When we began work on this issue, I hurriedly rushed about drafting as many reporters as I could manage for what was to be an enormous and in-depth investigation of all things involved in the Fark Controversy and the Second Great War that ensued. I told them to offer anonymity to sources, even though this is an OOC publication, so as to loosen the tongues of the reluctant. We wanted to put out a BCN that got to the heart of what really happened and precisely what emotions, rationalizations, and philosophies were really at the root of the conflict.

And then, just as Carsten, Eddy, Jay, Max, and Robin started bringing back some truly excellent work, the war came to a close. We were halfway through a major project… that had died in our hands.

I’ve been debating whether to release these interviews for a good while, finally coming to the conclusion that it would be a disservice to all those gracious enough to provide interviews, the reporters that went out there and did the work, and the CN community as a whole for missing the opportunity to see what their peers had to say. So here it is.

These are raw interviews. They don't have the normal lead-in paragraphs usually associated with our pieces. You’ll all get to see what a story (several stories really) looks like before we’ve done the final polish.

One additional note: The interview with Shay was done just prior to the Second Great War and intended for an entirely different issue. However, it is particularly illuminating here set beside five others that were conducted right in the midst of battle. The psychologies of all who were interviewed during the war are, I think, a touch more apparent while Shay bears the reserve and peace of an alliance leader working at governing in the calm before the storm.

We've also included an addendum at the end authored by Ferrous of The Templar Knights. His diligence in chronicling all the various proclamations, declarations, and ejections was genuinely heroic. And we'd like to commend Mason11987 of the Green Protection Agency on his thorough CN Wiki article. It is pleasingly visual, well-researched, and highly informative.

Enjoy the issue that almost wasn’t, folks.

Miko
Editor-In-Chief

Alright Chris, as you have been interviewed for Behind Cyber Nations before, you have already answered the obligatory 'who are you?' questions, but just to refresh our colletive memory, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I'm a 17-year-old student going to John Abbott College in Montreal, Quebec. I major in science. I'll be going to university next year, majoring in physics.

Thank you. As you are aware, this is completely OOC. With that in mind, what do you think are the reasons for the current war?

I don't know how much you know about internet rivalries, but some of them run pretty deep. Alternately, there are internet friendships which run pretty deep as well. The Something Awful and Fark.com rivalry is one of the longest. I won't go into detail, but suffice to say, they hate each other. On a few occasions, LUELinks and Fark.com have teamed up together to invade some other forum or whatever the case may be. When Fark.com came to CN, and GOONS attacked, LUE jumped in to defend their longtime friends. You should note that there is no particularly bitter rivalry between LUELinks (LL) and Something Awful (SA). By the way, SA is where GOONS comes from. LUELinks is where most of the original LUEnited Nations members come from. The reasons for GOONS declaring on FARKistan were similar to the NPO and NpO declaring on LUE, in that both were OOC reasons. OOC doesn't belong in a declaration of war.

So, you feel that this conflict is completely based on these offsite rivalries and friendships?

I wouldn't say completely, but the initial GOONS-FARK-LUE back-and-forth was more or less based on past history. The real problems began when LUE merged an IC declaration of war against the aggressor GOONS nation with the original OOC reason for the GOONS-FARK conflict. OOC and IC never mix well, and never will. I'm not saying it's LUE's fault, but when they went "by the book," so to speak, GOONS didn't.

It has been mentioned by some people that the IC/OOC distinction is only there as a shield to hide behind when you don't want your actions to have consequences. What do you think of this?

This is a role playing game. What does not happen within the confines of the Cyber Nations universe can not be factored into the role. That is where you have IC and OOC. IC being everything in our universe, OOC being everything outside.

But OOC issues seem to spill into IC actions all the time, do you think it's really worth making a distinction anymore?

Of course it is. When was the last time someone wanted to play a game with elements from the real world when they play it to escape reality to begin with? We play games to remove ourself from the world around us. Why would we play if we wanted to merge the two? That would be counterintuitive and a waste of time.

Seeing as this originated in an OOC matter, why do you think the conflict has escalated as much as it has?

Because once those OOC matters are brought into the Cyber Nations universe, they become IC. You see, as I said, outside Cyber Nations is OOC, but that doesn't mean stuff can't be brought it. It *shouldn't* be brought in, but it often is. When it is, though, it becomes IC by definition, because once you've entered Cyber Nations, you have become IC, regardless of the former OOC status. I hope that's clear enough.

Does this not mean that all offsites somehow connected with organisations or people in Cybernations are now IC by default?

No. Obviously the people can't be purged of their memories, pre-conceived notions, prejudices, or stereotypes, but they should be mature enough to leave well enough alone when they come to a new community.

Alright. On an end note, do you believe a conflict in the Cyberverse was inevitable?

Yes. Not because it was unavoidable politically, though. This game is based on warring nations. It's where all of the fun lies. Why would people play the game unless they expected to have fun.

Finally, do you, as Christopher Dance, have any feelings about the war that are not shared by Chris_Kaos?

As Chris Dance, I feel that the original (GOONS-FARK) conflict was being fought over a stupid internet rivalry whereas as Chris_Kaos, I saw it as GOONS attacking a low strength small population alliance without (valid) cause or justification. My view of validity is likely to be substantially different from that of GOONS, for instance.

Can you elaborate a bit on that please?

I'm sure that GOONS feels that their security was being compromised by having a previously hostile group join the Cyber Nations community. However, they failed to realize that this isn't their playground alone anymore. They have to contend with thirty-three thousand other nations. When people say, historically this, or precedence that, you have to take it with a grain of salt.

What is your first name? How old are you? Where on Earth do you currently reside?

My first name is Josh, and I'm 18 years old. I currently reside in Adelaide, Australia, although that has a chance of changing once I graduate from university.

Were you a member of LUELinks prior to joining LUEnited Nations?

Yes, I was a member of both LUE on Gamefaqs.com and then LUElinks before I became involved in CN and LUEnited Nations. I've been involved with LUE for many years, and was an early member of LUElinks (#1465 of 10722).

What position(s) have you served for LUEnited Nations?

I've served LUEnited Nations in various ways: Five terms as Minister of Foreign Affairs; four terms as Co-Leader; and my current appointed position, which goes by many names, and serves as an advisory and assistance role to the erected Ministry.

Did you have a role in the decision for LUE to engage GOONs?

I remain in a position with a moderate amount of influence, therefore, I was involved in the process that lead to our defense of Fark. I advised the Ministry, particularly our Co-Leaders, on what our possible options were, listened to their thoughts and strategies, expressed my point of view and supported their final decisions.

What is/was the difference between Fark and eBaum's world? In that LUE supported (or at least disregarded) GOONs actions against eBaum's?

I'm quite glad this question has been asked. LUEnited Nations has never supported or accepted the GOONS attacks on eBaum's nations. Over the last week or more, the Cyber Nations forums have been filled with misinformation, propaganda and spin. Obviously, both sides of the conflict are guilty of this, however, I will take this chance to set things straight in regards to eBaum's. As with many situations, one or two misinformed people will create a story, distorting the facts of the actual occurrences to fit their particular post, followed by increasing amounts of members jumping on the "bandwagon" and spreading this false information around as much as possible.

The LUEnited Nations Ministry, and alliance as a whole, were unaware of the attacks on the collection of eBaum's nations until well after said nations had already been destroyed by GOONS members. It is true, that one of our Ministers of Internal Affairs was indeed aware of eBaum's during the time of the GOONS' attack on their nations, however, using his personal judgement, did not think this matter was worthy of bringing up on our forums for discussion. This Minister of Internal Affairs, who is no longer in power, also served as an ambassador to GOONS, which is how he obtained information regarding the GOONS attack on eBaum's. Was he wrong in not alerting us to the eBaum's-GOONS situation? Perhaps. Would the Ministry of LUEnited Nations contacted GOONS regarding our displeasure, if we had known about it? Most likely. Unfortunately, we were not aware of the eBaum's situation until after they had already been chased out of the game, and it is rather difficult, and pointless, to defend already destroyed and inactive nations.

Furthermore, I have done a search, as an admin, on our forums, as well as our old forums, seeking any information posted regarding eBaum's. The only mentions of eBaum's on our current forums did not take place until early December, 2006. As for our old forums, the only mention of eBaum's took place months earlier, when our members were comparing Agamemnon/Fuhrer Mustang of the New Pacific Order to be as annoying and low as Eric Bauman himself. There have been many interesting discussions between our members and Agamemnon, but that is another matter altogether.

In addition, I do not consider the destroyed eBaum's nations as ever being involved in an alliance. Not formally, anyway. One of the major reasons that many, including myself, were unaware of their existance is due to the collection of nations originating from eBaum's having never utilised the CN Forums. There was never an alliance charter posted, never a topic announcing their establishment, never a topic asking for hostilities to cease between their nations and GOONS nations. I don't believe we should be criticised for not investigating every new nation, on the insignificant chance that they're part of a small collection of nations who are being destroyed by GOONS.

Finally, Fark as a whole is quite different to eBaum's. Fark had posted a charter, established a formal alliance, approached various alliances, including LUEnited Nations, in regards to establishing embassies, and made great use of the CN forums. From the very day they were established, partially due to one of our ex-members being a member of Fark, we had various Fark members socialising on our forums, as well as posting in their embassy. LUEnited Nations - Fark relations got off to a wonderful start, and we saw these people as friendly and potentially great players of CN in the future. Soon after, during the discussions of a potential LUE - Fark MDP or protectorate status, GOONS began their attacks on Fark, moving for their destruction, and the rest is history. I do not believe it is hard to understand that we would wish to defend our defenseless friends against unjustified aggression.

Much has been made of IC versus OOC in particular for the justification of war. What are your thoughts on the distinction between IC and OOC?

It's increasingly difficult to make that distinction these days, and even if one does manage to, it is quite quickly refuted by another player who has a differing opinion or agenda. Personally, I follow the guidelines on the CN Forums, in that sections such as Alliance Politics are IC, whereas the general Open World Forum is OOC. Outside of the CN forums is where it becomes difficult. A general rule of thumb for me is that any area of discussion that is completely open to the public (social boards on forums, IRC channels, unrelated offsite forums) is to be taken as strictly OOC and is to be considered a venue for socialising between players. Areas that are private and have restrictions on who can and can not view them would be IC (embassies, private areas, private IRC channels).

Do you expect LUEnited Nations to eventually dissolve as a result of the current conflict?

Definitely not. Much to the dismay of some, LUEnited Nations is here to stay. What many people misunderstand about our alliance is that we, as LUEsers, have bonds that transcend beyond CN. It sounds quite cliche, but it is entirely true. While we have had resignations from our alliance, there is a large core group of members that share the same ideals. It is not in us to surrender, and we will continue to fight for our beliefs, until appropriate terms are presented. We would rather be ZI'D and free than rebuilding under overly harsh restrictions. A nation is but a simple requirement to have a political influence in this game, and they are more easily rebuilt than destroyed.

How has the drama associated with LUE since the infamous Yaridovich posting affect your gameplay?

I do not let it effect me whatsoever. Personally, I see it as a laughable last resort from members who have been bested in debate and have nothing better to say. It is getting to the point where it can be easily compared to Godwin's Law on Hitler and the Nazis. However, it does trouble many of my fellow members, as they are getting fed up with having Yaridovich's crimes thrown at them at every possible opportunity. I do feel it is a shame that the actions of one member, who was immediately expelled, continues to apparently be a valid arguement, in the eyes of many of our critics, as to why LUEnited Nations is a terrible, immoral organisation. Some of our members may have different values than members in other organisations, however, we have never condoned the actions of Yaridovich.

If LUEnited Nations will remain a part of Planet Bob, there will be significant repairs to be made. Repairs both in-game for your nations and diplomatically with potential allies. What is the next step for LUE to move from the current state of war to rebuilding?

It's unfortunate that I will have less and less spare time to invest in CN over the coming months, but I will be contributing as much as possible to the rebuilding of LUEnited Nations. One would be correct in saying that there will be significant repairs needing to be made in regards to our nations, however, our ties and friendship with the signatories of The League, as well as many other alliances, remain strong. That is not to say we will not be making every effort to further improve those friendships, as well as gaining more friends, though. We are certainly looking forward to agreeing to appropriate peace terms, gaining a chance of rebuilding, and we believe the results will leave LUEnited Nations stronger, dedicated and more efficient than ever before.

The war has served as many things, from the obvious reduction of our nation strength and the likely removal of our mask in a conveniently-timed audit, to a "natural serection" of sorts. We have weeded out those that care more for a level of infrastructure than they do for their fellow member. It is now obvious who is active and loyal and who is uninterested in the game. We have gained knowledge and experience from battle, an increased dedication to bettering the alliance, and a burning desire to be the best. We have the ability, as well as the people, to rebuild efficiently, through utilising internal programs, in addition to the wisdom obtained during the initial growth of our alliance and its member nations. Personally, I have many ideas that I will be presenting to the alliance, as do many of our active members. LUEnited Nations will rise again.

Okay, so why don't we start by having you tell us a little about yourself. What are you currently doing?

Ah, where to start? I'll give you the basics. I just turned 21 last week and have been enjoying the freedom it brings here at school. I'm a junior at Miami University (Ohio, not Florida) and I'm a dual major in Political Science and Comparative Religion. This summer I'll be spending five weeks in Israel doing an archaeological dig and taking some courses. After college, I plan on enlisting in the Peace Corps and going on to do international work from there. So, I guess you can say that I'm a little interested in politics.

You could certainly say that. What has attracted you to political science and comparative religion? And why the dual major?

Those were the two subjects that have fascinated me for as long as I can remember. My family is very religious and I grew up going to Lutheran churches every Sunday. After spending a year studying political science, I realized that I can make a major out of my interest in different religions. It could also lead to some pretty interesting jobs, considering the world's current situation.

Why the Peace Corps?

One of the things that I believe very firmly is that we're here for a short period of time and we should use that time to make life easier for others. I spent two weeks in Mexico building houses for impoverished families a few years ago and that experience convinced me that I want to do that on a much larger scale. The Peace Corp offers that possibility and a way to open opportunities up for me after I complete my service there. A lot of people have a tough time making the move from university life to the real world. Hopefully this experience will lessen that initial shock.

Let's hope so.

Who am I kidding? Hippies are in the Peace Corps. That's why I'm joining, amirite? LOL

Lol So onto other areas. How long have you been playing Cyber Nations?

Ahh, the UnitedRuskiiRepublic was founded on May 7, 2006. Lord Chozo from the NAAC was in one of my Russian classes and he got me into it. I was drawn to the Green Trading Sphere and palled around in the GGA for a while with Rambo until the CDS was formed.

So that's how you met Rambo?

Yep, we both worked in the Ministry of... oh what was it? We worked on Photo Shopping and image creation stuff. The official ministry name escapes me at the moment.

Was Rambo already a part of the GGA when you joined?

Yeah, he had been playing a while longer than I had, I believe. He was in charge of the ministry.

So why did you guys decide to leave the GGA and form the CGA? Who was all involved in the project?

I wasn't involved in the mechanics of the switch. Filipinoboi122 invited me to join the CGS the day it was formed. I gave P_C my resignation with the intention of experiencing what it was like to be apart of an alliance from the ground floor. And I gotta tell ya... it's been worth it. The CGS, now the CDS, has made leaps and bounds and nothing's more rewarding than seeing hard work paying off.

Was there a lot of tension with the split? Did the leaders of the GGA expect something like this, or was it a total surprise?

Oh man... the famous P_C fury was unleashed through drunken verbal assaults on the "abandoners." I didn't get any personally, but oh lawdy lawdy was there tensions. I think that the upper echelon of the GGA had some suspicions of the CGS' formation, but I have no proof to back that up. I was still lower brass and, if you're not familiar with the GGA's setup, the lower you are on the ladder, the less you know about governmental functions.

Indeed. So why the move from CGS (green) to CDS (black)?

During the first Great War, the Admin introduced the new color spheres. The co-leaders, Fili and Rambo, decided to make the switch and claim Black for ourselves. It wasn't long before LoSS had joined us and we were both busy flaming each other. Ohh the good ol' days. A lot of us were pretty worried about making such a big switch in the middle of massive warfare, but it went pretty smoothly.

Yeah, it seems like the CDS and LoSS have come a long way since then.

Oh definitely. Had I been told that a few months later, the Coalition and LoSS would be friends, I would've laughed you three ways to Sunday. We've made significant diplomatic ground and I couldn't be happier. As the old saying goes: “Politics makes for strange bed partners.”

So in the midst of all of this, when did the GOONS come into the picture?

I think they came about a month after we made the move. I'm not sure of the approximate date, but it was probably around a month later.

What was your guys' relationship with them at first?

I think we had a pact of mutual ignorance. We didn't converse much with them or them with us. They befriended LoSS for a while there but, as we all know, it didn't last very long. The GOONS and the CDS haven't had any formal pacts, though.

So there have always been tensions between the CDS and the GOONS?

Not always. There are several alliances out there that we don't have pacts with but it doesn't mean we have tensions. Besides the occasional post, tensions really started after they joined the NPO's power block. That's when tensions escalated through trolling and what not. Especially on the Black Team Forums. But, meh. LoSS seems to be getting it worse than us from them.

What made you want to get involved with the leadership in CDS? I mean let's face it; a lot of people wouldn't want to be burdened with that kind of extra work and responsibility. Why did you, why DO you, volunteer for that?

Sometimes I ask myself the same question, honestly. It's a *lot* of work and it gets tiresome from time to time. Like I said earlier, I joined the CGS in order to see what it was like being in an alliance from the ground floor. Becoming Prime Minister of an officially recognized alliance was getting that corner office on the 25th floor. I'm doing what I set out to do six months ago and that's what I intended to do. Somewhere along the lines though, the reason I was doing it for changed. At first, it was about seeing what it was like. After a while, you start to realize that being a leader is more than just saying that you're a leader. It's about representing the general membership's best interests and acting for their welfare. I've never made a decision that would effect the average member without taking into serious consideration what that would mean for the alliance's well being.

That's very noble of you, and rather different than what a lot of people would see leadership as being.

Thanks. I can't speak for other people's leadership positions. All I know is that I need to be doing the right thing when it comes to my office.

What positions have you held? For how long? Why Prime Minister?

My first office held within the CGS was the office of the Foreign Minister. Emperor Frederick and I exchanged the office for a few months and covered for each other. When I wasn't doing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I was being an ambassador, drafting treaties, and supplying the alliance with graphics, whether that was through alliance art or through individual signatures. The Prime Minister campaign started through my personal relationship with Rambo. We were good friends and talked a lot about alliance politics. When he stepped down as Prime Minister after five months of rocking the **** out, I stepped up. It had always been a goal of mine and it was the best way to serve my alliance at that period of time. After making that decision, things sorted themselves out.

So now you're in your second term as PM?

My second term started at the beginning of this month, yes.

Do you plan on running for another term?

Ha ha, Miami puts a lot of academic pressure on me. I'll have to decide if I have enough in me for another term or if I'm going to take the vacation time I've racked up since being in the CDS.

If you do take a vacation, I'll certainly say it's an earned one. There have been a few more prominent members who have left the CDS within the past couple of months. What kind of effect would you say this has had on the CDS?

Each had their own reasons for leaving and I wish them all the best of luck. They've all contributed a great deal to where the alliance is today and the alliance thanks them for that. A few resignations have thrown me back a few feet, but the CDS is as strong as ever and we haven't let these resignations stop us from moving forward. An alliance is bigger than any single person. I think we've shown that as of late.

Okay, now I want to list some people who have left, and I want you to briefly describe their individual impacts on the alliance and how their leaving has affected the CDS.

Alright.

We'll start with Filipinoboi.

Filipinoboi left a while ago for the NPO. I'm not sure of the specifics of what went down, honestly. I was away for two days and when I came back, he had resigned and joined the NPO. Fili's actions as a leader have been described as questionable and led to a few heated discussions. His hasty exit from leadership adds to that list and I've never had too much respect for that decision, as I lack much respect for anyone who decides to abandon a seat of leadership without proper preparation and notice. But that's my personal opinion.

Souljah?

Souljah has been a long time friend of mine and the Coalition. He served under me in the GGA's military structure and we became good friends and still talk. His resignation was more of a morale loss. He's deeply missed by the CDS membership and we all are happy to know that he's living it up with our friends at NAAC.

I bet. Emperor Frederick?

Actually, EF is still with us. He's not very active in leadership, but I think that he's working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He's a great guy and knows a lot about alliance politics and ways to get things done.

Necrostopheles?

Necro is a great guy and although he left on the eve of war, I respect his decision. We're all sovereign states in the Coalition and each has his decision. His contributions and lengthy articles will be missed.

Rambo?

Rambo's decision to join the NPO is his own. There isn't much public outcry from our ranks and, actually, a lot of members are chuckling. While he was a member, he was actively moving towards removing his personal role in the alliance's functions and was quite successful in doing so. We're running just fine without him.

Commander Cody?

Since CC left, we've had no attempts at rewriting the Charter to include a third permanent leader, political parties, or using monetary organizations to persuade legislative decisions. I think it was for the best, actually.

Okay, now onto the meat of matters going on right now. In your eyes how would you sum up the cause of war?

I believe the root cause of the war was GOON aggression towards FARK nations that were recently introduced into the game. They took their non-CN related rivalries out on nations that had every right to join the game. Further escalation can be allotted GOON refusal to make progress in peace talks or temporary cease fires until fair resolutions could be made.

How would you respond to the claims that GOONS were just protecting themselves from FARK aggression?

I do sympathize with GOONS' suspicions of FARK's intentions, considering past rivalries. However, those rivalries were not related to the game and they showed no in game aggression. If the GOONS were only interested in their personal security, those interests could have been worked out through diplomatic channels, in addition to the derailed peace talks.

So what are your general thoughts on this war? Some say that it's a good thing to get a release from the tension and conflict that builds during peace time. Do you think that this war is good for that? Or do you believe that there's never a good time for war?

War isn't good for anyone except those not involved. It might get boring from time to time, but fighting only adds stress to the members involved... especially leadership. I could really use a good night's sleep. LOL

What is your first name? How old are you? What is your occupation? Are you married? Do you like being asked personal questions by strangers?

Devon. 19. College Student, majoring in Mathematics. Nope. Depends on the questions.

How long have you been a member of LUEnited Nations? Are you from LUElinks as well?

Since I joined Cyber Nations. Early April at the latest. Yeah, I'm from LL.

What role do you serve for LUEnited Nations?

Minister of Internal Affairs. I handle a lot of the day-to-day stuff, such as finances and recruiting efforts. Just about every minister though has found itself having to deal with foreign affairs to a certain extent since the war started though.

What was the impetus for LUE to decide to engage GOONs?

GOONS attacked Farkistan for reasons that were dubious at best. We attempted to negotiate with them, but couldn't come to an agreement. We wouldn't budge on our stance that any treaty forced on them shouldn't last for more than 3 months, plus the clause that older nations couldn't join Farkistan for several months was also unacceptable. While that MDP did exist before we attacked them, I'm sure we still would have protected them anyway. We were hoping GOONS would back down off of Farkistan though, which is why we kept our initial strikes limited to those attacking Farkistan and LN members.

Did you expect the NPO and/or The Initiative to engage in response to your engagement?

NPO has been waiting for the chance to jump down our throats for a long time now. Even if NAAC and GATO didn't declare war on the whole Initiative like they did (which personally I think was a mistake in them declaring like that), I have no doubt that the NPO, plus most of the Initiative would have joined eventually, especially if GOONS started losing.

What is the difference between the Fark attack and the ebaum's world attack?

I hate answering this question. I've answered it a million times, and those who I haven't convinced yet I doubt I'll ever convince. First of all, I find it hilarious that ebaums is even being compared to Fark. Ebaumsworld is a website that in the very literal sense, is criminal. Ebaumsworld has blatantly stolen material from sites such as YTMND, AlbinoBlackSheep, Fark, and SomethingAwful. Fark mostly just provides funny/cool news links. Second of all, I don't think a single official currently in the LN was an official at the time it happened. The administration itself has changed. Finally, I just did a quick check, and it seems like the existence of the alliance was known...kinda. It looks like there was a brief mention of it on September 3rd in our CNDI embassy on the old boards. The alliance isn't even mentioned again until on our new boards, and that was on December 7th. I've seen the screenshot of HD30 learning about the attack or something, but if he really did know about it he didn't tell anybody. I have full access on both the new and old boards, and nothing came up in either topic search.

LUE has lost a significant amount of NationStrength, and is still engaged with GOONs and the NPO, correct?

Yup.

Will you fight until ZI?

We'll fight until our nations are smaller than Ivan's car lot unless freedom and independence can be attained for Farkistan.

Were you aware of the SA/Fark rivalry prior to the creation of Farkistan and the resulting conflict?

I learned about it when SA started beatin' on Farkistan.

Are there any GOONs/LUELinks issues that have carried into CyberNations?

Minor. Goncalves is hated by just about everyone in LUElinks, and he eventually left for GOONS.

Do you think the GOONs attack on Farkistan were driven initially by the OOC off-site rivalry?

Yup.

Do you think the distinction between IC and OOC has been abused for supporting one position over another, or hiding some actions and villifying others?

I'm starting to agree that there really isn't much of a distinction between IC and OOC anymore.

If a nation or alliance wishes to attack another for wrongs perpetrated, do you think those wrongs must be contained to the Cyber Nations realm? Would it be wrong for rival schools to set-up alliances and beat each other up in-game, for example?

I don't think there's very much we could do about it. If both sides are just goin' after each other fine, but if one school is way larger than the other, and starts attacking the smaller school just because it can, then the larger school is kinda being an %@!.

What do you see in your future for Cyber Nations?

My future? I've been planning on taking a sabbatical from CN for a while now. If it looks like the war is going to be over before the next election, I don't plan to run again for a while and focus on my schoolwork instead.

Well, the GPA is always been known for being neutral, do you, as president of the Green Protection Agency, have a plan to change that or adjust the war policies in the GPA?

No, none at all. The GPA will always be neutral.

What improvements do you want to work on with the GPA? i.e. new programs and things along those lines.

Well, I have started The GPA Academy for new GPA recruits. This is a program to familiarize GPA recruits with our policies, voting procedures, and just show them how to become a better GPA and CN member.

What do you think of the foundation UB left you as the new president?

United Blobs contributed so much to the GPA as a founder and a President. He left me with a firm stance and wonderful membership to work with. It was a sad day in GPA when we realize he had left the game for good. He will be missed greatly.

When United Blobs left the game, was this a surprise to you and what was the overall GPA Response to this event?

It was a surprise. We all had no idea. GPA, as a whole, was shocked. We were of course saddened to see another GPA founder leave.

Shay, will you please describe the leaders and ministers of the GPA, and what their role in the GPA is. Also, please name these officials.

Of course. Reyne is the GPA Vice President. She helps and shares responsibilities with me. making sure people adhere to the Charter, helping with Foreign relations, etc. FredsDragon is our current Minister of Internal Affairs. This position in up for election right now. The MoIA normally handles all internal organization, including votes and masking new, returning or leaving members. Machi is our Minister of Defense. He is in charge of all things military within the GPA. Don't laugh. He has plenty to do. We get attacked by rogue nations at every angle. Bustylarue is our Minister of Economics. He oversees all loans and aid for GPA nations. Genobadass is our current Minister of Foreign Affairs. His postion is up for elections as well. He oversees all affairs with other alliances and appoints all ambassadors to them from the GPA membership. Vicea is our Press Secretary. He makes all official announcements from the GPA that aren't made by me or the current President. He also is responsible for ensuring consistency and clarity in official communications. Victor Lima is our Director of Trade. He oversees all trade related issues with in the GPA. Coleman is our Director of Membership. He is responsible for keeping an accurate member's list and keeping track of nations hiding under the GPA banner, aka "Ghost" nations. You may have seen his recent announcement in the Open World News area Free Quebec is our Recruitment Officer. This position is up for elections as well. She, of course, is in charge of recruiting new GPA members. She spearheaded an impressive drive at the first of December. We had so many new recruits we had to... shut the drive down early. We are all very impressed with her work in this position. LiveSquid is our Director of New Recruits. He is responsible for helping our "Trainees" (GPA new recruits in the Academy). I have gotten alot of help from him within the Academy. He is overseeing alot of work there. And that is the GPA government in a nutshell.

Shay, do you have any other plans for the GPA as a whole?

Mainly just to get the GPA organized. WE have grown so much so fast that our current Charter doesn't cover it all. We are in the middle of reforms as well, making, what we think, will be a Charter and a Constitution. We have a lot of work on our hands with this. It has been going on for months and I want it finished by the end of my term.

What is the basic plan for the Green Sanctioning Council and how does it operate?

The Green Sanctioning Council (aka G5 Council) has 8 members, 3 senators and one representative from each of the signatory alliances, GPA, /b/, VE, GGA, and CIS. If sanctions on a nation are proposed, that isn't already covered in the treaty.

Before the second Great War, there existed a rivalry between sites not related to Cyber Nations - Something Awful and Fark.com. To the majority of Planet Bob's citizens, the details of the rivalry are unknown, but suffice to say, it's definitely a rivalry.

Many Fark members had become interested in coming into Cybernations due to a incident where the real life country of Norway asked YouTube to remove a video clip that depicted it's national anthem as the nation anthem of NoR. Norway and others claimed that NoR was a fascist neo-Nazi group, and the story soon found its way to a few media organizations. The Fark community picked up on the story and thereby found Cyber Nations.

GOONS, which has been here for quite a while now, includes many members of the Fark rival - Something Awful. So when Fark announced itself on 1/2/07, tensions started to flare. GOONS started attacking FARK, now a new alliance in Cybernations, due to a comment made on FARK.com. LUE offered FARK an MDP and aid in response to the GOONS aggression, and got involved in the situation by attacking members of GOONS.

LUE's involvement in the matter, whether purposeful or not, enacted the two major power blocs, the Initiative and the League. From then on, over 20 alliances have involved themselves in the war, bringing on the second Great War.

First Involvement of an alliance that is not either GOONS or LUE:
Member nation Locktite Bratislava (William Locktite - NpO) declares war on Kingdom of Shulmania (Rothon - LUE) at 11:13 pm, 1/9/07.

NpO attacks commence on 1/9/07, but do not officially recognize the state of war until 1/10/07.

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1/2/07
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Farkistan announces itself to CN - 9:41 pm / Link
CN thread about the NoR/Norway incident / Link

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1/6/07
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NAAC and Dies Irae NAP (read it carefully) - 12:30 am / Link
LUE offers Fark friendship in response to GOONS agression - 8:33 pm / Link
NPO military dispatch - 10:09 pm / Link
GOONS announcement that NAAC violates NAP - 10:32 pm / Link
Farkistani charter is announced - 12:43 pm / Link

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1/7/07
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Fark refuses to surrender to GOONS - 12:20 am / Link
GOONS declaration on Fark and the state of GOONS embassies - 12:40 am / Link

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1/8/07
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LUE official statement on the Fark - 11:43 pm / Link

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1/9/07
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GOONS bans drnevercuss for using nuclear weapons - 12:11 am / Link
CDS and FCC sign NAP - 4:33 pm / Link
LUE signs MDP with Fark - 8:19 pm / Link
TCF declares neutrality and accepts nations not in active war - 11:30 pm / Link

~~~War Officially Starts~~~

NAAC (League) declares war on alliances attacking LUE - 11:31 pm / Link
NPO (Initiative) declares war on selelct LUE members - 11:42 pm / Link
NAAC-GOONS resoluton - 11:42 pm / Link
BTA Official position - 11:42 pm / Link
GATO (League) declares war on the Initiative - 11:45 pm / Link
Gold (League) declares war on all alliances attacking LUE - 11:47 pm / Link
>_< (Initiative) declares war on all alliances attacking the Initiative - 11:51 pm / Link
VE (Initiative) declares war on the NAAC and its allies - 11:51 pm / Link
---- 1/10/07 ---- ENA declares neutrality and openly invites nations fleeing war - 12:12 am / Link
TOP (Initiative) acknowledges a state of war with the League et al - 12:24 am / Link
PPF (LUE supporter) declares war on all alliances attacking LUE - 12:25 am / Link
GPA is neutral and will take in nations not in active war - 12:44 am / Link
TTK is neutral and openly invites nations fleeing war - 1:06 am / Link
GGA asks CDS to honor their MDP - 2:39 am / Link
IRON is neutral and will take in nations not in active war - 4:10 am / Link
/b/ is neutral and will take in nations not in active war - 11:35 am / Link
ICSN is neutral and will take in nations not in active war - 11:52 am / Link
CIS cancels NAPs with LUE and GOLD - 2:08 pm / Link
IPA is neutral and openly invites nations fleeing war - 2:14 pm / Link
UCLN is neutral and will take in nations not in active war - 2:24 pm / Link
FCC declares neutrality in the conflict - 2:56 pm / Link
FAN (Initiative) denies targeting /b/anks - 2:57 pm / Link
USN declares neutrality - 3:29 pm / Link
EtoS declares neutrality - 4:01 pm / Link
AoW (League) declare war on all those who have attacked LUE - 6:06 pm / Link
Legion declares neutrality - 6:32 pm / Link
NpO (Initiative) acknowledges a state of war with NAAC and LUE - 6:49 pm / Link
The Oasis declares neutrality and openly invites nations fleeing war - 7:49 pm / Link
IRON statement - 8:03 pm / Link
ANGIL declares neutrality and will not accept refugees - 8:06 pm / Link
RRA declares neutrality - 9:34 pm / Link
Cross-X alliance declares neutrality and accepts nations not in active war - 9:35 pm / Link
NPO (Initiative) announcement regarding NAAC and GATO - 9:39 pm / Link
TCF declares neutrality and accepts refugees not in active war - 10:16 pm / Link
The Network power bloc declares neutrality - 10:52 pm / Link
Azure Alliance declares neutrality and accepts nations not in active war - 11:04 pm / Link
Doitzel reports LUE's use of nuclear arms - 11:11 pm / Link
GGA (Initiative) declares war (presumably on the League) - 11:19 pm / Link
ICP (League) declares war on the Initiative - 11:26 pm / Link
FAN (Initiative) recognizes a state of war with the League et al - 11:29 pm / Link
LUE official response to nuclear weapons accusations - 11:31 pm / Link
OIN (League supporter) declares war on alliances that have attacked LUE - 11:45 pm / Link
BTA (League supporter) declares war (presumably on the Initiative) - 11:46 pm / Link
LoSS (League) declares war on select Iniative alliances - 11:47 pm / Link
Dies Irae declares war on enemies of NAAC / Link
ODS (ICP ally) declares war on the Initative - 11:55 pm / Link
CDS (League) declares war on the Initiative, excepting GGA - 11:56 pm / Link
---- 1/11/07 ---- UGO (Initiative supporter) declares war on enemies of the Initiative - 12:00 am / Link
LLAMA declares neutrality - 12:31 am / Link
LUE bans wavygravee for using nuclear weapons - 12:34 am / Link
CIS (Initiative) acknowledges state of war with the League et al - 12:48 am / Link
New Prussian Reich declares neutrality - 2:16 am / Link
Nordreich cancels NAPs with the League - 12:52 am / Link
Diskord's apology for using nukes - 3:08 pm / Link
Reports of GATO members being nuked - 3:20 pm / Link
LSF declares war on the Initiative - 3:40 am / Link
Illuminati (Initiative supporter) declares war on the League et al - 9:47 am / Link
FORT declares neutrality and accepts refugees in war - 11:03 am / Link
FAN statement on war tactics - 11:17 am / Link
Reports of TOP nation nuked - 2:15 pm / Link
Legion and ODN Ultimatum to UGO and Illuminati - 4:22 pm / Link
UAIS declares neutrality - 4:31 pm / Link
Reports of GATO nukings - 4:34 pm / Link
The GUARD power bloc declares neutrality and NADC offers home for refugees - 5:25 pm / Link
NADC offers itself as a mediator to the conflict - 5:25 pm / Link
UGO clarifies it's DoW to only attacking LSF - 5:29 pm / Link
NAAC clarifies DoW - 6:17 pm / Link
IAA is neutral and accepts select refugees - 7:54 pm / Link
Illuminati revises their DoW -7:58 pm / Link
UGO declares cease-fire with the League - 9:30 pm / Link
CIS (Initiative) declares war on LoSS - 9:47 pm / Link
MDC cancels all NAPs and voices support for Initiative - 10:54 pm / Link
MDC and NoR sign MADP - 10:54 pm / Link
ACID (League) declares war on the Initiative - 10:57 pm / Link
FAN statement on accusations - 10:58 pm / Link

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1/12/07
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AOB Declares war on the Initiative - 1:26 am / Link
NAAC compliments FAN on war tactics - 1:33 am / Link
NAAC announcement regarding nuclear weapons - 7:19 am / Link
FAN denies use of nuclear weapons - 12:29 pm / Link
Illuminati and LSF make peace with each other - 12:30 pm / Link
CDS bans King Kong for using nuclear weapons - 1:35 pm / Link
League announcement - 1:36 pm / Link
GATO expels Wolfemastre for using nuclear weapons - 3:00 pm / Link
OotBR statement on impersonating neutrals - 8:16 pm / Link
ROCK is neutral and will help GOLD if called upon - 8:23 pm / Link
FORT statement on impersonating neutrals - 11:00 pm / Link
GOLD statement on possible nuking - 11:05 pm / Link
OSF declares war on enemies of LUE - 11:44 pm / Link
ICON declares war, presumably on the League - 11:58 pm / Link

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1/13/07
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OASIS and UMN suspend MDPs with BTA - 12:29 am / Link
NoR is officially part of the Initiative - 12:42 am / Link
OIN is voted into the League - 12:48 am / Link
GSNN is neutral and openly invites nations not in active war - 3:43 am / Link
ICON announcement on a rogue - 5:03 am / Link
ODN and ICSN sign NAP - 6:34 am / Link
Militia declares war on enemies of the League / Link
GOONS kicks members for using nuclear weapons - 9:26 am / Link
IAA statement - 6:39 pm / Link
NAAC apology to GOONS - 11:05 pm / Link

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1/14/07
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BTA pulls out of the war - 4:22 am / Link
Militia pulls out of the war, and forms a pact with IPA / Link
OIN announcement regarding nukes - 12:29 pm / Link
NoR reports of LSF nuking - 1:56 pm / Link
Reports of NAAC using nuclear weapons - 2:45 pm / Link
LUE responds to nuclear accusations - 3:13 pm / Link

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1/15/07
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The League declares cease-fire with the Initiative - 12:49 am / Link
NoR and UGO merge - 11:05 pm Link