FUDD: Fear, Uncertainty, Distraction, and Denial
Day 4,576, 07:12
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Published in USA 
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by
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by PigInZen
These Articles Start from Comments
I started seriously publishing again after realizing that my comments to other articles weren't getting the widespread attention that I hoped. Rather than pigeonhole comments I figured that it would be more effective to put them in my paper. I wasn't wrong.
Dispelling Myths about the eUSA Forums
The long-stated purpose for providing the forums is to give eUSA players a stable place to collaborate in a constructive manner to further in-game goals. The eUSA Forums have been solely paid for by me and hosted with the same hosting service, with the same domain name (again, owned by me, solely) since late 2010. The two reasons why I retain sole ownership are simple: the game is volatile (many people don't stick around long) and to provide stability and security. Only I can access the server behind the forum. Only I can access the database containing some personal information. There's a good reason for that - to provide continuity and ensure that no one messes with it or uses it for personal reasons.
The Forums as an Object of Controversy
There's a reason why certain players accuse me of not being "fair" or being abusive, and that's to further their own in-game political objectives. They're not interested in collaborative, constructive play, nor in actually verifying anything. They'd rather sew discord and distrust in order to exploit it.
This is very valuable. It's helpful as a political player to have a position from which to draw contrast. There has to be a reason to get people to give you their votes and what could be easier?
"Hey look at me, I'm a rebel and reject all of those forum elitists."
"Hey look at me, those players over at the forums are repressing us."
"Hey look at me, you don't need to try to accommodate others."
"Hey look at me, the forums are full of multis and cheaters."
These players aren't interested in helping, they're interested in exploiting.
The Forums as a Useful Tool
For example, political parties can use the forums to run primary elections and internal polls. I can offer several assurances to parties who wish to run secure poll:
1. Polls are a built-in feature of the forums.
2. Party subforums can be restricted to users with specific privileges (i.e., group membership access controls).
3. Votes can only be submitted via the forum GUI (there's no way to hack them).
4. Votes can be verified via the database.
5. Only one person can view the database (that's me).
In addition, I run a regular check of all accounts via the database. I am the only one with this ability and access. It is not possible to do via the forum software, although there are cross-reference checks available there. Using the forum is cumbersome and not easy and moderators and admins don't do it unless there's a report.
There are other advantages of using the forums. They allow you to identify yourself as a unique player. That's critical in building trust and to fight the use and exploitation of multiple accounts in-game.
A Bit About Me
All, I can be easily found in real life. I'm not some technomonster, using the forum for which I have personally paid for over 10 years, to control anything in game. It's ridiculous. I care about the the eUSA playing community and protecting their ability to have fun and play eRep, constructively and cooperatively. That's always been my position, even when Killing Time paid for the previous version of the eUS forums and I was just helping him run them. That was in 2009.
If you want to contact me and discuss your concerns I INVITE YOU TO DO SO. I might even have a phone conversation with you about it if you believe it's that important. Ask around. There are many people from eRep who know me personally in real life. I have a wife, four kids (two college aged), a career with ethical responsibilities. I take this all very seriously, including hosting the forum.
I will remove admins and mods who are abusive. I've done it before and will gladly do it again.
Final Editorial Comment
It's amazing to me that a known liar who openly lied about the death of his father in his eRepublik newspaper remains the party president of a Top 5 Party and is now running for Country President. It's shameful that people continue to support this player and the style of divisive play and demagoguery this player brings to the game and our community.
Dominar Rygel XVI has never explained his newspaper articles about the death of his father.
Dominar Rygel XVI didn't resign and instead ran for country president.
Dominar Rygel XVI claims that multis caused his loss in his own party's primary election.
There's a Soultion
Register for the forums. Use them. Don't allow disruptive and divisive players to exploit your uncertainty. Provide that certainty instead.
"Having resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the *other person* to die. --Carrie Fisher
This game isn't hard. Rule #1: don't be a dick. Rule #2: follow rule #1."
From Many, One.
E Pluribus Unum
PiZ
I started seriously publishing again after realizing that my comments to other articles weren't getting the widespread attention that I hoped. Rather than pigeonhole comments I figured that it would be more effective to put them in my paper. I wasn't wrong.
Dispelling Myths about the eUSA Forums
The long-stated purpose for providing the forums is to give eUSA players a stable place to collaborate in a constructive manner to further in-game goals. The eUSA Forums have been solely paid for by me and hosted with the same hosting service, with the same domain name (again, owned by me, solely) since late 2010. The two reasons why I retain sole ownership are simple: the game is volatile (many people don't stick around long) and to provide stability and security. Only I can access the server behind the forum. Only I can access the database containing some personal information. There's a good reason for that - to provide continuity and ensure that no one messes with it or uses it for personal reasons.
The Forums as an Object of Controversy
There's a reason why certain players accuse me of not being "fair" or being abusive, and that's to further their own in-game political objectives. They're not interested in collaborative, constructive play, nor in actually verifying anything. They'd rather sew discord and distrust in order to exploit it.
This is very valuable. It's helpful as a political player to have a position from which to draw contrast. There has to be a reason to get people to give you their votes and what could be easier?
"Hey look at me, I'm a rebel and reject all of those forum elitists."
"Hey look at me, those players over at the forums are repressing us."
"Hey look at me, you don't need to try to accommodate others."
"Hey look at me, the forums are full of multis and cheaters."
These players aren't interested in helping, they're interested in exploiting.
The Forums as a Useful Tool
For example, political parties can use the forums to run primary elections and internal polls. I can offer several assurances to parties who wish to run secure poll:
1. Polls are a built-in feature of the forums.
2. Party subforums can be restricted to users with specific privileges (i.e., group membership access controls).
3. Votes can only be submitted via the forum GUI (there's no way to hack them).
4. Votes can be verified via the database.
5. Only one person can view the database (that's me).
In addition, I run a regular check of all accounts via the database. I am the only one with this ability and access. It is not possible to do via the forum software, although there are cross-reference checks available there. Using the forum is cumbersome and not easy and moderators and admins don't do it unless there's a report.
There are other advantages of using the forums. They allow you to identify yourself as a unique player. That's critical in building trust and to fight the use and exploitation of multiple accounts in-game.
A Bit About Me
All, I can be easily found in real life. I'm not some technomonster, using the forum for which I have personally paid for over 10 years, to control anything in game. It's ridiculous. I care about the the eUSA playing community and protecting their ability to have fun and play eRep, constructively and cooperatively. That's always been my position, even when Killing Time paid for the previous version of the eUS forums and I was just helping him run them. That was in 2009.
If you want to contact me and discuss your concerns I INVITE YOU TO DO SO. I might even have a phone conversation with you about it if you believe it's that important. Ask around. There are many people from eRep who know me personally in real life. I have a wife, four kids (two college aged), a career with ethical responsibilities. I take this all very seriously, including hosting the forum.
I will remove admins and mods who are abusive. I've done it before and will gladly do it again.
Final Editorial Comment
It's amazing to me that a known liar who openly lied about the death of his father in his eRepublik newspaper remains the party president of a Top 5 Party and is now running for Country President. It's shameful that people continue to support this player and the style of divisive play and demagoguery this player brings to the game and our community.
Dominar Rygel XVI has never explained his newspaper articles about the death of his father.
Dominar Rygel XVI didn't resign and instead ran for country president.
Dominar Rygel XVI claims that multis caused his loss in his own party's primary election.
There's a Soultion
Register for the forums. Use them. Don't allow disruptive and divisive players to exploit your uncertainty. Provide that certainty instead.
"Having resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the *other person* to die. --Carrie Fisher
This game isn't hard. Rule #1: don't be a dick. Rule #2: follow rule #1."
From Many, One.
E Pluribus Unum
PiZ
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Comments
pertamaxxx
Is it so hard to understand, that it is wrong to run the game through the forum, where mata-laws are established, that override game mechanics and infringe on game-machanics?
Where in the game do you find any rule calls for blacklisting of players, censoring congressmen?
What game-mechanic is the basis of having an IES officer, that limits the rights of a congress representative?
Not to mention other fake positions, like the Speaker of the House, Head of CIA and other made-up nominations, that are used to enforce imaginary meta-laws onto the community.
Why should a virtual "constitution" that some players, now mostly dead players established in the past be binding for people playing the game now?
If you want to play an online game, where you and your folks can make the rules, go create one!
Take a chill pill and read my article again. I'm not pushing for Congress' stupid rules. I'm arguing for an external verification system to correct endemic issues in the game. But sure, grind your f'n axe about stuff that really doesn't matter.
So all this I have written about doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that people register on your forum is to establish it as an "external verification system".
Good to know.
And I'll post this here again, because you didn't seem to find it:
How about that time when Colin placed an add on the form boards asking forum members, that don't play the game anymore, but frequent the forums, for their eRepublik login data, in order to use their accounts for farming purposes, running them with his scripts on his dedicated server?
You sure didn't have an issue with that.
It' laughable that you now are putting on a mask of rightfulness and ask people to trust you to "help" out with the hunt for multies.
You're just disgusting beyond belief, so please, shut up.
I saw that post and I don't enforce game rules - that's for the admin to enforce. I, along with the moderation staff, enforce forum rules. Show me where posting that is against the forum rules.
What is super interesting about your little tantrum about Colin is that you would have almost no way of knowing about any of it had IT NOT BEEN FOR THE FORUM. Almost all the information about others that you so freely throw around comes from, guess where... that's right folks: THE FORUM! You're a hypocrite AP. Just go away.
So, let me summarize: you don't enforce the game rules, but you hunt mulies through the registration process, ergo you enforce game rules. Don't try to spin it!
And yes, when your friends use your forum-platform to establish a system of grande-cheating, you turn a blind eye. Terrific!
And no Molly, I'm certainly not an hypocrite, I'm just exposing the hypocrisy of your friend and the shady dealings going on there.
You've done a very nice job of illustrating how forum can be an important tool for finding out dishonest players. Seems you, yourself, have found out some nefarious plot. Now it's up to you to do something about it. It's not PiZ's responsibility. You are the one that seems to have a problem with it, so I assume you have some solution.
The forum is not an important tool. It could be a nice expansion to the game, if it would be run independently by people who have high ethical standards that don't abuse their power'. But this is not the case, it's the complete opposite. The "Collin affair" proofs it.
It's not my job and neither am I interested in bringing cheaters like Colin to justice, beyond reporting suspicious accounts in game. Therefore I don't need the forum, a look at his MU is enough.
PigInZen showed that he will use his forum privileges against players he doesn't like, even contact people in real life in order to confirm someones identity. But when the cheaters are his friends, he will do nothing. He will even allow them to use the forum boards for their nefarious purposes.
He's like Pontius Pilatus, he washes his hands clean.
I'm quite impressed with the devious and supreme nature of this character you've created. You do realize that I've spent consecutive YEARS away from both the forum and the game, right? That's why despite joining the game in 2009 I'm not a supertank?
There are very few people in the world I dislike. That's not who I am. In fact, there's probably room in my world for you and I to become friends, if you were willing and your mind and heart were open to it.
You are always free to leave if you do not like it
I'm also free not to go there at all.
Exactly. So stay out and quit whining if you don’t want to participate
Maybe you could shut me up on the forum, but you can't shut me up in this game. Big difference.
Sure, have at it. Your whining is clearly your biggest accomplishment
You forgot:
Hey look at me, I think the game should be played on-site. It's ok. All is forgiven.
I for one can vouch for this in one aspect. I have been almost welcomed back to the forum. Quite unexpected. Im only a couple days in, still skeptical, but I have no complaints as of yet.
PiZ, I was definitely wrong about you. You've been a class act since I've been back, and I can admit when I'm wrong.
Thank you for that. ✌
I can totally respect those players that take this position. The Black Sheep never targeted the forum itself, rather the idea that the game should be played on the game site itself. That's a legitimate position in my view, albeit very limiting and leaves the community vulnerable to the exact issue I raise in this article: exploitation of the unknown.
Thank you for the comment, I've enjoyed getting to know you. And welcome to the forums.
No worries.
The irony being that you don't follow your own rule about not being a dick. You are always biased with an agenda. how many years do you let fight for have administrative privileges and defend him vigorously? You're no better than he is.
Let Pfeiffer*
Pfeiffer was stripped of admin privileges after I caught him reading other parties' sub boards. This happened long before he was finally banned from the forum for threatening another forum user's RL career.
And let me point out that Pfeiffer was extremely loyal to ME, in game. He supported me politically with everything I did. That wasn't enough to protect him when he acted unethically on the forums.
You, on the other hand, harassed forum goers in real life (Melissa Rose's daughter is only one exacmple), posted pornography, evaded timed bans by creating new accounts, all things against the stated forum rules. I won't even mention the vague allusions to something bad happening to my children that you made on numerous occasions.
It's hilarious that you think you have an ethical argument to make here.
supporting you in a game does not excuse his behavior. He also admitted to running botnets on more than one occasion. I don't remember you seen condemning him for using that tactic in this game. He threatened mine too. I don't see you calling him out the way you've done to me personally.
no that's not an example. Melissa Rose is a liar, and the story she is telling you and whoever else is not true at all. I did make those comments to you to get under your skin. I admit to that. however the other thing you mentioned is an outright lie. And I can't stand when people try to pass off fake stories as true. So stop saying it is when it isn't
I don't think you voting for him bans is unethical. It was funny at the time.
I find this comment hilarious and you personally sickening.
Of course in-game political support isn't justification for turning a blind eye. Thank you for agreeing with that, it's kinda my whole point. Honestly, I hate underhanded political bullshit. Always have, that's not how I roll. I confronted him on many occasions about it.
I have no proof of in-game botnets. I will not fight for things of which I have no proof.
You spoke of irony, accusing me of violating my stated ethos of not being a dick, yet admit to doing so yourself. Et tu?
He admitted to at least once on the forum and at least once on a radio show. You can probably ask him and he would probably admit it now. What Melissa told you is not right why. There was no truth to it whatsoever. So you should confront her about making up b******* to try and make herself look like a victim and to make me look worse. It's not true. Just because someone says something doesn't mean it's factual. In this case that applies
How about that time when Colin placed an add on the form boards asking forum members, that don't play the game anymore, but frequent the forums, for their eRepublik login data, in order to use their accounts for farming purposes, running them with his scripts on his dedicated server?
You sure didn't have an issue with that.
It' laughable that you now are putting on a mask of rightfulness and ask people to trust you to "help" out with the hunt for multies.
You're just disgusting beyond belief, so please, shut up.
Hey AP, Say hello to Rainy for me 😉
I just did. She asks if you need another screenshot, to make a fool out of yourself?
No, I'm good with the 1 I got. It will be enough to make sure you'll never get a PP position in any of the top 5 party for ever 🙂
I bet 10.000.000 cc that I can create a new party and bring it into the Top 5 as its party president!
Is the bet on?
before you make that bet, consider that multis don't count 😛
I remember hearing about that. It was when unity was most desperate against us, and he wanted to log in to everyone's account for votes. Classy guy!
They always cheated and played dirtier than us.... which is why the history of the eUS is the way it is.
Hey AP/Phil/Rosa/VT/etc/ect..
Looks like the meltdown is happening faster than I thought.
You useless asshat!
When they can't answer your questions, when they are defeated in the debates, they send the useless trolls. How nice.
https://i.imgur.com/UX3hD1y.png
Yeah
If WTP is serious about making sure multis don't vote in our primary, the forum is the best option.
o7
I don't like the eUSA forums because when I was active there as member of congress there was not a nice atmosphere. As I don't want my fun to be destroyed I stopped coming there. When by accident I will be elected in the congress I will be active again on the forums. It is very useful, it has the history of the eUSA and the admin is fair. I agree totally what is said in the article.
Thank you, Elmo. I will point out that I don't run the Congressional boards. Those boards are moderated by the Speaker of the House. Better leaders might resolve that problem.
Also many of Congress trolls have moved on to the great abyss of real life. It's still not great but it is much better than it was.
I can confirm that in my 9ish months on there that the congress boards mostly civil, there is the occasional dust up but that is to be expected in politics.
Congress organise itself I know. Good to see that it has improved a lot. 🙂
Also, while I do think Dom declaring himself the victor of the primary was premature, the idea that multis threw the vote wasn't a crazy one.
https://www.erepublik.com/en/citizen/profile/9577244
Looks like phil harmony strikes again.
that would honestly be my guess
I've always been hesitant about the 'meta' around here. I didn't join the forums forever, I hardly touch the Discords although I joined them a while ago, and I mostly ignore Telegram. I have had a view similar to what Harambe mentioned, and always thought too much of this game was decided in the meta to the loss of the purely in-game players. Although the shout feed is nice and could accomplish a lot of those 'meta' things, there are still issues that a fully-fledged forum does solve.
As you mention, the fear-mongering of all these 'meta' accusations (both sides; against WTP and claimed by WTP themselves) can never and will never be solved in-game. Simply put the admins don't care enough to enforce those rules accurately and completely in-game. Given that a 'primary' is already purely a meta construct, it makes sense to me that it should take advantage of the meta tools available to keep it pure.
I would be interested to hear some constructive argument from those opposed to the forum for being politically advantageous for you (which I personally can't agree with; I've played this game long enough and have never found you to be that type of player.) What would they offer as a compromise? What would be their solution to the multi problem? If they can't engage with that argument, then I can't take their accusation of their own primary being compromised seriously (especially since they keep claiming all of these shady dealings are happening behind closed doors and not once have I seen any solid, public evidence brought against any person in particular in any kind of article or other communication. They simply blacklist people from their primaries and overrule the results of their primaries with no public explanation besides 'just trust us.' Shady AF.)
We can all make the effort. This is a discussion I have long sought to foster. I would love to see this.