Rebranding micronations
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- Scott Alexander
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Rebranding micronations
(adapted from some discussion on a Babkhan thread)
At its worst, "micronation" as understood by the average guy on the street means somewhere like Sealand, or at the very least a guy with a fake crown who has fortified has backyard and is threatening to shoot anyone who enters. At its best, it means somewhere like Molossia, which doesn't take itself too seriously but which is still a guy's ranch on Nevada and limited to the people who live there and their immediate families.
Most of these "micronationalists" are pretty intolerant of our mapping/role-playing paradigm. They insult us as silly people pretending to be elves, we insult them as pompous and potentially violent lunatics. The association hurts us both - they feel like we're preventing them from being taken seriously; we worry that they might make people take us too seriously.
But the fact is, they had the term "micronation" first, and when the popular press talks about micronations, they're referring to them.
The only reason we call ourselves micronations now is historical. Most of us claim some descent from a micronation closer to the Molossian paradigm; Audentior, my first micronation, was never entirely serious about seceding but certainly had no fantasy or simulation elements - in terms of philosophy it was probably pretty close to George's micronation of Atlantium (albeit limited to cyberspace). Many of you came via Danny Wallace's How to start your own country, which is about genuinely starting a new nation in the real world. These micronations gradually became interested in things like role-playing, recwar, and cartography, and morphed into the MCS micronations of today, which are nothing like what most of the world calls "micronations".
I think this is at the root of a lot of our recruiting problems. We're embarrassed to talk to "normal people" because they think we're crazy people trying to secede, and we're embarrassed to talk to micronationalists because they think we're fantasy geeks polluting their hobby.
So we should ditch the term "micronation" and think up a new one that better describes our own role. I suggest "active geofiction" (or perhaps "collaborative geofiction"), where geofiction is the hobby of making up countries and "active" refers to us actually being in and governing these countries instead of just drawing them up on a piece of paper or writing books about them.
There are already some well-established geofictional communities, and the conworlder communities consider themselves allied to geofiction, so we would get a big opportunity to recruit from there and from the people who would usually end up there (I think Oric from Antica and possibly Sander Dieleman came from there originally). And we could keep our relations with the wider micronational community (like OAM) in place as a hobby that is compatible to ours though not identical and which shares many common interests and goals.
At its worst, "micronation" as understood by the average guy on the street means somewhere like Sealand, or at the very least a guy with a fake crown who has fortified has backyard and is threatening to shoot anyone who enters. At its best, it means somewhere like Molossia, which doesn't take itself too seriously but which is still a guy's ranch on Nevada and limited to the people who live there and their immediate families.
Most of these "micronationalists" are pretty intolerant of our mapping/role-playing paradigm. They insult us as silly people pretending to be elves, we insult them as pompous and potentially violent lunatics. The association hurts us both - they feel like we're preventing them from being taken seriously; we worry that they might make people take us too seriously.
But the fact is, they had the term "micronation" first, and when the popular press talks about micronations, they're referring to them.
The only reason we call ourselves micronations now is historical. Most of us claim some descent from a micronation closer to the Molossian paradigm; Audentior, my first micronation, was never entirely serious about seceding but certainly had no fantasy or simulation elements - in terms of philosophy it was probably pretty close to George's micronation of Atlantium (albeit limited to cyberspace). Many of you came via Danny Wallace's How to start your own country, which is about genuinely starting a new nation in the real world. These micronations gradually became interested in things like role-playing, recwar, and cartography, and morphed into the MCS micronations of today, which are nothing like what most of the world calls "micronations".
I think this is at the root of a lot of our recruiting problems. We're embarrassed to talk to "normal people" because they think we're crazy people trying to secede, and we're embarrassed to talk to micronationalists because they think we're fantasy geeks polluting their hobby.
So we should ditch the term "micronation" and think up a new one that better describes our own role. I suggest "active geofiction" (or perhaps "collaborative geofiction"), where geofiction is the hobby of making up countries and "active" refers to us actually being in and governing these countries instead of just drawing them up on a piece of paper or writing books about them.
There are already some well-established geofictional communities, and the conworlder communities consider themselves allied to geofiction, so we would get a big opportunity to recruit from there and from the people who would usually end up there (I think Oric from Antica and possibly Sander Dieleman came from there originally). And we could keep our relations with the wider micronational community (like OAM) in place as a hobby that is compatible to ours though not identical and which shares many common interests and goals.
Last edited by Scott Alexander on Sat Jan 15, 2011 3:19 am, edited 3 times in total.
Scott Alexander | Autokrator of Archipelago (What is Archipelago?)
Illustrious Founder of the MCS, and sometime Special Cartographer
Illustrious Founder of the MCS, and sometime Special Cartographer
Re: Rebranding micronations
Thaaaaat's a decent name, except... what do you call a participant in an active geofiction community?
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- dr-spangle
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Re: Rebranding micronations
active geofictionationalist
what if they stop posting?
an inactive active geofictionalist
what if they stop posting on purpose and use their effort to not post?
an active inactive active geofictionalist
I'm just having fun here Don't mind me
what if they stop posting?
an inactive active geofictionalist
what if they stop posting on purpose and use their effort to not post?
an active inactive active geofictionalist
I'm just having fun here Don't mind me
- Scott Alexander
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Re: Rebranding micronations
Okay, it's a long and terrible name, the point is - something other than "micronation" Hopefully someone else will think of something better?
Scott Alexander | Autokrator of Archipelago (What is Archipelago?)
Illustrious Founder of the MCS, and sometime Special Cartographer
Illustrious Founder of the MCS, and sometime Special Cartographer
Re: Rebranding micronations
I tend to lean more towards "alternative cultural developer" or "alternative historical simulationist". Not the most pretty or streamlined names ever, but I do agree that, at times, the terms "micronation" and "micronationalist" in respect to our community is a misnomer at times.
I've been thinking about this a lot myself lately. Especially considering the fact that I'd like to perhaps find people outside of the established "micronational sphere". Things like "the simulation of alternative cultural and historical timelines via political, cultural and historical simulation" have came to mind when explaining who I am, what I do and what Normark is. I think that is much more likely to snare some new people than "we're micronationalists and we simulate nations on a forum". Not very exciting and it really isn't very accurate. Going to an alt. history forum or something along those lines and calling yourself a micronationalist and/or your nation a micronation will probably send the wrong message.
If/when I am able to find time to go to these other forums, I'll see about reporting back with what I've found and if it is indeed successful.
I've been thinking about this a lot myself lately. Especially considering the fact that I'd like to perhaps find people outside of the established "micronational sphere". Things like "the simulation of alternative cultural and historical timelines via political, cultural and historical simulation" have came to mind when explaining who I am, what I do and what Normark is. I think that is much more likely to snare some new people than "we're micronationalists and we simulate nations on a forum". Not very exciting and it really isn't very accurate. Going to an alt. history forum or something along those lines and calling yourself a micronationalist and/or your nation a micronation will probably send the wrong message.
If/when I am able to find time to go to these other forums, I'll see about reporting back with what I've found and if it is indeed successful.
Last edited by Nick on Sat Jan 15, 2011 6:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Zand Gozâr - Grand Vizier & Satrap of Kumarastan, Kingdom of Babkha
Re: Rebranding micronations
I hate to say it, but in the broadest sense, we're 'gamers'. Maybe SIMUNATION or SIMNATION (simnationalist) is a solution.
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Re: Rebranding micronations
Can you explain more what you mean by 'gamers'?
And I support Scott's efforts and sentiments. I hadn't thought about it explicitly before, but when I talk about being a micronationalist to friends, I normally introduce it by saying "Well it started as a bunch of people trying to start their own nations and secede from real nations but we're not like that, we're the type who just simulate nations and make our own political systems, culture and economies." It would be so much easier to just say "I'm a geofictionist, we simulate imaginary nations and make our own political systems, culture and economies."
Geofictionist kinda works, but you're right, it probably needs an extra term to differentiate from those who just create their own nations but don't have the kind of interactions we have. Maybe "interactive geofictionist"?
A couple sites that google brought up about the term "geofiction":
Good intro site
One on Worldbuilding
And I support Scott's efforts and sentiments. I hadn't thought about it explicitly before, but when I talk about being a micronationalist to friends, I normally introduce it by saying "Well it started as a bunch of people trying to start their own nations and secede from real nations but we're not like that, we're the type who just simulate nations and make our own political systems, culture and economies." It would be so much easier to just say "I'm a geofictionist, we simulate imaginary nations and make our own political systems, culture and economies."
Geofictionist kinda works, but you're right, it probably needs an extra term to differentiate from those who just create their own nations but don't have the kind of interactions we have. Maybe "interactive geofictionist"?
A couple sites that google brought up about the term "geofiction":
Good intro site
One on Worldbuilding
Andreas
"He showed up three or four years ago and accidentally took over the micronational world by being way more competent and enthusiastic than everyone else. Now he sort of rules us all, but it's a benevolent sort of thing, as far as we know."
~Scott Alexander
"He showed up three or four years ago and accidentally took over the micronational world by being way more competent and enthusiastic than everyone else. Now he sort of rules us all, but it's a benevolent sort of thing, as far as we know."
~Scott Alexander
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Re: Rebranding micronations
Scott is right - when I wanted to see if there are any foreign (sim-)micronations out there, I used the term micronation and, of course, got no result. Later I discovered MCS - and that's how I'm now balancing on the edge between Polish- and English-speaking Microworld.
I'm for the term Scott proposed - and for the name of the people involved, why don't we still use 'simulationist'? It's already used by many, so why do we need longish-descriptive-names? People would be looking for the 'active geofiction' anyway.
What I worry about is that the term would be as accurate as 'micronation' - people typing in just 'geofiction' would find nothing...
I'm for the term Scott proposed - and for the name of the people involved, why don't we still use 'simulationist'? It's already used by many, so why do we need longish-descriptive-names? People would be looking for the 'active geofiction' anyway.
What I worry about is that the term would be as accurate as 'micronation' - people typing in just 'geofiction' would find nothing...
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Re: Rebranding micronations
Whenever I try to describe micronations to people not in the know, their minds almost immediately ask if it's a game - I always say it's not, so "gamers" isn't the right term. "Micronations" has no definite definition, so it depends on the person/group involved what a "micronation" is. As far as the de facto definition in this community goes, the forums we administrate and participate in are "micronations". Considering that has always been the case and continues to be so, I think very few of us have qualms about being involved in "micronations" or calling ourselves "micronationalists".
My name is Craitman and I'm a micronationalist. *Rest of group applauds*
My name is Craitman and I'm a micronationalist. *Rest of group applauds*
Re: Rebranding micronations
My name is Nick and I am an alcoho...oh wait...wrong group...
I suppose it is personal preference.
I suppose it is personal preference.
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Zand Gozâr - Grand Vizier & Satrap of Kumarastan, Kingdom of Babkha
Re: Rebranding micronations
Simulationist micronationalism suits me fine. The term micronation is concise and descriptive and affirms our historical link to secessionist micronations of old as a Sector- if anything it's also useful as there are many people as Scott said who get into this hobby through seccessionist micronations. That is, we present ourselves as an alternative version of the secccessionist micronation rather than something new altogether- hence 'simulationist'.
The term 'micronation' is so ingrained now I think deleting it would be both disrespectful of our history and potentially alienating to those who could join our sector through simulationism, as many have in the past.
The term 'micronation' is so ingrained now I think deleting it would be both disrespectful of our history and potentially alienating to those who could join our sector through simulationism, as many have in the past.
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Re: Rebranding micronations
I prefer to stick to micronations really, its what I have been and what I think of this world as. Not like anyone has to worry about the gestapo kicking down your door and taking you off to the jail for using it.
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- dr-spangle
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Re: Rebranding micronations
It is easier to stick to micronations, even if we are the most simulationist ones i can think of...
Scale from simulationist to secessionist, as I see it:
MCS
Microwiki
MNeu
George
micronational.net
Tallini
Scale from simulationist to secessionist, as I see it:
MCS
Microwiki
MNeu
George
micronational.net
Tallini
Re: Rebranding micronations
However, there is a risk that the NKVD may do so.
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