What Is To Be Done?
Raven Anarcho
The following article is made in hopes to encourage members of our community to put in effort into helping us to solve our biggest challenges.
WHAT IS TO BE DONE?
Friends,
We currently live in illusion. In this false reality, which we've brought upon ourselves, we will always be able to proudly overcome the odds stacked against us, whether they be a larger agressive enemy or the challenge of becoming diplomatically attractive to such large nations. We have overcome these odds in the past when we were stronger, but have faced very few such challenges over the past year. This is because we've been playing smart, or as most see it, safe. But eventually we will be given no choice but to face such challenges once more. Although I have no doubt we will stand united against such trials and have no doubt we will overcome the odds as we always have, at what cost must we pay to survive in this world? Will we have to remain a thorn in a nation's side until they are tired of dealing with us? Will we have to pay our way to freedom?
The illusion that we will survive the next year or two without tarnishing our dignity is naive at best. Possible, but unlikely. Our leaders have done an amazing job at giving us a temporary solution to our biggest problem. We've changed the way we play the game to make up for our size. The problem with this temporary solution is that it's not much temporary anymore, but is rather becoming the permanent illusion we live in.
First let me say that our biggest problem is self explanitory. We are too few in numbers. Our second largest problem is that too many solid players are ignoring the first problem.
Our diplomatic strength is our reputation of loyalty and commitment to our allies. It has overcome the odds for us time and time again, but reputation fades with neglection and in a world where damage has become valued more than anything else, our reputation will not save us forever.
What do you want from this game? What do you want for Ireland? We all have dreams for our community, but those which seem so difficult are limited to remaining dreams rather than being transformed into goals. People have said that our problem is unsolvable. That we will never get the population we need to compete in this world, to be attractive to other nations without putting in effort or without dependence on our past glory. I say to those individuals: If you feel that our problem cannot be solved. If you feel that it is not worth trying to solve. If you feel that failures at previous attempts make our dreams hopeless, then you have no place here anymore. You have no reason to continue making compromises for your dreams, rather than to go out and make them a reality. Succumb to your fear and embrace your inevitable failure, for it is not mine!
When has Ireland ever been but an underdog facing unbearable odds? Odds that regardless of seeming hopeless, were challenged with hope. Odds that regardless of being unbearable, were endured and overcome.
Death is on the horizon, yet it is only fueled through our negligence. Right now, by refusing to face it, we hide in our village and embrace ourselves. Rather than face the biggest problem ahead, we'd rather make a compromise, play this game with only what we're given, and hope that death ends us quick and painlessly. What's worse is that we justify our negligence of such problems while still claiming some form of patriotism or pride. We use excuses though each one of us knows that if we cared enough we would do something about it.
The time for us to to do something about it will never come naturally. We cannot wait for such a time to come, rather we must make today the time for change. What started as over 20 individuals has fallen to only 7. They don't have a lot of free time. You don't need to either. They don't have a lot of money to spend. You don't need to either. Not all are talented in graphics or experienced in marketing. You don't need to be either. What they do have is commitment and appreciation for our community, friends and foes alike. What they do have is the will to listen and input when they can. That is all that is needed. We need ideas, commitment, graphics, connections, advice, and above all else, participation. All of you can offer at least one of those things.
You all have the option to stand with me through this trial, which will not be short by any means, or step aside and continue to make compromises. But I for one will not stop until I succeed. I decided long ago that I refuse to run this nation on compromises. I will never be a president of this nation so long as I cannot lead Ireland in the same manner that presidents of larger free nations do. I will lead an Ireland that is sought after by many nations for her damage and reputation alike. If there are but a handful of players left in this game, I will be one of them, still trying to expand Ireland's size, still trying to even up the odds with those larger ambitious bullies. I won't be an oldfag clicking on my companies as the highlight of my gaming experience. I recommend all those here who want such a future to close erepublik in your browser and google farmville.
If you wish to join the seven of us currently running this babyboom project then please let me know and leave a comment stating so.
MY CURRENT MISSION
Obviously still running the babyboom project, along with another congress term in the works. I will be representative of the ILP for the eComintern as well soon. Lately I've been fighting mostly for Germany, Canada, and Bulgaria.
-R.A.
Issue Song:
The Irish Brigade - Roll of Honour
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj_7kTwRMKE
"If you strike at, imprison, or kill us, out of our prisons or graves we will still evoke a spirit that will thwart you, and perhaps, raise a force that will destroy you! We defy you! Do your worst!" - James Connolly
The Irish Radical Issue #68
Comments
Irish citizens, commune holders, and those who consider themselves to be Irish in "exile" who request so in the comments below will be added to the next babyboom thread. o7
Support for the article is appreciated, but if you want to be added to the babyboom project then state so in the comments or atleast pm me. A simple "include me" will work.
Beautifully written article comrade o7
o7
voted
Excellent article RA beautifully written \o/
As are all you write, you have a way with words.
No way you will ever be an oldfag citizen
Sign me up. I'll help however I can. We ran a baby boom campaign during a CW term which had people like Oinyo and me going to Universities and posting flyers. He's got the video and I got the pics to prove it. We made it a contest and got some good involvement.
I am new here and I will not claim to yet understand the complexities of your country just yet, but from the moment I got here just the epic quality of care that is taken in your evaluation of international events and internal matters combined with the kindness and loyalty of your citizens knocked me on my ass. It is painfully obvious that you and your countrymen have earned, and I mean earned the right to be proud of your country. I continue to be impressed at the level of teamwork here, and that brings me to my next point.
I'd rather have 10 people working as a team verses 1,000 people working for themselves. Don't sell yourself short because you have less citizens. If it brings about this kind of team atmosphere and positive
environment, you are getting a real win that can be utilized for greater results.
You're new here, I was new here, a lot of current eIrish citizens was new here. eIreland is very grateful to those who actually pick our country as their new eHomeland, you was President of Canada when I was President of eIreland last time, I know you're good guy and dedicated to your country.
Anyways, I'm happy you're here and that you're trying to contribute your new eHomeland somehow. o7
Makes 8 of us in the project. 🙂 Thanks for joining the team. o7
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Dont you mean 9? 😉 Count my crazy ass as in as well
😃
Anything to help!
not going to lie, I did not read even 1/4th of that.
Include me
That makes 9 of us. Thanks 🙂
Ireland never had any real problem with recruitment before, our decline is less about individuals being selfish and more to do with the general decline of the game. It's not that we solid players are ignoring the problem, some of us just don't see a solid solution while the mechanics of the game are the way they are.
We could get plenty of people to try the game, but I doubt we'd get many staying.
Our problem is the same problem facing many nations, but many nations aren't as limited by the problem because they already had such high numbers before the great decline. Some nations, like Peru and France, have done what Ireland needs to do, and recruited despite the decline.
I appreciate all the help that those have offered so far, but it is sad indeed that only 2 of the now 10 members working on the project are rl irish.
I'm not even in RL Ireland anymore.
TBH, I think eRep have also cut down on their own advertising since I joine😛 I originally joined because of an advert on politics.ie
Haven't seen a single banner since.
They have cut down and instead rely almost entirely on citizens to bring in players themselves via word-of-mouth advertising, which is foolish from a company with the potential to pay for solid advertising and is but a speck compared to many social games out there. Part of me thinks they are trying get everything they can out of a sinking ship rather than to try and save it.
If we could get the players, and prepare for them with a community program, then we could do a better job than most at retaining them. It would take a lot of effort, but far less effort than it takes to get them.
There are 7 times the number of Irish in America/Irish-Americans than there are people in Ireland, which makes recruitment extremely difficult and which is why to get players that are most likely to stay we need players who better understand Ireland and its culture. Especially when it comes to taking a social website approach like facebook/twitter.
I am sorry to say this but you repeated some sentiments a couple of times which totally detracted from the article. In the end it could have been done in a paragraph perhaps a summary cause I got bored halfway reading through it. What 7 r u talkin about?
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If you feel that our problem cannot be solved. If you feel that it is not worth trying to solve. If you feel that failures at previous attempts make our dreams hopeless, then you have no place here anymore. You have no reason to continue making compromises for your dreams, rather than to go out and make them a reality. Succumb to your fear and embrace your inevitable failure, for it is not mine!
huh some of us actually like the small numbers.
tldr version
we dont have enough players .of the 20 persons running the baby boom only 7 is left. raven wants more players to join him in baby boom project. inspirational motivational speaker mumbo jumbo to make you want to join.
the end.
I have soul but am not a soldier
I'm a babe but am not a baby
But is that close enough?
I am impressed & would be happy to sign up
Do you want me?
That makes 10 of us. Thanks for volunteering. 🙂
voted 🙂
There are two possible approaches here :-
1) A babyboom adding new players to the game
2) Making eIreland an attractive place for current players to move to
The players we could draw into Ireland from outside the game are more likely to stay Irish, and those who move are more likely to stay playing. lol But I still believe the second option to be more temporary than permanent.
+500 citizens = Ulster back to Ireland!
Voted
Anyone on twitter follow @IrelandineRepub And retweet posts so others might hear about this game and our country within it.
You have me and my vids 😉
Also these are the vids I did in the past showing us going out to the city to get players in the game...
The vids are
http://goo.gl/551qQl
and
http://goo.gl/omyg9i (5 min in is when we are at the school)
Also the second one was when I did my first run for CP... it may be a little odd lol
I'm already signed up right?
If not, I'm still in.
"If you feel that our problem cannot be solved. If you feel that it is not worth trying to solve. If you feel that failures at previous attempts make our dreams hopeless, then you have no place here anymore. You have no reason to continue making compromises for your dreams, (..)"
true. that's why i go away.
(..) rather than to go out and make them a reality. Succumb to your fear and embrace your inevitable failure, for it is not mine!"
not agree on that part.
maybe a good article, but written too late in my opinion.
my vote
good article
tarnishing our dignity....what dignity?
those very "leaders" raven call smart turned this nation into spinless cowards too scared to fight invaders like with last british invasion when irish governments didnt even try to defend but instead was begging for return of some teritory.
Its fascinating how raven speaks bold here but when he have to do a bold thing he go totally opposite.
And lets not forget it was raven in the name of entire ilp declared ilp as orc b**ch and betraying the only true friends to gain orc love ad few extra congress seats.
And a conelly quote?
really raven? spirit? force? as we know ilp do not belive in such things....
Do you know who do? Clerics ilp betrayed....
Most of your article describes what Clerics are actually fighting for....you raven with your ilp actually sided with orcs that stands for none of those things and work against those things.
Bold words raven...bold words from an orc b**ch and hypocrite....
shouldnt you guys change your name to the diaper squad?
voted!