NationStates Jolt Archive

Why is it that Harry Potter, a real world book, is allowed to be a nation's issue? I proposed a resolution at the UN which seemed to be gaining ground fast but it was thrown out because it had a real world reference in it, and a mod told me two more strikes and I'm out of the UN. I personally think it's bogus. I think it would only be fair to remove the reference to Harry Potter, or re-instate my proposal.

Well not knowing the text of your proposal i can only surmise you had "real Life" references beyond the title of the Book. I know the "Harry Potter" issue well as ive been here long enough to see it recycled through my Issues several times and it mentions the name of the book and little else. Like wise dolphins exist and mice and i can read a paper in my nation called the Times.

If your proposal has indeed had no other RL referencing to the book in question i cant see why it would be striken from the approval queue and would be interested in why?

And just so you know, You are posting in the wrong forum with your question.
Try this link!

Moderators forum! Post here if you have a question for the Mods! (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=1&f=1231)

Veneral Libertarians Mice are particularly fond of the Broadsheets rather than the tabloid muck! :D YAY beat the smartasses to it!

Real World references exist all the time - the mere fact we write our resolutions in English is proof of this fact. We refer to dictionaries, we talk about homosexuals and transgenders, discrimination, etc - these are all real life references (for we could redefine all these words if that wasn't the case). I think it would be far from unreasonable to assume that somewhere amongst the 130k nations, there's a book that for some reason sounds and is written a heck of a lot like a real world book we call Harry Potter (and is, coincidentally, named the same thing). However, for that issue - the name of the book is less important than the implications of that issue. Do you ban a book because it contains "witchcraft" and could be dangerous for children to have since it possesses "Dark Magic" or whatever other crap they throw out? Or do you believe everyone has a right to be heard and to write what they want - no matter how extreme it is. Let no thought be unheard - and let no book be burned?

MOST Real Life references in resolutions, however, are making it so that the real life reference becomes relevant - or it is a simple impossibility for that real life reference to be applicable to this world. The former is normally in the form of "Such and such a group" or "statistics" or other real life references where you're referencing or making your resolution either have a major argument or major action regarding something that's a real life reference. The latter scenario is more often....a geographic or political personna person. There might be a George Bush or Tony Blair leading such and such a country - but they didn't have a war against Iraq using the United States of America and the United Kingdom for Iraqi oil (or terrorists or WMDs or whatever) and oust Saddam Hussein (who is very unlikely to be in charge of any country that's not trying to BS their way through the game). On that same note, Africa is not chalk full of third world nations that need debt relief anymore than North America or Canada is.

If you posted your proposal, I could explain it in specifics to your proposal - but here I just expanded on the rules listed in the "proposal submission rules"

It could also be because the issues and the UN are two separate parts of the game and operate under different rules.

You will get issues all the time that contradict passed UN resolutions such as the abortion issue and the gay marriage one. While a UN nation is bound under all passed resolutions, you can also choose an issue option that is the complete opposite. Confusing I know but it does make the game more interesting :).

Harry Potter was part of the original 30 issues, written by Max for his 'little advertising game' that he thought might attract a couple hundred members before quietly dying. There are a number of real-world issues and resolutions from those days, and some others were removed when the site migrated to Jolt. It's simply not worth the code changes to fix them all (on a free game, mind you).

The rules have evolved over time, first with the advent of moderation staff 9 months into the game, and later as curcumstances dictate. The "no real world reference" rule has been in place since Sept 2003. It's in the proposal rules. There is a link to the proposal rules on the proposal page. There are multiple mentions of UN rules and proposal rules in the FAQ, including links to the old rules (which prominently feature a link to the new rules).

Your complaint seems to be that "since I saw Harry Potter in the game, I don't need to read the rules". Well, tough. You do. Your proposal can have the real life reference removed, and you can resubmit it. Chances are it won't hurt your vote total in the slightest.

~ Frisbeeteria ~
NationStates Game Moderator
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