Post by Fewms on Oct 2, 2009 1:55:19 GMT
Written in ink:
~View from the Beach~
By Ptenisnet Cetera
The "power" that council politics offers, like "power" on the MUD in general (inhume not excepted) is pretty much illusory. Anyone who believes otherwise is bound to be disappointed. We of the Klatch Council have, to a certain extent, given ourselves more in-game monetary influence by running the local shops and creating the People's Bank of Klatch. But the real strength of the shop law comes not from financial considerations (much of our treasury has still had to be dependent on individual generosity), but from the way it opens up the council to being more than an abstract nomic game and the plaything of the magistrates. The true virtue of the current state of things in Klatch is not any real influence it gives us on the Disc, but in the way it offers our citizens a social focus for our energies, and a diverse number of activities to share.
The bureaucracy of the Klatch Council now comprises eight positions: five magistrates, the Nawab, the manager of the Vulgar Unicorn, and the Vizier of the People's Bank of Klatch. We could have more if, for example, the Papyrus editorships were included (of course, I'm not necessarily advocating this, because the current editors have a good system in place), or if we made shop helper positions semi-official. The difficulty -- as the example of the Papyrus shows -- is that it would be hard to find unique committed players for each of the new positions. That's why the active players are pretty much taking over the council. After all eight positions are filled, how many really active citizens have we got?
Perhaps that's just the way the council, with a large body of players who just belong but don't really care to be involved, works. But the unfortunate result of this state of affairs is that, once again, decision-making can be centralised again in the hands of the magistrates (especially if the magistrates actively seek to centralise it). That way lies boredom; worse, it will discourage "ordinary" citizens from being active. The magistrates should not be the narrow funnel through which ideas are passed and then implemented; they should be facilitators, finding more activities for more citizens. If any citizen wants a role in the affairs of the council, he or she should be found one. Otherwise the council becomes a venue for the mere jealous guarding of petty privilege.
The moral of the story? To the citizens: get actively involved with discussion and with the KCC and Papyrus and whatever new projects are in the offing. To the magistrates: devolve responsibility for all these projects. You as magistrates will still have plenty of important roles to play. And after all, as I've said, power on the Disc is illusory.
- Ptenisnet Cetera is a Retired Magistrate and the Founder of the KCC.
~View from the Beach~
By Ptenisnet Cetera
The "power" that council politics offers, like "power" on the MUD in general (inhume not excepted) is pretty much illusory. Anyone who believes otherwise is bound to be disappointed. We of the Klatch Council have, to a certain extent, given ourselves more in-game monetary influence by running the local shops and creating the People's Bank of Klatch. But the real strength of the shop law comes not from financial considerations (much of our treasury has still had to be dependent on individual generosity), but from the way it opens up the council to being more than an abstract nomic game and the plaything of the magistrates. The true virtue of the current state of things in Klatch is not any real influence it gives us on the Disc, but in the way it offers our citizens a social focus for our energies, and a diverse number of activities to share.
The bureaucracy of the Klatch Council now comprises eight positions: five magistrates, the Nawab, the manager of the Vulgar Unicorn, and the Vizier of the People's Bank of Klatch. We could have more if, for example, the Papyrus editorships were included (of course, I'm not necessarily advocating this, because the current editors have a good system in place), or if we made shop helper positions semi-official. The difficulty -- as the example of the Papyrus shows -- is that it would be hard to find unique committed players for each of the new positions. That's why the active players are pretty much taking over the council. After all eight positions are filled, how many really active citizens have we got?
Perhaps that's just the way the council, with a large body of players who just belong but don't really care to be involved, works. But the unfortunate result of this state of affairs is that, once again, decision-making can be centralised again in the hands of the magistrates (especially if the magistrates actively seek to centralise it). That way lies boredom; worse, it will discourage "ordinary" citizens from being active. The magistrates should not be the narrow funnel through which ideas are passed and then implemented; they should be facilitators, finding more activities for more citizens. If any citizen wants a role in the affairs of the council, he or she should be found one. Otherwise the council becomes a venue for the mere jealous guarding of petty privilege.
The moral of the story? To the citizens: get actively involved with discussion and with the KCC and Papyrus and whatever new projects are in the offing. To the magistrates: devolve responsibility for all these projects. You as magistrates will still have plenty of important roles to play. And after all, as I've said, power on the Disc is illusory.
- Ptenisnet Cetera is a Retired Magistrate and the Founder of the KCC.