So... the past few weeks I have become increasingly annoyed with a certain subject. That subject goes by the name of Coffee shop/IRC Avenue.

What is the problem with it you ask?

Lately I have been sat idly in the coffeeshops for the majority of time just listening to the conversations that have passed through the halls and what I notice is... a lot of opinions. A HELL of a lot of opinions. Yet very few of those opinions make it to our fair streets, the one place that the majority of our population agree need to be kept ticking over. If only for the new people coming to our shores to gauge a view of our world without having to visit a coffeeshop.

I too am guilty of this crime, I have shared many views and opinions there and every time I do it, I regret it. I feel they could've been put to better use out here. So for the next week I am making a decision to not visit any coffeeshops AT ALL. I shall immerse myself fully into the streets and private mails that come my way.

What am I hoping to achieve? Hmmmm... well I havent really thought that part through, however I wouldn't mind seeing other people doing the same and seeing what effects it has on our streets.

Maybe it will achieve nothing. Maybe after this week I shall go back to using the coffeeshops as per. Maybe I'll find a new lease of life and be able to keep up with public appearances while still delving back into the coffeeshops.

I too, have thought about this very thing. I applaud you for your stance. The coffeeshops have cauesd more problems than good as far as Im concerned. In every situation Id prefer the streets or private telegrams between individuals. A week without the coffeshops will be interesting, and I look forward to your thoughts after this week has passed.

To me this sounds like a good idea Countdown, maybe something good will come out of this.

I also welcome this stance. Completely support it.

I also have an opinion on something I would like to address. I've seen the brevity of my bloodline pop up more than once now on these streets, and I'd like to know what relevance it bears.

Does one have to have an extensive family history for their take on this thing of ours to be justified and respected? Is a fresh take on things never welcome? Is my opinion worth less than that of another Godfather just because I am the first of my bloodline to achieve my position?

Isn't being able to avoid Countdown in the coffee shops the good part Built2Destroy?

I have no issues with the plan, in fact I commend it, but I also don't see it having a major impact sadly. The truth is, it's not that people forget to share thoughts away from IRC avenue, it's that they don't wish too. When relaxing in a coffee shop people feel at ease. They are far more willing to discuss matters of personal life, in a way they'd never be willing to do out here on our streets. They feel more at ease and share a far wider variety of thoughts and comments.

Would simply not visiting the coffee shop cause them to share more on the streets? The fact that they'd be restricted to shop talk only, related to this thing of ours, makes me think it wouldn't. However, I'll happily admit that this could be a false assumption on my part. I fear your hypothesis may be flawed, but eagerly await to see the results one way or the other good sir.

Godmother, one does not need to have an exstensive linage to earn respect. If I stand here correctly, this your second line to roam these streets and you have achieved the powerful rank of Godmother. You my dear, have my uttmost respect. You carry yourself in a dignified manner, you're respectful, and you speak well. All of those things earn respect in my book.

Countdown, on the other hand, has an extensive bloodline, ranging far past my own. He too has my respect, for he steps out into these streets and says his peace. I'm not nearly as familar with him, nor do I have a personal relationship with him like I do others, but I respect him as well. His position within his family and the way he presents himself has earned respect in my eyes.

I'm not sure who your questions are directed at Lilac, but I'll bite so here goes.

In my personal opinion it does not matter if you got any extensive family histroy for anyone to respect you, but than again I am fairly new here, and I believe respect is earned not given.

For me a fresh take on thing is always good regardless of who or what rank they hold.

It doesn't matter what rank you have your opinion matters just as much as any other person in this world.

Just my 2 cents, carry on.

It most definitely does not mean your take on things is any less or more worthy than any other Godfather Lilac. If you're referring to my comments in Cpt-Harris' thread, that was just my personal opinion on that particular subject (the subject of a new bold popping up maybe being rogue). Just because I mentioned that you'd never been in that position before so you wouldn't think the same way doesn't mean that your opinion is of any less worth, it just happened to be that on that particular subject I had to bring up that you didn't have an extensive family history to know. It wasn't a slight on you and if you took it that way I apologise, however that doesn't mean that your "freshness" is not relevant there.

I'm always glad to see people voicing their opinions, especially ones who dont have a long blood history here. Having a fresh set of eyes can drag people out of their usual humdrum ruts and tunnel vision and change their old, haggard opinions.

I appreciate that, Countdown.

However, I wasn't offended, merely curious. While I hold fresh views in high esteem (obviously, because of my own being minty fresh), it still goes without saying that individuals like myself would have nothing to base their opinion on if it weren't for those who have been around for a much longer period of time.

Anyway, regardless, I'm looking forward to seeing what this thread brings, if anything.

I'll add that if I catch you in the coffeeshops, I will be forced to castrate you with my bare hands :P

*Hands Godmother Delaney a pair of gloves, a long tongs and some disinfectant*

For safety reasons, we must advice never approaching Countdown with bare hands. I'd have to double check the safety manual for the standard operating procedures here, but I'd assume that goes double if the aim is castration.

Never fear, Satanta. I once ripped off a cow's udder while milking her a little too vigourously.

Something that has just been brought to my attention has made me have to slightly change what I'm doing.

Heaven forbid... in the case of a war breaking out involving my city, I will most definitely be visiting the coffeeshops. It would be almost retarded if I didn't... the free flow of information during war times is the one thing I agree that the coffeeshops are good for.

A quick update.

We're almost at the end of the third day and my street activity has jumped ten-fold.

Also.. I find I am conversing with many more people on a personal level and with people I wouldn't normally converse with, which is leading to new thoughts and ideas. I am turning some of these thoughts and idea's into posters, which everyone can get involved in.

It's been quite the experience so far.

I respect your stance on the streets Mr. Countdown and if there is one comment I may offer to this discussion, it is simply...

Speaking on the streets, particularly about ones opinion on a touchy subject is almost always bad for your health...

But it's great for the soul.  And I admire anyone that prioritized the latter...

I think I must add in a little cum hoc ergo propter hoc here Countdown. Being unaware of your knowledge of latin, perhaps you might prefer the ol' correlation does not imply causation version of it.

Yes, your street avtivity and presence has jumped significantly in recent times. Yes, you've been avoiding the coffee shops in recent times. However I would query you trying to draw such a direct link between the two. Just because there is a correlation between the two does not imply that one causes the other.

The fact is that not only has your street activity increased dramatically, but so has your general activity around this thing of ours. If you were to still be wandering the paths of IRC avenue, I have no doubts that we would still have seen a dramatic increase in your street activity.

I'm not suggesting it would have been of the same level as we have witnessed as a result of your absence from the coffee shops, but by having so many variables in the equation it's impossible to assertain what impact your absense from IRC avenue has had directly. The time you have available for the streets has increased due to circumstances surrounding your various 'legal' business activities outside this thing of ours (I use the term legal very loosly I'm sure you'll understand) and the activity of others has increased in the streets (even prior to your own increased activity) which would have unquestionable attracted you out more in any case.  

It is great that you seem to be enjoying the exercise and potentially even becoming aquainted with members of the community you otherwise may never have come in contact with, but I do feel a slight caveat must be attached to the findings given that it really is a multi variate test you're running and not a simple split test between visiting coffee shops and not. 

I think the streets and the coffeeshops are really different worlds altogether. There are many conversations in the coffee shops that really wouldn't be appropriate for the streets.

Vanquish, speaking on touchy subjects is NOT always bad for your health. This is what some of us are trying to drill into people. These are not times of the not-so-distant past where one word out of place would get you shot. You can speak your mind on a subject without getting shot. I would've thought the past couple of days would have shown that quite clearly.

Mr. Satanta, just 2 months ago I had even longer time away from my "legal" business activities and spent as much time here as I do now and there was no marked change in my street activity. I find it slightly irksome that you would think I would preach this without good foundation. I don't champion my own projects to the point where depth of knowledge on the subject is cast aside in favour of proving myself right. I would have thought you of all people would realise that just lately I am being extremely thoughtful about what I say on these fair streets and plan everything I say meticulously, considering the amount of private mails we have exchanged recently.

With regards to others activity being increased in the streets to attract my attention, I would have to hold my hands up and side in agreement as it doesn't matter who has what opinion on whatever subject, it's always nice to see people taking part, that's all I've ever wanted to see. Whether I agree or disagree with their stance I applaud and respect them coming out here and sharing it.

I'm not daft enough to think that it is just the coffeeshops that is the single thing to pin my recent increased activity on, that is just the topic of choice here.

x, granted they ARE different worlds, however there are many conversations there that could be brought here for general discussion where more eyes would get a look in on it and more opinions would be heard rather than the same voices that seem to pop up in the coffeeshops. Over the past couple of days I've seen people speak out here that I've never seen speak in the coffeeshops, they just sit in the corner and sip their drinks. It's soooo refreshing to see. I now know something about them that I probably wouldn't have known via coffeeshops.

This is only in response to X, as it stood out to me. While the coffeeshops should be another world totally, its a direct connection to this world sadly. If I walked into a coffeeshop right now and said I was going to murder Phil_Steak, someone would take note of it, make sure his or friend got it, then run to Phil_Steak to make sure I paid the price. 'Ze logz' would float around this world and everyone would see them. You cant say anything out of the way in the coffeeshops without it getting back to someone else and you potentially paying the price for it.

I find it slightly irksome that you would think I would preach this without good foundation.

I would consider "the facts" to be a perfectly good foundation if I'm honest. I'm certainly not preaching though, merely pointing out a handful of the other relevant factors that may (or may not) have been missed by either yourself or others and which may (or may not) be partly responsible for the changes being experienced. The time available was merely one relevant fact, one which you are able to dispel as the main cause due to the recent experience you've had with a similar amount of time available, but this single element combined with some of (or many of) the others may simply be a part catalyst for the change without being the driving force or the route cause.

I would have thought you of all people would realise that just lately I am being extremely thoughtful about what I say on these fair streets and plan everything I say meticulously, considering the amount of private mails we have exchanged recently.  

I not only realise it, I cherish it. I also will hope to see it continue not just in the immediate times ahead, but in all future generations of your bloodline. If your next of kin can see the positive results it is having, I'm sure they may be guided down the same path in the years ahead.

In spite of the care and attention given to your or any of our speeches, it's still possible for us to make mistakes. When there was no mention of the other potential factors it would be remiss of me not to pass comment on them and point out the potential caveats. As I said, I'm sure the lack of time spent mulling over a hot cup of joe is having a direct impact on your activity, it's simply not the only factor at play.