Term Limits for Babbage - A change of management.

[Shaunathan Sprocket]

It has been an exciting and challenging time running a city-state for the past 2 years. I see entirely why George Washington set the 2 year term limit in motion within the United States. After two years you feel exhausted in a way that's practically impossible to describe. Even the will to log in seems to not be there for me. I want new challenges, I want to move on. Also I think New Babbage deserves better than my absence. It's time for a new mayor. I hereby invoke a 2 year precedent.

Sadly, it's not as easy as hosting an election. New Babbage is an asset. It is profitable. And it is indeed worth something. It would also be a thoughtless act to simply sell to the highest bidder. Everyone here deserves more than that. I want to sell to someone who has vision, someone who will not only maintain what we have, but strive to grow and evolve it further. We have a unique situation.

Currently, a brand new (and vacant as a desert) sim costs someone $1000 USD to purchase and $295 USD per month to keep. New Babbage is 6 sims of thriving community and active renters, and to use an analogy, an appartment full of renters is worth more than an empty building. I am willing to sell New Babbage to someone for $6,000.00 USD, However there are some strings attached. I want the people of New Babbage to approve you.

If you are interested in buying New Babbage there is nothing I can do to "make" you continue New Babbage. Legally, you could wipe the sims, tell everyone to leave, and build a gorean wonderland (no offense to any who enjoy Gor). But, by having the land owners of New Babbage approve you, I think there's a good chance you'll take New Babbage on a path to greatness.

If you fancy yourself a mayor. If you think you can lead New Babbage, I invite you to post on a second thread I have started "New Babbage Election". Please go there and make your case to the people of New Babbage. Tell them what you will do as Mayor of New Babbage. PLEASE remember, if you win the election, you will have to pay me $6,000.00 USD for New Babbage so only post if you are serious please.

This thread is for any reaction, but only post on the "New Babbage Election" thread if you want to be the mayor. I ask the forum mods to keep this enforced. I think we can have an election before Valentine's Day. After we have a New Mayor, I'd like to share with everyone what I plan to be doing with my time, I think you will all approve.

IF YOU WANT TO RUN: If you are elected, and I receive payment in full. I will provide a "change of power" peroid where I'll make sure you have all the items, contacts, and permissions so that you can run New Babbage.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VOTE: You must be a New Babbage landholder with a positive number of days remaining in the rental board by January 25th. The size of your parcel or number of parcels you own does not matter. You simply must own a parcel of land by Jan. 25th. If I am not available you may do land deals through Charlene Trudeau, as she is authorized by me to sell land in New Babbage on my behalf.

For quick reference the place for campaign platforms is here:
http://newbabbage.ning.com/forum/topics/new-babbage-election

[DreddPirateBob]

Totally understand mate, and you've done yourself and all of us proud, and by the above continue to do so. I salute ya, with no sense of irony.

You have given us all a good home mate, one we are all proud of. Whatever happens next, you have my best wishes and little doubt you'll do it well.

[Ceejay Writer]

Thank you for putting this out in the daylight, Shaun. Rumors have been flying and that's never good. It seems a fairly straightforward proposition. You're tired, the town matters, who steps up next and is willing to put their money where their cogs are? :)

I'll keep an eye on the discussions for you. I can't vote as I'm not a landholder, but I'm watching with avid, extremely vested interest in the town I love. Hm. Maybe it's time to change that. Got a teensy plot you could sell a starving writer? I do mean teensy, Ceejay really does live off of what she earns in Second Life, that's a steadfast agreement between her and her typist. Make her an offer of a small plot she might be able to afford, and we'll grab it, as I'd love to be able to vote.

[Kandace Commons]

Seeing as how a the people who rent to other people are only land holders because of those renters in many cases, perhaps Shaun wouldn't object to amending it so that renters could vote too. You especially are as much a part of the community as any landholder.

[Ceejay Writer]

*smiles* Thank you, Kandace, that sounds like a compliment and I take it as such.

To be honest, I DO have a small concept for something to build on land in Babbage. It ties in with a RL web-venture of mine, but remains consistent with Victorian times, if done right. Something that might benefit both the town, and my own personal agenda. *cough* What could possibly go wrong?

Shaun needs to shoot me an email with his smallest bit of property and lowest rate. And I'll snag it.

[Kandace Commons]

Maybe rent a boat slip or one of the little houses? Does that count I wonder since they're rented directly from Shaun?

The smallest piece of land otherwise would be a 1024m in a single density sim I think, so 500L/week.

[Artemisia Paine]

I do hope a new Mayor steps up and can fill your shoes. Just the prospect of potentially losing Babbage has me very sad. But I can totally understand where you're coming from, and if you no longer have any enthusiasm left it doesn't do anyone any good.

[ZenRascal Mandelbrot]

I haven't had the chance to get to know you personally, but your imprint is probably everywhere in this fantastic city that I am learning about daily. My broad sweeping thanks goes out to you, as well as the best of wishes for fair winds to carry you forth.

[Gatsby Szuster]

Shaun, I can totally understand how you must feel after 2 years of running such an active sim so first off I must say thank you Shaun. I have been here in SL only 8 months and I don’t think I have been a land owner all that long either… Maybe since August… But in that time I made many friends here, learned, and discovered many wonderful things and I owe most of that to this wonderful sim you owned and ran for so long. I hope some outstanding citizens come forth and lead us for the next few years. I have many building projects I wish to do and I can’t see them fitting in anyplace but the wonderful city of New Babbage.

Cheers Mate

[Kyle Oller]

Thank you sir for everything you have done, I am daily impressed with Babbage itself. I hope that whoever replaces you carries on with what has been begun! And best of luck to you sir in anything you begin, be sure to keep us updated!

[Remington Thursday]

OK, so... I get it. You're tired.
Not to be a jerk, but this is the prime opportunity to say the things in public that I have as yet only said in private.
No... not THOSE things.
And to all you nodding heads and naysayers....shut up and hear me out. This needs to be said.

Shaun, I have only been in New Babbage about eight months or so, give-or-take. I have read LOTS of blog discussions, old, new, and otherwise. While I don't always post in the forums, I do spend quite a bit quite a bit of time lurking about. I often see criticism of both you and your actions. I know that quite a lot of it comes with any position of leadership, but it is handled by different leaders in many different ways. I think it is important that you understand, if you don't already, how well you handle your position. In my time, you have shown yourself at once to be patient, fair, and magnanimous. All the things a person wants in a leader.

As a business owner, myself, I am constantly needing to work with employees, vendors, and clients. Each of them has their own special needs and complaints. As I am sure you well understand, there are many days that I wonder why I keep it up. At the end of it all, it is because I love what I do. There have been many times I have been tempted to lose my patience and have lost it, on occassion, in much less confrontational circumstances that you often deal with.

At risk of being overly dramatic (and/or being suspected of kiss-assedness), I admire your ability to remain calm when faced with adversarial situations. You always handle yourself well. Admittedly, better than I could. You are one of the unsung heroes of New Babbage, and it is a pleasure to spend time in your sim.

While I am sure there are plenty of reasons that you feel the need to leave the running of the zoo to us monkeys, I do know that New Babbage could never have become what it was without your leadership. I have utmost love and faith in the people of this fine city, and yet I know that every color looks different to different people. I rather like the color of New Babbage.

Put the wheels in motion, right. Outsource yourself, sure. Rule in absentia, if necessary. But get through your funk, understand that you are our hero (whether we like it or not), and get on with ruling the world.

I, for one, refuse to accept your resignation on the grounds that you have offered.

-Remi

P.S. I surely don't mean this as a lack of support in any way for any that may follow in Shaun's footsteps. I know that there are many folk that would be excellent stewards of this fine and beloved city. I do look forward to the future of New Babbage. This is a place I have come to love, and I would so hate to see it disappear or degrade.

[TriloByte Zanzibar]

I'm sorry to hearing you're feeling quite burnt, I've experienced that feeling before in life and exhaustion doesn't begin to cover it.

I appreciate that you care enough to pass the torch rather than burn it all down, and wish you all the best in SL and RL.

[Viv Trafalgar]

Thank you Shaun, for all the work you've done, and for setting this out so eloquently, and with the community in mind. The word 'home' is not overused in the posts above. I'll use it again. I think that the way this is being approached shows a lot of regard for this place, and these individuals.