Now that I’ve waxed poetic a bit, here are some more specifics:
As the title says, I’ve learned some things. And I’ve learned some other things.
One of the things I’ve learned is that I wasn’t really able to stay completely on top of the RMB like I promised. (You guys got away from me once more!) But I’ve realized that as long as I trust the Local Councillors who are putting so much effort into moderating the RMB as part of their job, I don’t need to be doing that job for them. Six months ago, I was trying to be master of everything. But now, well, you could say I’ve mellowed out a bit.
That’s not to say I feel any less of a duty or an enjoyment of taking part in our Regional Message Board community— just that I’m not going to try to moderate it (or moderate the moderators!). The RMB is one of my natural homes, and I am adamant about making sure everything I do and say as delegate appears just as much there as anywhere else.
In fact, I’ve started consciously ensuring that anytime I post anything related to my role as Delegate on the RMB or Discord server — whether that’s a note about travelling or how I’m planning to vote on a GA resolution — I send it (or an appropriate version thereof) on the other platform as well. I’d like to extend this even beyond simple, factual notifications to include messages such as discussion questions about how to update the WFE, for example, or what information to include in a new dispatch. This may seem unexciting, but it is really the purest form of integration. The more people feel like they are “in the loop” and receiving the same information from the same network, the more they feel connected with others no matter the differences in platform.
Another thing I’ve learned is the importance of always keeping going on endorsements. The first part of the graph of my endorsement count was a period of some stagnation and decrease during the summer lull in the first few months. But we pulled together and pulled upwards, surpassing 630 endorsements — not a new record, but massive growth. While we didn’t meet our ambitious goal for December, I have full confidence that if we continue on this same path for another term, we will not take long to pass 660 and beyond. Just keep going. It’s… continuous upward motion, in its clearest form.
I’ve also learned that events like the Endorsement Days can be amazingly successful… if they come together. I’d like to propose to the Local Council and enlist them in more fun World Factbook Entry changes and themes; after all, four heads are better than one! I’d also like to refine the Endorsement Days schedule to once every two months, and now that the basic setup has been created, I’ll start them off from the very beginning of the term, so we don’t have such a long transition period.
A fourth thing I’ve learned is how much I enjoy taking on the challenge of the World Assembly, in all its different parts: voting on proposals, writing up recommendations, endorsing, and all the integration efforts it entails. In my campaign for Delegate six months ago, the World Assembly section was the shortest of all: that has clearly changed. I would be remiss not to mention the good work of my fellow candidate Concrete Slab in working tirelessly to bring our World Assembly scene into activity.
I firmly believe that, as one of the few hard-coded, immediately accessible parts of this game, the World Assembly offers an immense opportunity for involving players new and old.
So here’s my big WA goal for next term: a fully functioning SWAN-DIVE. That’s the
SWAN Discussions and Information for Voter Education program. It would consist of, essentially, a formalized version of the
WA Opinions dispatches I’ve been publishing periodically throughout the past term, plus forum threads and RMB posts for all WA votes, and potentially sponsored debates and talks with the Academy of the South Pacific program of the Ministry of Regional Affairs. It’s ideally a responsibility for a Minister of World Assembly Affairs, but until we sort out the Cabinet reforms currently being discussed in the Assembly, I will gladly spearhead an initiative as Delegate. No matter what happens, I will put my full efforts behind it.
Finally, I’ve learned just how important the Delegate is, merely as a greeter, directing new players to the appropriate guides or answering their questions about how to join the World Assembly. As Delegate, I’ve become used to having at least two new telegrams in my inbox every single morning — that’s something I really did not expect. I take responding to those telegrams very seriously, always trying to find the right balance of to-the-pointness, completeness, and levity. And at its heart, that’s what the Delegacy boils down to: a friendly but always straightforward face, a thoughtful but always open mind, and a strong but always willing heart. Add a biscuit, and there you have an Aumeltopia. 🍪