The Writers' Block

[Bears Armed]

We've now hit 600 issues, well before our previously stated expected goal date by the end of the year.

I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this forum, to the authors, the stat experts, and the rest of the editing team.

Congratulations to all of those people!

If 300 is still the highest number of different issues that you get a a banner for having answered, maybeso the Admins introducing a new banner for having answered 400 (or even 500?) might now be in order?

[Trotterdam]

I'm nowhere near fluent enough in English to actually write anything myself, but I thought of something that might be fun:

You know that conspiracy theory about how many of politicians and royalty are actually reptilian aliens in disguise? It'd be entertaining to have an issue that tackles that, but from the leader's perspective.

Well, @@LEADER@@ presumably know whether or not he is actually a reptilian alien. How would a conspiracy theory even work?
1. Idiotic citizens are suspecting you of being a reptilian alien. How ridiculous. How do you set them straight? (Kinda boring, we have plenty of "citizens are stupid" / "citizens hate the government" issues already. How would you set it apart from them?)
2. Uh-oh, the citizens are starting to figure out that you're really a reptilian alien! How do you cover this up? (This is really only appropiate as an easter egg issue.)
3. You aren't a reptilian alien, but maybe some other ministers in your government are. Oh good, paranoia is back on schedule.
4. Actually, you didn't think that you were a reptilian alien, but you've recently encountered clues that your memories have been tampered with. Are you a deep-cover agent and just don't realize it? (This also seems more like an easter egg issue.)
∞. Wait, why does everyone hate reptiles anyway?

[A Humanist Science]

3. You aren't a reptilian alien, but maybe some other ministers in your government are. Oh good, paranoia is back on schedule.

I dunno, might be a fun NS spin on Stalinist-esque purges, for the more authoritarian nations. Especially when Trotsky turns up in Blackacre City with some sort of exotic metal probe stuck in his head.

[A Humanist Science]

So I just watched Contact for the first time ever, and while I find its wishy-washy "everyone is right afterall!" ending infuriating,*** I'm nonetheless intrigued by the idea of a first contact message from the stars.

Since we already have at least a couple issues related to UFOs and SETI-type activities, I was thinking about taking a shot at an "incoming message!" issue.

I understand, however, that we have a "keep it realistic" rule concerning issues. So, to stay inside this rule, I was thinking about limiting the issue to the specific question of "what does all this data actually mean," like in the portion of Contact where the scientists are trying to figure out how to decode the message from Vega. So, the options might include the information technology industry thinking that the message contains plans for an interstellar communication device, the military guessing that it's some type of weapon, the book publishing industry thinking it's a manuscript of a dystopian satire where people are named for their employers, a high school college teacher thinking its a message from some guy named "Carl," and finally some wack-a-doodle thinking its a diagram for constructing a 300% louder woopie cushion (the Obviously Correct Option, of course). The actual nature of the message will stay nice and vague (so we stay contemporary tech/realistic), and the issue will mainly revolve around shifting public funding around a bit.

Whatcha think?

---

*** Don't get me wrong, Contact is a brilliant film. Especially as an example of intelligent science fiction that aspires to be way more than an hour and a half of CGI explosions of starships captained by college sophomores.

But still.

Gah.

[Trotterdam]

What does it matter what people think the message is? Unless they actually succeed at decoding it, it won't actually benefit the relevant sector. Decoding a message (assuming it's really a message and not a natural phenomenon) involves largely the same type of work regardless of what the message turns out to contain.

Also, #081, #134, and #428 all already feature people interpreting something as evidence of alien communication and wanting to open further communication.

[A Humanist Science]

Also, #081, #134, and #428 all already feature people interpreting something as evidence of alien communication and wanting to open further communication.

Well, OK, but #80.1 sort of asks for a follow-up doesn't it?

[Flanderlion]

Congratulations on reaching 600 issues (or over that, just got #602).

[Golgothastan]

We've now hit 600 issues, well before our previously stated expected goal date by the end of the year.

I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this forum, to the authors, the stat experts, and the rest of the editing team.

Congratulations to all of those people!

If 300 is still the highest number of different issues that you get a a banner for having answered, maybeso the Admins introducing a new banner for having answered 400 (or even 500?) might now be in order?

Maybe bring it up in the banner thread in Technical? I doubt the admins read this thread.

[Golgothastan]

I have a couple of ideas for issues that I can't make work, so I thought I'd put them here and see if anyone else has ideas for them.

A more modern gender issue - Issue #66 was written probably 10 years ago, and the conversation on this issue has changed a fair bit since. I was trying to write it for nations that have decided to recognize transsexual people facing objections from feminists, but there may be another approach.

The purchase of ARM Holdings by a Japanese company - The idea for this issue would be @@NATION@@ has a successful tech company bought by a foreign nation. There are already some issues about outsourcing but I'm not sure there's anything so directly about a foreign company taking over ownership.

Something about Scouting - scouting is losing its appeal among young people, lack of outdoor skills, should the government promote outdoor skills or let scouting lapse into obscurity. Mainly couldn't do it because I couldn't think up enough double entendres.

Any thoughts?

[Candlewhisper Archive]

I have a couple of ideas for issues that I can't make work, so I thought I'd put them here and see if anyone else has ideas for them.

A more modern gender issue - Issue #66 was written probably 10 years ago, and the conversation on this issue has changed a fair bit since. I was trying to write it for nations that have decided to recognize transsexual people facing objections from feminists, but there may be another approach.

The purchase of ARM Holdings by a Japanese company - The idea for this issue would be @@NATION@@ has a successful tech company bought by a foreign nation. There are already some issues about outsourcing but I'm not sure there's anything so directly about a foreign company taking over ownership.

Something about Scouting - scouting is losing its appeal among young people, lack of outdoor skills, should the government promote outdoor skills or let scouting lapse into obscurity. Mainly couldn't do it because I couldn't think up enough double entendres.

Any thoughts?

They all sound good, but the scouting one sounds really interesting, as it could tie into different ways to revitalize scouting: e.g. military links/investment, tying to sports, community work =m etc.

[Trotterdam]

Something about Scouting - scouting is losing its appeal among young people, lack of outdoor skills, should the government promote outdoor skills or let scouting lapse into obscurity. Mainly couldn't do it because I couldn't think up enough double entendres.

Err, aren't we talking about an activity commonly (or not-so-commonly-anymore, I guess) undertaken by underage children? Couldn't we just, you know, not use double entendres? There are classier forms of humor.

[Drasnia]

Something about Scouting - scouting is losing its appeal among young people, lack of outdoor skills, should the government promote outdoor skills or let scouting lapse into obscurity. Mainly couldn't do it because I couldn't think up enough double entendres.

Err, aren't we talking about an activity commonly (or not-so-commonly-anymore, I guess) undertaken by underage children? Couldn't we just, you know, not use double entendres? There are classier forms of humor.

I think you're mistaking Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts with hunting, tracking, or other types of scouting/reconnaissance/military scouting.

[Maljaratas]

The purchase of ARM Holdings by a Japanese company - The idea for this issue would be @@NATION@@ has a successful tech company bought by a foreign nation. There are already some issues about outsourcing but I'm not sure there's anything so directly about a foreign company taking over ownership.

just adding on to this but another small debate is about foreign (China) ownership of entertainment companies in America, largely due to China's particular governing style.

[Golgothastan]

I think you're mistaking Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts with hunting, tracking, or other types of scouting/reconnaissance/military scouting.

No, that was exactly the sort of Scouting I meant.

[Trotterdam]

Right, military scouting would presumably be done by soldiers, who do it because their commanding officers tell them to, not because they like doing it. Citizens may have a choice in whether to enlist in the army, or whine about it if they don't, but who receives the scouting missions specifically is not really a political issue, someone will get assigned to it if the generals have any sense.

Boy/Girl Scouts are the only activity called "scouting" I've heard of that's practiced as a hobby and can be losing popularity as one, which is what Golgothastan's description sounded like it was talking about.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Issue request:

Screening for Downs Syndrome.

There's new technologies now which allow for safe non invasive screening with a high degree of accuracy. Became aware of the ethical dimensions to this from watching a documentary yesterday, with the conflict between the parental choice to be able to screen for (and screen out) children with Downs Syndrome, against the Downs Syndrome community, their right to exist, and our definition of "illness".

If anyone can write a good quality issue on this subject, I'll be glad to edit and publish it.

Ooh, tag. I'll write that later today.

As this never turned up, does anyone else want to give it a go? If there's a decent draft on the issue, I'll fast track it, as this is an issue I'd like to see in the game.

[The Grim Reaper]

Ooh, tag. I'll write that later today.

As this never turned up, does anyone else want to give it a go? If there's a decent draft on the issue, I'll fast track it, as this is an issue I'd like to see in the game.

I'm afraid this isn't particularly my skill set, and nor am I in a position just at the moment to be writing an issue instead of final assignments, but I'm definitely going to make time to comment on someone else's draft if one is forthcoming. +1 to a fast-track for this one.

EDIT: Quote pyramid is too big, the +1 is for an issue on screening for down syndromes (or generic prenatal disorder) - particularly one that touches on the ethical implications of making the disorder seem undesirable, by regarding individuals who are thriving with it. Also a decent issue to throw in a reference to abortion-related ethics, or maybe the idea of parental control, or the idea of medical duty of care. Really just a big soupcon of ethics to choose from.

[Golgothastan]

(or generic prenatal disorder)

I do think that might be better. There are probably people with Down syndrome, or certainly with affected family members, who play NS, and a "should they be aborted" issue is a little on the nose.

It's an interesting idea, though, I too would support an issue on this premise.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

(or generic prenatal disorder)

I do think that might be better. There are probably people with Down syndrome, or certainly with affected family members, who play NS, and a "should they be aborted" issue is a little on the nose.

It's an interesting idea, though, I too would support an issue on this premise.

It almost has to be Downs though, mostly because the controversy arises from the definition of a genetically-identified group of people as being undesirable to society, and acceptable to terminate, balancing the desire for that group of people to live and exist as a community and be happy versus the desire of parents not to raise a child with Down's Syndrome. I want it as an issue partially to raise awareness that the question exists, as right now there's not even a recognition of the question being there: media coverage of new Downs screening tests is almost entirely saying how amazing it is that we can screen for Downs, without asking whether we should.

[Golgothastan]

I think you must read different media than I do. Over here, there are whingeing editorials on that subject every week!

Anyway, interested to see what someone can make of the issue.

[Trotterdam]

How many people are there who either (A) approve of abortion for people who simply don't want children, but not of performing genetic screening before making your decision, or (B) disapprove of abortion in general, but are willing to make an exception for "defective" children?

Making those options interesting would be key, since otherwise it's just an abortion issue with a little extra motivation.

[Bears Armed]

It almost has to be Downs though,

But... this is Nationstates...

Call it 'Ups Syndrome', instead?

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Well... someone start a draft, and we can talk it over in the thread.

[Ainin]

I recently read this article about how BC prosecutors were seeking an unusually harsh sentence for a fentanyl dealer in order to make an example out of him. Does that general idea have any merit as an issue? If so, has anything like it been done before?

[Drasnia]

That sounds like a great issue idea! I'll start drafting something for it.

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