4 grants since July (6 months). They all have a [G] in the titles.

8 for the year to date, so 4 grants for each six month period.

I know immigration has been one of your political hobby horses for a couple of years, but you can start to let it go.  Immigration has been working fine since late 2019.  Of course, you could argue that 8 new grants within a year isn't enough.  If that's your argument then fair enough, but as we have said many times, I would rather we got just 1 fairly active new citizen rather than 20 inactive citizenship roster padders.  Quality over quantity.


Edit.. Are you only checking Wittenberg main board? I don't think the Chancery always posts them here.  Immigration sub-board is more accurate.

Quote from: Sir Alexandreu Davinescu on December 21, 2020, 03:55:05 PM
...
We've had one new immigrant in the last six months or so, if I'm reckoning right.  If our immigration process has slowed to that pace, then the track we're on can't possibly be good.

Utter nonsense.

2020 to date has seen 8 grants of citizenship.  There is currently 9 active prospective cases.  Immigration rates have been steady month to month.

Quote from: GV on December 20, 2020, 09:17:14 PM

Quote from: Eðo Grischun on December 14, 2020, 05:09:00 PM
A handful of signups already.  Thanks!

I will be crafting an email (perhaps even a bit of an email campaign) to send out to the citizenry list over the next few days with the high hopes that we can pull some of the less active folks back into the Talossan fold with all this.  Fingers crossed.

I've been futzing around with this - Is there a native backup utility?  Such beautiful work.

Yep. It uses similar databases to the ones Witt use.  It's pretty much all just php with SQL databases in the backend.

I ran backups on all web sites (Witt, Wiki and this new site, etc.) last week. 

A handful of signups already.  Thanks!

I will be crafting an email (perhaps even a bit of an email campaign) to send out to the citizenry list over the next few days with the high hopes that we can pull some of the less active folks back into the Talossan fold with all this.  Fingers crossed.

Oh.  And, the Jobs Board has been rebuilt into this site.  The system is much more simple than it was before.  Any citizens can both post new jobs and apply for jobs using a single account rather than having to have separate employers and jobseeker accounts.  But, the main benefit to moving it to this site is that when you post a job it spits into the live activity feeds.

The Prime Ministry recently completed the second Talossan Activity Survey and from that the Seneschal published a report which contained several projects to be pursued by the various Cabinet Ministries.  One such task set to myself in STUFF was "Promoting non Wittenberg ways for Talossans to meet up. The Ministry of STUFF will accelerate and prioritise plans for a Talossan social media system and promote live video and Instant Messaging interactions between Talossans.

I have been working on this in recent weeks.  After many countless hours of work I am ready to release Talossa's newest web asset:

A FULLY FLEDGED SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE.

I believe this new website will be the next big leap forward for Talossan community interaction and will help move us away from the mindset of being "just a forum board". 

The features of this new website are as follows:

SOCIAL NETWORKING:  The "homepage" of the site is a social media style Activity Feed, which is a "wall" featuring all the latest updates from other citizens.  On this page, much like any other social network, you can post status updates, share photos and media, share documents, post links, etc.  This page, at its widest setting, will display news and status updates from all other citizens and groups, but over time, it will tailor itself to your own individual usage (ie: updates from your groups and contacts will display for you, while omitting updates from groups you opt not to belong to).  This page also has many layers of filtering allowing you to hone the results at any given time to find specific updates better.

"LIKES" SYSTEM:  As an extension of the above, there is a "likes" system which allows you to +1/ thumbs up posts all over the site.

NOTIFICATIONS SYSTEM: Never be out of the loop again!  The site features a "notification bell", which will send you notifications of things that affect you in some way (eg: someone commented on one of your posts).  There are also many account settings so that you can tailor which notifications you receive and which you don't and there are also many options for you to receive email notifications.

MESSAGING SYSTEM:  As it says on the tin really.  The site features PM/DM functions.

SOCIAL GROUPS:  This is a feature I am very excited about.  Citizens can form their own groups and sub-communities.  Any citizen can create and admin a group.  Groups can be set to public, private and hidden.  Group admins have control over how invites are handled. Each group has its own Activity Feed and comms tools .  The example on how this could be used that I gave before was the D&D stuff.  Dungeon Masters could create D&D groups on this site, have their own activity feed for their own status updates and conversations, and then they could use the integrated ZOOM features to host video conferences and chats for their games.  The in-site and email notifications system can be utilised by the group so that everyone is kept up to date with the happenings of the group.  The potential here is huge.  Groups can be created for pretty much anything.  Political parties, cultural projects, organisations, events, committees, games rooms, whatever you can think of.

VIDEO CHATS: Yes! Video conferencing has been integrated into the site via an API with ZOOM.  At present I have this set as a feature of the above mentioned social groups, but it can also be set to create a site-wide open room, which we might make use of at some point in the future.  For now, any social group can set up it's own Zoom meetings and then use the other site features to promote the event, including the activity feeds and notifications systems.  This could be massive!  The system will record and store all videos and also save a copy of the text-chat transcripts.  These are saved to cloud for safekeeping, but you also have the option to download them too. 

CO-BLOG:  CO-BLOG is short for Community Blog.  Every site member can post blog articles on whatever they feel like talking about.  The blog articles are all displayed within a single blog directory, which can be honed to categories for easier sorting.  Citizens can "like" your blog articles and each article page features a comments/discussion section.  Blog articles spit into the main Activity Feeds and you can receive notifications of new comments and likes on your articles.

CO-DOCS:  This is similar in nature to, say, GoogleDOCS.  Citizens can create a document then assign editing rights to other citizens so that a team of people can all work on a single document.  Each citizen has their own Co-Docs Directory and each 'social group' also has their own directory.  Could be a highly useful tool for many, many purposes.

EVENTS:  Simple events calendar system.  You can create events and then promote them via the other social media tools previously mentioned.

TO-DO LISTS:  This isn't really tied into the social media side of the site, but I figured it might be a nice tool to include.  Every citizen can build their own to-do lists.  Each Social group also has a joint to-do list if they want to work together to complete a set of tasks.

DEVICE RESPONSIVE: The site is best viewed and used on desktop, but it does reshape itself for phones and tablets.  It is impossible for me to test every conceivable display layout, so if anybody encounters anything strange then please report it to me with details of which device, browser and screen resolution you had the issue with so that I can hack in a fix.


The site is ready to go-live.  However, it might always be a work in progress.  New features will be added in as time goes by (for example, I want to start working on an IM chat system and further down the line I want to work on enhancing the notifications system to allow for push notifications to browsers and phones).  One major thing that might change is the site name.  Suggestions are welcome if the current site name doesn't work for you all.  But, we will see.  We can treat it as an advanced and ongoing Beta. It is more than good enough for now though.

I truly hope that you all find this useful and that it helps you to build better and stronger Talossan connections.  As you start using the site if you have suggestions on how it could be improved or have ideas on features or whatever, then please get in touch with me and let me know what you want from this and I will do my best to tailor the site to your wants and needs.

At present, the site might not give you its full potential impact due to the fact that it is empty with no members.  I have created a "Joe Bloggs" account as well as my own account to test things and put a little content on the site, but it will take you to fully flesh it all out. 

Have fun and enjoy. 

I believe I am now ready to go to sleep for several days.

REGISTRATION OPEN:  https://talossa.net

Ya dancer! I've finally made it to the levels of being noteworthy enough to be satarised in a comical meme. Yaldi!

More seriously, though.  Your analysis of the Activity Survey was good to read.

It might interest you to know that video conferencing is just around the corner.  A lot of work has been happening in the background to build a new social site for Talossa, and last night Zoom conference rooms integration was fully achieved. The new site also features an abundance of new and exciting tools for Talossa. I will be releasing more details on this project in a very short time. 

But, your analysis... yeah, sometimes in Talossa the old affirmation of "if you build it they will come" just doesn't hold true.  There's always hope though.


edit/addition:  Of course, Video Conferencing being built into a Talossan site on it's own won't work.  There already exists a million ways for people to communicate.  The idea of this site is that the Zoom integration will work alongside the other tools available, like social groups, activity streams and newsfeeds, live notifications, email notifications... in other words, the ability for a citizen to set up a Zoom meeting and then go through the Citizen list and directly invite people to join it, or to set the meeting schedule and then share and promote it via the multiple other communication tools being put in place. 

(plus the ability for a cultural sub community to use video conferencing within the same site that they use for other comms.  Let's say for example the D&D group.  They could have a page on this new site where they band together, keep their own membership list, have their own activity stream and news feed so they can keep in touch with each other on that niche topic a lot easier.  Each member can get live notifications and, if they choose, email notifications of what is happening in that D&D group... PLUS the ability to open a Zoom channel and hold a video chat session without having to leave the group pages within the site.   Just as a rough example as a teaser of what is getting built).

Për on all

Yeah.  It seems it's all just a matter of semantics and convention at this point.

Quote from: Marcel Eðo Pairescu Tafial on November 30, 2020, 06:44:52 AM
What's the point of keeping the Throne around if it's supposed to stay empty for all eternity? If Talossa does want an elected Head of State, either be thorough and abolish the Throne (either with or without replacement; Botswana does fine with combining the posts of President and Prime Minister into one  thing), or turn Kingship into the elected office in question.

Impose a term length on the King, like 5 Cosa terms or so, and limit consecutive terms to 2 or 3.

I have no preference for the voting method, as long as its not one round of FPTP of course.

Because many still believe that the appeal of Talossa as a Kingdom with all the pomp and ceremony that comes with that is still greater than outright abolishing it, and that the symbols of Monarchy provide some kind of historical glue.  However, at the same time, swearing fealty to a Monarch or a Royal Family is falling out of fashion.  A perpetually empty throne would allow for the symbolic/ historical/ traditional while having the Head of State be a Steward of the Throne rather than be an actual Monarch eliminates the requirement for Talossan citizens to swear fealty and oaths of allegiance to some person; instead making those oaths to the symbols of Talossa and its laws.  That's my thinking on the issue anyway.  On top of all that we also need to consider the powers of the Head of State.  Do we still think it is right for an unelected Monarch or Regent to be wielding a legislative veto or to even be wading around in the Hopper? 

I think I understand the question you are asking.  You are seeing this is a simple choice between Monarchy vs Republic, or King vs President, right?  My position is more nuanced than that.  I'm saying keep Talossa as a Kingdom with all its traditions and ceremony and whatnot, but go for a permanent interregnum.  Then use popular election as the method of selecting who acts in tutelam over the Throne, and that person being "first among equals" meaning we don't swear allegiance to that person, rather that person swears allegiance to protect the nation, its symbols and laws, and its peoples. 

Also, by having the position be an electable one we cool down the hotness of the Head of State playing around with a veto.

A Ziu vetting process similar to the ones we have been doing for the UC appointments. Candidates can self-nominate, but must pass a Ziu vote to appear on the ballot, followed by a universal popular vote.

What would be the better translation, by the way; Prairugadour or Prum Citaxhien?

I will be voting PER on option 4; For an elected Head of State.

My vision for the future of that would go something like this:


1. There shall be a Talossan Monarchy, but in a state of perennial interregnum.  There shall never be another Royal Family, nor another King, nor another Queen.  Talossan citizens shall never be forced to make oaths of allegiance to another Talossan person ever again, but instead shall pledge their oaths to the Symbols of the Nation.

2. The role of the Talossan Monarchy shall exist in line with Bagehot's arguments: that it shall represent the "dignified branch" of the national fabric by symbolising the state through pomp and ceremony, and that the Head of State shall have "the rights to be Consulted, to Encourage and to Warn".  It shall have no real nor effective political power and any powers it does have must be ceremonial only.

3. The Head of State shall be elected.  The Head of State shall act as a temporary steward of the Crown and, ideally, the role will be styled as "The First Citizen".

4.  I have no preference on consecutive term limits.  If the First Citizen ends up being re-elected 20 times in a row then so be it.  As long as democracy has had its day and the people have had their say and that the temperature of the nation can be regularly checked then I'm okay with that.  But, it's not a hill I'm willing to die on, so if a greater majority prefer the idea of term limits then that's fine too.  I don't see a real need for term limits if the First Citizen has no political power, but if political power does end up part of the role then perhaps term limits would be desirable.

5.  I'm not sure what the ideal term length between elections should be.  It should not be as short as a single Cosa term, but should not be anything more than ~5 years.  I think somewhere around ~3 years might be the sweet spot.

6. When a term is due to expire, if there are no challengers to the incumbent, then the election shall be be replaced by a national referendum on re-confirmation.

I just don't see the need to start inventing unnecessary hurdles that take up even more time.  *shrug*

Convince four of the other members to go full-on Robert's Rules and you got it though.

I've submitted via the database:

The L.10 is now pointless Act - https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=570.0

The State Opening of the Ziu Act - https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=562.0

Quote from: Sir Alexandreu Davinescu on November 26, 2020, 10:57:05 PM

Quote from: Eðo Grischun on November 26, 2020, 05:42:42 PM

Quote from: Sir Alexandreu Davinescu on November 26, 2020, 04:36:38 PM
Discussion of mergers between provinces would seem to be between those provinces. If two provinces want to merge, then what business is it of the others? No one from Vuode has approached the 18th Convocation about a merger, if that's something your province wants.

It seems like the only conceivable purpose for this body would be as a vehicle for provincial pushback against an encroachment of the Ziu, but that doesn't seem likely.

Barring that, if something is a national issue, why discuss it here rather than among the people elected to handle national matters in the Ziu?

Regardless, I withdraw my motion and the Government can proceed.

The government has nothing to do with this.  Yeah, "many hats" are at play, but let's not get the legal statuses confused here.  This is not a governmental project, nor is it a national initiative for the Ziu to get involved with. This is a meeting of the provincial executives (somewhat similar to COSLA (convention of local authorities), here in Scotland, but not exactly).

The purpose of this committee, as far as I gather, is that it acts as a think tank for inter-provincial matters and its members act as liaisons between their local assemblies and the other provinces and, if required, the national institutions.  I don't know...but, this seems like the perfect place for two provinces to begin discussions on mergers.

Well, S:reu Distain, I gather that yourself and the Seneschal are both interested in discussing provincial mergers within this body.  That initiative is a component of the Government programme.  I'm not saying that you folks are legally acting as the Government here, but I don't see much point in pretending not to notice the obvious.

Glancing back at the origin of the Council, it was intended as a way for the provinces to "work together for mutual interest," "giving the provinces a united voice when addressing the government of Talossa."  This matches what seems evident from its very nature: it's intended as an institution to allow the provinces to co-ordinate and push back on the Government or Ziu when necessary.  I mean, honestly, does it even make sense otherwise?  If two provinces want to do stuff together, then it makes sense for them to talk to each other.  If people are interested in doing something spanning across the rest of the country on a national level, then they work through the national legislature.  We don't have a very federalized system, so nothing else really makes sense.

But I will cede the point since it really doesn't matter very much, and I am not interested in arguing for the sake of arguing.  I will support the motion to move to nominations for Governor-General, which leaves the measure one vote short of passing by acclaim (four out of eight currently).  I suggest we leave a week for any contrary voices or additional support, and then move to a week-long vote on the motion.

No, we don't need a week long vote just to decide if we are going to open nominations or not.  LEX.9.3 says a Governor-General exists and shall be chosen by majority.  Nominate a name so we can just get on with things.