[Trekker4CP] Flowers on May Day

Day 2,719, 15:21 • Published in USA USA • by Trekker Tlumac


Happy May Day, you beautiful people.

Here in the United States the wonder of this celebratory day has slowly been lost on the last few generations. Much of Europe still celebrate May Day* and even recognize it as official State Holidays. That the latter would remember the magic of this day and the former would not has always brought me sadness.

As a small boy, I was lucky enough to take part in some smaller May Day celebrations. This included group picnics, streamers around the May Pole**, and baskets of flowers left at my door. Even chasing the girl next door around for the customary kiss (albeit shyly on the cheek) when she left flowers for me. It was one of those things I looked forward to every year. At the age of 5 or 6, it seemed like one of the silliest things in the world. I miss such silly things.

Looking back, I realize it is not really the silliness that I miss. There is plenty of that in my life. What I really miss is that sense of community. It has been ages since I have seen such a celebration where I live. That closeness of community has seemingly languished into nothingness. And so is in RL, so goes eLife.

In the last couple years, especially in the last year, the community has drained from eRep and the eUSA. This game we all chose to play has never had a particularly high retention rate. However the number of people joining meant that invariably SOME would elect to stay in the game. At high volume that trend, while ludicrous, is sustainable. As the game draws less and less people to try it, that trend becomes simply unsustainable.

We need to start asking what we can do to keep the younger players playing. We give them something to wonder about, something to look forward to. We give them there own May eDay. A little fun in something that can otherwise feel tedious to the new and uneducated.

There are obvious steps we can take here. The new citizens all receive welcome messages to get them started. Usually these come from more than one source.

The eUSA has programs to help these players. And, for those who join up, it is effective. We need to go further than that. I beseech the patrons of the eUSA to join up in a mantra of retention.

Players can take those two minutes to check on the newb and see if they are alright. Or to reply to that message you got from someone looking for help.

Parties can focus on their youth population and prep them for the time in which they will be ready to lead. Vet young players and send promising ones to congress.

MUs can continue their great work to develop players, but also work to educate them on war mechanics. These are wonderful tools to get people hooked.

Together, we can make new players feel enough about this game to keep them. Together, we can build up the new players who would otherwise grow impatient or leave. And together, we can make the country stronger for future citizens.

And there will be a future to this game. To assume anything else means we are already eDead. I refuse to accept that, and you should too.

I want the future where nobody will have to suffer without a basket of may flowers on their door.

On the 5th of May, I hope you will re-elect me PotUS. Give me (and my staff) the chance to continue our work and together we (You and I) will build a better tomorrow.





*For more reading on the history and customs of May Day, check out the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day

**The following picture is an example of a traditional maypole and maypole dance.



Your President and Dictator of your heart,

Trekker Spanksalot Tlumac