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It gives me great pleasure to announce that the 8th annual Defender Awards shall begin on the 1st February! The Awards are hosted by the Founderless Regions Alliance and those wishing to participate are welcome to register on our forums. I will be sure to add a link straight to the subforum when the Awards open and shall announce the Awards beginning here as well.

The Awards allow us a chance to reflect on the previous year while also recognising hard work and success, but also are a chance to have a bit of fun. Everyone is welcome to participate - regardless of whatever side you happen to identify with - and not all of the Awards recognise just Defender success/failure.

This year there are four notable changes, specifically we see two new awards introduced, namely the; "Can't We All Just Get Along Award" and the "Tin Foil Hat Award", while the "WASC Award" is to be shelved this year and the "Worst Invasion" award is to be renamed to the "Worst Operation" award in order to avoid controversies surrounding it last year.
 

Awards list wrote:
The Defender of the Year Award


The formerly named 'EuroSoviets' award is given to the nation who is viewed by the NS community as the one nation who has helped the defender cause the most in the last year.


The Ananke Award


The Ananke Award is given to those nations who spend their own time looking out for any invasions that are taking place. This normally means staying up till very late and sacrificing their sleep for the greater good.


The Anarchotopia Award


This award is given to the region or organisation which has proved the most successful in preventing invasions.


The Blackbird Award


A special award that is given to the invader group which the NS community considers the best out there due to whatever reason.


The Sir Lans Award


The old 'Updater of the Year Award' is for the person who has been involved in more update missions than any other, and has shown dedication to be there if they are needed.


The Operation of the Year


The mission which stands out from all others from the last year due to the success, the numbers involved or any other reason.


The Best Newcomer(s) Award


Given to the region, nation or organisation which has appeared within the last year, and impressed the defender community the most. This award has two recipients.


The Dipes Award


Given to the nation whom has best served the Defender Intelligence cause.


The Worst Operation Award


The award given to the operation which was classed as the worst due to defender mistakes, invader cunning or any other reason.


The Worst Invader Group Award


The award given to a group of Invaders for abysmal failure and/or being a large annoyance overall.


The Best Defender Quote


A light hearted award, given to the nation whose quote or motto has been considered strange, funny or different.


The Meltdown of the Year Award


Given to a nation, region or organisation which has self-imploded in spectacular (and often hilarious) style.


The Lifetime Achievement Award for Dedication to Defending


The award given to the nation who has been a dedicated servant to the defender cause for many years, often sacrificing different luxuries in order to help as much as they can.


The Can't We All Just Get Along Award


Successor to the Defender Unity award seen only in the first Awards, this award is given to whichever organisation, region or player is deemed to have contributed and improved the unity and solidarity of the Defender cause as a whole.


The Tinfoil Hat Award


Similar to the Defender Quote of the Year Award, this Award is a light hearted to recognise the funnier and best conspiracies suggested by or about
Defenders
.


Quite a list and I am all ready excited to see some of the nominations.

I don't really have much more to say but here's a schedule to peruse!
 

Awards schedule wrote:February 1st: Awards and nominations begin.

February 14th: Nominations close and voting is opened.

February 28th: Voting closes

March 1st: Awards ceremony


That was easier than I thought. Anyways, I look forward to seeing some of you participating!

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Anarchotopia on the 2005 Defender Summit:
 

I hear the "defender summit" is going well; lot's of infighting and people accusing, hypocritically, others of undermining defender unity. Lovely stuff, glad I'm one of those that took it as seriously as previous attempts and stayed away.

 

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*yawns*

 

Welcome to the FRA embassy, I would ask such that such juvenile comments are kept to yourself in future.

 

Anarchotopia on the 2005 Defender Summit:

 

 

Still true today, I am afraid. Despite all this the Awards should be fun and such tensions have never got in the way of that in previous years. I hope to see you there, AGP. Maybe you could pick up the Lifetime Achievement Award. ;):P

 

I love defender summits. It's always amusing seeing how quickly we can infiltrate them.

 

Last I checked, Consular, your time on the game has seen one Defender summit. So, please, why don't you enlighten us on your vast knowledge of Defender summits?

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  • 3 weeks later...

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Sorry for the lateness but busy weekend. The nominations are now officially closed and so we commence the voting.

 

Voting will close on March 2nd at midnight GMT, and will be followed by the Awards Ceremony.

 

There are a number of avenues by which you can vote:

 

1) Send a Private Message to the 'Ballot Collector' on the FRA forum.

 

2) Send a Private Message to 'Karputsk' on the regional forums of 10000 Islands, Texas, The Rejected Realms, Lazarus or the UDL.

 

3) Send a Telegram Message to the nation 'Defender Awards 2014'. 

 

http://www.nationstates.net/nation=defender_awards_2014

 

 

 

In your message please indicate clearly the names of those who you wish to vote for.

 

Please remember there is one vote for every award - if you vote for more than one person for a specific award, then those votes will be discounted.

 

You can only vote for those people who are nominated - write-in nominations will not be accepted.

 

The confirmed nominations list is here.

 

Please note: Although there are a number avenues by which it is possible to vote only one vote per award per person is permitted. All ballots received via telegram will be vetted to ensure they are not puppet accounts, and any votes from people I suspect have already voted will be discounted.

 

Happy voting!

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The voting period shall be closing in just under two days so don't forget to vote!

Since I have no doubt some of you are very lazy I will even provide you with all the details you need to vote.

The Awards
 

People to vote for
 

How to vote

Get voting! Oh, and before I forget, if you register on the FRA boards to vote you won't be able to vote until you are masked. If this is the case it would be better for you to vote using the other methods listed. sm_smile.gif

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  • 2 months later...

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From the Office of the Arch-Chancellor of the Founderless Regions Alliance

Date: May 2014
Forum: s7.zetaboards.com/FRA

Greetings;

This is the first update of the May-August term for the Founderless Regions Alliance's cabinet.

Moving Forward with a New Term

With the new term starting, my goals as Arch-Chancellor largely revolve around general modernization and streamlining the FRA's operational facilities and policies in hopes of increasing our productivity. This term only started mere days ago, so not much has been done quite yet in regards to that, but we hope to take a look at reforming our forum structure, the FRA Rangers' chain of command, our training procedures, our resources, etc. in the coming weeks, while also recruiting, defending, and doing what we usually do.

If these reforms go well, we will follow by experimenting with an interesting line-up of ideas that you'll have to wait a bit to see. Regardless, I and the Cabinet are looking quite forward to making the most of the new term.

FRA Leads Liberation of Liberal Haven

I am pleased to announce the successful liberation of Liberal Haven from the Right Wing Uprising. The mission, which was performed on 5/14's major update, was led and organized by the FRA Cabinet in cooperation with the Lazarene Liberation Army and, of course, Tim, who daringly attempted to trigger for a region that updated immediately after a feeder. Due to a sleepy delegate, the triggering ultimately wasn't necessary, but his efforts are nonetheless appreciated.

Liberal Haven was of particular concern as a mission because the RWU placed several long-term sleepers in the region and was able to put the stockpiled influence to use through banjections and passwording the region. Cercueil, who is also known as "German Dragons" of NAZI EUROPE, took the delegacy just over fifty days ago and was succeeded by Curious Gecko, another sleeper. We originally planned to submit our own liberation proposal of the region, but Cormac A Stark wrote a fine resolution, beating us to the punch. All in all, it worked out, as the passing of that liberation opened the door for removing the Fascists from Liberal Haven.

The coalition of forces that liberated the region include the FRA and the Lazarene Liberation Army, whom were responsible for coordinating the operation, the East Pacific Sovereign Army, the RRA, Spiritus, the New Southern Army, the New Pacific Order, and the UDL. We also found ourselves in a rare instance where we were pursuing the same objective militarily as the UIAF; though they originally intended to work separately with TSP to liberate the region, our operation was underway prior to their set-up and thus TSP joined us, and the UIAF, ISRA, and the UK ended up endorsing our lead and Geomania of TSP. The logistics of this arrangement were certainly uneasy at first, but fortunately the liberation was not derailed.

A good laugh was had after the mission as well...

4 hours ago: The People's Liberation Army Xiao-Yang was banned from Union of Nationalists by The Middle Republic of The Kuomintang.


Rangers Withdraw as Natives Successfully Refound Slavia

The Rangers withdrew from Slavia this Tuesday after receiving North Polish Union's request to do so in preparation for a refound. Slavia, which was raided because the UIAF saw an opportunity to target it after the founder of the large region suddenly ceased to exist, was held by the occupying imperialist piling force until Dyr Nasad thwarted their refound attempt at the end of the winter.

The effort was a long haul, both for us and, more dramatically, the residents of Slavia. The initial confusion caused by raiders insisting that their attack was an attack on Slavia because of its role in the FRA, even though Slavia was in the process of withdrawing from the Alliance, was as baffling as it sounds. The massive piling force that was deployed to Slavia was an obstacle that made a standard liberation impossible, so NPU and myself had no choice but to request help from the Security Council in ensuring that the UIAF didn't turn Slavia into a trophy.

When we managed to take back the region, we had to spend almost a month securing Slavia before we were able to safely transfer the delegacy to NPU, and this week Slavia's community finally pulled off a professional-grade refound of their own, thus ending the ordeal. It is obvious that this has been a trying experience for Slavia, and it was tough not being able to help sooner, but I'm truly glad that the community was able to brave through it all and work with us to re-secure their region.

I wish them the best of luck on their future endeavors and the protection of their region's sovereignty. Regardless of whether or not they are members of the FRA, we will continue to offer our support of their right to sovereignty in the face of imperialism.

New Cabinet Elected, Term Length Amendment Passes the RA

The FRA Regional Assembly recently wrapped up cabinet elections. You may notice that we usually don't have elections in May: this is correct. As Joneswest alluded to in the previous update, we recently implemented election reforms that effected a constitutional amendment mandating terms that are longer than past terms by one additional month. Our short terms have often been a subject of slight irritation, so the amendment was able to pass with ease. The change required that our usual election schedule be altered to suit longer terms. Elections will now occur in February, May, August, and November.

The new cabinet is as follows:

Cabinet of the Founderless Regions Alliance

Arch-Chancellor: Milograd
Vice-Chancellor: Jonewest
Regional Liaison Officer: Joe Bobs
Chief of Defense: Dyr Nasad
Minister of Intelligence: Guy
Speaker of the Regional Assembly: Wibblefeet


Just Around the Corner: FRAVision

FRAVision, our annual song contest between NS players on their region's behalfs, is also just around the corner. While the details and scheduling are still being worked out presently, those interested in participating as contestants are encouraged to begin thinking about what they'd like to submit. I and Wopruthien will be serving as the event's organizers this year and I fully intend to take bribes from any person who can convince Blue Wolf to actually record a cover of "Tradition" from Fiddler on the Roof.

Fun (Or Maybe Not?) Discussion of the Week: F.R.A. vs. FRAH, With Linguistics Lessons from Joe Bobs

To the surprise of some of us in the FRA, there are actually people who pronounce FRA as "FRAH" instead of reading aloud the initialism. We made a topic about it and people were simply horrified that people actually do that.

That's not terribly interesting, but what is interesting is that Joe Bobs, our RLO, was actually able to explain why most people use "F.R.A." but some use "FRAH". His linguistics degree was the source of both knowledge and sympathy for his financial well-being -- he took the time to explain the initialism's popularity below. It's actually pretty interesting.

However, 'f' is a fricative (a sound where friction is used, e.g. s, f, th, z), and a fricative into an approximant, ending on a vowel, is less natural to say. I'm trying to think of other examples... 'schwa', 'three', 'free'. But notice that the two of those which are easier to say 'three' and 'free' end on high vowels towards the front of the mouth. For 'frah', your tongue has to move backwards in the mouth, and the 'r' almost becomes a 'w', or it does to me anyway. I think the phonemic pattern may be more common in German, so maybe Germans could say it easier.


I took up asking him why "ointment" is such an unappealing word after the fact, and he happily explained that too. He may analyze a word of your choice upon request if you're lucky.

Comic of the Update

Finally, enjoy this comic.

*Sorry TWP, IMG not working
The lesson? Lima beans are a tool of the opposition. Lazarene rice is inalieable freedom.

Thank you for reading, and you'll be hearing from us again later this month.

Milograd
Arch-Chancellor of the Founderless Regions Alliance
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  • 3 months later...
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Special Founderless Regions Alliance Update



New Cabinet Elected

August is election month in the FRA, and the new Cabinet is as follows:

Arch Chancellor Joe Bobs
Vice Chancellor Tim
Chief of Defence Dyr Nasad
Minister of Intelligence Frattastan
Regional Liaison Officer People United Together
Speaker Wibblefeet

Joe Bobs was previously Vice Chancellor following the resignation of Jonewest and also Regional Liaison Officer. Tim has served as Regional Liaison Officer earlier this year. Dyr Nasad is the incumbent Chief of Defence, having previously served also as Minister of Intelligence for many terms. Frattastan has previously been Chief of Defence for a very long time as well as Arch Chancellor. People United Together has previously served as Regional Liaison Officer. Wibblefeet has been Speaker of the Assembly since early FRA Rangers were seen defending villages from the raiders of Attila the Hun.


A Return to Our Roots

I, Joe Bobs, am announcing a new focus for the FRA, a return to and expansion of the ideals that the FRA was founded upon. The FRA was originally founded partly as a Defender organization, partly as a non-military body with an aim of ensuring the success, vibrancy and development of its member regions. The FRA is going to return to these roots, but also expand its vision to help non-member regions.

How can we do this? It is sadly true that we do not have unlimited resources, it is unrealistic to suggest that any region can come and state that activity is low and we will send a group over to spur your forum or RMB into activity. What we can do is provide advice from some of the most successful region builders in the game. We can help you draft a constitution, help you build a diplomatic network, help you ensure the security of your region, or help you with various other elements of the game. We are making a commitment to information proliferation, the sharing of the experience and knowledge with those energetic new players who want to forge a new region, or for the seasoned players who are finding their footing in a changing landscape.

I also want to assure you this is not a recruitment tool. We are offering help to regions with zero obligation to join the FRA. If a region chooses to join, that’s great, but it’s not something for which we are pushing. My hope is that the FRA becomes the organization you can turn to for help, whether that’s the Rangers for defence, or the FRA for help with your region. The FRA is committed to ensuring the continued survival of NationStates and the variation and vibrancy of its communities. What we get out of it is a more enjoyable NS world that we inhabit.

As part of this commitment to the communities of NationStates, I am also announcing the creation of the Regional History Library, this will be a section of the forum open to all containing the histories of as many regions as possible. Through this library we hope to be able to catalogue and exhibit the extraordinary breadth of communities in NationStates.

I am also delighted to announce Tim as my Vice Chancellor. Tim is one of the leading figures of the Defender and indeed the NationStates world, and as Founder of Spiritus knows a thing or two about region building. Along with the rest of the FRA Cabinet and others in the alliance, he and I will be working on ensuring this new vision is successful.

If your region needs help, in whatever form that may be, please do not hesitate to contact me via telegram at Joe Bobs or visit the FRA Forum.


FRAvision 2014

FRAvision is coming soon! An invitation will be winging your way very soon.

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No problem GE.

 

Thanks IH! And whatever abbreviation is fine, I think JB is the most common. :)


 

FRAvision.jpg
EVENT HANDBOOK 2014


TABLE OF CONTENTS
  • I. What is FRAVision?
  • II. How do I join? What songs can I submit?
  • III. How does judging work? When does it start?
  • IV. When is the awards ceremony? What are the prizes?



I. What is FRAVision?

What isn't FRAVision? FRAVision is the answer to everything, the greatest way to win over the subject(s) of your affection, and the only verifiable way to actually "win" the game of NationStates.

...None of that is quite true, but FRAVision is a cultural event unlike any other on NS. Inspired by the real-world Eurovision contest, FRAVision features regions and players from across the game coming together to participate in a fun, and competitive, song contest. This is the third year that the event is running, and we're excited to have the pleasure of organizing it again.

FRAVision is a contest where players represent their regions and submit their songs. Player(s) can submit songs on behalf of their region* and, if they win, the player will receive an individual prize and their region will have the honor of holding the contest on their forum next year!

The event's hosts and administrators are Wopruthien, myself, and, if you're lucky this year, maybe Chin-Chillas. As its name implies, the event is hosted by the Founderless Regions Alliance (FRA), but in spirit and practice, FRAVision is an event for everyone, and we really do hope that you'll enjoy it. Whether you submit a song, or just want to tune in and listen, there's no avoiding the fact that there is much fun to be had during these three special weeks!

II. How do I join? What songs can I submit?

Information to Know:
  • Submissions are open from September 8th until September 22nd. Anyone may submit a song.
  • One song per contestant. There is no limit on how many songs can be submitted on a single region's behalf, but regions should remember that having votes in their favor split between several entries can hurt their odds of winning during the judging period. For this reason, we now offer a players the option to flag their entries as "non-competing".
  • You can submit any sort of song you like. It can be a cover of a real song (e.g. you can sing something by Kanye West, The Beatles or Rich Homie Quan), you can write an original work, or it can be related to your nation. Writing lyrics related to NS is another fun option. It's your choice!
  • The song can be hosted in whatever way we can see it. Youtube or a reliable online mp3 host is recommended. If you're not sure how to do this, feel free to contact Wopruthien for assistance.
  • You can sing, but you don't have to sing. Simply playing an instrument, or even pursuing some outrageous avant-garde collection of humming machines, is a valid entry. Once again, you get complete control over what you submit. Don't be afraid to take advantage of that fact!
How to Submit

Contestants post the following form in the Submissions forum to enter themselves into the contest.

Topic Title: (Name of individual, group or region)'s Entry

Name of Candidate:
Inspiration/Description of entry:
Entry: (link to video, song or posting of lyrics)
Why should you win? -

Do you want this song to be flagged as non-competing (e.g. will not be judged as a part of the competition) Choosing this is only advisable if your region has already submitted a song. -


III. How does judging work?

Judging occurs from September 23rd - September 28th.

Once the submission phase is over, contestants and the judging team (made up of all regional reps of the FRA Regional Assembly) will vote on their preferred songs. Judges will rate their top 5 songs in order of preference (awarding their favourite 12 (douze) points, then 10 (dix) points, 8 (huit) points and so forth). This will be done by judges posting their votes in a designated thread I will open.

IV. When is the awards ceremony? What are the prizes?

On September 29th, the Awards Ceremony will commence. The following awards are given:
  • First Place Entry - Whole Note Award (Gold)
  • Second Place Entry - Half Note Award (Silver)
  • Third Place Entry - Quarter Note Award (Bronze)
  • Last Place Entry - Engelbert Humperdink Award
The following awards are given, and all winners will earn the right to a neat award image that he/she can don in his/her signatures.

The first place contestant's region is also given the privilege of hosting the FRAVision Song Contest on their forum the next year, on the condition that they have the infrastructure and activity necessary to organize it at that time.



Happy Composing! You may contact the hosts with any further questions about the Contest.

Yours truly,

Joe Bobs,
Arch-Chancellor of the FRA
Host of FRAVision 2014


Wopruthien,
Host of FRAVision 2014

Milograd,
Former Arch-Chancellor of the FRA

 

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