The Electronic Management of Information Act

[True Romania]

Category: Environment

Area of effect: All Businesses

Strength: Significant

Description: The World Assembly, acknowledging and supporting its esteemed member states’ sovereignty, rights and freedoms, and aware and respectful of their individual administrative, juridical and social systems, hereby:

NOTICING the increasingly volume of bureaucratic procedures, as well as ALARMED by the deterioration of the environment by massive deforestation,

AWARE of the international and internal growing difficulties related to the management of information, filing / storing and inefficient feedback,

CONCERNED about destructive effects such as (but not limited to):

-increased levels of radiation because of the thinning ozone layer;
-increased levels of carbon monoxide in the air;
-increased reports of flooding and landslides;
-increased cases of drought;

RESULTED from vast areas left barren after intensive tree cutting activity,

REQUIRES full international cooperation from and between its member states by adhering to the

PROPOSED law regarding the standardization of documents and forms used in:

-tourism & immigration;
-commerce & logistics;
-economy & industry;

AND EXCLUDING sensitive areas of participant governments, such as departments involving internal safety and security entitled to secrecy,

BY CREATING an international survey committee tasked to:

-analyze the entirety of World Assembly states’ bureaucratic systems;
-establish and agree on common forms to be used world-wide, taking into consideration the requirements of each state;
-introduce aforementioned standard forms to all World Assembly states.

RESOLVING that an e-system will:

1. Increase the efficiency in all areas of activity that require standard forms / documents.
2. Break the language / bureaucratic barrier between different states and / or different departments within a state that use different systems.
3. Expedite procedures in various areas in which, more than often, speed is a vital factor (I.E. Immigration / Extradition / Medical Transportation etc.).
4. Improve preservation of natural treasures such as rainforests.
5. Prevent natural disasters resulted from deforestation.
6. Preserve natural habitats for a number of animal species, some of which are considered endangered.

URGES all members to create an electronic management system for data / file storing, handling and delivering, in order to implement standard world-wide forms.

[Hirota]

Is there a category and strength for this draft?

[True Romania]

I am unsure about what category it fits in. It can be Environment or it can be something else, but I'm new at this and couldn't find a similar category in the resolutions that passed. The strength would be -Significant-.

Edit: I guess Globalization is the best I can think of. Added Strength too.

[Grays Harbor]

You don't get to make up your own category. Read this

[Hirota]

I am unsure about what category it fits in. It can be Environment or it can be something else, but I'm new at this and couldn't find a similar category in the resolutions that passed. The strength would be -Significant-.

Edit: I guess Globalization is the best I can think of. Added Strength too.

Yeah, as Grays has pointed out, it can't be a made-up category.

Also, writing a resolution and then shoehorning it into a category afterwards is not likely to do well either. It's normally better to start from the category and work from there.

On the other hand, whilst there are areas that I'd have issues with (which I'll raise if there is the need), I feel compelled to compliment you on a reasonably well written first draft - it's your approach that is flawed at this stage.

[The Two Jerseys]

Eliminate bureaucracy with a committee? Oh, the irony...

How will nations who don't have computers keep electronic records? And how can we access the records if the power goes out?

As for these standardized forms, we only support the standardization of passports. All other documents mentioned are not government documents and their standardization is best left to industry groups.

[Philimbesi]

The USP withholds further discussion of this draft until the illegal category has been addressed.

Nigel S Youlkin
USP Ambassador.

[True Romania]

To the honorable members of the Assembly:

The category has been revised according to the standing legislation.

To the esteemed diplomat of the Two Jerseys:

Dear sir, the committee mentioned in the proposal is only a small group, to be determined by the W.A., who is to establish common ground among our various filing systems. The committee itself is not the solution we are proposing, but only the first step to achieving an eco-friendly alternative to deal with paperwork.

Regarding the other issues you addressed, our solution was a standard version of an e-reader, that can replace tons and tons of paper coming from thousands of valuable trees. An e-reader is not only more efficient, safer and easier to transport and share, but can also store a lot more information than a whole room filed with paper. It runs on batteries, so the power outage is not really factor. While on the matter, I should remind you that a power outage NOW, with the current computer systems in some countries, can render a database useless. The hard-copies that we currently use ARE being printed from computers. I also need to remind you that most (if not all) government and private businesses HAVE back-up and emergency generators. As I mentioned earlier, an e-book would run on batteries, independent of any other power source so... so much for the electricity emergency issues.

Regarding your other - and well-thought - argument, that certain nations don't use computers yet, perhaps it is time that they should. After all, the decisions of the W.A. aim to please all its members, but never succeed 100%. As an evolved and civilized nation, True Romania believes that educating its people - environmentally wise included - is the path to true harmony and perfection that we all strive for. And yes, you may point out that our economy has suffered somewhat because of decisions such as this, but we have full faith in the idea that the people should be healthy and happy first, and then worry about not all of the owning private airplanes.

In the end, I would like to underline the fact that this resolution involves AUTOMATICALLY all the offices and private business in economy, industry and so forth, may them be private or government. We respect your decision to ignore our proposal as an official spokesman of your nation, and let your industry groups choose if they will adhere or not, but keep in mind that all your state departments, ministries and so on, USE filing and data systems at the moment. Perhaps even more than those private business you mentioned. This legislation we designed is meant to ease the access to information, improve feedback from certain branches (imagine if you needed a liver transplant and you are put on hold because the papers were lost / destroyed) and many other advantages. Concluding, we believe these advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, while also preserving nature and thus preserving ourselves.

[Frisbeeteria]

The category has been revised according to the standing legislation.

No, it hasn't. Go back and read the GA Proposal Compedium: Rules & General Advice, and this time pay attention to the categories and areas of effect.

[Wheeled States of Bifid]

I don't see how this could be considered an environmental issue and to be honest I'm not sure what it would go under. It reads to me like a mild form of the opposite of "Advancement of Industry".

[Tribes Republic]

The category I think it would fit would be "Administration"

[Frisbeeteria]

The category I think it would fit would be "Administration"

What a pity we don't have one of those either.

C'mon, people. There's a limited list, and I even provided a link. Look at it.

[San Leggera]

Way too earth and MT-centric.

Entirely against.

[Philimbesi]

The category I think it would fit would be "Administration"

OOC: GA Categories != Issue Categories.

[True Romania]

OOC: I can't find a suitable category and the remark about the areas of effect didn't help at all. Only Culture and Industry have areas of effect and neither are compatible with my project. The rules suggest that I ask other player for help. So I'm asking: help!

[Frisbeeteria]

Only Culture and Industry have areas of effect

No, several others do as well, including Environmental.

However, I see that we appear to have neglected to include them in that thread (something we need to rectify), but could be located easily under the Submit a Proposal link.

They are:
Automobile Manufacturing
Uranium Mining
Woodchipping
All Businesses

[Maynardian Diplomatic Mission to the WA]

3. Expedite procedures in various areas in which, more than often, speed is a vital factor (I.E. Immigration / Extradition / Medical Transportation etc.).

We have just spoken to our Minister of Internal Affairs and Defense (who is responsible for Civil Defense) who was extremely alarmed by this clause. "After a disaster, files/plans/documents need to be accessed immediately. Paper is good because it is there and always is. E-systems need to be started up and the file needs to be found and accessed - that's if the disaster hasn't knocked out electricity and/or the intranet connection!" We were able to stop her hysteria however, when we saw that this only "URGES" members to create these systems.

Secondly, we ask the member: what do they mean by "standardization of documents and forms"? Does this mean standard documents and forms across all WA member nations? or just standard within a country?

[True Romania]

OOC: Thank you, Fris. I added the a.o.e. I hope it's okay now.

IC: To the Maynardian Diplomatic Mission:

Dear sir, our proposal has raised that question before and, as we said, the e-system we are suggesting the W.A. implements is not a regular computer, but a mobile, user-friendly, compact device, able to sustain itself by battery. We are specifically referring to documents here, not a general piece of hardware with multiple functions. Imagine it, if you will, as an e-reader, able to to carry and transmit information, but be used for storage and interactive enough to support signatures. It is good that you mentioned disasters, specifically in this scenario when the power is out and you need certain documents fast; in such a case, when catastrophe strikes and your power system is out, isn't it just as plausible (if not even more than likely) that your PAPER documents are destroyed to? An electronic data base not only can hold more information than your paper files, but is also harder to destroy if constructed from a resistant materials. Let's be honest... Most of the raised issues are the normal reaction to change and the fear of change. But we appreciate these questions because it can help us develop a system that won't fail, as we satisfy every state's demands regarding this device.

To address you other question, we have already made it clear in the proposal: this system can be used nationally and internationally without any problems. The businesses and departments in one branch - say Commerce for example - use different types of forms that must be filled manually by one person. Not only do they differ internationally, but on a smaller scale too! Now imagine how much faster and efficient everything will go if they only used one type of form: no mistakes, no typos that demand starting the document over again, and a speedy familiarization with that form and process. The time needed to fill out these forms, transfer them, store them or anything else you'd like to do, would be reduced by at least half.

[San Leggera]

@True Romania - since you haven't defined what an e-system is in the resolution's text; any other explanation you give is next to useless.

This is still far too Earth and MT-centric, which is the complete opposite direction to the one WA proposals should take.

[United Bobtopia]

What about in case of a detonation of an electromagnetic pulse? This is one example where paper will survive when your e-readers (which are undefined, and unachievable for some members of the WA) fail.

Let us also look at this from the perspective of future historians. Data from even a few decades ago is lost to us because they were stored on an electronic medium that became obsolete without anyone backing it up. Data from our first moon landing in 1978 is lost to us, to use a painful example of our own history, because it was recorded on magnetic tapes that were recorded over. At the time it seemed unimportant information, but today we realize it could have offered our physicists important information.

[Araraukar]

OOC post, because my WA ambassador read this and got a migraine.

Category: Environment
Area of effect: All Businesses

CATEGORY FAIL. Environmental resolutions kick industry in the teeth, to put it coarsely. Yours doesn't, hence not the right category.

Strength: Significant

NO STRENGTHS IN ENVIRONMENTAL. Although this is entirely wrong category, the category has no strengths. Additionally, if you're putting it into another category, I wouldn't call it significant. Mild at most, since there's only an "urges" bit.

Description: The World Assembly, acknowledging and supporting its esteemed member states’ sovereignty, rights and freedoms, and aware and respectful of their individual administrative, juridical and social systems, hereby

Kill the stricken out text entirely. It's not needed.

NOTICING the increasingly volume of bureaucratic procedures, as well as ALARMED by the deterioration of the environment by massive deforestation

HOW ON EARTH ARE THE TWO RELATED? Even in real life, the paper gets recycled a lot, not everything has to be made of pristine wood pulp. Additionally, forget bureaucracy, it's the millions of newspapers and magazines that are the real wood-eaters, since especially magazines are often printed on paper that's not good for recycling.

AWARE of the international and internal growing difficulties related to the management of information, filing / storing and inefficient feedback

MAYBE IN YOUR NATION. Most nations seem to be doing fine with a combination of electronic and paper filing and storing systems.

-increased levels of radiation because of the thinning ozone layer

MAYBE IN YOUR NATION AND BLAME INDUSTRY. In real life CFCs were/are the main reason for ozone depletion, and those are/were used as coolants and solvents. Not really the fault of bureaucracy.

-increased levels of carbon monoxide in the air

NOT CAUSED BY BUREAUCRACY. Use of fossile fuels (think cars, for example) and burning any kind of organic material produces this. As an interesting aside, did you know carbon monoxide is also produced naturally in the human body, and is used as a signaling molecule between cells?

-increased reports of flooding and landslides;
-increased cases of drought

THESE HAVE NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH BUREAUCRACY. Unless you think a god is angry with all the paperwork and sends you these catastrophes.

RESULTED from vast areas left barren after intensive tree cutting activity

MAYBE IN YOUR NATION. Remember that NS is not the same as RL.

PROPOSED law regarding the standardization of documents and forms used in:
-tourism & immigration;
-commerce & logistics;
-economy & industry

SO YOU WANT TO FIX IT WITH MORE BUREAUCRACY? Are you trying to standardize the forms across the whole of WA? What about nations like PPU that don't need the documents at all? What about nations whose language is so different from yours that it simply doesn't fit in your standard forms? And how is additional bureaucracy going to fix your bureaucracy issues? Are you mandating the use of recycled materials for the forms? No. You just want tidy forms that fit in a filing cabinet.

AND EXCLUDING sensitive areas of participant governments, such as departments involving internal safety and security entitled to secrecy

WAY TO GO WITH A LOOPHOLE. A nation just needs to declare everything being "internal safety and security" documents to get out of this entirely.

BY CREATING an international survey committee tasked to:
-analyze the entirety of World Assembly states’ bureaucratic systems;
-establish and agree on common forms to be used world-wide, taking into consideration the requirements of each state;
-introduce aforementioned standard forms to all World Assembly states

YEAY FOR MORE BUREAUCRACY. You realize that creating a committee will mean more bureaucracy, not less?

RESOLVING that an e-system will:

MORE LOOPHOLES WITH AN UNDEFINED TERM. What's an e-system? Exemplary system? Estimated system? Environmental system? Equine system?

1. Increase the efficiency in all areas of activity that require standard forms / documents.

HOW DOES THIS INCREASE EFFICIENCY? You're adding more bureaucracy, and in some nations' cases actually creating it where it didn't exist before.

2. Break the language / bureaucratic barrier between different states and / or different departments within a state that use different systems.
3. Expedite procedures in various areas in which, more than often, speed is a vital factor (I.E. Immigration / Extradition / Medical Transportation etc.).

WEIRD HOW THIS WASN'T AN ISSUE BEFORE. You don't get to just say "this variety of bureaucracy is better than that" without backing it up. Things might work out that way in your nation, but not anywhere near in others.

4. Improve preservation of natural treasures such as rainforests.
5. Prevent natural disasters resulted from deforestation.
6. Preserve natural habitats for a number of animal species, some of which are considered endangered.

NATIONSTATES IS NOT REAL LIFE. And even in real life I doubt you can pin the deforestation issues on bureaucracy. Farmland and logging for construction/firewood are the big culprits there.

URGES all members to create an electronic management system for data / file storing, handling and delivering, in order to implement standard world-wide forms.

IS THIS THE ONLY BIT OF THIS THAT ACTUALLY DOES SOMETHING? The rest seems to be geared up for the committee and a lot of baseless assumptions. And "world-wide" is an interesting choice, given that many nations exist in separate universes of their own, and some span multiple galaxies.

[True Romania]

OOC: Guess you showed me... No worries, I won't insist. I tried my best to write a good and original proposal, but I guess I failed. Since this was supposed to be fun (and it's not anymore), I'll leave it as it is. I will however inform you that tree-cutting and pollution are very tightly connected. You missed the point - those pollution factors I named there were resulted not from the industry along but from deforestation as well, because trees absorb most of them and even have a particular meteorological effect when in large numbers. I could try and explain the whole thing to you, but you seem bent on labeling me a moron, so let's just roll with that... You win.

[Araraukar]

those pollution factors I named there were resulted not from the industry along but from deforestation as well, because trees absorb most of them and even have a particular meteorological effect when in large numbers.

None of which I ever questioned, but those things had nothing whatsoever to do with your bureaucracy reform. Such sweeping generalizations don't fly far in the WA.

I could try and explain the whole thing to you, but you seem bent on labeling me a moron

No. Trouncing your proposal has nothing to do with you, the player. Heck, you did better than most newbies by actually listening. A lot insist just barging on and then end up getting their proposal pulled for illegalities.

[True Romania]

Araraukar, since you insist, I will discuss this topic:

1. The category I picked was Environment because there is NO OTHER category in which my proposal would fit. You're not the first and probably not the last person who has pointed that out, but offered no alternative. This is my first shot at this thing and I did my best to abide to the rules, and receiving critique without any helpful solutions is just critique for the fun of it. My initial plan was to create a proposal that would deal with the horrors of paperwork.

I am a maritime officer IRL and I deal with TONS of papers every day - at the moment I am sailing in the Caribbean, from Martinique and Guadeloupe to St. Croix and back, and all the ports I visit are using different forms and demand different things. Also, I receive corrections to the nautical publications and paper charts, meteorological warnings, navigation warnings and so forth. One ship alone consumes an incredible amount of paper and half of it ends up in the trash. So I based my proposal not only on this actual experience, but also aware of the current maritime laws which will force all the companies (starting this year) to switch from paper charts to ECDIS (electronic charts) - so it can be done!

Everything else that's being said about forms and documents not causing much damage eco-wise is crap. Papers, magazines and books aren't nearly as detrimental to forests as is bureaucracy; the traditional publishing is even as we speak switching to e-books - also information based on experience as I published in the U.S. just a month ago. And then there are the arguments about nations being too advanced / retarded technologically to adhere to the standardization I proposed... Ain't that just peachy? That argument can be used for any proposal! Then there are those about paper archives not being as easily destroyed as the electronic ones. Seriously? Everything is stored in electronic data bases! ...Well, as long as your information system isn't a magical crystal on which you record telepathically.

2. I understand pointing out the flaws in bad proposals. I can take criticism and I respect (and try to learn from) people who know more than I do. But your previous post was insulting on a personal (not game level) - you said yourself that your ambassador got a headache. The choice of words and the DESPERATION I induced by my FAILED proposal appear to have caused you emotional trauma... I am new here so maybe I'm wrong, but if I were to dissect another person's proposal, I would do it technically and rationally, without letting the other person believe that his very existence on this forum is offending me. Words and formulation.

[Frisbeeteria]

The category I picked was Environment because there is NO OTHER category in which my proposal would fit.

The standard for proposal writing is "write the proposal to the category", not the reverse. The game offers limited opportunities due to its simplistic nature. Sometimes it's just better to discard the idea than to try to shoehorn it into a bad category choice.