Another Flag Bill

[Claude Desmoulins]

Per Gwyn's suggestion in This thread : http://forums.slcds.info/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2017#wrap

WHEREAS, the current flag of the CDS, with two stars, was adopted shortly after the addition of Colonia Nova, and

WHEREAS, there was at least a tacit suggestion that we add a star per sim to the flag, and

WHEREAS. the GMP calls for a continent of up to 47 regions, and

WHEREAS, that's a lot of stars to squeeze onto one flag.

Therefore be it resolved that the CDS flag shall henceforth have three stars, representing the three branches (representative, philosophic, and executive) of our government , placed on the hoist side (see attached TGA files)

Proposed Flag

proposedflag.jpg (38.53 KiB) Viewed 4288 times

Proposed Banner

proposedbanner.jpg (40.66 KiB) Viewed 4288 times

[Justice Soothsayer]

47 stars is too many to squeeze into a flag? There never was an official 47-stars flag of the United States. New Mexico became the 47th state on 6 January 1912, but since the United States only adopts new flags on the 4th of July, the addition of Arizona as the 48th state changed the number of stars again before a new flag was adopted. Attached is the 49 star version from 1959.

[Claude Desmoulins]

It's purely an aesthetic debate of course. I think the US flag "works" visually for two reasons.

1) There are enough stars that you read them as a group of stars rather than as x individual stars.
2) Placing them into a separately colored canton helps visually mark them off.

We may well get to the point where we have enough regions that all those stars will read to the viewer as " a bunch of stars" but it will take a while.
If we were to pull the same trick and put the stars together in a canton, it might look awfully "American".

[Patroklus Murakami]

Just as an aside based on the previous discussion about flags, the EU experience has been slightly different from the US. The 12 stars on the EU flag were fixed at 12 despite the expansion of the Union to 15 and then 25 and now 27 member states. The wikipedia entry says this may have been symbolic (12 months in a year, 12 hours on a clock etc) and partly political/superstitious as the 13th and 14th stars could have odd connotations. I remember hearing it was fixed like that because the prospect of dealing with an ever-changing number of stars as new members states joined would be too expensive (think of all those business cards that need changing) and bureaucratic (though that never stopped the EU before LOL!) The official website says it's because the number 12 expresses 'perfection' and does not have anything to do with the number of member states.

Fixing the number of stars makes lots of sense and three for the three branches is a good way of referencing our unique (in SL) system of government.

[Rose Springvale]

Actually, I like adding a star for each sim better. It would symbolize the unique but equal position each new sim offers. And revisiting the flag each time we add a sim .. or perhaps each anniversary date, gives us something symbolic to recognize accomplishments and growth each year.

[Claude Desmoulins]

What I really sought to do here was to start a discussion about the visual design of the flag. (Disclaimer: I tend to prefer uncluttered flag design. For example, I think the Alaska and New Mexico flags are very nice, and like New York state not as well). I figure that adding a star per region at the current star size gives enough space for perhaps 10 stars. My question is, if we decide to add a star per region, how can we do so in a way that keeps the flag from getting hopelessly cluttered?

[Claude Desmoulins]

The bill was discussed at Sunday's RA. Several attendees, including the LRA, expressed a desire to "fill up" the flag as we add sims. If we want to do that , perhaps we ought to change how we do it for a couple of reasons.

1. At the current star size, we have room for perhaps a dozen. Then we will have to make the stars smaller, which will make the flag less full.
2. Yellow on white , especially if the yellow stars are smaller, is low contrast and hard to see.

So let me throw out another idea: Make the stars smaller, put them only on the blue half of the flag, and switch the halves of the background, putting blue on top of white (think sky over snow in Anzere:)

StarsInAnzere.jpg (51.7 KiB) Viewed 4168 times

This would give one something like this (pardon that the mockup is ugly and slightly out of proportion,it's here to give a general idea.)

SecondFlagDraft.jpg (596.69 KiB) Viewed 4172 times

or try this link:

http://claude.desmoulins.googlepages.co ... gDraft.pdf
Note that the yellow stars, even though small, stand out against the blue background.

[Rose Springvale]

can't see the mock up Claude.. only the name of the file. is it just me?

[Claude Desmoulins]

Not sure. Will check.

[Claude Desmoulins]

I have now edited post in question to include a link to .pdf

[Cindy Ecksol]

*Bump*

I'm going to include this proposal on the RA agenda for 29 March.

Cindy

[Sonja Strom]

Thanks Cindy.

Personally I like the concept of three stars, one representing each branch of the CDS government. Given what the CDS is about this makes sense, and the flag would not have to constantly be changed every time we added new sims.

[Rose Springvale]

Two stars is good, three stars has merit, but i still think that adding the "people" as the fourth star and leaving it alone for good is not a bad solution.

and it makes it symmetrical. so when people.. ahem... take the texture apart to decorate everything from cakes to skis, it isn't lopsided