Has the Curia become boring?

[Elrond]

This might be more suitable for the Symposium but I am not sure so I have posted it here.

Perhaps its just be but have things got more boring over the past few months? There has been no controversy and very little action on anything. I struggled to think of controversial stuff in the past 6 months and the best I could think of is 'The Concilium Plebis affair' and the 4 page thread on Sim and Hotspurs decision to implement the hidden votes script. By the standards of the Curia that is incredibly little controversy for 6 months. Hotspur has certainly brought stability which I think was needed at the time but is that necessarily the best for the Curia in the long term?

I think the answer to that is no - because controversy and Curial politics lead to more activity and usually more input from the Curia, I agree that sometimes things go to far - perhaps the time between The Black Prince's Vote Of No Confidence and mine is an example but the rest of the time I strongly believe that Controversy in the Curia has helped TWC. Generally it encourages people to enact new legislation on a specific issue and often legislation on something else that the person has never got around to proposing.

Curial politics and more specifically controversy helps to decrease what I believe is the Curia's biggest problem - Apathy. No one seems to give a dam about what goes on atm - if you write a long and impassioned defence of your opposition to anything people seem to think you are a little nuts or exaggerating things - no matter what the changes are.

Another thing I don't like is the Curia's current love of the Staff - They have done a reasonably good job but Garbs not the 2nd coming of Jesus - he and his staff makes mistakes and sometimes big mistakes. There is nothing wrong with the Curia offering constructive criticism and proposing bills that are against the current belief of staff - by suggesting what we think is best we are more likely to get the best result for the site. Nothing that the staff dislikes ever gets passed by the Curia - ever - there is no need for the staff to have a veto atm because if a couple of admins complain the bill gets dropped or doesn't get passed.

Allot of people seem to be happy with the fact that the curia never passes bills which the staff oppose - but think about it - that means that in most cases the Curia is just rubber stamping stuff which the staff would have introduced anyway. If these kind of bills are added to those which are just backing up suggestions made by non civs in the Q&S then we are left with very few pieces of real legislation from the Curia and I think the site is much worse off when the Curia isnt contributing to all the site - both the CC and TW sections.

If you have bothered to read this string of conciousness then your nuts, anyway I feel better now I have got that off my chest.

[Justinian]

No. It doesn't take instability and downright insanity to make the Curia interesting, and I'll take the current Curia under Hotspur's leadership and stability over the Curia that was a mess and had people at eachother's throats for no good reason. We've earned this stability, and I would personally like it to continue. We get more useful changes done without all the petty squabbling, what's not to like?

The government aspect of the Curia is what makes it entertaining, not needless politics and childish fights.

[Elrond]

No. It doesn't take instability and downright insanity to make the Curia interesting, and I'll take the current Curia under Hotspur's leadership and stability over the Curia that was a mess and had people at eachother's throats for no good reason. We've earned this stability, and I would personally like it to continue. We get more useful changes done without all the petty squabbling, what's not to like?

The government aspect of the Curia is what makes it entertaining, not needless politics and childish fights.

So another words your going to provide another 6 months of boring stability were nothing really happens or gets done. I don't agree with childishness but the curia being split is a sign that people care about what is going on - if there is no significant opposition to anything that people propose and that the staff does then the curia doesn't do anything - its just a rubber stamp. Some of the Curia's biggest successes have been when groups of people have worked against another group to get their own view to happen.

People go on about stability, working with staff and about how every one involved works so hard but without any fire in the soul of the curia its not going to do anything of value for the site. ffs it wont even do anything to do with the TW section any more because staff and the CB (now directly appointed by Hex) dont want the help - thats 5/6ths of the site that the Curia has no input to.

Stability is useful but its not everything - its only clung to because its all the Curia has at the moment.

[GrnEyedDvl]

No. It doesn't take instability and downright insanity to make the Curia interesting, and I'll take the current Curia under Hotspur's leadership and stability over the Curia that was a mess and had people at eachother's throats for no good reason. We've earned this stability, and I would personally like it to continue. We get more useful changes done without all the petty squabbling, what's not to like?

Completely agree. There doesnt have to be constant fighting for things to get done. Several good bills were passed, high on my list would be the Magistrate elections that actually gives the Curia a bit of control over the Tribunal. That is something that I believe will end up being fairly productive. And all done without a huge fight.

[Aldgarkalaughskel]

Perhaps its just be but have things got more boring over the past few months? There has been no controversy and very little action on anything. I struggled to think of controversial stuff in the past 6 months and the best I could think of is 'The Concilium Plebis affair' and the 4 page thread on Sim and Hotspurs decision to implement the hidden votes script. By the standards of the Curia that is incredibly little controversy for 6 months. Hotspur has certainly brought stability which I think was needed at the time but is that necessarily the best for the Curia in the long term?

I'm new here, so I can't really make a valid comparison. I don't think the Curia would need controversy, as controversy always implies that someone(s) get offended, and TWC becomes an unpleasant place to be for them. But of course controversy (or rather contradiction) is inherent in 'politics'.

I think the answer to that is no - because controversy and Curial politics lead to more activity and usually more input from the Curia, I agree that sometimes things go to far - perhaps the time between The Black Prince's Vote Of No Confidence and mine is an example but the rest of the time I strongly believe that Controversy in the Curia has helped TWC. Generally it encourages people to enact new legislation on a specific issue and often legislation on something else that the person has never got around to proposing.

If you are referring to 'contradiction' or 'dispute' rather than 'controversy', I agree, it is absolutely necessary. Differing opinions, if suitably expressed, lead to the exchange of views, and a better comprehension of the subject. Only dictatorships lack the plurality of public opinions.

Curial politics and more specifically controversy helps to decrease what I believe is the Curia's biggest problem - Apathy. No one seems to give a dam about what goes on atm - if you write a long and impassioned defence of your opposition to anything people seem to think you are a little nuts or exaggerating things - no matter what the changes are.

I'd rather say, that some citizens are reluctant to voice their opinions in certain matters, for a variety of reasons.

Another thing I don't like is the Curia's current love of the Staff - They have done a reasonably good job but Garbs not the 2nd coming of Jesus - he and his staff makes mistakes and sometimes big mistakes. There is nothing wrong with the Curia offering constructive criticism and proposing bills that are against the current belief of staff - by suggesting what we think is best we are more likely to get the best result for the site. Nothing that the staff dislikes ever gets passed by the Curia - ever - there is no need for the staff to have a veto atm because if a couple of admins complain the bill gets dropped or doesn't get passed.

As far as I know, the Curia is only an advisory body to the TWC 'government', therefore they are not and can't be equal. But I agree, if one of the higher authorities shows his displeasure about a proposal, most certainly it will get butchered.

Allot of people seem to be happy with the fact that the curia never passes bills which the staff oppose - but think about it - that means that in most cases the Curia is just rubber stamping stuff which the staff would have introduced anyway. If these kind of bills are added to those which are just backing up suggestions made by non civs in the Q&S then we are left with very few pieces of real legislation from the Curia and I think the site is much worse off when the Curia isnt contributing to all the site - both the CC and TW sections.

The problem may be, that there are not too much issues left to propose, but I'm not sure in this. Maybe with the ETW release, we'll all get enthusiastic, and a fresh breeze will sweep through the air, encouraging the Curial activity.

[Halie Satanus]

PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPP!!

That's the sound I make after a big blow out at the local greasy spoon, by unhappy coincidence it's also the sound that I hear whenever I sense nonsense going down in the Curia, you can't imagine my relief when I realised it was your thread and not my arse that made that noise this time.

phew.

[Pontifex Maximus]

How would it get spiced up? Controversy?

[Garbarsardar]

I think that the Curia is an extremely conservative body when it comes to the vote. Just browse the last bunch of voting. And think that the minority of the Curia that interacts in this sub forum is even smaller then the usual voting minority.

[Desperado †]

I am but a sappling beside trees here, so I can't give my judgment on whether it is 'boring' in comparisson to past times. But I would almost call it boring, or at least, tired, so it seems. Perhaps it was my overall enthusiasm of becoming a Citizen, but I had expected a bit more.... activity.

Perhaps I'm young, or radical, or like I said still not really rooted here, but I would, like Elrond, like to see some more 'controversy'. A bit more of a diffrence in the 'political' spectrum so to say.

More 'Controversy'/Hot Debates = More Activity in the Curia = Overall Better TWC

It can just be dissheartening when the suggestion part of the Q&S is almost more active than the Prothalamos.

[Aldgarkalaughskel]

It can just be dissheartening when the suggestion part of the Q&S is almost more active than the Prothalamos.

I beg to differ that it would be disheartening. The Q&S thread should always be more active, as any member can post his ideas there. Even those who are unattached to Curial politics, thus approach things with a different aspect. More members = more ideas = better for the site.

If it's a good and reliazible idea, it has a good chance to pass the Curia vote. I had 3 Q&S proposals (as a non-citizen) that were taken up by Gaius Baltar and B. Ward, and passed by the Curia, without a single modification. Therefore I will always regard the Q&S as a community idea generator, that has unexhaustible resources.

[Legio]

Nah, it isn't boring to me. There are just a few less controversial proposals nowadays.

[Augustus Lucifer]

Un-suppressible...urge.....to....VonC.....myself.....must.....resist......agh

[Garnier]

No, I don't really care for Curial drama.

The Symposium is livlier than I've ever seen it, when I became a citizen basically NO ONE posted in there..

There's not much wrong right now, so why do we need change?

[Calvin]

I would say it has fallen grandly into useless. Therefore boring.

[Trax]

Let's VonC Hotspur for being boring!

Elrond for Curator!

Click to view content: 

Then we can VonC him for being Elrond!

[Empress Meg]

I think they key to reviving the Curia is to create more medals. We need many, many more. My eyes grow bored with seeing only a half dozen or so. I'm ashamed that there are currently only 5 discussions in proposal for new medals. Disappointing gents, disappointing.

More medals!

Devoirs The Empress

[Augustus Lucifer]

I think they key to reviving the Curia is to create more medals. We need many, many more. My eyes grow bored with seeing only a half dozen or so. I'm ashamed that there are currently only 5 discussions in proposal for new medals. Disappointing gents, disappointing.

More medals!

Devoirs The Empress

Seconded. And this thread is boring, it should be purged, definitely not helping matters on the boring index.

[therussian]

It's always been boring except for the moments of TWC drama that pop up from time to time.

[Каие]

It took me ages to get here, and now I am disappointed at the low traffic around here.

[Father Jack]

Im bored. Lets start a Concilium Plebis style coup and then behead Garb and staff by using a guillotine.