A Speech to the Ziu from a Citizen

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

Senäts, Cosa, Government, and people of Talossa, I have some thoughts about our current crisis of activity.

The Ministreu del Interiör has rightfully pointed out that the "number of new, active citizens in Talossa is worryingly low."  This isn't a new phenomenon.  Over the past few years, we have seen a steady decline in the number of new citizens who have immigrated and remained active.  There are a variety of explanations on offer, but I believe that the most significant part of the problem is that there's nothing to do.

Now, obviously, we do have big passionate bursts of activity.  In particular, these bursts come at two times: at election time or when divisive legislation is proposed.  But while these contests of power, control, and vision are interesting for many of us, they also are necessarily periodic and frequently bitter -- and even worse, they have become increasingly either tribal and angry.  That's why they won't work as a broader solution to our problem.  Consider the plain syllogism, after all: "We need to have stuff to do; bitter fighting is a thing to do; we need to have more bitter fighting."  Contests of power and vision can't be our complete civic life.

For a very long time, this wasn't much of a problem in the country because our history has been dominated by two phases.  From the Dictatür Atx of 1979 to the Interriét Atx in 2003, our founder King Ben I was the unchallenged engine of weird ideas and interesting plans.  He was always around and usually interested and sometimes interesting.  There were frequent contests of power and he could be very difficult, but he was the sharp and enduring rock of the nation: land on it, sail around it, or crash upon it... it'll still be there tomorrow.  And after the Axhitaziun Atx until Reunision, there was so much elbow room to invent a new way to do Talossa: people took the old traditions and ideas and just ran with them.  The Berber of Seville, Talossapolia, and all of those things took advantage of an atmosphere of amiable camaraderie that took hold as a rump nation rebuilt itself.

Neither of those conditions are replicable today, exactly, and it seems foolish to try.  We need a new path forward.

We're taking some good steps.  Reviving the TalossaAssistant program will help new immigrants feel a personal connection to engage them.  Creating some physical aspects of the Talossan experience will help it feel more real.  Looking for alternative sources of steady funding so we can eliminate party registration fees will lower the bar for political participation.  Regular video chats are interesting for some people as a way to connect with each other. This is all to the good.

We've been taking some steps that are more questionable.  It would be a mistake to raise the vote threshold to join the Cosa, for example, since we have had a lot of folks (Casalmac'h, da Dhi, Briga, etc) who have run individual and silly parties/campaigns, some of which actually took off because they hit on something that really interested people.  The Government probably also shouldn't try to be reporting the news, since that just gives people even less reason to actually stay personally involved or do it themselves.

So, what should we be doing instead?  I don't think we can mandate fun or bribe people into it.  If Talossa isn't interesting to someone, we lack the force or funds to change their mind.  Instead, we should concentrate on making our soil ready for the seeds that will come.  Make our nation receptive to new growth.

The most important thing that we should be doing is keeping track of our success.  As far as I know, we don't even bother tracking the number of immigrants per month/term, and we don't bother keeping tabs on who sticks around.  This is a fundamental step: we are never going to know what works unless we bother to collect the numbers.  Start a spreadsheet open to the public, put in the names of successful immigrants in the month and year of their entrance, and then put in another column for "still active at six months?" and a second for "still active in a year?"  I'd suggest that this should be the task of the Prime Ministry itself, to emphasize its importance.  It is absolutely vital.

We should revive the Zuavs.  In the time I ran it, a dozen people joined and did things they hadn't been bothering to do.  One zuav made a bunch of wiki edits and another wrote a language paper for the CUG, for example.  This will help ensure that efforts get recognized, so that things that get accomplished or created receive some recognition.  People like ranks and achievements -- that's why they're a big part of video games.  The Zuavs also serve as their own form of visible activity, looking and feeling cool while requiring very little investment on the part of the Government.  That's all going to help us.  Let's build on success, rather than letting it stagnate for another year.

And as one last point in their favor, the Zuavs mitigate the problem of making worse versions of cool things.  I entered my four-year-old's painting in last term's art contest, but mostly out of patriotism.  If running or entering contests/tournaments/clubs counted as an achievement for rank advancement, it would help provide a reason for joining our Talossan versions.  Right now, leading a prayer for Talossans United for Christ is an act of obligation or boredom, since that prayer's less interesting/fulfilling than one in your actual church (I'd assume, anyway).  The Zuavs adds a nudge to make these things even better.  Let's try to create those sorts of virtuous cycles wherever we can, where doing good stuff is rewarded with even more good stuff (for that matter, Zuav rank should be considered a major a point in your favor when it comes to knighthood).

We should centralize our civic life.  Create private boards only accessible to people in the Government, and hold discussions and Cabinet meetings there.  Create private boards only accessible to people in a political party, and encourage them to hold their discussions and meetings there.  This is a change of tune for me from some years ago, since I used to encourage the proliferation of Talossan stuff.  We're too small for that now.  When we had forty active citizens, it was good to spread out the flavor of Talossa.  When we have fourteen, we're just watering ourselves down.

I believe these three steps will help us take advantage of organic ideas and interest that develop, since they will make Talossa into a place where you can see people doing stuff themselves, and where initial steps get rewarded with cool experiences.  If I think of any further ideas, I will add them here.  If you don't know me, and want to know my history here for the basis for my opinions, don't hesitate to say so.

I am open for questions, additions, or criticism.

[Ian Plätschisch]

So, what should we be doing instead?  I don't think we can mandate fun or bribe people into it.  If Talossa isn't interesting to someone, we lack the force or funds to change their mind.  Instead, we should concentrate on making our soil ready for the seeds that will come.  Make our nation receptive to new growth.

Maybe I was on to something with AMP after all...

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I think AMP had a great energy.  You already know I think some of your ideas were great, like the PDs program.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

Last term, 55RZ21 passed by a significant margin: 143-37-0.  But now support in the Ziu has dropped by a surprising margin, falling from 71% support to 45% (90-77-33).  Clearly, there is no appetite for this right now.  So let's move on.

That battle being behind us, it would be great to focus on the biggest task at hand: encouraging and sustaining citizen interest.  I'd hoped to get some answers or discussion about my ideas from the Government, but it's been a week.  But I know that people are busy, so maybe it's my fault for not being more direct.

@S:reu Seneschal, I have called for the Government to begin tracking immigrants and their retention/activity levels, so we have some idea of whether we're succeeding or failing at our most important task.  Does that appeal to you?

@GV , the program for this Government lists a more active Zuavs as your first priority.  I know you have a lot going on, but I'd love to hear some initial thoughts on how that will look.

And finally, @Miestră Schivă, UrN , you are the leader of the largest party, and you also are the most visibly active person on Government (or the nation) by a long chalk.  What do you think about centralizing our civic life, both in terms of party discussions and Government discussions?  Your example could help set a new norm.

[GV]

@GV , the program for this Government lists a more active Zuavs as your first priority.  I know you have a lot going on, but I'd love to hear some initial thoughts on how that will look.

To be honest, how MinDef can help the Zuaves baffles me.  Who is the person (yes, I should know this!) with whom I can best discuss things?  The last thing I want to do is to go ahead unilaterally with some weird programme no-else else really wants.

One other thing - and this dovetails with MinCulture - is the confusion as to precedence concerning the 'landed peers' as opposed to Per La Naziun.  More on my thoughts on this 'soon'...

GV

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

@GV , the program for this Government lists a more active Zuavs as your first priority.  I know you have a lot going on, but I'd love to hear some initial thoughts on how that will look.

To be honest, how MinDef can help the Zuaves baffles me.  Who is the person (yes, I should know this!) with whom I can best discuss things?  The last thing I want to do is to go ahead unilaterally with some weird programme no-else else really wants.

I can tell you my intentions and how I operated, if it helps.  Here was my founding speech and here is the first recruitment thread, and here is the Witt thread I was using on this Witt after we moved over here.  The Wikipedia page also has a lot of this info, plus the list of enlisted when I left office.  I was replaced by ESB, and the current Capitan is our Secretary of State, who has more than enough to do around here already.

What I think needs to happen is just for someone to directly write each of the people enlisted, letting them know where to submit their achievements, and begin visibly awarding promotions and recruiting once more.  Obviously, not a lot will happen immediately, since it's a system based around rewarding activity.  But think of it like a big wind -- not enough to lift anyone into the air, but enough to give each set of wings a boost towards the sky whenever someone gives a flutter.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I know everyone's very busy, I don't want us to get lost in the shuffle, so just to re-up:

@S:reu Seneschal, I have called for the Government to begin tracking immigrants and their retention/activity levels, so we have some idea of whether we're succeeding or failing at our most important task.  Does that appeal to you?

@GV , any thoughts on what I said?  Any way I can help?

And finally, @Miestră Schivă, UrN , you are the leader of the largest party, and you also are the most visibly active person on Government (or the nation) by a long chalk.  What do you think about centralizing our civic life, both in terms of party discussions and Government discussions?  Your example could help set a new norm.

[GV]

Now that I see this...

Thank you sir!  This is exactly the sort of thing I needed.  I will devote this next week to looking into everything.

GV, MinDef

I know everyone's very busy, I don't want us to get lost in the shuffle, so just to re-up:

And finally, @Miestră Schivă, UrN , you are the leader of the largest party, and you also are the most visibly active person on Government (or the nation) by a long chalk.  What do you think about centralizing our civic life, both in terms of party discussions and Government discussions?  Your example could help set a new norm.