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."

FNORD! Again

2009 was a year of changes and consolidation. It saw the end of Babkha, a micronation that served as a pillar of our sector since before the MCS even existed. It saw the end of the hated MicroHub, which for all of its flaws served as a continuation of the MNN tradition and one of our last links to the larger micronational world. It saw the organization of large chunks of the world into the Small Commonwealth and its Small Economy, which have escaped the pitfalls of so many other organizations by expecting less.

And thus commenced the 2009 FNORD Awards earlier this evening, hosted by its eponymous and erstwhile founder, Scott of Hyperborea.

The awards, held, as ever, in honour of Emperor Norton Day and inspired by Molossia's original Norton Awards, were judged this year by Bjorn Ironfist of Stormark, Ryan Caruso of Shireroth, Emperor Edgard of Alexandria, and Guido Zambelis of Lovely.

A traditional mix of categories has been continued, with the winners of each as follows:

• Most Promising New Micronation: Victoria
• Award for Graphic Arts: Victoria
• Award for Leadership: Chris Mules (Antica)
• Jeremy Bellamy Award for Literature: Ben Kern ( Rauðbjörn's Saga, Stormark)
• Bill Dusch Award for Cultural Development: Aryeztur Mejorkhor (Wiki of Aryez)
• Joshua Coales Award for Best New Idea: The Small Commonwealth
• Tony Au Award for Economics: The Small Commonwealth
• Iain Jacobson Award for Journalism: Max Edwards (Litovsker Tagblatt, Ashkenatza)
  
• Liam conToketi Award for Most Promising Micronationalist: Andrew Allot (Elwynn, Shireroth)
• Shane Odlum Award for Overall Achievement: Nathan Shepard (Natopia)

The winners, will, for the first time, receive real medals instead of virtual ones, courtesy of Dr. Spangle.

Istvanistan Wins Controversial MCS Appeal

MCS - The Republic of Istvanistan has won a controversial appeal for the MCS to restore its long-standing claim on the Micras world map, following its equally controversial removal last month.

The removal of Istvanistan from the map was apparently instigated by Dr. Spangle, who "forced" long-absent Istvanistani veteran Ari Rahikkhala to submit a claim for its removal on the grounds that it had been dead for four years.

What had been rather carelessly overlooked, though, was that Dr. Spangle's very own Ultimate Micronational Forumlist clearly showed otherwise, although anyone could presumably have briefly checked Istvanistan's forum instead.

At the beginning of this month, the Republic's recently appointed Minister of Foreign Annoyances and Envoy to the MCS, George W. Seagull, submitted an appeal against the removal, and stood steadfastly in the face of unreasonable offers for Istvanistan to meet additional conditions before its rightful position was restored.

The MCS Council eventually accepted the appeal just over a week ago, and we are now tentatively awaiting the next edition of the map to be published with Istvanistan restored.

The History of the Grand Commonwealth

Just over four years ago the micronational world was slightly shocked when a new and mostly unexpected micronational union appeared on the scene: the Grand Commonwealth.

It started out in 2004 as a plan between Treesia and Aerlig to try and create the first new micronational empire since Tymaria (which had lasted for just over 10 months until September 2002). It was also an opportunity to try and restore some of the former Apollo Foundation territories that had been previously and controversially removed by the MCS.

By the end of 2004 Lemuria, Antica and Arminy had signed up, but the latter two got cold feet and withdrew, throwing the whole project into jeopardy. In January 2005, an inspired approach to Babkha (followed later by Alteria) led to the launch of the Grand Commonwealth on April 28th 2005. It almost immediately became known as the "Great Satan" as a consequence of a major propaganda campaign instigated by Diga of Attera and implemented by Scott of Hyperborea.

A number of other micronations joined the Grand Commonwealth over the next two years, either as members or protectorates, while it also played a significant role in the formation of the MCS-rivalling Geographical Standards Organisation in 2006.

It all ceased abruptly at the end of the summer of 2007, following the withdrawal of Treesia and an effective boycott of the federal government by Babkha. A swift closure of the forums took advantage of the vacation period. Most of its former members have since failed to survive.

The Grand Commonwealth's website is now restored, and a more detailed history has been published there.

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.

Beginnings of the Grand Commonwealth (Part I)

It has been suggested by a number of micronationalists that the Grand Commonwealth was designed from the outset to be a counterweight to Shirerothian supremacy in the microworld. Others have also resorted to referring to the Commonwealth as Greater Babkha, unaware of the true history that lies behind the formation of the grand nation. The first thoughts of a Commonwealth started a little under a year ago, when Lachlan Powers (Aerlig) and Sir Iain de Vembria met during an online conversation to discuss the direction of their two nations.

Powers and de Vembria had often discussed the plights of their two nations, which had suffered greatly from inactivity over the preceding months. It was time that some action should be taken. All of micronationalism was in a lul, and something was needed to create some activity and draw new blood into the hobby, but what? October 9th, 2004 was the birth of discussions for a new nation. While it took nearly six months from this date for the dream to become a reality, the wheels were put in motion that night for an idea that would grow much beyond the original dreams.

The removal of Apollo Foundation lands from the Micronational Cartographic Society Map was an action that was loudly criticized by micronationalists around Micras, from Shireroth to Treesia. One must often wonder how Ryan Caruso can continue his job at the top after all the hard decisions and criticism he has had to make. The decision had been made, however, and Treesia’s long lives existence on the map was being threatened. So on the 9th October, the Round Table was presented with two options- threaten the MCS or leave the Foundation and resume sovereignty over the traditional lands. Treesia had once covered lands ranging as far as Shireroth of the day, and the prospect of the nation being wiped off the map altogether was one that de Vembria couldn’t bare contemplate.

Powers, a member of the Round Table, came up with the initial laughable suggestion of Treesia becoming and Aerlish state. The suggestion though, however ridiculous it may have seemed at the time, was to give rise to what is arguably the largest, most powerful nation Micras has ever seen.

Not long after the suggestion of the Treesian state, de Vembria first floated the idea of a loose union between Treesia, Aerlig and Lemuria- A “New Apolloian [sic] Empire�. United for economics, foreign affairs and security in the first place. The laughable idea of admitting Antica was floated (which we shall see later was not so laughable), along with flooding Micras in the violent lime green colour which Aerlig possessed. Apollo fever took over, and notions were raised of contacting Harvey about the Flying Islands, Trevon about Istavanistan and considering how many different acronyms could be formed including the word Apollo.

By the 10th, Powers had spoken with Delphi Augustus of Antica, who was willing to join in discussions about the formation of a new Empire. For the next day, things stood idle, probably as life interceded, as it does. Something was clearly brewing though. With Aerlig, Treesia, Lemuria and Antica having expressed interest, there was a possibility of something big occurring. Note though that Babkha was not mentioned, nor was it even considered. As we will see, it was many months before Babkha was even associated with the project. Other nations will come and go before then, and yet the whole project will remain under wraps from Micras’s supposed top security agencies.

It was on the 9th of October that, what was so eloquently referred to at the time as the "Imperial Whatever of Thingummy" came into life as an idea.

To be continued...

Commonwealth Territory under dispute

MCS HQ, MNN - The management of the Micronational Cartographic Society are continuing to receive flack from the recent decision to grant the former lands of Audentior to the Grand Commonwealth when it joined the map this week.

Many individuals have expressed their disapproval of the decision by MCS staff to include the extra land on the map, with the largest argument now finally winding down in Shireroth. Led by Bill Dusch, a number of Shirerothians have claimed that the Grand Commonwealth has no right to claim the historically important lands, and that the GC should move its territory elsewhere or face the power of Shireroth. Others have called for the removal of Cartographer Ardashir Khan, claiming he is too biased to be in the position.

The Commonwealth has been yet to formally reply to the allegations made by individuals, and no Government has yet formally approached the Commonwealth about the issue. Only time will tell the outcome of this contentious issue.

MNN Celebrates Third Anniversary

MNN Boards- The Micronational News Network (MNN) is today celebrating the third anniversary of what many people would have once considered unimaginable- a service offering continually updates news and information for micronations.

In what started as a long overdue replacement for the old Micronations Today ezboard, MNN provided a forum-based news service, with dedicated journalists providing the articles. This formula became a success and MNN became a big hit, with users posting more than 580 news stories alone before the start of the blogging revolution.

MNN has been about more than just providing the news, however. From its first post it has provided a neutral environment where people can meet and exchange ideas, hold conferences and discuss issues. As a result, over the years MNN has hosted numerous conferences and organisations, including the Micronational Cartography Society, the Currency Exchange Organisation, the Apollo Foundation and more recently the Micronational Recreational Warfare Society and FNORD Awards.

Its success can be seen in many ways. Not only has the board amassed close to 12,000 posts and 360 members, but it has welcomed more than 75,000 unique visitors- a post and view count that would put most nations to shame.

When the Apollo Inquisitor spoke earlier today with the founder and owner of MNN, Sir Iain de Vembria, it was quickly able to engage his excitement and satisfaction. He spoke of his surprise at the growth of the service, and how it continues to grow, culminating with the recent launch of MNN 24/7- the blog service inspired by Cyberian Jack Santucci and enacted by Sander Dieleman. De Vembria accredits the success of MNN to its neutrality, stating that it

"...has succeeded by providing dedicated fora and services requested by micronationalists, [expanding] from the four original fora to the fifteen-plus ones today. Its ongoing success is founded on the principal of attracting people's interest and keeping it, which includes giving them as much control as possible, and therefore an interest in keeping things going."

When asked if he had any future plans for the service, he informed us that the news had probably been developed about as far as it could go, but that "...the existing features will be maintained, and any suggestions for new ones will continue to be accepted and implemented if they have merit."

Congratulations MNN! Heres to another three years!

Related Links:
MNN Forums
MNN Website
MNN History

The Apollo Inquisitor is a partially owned subsidiary of the Micronational News Network.

News Shorts (28/06/04)

Feianova- Who says no good things can come from war? Recent alligations against the Feianovan Commune saw a tripling in the average number of visits to the nations forums on June 28. The nation is also celebrating the return of founder, Sander Dieleman, and three new citizenship applications in the past week.

Shireroth/Feianova Tensions flared at forums across the microworld after it was claimed this week that Feianovan agents were infiltrating Antica's forums. Babkha, Shireroth, MNN and Feianovan forums all had threads with more than two pages arguing over the unfolding events. Things seem to have settled down now, with Shirerothian citizens now arguing over wether they despise Amerada or Cyberia more, and how crappy their forums are.

Cyberia- Cyberia has decided to join the MCS Map, after what appears to be a long time not on it. They have requested, however, that should they leave, their part of the map go with them.