MCS Switches to Google Maps

The Micronational Cartography Society (MCS) is to switch to using Google Maps as its technical basis. The Google Maps API will be used in a unique micronational mash-up which will incorporate the official geographical map of Micras as its base map, upon which individual micronations will be able to superimpose additional layers for cultural, political and resource maps.

The new system will include automatic monitoring of activity levels by using an updated version of the Ultimate Micronational Forumlist. Micronations will be required to designate parts of their territories which will be sacrificed should their activity fail to meet the MCS' prescribed criteria, with the map being appropriately updated automatically. New claims will also be able to be submitted automatically, with special algorithms being used to being used to determine their validity.

MCS administrator Craitman said: "this new system will take away much of the tedium associated with the manual updates while giving more control to our members and ensuring all territories are allocated on a fair and uncontestable basis. We will also offer a version of Google Earth, called Google Micras, to enable aerial and fly-through views of Micras' rendered landscape, which will take the micronational experience to a new level."

NewsBlink #3: Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil...

NewsBlink #3

Hear No Evil
When you can't admit you're wrong, just put your hands over your ears and sing very loudly. And if you're a Stormarker to boot, turn it into a Viking saga and a Cult of the Emperor just for good measure. Because, so far, the bill for Stormark to sever ties with Cranda is not yet a dead cert, with those pesky voters having the sheer audacity to split the vote evenly both ways at the time of press.

See No Evil
So how's the new Attera geting on? We think the Grand Commonwealth sees it as a tame leopard rather than a roaring Lion of Judah, especially as the Atterans seem very in to things like constitutions and coronations for the time being.

Speak No Evil
All's fine at the GSO. Yes, it really is. No, really. Even though there have been no updates for almost two months, and no indication of any either. But it's ok really, it's only a service, so there's absolutely no need for any publicity or advertising.

And Finally...
Babkha celebrated its sixth anniversary yesterday, so go and congratulate them.

NewsBlinks: blink and you'll miss 'em ^MTM

Newsblink #2: Cranda and Stormark, the GSO, and... Attera?!

NewsBlink #2

Cranda versus Stormark
In a typical show of micronational legal prowess, the Viking Empire of Stormark and the Principality of Upper Cranda are locked in an epic struggle over the ownership of the Vaan Aujoen islands. For those of you not familiar with your history, these are the same islands that some years ago Babkha aggressively claimed from Cranda. Stormark, under the mistaken assumption that Cranda being removed from the MCS map under the Atkins plan made it defunct, had annexed the islands, and this had only now come to the attention of the Prince, Johanns fonn Klosso, famed Atteran ex-co-regent and ex-Prime Minister extraordinaire. So far, nothing has been resolved, but it appears that the Most Sovereign and Noble Viking Emperor will not be apologizing for the annexation, which means the Crandish Diet will likely expel him.

GSO versus Giess
In other news, the GSO has spent another straight week without updating the map or informing its members what, if anything, it might be doing. Sources within the GSO organization say that an attempt to shake the leadership from complacency may be underway, however, we have yet to get official word or any outward signs of it.

Attera versus the World
And finally, on our rather short list (I don't get out much, so sue me), rumors have been circulating about the resurrection of the Solomonic Empire of Attera, long-time hated enemy and rival of the Kingdom of Babkha. The Solomonic Empire was perhaps the only African themed nation around, and was made even more unique by also being Jewish. Its return is no doubt feared by all those in the Grand Commonwealth.

And Finally...
That's it for the news today.

NewsBlinks: blink and you'll miss 'em ^MTM

Mapocalypse Now!

They said it would never happen. They said it couldn't be done. But today saw the launch of a new mapping service, and a consequential en-masse resignation of nine nations (so far) from an long-established micronational mapmaker.

The Geographical Standards Organisation is the new map on the block, and nine nations have already resigned from the venerable Micronational Cartography Society to join it, citing various reasons to do so, including dissatisfaction with the MCS, and the GSO having a better map.

The catalyst for the split occurred in April, after the MCS started to put its map on an "Atkins diet", belatedly held a vote about it, and controversially started backtracking on the previously non-negotiable reductions. The MCS had also previously ignored the 2005 mapping conference COMSAV, which had examined ways of improving the MCS Micras system. While the results of the Atkins Vote looked good for the MCS, some of the voters obviously hadn't been that truthful, as several disaffected nations met soon afterwards in secret to find a permanent solution to their problems, which they did not believe could be found within the MCS. The result, four months later, is the GSO, with most of the creative work having being by John Darcy of Anthelia and Lachlan Powers of the Grand Commonwealth.

The aim of the GSO is to operate a more realistic simulation of planetary mapping than its rival. To begin with, a physical map of a new planet named 'Giess' has been developed, with a detailed geographical backstory for its appearance. Two continents have been left 'unexplored' to assist with the simulated aspects of mapping and exploration.

The nations on Giess will also have more control over their depicted territories with regards to the "development of territories, negotiation of borders, exploitation of resources" and their eventual "decline and disappearance", within an overall framework of rules and guidelines managed by the GSO. They can also produce their own national maps from the GSO maps, at a level for detail that the GSO would not publish itself.

Nations on Giess will also be equal partners in the ownership of the GSO, which has its own elected board of directors and separate committees for managing admissions and designing maps.

The founding members of the GSO are Alexandria, Anthelia, Gotzborg, The Grand Commonwealth, Lemuria, New Brittania, Oscland, Paulovia, Stormark and Treithar, and the current board of directors comprises Lachlan Powers of the Grand Commonwealth, John Darcy of Anthelia, and Ben Gray of Treithar, who is also the President, and was unfortunately unavailable for comment.

From Shirefox to Moogle, and iGlobe

Shireroth Plans New Search Engine

SHIREKEEP, SHIREROTH - Hot on the heels of Shirefox, the Shirithian toolbar for Firefox created by Fax Celestis, we can exclusively reveal the development of a new micronational edition of Google, to be called Moogle.

Based on the Google Web API for developers, the Moogle home page will feature special search features for micronations, based on those already included in Shirefox, and some other unique features that are still under development.

Moogle will also continue Google's tradition of displaying special versions of its name banner to celebrate special days. The banner system will initially be tested with Shirithian holidays, but will be expanded to show the holidays of other micronations that want to be included at an appropriate milestone during beta testing.

MCS To Go Global With iGlobe

THE MCS - News of other technical innovations has also come from the MCS, where an insider has informed us that the new activity index formulae are but the first part of a more ambitious plan for the MCS Map to accurately reflect the sizes of its members on a daily basis.

The MCS will set up an interactive database called iGlobe with special software that will allow each nation to be redrawn every day to an appropriate size, based on its citizen and activity levels. To achieve this, each nation will be required to include a very complex piece of javascript on its forum for the software to recognise, so that it can automatically monitor board activity and census statistics. At the end of each day the MCS map will then be updated with the amended borders and republished. This system will also allow random skins to be applied to the map each day. Apparently suggestions received for them so far include skins in the style of Shireroth, Aronphei, the People's Republic of Hell, and Pokey the Penguin.

It also is believed that the MCS will work in partnership with intelligence agency SHINE to include a more efficient way to remove unwanted nations. This will include reclassifying these nations as non-nations, and recalibrating their activity with a negative activity index number. That way, when an official non-nation is inactive, only a small land area for it will appear on the map, and when it is actually active, it will disappear altogether. It is believed that a preliminary test of this system has already been used on parts of the latest version of the map against unspecified "enemies of the Republic".

It is understood that the iGlobe database will be very resource intensive and as a result require external funding to secure its long-term survival. To do this the MCS will trademark iGlobe as a brand and develop a number of commercial services, which would include applying the system to the mapping of Planet Earth (ultimately being linked to surveillance satellites and cctv systems for an comprehensive automated global census) and producing pulsating luminous globes, which will be sold through IWOOT and also called the iGlobe, and that people would be able to customise with their own real or fictional maps, and set to interact with a selection of external influences, such as music or clapping, as well as real-time population data.

Experiments with producing "real maps" of Planet Earth have already begun, although apparently there is some way to go before the MCS will be able to put actual countries on them.

In Other News...

- Shireroth has denied that the MCS's ruthless reduction of land claims was the only way it could be guaranteed enough land for the anticipated expansion it will undergo as a result of a secret new recruitment plan and its subsequent effect on its MCS activity index rating.

- MCS Head Cartographer Bill Dusch has rubbished claims that he has followed Ryan Caruso's example and registered the entire copyright of Shireroth in his name with the State of New York, as part of a plot to revitalise the ailing nation as a new home for Soloralism and to create a fourth incarnation of Menelmacar.

- Film director Mike Newell has stated that allegations that his latest production, "Sealand the Movie", is an elaborate April Fool, are completely unfounded.

MNN Denies MCS Deletion Claim

Following claims made yesterday about threats that were allegedly made to delete the MNN-hosted forum of the Micronational Cartography Society, MNN has issued a statement denying that such had ever been made.

MNN said any claims of deletion would be "completely untrue", as the deletion of any forums it hosted would be impossible as its policy has always been to archive forums that are no longer required, and that this would have been the case even if it had decided to take action against the MCS in 2004 as part of the general protests that occurred when "the MCS removed the historic Apollo Foundation territories from their map".

MNN added that it believed that the true reason for the MCS's move was to remove its disputed owner Ryan Caruso from any obligations following his withdrawal from private negotiations that he was holding with MNN's founder Iain de Vembria at the beginning of this year.