will draw people who may not take to everything at once, but will introduce them to the wider regional scene.
NI
Although this question is no doubt more in the field of DA, I also think FA has an important role to play in activating nations. In fact, this is something I'd like to focus on, as I outlined already during the previous campaign. While the traditional way of engaging nations within FA has been ambassadorships and I certainly appreciate their continuing value as such, I'd also like to see nations engaged in looking for potential allies, a difficult but important task that is an essential part of my objectives, and in events such as the NS world fair where a plethora of different skills would be needed to present our region as well as possible.
Question 4: Next question: Would you consider a forum redesign, if elected?
Jas
I wouldn’t rule it out completely however I think it is a lot more effective to just maintain the current forum setup while making sure it does not get clogged up with dead threads that aren’t conducive to activity. If there was demand for change I would definitely look into it, but it isn’t one of my priorities.
Ceni
I'd think it would be too time-consuming to be practical - I'm not really a coder, I don't really know how much of the forum works in order to change the forum to something that looks good. While archiving and pruning the forum is important, I don't think that a forum redesign is warranted unless there is a lot of demand for it.
NI - No answer given (Not Applicable)
Question 5: A question from Avaerilon: How do you foresee developing mentoring?
Jas
I assume this means RP mentoring; I think it is good to have a range of RPs available as not everyone RPs well in every single RP (ie. someone who does well in a sports RP may do less well in say a diplomacy RP) so having that range is important so members can find what suits them. For the actual mentoring, I would like it if members were able to volunteer to mentor so that new nations are able to get more one-to-one attention. I think this fits in well with my core message of people taking ownership of the forums and participating even if they aren’t a member of the administration or an established member.
Ceni
I'd agree with the principle of that being a volunteered position. I also agree with a one-on-one mentorship system. The way I see this working is that someone asks for help on the way the RP system works or a piece of advice on RPing, and someone would answer that. On regional mentorship, I see a mentor/ "Welcome Committee" member TGing new members explaining how the forums work, how the SLU works, what we have going on in the SLU, etc. That way it's a mix of people who care getting info and people who also might care getting info
NI- No Answer Given (Not Applicable)
Question 6: Possibly the final question of the day: What manner of co-operation do you see being the future for Domestic affairs when dealing with other regions? (adjusted as appropriate for other departments)
Ceni
I'd see mostly cooperation in the RP department - if we wanted to do a sporting event together, for example, or a joint RP. I see the SLU and other regions collaborating with other regions on topics of joint interest to create RPs that have more participating and (hopefully) better fleshed-out plots, etc. So I see cooperation with other regions on the RP scene as an opportunity to grow our own RP base as well as having more connection with other regions.
Jas
I would certainly like to see some sort of inter-regional event take place and agree that this is likely to be some sort of RP (probably with an embassy region). I cannot say I am massively familiar with our embassy regions but I know for definite that the DSA has a history of co-operating with us and I would choose to pursue any inter-regional event with them. I have a few ideas about what this event could be (a sports tournament, a diplomatic conference or perhaps even an expo), the only issue being how to hold such an event. Personally, I think the most viable option will be to hold it on the NationStates forums. Although this does risk nations turning up, I have seen many regions hold similar events on there and believe it will be possible to do the same with us.
FA
NI
This, as I see it, is very region-specific. In terms of the DSA, for instance, a large region we already have strong ties with, I'd love to see cooperation between DA and FA in interregional projects, such as the ones described by the DA candidates in this debate. The VF, on the other hand, can be a more fickle place – here I'd like to focus on strengthening our ties further and perhaps opening a dialogue that would allow us to better understand the areas in which we could cooperate. In terms of smaller regions, especially newer ones we might establish embassies with, I can see us taking an active role in aiding the establishment and maintenance of regional government by sharing our experience – this is often where new, promising regions tend to have issues.
Any other candidates are welcome to contact me, and I will add their responses into this.