How the West Was Won
A Long-Dead Nation Returns
Written by Calvin Coolidge
On August 27, a nation by the name of North West Somerset posted a message in Balder, where it claimed to be the "long lost twin" of North East Somerset, or NES, Europeia's own Director of Europeian Intelligence. Sensing that there was a larger story behind this post, I spoke with NES and was told not only how North West Somerset, or NWS, returned to NationStates, but the story of what caused it to disappear all those years ago.
Calvin Coolidge: So, a new Somerset has arrived in Balder, and he looks rather familiar! Do you know who this "North West Somerset" is?
NES: Yep, Calvin. Its me. The original me. I was West before I was East. NWS was my main.
Calvin Coolidge: How many Somersets are there out in the world? Any others we should know about?
NES: Look, there are quite a few, and some of them are me, but everyone knows me as NES now.
Calvin Coolidge: That's true. So, NWS is back now, but why was it gone all this time?
NES: NWS was actually deleted back just 6 months into my NS career, back in October 2004. In some ways, it was probably for the best, NES has more of a ring to it...
Calvin Coolidge: A certain brand to it if nothing else! What was NWS up to in 2004 before its untimely demise?
NES: Back then, I was mainly involved in raiding, for a variety of groups, and it was actually during one of these raids that NWS was deleted, seemingly forever...
Calvin Coolidge: Clearly, the loss didn't stop you from raiding in the years since. I assume it wasn't the raid that lost you the nation?
NES: It was certainly one of several events that shaped me to change my approach to raiding, leading to developing a more robust structure of region, mixing the political aspects with military gameplay. Quite what exactly lost me the nation, has long been a mystery to be honest...
Calvin Coolidge: But they must have given you a reason for why it was deleted?
NES: Well... that's a long story... shortly before it was deleted, I'd actually received a threat from an official of the region that had been invaded that they knew a mod, and I better leave or I'd regret it. After having received that, then being deleted... I didn't know what further reprisals I would face, it felt like a bit of a Wild West out there back then, so I accepted the deletion no questions asked. It wasn't till a couple of years later that I made formal inquiries, and they got nowhere, I was just told it was deleted for breaking site rules.(edited)
Calvin Coolidge: That's... rather ominous. And no clarification on what those rules were, or what you did wrong?
NES: Well, for the next decade and a half after that, I forgot about it, and moved on. It wasn't till a few days ago, that I decided to reopen the whole affair by filing a GHR. This time I received a prompt reply, that it had been deleted for regional recruitment spam, and would not be revived.
Calvin Coolidge: And yet, it was revived, so I assume that you did not actually do recruitment spam?
NES: I immediately found this incredibly unlikely, as I wasn't recruiting for anywhere back then, and hadn't received any warnings prior to the deletion, which surely you would for a minor offense like that. So I made a second inquiry, on those matters, and this time I received a much more detailed reply, which said that they had investigated the matter in more detail and found that the "three strikes and out" policy that was in place then, and continues to be now, for minor offenses, had not been followed. Thus they restored it, based solely on that technicality, which was a good outcome all round I think.
Calvin Coolidge: Well, congratulations on getting your nation back, that sounds like quite an ordeal. What would you say your takeaway from this experience has been?
NES: It wasn't an ordeal really, I was impressed with the professionalism and diligence with which the moderation team ultimately treated the matter, we have to remember they are just volunteers. I just wish I hadn't waited 17 years to bring it up!
Calvin Coolidge: Point well taken, that's good to hear! What are you gonna do with your nation now?
NES: I'd like NWS to take up a key role and become the travelling representative of NES, and they will go abroad to a variety of destinations to represent me in events and festivals!
Calvin Coolidge: We'll be sure to look out for it on the world stage, then. Thanks for giving us the scoop on NWS and its winding journey back to life!
NES: Cheers, Calvin.
We once again thank NES for sharing his story, as it gives a unique insight into a rather unfortunate scenario. NationStates may have changed dramatically over the last seventeen years, but with enough patience and perseverance, it seems that nothing can keep a good man down.
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