Powerfully written, everyone!
Several of you have asked that citizens be given greater powers in Whyville. But, what power do you want? What decisions do you feel we make that we don't ask you about?
When we had to choose between making plots and making a party, we asked you what we should do. When we were creating Club Why, we asked for input -- had more citizens stood up for what they wanted, perhaps the Club would have been successful in its first incarnation, for the betterment of all. The same goes for the Waiting Room and Why-Passes. Some decisions we have simply had to make, no matter what any of us may have wanted, like creating the Waiting Room. It has to be there, like physics.
So, what decisions do you want to make? Clearly, choosing what should be in the filter and what shouldn't be is a major decision that you'd like to be a part of. Right now, we're going over the filter to see what should be added and what removed. Email us at city-management\@whyville.net with any words that you can't say in Whyville that you think you should be able to say -- but remember, Whyville is still a site for young kids as much as old kids, so all the normal "bad words" will continue to be filtered.
What could a citizen-run government decide? What should it decide, and what would be better run by the adults in City Hall? Remember, City Workers are a part of Whyville, too -- and so are your parents! Especially since your parents can control whether you come to our town or not, please keep in mind what they would want, and try to find a good compromise. After all, compromise is what government is all about.
Whatever you want Whyville to be, whether unrestricted anarchy or representative republic, democracy or dictatorship, please be prepared that any change in our governing methods will come about only very slowly. That's the nature of a healthy, peaceful change of power. So be patient, but don't hesitate to share your opinions! We at City Hall have always sought to govern to meet your needs and desires.
And speaking of government, do you know what the U.S. government's take on kids and the internet is? Do any budding Times Writers want to do some very deep research and write us an article or a series of articles on that subject? The Times Editor tells me he'll give a big clam reward for the best one!
Finally, keep in mind that even what I write here is an incomplete discussion of an enormous issue. Humanity has been struggling to find the best way of governing itself ever since we first began forming communities. We all welcome the opportunity to get the community of Whyville in on the debate.
Keep thinking!
City Hall
