NationStates Jolt Archive

As an initial matter, I would like to thank the Moderation Team for bringing an important matter (both for NS and RL) to my attention. I am referring, of course, to the following telegram sent to me on May 6, 3005:

NationStates Moderators
Received: 85 minutes ago RE: Your thread here:
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=8822170&posted=1#post8822170

HUNT MASTER, it is the opinion of several of the Mods that offering a cash prize for playing a game may qualify as illegal under certain national gambling laws. As such, we're going to ask you to remove mention of this offer on NationStates.

As to the game itself, you should have permission from the Founder (if living) or Delegate (if no founder) if you are effectively encouraging your players to spam their regional boards. If we get Moderation requests due to how this game is set up, we'll be looking not just at Hunt nations but also puppetmasters. Make sure you abide by game rules, please.

You may appeal this via the usual channels (Getting Help Page, Moderation Forum, or e-mailing the Admins).

______________________________________

As a result of this telegram, I have posted a message to participating Hunter nations terminating the award of a cash prize for victory in the Hunts. Additionally, I am taking steps to notify the delegates/founders of those regions through which the GTH 7 intends to travel of the event and seeking their permission. This applies, of course, only to those regions not specifically created by GTH organizers for purposes of the Hunt.

The idea behind the Hunt is neither to harass, annoy or spam the visited regions. Rather, it was conceived as a way to assist regions large and small with advertising and recruiting efforts. As the Delegates and Founders of many, many regions in the game (Texas, Wysteria, 10000 Islands, The Exodus, etc.) can tell you, I am careful about promoting their regions during Hunt announcements, and do not suggest that Hunters post messages in any region other than the final "prize" region. I did not anticipate (as I clearly should have) that this would constitute "spamming;" either through the posts in the final region or through the effect on the regional happenings register vis a vis the travel of the Hunters. I do apologize for this honest oversight.

All of the visited regions have accepted and greeted the Hunters warmly, and have even volunteered their services as sponsors of future Hunts (to the extent that the Moderator Team sees fit to allow this event to continue.) The GTH has grown in popularity, and I do not want to do anything to jeopardize the standing of any of the Hunter nations or Hunt organizers as a result of this activity. If it is the desire of the Moderator Team that the Hunts be discontinued, I will immediately abide by this directive.

I would ask, however, that the GTH planned for Saturday, May 7th (GTH 7) be allowed to contine (without the award of the prize, of course.) I ask this only due to the tremendous effort the sponsoring region of MORDOR has made in planning for this Hunt. The lead sponsor (the nation of Arjuntonia) and his team have identified clue regions, the prize region and created wonderful clues for the GTH Hunters to solve, and have worked overtime fine-tuning the event. It would be a shame to allow such effort to go to waste.

With your permission, I would like to conduct GTH 7. I will refrain from further Hunts until a decision has been made by the Team (the usual GTH rotation is every two weeks, but I will of course hold off until a decision has been reached.) If GTH 7 is to be cancelled, please let me know ASAP so that I may inform the nations in Mordor.

Thank You, again, for notifying me of this problem, and for taking the time to review this situation.

----HM

BUMP (only because GTH 7 is set to begin in just over 24 hours.)

You could also just go on IRC and talk to the mods in #themodcave.

The idea of a game-within-the-game is fine, as long as you're not spamming the regional boards with advertising. If all the players need to do is visit the region (without moving through it), I can't see any problem with it at all.

If they have to move to each region to stay in the game, then there becomes a possibility of Regional Happenings spam. However, this isn't really that much of a factor unless it's a single player doing the spamming.

I'm not a game mod, so I can't approve or disapprove of this game. I am a Forum mod, and you've adequately addressed my prior Forums concern of promoting illegal activities by offering a cash prize. Unless a GM says otherwise, I think you can safely go ahead with your Hunt.

Thank You for the swift reply, Moderator Fris. I will also follow Tuesday Height's suggestion (thank you, as well) and contact the game moderators (Moderator Cogitation is the only one I know of.)

You are correct about the regional happenings issue, of course. We've never had any complaints (the regional natives seem to actually enjoy watching the Hunt,) but I'd better check this one closely.

Thanks again, Moderator Fris and Tuesday Heights.


----HM

Go for it. Take reasonable actions to keep it from bothering people. If it's a problem, we just won't permit it again.

As long as you make a good faith effort to "be nice", I doubt that there will be any problems.

dude!there has been 7 Hunts So Far and now all of a sudden you guys are worring about it?!

its a game!of course people wont think they will win 200 dollars or win 50 dollars,do you know what its called?ROLE PLAY,dang,we cant even do that now

its a game!of course people wont think they will win 200 dollars or win 50 dollars
If the prize were $50 million, I wouldn't have blinked. That would be nation-level roleplay, and I never would have given it a second thought.

At $200 US, that sounds like a possible legitimate cash prize for playing a game, which counts as a lottery in my US state. Local schools can't do that, my ball team can't do that, my caving group can't do that, without being registered by the state as a lottery. This is a common law in the US, and as such, the offer appears to be illegal in certain jurisdictions. This has the potential to cause problems for site owner Max Barry, and as such we needed it dealt with.

Since all that is needed to resolve the problem is for HUNT MASTER to edit his post (which he did), it's done. I don't know why you are making a fuss about it at this point, since everyone else is satisfied.

If the prize were $50 million, I wouldn't have blinked. That would be nation-level roleplay, and I never would have given it a second thought.

At $200 US, that sounds like a possible legitimate cash prize for playing a game, which counts as a lottery in my US state. Local schools can't do that, my ball team can't do that, my caving group can't do that, without being registered by the state as a lottery. This is a common law in the US, and as such, the offer appears to be illegal in certain jurisdictions. This has the potential to cause problems for site owner Max Barry, and as such we needed it dealt with.

Since all that is needed to resolve the problem is for HUNT MASTER to edit his post (which he did), it's done. I don't know why you are making a fuss about it at this point, since everyone else is satisfied.how s this a problem if the site is hosted in the uk? i thought the law was where the server was was the law for actions on it?

i thought the law was where the server was was the law for actions on it?
Internet law is still grappling with the concepts of jurisdiction. If the site is viewed in a computer in the US, and the material is transmitted via an ISP located in a US state, then that state could conceivably claim jurisdiction and cite Max for civil or criminal actions. I'm not saying a given state in the US could win such an action, but it would still be annoying and possibly expensive to Max.

Given that none of us are pro bono internet lawyers, we'll always choose to err on the side of caution when it comes to illegal activites.

Jake 4, its not roleplay, theres actually a $50 dollar prize. Don't comment unless you actually no what the discussions about.

- Gere

Jake 4, its not roleplay, theres actually a $50 dollar prize. Don't comment unless you actually no what the discussions about.

Gere, there's no prize, because the moderators said it was a no go. Don't comment unless you actually no what the discussion's about. ;)

There WAS a prize, (even though there now isn't) and Jake 4 was saying that there wasn't. Can you understand that?

I though you Left anyway? Something about sorting out real life?

Well, if you would've read through the entire thread, not just stopping at Jake 4's post, you would've realized that you were in the wrong. ;) I guess people just can't be bothered reading entire threads anymore.

What I do with my life is none of your business, I'm back, leave it at that.

I know theres no Prize anymore, See my above thread, I'll just be repeating myself.

Im so glad your back to. You were deeply missed by everyone, really.