Hey there, fellow Whyvillians... this is SpAzChiK here again. I just would like to comment on Whyville's new idea to have a Safety Patrol. Quite frankly, I think it's the stupidest idea. In the past couple of years we haven't needed it, so what makes us need it now?
I think that the report tool works sufficiently enough. I don't know about you, but I really don't want people with floating about with patrol hats and patrol shirts, saying, "If I were you I'd settle down or I'm going to have to A. Report you or B. Kick you out of the chatroom." I'm not sure how much "control" or "power" City Hall plans on giving them, but I think it's just another way for people to abuse their powers.
Yes, Whyville is attempting to provide a similar replica of our real life world today, but in all honesty, we don't need a type of police throughout Whyville. It's too much. What's next? Jails? Laws? Puhlease! Whyville is supposed to be fun. Yes, there are meant to be rules, and most of us respect that, and if we don't... well, we get punished by losing our "face changing" or our "chatting" abilities.
K.I.S.S. -- Keep It Simple, Stupid. I don't know about the rest of you, but I really don't want a Why-Patrol and I don't want stupid Laws and I don't want any other type of similar law keeping... thingies....
Well, that's just my opinion, thanks for reading,
peace,
SpAzChiK
Editor's Note: What makes us need a patrol? How has Whyville changed since it began? Well, the population has gone from zero to over 250,000 -- and meanwhile, we've gone from a few founding employees to... two or three more?! Can you imagine how many hours city workers spend dealing with (and worrying about) safety issues? With the increased notice we're getting in the Los Angeles Times and other places, Whyville must remain vigilant in protecting its citizens -- and part of that protection needs to come from the citizens themselves!
Not everyone will remember this, but the truth is that the rules and security of Whyville has changed many times as the population grew. When we just started out and there were only a few thousand citizens, we didn't even have a filter! Then, troublemakers started coming, and so City Hall had to add a filter. Then we grew some more, and the filters weren't enough because people were learning to get around the filters, and so City Hall added the 911 report. Now, Whyville is on the verge of another growth spurt that will require even better security and awareness.
To understand more about why this is, please read City Hall's response to Lilbeaut's article in this same section.
Most chatrooms have moderators, who make everyone stay on topic and stay clean. Perhaps what concerns you is that most chatrooms don't have kids as moderators -- do you not believe kids can take care of themselves this way?
You ask, "What comes next? Jails? Laws?" Well... maybe. It depends on what the citizens want, and what sponsors will pay for. This is still an educational site -- if we can all learn about what it takes to make a democracy work, how to run a courtroom, etc., then that's another step along that path.
