Confessions

[Erik Mortis]

Two men do, or try to do, the same thing. One you like the other you don't. One you condemn, the other you don't. Because you like Scott, you say nothing against him. Because you don't like Jess, you put him on trial.

So I say: Hypocrites.

[Hesam Jayatar]

Hmm, perhaps I'm better at this "being civil" thing than I thought. At no time, ever. Did I say I liked Scott. I think his "trick" was bullshit and if a law had been in place when he did this, I would have been at the front of the court with a bag of popcorn. But it wasn't illegal unfortunately. I haven't reviewed the economic laws in a while, so there might be something illegal about "Yvain" holding an account, but I doubt it. I am going to check though.

[Scott of Hyperborea]

As for the economy, inflation is NOT always a bad thing. Controlled inflation can improve the economy. What you're doing is comparing macronational inflation in a practical sense to an economic simulator I invented while drunk. I really don't think the two are related beyond concept.

So regarding the inflation thing. It's not so much of a problem with taxes or bounties. It's a problem regarding private business transactions.

Each erb is worth the proportion of the Landsraad it buys. If there were only ten erb in existence, we would all be willing to do a lot of work to get even one erb, since it would raise our Landsraad power by a lot. If there were a million erb, we wouldn't be that interested in any deal that gets us less than a few thousand. So the value of an erb is inversely proportional to how many there are. This can make business transactions more or less desirable in the following way:

Let's say there's 5000 erb in the system now. We both have 300 erb cash, plus one resource worth 100 erb. I sell you my resource for the 100 erb we agree that it's worth. Now I have 400 erb cash, and you have 200 erb cash plus two 100 erb resources. This seems to be a fair deal, and we still have equal amounts of money.

Now the Kaiser inflates the currency by adding an extra 10,000 new erb to the crown account. Each erb is now worth only 33% as much as it was before, so it takes three times as many erb to buy a given resource. So now I have 400 erb cash, and you have 200 erb cash, plus two resource worth 300 erb, for a total value of 800 erb. You have twice as much money as I do.

So, as long as there is a good chance inflation is going to happen soon, no one will ever sell their resources, because as soon as inflation takes place the sale will have been at a loss.

If you still don't get it, let's hypothetically imagine hyper-inflation that increases the value of the currency by a thousand. Before inflation, I sell you a difficult graphic for 25 erb. After inflation, all of a sudden people are routinely getting 5000 erb bounties and selling things for 10000 or 20000 erb. Clearly, by selling you that graphic, I wasted my time and got nothing in return. So if I have any suspicion that hyper-inflation is going to take place, I won't sell anyone any graphics until it's completely over and I can be certain it's not coming back. Normal inflation causes the exact same problem, just to a lesser degree.

If we really really needed inflation for some reason, I could stomach it. But since we don't need it for anything, we're just stabbing our consumer economy in the chest for no reason. I've seen it happen to good economies before, and I'd hate to see it happen to this one.

[Scott of Hyperborea]

And before anyone tries to accuse me of being a hypocrite, I supported Jess all the way and argued against the Malicious Papelism Act on exactly these grounds.

[Erik Mortis]

I never said you were.

[Hesam Jayatar]

I understand what you're saying Scott and I agree. If we did increase the total sum of erb in circulation, it would be more akin to stock splitting. As you suggested, everyone would get additional erb, not just the crown. So you're next question will likely be "So what's the point"? The point would be so that smaller businesses that make money off of 2 or 3 erb can get that business. Right now, 5 erb is worth a considerable amount in relation to the total sum. If we doubled the amount of erb in the system, people would be willing to let 5 erb go more easily.

[Scott of Hyperborea]

In that case, I have no objection to your plan.

[Icebreaker]

CORK, EH? THIS MAKES IT SOMEWHAT* MORE LIKELY THAT I CAN DRAG ARI TO COME VISIT YOU. SHOULD BE INTERESTING.

ALSO, WELCOME TO THE FRATERNITY OF USA CITIZENS DOING SHIT THE HARD WAY AND GOING TO SCHOOL ACROSS THE POND. \o/

* = (an infinitesimal amount)

[Erik Mortis]

Nick did that for a year in York.

[Wil Nider]

You're one to talk, Dermot.

Ahhh, Dermot Kelly, or Der Mutt Killer. A spectacularly backfiring plan!

[Harvey Steffke]

Teehee, I knew about this. Scott responded to Bill using his Scott account rather than his Yvain one sometime months ago and, for some reason, Bill told me about it. I sort of figured that if Bill knew about it, everyone knew, but I guess not.

And medical school? Wow. Do you have a reason for this one, or is it just one of those "indeed do many things come to pass"-kind of moments?

[Harald of Froyalan]

ZOMFG

ZOfgg

I'm actually shaking


I was right!



ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Harald has evidenced!!!121414q3t3

*dies because he was right for once

Edit: I can't believe it. Honestly. I hope Harald won't mind me posting this chat log.

[01:55] haraldthorstein: BTW do you know why Yvain Wintersong left Shireroth so suddenly?
[01:56] Vilhelm vB: No I don't. Though I have a theory. I believe he was a papel of Scott's. Scott is soon off to Cork University and will have far less time on his hands. The timing makes sense.
[01:56] Vilhelm vB: Also, I was always surprised by the speed at which Scott and Yvain got on. They immediately began working together on the treasure hunt for example.
[01:57] Vilhelm vB: That "Overcoming Bias" site I have always associated with Scott, and Yvain kept going on about it. Though to be fair Ari does a bit too.
[01:57] Vilhelm vB: Finally, the whole mapping thing. Scott has been working on nice-looking maps for ages. Yvain has been doing the same.
[01:58] Vilhelm vB: It's a wild and unlikely theory, but I like to think that Scott is doing stuff like this. It makes me believe SHINE is still active.
[02:01] Vilhelm vB: Btw, I have theories like this on everyone. I have a suspicion that you are Carol. j/k

Yes, you were indeed correct.

BTW you are also right about me being Princess Carol.

[Malliki]

Well played.

But... I would point out how we react to this vs. how we reacted to Jess when he tried (and failed) to make a new life for himself. Complements instead of condemnation.

Unlike Scott, Jess epicfailed...

[Erik Mortis]

I don't deny that.

[Scott of Hyperborea]

Wow. Eoin and Harvey on one thread. What's next - Sirithil showing up at the head of an elvish army?
Harv, I've always been into psychology, and this is the first step to become a psychiatrist. And what are you doing these days? Still in the surveying field?

[Oroigawa Koreyasu]

HA! Wonderful, Scott! Very evil!

It would be lovely to have you in Straylight.

[Chrimigules]

Hmmm... interesting.

[Jacobus Loki]

If I can do it, so can any halfway competent foreigner.

1- He is right. Ancient Jacobus could/would be juggling six by now, caught twice, and spinning like mad while ID#3 began again. But really, who cares? It's not like its a democracy and votes matter or anything.

2- Good point about Jess. Blasting Scott is unwarranted, trying to oust Jess was likewise unwarranted. Some apologies might be warranted.

3- A good doctor, a sad loss to the literary profession (and to graphics design).

4- I don't give a crap about how he does all the travel & such. Well, I give a crap, but exposing too much about yourself on-line is doubleplus ungood. If he's filthy rich, people (not necessarily Shirithians) WILL TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE. If he's a successful hacker/bank robber/arms dealer, people would be out to get him. These options are unacceptable.

I prefer the mystery, or an entertaining falsehood.

5- As far as his attempt to chloroform Shireroth, well, the Gods dealt with that, which proves that he is mortal.

[Krasniy Yastreb]

Damn, I picked yesterday of all days for a short LOA (wedding [not my own] ) and come back to find this

I've got to say you played an absolute blinder Scott. I didn't see that one coming. Although it adds up with hindsight... Yvain having a soft spot for me right from the start (which I know you do, ol buddy ol pal ) and his 'close cooperation' with you on the currency project. But you played the character well enough that I'll probably see Yvain as a seperate person way into the future despite knowing otherwise. I can't blame you for wanting to wipe the slate clean by living through a papel or previously trying to kill off a struggling nation (I did the same with Novaya Zemlya; their final forum wipe wasn't a hack attack, I'll say that much). It seems for the most part you work similarly to myself in micronations - capably and energetically, but with the occasional crisis of confidence - so I find it hard to criticise your actions without plunging into the realm of hypocrisy.

Yvain was one of the best Shirerithians I've seen, and the bad news is not that he was a papel, but that he has (or should I say you have) suddenly had to leave us.

So thanks for the good times, and best of luck in Cork I say. Well played.

[Andreas the Wise]

Harold's Carol?

Mustn't be the Carol I'm thinking of ...

In seriousness though, Scott, you told me this halfway through, and now its odd. When you first told me, it was hard to think of you as Yvain, and then Yvain dissapeared from being a person in my mind and it was all Scott. Now I was finally getting to know Yvain again .... and you kill him off forever. Ah well ...

[Harald of Froyalan]

Harold's Carol?

Mustn't be the Carol I'm thinking of ...

Vilhelm and I were both only kidding.

[hypatias mom]

No, Harold is not Carol, at least not the one who also goes by Hypatias mom. I am a lot older, a northern Californian, have a husband, and children the ages of most Shirerithians. Harald is a very nice young man, but we are not the same person.

[b3n|<3r|\|]

Just out of interest, is hypocrisy the same as double standards? To my understand (prolly flawed), this is not hypocrisy but double standards.

I sort of figured that if Bill knew about it, everyone knew, but I guess not.

Hehe - maybe 3 years ago!

[hypatias mom]

Benkern--

If you are talking about portraying someone in jest, as Harald did a couple of posts ago, it is a gentle joke. If you are using another persona for purposes of dramatic story lines, it is roleplaying. When you register yourself as another person and pretend to actually be that person, in order to fool people into thinking you are someone completely new, that is fabrication. The motives need to be known, I think before you can actually say it is fraud. However, when you already have a current membership, and attempt to register another, that would be fraud, in my opinion.

Scott did not have a current membership--he had emigrated because, he said, he would not have enough time to maintain an active presence in Shireroth. He later immigrated as Yvain. His reasons are sensible, and Yvain was a positive force here while he was a citizen, and missed when he left so abruptly. He did deceive most of us, but he did reveal his identity to a few.

Jess, on the other hand, still maintained an active citizenship, though he announced a leave of absence. He then attempted to register a second persona. It may have been a misunderstanding on his part here. I think it is a difficult area of law and custom, and I am not the one to give a reading on that particular situation from a legal point of view. It seems, though, that at the time he tried to register again, Jess only had 3 micronational citizenshps, including Shireroth, and the false identity was not a criminal offense, to my surprise. To call it hypocrisy is not quite right; to call it a double standard, almost.

[Jess]

Free Scott!

[Erik Mortis]

He is free Jess.

[Aurangzeb Khan]

I think that, in order to spare Jess' any blushes, we should arrest Scott - ensuring thereby that it does not merely seem that Jess has failed to comprehend everything that has transpired in this thread.

[Krasniy Yastreb]

*makes a papier mache effigy of Scott in life size*

*puts handcuffs on it*

Yer nicked, sunshine. Ain't no escapin' tha long arm o' tha law on my patch...

*looks around*

Will that do?

[Aurangzeb Khan]

Excellent. As Steward I decree that this day shall, henceforth and for no particular reason, be designated as "Burn Scott in Effigy Day" and celebrated accordingly.

It is so ordered so there.

[hypatias mom]

Is this anything like Guy Fawkes day?