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Regarding the wording of the proposed referendum question, published at https://forums.slcds.info/viewtopic.php?t=9965:
I thought it was agreed at the most recent RA meeting that this should actually be two separate questions, 1) whether to join and 2) whether to relocate.
I realize that (per Almut's post) everyone has already agreed upon the wording, but if the intent was to make two separate questions, I think there is going to be confusion using the presented wording.
I'll be brief.
There was some confusion in the discussion which I tried to straighten out, but missed the mark to some extent for which I apologize.
It is one question for the simple reason that joining VWEC Eduverse entails moving there. And, as Almut pointed out, joining the reserve creates certain advantages, including representation in the Reserve management.
The executive requests, but the actual wording of the referendum is up to the Representative Assembly. The committee consisting of Almut Brunswick, Jerry McNally and myself, after careful consideration, then wrote the Referendum Preamble and Question. The RA then voted by email, a vote that will be confirmed at today's RA Meeting.
Kyoko.
Interesting, since it's been said all along that a move was not *required*.
The answer to your question is -- "it's complicated."
Membership in VWEC organization is by an individual joining the group. That individual may be designated by their "home" organization as a representative of that organization (as I have been) to the VWEC group, but that does not make the home organization a member of VWEC. And does not guarantee a portal on the VWEC Eduverse Welcome Island.
Joining VWEC Eduverse entails moving to the Educational Reserve area aka VWEC Eduverse. Mainland educational parcels and regions are handled individually by Madori Linden as they have underlying technical differences with private regions/estates.
After the working group that wrote the Referendum came to a clearer understanding of the issue, that group decided on one question. (Almut, Jerry, Tor & Kyoko)
The RA has now officially approved the Referendum Preamble and Question as of their meeting today. Thus the Referendum will be on the May ballot.
I do thank you for your comments through the several discussions. We may always not agree, but you helped me think through many items along the way.
Kyoko
I think the transcripts from prior RA meetings, including the most recent one, make it clear that there was confusion surrounding this issue. I know I'm not the only one who thought that a physical move was not mandatory, and may have been in favor of membership but not a move.
At any rate, further discussion is pointless, I suppose, and all that's left now is the vote. I will take everything into consideration accordingly when that time comes.
Dear Sylvia,
I don't know if Kyoko and I can convince you to vote for the referendum, and in an intact democracy, a well-reasoned "nay" is respected of course. We really try to make our reasons and actions as transparent as possible and hope for a clear majority vote for the move. Sorry for the confusion especially in some of our RA meetings (poor Jerry who has to sort out our chitchat afterwards 
). But especially in this case, 1. we have set up a collaborative working group to create a ballot text which 2. has been approved in a public RA meeting, Therefore, I don't see any informational deficit. Furthermore, we have had a vivid discussion here in the Forum as well as in previous RA meetings prior to the referendum preparation.
Once more, Kyoko made our arguments very clear to eventually decide for just one referendum question which combines the VWEC membership and the move to the VWEC reserve. Nobody really needs to worry about that move, because our internal organization and structure will remain absolutely unchanged. It is true that a VWEC membership was and is not bound on that move, and some institutions like Happy Hippo with their 1/3 sim plot will remain on their original place. This move, however, was exactly our initial motivation to join the VWEC Eduverse, though I still remember our early discussions if we will blend in well because we are not an education community in a strict sense. However, meanwhile - as latest as Madori Linden's and Elli Pionion's visit at the CDS - it became evident that we don't need to hide ourselves, because we can really contribute substantially to the VWEC community in a positive way. We will thus not only overcome our local isolation, but we have the potential to become a real asset for the VWEC because of our many citizens experienced in educational and administrative (!) matters. For example, our Estate Managers might be asked for their expertise as well to help the VWEC and other member regions which are not yet so experienced in land management and security matters. So I let myself convince that the combination of both referendum questions makes the most sense for the CDS.
Last Thursday, Kyoko took me to one of their VWEC campfire meetings to make acquaintance with other VWEC members. I was positively surprised to see so many representatives of both SL well-known groups (e. g. Caledon Oxbridge, Firestorm Support, Happy Hippo) and RL research and education institutions. In no time, I found us CDS people - Kyoko, Wordsmith and me - in a vivid conversation what could be taught directly in the VWEC or where the community could serve as a sort of swap meet to bring creative and experienced people of all kind together. It revealed in the general discussions that the present RL institutions would appreciate to have a convenient place where they could start their work rather than to be set up from the "plain meadow", like some universities and colleges did in the past (and mostly failed after a while). In other words, I could imagine to offer such institutions affordable plots in our CDS sims to build and maintain their inworld presences. I myself had a long and interesting chat with a British Ethnology professor who ponders to establish an inworld place with reasonable efforts for her students located in the UK and in Kenya. Wouldn't it be cool to have one or more RL research institutes in the CDS and their VWEC representatives as new citizens?
Almut
My point stands about the confusion. All along, it has been stated repeatedly that a move wasn't mandatory, but now it suddenly is. This does not make me particularly optimistic about how future issues will be handled. In fact, Almut, the transcript shows that you, too, were quite clearly confused regarding the move being mandatory as recently as the most recent RA meeting.
Continued attempts to "convince" me (which is starting to feel like a steamroller) are not going to achieve the result you want. I asked "weren't we told a move wasn't mandatory?" and am receiving responses of "but look how lovely a move will be!" That is not what I asked.
I will make my decision based on all the factors I consider to be important, and that includes how this process has been handled as a whole. I won't be discussing my vote with anyone.
I'm done with the discussion now, but thanks for your input.
To offer clarity where I think that clarity has always been. FACT. It is NOT mandatory that an estate MOVE to the new zone in order to join this project. The CDS can join this project without moving the sims to this new region. Plain. Simple. Fact.
But this ignores the proposal. The proposal has always been that the CDS (1) Join the project, and (2) Move its sims to the new zone. This is also a FACT. We have always advocated moving the sims, because the benefits of joining the project are partially in the association with the project, and partially with the location of the sims in the zone of the project. SL is a MAP. Should anyone doubt that location on the map is consequential to the visibility of an estate... let me invite you to the Blake Sea and the estates of the United Sailing Sims. Location is a MAJOR factor in the economic success of an estate.
There is no confusion. We are not REQUIRED to move the estate in order to "join" this project. The proposal is, and has always been, that we JOIN the project AND MOVE the estate.
Sudane................
Sudane Erato wrote: ↑Sat Apr 16, 2022 4:43 pmThere is no confusion. We are not REQUIRED to move the estate in order to "join" this project. The proposal is, and has always been, that we JOIN the project AND MOVE the estate.
Perhaps we need clarification of the definition of the word "entails", then?
I don't appreciate the condescending tone of some of these replies. There is an entire forum thread (as well as RA meeting transcripts) to support my assertion that there has been confusion regarding whether or not it is mandatory that we move. I have pushed to keep things transparent and open during this process, as one hopes for in a working democracy. I believe it is in the best interests of the community that we have free discussion with all cards on the table. The degree of pushback I get because I dare to ask questions is frankly concerning. I guarantee you, because I have heard from others, that I am not alone in my dismay at how this has gone down. FACT.
I'm tired of beating my head against this particular brick wall. Y'all do what you want. It seems dissenting opinions are no longer welcome in CDS, so going forward, I'll just content myself with quietly setting parcels for sale.
From what I know, there is no mechanism for "joining the project" other than to move to the reserve. Joining is a matter of presence in the cohort of those that are eligible and desiring to be within the education reserve. There is no group to otherwise join specific to the project. That does not mean that an outside entity can't collaborate with the project and have a portal from there, as Oxbridge is doing. I don't believe that joining and collaboration are the same, however. Details matter and your mileage may vary. Only by moving into the reserve can an entity enhance the attractiveness of the reserve to institutional administrators, a large part of the motivation for the reserve.
In contrast, any individual with an educational interest can join VWEC and help work toward VWEC goals. Whether they represent just themselves or an outside group is not a matter for VWEC to decide. It is what it is, apart from VWEC.
The formation of an admin team for the reserve is still up to VWEC to decide. It could include advisory representatives from entities within the reserve and could also draw upon external individuals based upon knowledge and skills. While that has been laid out in concept, details are yet to be determined. Apart from the welcome sim, the purpose of the admin team is simply to preserve the intent and integrity of the reserve.
The reserve welcome sim is meant to be an open resource for educators, in or not in the reserve.
These comments have been run by the VWEC Move Team without dissent.
...Wordsmith Jarvinen
For what it's worth, I too was under the impression that there was an option to join the Eduverse group without moving our regions there. Looking back, I'm not sure where I got that information from, but it is what I thought we were told at one point. I don't see any purpose in doing that though, so it's irrelevant to me other than to support Sylvia's assertion that this idea was out there at some point, but I do not know where it originated.
As a side-note, I was admonished by Dodge Threebeards, leader of what has been the welcome sim team, not to refer to those entities in the reserve as a "group". He explicitly stated "There is no group". Accordingly, I referred in my post above that there is only a cohort of placement.
This does not prevent any individual from joining VWEC, but there is no formal organizational membership apart from being there. That said, as an individual, I have worked on this project partly to make sure that there will be portals to entities such as Oxbridge not in a position to move. But again, this is collaboration for mutual benefit at the individual level, not an organizational membership.
The main upcoming reserve administration issue will be to work with Madori to vet those applying to move to the reserve and to resolve placement issues. As Madori said at her Q&A at CDS, there may be issues for some apparently eligible entities that preclude moving them to the reserve. She will tell the admin team that result but cannot divulge the reason.
I owe forum readers an apology, especially Sylvia.
It was never my intent to mislead anyone. But being so close to the Eduverse process I missed the boat on the portal/Teleport issue.
.
It is correct that CDS would have a portal either way, moving or not.
The only questions remaining (and still to be decided) how the portals will be grouped and the location of those groups.
As I have argued, moving will give us advantages that not joining will not. In moving CDS will not need to make changes other than redirecting some events to a more educational focus, as was the case in earlier years of CDS.
I will work to get us a good portal or teleport position whether we join or not.
Kyoko