What it means to be a faction member

[Cindy Ecksol]

In http://forums.slcds.info/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=1860 :

Cindy,
I did not read your post, just glanced through it.. ..........I hope you are having a great time ! BUT...........you are NOT a member of nucare.......You have been ejected from the group...........the leadership of NuCARE DID meet and voted unanymously that you were not welcome in our faction.

There have been concerns about your cost/benefit to the faction for quite some time and this is overdue. I am sorry you think you beloong to NuCARE but you do NOT.

Wow! It never occurred to me that CDS citizens were not free to align with whatever faction they chose. So...let's see....is there any other faction that doesn't want me as a member? I guess I'd better know that up front before I choose my new faction, eh? Do you all have a process for accepting new members into your clubs? Does one need an invitation? After all I wouldn't want to embarrass anyone else by supporting their platform without permission or (heaven forbid!) joining their faction group without being invited

Seriously, though, this DOES bear some thought by ALL of us, not just nuCARE. What exactly DO we mean when we says someone "is" or "is not" a "member" of a faction? Do individual factions have criteria that define when someone can be "ejected" from a faction? Where would one find such criteria if they exist? I've found this about CARE http://forums.slcds.info/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=802 and it includes the following principle: "4.1 (a) Absolute inclusion: all individuals concerned and affected by a debate, proposal, decision must be included not only in the decision-making process itself, but also in the shaping and adoption of the rules which will set the parameters of such a process." Surely a secret vote by 4 board members does not adhere to this principle. And it WAS secret: had it not been, I would have heard about it via the nuCARE group since I could not have been ejected before the vote was taken. Also this on membership: "5.1 Membership: Participation in CARE is open to all CDS citizens (CARE Activists: CDS citizens composing the CARE Faction, and CARE Observers: CDS citizens not in the CARE Faction) and non-citizens (CARE Supporters). All CARE members are entitled to take part in all CARE debates and activities. Participation in decision-making procedures (such as voting) pertaining specifically to CDS-related policies is open only to members of the CARE Faction (CARE Activists)." There is some stuff about impeachment of Consuls (heads of faction committees) but I was not one of those, and in any case the impeachment process is about removing someone from a leadership position not expelling them from the faction. I won't even follow the interesting chain of logic that leads to the conclusion that the current chair of nuCARE and the other "executive" members who claim to be acting for the group seem to have been self-selected rather than elected by the nuCARE membership as required in the CARE Constitution. Let's just say that the nuCARE forum is curiously silent about such matters from December 2007 to the present and there's not much before that either...

So now we know what nuCARE states as their principles, and also how they implement those principles. Of course there might be a secret set of principles established since TP took over from Michel, but I wouldn't know about that because they're SECRET principles So what about the other factions? How do they define "membership?" And is there something in each charter that would allow someone to be "expelled" from the faction? Aside from individuals leaving a faction wholesale when it becomes clear that the faction Constitution is not be followed by the faction leadership, is there any other sanction against a faction that does not adhere to its published principles? SHOULD there be?

In any case, it does seem kind of undemocratic for me to be the only one who should be asking whether there are certain factions that won't permit a particular individual to join. Maybe it would be best if each of the factions would voluntarily disclose its list of citizens who would not be acceptable as faction members. Imagine the "chilling effect" that knowing that such secret lists exist could put on the willingness of citizens to align with ANY faction! Better to publish them and get it all out on the table. After all, who wants to be rejected?? Aside from idiots like myself, of course, who assume that published principles will be followed and that there are no "hidden processes" that control when the leadership decides to implement them....

On the other hand.... wasn't it Groucho Marx who said "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member"? I always thought he was a pretty wise guy, so I'm probably on the right track here....

Cindy

[Leon]

Cindy,

Did you learn the secret handshake? Or, maybe the location of the beehive?

Leon, not making sense unless you are a conspiracy nut

[Justice Soothsayer]

On the other hand.... wasn't it Groucho Marx who said "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member"? I always thought he was a pretty wise guy, so I'm probably on the right track here....

Aha, it is confirmed. You ARE a Marxist; Groucho Marxist, that is.

[Cindy Ecksol]

Cindy,

Did you learn the secret handshake? Or, maybe the location of the beehive?

Leon, not making sense unless you are a conspiracy nut

Wait...is it a wink or a handshake??? Maybe we could form an RA commission to determine the proper way to do this once and for all. I'd hate to think that it was my [Groucho] Marxist views that were inhibiting my ability to catch on to the proper signals or find the location of the meeting. Perhaps I just need new glasses....

Cindy

[cleopatraxigalia]

many many mistatements in cindy's verbosity.............

1. NuCARE is not CARE. Michel left CDS shortly before an election and a group (he was pushed out by the evil workings of the same ppl that disrupted our society this term.. the CSDF ppl , who have an MO of vilanizing anyone they do not feel they can control, but I digress) ... of several former members of CARE met over the course of several days and decided the best thing for CDS was that a new faction be formed. These people now include two members of the RA, the chancellor, and Bromo and Mizou among several loyal others............and after long debate and much much careful consideration and meetings and voting............in Michel's honor and with his blessing, I may add............ we formed NuCARE...........a new faction.. born of the former members of CARE but not CARE, and therefore the CARE rules and regs do not automatically apply to NuCARE.

2. TP did not take over from Michel! How funny!

3.No, cindy, as you stated in your post, you do not know the nuCARE principles obviously. And you certainly did not follow them.

You are right, you DO need an invitation to be a member of NuCARE and I would like to welcome the three new members we have recieived since you left!

(maybe this is a big plot to coverup the new sightings of Moon, Gwyen and Cindy...........seen chumming around all over CDS. perhaps.........perhaps.....perhaps.......... We would never kick out a powerhouse like Cindy Ecksol would we??? how silly would that be.??
Cindy, you were my self-proclaimed "handler" well now sweetie, it's clear who really needs one. Here is some advice. No faction will let you join if you are destructive to the faction. I dont think any faction will want you if you work to bring the faction down, hurt its members and defy its decisions. If we didnt have a rule on the "books" about kicking out a member that was hurting the faction, we would have made one just for you. Like any faction will I am sure.
If we thought you are an asset to the faction, any of us, do you really think we would have asked you (or made you) leave. We showed you the same respect you showed us the past few months. Karma baby!

[Cindy Ecksol]

many many mistatements in cindy's verbosity.............

*shrug*

Perhaps you could enlighten all of us by offering pointers to the current nuCARE constitution and principles. I only quoted what is available online in the nuCARE forum and the nuCARE blog so if I am mistaken I would be happy to be corrected by pointers to the correct documentation.

Of course this little exchange is relevant only to nuCARE. I'd be interested to see pointers to the documentation (if any) for the other factions as well. This thread was intended to be a discussion of our concept of "faction membership" and it's now clear that at least in one case the easily-discovered public information is not correct. Is this universally true? I'm actually wondering whether operating according to unpublished policies is in and of itself a violation of the UDHR that is part of the CDS Constitution. There are many articles in the UDHR that seem to apply: various due process issues in Articles 7-10 and Articles 18-21 seem particularly relevant.

Cindy

[troymcluhan]

I'm still very new to the CDS and don't have a clear idea about what the factions are about. Is there a list of factions and their documentation (e.g. notecards or websites) somewhere?

- Troy

[Cindy Ecksol]

I'm still very new to the CDS and don't have a clear idea about what the factions are about. Is there a list of factions and their documentation (e.g. notecards or websites) somewhere?

- Troy

Well...kind of. Check out http://neufreistadt.info/id22.html . There is a list of factions there, but only CSDF's listing is reasonably complete including a charter and even that one is not up to date: none of the three candidates listed is currently serving (Gwyn holds the CSDF seat in RA) and the last campaign event listed was in January (there were events before the by-election in April that are not reflected). And there are no meeting announcements or minutes of meetings there.

When I joined the community in December I had to work mighty hard to learn about the current platforms and candidates, and I obviously never did get the WHOLE scoop. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea for our democratic factions to work at "openness" by getting out there and making their sites complete enough that someone who cares can get a good idea of what the faction's about (and what it has accomplished) even before they attend a meeting. And of course knowing when and where those meetings are would be helpful

Cindy

[Rose Springvale]

Troy,

It is confusing, especially for new people.. and personally i think hardest for US citizens who are used to things being more delineated and open. But you will find that as election season approaches again, the factions will make their platforms more clear... there will be signs and formal information settings. As a newcomer,the best thing you can do is get to know the people, go to RA meetings, guild meetings, etc, just to get a sense of the personalities.

The next election will be in July, so the campaigning will be back in the next few weeks I'd guess.

Factions actually do change from time to time, and the speed of the virtual world facilitates major change without much notice, as we've seen in the NuCare situation. Generally speaking, the lines between factions can get very blurry. I don't think that's a bad thing.

usually

[cleopatraxigalia]

NuCARE ..........is a very new faction actually. It was created a few weeks before the last election by a group of people after a faction had been abandoned.
We gathered together and wrote our ideas down that were needed in order to form a new faction. We are a young faction and have lots of active and eager people that want to participate .. not just watch advise or control.........in CDS government and more important society. Our spirit is contagious!

We are still working on our documentation, and it may not be the best..............but we have the best spirit! and we have the most fun in my opinion.

some of our members :
Cynwulf has just put a great new shop in Colonia Nova.. he and Tessie work together on this! Its lovely please go see if he has anything you cant live with out!
Oh and i hear our own Naftali was one of the first shoppers there.. yay Naffi! Arun has made a wonderful home at the edge of Colonia Nova on the sea and he loves a party guys and gals so stop by Aruns and see if he has something going on you might enjoy.. just a chat or wild adventure.. you never know ( did you see us all at Greenies shooting strange guns.. ?? and low and behold who do i see on RADAR? no way?!! IT was DNATE him self.. in the blue.. anyway.. we have also got FreeCube and Spid3r, they love the CDS @@ they had to sell their land but they want to stay citizens..(did you know you can join a group that owns land, they joined mine, and pay 100l a month and stay a citizen if you have to sell your land?) Sudane tried to steer them and tessie away! But they wont leave. Anyway .. who else, Bells! muaaah bells! is now seen DJing and helping with weddings.. and i hear she has a big to do of her own coming up.. keep your eyes open for that...We have Rahbn too she is a doll,! and a great artist and philanthropist in sl, she works with homelss newbies and helps them get a home! how cool is that.OMG ! I went to this um.. meditation buddah thing a few weeks ago and who do i see? my friend and fellow NuCARE member FEMINEST! wow well she has so many great interests in SL! She does so many artsy and cool things! go see her place its awesome. Dont be sceptical! And now ... we have Archmunster, what a cool deal is he! He is studying nations and SL ....!! that is so awesome.....Get to know him! Hes a great guy.................And oh gosh ! Have you seen Jayalli's paintings on the forum in Colonia Nova.. they are awesome.. and heres a secret or two, one Jayallis is my twin sister (shes the good one, im the bad one) and she is very very active in another Roman themed set of sims where she is actually the .. ok sit down...Leader of the Vestal Virgins!! Now this is a big job, yall! ...She loves the ancient roman role play thing! that is what brought her to Colonia Nova! Us old timers you know, MIzou is pretty busy with RL stuff but soon you will see more of her,Alexicon is busy busy with his sl business and being Mayor of .. oh exuse me, the Chancellor of CDS! Bromo, the leader of NuCARE himself. well, when we went to a Star trek party a few days ago, um.. he was a rock. Bromo is a rock star! .......muah to all of youmentioned and the rest!!!! See to us at nuCARE, and I hope CDS.....................this community is about people. PEOPLE! People are why we exist and who we are.. and we believe that matters most. Not documentation or words.......Its about a community of people who care and support each other, and who also have a lot of fun!!! WE actually live in CDS, play and work here.. and know each other!

Thats why WE exist. We are a community. WE are strong! WE stand together..........................WE are a team, and a community and if i may say so myself .............a darn good one! I LOVE YOU ALL! thank you for being nuCARE.. if you wanna know what nuCARE is .... now you know. ITS US!

and we accept anyone , we love new members!.Talk to any of us any time! .........and then as long as you support us, and dont hurt us.. you can stay as long as you want!!! You dont have to help, but dont hurt us. You are either for us or against us.............you see,

Cicero said:
"A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself.
"For the traitor appears not a traitor – he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear."
– Marcus Tullius Cicero 42 B.C

[Cindy Ecksol]

NuCARE ..........is a very new faction actually. It was created a few weeks before the last election by a group of people after a faction had been abandoned.
We gathered together and wrote our ideas down that were needed in order to form a new faction. We are a young faction and have lots of active and eager people that want to participate .. not just watch advise or control.........in CDS government and more important society. Our spirit is contagious!

We are still working on our documentation, and it may not be the best..............but we have the best spirit! and we have the most fun in my opinion.

and we accept anyone , we love new members!.Talk to any of us any time! .........and then as long as you support us, and dont hurt us.. you can stay as long as you want!!!

Ahem! Back to the subject at hand: this is exactly what I'm concerned about. nuCARE is a "new" faction....but if you look at the forum its archives include the CARE archives -- it just took over from CARE as far as anyone looking can tell. So now we know that nuCARE is NOT CARE and does not abide by CARE's constitution...but we don't know what rules CARE really DOES abide by since they haven't been published. Even the members don't know the rules: I can attest to this since I became a member in December and am only now just aware that the constitution I had been led to believe belonged to the faction is in fact not applicable. And of course I can personally testify that "we accept anyone" is definitely not true of nuCARE, so we still don't know even the first criterion for membership beyond "we like you right now....but we might change our minds in the future!"

So far I've received one offline message from a faction member with an excerpt from the constitution of the faction they belong to that makes it clear that all citizens are welcome to join that faction and that only a vote of the faction members can oust someone. I've also been assured that that particular faction has never outsted anyone. But I'd really like this to be public discourse, since we clearly have some "citizenship issues" to resolve (see also http://forums.slcds.info/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1878 ). Is there some reason why factions are not willing to share their charters in public and maybe even talk about what it means to "belong" to their faction? Inquiring minds want to know....

Cindy
<who is seriously thinking that Desmond's offer to dress her in red and give her an admiralty and a portrait seems more rational than the odd way we run the CDS democracy>

[cleopatraxigalia]

WILL SOMEONE PLEASE ASK CINDY TO JOIN THEIR FACTION.??

PLEASE!! SHE IS BEGGING FOR AN ENGRAVED INVITATION TO A FACTION!

DNATE? WONT YA'LL TAKE HER ?? PLEASE. ILL GIVE YOU A FREE BLUE TOGA.

AND A PICNIC BASKET !!!

[Cindy Ecksol]

WILL SOMEONE PLEASE ASK CINDY TO JOIN THEIR FACTION.??

PLEASE!! SHE IS BEGGING FOR AN ENGRAVED INVITATION TO A FACTION!

DNATE? WONT YA'LL TAKE HER ?? PLEASE. ILL GIVE YOU A FREE BLUE TOGA.

AND A PICNIC BASKET !!!

LOL! I've already been invited to join every other active faction, Prin. But I think I'm going to stay unaffiliated at least until this issue of what it means to belong to a faction is resolved. After that we'll see.

Cindy

[Bromo Ivory]

[...] But I think I'm going to stay unaffiliated at least until this issue of what it means to belong to a faction is resolved. After that we'll see.

There currently is no electoral benefit to joining a faction if you are uninterested in serving in the RA - since a voter is allowed to rank individuals in their top ranked faction!