Post by Editor in Chief on Jul 14, 2011 12:31:06 GMT
Vital statistics of the Djelian population were presented in the previous edition of the Papyrus, as well as a call te expel the idle newbies that are likely influencing elections while otherwise not participating in Djelian life. This article explores in greater depth such possibilities and the impact they might have.
POSSIBILITY: RAISE THE CITIZENSHIP AGE REQUIREMENT
Despite being the most recently online of the citizens aged under 50, the citizens aged 0-19 are the least active on average. This disparity is probably caused because these youngest citizens are being logged on at regular intervals, even though they spend very little time online during those logins. Such a pattern of very brief logins suggests that login was soley to keep the character from automatically deleting due to being idle. These are the most likely voting alts. Removing their citizenship could remove the threat of outsider voting and over-representative voting.
However, these characters, if used as voting alts, could simply idle online for another 10 days, and apply for citizenship again. Then we would have a new contigent of voting alts, now hovering just over 20 days old. Raising the age to 30, 40, or even 50 days would be very discouraging to voting alts, but would also exclude midbies with a legitimate interest in participating in Djelibeybi. Indeed, two of our magistrates are under 50.
POSSIBILITY: CREATE AN ACTIVITY REQUIREMENT
It is a rather simple matter to check how active a player has been over the life of their character. If those less that 3 hours active per month are excluded, 21 would loose citizenship all aged under 20 and only 1 aged over 15, all created before 2007 and all but 2 created before 2003. Based on those statistics, we would lose nothing of value in losing these characters - they are all inactive, aside from logging on to stay active and perhaps to vote.
If we exclude those that apprear to play between 3 and 12 hours per month on average over the life of their character, 151 would lose citizenship. Unfortunately, this would exclude some that have now or in the past been very active, but have had long periods of past or current idleness. It also might exclude creator alts who lost their days of online time when they resigned but retained their birthday, thus skewing their average activity ratio.
Although the 24+ category has very high average age and recent last on average, there are still many currently idle characters in that category. Plus using that as a cut-off point would exclude many less-active contributors.
SOLUTION
It seems there is no easy solution to avoiding voting alts without also punishing active newbies and formerly-active oldbies. Raising the age requirement to 20 is likely to do very little harm, but will not be completely effective by itself. Raising it higher would increase the harm done to real active citizens, but have greater impact on deterring voting alts.
I suggest that multiple measures should be implemented:
1) Age - Raise requirement to 20+ days. This would make it harder to deliberately create a voting alt.
2) Activity - Require 1 day/month online while a citizen. This would remove citizens that are not currently active, including many voting alts. It would also remove citizens using limited resources, such as housing, while they are not around to enjoy them. They could apply for citizenship again after becoming more active, with no prejudice against them due to their prior inactivity. We have a starting point from the beginning of the present term, and could compare results at the start of the next term to see if recent activity is sufficient.
3) Last On - Remove players that have not been on for more than 180 days. This would remove 132 players that are probably not voting alts or otherwise harmful. But their removal would make it easier to track active citizens, and ensure that no one is keeping an old alt around just to vote. It should result in no harm being done, as these players are neither contributing to Djelibeybi nor using its resources. They could reapply for citizenship without prejudice upon their return.
4) Track citizen vouching for citizenship applicants. This would help ensure accountability for citizens that might be tempted to vouch for random newbies or known voting alts.
Measure 3 would reduce our citizen numbers from 302 to 170. Measure 1 would then take us down to 133 citizens. If citizen remain as active in the next 6 months as they have been over the entire life of their character, we would be down to 63 citizens. But what would these citizens look like?
With such a purge we would be older, more active, and more recently involved. No characters suspected to exist soley as voting alts would remain. It would be easier to keep track of existing citizens to ensure they do not devolve into idle voting alts. Our elections would be more secure, and we would have the reassurance of knowing that our vote counts as much as it should. Only active newbies and inactive oldbies would lose out, but could always return when they fulfill the requirements.
POSSIBILITY: RAISE THE CITIZENSHIP AGE REQUIREMENT
AGE #CIT LAST ON HR/MNTH #ACTIVE
0-19 56 200 5 1
20-29 41 280 10 1
30-39 28 500 8.7 1
40-49 23 421 10.8 1
Despite being the most recently online of the citizens aged under 50, the citizens aged 0-19 are the least active on average. This disparity is probably caused because these youngest citizens are being logged on at regular intervals, even though they spend very little time online during those logins. Such a pattern of very brief logins suggests that login was soley to keep the character from automatically deleting due to being idle. These are the most likely voting alts. Removing their citizenship could remove the threat of outsider voting and over-representative voting.
However, these characters, if used as voting alts, could simply idle online for another 10 days, and apply for citizenship again. Then we would have a new contigent of voting alts, now hovering just over 20 days old. Raising the age to 30, 40, or even 50 days would be very discouraging to voting alts, but would also exclude midbies with a legitimate interest in participating in Djelibeybi. Indeed, two of our magistrates are under 50.
POSSIBILITY: CREATE AN ACTIVITY REQUIREMENT
HR/MTH #CIT AGE LAST ON ON <= 7
0-2.9 21 11.6 121 6
3-5.9 48 20.7 323 1
6-8.9 46 36.6 423 2
9-11.9 36 45.4 722 4
12-14.9 25 61.4 377 7
15-17.9 16 76.9 494 1
18-23.9 23 86.4 643 2
24+ 87 180 215 28
It is a rather simple matter to check how active a player has been over the life of their character. If those less that 3 hours active per month are excluded, 21 would loose citizenship all aged under 20 and only 1 aged over 15, all created before 2007 and all but 2 created before 2003. Based on those statistics, we would lose nothing of value in losing these characters - they are all inactive, aside from logging on to stay active and perhaps to vote.
If we exclude those that apprear to play between 3 and 12 hours per month on average over the life of their character, 151 would lose citizenship. Unfortunately, this would exclude some that have now or in the past been very active, but have had long periods of past or current idleness. It also might exclude creator alts who lost their days of online time when they resigned but retained their birthday, thus skewing their average activity ratio.
Although the 24+ category has very high average age and recent last on average, there are still many currently idle characters in that category. Plus using that as a cut-off point would exclude many less-active contributors.
SOLUTION
It seems there is no easy solution to avoiding voting alts without also punishing active newbies and formerly-active oldbies. Raising the age requirement to 20 is likely to do very little harm, but will not be completely effective by itself. Raising it higher would increase the harm done to real active citizens, but have greater impact on deterring voting alts.
I suggest that multiple measures should be implemented:
1) Age - Raise requirement to 20+ days. This would make it harder to deliberately create a voting alt.
2) Activity - Require 1 day/month online while a citizen. This would remove citizens that are not currently active, including many voting alts. It would also remove citizens using limited resources, such as housing, while they are not around to enjoy them. They could apply for citizenship again after becoming more active, with no prejudice against them due to their prior inactivity. We have a starting point from the beginning of the present term, and could compare results at the start of the next term to see if recent activity is sufficient.
3) Last On - Remove players that have not been on for more than 180 days. This would remove 132 players that are probably not voting alts or otherwise harmful. But their removal would make it easier to track active citizens, and ensure that no one is keeping an old alt around just to vote. It should result in no harm being done, as these players are neither contributing to Djelibeybi nor using its resources. They could reapply for citizenship without prejudice upon their return.
4) Track citizen vouching for citizenship applicants. This would help ensure accountability for citizens that might be tempted to vouch for random newbies or known voting alts.
Measure 3 would reduce our citizen numbers from 302 to 170. Measure 1 would then take us down to 133 citizens. If citizen remain as active in the next 6 months as they have been over the entire life of their character, we would be down to 63 citizens. But what would these citizens look like?
BEFORE AFTER
# 302 63
AGE 82.5 186
HR/MTH 21 54
START 2002 2003
LAST ON 379 31
LAST 7d 48 27
With such a purge we would be older, more active, and more recently involved. No characters suspected to exist soley as voting alts would remain. It would be easier to keep track of existing citizens to ensure they do not devolve into idle voting alts. Our elections would be more secure, and we would have the reassurance of knowing that our vote counts as much as it should. Only active newbies and inactive oldbies would lose out, but could always return when they fulfill the requirements.