NationStates Jolt Archive

I have a question:

First off I have been warned that if I submit one more "inappropriate" proposal I am out of the UN. I want to know why...

My First Proposal Dealt with Human Rights and Equal Pay for all humans and I was told that was illegal, I didn't get that. But how was I supposed to know not to post a proposal trying to repeal another proposal, it doesn't say that on the UN Proposal Don't List on the Submit a Proposal, could you please help because every time I submit a proposal a MOD seems to deem it unfit for the category, and I don't even know why!

Thanks,
Turetel

I'm gonna say this normally before someone else yells it. Theres a list somewhere of things which are and aren't appropriate for the UN. I'll find it if you give me a sec.

As the Moderator who seems most heavily involved in regulating UN Proposals, it is my duty to codify the rules governing proposals. All nations thinking about making proposals at the United Nations should make very certain that they understand this thread before posting their proposal.

The white-haired Enodian delegate rises and addresses the Assembly.
Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the pioneering work of the nation of Reason and Compassion. This nation was the first to attempt a "UN Proposal FAQ" and much of this explanation is based on this FAQ. (original FAQ at http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=68349)

To begin with, what purpose does a UN proposal have? Simply put, a UN Proposal is designed to promote a particular political agenda. If it is passed and becomes a Resolution, the statistics of all member nations will be altered in accordance with the Category - NOT the description - of the proposal.
Proposals can and do cover all manner of agendas. However, there are three broad categories of proposal which will always be removed from the queue before they become able to be voted on by the general membership of the United Nations. These three categories are:

1. Suggestions for how to change the game mechanics
2. Proposals in which the category and the description do not match
3. Proposals which are deemed unworthy of UN consideration

Now, to explain these three categories in detail:
Game Mechanics
"We should make it so that all UN Members can vote on proposals before they reach the floor", "We should be able to vote on 2 proposals at once", "The UN should create <multinational organisation>". All of these proposals propose changes to the Game Mechanics governing the running of NationStates.
I cannot stress this enough, You Cannot Play God Here. Your proposal may well be a useful change to the way the game works, and a few changes to the game (ejection of nations from regions, proposal search function) had their genesis in proposals. The bottom line is that they were not adopted because of the successful passage of a proposal, and neither will your suggestion be.

Category and Description not matching
Some proposals which get deleted for this reason are exceedingly Orwellian, most are just disturbing. Simply put, pay attention to your proposal's category and prevent it from being different to the description. A classic example here is the "Human Rights" category. Proposals here are automatically "A resolution to improve worldwide human and civil rights" - with the key word being "worldwide".
As a result, a proposal saying "we should kill all the gays" (yes, it comes up) listed under "Human Rights" is going to be deleted. If you have to ask why, I'm rather worried, but I'll explain briefly: To quote Brooke Shields, "If you're dead, you've lost a very important part of your life". In other words, a proposal to improve worldwide human rights will not do that if it involves killing off a section of the worldwide humans.

Not Worthy of the UN's Consideration
This is rather a subjective thing and the good news is that it's only used very rarely. A classic example of a proposal which gets deleted under this rule is "We propose that the UN declare war on <nation>." While the role of the real-world UN might involve warfare and the waging thereof, it isn't for this body to fight wars.

In addition to these three rules, there has evolved a considerable body of what may be termed "Case Law" on the issue. The nation of Kandarin has kindly furnished me with a series of principles I have applied over the past months. I will list each one and explain its use in practice:

1. Offensive Proposal
This is a nice and easy one to run through. Again, killing gays or burning Jews is obviously going to fail at this hurdle - no matter what political agenda you might follow.

2. Game Mechanics Proposal
We've been down this street previously. Thankfully, they're becoming slightly less prevalent at the moment. It is important to notice, however, that proposals to repeal other resolutions are Game Mechanics Changes. This is because you are effectively asking for the statistics of your nation to be re-set to what they were before the proposal was passed - given that statistics are a part of the Game Mechanics, that's what you want changed. Also, proposals about the UN not being allowed to infringe on "national sovereignty" are Game Mechanics things as well - clearly the UN can infringe on whatever it wants because the option to make such proposals exists.

3. Joke Proposals
Every now and then someone decides that making a pun about something (usually "The Right to Arm Bears" or "The Right to Bare Arms") would be clever. Beyond the fact that these jokes have appeared at least 25 times each in the proposal queue, the fact that they're not serious proposals will have them deleted.

4. Real-Life Proposals
George W Bush, John Ashcroft, Tony Blair and so on don't exist here. Feel free to argue for or against their actions on the General forum, but don't try to get the UN to sanction or promote them.

5. Duplicate Proposals
Sometimes you'll make the same proposal twice in a row - whether by accident or for your own strange purposes. If this happens, at least one of them gets deleted - more if they're breaking other rules or blatantly spam.

6. Category-VS-Description Clash
In all honesty, Eric Arthur "George Orwell" Blair would be amazed at some of the tortured syntax you guys can come up with to sneak things past the unsuspecting public. Unfortunately, I have some legal training and a good dictionary sitting next to my computer so don't try anything fancy in the fine print. The corollary to this is: always make certain your proposal makes sense grammatically and in terms of spelling - we're not prepared to "translate" bad spelling to see if it makes the proposal work.

7. Repeals and Amendments
This is mentioned in the Game Mechanics section, but since people keep doing it I'm making it more emphasised - you may NOT submit proposals that seek to repeal or amend earlier resolutions.

8. Copied Proposals
There's no point in submitting a proposal that has already been made a resolution. So don't do it.

So much for the reasoning behind killing off proposals. Allow me also to dedicate a few words to the question of what happens "when Mods attack" over this issue.
First and foremost, the proposal is deleted. Secondly, you will be issued a telegram recommending you read the information on UN Proposals. If you still can't work out where you went wrong, telegram Enodia and enquire - politely - what the problem is. I can't stress enough that you are more likely to receive a sympathetic hearing if you ask "I am unsure what was wrong with my proposal "blablabla", can you please explain it?" instead of "You st00pid Mod. I R TEH 733T HAX0R and I will n00k j00 4 TIHS."
At the same time as this telegram is sent, you will have a "warning" recorded in relation to your nation. The third warning for posting inappropriate proposals will result in your ejection from the UN. If you happen to have two inappropriate proposals found in the same UN sweep, that's 2 warnings - woe betide those who have 3 at the same sweep.

Under certain circumstances you will be removed from the UN earlier. Generally, this punishment is only used for proposals deemed so disgusting that stronger action is mandated. Of course, if you happen to be found out as a multi after being picked up for inappropriate proposals, you will be removed from these chambers before your feet even touch the ground. In addition, nations deemed to be disobeying the mod warning run the risk of being ejected as well - such nations are those who simply re-submit the same proposal after having it explained to them why it is inappropriate. It also goes without saying that any offences in this game are cumulative, ergo someone with previous warnings for spamming who then posts inappropriate proposals is more likely to be ejected.

My apologies for the length of this explanation, but it is an issue which needs clarification. The Assembly is welcome to return to its prior business.

He sits, to a prolonged round of applause as befits the Father of the House.

Addendum: New Schedule of Proposal Offences
There are now two types of Proposal Offences, Minor Offences and Flagrant Offences. 3 Minor Offences will get you removed from the UN, while 1 Flagrant Offence is enough.

Flagrant Offences
1. Radical changes to Game Mechanics - including but not limited to the following: setting up parallel UNs, Security Councils etc; allowing individual nations to decide whether or not to abide by resolutions; repeal proposals or proposals supporting the repeal of past resolutions.
2. Racist or otherwise "bigoted" proposals - including but not limited to the following: advocating the killing of any minority groups or deportation of same to other locales.
3. Other highly offensive proposals - to be decided upon on a case-by-case basis.

Minor Offences
1. Minor game mechanics changes - where not covered above.
2. Incorrect categorisation of proposal.
3. Proposal not worthy of UN's consideration.
4. Real-world-based proposal.
5. Pathetic joke proposals - including but not limited to "against dihydrogen oxide" and "the right to arm bears".
6. Copied Proposals.
7. Amendment proposals.

If its on the forums I can't view it. It keeps saying "Not able to display page."

Though that still doesn't explain how a Proposal to fix Pay for all Humans (in the Human Right Category) doesn't count toward human rights.

Your proposal was deleted because it was for the repealing the 40 hour workweek issue. Not allowed.


http://www.satanstephen.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/DrChaotica.jpg (http://www.satanstephen.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/taunt1.mp3)
Myrth
Ruler of the Cosmos
Forum Moderator

Okay, but I am still lost at where that is listed other then the forums, I have not been able to view the forum one so I go off the Submit a Proposal Sheet, is their any link other then the one that is connected to UN Rules but not from the UN page?

Also by Spoffins post what Rule did I violate?

Sorry for being so thick-headed I just can't view the UN Sheet and now that I am I am confused.

Also by Spoffins post what Rule did I violate?

Sorry for being so thick-headed I just can't view the UN Sheet and now that I am I am confused.Well, I can't answer that, cos I don't know what your proposal was.

My proposal was to make equal pay no matter what Race, Sex, Background, etc. if the people had the same degree.

It's all in this thread: http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=77286

My proposal was to make equal pay no matter what Race, Sex, Background, etc. if the people had the same degree.But I need to know the exact (or close to exact) text to tell you what was wrong with it.

It's all in this thread: http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=77286

Thanks Myrth.

My proposal was to make equal pay no matter what Race, Sex, Background, etc. if the people had the same degree.But I need to know the exact (or close to exact) text to tell you what was wrong with it.
Someting like this:

I propose that no matter what race, sex, religion, background, or lifestyle that a person with the same degree gets paid equal to that of someone else with the same degree. Ex: A White Male earns 80 USD a Day with A Masters while a White Femal earns 60 USD a day with a Masters. In general my proposal is to make equal pay based no matter what.

My proposal was to make equal pay no matter what Race, Sex, Background, etc. if the people had the same degree.But I need to know the exact (or close to exact) text to tell you what was wrong with it.
Someting like this:

I propose that no matter what race, sex, religion, background, or lifestyle that a person with the same degree gets paid equal to that of someone else with the same degree. Ex: A White Male earns 80 USD a Day with A Masters while a White Femal earns 60 USD a day with a Masters. In general my proposal is to make equal pay based no matter what.Its possible then that you put it in the wrong category, like "gun control" as opposed to "social justice"

Put I clearly stated it was Human Rights, for the good of all Human Rights.

Put I clearly stated it was Human Rights, for the good of all Human Rights.

Things like equal pay are more of an economic nature and are classified as "Social Justice", which deals with the rich-poor divide. Minimum wages/equal wages fits in nicely there, in my opinion.

--The Modifeid Democratic States of Cogitation

There should be a list on the UN page giving guidelines to submitting proposals. You have to see the conditions of making proposals by finding it on the forum and that makes it difficult to see what is accepted or not.

I too, have been sent a notice stating that if I sent in another unsuitable proposal I would be ejected from the UN. Rather than add anything constructive as to where I should submit such suggestions I am issued a threat. Big deal.

Put I clearly stated it was Human Rights, for the good of all Human Rights.

Things like equal pay are more of an economic nature and are classified as "Social Justice", which deals with the rich-poor divide. Minimum wages/equal wages fits in nicely there, in my opinion.

--The Modifeid Democratic States of Cogitation

My bad.

There should be a list on the UN page giving guidelines to submitting proposals. You have to see the conditions of making proposals by finding it on the forum and that makes it difficult to see what is accepted or not.

I too, have been sent a notice stating that if I sent in another unsuitable proposal I would be ejected from the UN. Rather than add anything constructive as to where I should submit such suggestions I am issued a threat. Big deal.

It's linked directly on the proposal submission page.

There should be a list on the UN page giving guidelines to submitting proposals. You have to see the conditions of making proposals by finding it on the forum and that makes it difficult to see what is accepted or not.

I too, have been sent a notice stating that if I sent in another unsuitable proposal I would be ejected from the UN. Rather than add anything constructive as to where I should submit such suggestions I am issued a threat. Big deal.

It's linked directly on the proposal submission page.

[Emphasis mine.]

He's saying that the rules link leads to a forum page, and that the forums are frequently non-responsive.

--The Democratic States of Cogitation