The WA Archives - Suggestions and Feedback

[Sirocco]

Hello there,

I expect you've all noticed the brand spanky new subforum we've introduced for the World Assembly, and since we haven't really commeneted on it, I suppose now would be the right time to get the ball rolling on how this archive will be used.

My thoughts originally were that it would be an ideal place to record the debates of proposals that had achieved quorum for posterity, and also any other particularly notable WA threads, but, who knows? Maybe it will become something more?

This is where you guys come in. I want to know what kind of threads you'd like to see preserved and what system we should use to ensure the continual archiving of these threads.

-- Sirocco

[Philimbesi]

I think debate topics would be good to put in there, but are we talking from draft up to passed or just when it goes at vote?

[Sirocco]

I'm thinking every single debate for a proposal that's reached quorum. If there's more than one thread devoted to a single proposal, then we can either put them all in or just the 'main' thread.

[Quintessence of Dust]

Are you talking about threads in the past, or threads from now on? That is, I know some of us have saved the old resolution threads from Jolt: do you want those imported to the archive? Or is it that any future At Vote threads should go in the archive? Because if so, those are still taking place on Jolt, not in this forum.

[Omigodtheykilledkenny]

...and sadly not much is happening there, since everyone is being directed here and the Jolt WA forum thus logs maybe five posts a day.

As to the purpose of this forum's archive, I don't know if all at vote threads should be included -- as a lot of them are boring drek not much worth preserving, but certainly the notable ones, with a lot of interesting and worthwhile discussion/debate and/or roleplay. Examples from Jolt would be UN Fair Wage Convention, Repeal "Banning whaling" and Sentients Rights Act. Also, non-"at vote" threads that also contain historic and/or important discussions or roleplay, like this one discussing compliance, this one on where the UNHQ are located, even VL/Palentine's expedition to the 40th floor RP.

Of course, I mean threads like these; for now I'm assuming the old Jolt threads aren't going to be imported to this forum.

[Unibot]

Don't forget "At Vote : Repeal WA Economic Union", where Eduard Heir attempted to self-immolate himself in protest, and ended up being defenestrated by a brave, and misguided Kennyite diplomat - landing in a reflecting pool.

[Ardchoille]

Some of the boring drek threads contain memorable posts, but only those who remember them are going to cut through the jungle to find them. How would you feel about a couple of compilation threads?

I'm thinking "Memories" for bits of RP that stick in the mind, "Commentary" for rulings/explanations, maybe an "Examples" one for, say, a blocker proposal, an "I don't like it" repeal, an example of each kind of reason for rejection. (We could delete the player names to avoid embarrassment.)

I mean this as something in addition to the other, whole threads people have suggested. Just a spot to put the sort of thing that makes people say, "It's worth saving just for this"; the idea is to keep those threads to just the "this".

[Sirocco]

I really only started this thread to get the ball rolling, not being very up-to-date with World Assembly minutiae. I think I'll let more experienced WA forumers guide the rest of this.

One little suggestion before I surrender the thread: we could make one thread which is a repository of links to important Jolt threads if making copies is too much of a hassle.

[Charlotte Ryberg]

I personally think we can just bring it all here instead, just in case Jolt decides to close the NationStates forum without our permission.

[Nukk]

Some threads that i have have dont in the past where about the plant in are nation stuff like that i like that alot

[Sirocco]

Nukk, I've read your post four times and I still don't know what it means.

Ryberg, that's probably (very probably) a good idea. What's the best way of saving all those old debate threads? Or at least the ones we can get our hands on?

[Charlotte Ryberg]

I personally think we could have a section named "Old Generation WA Archives" where all the Jolt threads could be stored. The current "WA Archives" section could be called the spanking new "New Generation WA Archives".

I'm not sure whether we have to resort to the tiresome copy and paste method if Jolt isn't going to allow us to export the threads to here?

[Sirocco]

If the threads are backed up, they could all be bundled into a zip folder, I suppose.

http://siroccothemod.blogspot.com/2009/04/all-cool-kids-are-backing-up-their.html <-- instructions on how to back up a thread.