The Writers' Block

[Terrabod]

Hello, similar to my last submitted draft, Soon On The Moon?, I was wondering if it would be a good idea to do something like the third option (researching the terrestrial seas), but instead, building a underwater base.

Also, as above, I still need a title. My current idea is We Need To Go Deeper, shamelessly stolen from Minecraft.

Would it just be the same issue... but underwater?

[Megistos]

Hello, similar to my last submitted draft, Soon On The Moon?, I was wondering if it would be a good idea to do something like the third option (researching the terrestrial seas), but instead, building a underwater base.

Also, as above, I still need a title. My current idea is We Need To Go Deeper, shamelessly stolen from Minecraft.

Would it just be the same issue... but underwater?

No no no no no, I think you are picturing what I am thinking wrong.

[Terrabod]

No no no no no, I think you are picturing what I am thinking wrong.

Ok, what's your idea then? What kind of options would you have?

[Trotterdam]

Hello, similar to my last submitted draft, Soon On The Moon?, I was wondering if it would be a good idea to do something like the third option (researching the terrestrial seas), but instead, building a underwater base.

If you just want to do science, then building a base underwater is much less valuable than building one on the moon. The sea isn't as hard to reach as the moon, so it's easier to just send people in a submarine whenever you want to have a look at something and then bring them back, rather than building a permanently-inhabited base that you can't move.

There might be other reasons for building an underwater settlement, such as if you're running out of space on land for your growing population, but then there's probably still easier places to try settling first, like deserts or Antarctica.

[The Sakhalinsk Empire]

Has there been an issue in which corporal punishment without prison time leads to lower productivity due to the injuries caused? So far, there's only one repeal for Corporal Punishment and I'm looking to fill that gap in.

[Trotterdam]

Has there been an issue in which corporal punishment without prison time leads to lower productivity due to the injuries caused?

I'm pretty sure prison time would lead to lower productivity, too.

But then people who were committing crimes were probably not the most productive members of your society to begin with.

[The Sakhalinsk Empire]

Has there been an issue in which corporal punishment without prison time leads to lower productivity due to the injuries caused?

I'm pretty sure prison time would lead to lower productivity, too.

But then people who were committing crimes were probably not the most productive members of your society to begin with.

You make a good point. However, it's likely that a region could have relatively common crimes punishable by corporal punishment without prison time, which leads into the scenario above - (relatively) hard-working members of society claiming medical leave or even disability because of the punishment.

BTW, do you have the link to your website? I forgot to bookmark it and I don't remember the link.

[Fauxia]

I'm pretty sure prison time would lead to lower productivity, too.

But then people who were committing crimes were probably not the most productive members of your society to begin with.

You make a good point. However, it's likely that a region could have relatively common crimes punishable by corporal punishment without prison time, which leads into the scenario above - (relatively) hard-working members of society claiming medical leave or even disability because of the punishment.

BTW, do you have the link to your website? I forgot to bookmark it and I don't remember the link.

http://www.mwq.dds.nl/ns/results/

Really all you have to do is Google “Nationstates issue results”

[Honeydewistania]

Editors still looking for a penny ban reversal?

[The Free Joy State]

Editors still looking for a penny ban reversal?

A reversal without stringent requirements is still sought, yes.

[Pluvie]

Has there ever been an issue that focused on an endangered species that a country doesn't like? Like if it were a certain breed of mosquito or something going extinct because industry or deforestation is moving them out of their habitat? I have no doubt there's been some kind of an issue on endangered species(although I do admit I'm not an expert on issues in any way, if not lmk), but I would wonder if there was one in that particular vein. Any clarification in that realm would be much appreciated!!

[Frieden-und Freudenland]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/heal ... group.html

^What would you think about an issue on this? I know we steer clear of pandemic issues, but this could be framed as a non-pandemic-related issue, with a vaccine that targets a different kind of disease. I find the ethical dilemma here interesting.

Thoughts?

[Westinor]

Has there ever been an issue that focused on an endangered species that a country doesn't like? Like if it were a certain breed of mosquito or something going extinct because industry or deforestation is moving them out of their habitat? I have no doubt there's been some kind of an issue on endangered species(although I do admit I'm not an expert on issues in any way, if not lmk), but I would wonder if there was one in that particular vein. Any clarification in that realm would be much appreciated!!

There certainly have been issues about the effects of urbanization on species (see issues #1290 or #751 for examples) but specifically targeting an endangered species because the people don't like it? I don't specifically recall an issue like that, but I'd have to see the draft to get what you mean in this case.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/health/covid-vaccine-placebo-group.html

^What would you think about an issue on this? I know we steer clear of pandemic issues, but this could be framed as a non-pandemic-related issue, with a vaccine that targets a different kind of disease. I find the ethical dilemma here interesting.

Thoughts?

This was certainly an interesting article to read. I think the premise could certainly work if it dodged the pandemic issue subject, and I don't quite recall an issue covering this before.

[Lord Dominator]

I saw in the spoiler thread that at least in 2018, insurance was the most under-utilized industry (and financial services in general). Is this still true?

[Electrum]

I saw in the spoiler thread that at least in 2018, insurance was the most under-utilized industry (and financial services in general). Is this still true?

Ah yes, I think you were referring to Candlewhisper's post from a while back in the Writer's Block where he talked about insurance and public transport being underutilised.

It's not the most under-utilised industry now, but it's not far from the bottom. There's also some very niche industries which are at the bottom for which I'm sure you can guess what they are

[Lord Dominator]

I saw in the spoiler thread that at least in 2018, insurance was the most under-utilized industry (and financial services in general). Is this still true?

Ah yes, I think you were referring to Candlewhisper's post from a while back in the Writer's Block where he talked about insurance and public transport being underutilised.

It's not the most under-utilised industry now, but it's not far from the bottom. There's also some very niche industries which are at the bottom for which I'm sure you can guess what they are

I'm sure I can, just wanted to make sure that I could reasonably assume the issues found in the spoiler thread by searching 'insurance' probably covered the areas covered thus far

[Xanneria]

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=480685&p=36707379&hilit=Bandit#p36707379

I want to revive this but I'm curious, have there been any domestic black market issues that have been accepted?

[Honeydewistania]

Congrats FuF on becoming an editor!.... again

[Frieden-und Freudenland]

https://bbc.in/3b5cJgS

Well, thanks to Boris Johnson's father for giving me the first issue idea of 2021.

[Trotterdam]

https://bbc.in/3b5cJgS

Well, thanks to Boris Johnson's father for giving me the first issue idea of 2021.

So what's the issue here?

The rift between father and son having diametrically-opposed political views is interesting, but not really a matter for the national government.

The more relevant thing is the part about some people currently residing in Britain deciding that they identify more with EU than British citizenship, so that Brexit is separating them from their nationality. Not sure how to work that into NationStates, though, where Brexit-related issues have long proven difficult.

[Frieden-und Freudenland]

Just read in a Turkish news website that the government is planning to give portable ultrasonic devices to the mailmen to keep dogs and cats away from them, and that animal rights activists are opposing the plan saying that these devices basically torture animals.

Would y'all appreciate an issue on this, or is it too trivial to be concerned about?

[Trotterdam]

Just read in a Turkish news website that the government is planning to give portable ultrasonic devices to the mailmen to keep dogs and cats away from them, and that animal rights activists are opposing the plan saying that these devices basically torture animals.

Would y'all appreciate an issue on this, or is it too trivial to be concerned about?

If anything, what I'd have thought would be too trivial to be concerned about was animals bothering mailmen in the first place. I mean, I know "the dog bit the mailman" is a stereotype, but it surely doesn't happen that often.

But if they're actually taking things seriously enough to want to do something about it, then that does seem like something that warrants a response.

Probably, the issue should be "mailmen (and women) are complaining about being attacked by animals", and then the ultrasonic devices should be offered as one of the possible solutions (along with other options like making pet owners responsible for keeping their pets on a tighter leash).

The pro-animal-rights activist should probably argue that pets which attack without provocation most likely do so due to having suffered abuse themselves, so it's the owner's fault.

The other problem is similarity to #133, which already covers people being attacked by animals (I assume at least a few of them are probably mailmen).

[Terrabod]

Just read in a Turkish news website that the government is planning to give portable ultrasonic devices to the mailmen to keep dogs and cats away from them, and that animal rights activists are opposing the plan saying that these devices basically torture animals.

Would y'all appreciate an issue on this, or is it too trivial to be concerned about?

If anything, what I'd have thought would be too trivial to be concerned about was animals bothering mailmen in the first place. I mean, I know "the dog bit the mailman" is a stereotype, but it surely doesn't happen that often.

But if they're actually taking things seriously enough to want to do something about it, then that does seem like something that warrants a response.

Probably, the issue should be "mailmen (and women) are complaining about being attacked by animals", and then the ultrasonic devices should be offered as one of the possible solutions (along with other options like making pet owners responsible for keeping their pets on a tighter leash).

The pro-animal-rights activist should probably argue that pets which attack without provocation most likely do so due to having suffered abuse themselves, so it's the owner's fault.

The other problem is similarity to #133, which already covers people being attacked by animals (I assume at least a few of them are probably mailmen).

When walking home from school I would pass a house that had one of those anti-dog ultrasonic deterrent things in the front garden. From memory, it was like a 15cm tall box on top of a spiked pole that was pushed into the grass. When walking past this house I would hear a high-pitched whining noise, quite like tinnitus, which would get louder as you approached and quieter as you moved further away. I wasn't the only one affected; my friends would mention it as we passed the house, and other people who walked home that way would bring the topic up during the school day. It was really quite painful when close to the deterrent device - you could hang back to watch people go past the house and would see them recoil, looking for the source of that shrill whining noise.

Anyway, after three or four months of being subjected to this someone (a student, most likely) kicked the thing and broke it. One day it was there and the next all that was left was the spiked pole sticking out of the garden, no box on top. I guess a student finally snapped and booted it, and while it was someone else's property it was nice to walk home and not be assaulted some kind of sonic weapon.

The point is, this device was designed, I think, to stop dogs from sh*tting in that garden, but the pitch was such that kids could hear it on the way home from school but adults, including the owners of the house, couldn't hear it at all. Make of that what you will, FuF - it's yours if you think you can make an issue from it.

[Trotterdam]

The point is, this device was designed, I think, to stop dogs from sh*tting in that garden, but the pitch was such that kids could hear it on the way home from school but adults, including the owners of the house, couldn't hear it at all.

On that note, the same technique has been used to deter kids. Maybe that's a more worthwhile issue.

Thanks for (indirectly) reminding me about this!

[Terrabod]

The point is, this device was designed, I think, to stop dogs from sh*tting in that garden, but the pitch was such that kids could hear it on the way home from school but adults, including the owners of the house, couldn't hear it at all.

On that note, the same technique has been used to deter kids. Maybe that's a more worthwhile issue.

Thanks for (indirectly) reminding me about this!

There has been an awful lot of discussion about devices like that where I'm from. They're painful, and it's certainly degrading to be subjected to that kind of treatment purely because of your age. I agree that it would make for a very interesting issue.