Editorial by sojourner, Editor-in-Chief

We have heard it said that IRON's leadership wants to return us to

the days when IRON was independent. What exactly does this

mean?

First, we have to look at the meaning of the word independent.

There are many definitions of the word. One of which is "not being

dependent on others for forming an opinion." It is separating

ourselves from conventional ideologies. It is also challenging

ourselves to see the full scope of the issues, in order to reach our

own ideas. It means being empowered to make up our own minds,

as well as to make judgments based on our own beliefs.

This does not mean we set ourselves apart and avoid input from

others, on the contrary, it demands that we seek input from others.

We do so knowing that diffuse information and points of view give

us a satellite view rather than a microscopic one. However, we also

know that we are not dependent on formulating our beliefs on these

opinions, and that fact finding serves as a comparative from which

we formulate our own ideas.

How can we develop independent thinking in ourselves? Well, first

of all, we must realize that independent thinking is not always

popular. It is at times risky. Most of the time, it is absolutely rare in

the cyberverse. It is easier to regurgitate the thoughts of others, as if

they are our own. In order to move forward, we have to think for

ourselves. If we think as everyone else does, we can only achieve

what everyone else does. This does not mean we have to disagree,

just to disagree; however, it does mean we should ask questions.

So how can we develop a healthy form of independent thinking? We

begin by forming a new paradigm. We form our own opinions.

Those opinions will be based on the accumulated knowledge we

have absorbed, not just by staying in the status quo. Interaction

with others, especially those who challenge our views, will allow us

to see the different angles.

Continued.

What does this have to do with IRON? It is relevant to our formulation

of ideas and our position in the circle of alliances. This is the idea

behind the State Department and the Secretary of State, DVDCCHN.

DVDCCHN: "Our cherished Independence comes in all forms, at the

moment we are moving towards political independence, a pseudo

isolationist if you will. This gives us time to see the new world we are

in, see our friendships, past and future. Independence also forms the

core of this alliance on a personal nature as well. We are a benevolent

council, as well as the officers in this military alliance.

As members of this glorious republic, we are free to disagree, form

opinions, and make our stance known. However, we are a military

alliance, an oligarchy defined by our meritocratic traditions. This does

not stifle the opinions and thoughts, it just defines venues, mediums,

times and places to make that stand. Each of us in the council have

pledged an open door policy, with our staff as well as the republic as

whole."

As IRON moves toward a return to independence, her members are

encouraged to share their ideas with Council.

editorial by sojourner

Editorial by Johnathan Chaos, Assistant Editor-in-Chief So many times we hear the phrase “doing your duty for IRON.” Have you ever actually pondered what that truly means? I mean really, really considered it? Bay and others have continuously stressed duty as one of the main IRON values. Council makes it's call to duty, and IRON responds in massive ways in times of war. However, there are far more ways to do your duty to IRON. You don't have to be a Commanding Officer like myself, a Councilor like MCRABT and others, or even a mega-donor like Matt Miller to serve IRON to the fullest. Some IRON members seem complacent to just be a member, and do very little to pay back the alliance for the very real protection that comes with flying the IRON flag. IRON is not just a brilliant acronym for the the greatest alliance on Planet Bob, it is a close knit community of friends and extended family. It is a place where you can belong, but as with any society, it's not a free ride. What can you do to truly serve and do your duty? Read on for exciting opportunities to do just that. Many new recruits and even some old-school IRON warriors are not aware of the opportunities within IRON to serve in fun and honorable ways. Certain jobs require experience and previous service to IRON but others are open to all levels of membership. When in doubt, just poke someone. We'll be glad to assist you. Remember your first contact with IRON? Chances are you do and it was probably from one of our Recruiters. In the words of General Dru Zod, “Serve the Republic in what's considered 'The Heart of IRON'. Recruiting is a very vital department to any Alliance in CN, just like the human heart is to the human body, etc..” Seek out potential new IRON brothers and sisters. Explain the benefits of IRON membership, as well as what IRON expects from citizens of the Republic. Do you enjoy meeting members from other Alliances? Then maybe a career in the State Department would be a good fit for you. While Council handles the heavy agenda of foreign policy, it is up to the Junior and Senior Diplomats to maintain friendly relationships with those outside IRON. Spam their forums. Chat in their IRC channels. Be a representative of IRON to Planet Bob. Make new personal friends, and help strengthen IRON's relationships with others within and outside the Orange Sphere.

Perhaps you are/were quite the warrior in Alpha and feel a military career would be a good fit for you. Keep an eye out for job postings for positions, even if you are not in a current squad. It is usual for a Delta or Echo private to be an officer in Foxtrot or Hades or any other squad. Radar personnel search Planet Bob for attacks upon IRON, Ghosts, and other suspicious activities. These guys are the trusted eyes and ears of IRON. When other departments have a bit of down time, these guys are on the job and ever vigilant. What about working with seeders and farmers in helping to coordinate IRON's tech flow. Check into joining the Internal Tech Farming Staff, or other Vault programs. The Vault is a vital part of IRON. To steal and alter a movie quote “The Tech & Aid must flow.” Would you like to assist your IRON brothers and sisters in finding the right trading partners for a Trade Circle, or offer help with Trade Swapping (to maximize collections)? Setting up the right trades can offer more bonus resources and therefor bring more money into IRON. IRON as a whole can benefit from your hard work over in Trades. Once you have graduated and have some experience to pass on, please do so. Sign up to be an IRON mentor and assist new nations in growing in the best way possible. Show them the ropes and offer guidance as they become full IRON brothers and sisters. Become a member of the Academy Staff and work with the Academy as the Alpha Dogs learn not only the art of war, but also the tricks of the trade to make their nation a strong IRON nation. Watch these Pups come in green and new, and guide them to be full grown Alpha Dogs, then send them out to Delta and beyond with the knowledge of CN that only IRON can bestow. Do you have an interest in serving in one of the various capacities under the Bureau of Information? You can be an ace reporter, help design the paper layout, work on art projects, assist with IRON-Radio, help maintain IRON's CN-Wiki page, and many other interesting endeavors. There are far more jobs available than can be feasibly listed in one place. Keep an eye out for job postings. If you are interested in something, ask someone. They can point you in the right direction. In conclusion, doing your duty for IRON can be fun, exciting, and rewarding. There are plenty of jobs out there. I personally ask each and every one of you to get involved. IRON isn't a parking place for your nation. It offers protection from attack, a venue to receive

Cont.

reparations when you've been attacked, and it offers you many friends and extended family members. There are also many programs that, as IRON members, you are entitled to participate in. It's all there for the taking. Just remember to give back. It doesn't matter how you serve, or even if you have limited time. There is truly something for everyone to do. Rejoice for the Republic is strong and glorious. Ferro Credimus! JC Ast. Editor-in-Chief

by Nerau

I recently sat down with our Secretary of State, DVDCCHN, and asked him some questions regarding IRON and Foreign Affairs Where would you like to see IRON in regards to Foreign Affairs? I would like to see IRON more secure politically. This means I would like to see a return to more "independence" and getting centered around close friends; as was the vision of my predecessors. Council builds our ties on real value and friendship, but we also need to look forward to the new dawn, times are different now, and old grudges may no longer be held. What in your opinion is a key to success in getting far in IRON? Standing out, hard work, and being a team player. We are a family and that is how the meritocratic traditions have been here. It's sad, seems like normally the same people do more than one job. While it is appreciated, I wish more people would take the chance to advance. Council is currently working on some ideas to address the issue of getting more people involved in this great alliance. What is one thing IRON needs to work on as we move forward? As a community we need to work on our activity; we need to inspire the old guard again; we need to mentor the new generations. We have gone through a lot of changes in a relatively small amount of time; we will go through more in the future. This community has always been willing to adapt and support each other, and that will continue. What is the best thing someone who wants to help could do? Be vocal, don't be afraid to voice their ideas, to council, to the presidium, to staffers in the republic in general. Find a job, a niche, or a group of friends in the alliance. This is surprisingly easy to do; I still talk to my group of friends from when I was a cadet, and I still go to my mentor (hi LE) to chat and get a different perspective of how things are going in the alliance. Do you any closing remarks? Yes, actually, I would like to give a personal shout out to all our

thank you for your sacrifice. I have opened up a new section of the state department, the "Office of the Secretary of State." This will be a place for me to post some global views of bob, as well as a central location for all FA questions. I will also have my own "ask a councilor section", so please stop by.

by Nerau I recently sat down with one of our dear friends from DAWN, Frannie, and talked about out great alliances In your opinion what are the common aspects which bond our alliances together? I think one of the most important things that keep us united is familiarity. We've gotten to know one another at membership level. It's very hard to betray your closest friend's expectations and hopes. We work together well. The last war we basically fought for one another and staggered one another's wars. Trade Swapping is also proof. Our busy embassy, filled with chit-chat, is also a proof of how we like each other and enjoy one another. Also, respect keeps us together through hard times. We respect you guys and I'd like to believe you respect us too. We respect each other as friends, as equals, as capable nation leaders and as alliance leaders. Our Councils keep in touch often, We keep each other informed and we function as one, if there's a need for it. All these things keep us united now and will keep us united later, too. Another bond is loyalty. We're loyal to each other and I actually don't see any of us going against the other anytime soon. Of course, friendship, communication on government level and membership level kinda ensures that. What in your opinions is some of the differences in our alliances? Size is a big difference. IRON is all about size. It has always been a big, massive recruitment alliance, most often in the sanction race than not. DAWN is not and will never be a very large alliance. We want to remain a close community of friends enjoying the game and each other's company. We try to compensate massiveness with high quality. We accept friends from anywhere, as long as they share our vision. Another big difference is the political organization. IRON is a meritocracy while DAWN tries to be as close as possible to direct democracy without the "TOP speed" in taking decisions. IRON has a very strict OpSec while DAWN tries to share as much as possible with our members. Probably the biggest difference is history. IRON has a history it needs to overcome and it needs to prove to the world that it isn't the former Hegemony puppet so many claim it still is. DAWN has no such burden, but DAWN has to prove it can function and be a player in the world.

asd What are some things that make DAWN unique? I don't know if we're unique, really. What attracted me to DAWN and what attracted others to DAWN is personal friendship. The things that make DAWN unique are its vision of the game and community, and its ability to bring together highly experienced players. Almost all of us have been former alliance leaders or at least very high profile alliance members who knew each other, trusted each other and had some level of respect for each other. As I said before, we'd like to keep that trait. Small sized alliances tend to go away and die if their leader and original founder retires. We're trying to make sure that won't happen

By Crusty Juggler Operations Security is an old idea in military doctrine that was formally defined during the Vietnam War. The basic under lying principles to OPSEC are as follows: -Identification of sensitive information -Identification of threats real or perceived -Identification of vulnerabilities -Assessment of risks -Application of measures to ensure security Application of this method in IRON is essential to conduct of alliance political and military affairs. Leaks of sensitive information to enemies of the state can prove devastating. For example, this one time I was ███████ for █████ and some slippery spy from ████ managed to find our plan to ██████ ██████, an alliance on █████. This high risk plan was dubbed Operation: ███████ of ████. Needless to say much embarrassment was had by the operations lead, none other than our dear ████. This information was quickly hidden from public eye and only now has ██████ allowed its release. OPSEC within the ██████ is among the strictest enactments of this method. ████ plans will pass from ████ to ████████ who organize ██████ lists and ██████ plans, and work with ██████ to prepare the alliance for ███. ██████████ once told me of this time back in ██████ War when he accidentally let slip that ████████ was planning to ██████████ ████ to one of the enemy leaders in IRC, they immediately turned around and used that to ██████ a ██████ ████ against ██████████. Whether or not the security leak was intentional or not is still debated to this day, but it certainly highlights the need for OPSEC. On the ████████ side, loss of control of what ████████ we sign can turn a brilliant ████████ maneuver into a joke in the eyes of the ██████ community. Council really has to watch out when talking around me, as word of ████████ could reach my ears and make it into this article. Last winter they had me ████████ some ██████ for ██████ and swore me to secrecy, but you know how my buddy Jimmy Beam gets my tongue going. Does anyone else hear that knocking? Oh it's from my door, who the… aytp ht;vk4wtj;4c ---Disregard what has been stated--- On a more serious note: Those of us who are on IRC: Please beware who is in a channel that you talk on. Loose lips sink ships. I am well known for asking who is who and what position they hold in Gov if I do not know them when I join those high level Gov channels.

I would like to ask that every IRON member treat #ironfist and our other Gov channels as possible leak points. Run the "who is" commands on people to make sure they are who they say they are. Make sure they are still IRON members. Some who have left still have access to these channels. Be sure your ruler name is your IRC name with IRON in brackets at the end. This is not a time for joke names.

Quote ...bay102174

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