[Discussion] Why is "Userite" a Dirty Word?

[Gibraltarica]

Does that make Cormac a gamerite subversive?

[Vaculatestar64]

Does that make Cormac a gamerite subversive?

Maybe?

[Escade]

This question has been ticking around in my head for a while and for a while it really bothered me. People that I respected were suddenly talking viciously about well, me, without thinking twice. I've recently been getting more into GCR's, but I started in a UCR, and my best memories are in UCR's. I founded a UCR and it's always going to have a special spot in my heart and I don't see anything wrong with that. The conclusion I've come to is: It's people playing the game. It makes people feel special to put themselves in an elitist group, and it just furthers gameplay dynamics by driving a stake in between two significant groups who play the game. People have ambition, and to get your goals in a political sim you need something polarizing to work people up and get them behind you.

It doesn't mean I find Francoism in general any less stupid, or think that people need to just learn to get along, but at least I can see some reason why it's a thing besides just being obnoxious or trolling. But honestly, how fun would most people find this game if everyone was actually able to get along?

First, I thought this was a really sweet view of the game and I appreciate your perspective. I think ideally the goal would be to get along with most players (which can mean just respectful distance) regardless of ideology. I get along fine with several players in an OOC way who I disagree with completely about certain things (coup in Lazarus for example) because we have a clear divide between IC\OOC. It's the players who don't respect that divide that I think cause things to get very strained and tense.

In terms of the word userite I think players who are using it, myself included, aren't probably realizing that from the perspective of players who are from UCRs they may think userite applies to any and everyone from UCRs. In that sense I do think we could use better terms to describe players, whether from UCRs or GCRs who seem to focus on the kinds of actions players want to criticize (joining a region to rig an election for example or joining for the express purpose of forcing out long-standing players or joining to get titles but not doing anything to build the region, etc). I also apologize because I think the last thing anyone wants to do is make players from UCRs think they are inferior or that the term userite applies to them in a general way. With so much confusion around it, we can do better and not use that term anymore.

My favorite TSP run events have been with UCRs full of really awesome players and like the best part is those events have run with minimum drama and have just been a very nice social venue where people mingle and play games and try their hand at maybe art or writing or something creative. If you have an event its a positive social venue and the vibes are supposed to be good (so far, fingers crossed) whereas I think NSGP is a different kind of beast in itself.

[Cormactopia Prime]

I think there has to be a distinction made between expressing your views and participating in healthy debate, versus entryism/useritism. It's not a good idea for regions to isolate themselves from contrasting points of view, which is precisely what Europeia does when it bars people like Escade from citizenship because dissenting voices aren't wanted. They don't want any contrasting point of view to upset the status quo in Europeia, so they keep people like Escade out. It's healthy to have diversity of views. The lengths to which one will go in order to advance their point of view is what determines entryism. Just joining a region and sharing your perspective? Not entryism. Joining a region en masse with like-minded people, in order to have your group point of view established as policy, and/or take over governmental institutions? Entryism. We have to be careful not to classify all dissent as entryism.

This is so befuddling I can't help but be dramatic!!!!!!!!

Europeia has an insanely rich history of celebrated citizens who had fundamental views contrary to Europeia's fundamental views. Pope Lexus X is one of Europeia's longest serving, and celebrated Presidents. Numero Captain was an Attorney General, and a Justice in our region. Karputsk, even though he joined our region under a fake name explicitly to spy on us, was loved so much that he wasn't even banned and just barred from government for some time. I don't actually remember what your ideology was when you were in Europeia Cormac, but you were once a Senator if I recall correctly.

You're talking about years ago. Talk to me about recently. I don't see much diversity of perspective in Europeia these days.

Europeia doesn't prohibit citizenship from people who disagree with us on issues. We bar people from our region who defame and attack us relentlessly in public - which is such a totally reasonable position I don't even know what else to say!

I assume you won't have any trouble then pointing out where Escade has relentlessly defamed and attacked Europeia.

EDIT: Actually, I thought of something else to say! There seems to be this weird cognitive dissonance where when GCR are paranoid about "userites" coming in and swaying ideology, that's totally reasonable (also P.S. Balder sux!!) but when UCR regions like Europeia bar people for the exact same reason, it is restricting a beautiful, valuable flow of contrary ideas!

As you hopefully noticed, the post of mine that you quoted was in response to Glen-Rhodes, arguing that GCRs should not do what Europeia does in terms of curbing dissent by barring anyone who may dissent from citizenship. So no, I don't think it's reasonable for any region to do that.

Interesting theory considering Euro recently elected a President (HEM) who had some very different and bold ideas from our status quo. So on the one hand Euro denies citizenship because all we want is an echo chamber, but on the other hand we elect someone with ideas that don't necessarily line up with the status quo. Someone help me get unlost here.

I was referring to the independent status quo, not the minutiae of Europeia's government, which I couldn't care less about as a non-Europeian.

(Image)

That's... actually a good point. There's no term for those that push harmful GCR agendas in UCRs.

Probably because that's incredibly rare. Does that even happen? Most GCR players have no interest in UCRs.

Does that make Cormac a gamerite subversive?

Wouldn't that require me to be involved in UCRs and subverting them...?

[Userite Subversive]

I dunno.

[King HEM]

You're talking about years ago. Talk to me about recently. I don't see much diversity of perspective in Europeia these days.

Maybe Europeia hasn't gotten more restrictive, maybe our adversaries have just gotten less classy?

I assume you won't have any trouble then pointing out where Escade has relentlessly defamed and attacked Europeia.

"If it has become the norm that Euro attempts to slime individuals as subversive for criticism that doesn't align with your own then I guess the McCarthyism that has infected much of your sphere is indeed viral."

As you hopefully noticed, the post of mine that you quoted was in response to Glen-Rhodes, arguing that GCRs should not do what Europeia does in terms of curbing dissent by barring anyone who may dissent from citizenship. So no, I don't think it's reasonable for any region to do that.

My "edit" was more a broad statement, because there are definitely folks talking from both sides of their mouth here.