[SUBMITTED] A Data Disaster

[Tepertopia]

Submitted on 27 Jun 2020.

Description: A series of server failures at the National ID Chip database servers destroyed approximately 5% of all citizens' identifying data.

Validity: Has Policy "ID Chips"

Option 1: "I knew I should have made backups! Oh, whatever shall we do?", panics notoriously absent-minded Minister for Technological Affairs @@RANDOMNAME@@ while nervously roaming the room. "How about... Yes, an emergency census! @@LEADER@@, we must mobilize everything we have and prepare one right now - our own identity depends on it!"
Effect: the updated national database shows an inexplicable surge in John Smiths

Option 2: "@@LEADER@@, with this data loss, there is a 5% chance this @@MAN@@ is just an imposter, so listen to me instead", @@RANDOMMALENAME@@, one of your senior advisors, sporting a brand new mustache, states calmly. "Why waste the populace's money on a program they aren't exactly fond of when you have a whole private sector willing to pay? I mean, data is kind of IT businesses' business, and they'd be happy to collect and analyze all this data for you! I even know the perfect company for this job..."
Validity: Capitalism, Information Technology Sector above zero
Effect: one must only visit the restrooms to instantly receive ads for toilet paper

Option 3: "The populace isn't fond of the ID Chips...", your Minister of Truth @@RANDOMNAME@@ ponders from @@HIS@@ dark corner. "And that's why they're going to cause you trouble over this incident, regardless of what you do - that is, if they were to even know about the incident. I can make sure they won't, and you could just send out the Secret Service to manually recover the lost intelligence. But naturally, they'll require some more agents and... monetary assistance. I as well, probably."
Effect: clothiers are making a fortune off rising demand for dark suits

Option 4: "Preposterous!", spits @@RANDOMNAME@@, whose curiously named bestseller "The Government, Your Data and Why They Should Be Kept Apart" recently made @@HIM@@ the most popular Minister for Family Affairs in years. "Won't you all realize that this whole ID Chip thing bears no fruit but financial loss and popular resentment? It's a total waste of anyone's resources, and an absolute impudence before the @@DEMONYMADJECTIVE@@ people. @@LEADER@@, get rid of the program, and soon you'll be as popular as me! ...At least almost."
Effect: the black market has been flooded with suspiciously sticky microchips
Cancels: ID Chips

---

Description: Technical malfunction severely overheated the National ID Chip database servers last night, and the resulting fire irretrievably destroyed approximately 5% of all citizens' identifying data.

Validity: Has Policy "ID Chips"

Option 1: "This disaster leaves little time for extensive debate, we have to act quickly!", asserts Minister of Safety @@RANDOMNAME@@ while nervously roaming the room. "We simply must order an emergency national census to replace the lost data at once! Of course this would require adequate financial backing, but think about it - we could also use this opportunity to inquire so much more detailed information about the populace! Oh, and while we're on the topic of money distribution, you surely acknowledge I-, err, my Ministry could use a little boost in budget to prevent accidents like these more effectively, right?"
Effect: the updated national database shows an inexplicable surge in John Smiths

Option 2: "@@LEADER@@, with this data loss, there is a 5% chance this @@MAN@@ is just an imposter, so listen to me instead", @@RANDOMMALENAME@@, one of your senior advisors, who definitely didn't grow such a magnificent moustache yesterday, states calmly. "The populace isn't exactly the biggest fan of the ID Chips, so they're likely going to cause you trouble over such a costly operation. I suggest you instead transfer the whole ID Chip program to the private IT sector - all this data would be more than tempting for any business, and you wouldn't have to worry about details like actually collecting data! I even know the perfect company for this job..."
Validity: Capitalism, non-zero Information Technology Sector
Effect: one must only visit the restrooms to instantly receive ads for toilet paper

Option 3: "The populace is going to cause trouble...", your Minister of Truth @@RANDOMNAME@@ ponders from @@HIS@@ dark corner. "You can be sure of that, regardless of what you do. They... dislike us discovering the truth in their lives, and they'll definitely take this grand failure of the system to score a point against it - that is, if they were to even know about the incident. I can make sure they won't, and you could just send out the Secret Service to manually recover the lost intelligence. But naturally, they'll require some more agents and... monetary assistance. I as well, probably."
Effect: clothiers are making a fortune off rising demand for dark suits

Option 4: "Preposterous!", spits @@RANDOMNAME@@, whose suspiciously named bestseller "The Blazing Revolutionary Fire Will Free the @@DEMONYMADJECTIVE@@ People" recently made @@HIM@@ the most popular Minister for Domestic Affairs in years. "Won't you all realize that his whole ID Chip thing bears no fruit but financial loss and popular resentment? Just look the REAL truth in the eye - these chips are a total waste of anyone's resources, and an absolute impudence before the @@DEMONYMADJECTIVE@@ people. @@LEADER@@, get rid of the program for good, and you shall be immortalized for this great liberation of @@NAME@@!"
Effect: the tax office is regularly incinerated in hope for tax cuts
Cancels: ID Chips

Description: Severe hardware malfunction caused the national ID Chip servers to catch fire last night, threatening astronomical losses for both national intelligence and the treasury. As you arrive on-site, a typical mob of self-proclaimed political advisors already seems to have sparked a heated debate.

Validity: Has Policy "ID Chips"

Option 1: "And this, @@LEADER@@, is what I’ve always, although secretly, worried about!", greets your Minister of Safety @@RANDOMNAME@@ friendly as ever. "We simply must drastically increase budget for me, erm, my Ministry, to better prevent accidents like this! Oh, just think of what this disaster could mean – without our ID chips, how can we be sure of each other’s identity? Wait, are you even @@LEADER@@? Am I me? My, how frightening…", @@HE@@ barely finishes before fainting.
Effect: the Ministry of Safety's budget increases with every convenient mishap

Option 2: "That was… fascinating, but irrational", comments @@RANDOMMALENAME@@, one of your senior advisors, who definitely didn’t have a beard yesterday. "Why should we drain the reluctant populace’s money if we have a highly developed IT sector full of willing businesses? If you were to pass the ID Chip program to one of them, you wouldn’t have to worry about tiny little details like recovering all the data or preventing accidents, and you would save money at the same time – a win-win situation for you and the market! Now, If you would please sign here- excuse me?"
Validity: Capitalism, non-zero Information Technology Sector
Effect: one must only visit the restrooms to instantly receive ads for toilet paper

Option 3: "We, in fact, do not want to once again have you extort money out of us!", @@RANDOMNAME@@, author of the suspiciously named bestseller "The Blazing Revolutionary Fire Will Free the @@DEMONYMADJECTIVE@@ People" shouts, trying to shove everyone out of @@HIS@@ way. "Why should we pay you to stalk us? If it weren’t for those violations of our privacy, this tragedy couldn’t even have occurred. I say you abolish the ID Chip program and leave our daily lives to us!"
Effect: the tax office is regularly incinerated in hope for tax cuts
Cancels: ID Chips

Option 4a: "You seem to be missing the core of the problem", panics famed theologist @@RANDOMNAME@@, scaring the others away with threats of eternal damnation. "This fire is obviously a divine sign, and what does it read? All computers have to be set ablaze! @@LEADER@@, as true believers in @@FAITH@@, we must not question this conclusive sign - order the purge of those unholy objects, or we all will face everlasting punishment!"
Validity: High Religiousness
Effect: everybody expects the @@DEMONYMADJECTIVE@@ Hardware Inquisition
Cancels: ID Chips
Adds: No Computers

Option 4b: "Those ID Chips are just yet another example of the bad effects computers have on our country", known choleric @@RANDOMNAME@@ begins one of @@HIS@@ famed technophobical rants, causing the others to back off. "They do nothing but fail and cost money, lives and our sanity, and we'd be way better off with all of those still intact! Let the fire rage, may it consume the burden that are computers and be the shine of a brighter future!"
Validity: Not qualified for 4a
Effect: the nation's bright future comes shrouded in thick smoke
Cancels: ID Chips
Adds: No Computers

Description: Severe hardware malfunction caused the national ID Chip servers to catch fire last night, threatening astronomical losses for both national intelligence and the treasury. As you arrive on-site, a typical mob of self-proclaimed political advisors already seems to have sparked a heated debate.

Validity: Has Policy "ID Chips"

Option 1: "And this, @@LEADER@@, is what I’ve always, although secretly, worried about!", greets your Minister of Safety @@RANDOMNAME@@ friendly as ever. "We simply must drastically increase budget for me, erm, my Ministry, to better prevent accidents like this! Oh, simply think of what this disaster could mean – without our ID chips, how can we be sure of each other’s identity? Wait, are you even @@LEADER@@? Am I me? My, how frightening…", @@HE@@ barely finishes before fainting.
Effect: the Ministry of Safety's budget increases with every tiny mishap

Option 2: "That was… fascinating, but irrational", comments @@RANDOMMALENAME@@, one of your senior advisors, who definitely didn’t grow a beard before. "Why should we drain the reluctant populace’s money if we have a highly developed IT sector full of willing businesses? If you were to pass the ID Chip program to one of them, you wouldn’t have to worry about tiny little details like recovering all the data or preventing accidents, and you would save money at the same time – a win-win situation for you and the market! Now, If you would please sign here- excuse me?"
Validity: Capitalism, non-zero Information Technology Sector
Effect: one must only visit the restrooms to instantly receive ads for toilet paper

Option 3: "We, in fact, do not want to once again have you extort money out of us!", @@RANDOMNAME_1@@, author of the suspiciously named bestseller "The Blazing Revolutionary Fire Will Free the @@DEMONYMADJECTIVE@@ People" shouts, trying to shove everyone out of @@HIS_1@@ way. "Why should we pay you to stalk us? If it weren’t for those violations of our privacy, this tragedy couldn’t even have occurred. I say you abolish the ID Chip program and leave our daily lives to- hey, let go of me!"
Effect: the tax office is regularly incinerated in hope for tax cuts
Cancels Policy: ID Chips

Option 4: "Quiet, youngster!", interrupts @@RANDOMNAME_2@@, clinging to @@RANDOMLASTNAME_1@@'s sleeve as @@HE_2@@ loses @@HIS_2@@ walking stick to the aggressive shuffling of the mob’s many legs. "We don’t need none of that surveillance at all! Don't you know that those shady IT firms are just as big of a data kleptomaniac as you government people? I tell you, we’re having none of it! You must force them to delete all our data, and while you’re at it, also make them compensate us for any of our data ever stored!"
Effect: citizens register for online services only to sue for compensation
Cancels Policy: ID Chips

[Australian rePublic]

Options 3 and 4 are identical

[Ko-oren]

Hard to poke holes in this one. Well phrased and well constructed!

As a side note, is it possible to have the ID Chip policy as well as the No Computers policy at the same time?

Also, "you wouldn’t have to worry about tiny little details like recovering all the data or preventing accidents" in option 2 is technically not true, but we can put that on the 'unreliable narrator' pile.

[Noahs Second Country]

Options 3 and 4 are identical

I agree with this statement to some extent - the effects produced will probably be similar.

Option 4 appears to take a slightly more extreme stance where the government punishes independent businesses for tracking data intended to be used for advertising and other purposes.

Of course it operates under the assumption that there is private industry collecting this data, so some additional validities may be necessary to receive this option.

Personally I don't think it contributes much to the story though, nor does it offer a particularly unique stance since option 3 exists. I'm also curious as to how the 'compensation' works.

[Tepertopia]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone!

Options 3 and 4 are identical

I agree with this statement to some extent - the effects produced will probably be similar.

Yeah, looking back, they are really similar. I was at one point also thinking about option 4 maybe being a person cursing technology for causing accidents like these and demanding the leader cuts back technology as a whole (possibly even passing the No Computers policy?), that would make the two differ more. I'll try to formulate this alternative.

Hard to poke holes in this one. Well phrased and well constructed!

As a side note, is it possible to have the ID Chip policy as well as the No Computers policy at the same time?

Also, "you wouldn’t have to worry about tiny little details like recovering all the data or preventing accidents" in option 2 is technically not true, but we can put that on the 'unreliable narrator' pile.

Thank you
I actually don't know whether those policies can be maintained at the same time, but putting "Nation doesn't have policy: No Computers" as additional validity would make sure.

[Tepertopia]

Alright, I've updated the draft with a completely new option 4 and some other minor rewording.
I ended up splitting option 4 into two different validities, one for more religious nations and one for others. Option 4 would now be:

A (religious): "You seem to be missing the core of the problem", panics famed theologist @@RANDOMNAME@@, shooing the others away with @@HIS@@ holy water sprayer. "This fire is obviously a divine sign, and what does it read? Correct: All technology has to be set ablaze! @@LEADER@@, we must not question this conclusive sign - order the purge of those unholy objects, or we all will face eternal punishment!"
Effect: everybody expects the Hardware Inquisition

B (others): "Those ID Chips are just yet another example of technology's bad effects on our country", known choleric @@RANDOMNAME@@ begins one of @@HIS@@ famed rants, causing the others to back off. "Technology does nothing but fail and cost money, lives and our sanity. We'd be better off with all of those still intact, I'm telling you! Let the fire consume the burden that is modern technology, let it be the shine of a bright future!"
Effect: the @@CAPITAL@@ Hardware Flare is the newest tourist attraction

Either of those would cancel "ID Chips" and install "No Computers".

By the way, I looked up whether "ID Chips" and "No Computers" can be in effect at the same time, and NSIndex says here that "No Computers" prevents/suppresses "ID Chips", so I think we're safe without extra validity.

[Tepertopia]

I have done some more slight alterations, namely changing Option 4b's effect line completely (translation error on my side), adding @@DEMONYMADJECTIVE@@ to 4a's effect line, and rephrasing both Option 4s to make it more clear that computers explicitly would be banned.
Also, I changed the "tiny" in 1's effect line to "convenient", but I'm not sure whether that would too strongly imply the Minister being somehow involved in the fire. Should 4a also require a decent amount of Primitiveness as additional validity?
Please let me know what you think.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Description: Severe hardware malfunction caused the national ID Chip servers to catch fire last night, threatening astronomical losses for both national intelligence and the treasury. As you arrive on-site, a typical mob of self-proclaimed political advisors already seems to have sparked a heated debate.

The second sentence is redundant, it just says there's an issue. I suggest cutting it.

However, its also not clear what the dilemma here being presented is. Are we worried about data loss? Why would it hurt the treasury?

Maybe something more focused, like:

Description: A server failure last night at the National ID database caused massive losses of data, with approximately 5% of all citizens identifying data irretrievably lost.

And then, make the issue about what you do about the fact that a vast number of people are suddenly off the system. Do you call for an emergency census? Do you cover it up and pretend nothing has happened? Do you shut down the whole project?

[Tepertopia]

Thanks for the advice!

I have extensively re-written the whole draft to focus more on the lost data:

• Option 1 remains as the Minister of Safety wanting a boost in budget, but he/she also demands immediate action in the form of the suggested emergency census.
• In terms of content, Option 2 didn't see much change, I only rephrased it to fit in with the new other options.
• The 3rd Option is completely new, with the Minister of Truth suggesting a cover-up and use of the Secret Service to recover personal data.
• Option 4 is the remains of the old Option 3, but this time it's a Minister popular with the people.

In order to enable the cover-up option, I also shifted the setting from a gathering of people outside the server building to some kind of internal government meeting. I kept the fire as cause of the data loss because such a fire-related incident was my original inspiration and makes the demand of the Minister of Safety for an increased budget a bit more solid.

The option for banning computers has been removed completely, as I would like to stay at a maximum of 4 options.

[Tepertopia]

Did some more self-editing.

Also, I'm considering to submit this as part of the contest, so I'll move this to Last Call.
Any more feedback would be greatly appreciated :)

[Noahs Second Country]

Description: Technical malfunction severely overheated the National ID Chip database servers last night, and the resulting fire irretrievably destroyed approximately 5% of all citizens' identifying data.

It is notable that it is possible to recover data from a burnt hard drive. I don't think that kills the draft as a whole, but have you considered staging it as stolen data rather than destroyed data? That enables you to discuss the misuse of government information, which could prove to be an interesting premise. Beyond that, I also find it odd that the government doesn't have any kind of backups when they are advanced enough to have ID chipping.

As an additional note, irretrievably doesn't really seem to fit well in context.

Option 1: "This disaster leaves little time for extensive debate, we have to act quickly!", asserts Minister of Safety @@RANDOMNAME@@ while nervously roaming the room. "We simply must order an emergency national census to replace the lost data at once! Of course this would require adequate financial backing, but think about it - we could also use this opportunity to inquire so much more detailed information about the populace! Oh, and while we're on the topic of money distribution, you surely acknowledge I-, err, my Ministry could use a little boost in budget to prevent accidents like these more effectively, right?"
Effect: the updated national database shows an inexplicable surge in John Smiths

This option is a bit too wordy and kind of repetitive. The character isn't going to stress the financial element of something they are advocating for. 'We simply must' and 'so much more detailed information' are both generally redundant statements.

Option 2: "@@LEADER@@, with this data loss, there is a 5% chance this @@MAN@@ is just an imposter, so listen to me instead", @@RANDOMMALENAME@@, one of your senior advisors, who definitely didn't grow such a magnificent moustache yesterday, states calmly. "The populace isn't exactly the biggest fan of the ID Chips, so they're likely going to cause you trouble over such a costly operation. I suggest you instead transfer the whole ID Chip program to the private IT sector - all this data would be more than tempting for any business, and you wouldn't have to worry about details like actually collecting data! I even know the perfect company for this job..."
Validity: Capitalism, non-zero Information Technology Sector
Effect: one must only visit the restrooms to instantly receive ads for toilet paper

Perhaps reword "who definitely didn't grow such a magnificent moustache yesterday" to simply "sporting a brand new mustache" - currently the joke is too wordy and a bit too obvious. Also, what do you mean when you say " all this data would be more than tempting for any business"?

Effect: the tax office is regularly incinerated in hope for tax cuts
Cancels: ID Chips

'This doesn't really seem too related to the option besides the fact that it supports anarchism.

[Tepertopia]

It is notable that it is possible to recover data from a burnt hard drive. I don't think that kills the draft as a whole, but have you considered staging it as stolen data rather than destroyed data? That enables you to discuss the misuse of government information, which could prove to be an interesting premise. Beyond that, I also find it odd that the government doesn't have any kind of backups when they are advanced enough to have ID chipping.

As an additional note, irretrievably doesn't really seem to fit well in context.

I think I'll stick with lost rather than stolen data - for now at least, because I currently have no clue as to what the options and everything would be... Maybe this could somehow be a classical "alternative version" of this issue for nations with high corruption?
But I might actually strike the whole fire thing from the draft and just blame technical issues as Candlewhisper Archive suggested, I'd just have to find a new title for the draft. Any suggestions for that? I originally was going to have "Out Of Memory" or something like that as the title, so that might work.

This option is a bit too wordy and kind of repetitive. The character isn't going to stress the financial element of something they are advocating for. 'We simply must' and 'so much more detailed information' are both generally redundant statements.

How about:

"I knew I should have made backups! Oh, whatever shall we do?", panics Minister of Technological Affairs @@RANDOMNAME@@ while nervously roaming the room. "How about... Yes, an emergency census! @@LEADER@@, we must mobilize everything we have and prepare one right now - our own identity depends on it!"

That would also fix the problem with the backups you mentioned. I'd possibly explicitly have to state that the Minister is a bit idle and/or thoughtless to make the "forgot/too lazy to make backups" work.

Perhaps reword "who definitely didn't grow such a magnificent moustache yesterday" to simply "sporting a brand new mustache" - currently the joke is too wordy and a bit too obvious. Also, what do you mean when you say " all this data would be more than tempting for any business"?

Thanks, will be fixed.
The tempting data is supposed to be a reference to companies collecting data for personalized advertising etc., maybe this slightly more Draft-1-y formulation would make this more clear:

"@@LEADER@@, with this data loss, there is a 5% chance this @@MAN@@ is just an imposter, so listen to me instead", @@RANDOMMALENAME@@, one of your senior advisors, sporting a brand new mustache, states calmly. "Why waste the populace's money on a program they aren't exactly fond of when you have a whole private sector willing to pay? I mean, data is kind of IT businesses' business, and they'd be happy to collect and analyze all this data for you! I even know the perfect company for this job..."

'This doesn't really seem too related to the option besides the fact that it supports anarchism.

With the current state of the draft, you're surely right, I'll think of a new one. I had copied this from a previous version where the speaker of the option was this civil rights activist, so this was a small reference to the fire maybe not being caused by technical issues only.

I'll keep this issue here for more drafting time, I shouldn't have rushed it like that.

[Tepertopia]

Alright, the new Draft 4 with all of the aforementioned changes is up.

I've settled on "A Data Disaster" as new title, but I'm absolutely open to suggestions regarding that.
Concerning the data being stolen instead of just deleted, I thought about that maybe being a follow-up issue for choosing option 2 (possibly 4?) should this draft be accepted, where it could turn out that someone actually stole the data rather than it just being deleted. Though that's just a rough concept for now.

[Tepertopia]

If there are no further suggestions, I shall submit this in the course of the next few days

[Nevertopia]

wait, we can submit issues?! whats the procedure?!

[Australian rePublic]

Submitted

[Drew Durrnil]

If there are no further suggestions, I shall submit this in the course of the next few days

You should make the requirement so instead of zero Information technology, you should make it so it is zero and under IT score because some nations might have negatives, like I used to have.

[Tinhampton]

Submitted

...are you Tepertopia in disguise, or were you lying about not being an editor? :dwayne:

[Tepertopia]

wait, we can submit issues?! whats the procedure?!

In this thread are the details, but you have to have at least 250 million population to even get access to the submission page.

If there are no further suggestions, I shall submit this in the course of the next few days

You should make the requirement so instead of zero Information technology, you should make it so it is zero and under IT score because some nations might have negatives, like I used to have.

Changed it. I just figured "non-zero" was the terminus for "existent" in issues.

Submitted

...are you Tepertopia in disguise, or were you lying about not being an editor? :dwayne:

I am positive that wasn't me... Or was it? Leader should really get this ID Chip identity problem solved!

[Tepertopia]

And submitted. Thank you to everyone who helped me with the draft!

[Australian rePublic]

Good Luck!