OP/ED : The Alliance Navy – Reminding us what combat is really about.

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In 2005, 2006, or 2007, anybody that was in the community for more than a week knew about the Alliance Navy. Nowadays, the Alliance Navy isn’t the only big fish in the tank, in fact, a few are a bit bigger now, but when the Alliance Navy talks, people still listen. The Alliance Navy likes to proclaim that it is the lone holdout of revivalism in this community- “we don’t ban them for being a troll – we shoot them in the face.” The Alliance Navy espouses anti-ban, anti-regulation, pro-large scale warfare rhetoric. Most combatants can agree that this sounds great. After all, bans are inconvenient, and it’s a huge hassle making sure that your weapons comply with the ten page list of restrictions you’ll need just to assault someone, isn’t it? In fact, one might even say that the Alliance Navy is the polar opposite of a group that attentively moderates its sim with land controls.

On the same note, a group that rejects the power of land options is left to rely on an entirely different set of powers for sim governance at certain times. If an attacker is accused of cheating, the Alliance Navy, instead of banning them, and then carrying out communication with that individual to reach the bottom of the issue, might simply blackscreen them in the hub with a gunship until they crash, and repeat this until the charged offender does not log back into their sim. In other instances, “problematic” individuals, instead of being banned, might be subjected to an autokiller placed in the hub, set to only kill that particular person after moving outside of a certain sensor range. This is not more efficient than a ban. It takes more time, and more effort, but it’s more amusing to watch a lone attacker struggle to escape the hub, or a volley of explosive fleet shells than simply bounce around in the corner of the sim.

Over the last week, I’ve had the opportunity to confront the Alliance Navy on several occasions. Of course, these weren’t uninvited- The Alliance Navy has become fed up with my call for reform.

Here’s why.

The Alliance Navy isn’t what it was during its glory days in 2007 and years prior to. With scarcely a third of the active members they had during their peak years (85 active members during the height of the Great War in 2007, down to an estimated 30 active members now), the Alliance Navy has increasingly found its self regarded as a fringe group by the rest of the community. They’ve also encountered no shortage of financial hardships- by their own admission, their training sim’s tier is paid for in full by a private individual from outside the group.

Crony Capitalism, Corporate Cronyism?

[7:44] Harlequin Amoufhaz: So, I’m doing an editorial on AN.
[7:44] Harlequin Amoufhaz: Your folks told me the name of the dude that finances Cabaret, but I’d hate to dig through logs for another three hours.
[7:44] Harlequin Amoufhaz: Mind saving me the time and coughing up the name? Thanks.
[7:45] luca Vasilopita: Timeless Prototype.
[7:45] Harlequin Amoufhaz: Thanks.
[7:45] luca Vasilopita: He’s a pretty big deal in SL.

Timeless Prototype isn’t just any “big deal”- The man created the multigadget, a tool used throughout Second Life. Calling Timeless Prototype a “big deal” is like calling the Everglades a “decently sized swamp”.

Can we count on a group that relies on one donor to determine its own agenda?

Whether they realize it or not, they’re just like The Ordo Imperialis and similar groups. The Alliance Navy is based around a tight-knit group of individuals. Unlike groups such as the Merczateers, 2142, or Vanguard, the Alliance Navy views defection or resignation from the group as an abomination. Those who leave the Alliance Navy aren’t given friendly wishes on their way out.

Is the Alliance Navy really a standard bearer of a the revivalist movement?

The Alliance Navy makes use of autokillers. By their own admission, these autokillers target particular individuals, and these individuals don’t need to violate sim rules to become a target of these autokillers. Simply being disliked or “pathetic” by the AN’s standards can make you a target of these autokillers. And make no mistake, folks. Becoming the target of one of these autokillers functionally amounts to a ban- There’s no avoiding one of these, or getting out of the hub once you’re a target. I had the opportunity of learning this first-hand. Refer to the snapshots below.

Do these snapshots and the events surrounding them represent fair combat to you? Are they representative of an institution worthy of our respect? Are they reflective of a healthy community standard?

I’ve come to the end of my editorial here. Just ask yourself if the Alliance Navy is a respectable group within our community? Ask yourself if they are free of influence from donors. Ask yourself if they really have any desire to stimulate combat in this community. Ask yourself if they really ban less frivolously than any other group in this community. Ask yourself if they are reasonable in spawncamping attackers. I’m sure you’ll arrive at the same conclusions as I have.

-Resurgens

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

– Apparently the Alliance Navy wasn’t happy about the discovery of an article being written about them,
and mentioned legal action.

[2012/02/19 5:58] luca Vasilopita: Harlequin, with regards to your article about the Alliance Navy and also the involvement of Liana Pera as a member of the Alliance Navy as a social club for person(s) over the age of 18. You are required by both U.S. Federal Law, and International Law to send the administrators of the Alliance Navy a copy of the article before it is published for review to ensure there is no; Defamation of Character, Libelist statements, or slander to the social club Alliance Navy. If you disagree with these terms a ticket will be raised with the United Nations small claims and civil litigations committee within 3 days (72 hours) of your article’s publication. At the least you will find that you are accountable for any damages to the Alliance Navy, at the highest you could see a Federal subpoena sent to you for specific slander or defamation of character towards members of the Alliance Navy. For reference, here is the article in International Sanctions about such things. You can review your own state and federal laws, also.

[2012/02/19 5:58] luca Vasilopita: Article 17 of the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states
1. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his honour and reputation.
2. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

[2012/02/19 6:14] luca Vasilopita: This isn’t a case of me backing down because you want to break federal and international legislature on slander.

Mr Vasilopita, I would like to remind you that in the article above, all matters that have been asserted as facts have been immediately reinforced by photographic evidence, and while facts may not always be published simply for their veracity in and of itself, they are protected from the censorship of statutes and case-law that regard themselves to matters of libel and defamation, because this article was in fact published with the interest of the public welfare in mind, and furthermore, carry no malicious intent, or other intent beyond that vested with the public interest. (Near v. Minnesota, 283 U.S. 697, New York Times v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254).

Secondly, you are not a person. You are an avatar. You are granted a veil of anonymity through that which is protected by the Linden Labs Terms of Service. This, however,exempts you from being concerned about how your actual character might be defamed. Whoever you are in real life is not at issue here, nor is Liana Pera, Jim Herbst, or any other member of your “social club,” as you put it (the community still likes to classify you as a military, even if you don’t anymore). The statute you’re citing was initially intended for the protection of the lives and livelihoods of all signatories of UN participating states. You do not live in Second Life, and always have the option to escape whatever criticism you might receive by logging off or changing your account, and you do not draw primary income from Second Life, so there is no threat to your financial well being.

Finally, if you honestly think that international courts are going to hear a case about internet gaming clans and their petty disputes, you have absolutely no idea how the legal system works – anywhere – and have no business citing it.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frivolous_litigation) – read up.

Litigation aside, the ethical thing to do would be to take the truth like a man, and not threaten my writer with legal action because the truth stings.

– Doctor Olaf

OP-ED The Need for Military Finance Reform

Let’s remove the emphasis on money in this community.

How do we go about doing this? Over the last few years, groups have relied on promoting their image through
spending. Sometimes, groups can have as many as six or eight revenue arms- both indirectly and directly
owned. Additionally, many groups can have major individual contributors- both private citizens and group members.

How is this a problem? Think of it like this. When a group’s total income far surpasses its land tier costs,
excess revenues generally wind up supporting group engineering projects. These engineering projects are
usually commissioned to private individuals or engineers whose services are exclusively purchased by the group.
These projects usually entail additions to bases, or expansion of a group’s armory. These
additions to bases or new items in armories are seldom anything more than cosmetic improvements, or variations
upon previous structures or weapons used by the group. This emphasis on the “image” of weapons, rather than
their functionality, has been a major factor in the stagnation of combat in this community. Groups are now
more likely to focus on improving the cosmetic appeal of their gear than asserting themselves on the battlefield.
Consequently, we see much less combat these days.

A very common example I’m sure all of you are aware of :
Imagine you are in any given military. Who do you think is more likely to attack you at any given time, some random upstart military wearing civilian clothes and using FRAG weapons, or a more well-known and well funded group like Vanguard?

Another issue arises from the impact of major individual contributors and group subsidies. Consider this.
When someone sends a large sum of money to the sovereign of a group, they’re likely to earn a favorable
image in the eyes of this person. This is understandable. This person is, after all, sending financial support
to their group. In the end, though, this person may wind up buying a great deal of influence over this group as
a result of their contributions. As alarming as it is, “rank buying” is still around, in some form or another.

Many groups may argue that “We don’t do such a thing. It undermines the very structure of our group. You can’t buy ranks here.” On the contrary, it happens almost everywhere. In 2008-09, the Merczateers had a string of non-commissioned officers who made serious contributions to the group. One unnamed individual went so far as to purchase a third sim for the group, and pay for it, so the group could continue small scale combat and training while the leaders rebuilt their main sim in Badnarik. The member who purchased and paid for the sim was never formally awarded for his financial contributions (outside of getting a very formal thank you) but was henceforth given a far greater deal of influence in the group, for fear that upsetting him would cost the group their third sim.

Now, to address the issue of group subsidies. Many large groups with excess income often seek to
expand their group’s influence through the subsidization of small groups. Some may see this as a charitable
act. However, these people neglect to take note of the fact that these subsidies incentivize conforming
to the will of these larger groups. This allows larger groups to impose their will upon others.

I’ll provide another example. How many remember the Second Life Sky Navy’s first incarnation? When they began, they were without adequate content creators, but they did have enough money to stand on their own. As a result, they signed STABLE, and allied with the Alliance Navy. From that point, their sim was build, and weapons scripted by Alliance Navy scripters, who also programmed a failsafe into their base and weapons. When the SLSN chose to end their alliance with the AN, their assets were effectively neutered.

Who is to say it is not just as likely that a far simpler process couldn’t and doesn’t happen? Instead of putting forth the effort to build and script for a weaker military, why not just fund them, and let them do what they want with your money, so long as they don’t irritate you, right? In the final months of its life, did the Militant Collective not exist largely on contributions from members of larger militaries in the Iron Symphony? The Alliance Navy also would have lost Cabaret Island at least once, had it not been for massive contributions from other groups.

And, here we are again. How do we go about fixing this situation? It’s far simpler than you might imagine.
It should be the community standard for groups to disclose their monthly revenues and expenditures. This would
allow us all to see where the money comes from, and where it’s going. For those groups that have nothing to
hide, this should be an easy task. And those that do might just feel compelled to clean up their practices and
conform to the community standard. Another good way to deal with this situation is through introducing
individual contribution caps- a set amount of money a private citizen, group member, military, company, or any
institution can contribute to a military. These kind of limits would ensure that no one individual or institution
has too much influence over the sovereign of a group.

We need to remove the emphasis on money in this community. Our militaries need to focus less on cosmetic
image, and more on proving themselves on the battlefield. No one individual or institution should have too
much influence over a military. This is an issue very easily addressed, and I’m convinced we as a community are
on the edge of doing just that.

-Resurgens

What the Doctor ordered : More groups!

It is of the utmost importance that more groups burgeon and multiply within the coming Spring and Summer. The main reason for this is because a handful of large and overbearing groups are prone to carry with them widespread stagnation. A large group is faced with the problem of having too many people to engage in combat. Large scale groups doing battle are subject to massive levels of lag that serve as a deterrent from any future combat on the part of the large groups, and a large group attacking a small group is often met with resentment on the part of the region governance, as they feel that the overwhelming amount of attackers grants the attacking force an unfair advantage, and have been historically more apt to use their powers of governance to combat the larger military, or paint them as amoral. This is done in response to whatever passive recruitment appeal that larger militaries may have, such as more aesthetically pleasing, or efficiently developed software.

While it may be argued that this places smaller militaries in the wrong, it does not prevent the fact that these militaries will continue to follow these courses of action until they have grown large enough to survive without them.

Every so often, there is a schism, or series of schisms within the military community where sufficiently sized groups are born. The more groups that are present, the  lower percentage of the community is concentrated towards the most predominant militaries, and the greater one’s selection of groups to assault are at any given time.

The variety of groups to assault are furthermore, just as important. When the choices of combat are restricted to a handful of several groups, every group becomes dependent on good relations with a very small group of highly influential and stagnant powerhouses. Alliances are likely to form, and combat itself is likely to devolve into a heavily regulated, and controlled “life support,” in which officers schedule skirmishes to keep boredom down.

Instances like these also generate a level of inertia needed to be broken for a new military to be born. Oftentimes, an upstart leader will be a high ranking officer in a large group, who considers defecting and building a new military, but does not do so out of fear that the new military will be the smallest fish in a pond of giant octopi. However, if a greater number of individuals pursue this activity, it seriously fragments the large and stagnant groups into younger, more active groups, and helps the community transition from a sluggish and monopolistic scene, to a vibrant and pluralistic one.

It is important to understand that this is not a call to dismantle all large groups.  It is however, a call for members of large groups, who have considered starting their own military to go ahead and do so. You may be dismayed by your commitment to your group, but ultimately, you are in this community because you enjoy combat, and you enjoy the fun that comes with it. Bearing that in mind, you have a higher commitment to your own personal fun than you do any obligation to a glorified gaming clan, and that should be the ultimate factor in your decision making process of whether or not to test your hand at leadership.

It is for that reason, that I encourage any individual planning on creating a new military within the coming months to do so. You may very well feel like your time and money will be wasted, but it’s important to remember that this is Second Life, and investing any amount of time in a military faction will never earn you profit, but is regardless very likely to be an extremely fulfilling and exciting endeavor. Furthermore, I will be with you, to help you grow, every step of the way.

– Doctor Olaf

OP-ED CRONY CAPITALISM

Caine Constantine. The uniter of the community, the shining light of community, the bastion of
civility.

Really, though. Is he any of these things, or just another illusion? Just another crony capitalist?
Hear me out for a few moments.

Over the last few years, New Jessie has established its name as the center of the community, namely
because of its percieved objectivity. In recent times, that has changed. Beginning in the Spring of 2011,
New Jessie adopted a much more harsh rule set. Long-time supporters of the sim were shown their way out,
often violently. Visitors to the sim remarked on how the formerly welcoming admins had become agents of
intolerance. The sim’s traffic sharply declined, and revenues plummeted. While New Jessie ran massive monthly
budget surpluses in 2010, these slowly transformed into monthly defecits. Slowly, the old order was being ushered out.

What can the reversal of New Jessie’s fortunes be attributed to? Not one reason alone can be cited. A multitude
of factors contributed to this.

Let’s try and remember when Caine Constantine re-arrived in New Jessie. By all accounts, he was a nervous wreck.
Cynical, tempermental, and reclusive- all things he was never previously known for. Gone was the
man’s friendly disposition, as well as his ability to compromise. He banned sim visitors left and right,
seemingly for his own amusement. When staff members and those in New Jessie circles expressed concern for
him, they were rebuked- Mr. Constantine would have none of their empathy. Gradually, this mood infected much of
the staff. The atmosphere of the sim became less cheery, and it seemed as if the admins were just going through
the motions. By this point, New Jessie became more of a way for its administrators to make money.
Any emotional investment in the sim was gone.

During this time, New Jessie’s previously tenuous relationship with The Ordo Imperialis developed into
something much closer. Ordo officers began to frequent the sim and suggest ideas- Occasionally working
to realize these ideas for the sim themselves. In retrospect, it’s hard to see how no one anticipated
Ordo’s purchase of New Jessie. The sim had become a de facto Ordo recruiting tool. A place where they
could shape one’s first impression of the community.

Accompanied by a decline in sim traffic, New Jessie descended into chaos as the Summer of 2011 wore on
There were reports of private individuals attempting to buy votes from members of the admin staff, infighting, and disownment
of staff members that did not conform to the views of the policy makers. The system was rife with corruption, and the admin
staff teetered on the idea of closing down the sim.

And along came Aryte.

Aryte Vesperia, the “Imperator” of the Ordo Imperialis had already established his name as a tycoon
prior to his acquisition of New Jessie. He was, and is, crony capitalism personified. Through his
group’s ownership of several companies- both directly and indirectly through its General officers,
Aryte developed a tool to stroke his ego. His connections and friendships with the owners of
a slew of other sims also contributed to these holdings. Policy planks in Ordo were up for sale. The man
who was reported to have sold comission in his salad days could now be bought through large contributions
to his group. Companies could donate large sums of money to the Ordo Imperialis, and they could buy
planks in Ordo’s direction, or cause the group to veer off in another direction. In addition, many in
Ordo would put in a good word for the company, so the agreements were mutually beneficial. All of this
continues to this do. And with New Jessie in chaos and ripe for the picking, Aryte saw another way to
expand his sphere of influence.

Ordo’s takeover of New Jessie, still marketed as “neutral” to the public through several press releases
drew skepticism from many in the community. And, sure enough, The Ordo Imperialis installed one of its own
(said to be an alternate account of Aryte) as New Jessie’s chief financial officer. All of this diluted
the influence of the few admins that were still devoted to the sim. And during this time, Caine Constantine,
as well as his co-president and romantic partner, Liana Pera, were noted for firing salvos of insensitive
remarks at anyone who questioned Ordo’s acquistion of New Jessie (let alone refer to it as such).

The man we all cherished as one of the community’s finest had degenerated into a gossip hound, and cohort
of a crony capitalist.

Where does this bring us? We, the people of this community, are slowly losing influence. The Ordo Imperialis
and their vassals in New Jessie are able to impose their will on anyone. The Ordo Imperialis’s acquistion
of New Jessie should only draw more attention to the corrupting influence of excessive spending and
corporate-driven group policy in this game. If we make a community effort, we can take down this standard.
It’s an absurd one.

-Resurgens

Weak Constitutions

You have little but yourselves to blame for the current state of things, members of the Second Life military community. You have no one to hold yourselves accountable to but yourselves, and hence, there lies your responsibilities.

 

Unfortunately, you cannot act in an objective mindset even if you tried. There is too much emphasis still placed on survival, and henceforth, you must subject yourself and those around you to a subjective mindset.

 

To remedy this, all that needs to be is an objective, neutral party that can supervise and enact rulings upon disputes between military powers. Unfortunately, the necessity of such a presence is, and will be abhorred or ignored by the current hegemonies because it checks the amount of power that they have.

 

Could you imagine the frustration on the face of a high-profile IS or TAC military leader if told by a less popular version of Caine Constantine that what they were doing was wrong? The response would be indignation and resignation from any current discussion that might be going on between the warring factions and the neutral party. This is exactly where pride poisons the system.

 

It now rests on the shoulders of the journalists, who are just as biased, if not more, than the subjects that they report on, to deliver a verdict to the populous. From there, debates rage to no avail in the comment boxes, as military leaders furiously type out their insult-laced viewpoints in the deluded fantasy that they are somehow converting more followers.

 

And yet they say that there are “too much politics, not enough fighting.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Without a referee, an umpire, an arbiter or judge, it’s simply “might makes right.” It stops being a universe of ideas and creativity, and becomes a universe of clandestine bargains and monetary resource.

 

If you could imagine a game of monopoly, where the pieces are made of play-dough, you would have a very firm grasp on the Second Life Military Community as it is today.

Diagnosis : Part One

Before we can carry out a successful medical procedure, we must first diagnose the problem. This problem will come in two, very distinct and specific parts that must be solved in a very specific order to prevail.

First and foremost, we will address the problem of small militaries not having enough to compete with large militaries.

It has often been the criticism of large militaries against small militaries that the latter relies heavily on an unbalanced playing field, heavy regulation, and lots of biased, hateful propaganda. While I would agree, and small military leaders would vehemently deny this claim, I would not say that it would be prudent for them in their current state to not continue this behavior until their lot can be improved.

This is because, the lifeblood resource of any military, its members, must be maintained and enlisted in that particular faction in order for it to ultimately survive. If your members all leave, you’re dead. It’s as simple as that. This is not a difficult concept for anyone to grasp, or understand, and it also isn’t difficult for a military leader to notice a larger, stronger, and better put together military with far more appeal to members than theirs.

How would a small military leader keep all of his soldiers from defecting to something larger, more powerful, or better looking? Make them look like a gang of horrible people. Make it seem as though they all have no regard for the rules, broadcast their flaws on every possible medium, do whatever can possibly be done to make it clear that despite how good they look, or how strong they are, they “don’t fight fair,” they’re “a group of disgusting furries,” or whatever other negative connotation can come to  mind.

It is with deep regret that I must admit that this has been the only way that small militaries have been able to compete, and survive.

This is why our first task must be to strengthen small militaries. If the small become better equipped, they will become larger. If they become larger, they can become more powerful, and closer to the level that their giant counterparts are at. This will remove much of the stigma that exists to spread hatred, and a more civilized, respectful playing field can be developed whilst standards can continue being raised in all aspects of combat, and military structure.

Again, this is not a new idea, simply a modified one. Many militaries in the past have traded equipment, or offered armaments to small, up and coming groups. However, pride is often a serious obstacle. No military leader wants to be seen as a puppet of a larger military by accepting handouts, regardless of how benign the intent of the larger military is to begin with.

The Plague Doctors will provide the service of anonymously providing these donations, no strings attached. The gifts will be untraceable, and will be more apt to being put to good use.

Yes, I do understand that there are other obstacles, and I have fully thought out how to deal with them. We will meet them as they come.

Stay tuned for more articles!

Military Ethics

It is my sincere hope, that this document shall supersede the Iron Symphony Doctrine through marketability, depth, and specification. Furthermore, the simple fact that it is not endorsed by any participating party of the military community shall hopefully remove any positive or negative bias towards it, in regards to my target audience.

– Doctor Olaf

Natural Laws

The Ultimate Goal of all legitimate Second Life Military Factions is to create an atmosphere in which their participants can enjoy themselves in whatever way they see fit, provided that it does not consciously endeavor to prevent or steal pleasure, enjoyment, or happiness from another faction.

C.00A0 – It is understood that collective enjoyment and morale is a relative concept that is subject to change based on a myriad of circumstances, and the presence of enemy combatants oftentimes does not have any negative intent. However, it is further understood that political motivation will inspire military leaders to operate under false pretenses in order to achieve more vindictive, selfish, or otherwise unethical ends through well-disguised means. Since these instances must be handled on a case-by case basis, it is henceforth the responsibility of the Plague Doctors to subject these instances to inquiry before issuing a verdict to the parties at hand.

Militaries have a right to exist as creative works in their own rights, just as a painting, poem, or song would.

C. 00A1 – If a military exhibits or engages in activities that would compromise its ethical standing without expressing warning, justification, or otherwise rectifying oversight with prudent humor and will, furthermore bearing the best interests of the entire community, or at the very least, self preservation without any alternative, it shall relinquish its right to exist.

Military Leaders are charged with the responsibility of maintaining honest and chivalrous warfare. While it is oftentimes preferred that military leaders maintain civilized diplomacy and avoid the breeding of hatred by allowing misunderstandings or accusations to run unchecked, it is understandable that the sheer quantity of these situations make it impossible to resolve every issue, especially if they arise in the urgency of combat.

Furthermore, Leaders must constantly ensure that they are properly representing not only the governing ideals of their military, but the collective will of their subordinates. If this fact is ignored, oftentimes the subordinates will rebel or defect in large quantities, or be misrepresented, and potentially maligned due to the actions of their superiors.

C.00A2 – Military leaders include not only the Overall first-in-command of the entire faction, but any individual that acts as a commanding officer on attacks, defenses, or any other event in which a segment or whole of the faction would be represented.

Militaries are always encouraged to grow to the greatest possible size and strength that they can achieve in every facility, and use these strengths to bolster their defenses as well as their assaults – as they have certainly earned the right to do so through collective efforts. However, using these strengths to completely dominate, demoralize, and weaken their opponents halts community growth, and only breeds superior enjoyment from maliciously motivated, vindictive, or otherwise unethical individuals.

Militaries are encouraged to be active and versatile at all hours of the day. This allows for a constantly thriving community that is accessible to all timezones around the world. However, abusing the hours in which certain militaries are inactive to achieve victories on the field that would not otherwise be possible at most other hours is highly unsportsmanlike,  and only breeds superior enjoyment from maliciously motivated, vindictive, or otherwise unethical individuals.

While it is against the Second Life Terms of Service to play Second Life on the Main Grid while under the age of 18, no self-respecting military engages in any form of activity that would be unsuitable to show to minors. Therefore, actively pursuing minors through the military community, accusing individuals of being minors, blackmailing minors for personal gain, or flagging individuals for being minors regardless of whether or not they are, unless they are engaged in an activity that would be unsuitable for minors otherwise (such as those of a sexual nature), is either extremely bureaucratic, or politically motivated. Both of which are mindsets that are completely unwelcome in a growing community.

Spreading unverified facts through any medium without the individual present for confrontation, or exaggerating facts in a manner that would make the information in question more prejudicial than probative, while sometimes necessary for the bolstering of group morale, is typically frowned upon, and viewed as dishonest by unaffiliated parties.

Content creators are completely within their rights to distribute content as they see fit, however, using the same, or similar content multiple times between multiple militaries is likely to create or intensify tension unnecessarily. Bearing this in mind, content creators should do so only with previous, mutual understanding between the parties involved.

C.00B0- Content creators must recognize the fact that once they have donated content to a military, that military is within their rights to continue using said content indefinitely. However, if the content creator has discussed terms with the appropriate command staff about the continued usage of said content, and the military does not honor the agreement in the future, it is never immoral for the content creator to distribute the content as he or she sees fit.

It is prudent and in good faith of community dynamics to resist the urge to ban or administrate a combatant until it has either been proven in a manner that can be agreed upon by all parties.

Furthermore, it is in the best interest of community dynamics and group image to openly, and politely discuss the nature of the situation with the individual in question before exercising administration. This can help reduce misunderstandings and improve group relations as a whole if done consistently, and prevent many problems and prejudices that prevail in the community today.

It is important to share content with militaries that do not have said content. While it is recognized that militaries do pride themselves in the exclusiveness and efficiency of many of their armories, using this equipment with no desire to help improve the lot of obviously weaker militaries only serves to widen the gap between “have” and “have nots”, which only serves to destabilize everything in the future.

C.00B1-It is understood that many militaries in need of newer equipment are unwilling to accept advice, donations, or other aid from other factions due to issues of pride or prejudice. Bearing this in mind, the Plague Doctors are happy to serve as an anonymous conduit through which negative elements may be bypassed, all donations and improvements may be made without fear of public or private scrutiny.

Intelligence Organizations are controversial in nature do to natural distrust in society for anything kept secret, because of the notion that if it is secret, it must certainly not be anything good. However, in the spectrum of military combat, limited usage of Intelligence Operatives are as crucial to the foresight of a commander as air support is to infantry. Intelligence Organizations researching the manner in which weapons function, the manner in which leaders and members of certain militaries conduct themselves when not immediately subject to confrontation or scrutiny, or simply monitoring progress or deployment times are acceptable and oftentimes a healthy and welcome opportunity for militants who find this activity more helpful and enjoyable than simply engaging in combat.

C.00C0- While it is recognized that intelligence organizations can be used in a responsible manner, many other activities such as infiltration specifically for the purpose of destabilizing group dynamics, stealing or leaking content, harassing an individual, or otherwise performing or facilitating actions that would be considered unethical in the above statements is and will always be frowned upon, and heinously unethical.

In Conclusion, I hope that my readers thoroughly agree with and understand the motive and message of my document. If not, I greatly encourage open debate on any available matters, so that the community definition of ethics best represents the community, and not my personal opinion. Furthermore, many of you that pay close attention to the Iron Symphony Doctrine will notice that there are many similarities between it, and my Ethics. I in no way want to “replace” or “steal thunder” from the Iron Symphony. I like their message and respect their initiatives in the community, however, I feel that because they are active, tangible, and therefore subject to ad hominem scrutiny, their ability to broadcast their message is greatly crippled.

Hopefully, my rendition can reach an audience that they could not.

Modus Operandi

Dearest Patient Community,

We are the Plague Doctors. Our M.O. is simple, helpful, and ultimately in the best interest of growth and joy, just like yours probably is.

Let’s get deeper into the specifics, because I need to go to work in about five minutes, and don’t want to leave this post half-done. I see this collective of militaries as a network of organs, a body, if you will. If you are unhappy with this simile, you may even view it as an ecosystem. Regardless, it is organic, growing, and at the same time, very very sick.

This is because mankind, since the dawn of morality, and probably before, has been plagued by a raging war between idealists and opportunists. This war exists as a relationship between persons, and within persons as well. I suffer from this as much as many of you do.

Sociologically, especially when viewed from a conflict theory, this can be attributed to the difference between the “haves” and “have-nots”. Take small militaries for example, like Silver Hawk. They have little to their name, likely are surviving on a very tight budget, and don’t have very much expected of them. This leaves them with little actual opportunity to develop and engage in ideals that would cause them to limit themselves in a sportsmanlike manner in the ways that larger, more self-sustainable militaries would.

In this scenario, monetary resources, script resources, and builds can be readily distributed to help improve the lot of those further down on the ladder. However, human resources are beyond my ability to create from thin air, and therefore, we see greater problems. Finally, there is the issue that arises with larger militaries that “have” but do not engage in practices of self-limitation or seem to consider alternative viewpoints of fairness due to multiple elements such as, but not limited to :

Lack of past collective successes,

Lack of public inquiry or scrutiny towards questionable practices,

Deflated collective self-image or false feelings of weakness/crisis

Exploitation of human resources through immoral content creators or shareholders,

Collective or unifying past vendettas and ambitions that overshadow or distort ideas of morality.

Finally, there is a very unique mentality that has the potential to provide detriment to Second Life Military Combat, and that is a retreatist, or hyperconservative mentality that deliberately resists progressive change.

It is important to understand that when this is referred to, the Plague Doctors are not at all condemning conservative perspectives or actions by any stretch of the imagination, and wholeheartedly understand how horribly awry things can get when there are too many “progressive” changes.

However, oftentimes militaries have abused a hyper-conservative set of values and appealed to many of the long standing, high profile contributing members of the community to legitimize actions that are largely condemned by the majority of the community nowadays, simply because it was acceptable in the past.

This is a highly controversial and dubious element to the equation, however, and is best handled on a case-by-case basis due to the fact that this can occasionally be healthy to the community.

Keeping these elements in mind, it is imperative that the Plague Doctors cooperate with various militaries exhibiting these symptoms to better balance the flow of the military community, without upsetting the natural ebb and flow of macrodynamics.

Further observations will be made in the future.

Next, I will be drafting a document which will entail ethical practices for militaries to follow in the future, hopefully in accordance with the Iron Symphony Doctrine, but far less vague, partisan, and more apt to supersede it.