CL: More Portal Thoughts

Reposting this with the carriage returns fixed (hopefully)

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Here I am, away from home and unable to play, and yet the issue of the
portals has become so great that I find myself taking time I don't have
to state my position. I expect many of you will reply here, and that is
good. This is a public issue that should be discussed in a public
forum. However, I am unable to post directly to the newsgroup owing to
"local issues", and seldom have the time to read it either. So if you
reply, please, send a copy to me at jhinton.RemoveThis@NOPORKPRODUCTSrmci.net I'll
do my best to get a reply back to you, and if important enough, to the
NG by the means I utilize now.

It seems to me that, throughout what portions of the debate I have been
able to follow in the brief moments available to me that a number of
issues regarding PMs actions regarding the portals have been raised
without being responded to in a way representative of my views. Let me
see if I can help clarify them. (And thank you to Taryn who has at
least attempted to understand PMs position regardless of whether Taryn
actually agrees or not. It seems at least one person here believes that
one must understand a position beofre attempting to refute it.)

First, one of the assertions about PM is that they are Luddites. Let me
state that this is incorrect. While PM has opposed in action as well as
word these portals, it is not because they are opposed to the new in
CL. As the group who has been amongst the chief advancers of new
learning, tactics, and exploration PM is probably the least Luddite
around. PM opposes the portals for very different reasons, so let's
give that tired rationalization a much deserved rest.

Second, PM has been accused of being extremely OOC in this and other
things. An honest consideration of their IC background, however, would
reveal that there are a number of IC reasons for PM to act as they
have. They are the survivors of a militant collection of freedom
fighters. They were betrayed in the past by those they thought friendly
to them, so they have, naturally, become unfriendly to the point of
paranoia. They fear spies at every turn, and so take steps to not only
issolate anyone who might be suspect, but to prevent those individuals
from learning anything that could be turned against PM. Efforts to keep
people from places like WC may be paranoid, misguided, undeserved, and
unnecessary, (not that a truly paranoid individual would agreee with
such assessments) but they are very much the way PM should be IC. In
fact, were they an open, heartwarming group who welcomed all comers and
shared everything, they'd be acting far more OOC than they are. That
there are many reasons for PM to oppose the portals in the OOC realm do
not negate these IC reasons anymore than the OOC reasons so many of
those in favor of the portals argue for them. Frankly, there are IC and
OOC aspects to both sides here, so let's give this one a rest as well.

Third, PM has been accused of being hypocritical in their stance. Well,
that one swings both ways. There is a great deal of hypocracy on the
pro-portal side as well. Many of those ranting about PM preventing the
use of the portals to grant easy access to hunting and exploration
grounds are the same people grumbling that the wall is not advanced fast
enough and they are rushing towards a hard bounce. Well, you can't have
it both ways. Not in the real world at least. Either argue in favor of
devices that will allow you to defeat and bury these areas more quickly,
or argue for ways to slow the advance towards that wall. Currently you
are stabbing yourself in the back even as you attempt to evicerate us.

Fourth (and this ties into #3) PM is accused of acting for purely
selfish reasons. In some cases, this is true, in others it is not.
Some members of PM do truly believe that their efforts to slow the
headlong rush to the wall is in the best interest of those not
interested in the help. That, however, is not my position (and please
note the position is mine, not PM as a whole. Others may or may not
agree, but that is for them to say). I oppose the portals for reasons
that are quite selfish... they make things less fun for me. Of course
that's selfish, just like those of you angry at PM for making things
less fun for you. I am interested in defending what is fun for me, just
the same as you. Please, don't toss around arguments about selfishness
in this one, for you are as guilty of that as us. After all, I somehow
doubt you are arguing in favor of the portals out of a belief that doing
so is in the best interest of PM. PM is harmed by their existance (and
I'll explain why in a moment). So for you to argue for them is to push
your desires into areas effecting PM quite selfishly. While the
argument of whose self interest is valid, it would further the debate a
great deal if BOTH sides would admit to a hefty dose of self interest
here.

Fifth, it has been asserted that, while PMs acts regarding the portal
harm a great many of the pro portal crowd, the portals existance does
not harm PM in any meaningful manner. I disagree. PM is on an ever
continuous search to push the bleeding edge of the envelope. This is
true not just in areas explored, but also in tactics, cohesion, and
military prowess. This is understood even by it's more vocal critics,
though they prefer to use less polite terms for the same things. In
order for them to do this, they need room in which to practice against
extremely tough environments. As is often complained about by many of
PMs opponenents, there are not very many of these, and they tend to be
easily crowded. it is for this reason that a quite, seldom mentioned,
occasionally trampled gentlemans agreement has existed for years between
a number of the people at this bleeding edge. If Yor and co are on KI
already, normally PM will avoid it. If Gurgi is hunting the FH, PM will
avoid it. If PM is hunting the Abyss, those parties will avoid them.
This isn't merely out of politeness on either parties part (though
there is some of that too, believe it or not), but also out of an
understanding that there is not enough room for both groups at once.
Without such careful attention to one anothers scheduals and efforts,
conflicts like the one we currently face wouldn't be the once every
vouple of years things we've seen, but weekly occurances.

The portals jeapordize this fragile agreement for the very reasons they
are so clamored for. By granting rapid and easy access to FH, KI, WC,
etc they would take the far too few areas in which not just PM, but also
Yor and Co, Gurgi and Co, and Micheal and Co are able to hunt and turn
them into constantly crowded, hotly contested areas unsuitable for the
purposes of PM and like minded "bleeding edge" groups. Instead of it
being a case of PM being fairly certain one of the areas at least would
be open for them to be PM without ugly collisions with other groups, PM
would find itself having even greater difficulty finding anywhere at
their skill level not previously occupied.

Is this a selfish position to take? Certainly. It just happens to be
the same thing many others quite vocally demand here for pretty much the
same selfish reasons. Micheal frequently complains about the dearth of
hunting grounds for the high level fighters, and for purely selfish
reasons. We all want the same thing here, we just have different
philosophies about how to obtain it. The pro-portal faction seeks to
ease the overcrowding by requiring the GMs design new areas faster than
can practically achieved. PM seeks to ease the overcrowding through
unpopular, but more practical methods of crowd control.

Sixth, I've seen PMs tactics attacked as being snertish or terroristic.
Again, I disagree. Snertish behavior is done simply out of a desire to
have fun by causing others harm. It's whole purpose is to cause harm.
Whether you feel PMs concerns are valid or not, they do have them. You
may not like their actions, but your dislike is not their reason for
taking them. As for terroristic methodology, here I have to disagree
even more strongly. Terrorism is an effort to change things by
attacking those not involved. Innocent bystanders and uninvolved
civilians are specifically and deliberately sought out as targets. PM
has been engaging in nothing of the sort. Their attacks have often been
made under cover of darkness, during slow times, and with careful
planning, yes, but those acts have been specifically against the portals
and their users, the very issue of contention. You may not like their
tactics, but I very much doubt those hit by Special Forces troops enjoy
the experience in the process as well. Trust me, being currently
engaged in fighting terrorism I have a stake in understanding what is
and is not terrorism.

Finally, I've seen PM accused of deliberately fabricating this crisis in
the hopes of conflict. While it is true some of us see opportunity for
further developments in CL arrising in such situations (much like
WatsonGM has stated), we haven't created this crisis. We responded to a
threat to our enjoyment, just as you have responded to a threat to
yours. To insist our response to the crisis created it is no more true
than to say your response to our response created the conflict. After
all, if you had not responded, there would be no crisis, correct?
(Hidden? Care to name the falacy inherrant in accusing a victim of
creating the problem?)

So, while I don't expect anyone here to change their views on this issue
based off my statements, I hope I've at least created a little
understanding of my views, at least. You may not agree with my views,
but at least do everyone on both sides the favor of not insisting I
don't have them and am only in this for some sort of sick, sadistic fun.

-HWC Sareth, in absentia

In article <3FA9CF22.D1060AEB.RemoveThis@gemmary.JUNK.com>,
Baff <baff.RemoveThis@gemmary.JUNK.com> wrote:

[big pile of poop deleted]

We're all just after what we respectively want, eh?

The truth is that you had the power to act and you did. The rest is
rationalization.

People not involved in your little division of the hunting areas were
screwed over by what you did.

To claim that we're all just out to protect our own interests begs the
question of just exactly what those interests are.

My right to swing my fist ends at your nose and NOT some mental picture
you have that requires that any potential swing must be aborted because
you can't stand the thought that a fist might make contact.

- Maeght