To all citizens of vDiplomacy,

As you are probably aware, we have, and always have had, a very close affiliation with webDiplomacy.net. vDiplomacy is based on the PHPDiplomacy codebase, which automatically makes us part of the webDiplomacy Network - an organisation originally designed to allow Diplomacy sites to work together instead of competing.

However, the webDiplomacy Network is no longer working towards those goals - it has been completely consumed by bureaucracy, and only operates to further the individuals who run it. As such, some members of the Mod & Admin team here at vDiplomacy have proposed officially leaving the Network - but since the team is split, and this is an incredible important decision, we have decided to put it to a vote amongst the vDiplomacy Community.

So, what exactly are the arguments for leaving?

Laws are being made on webDiplomacy that we must follow, without our consultation. Being part of the network means that we have to keep our code up-to-date with the latest webDiplomacy installation. This in turn means that our rule page will update with webDiplomacy’s, causing us to have rules that were not agreed on by vDip’s mod team. Additionally, the code updates break variants, and some moderators believe that this is being done purposefully to spite our far superior site.

Immigration. Our participation in the Network means that we must give freedom of movement to other members of the Network. This means that any webDiplomacy player can come over here, create an account, and start playing in games created for you - stealing your places in Chaos games and Ankara Crescents. And believe me - they’re not sending their best. They’re bringing Classic players. They’re bringing unreliable players. They’re Carebears. Some, I assume, are good people. Regardless, this needs to stop.

Our contributions to the Network. As part of our agreement, we have to send contributions to the PHPDiplomacy codebase - and those contributions aren’t small. Ever wondered why we don’t get many new variants here? On average, every week, we create 350 million variants - but 99.9999999999% of them are sent to the webDiplomacy Network, at which point they’re consumed by the bureaucracy there and never seen again. If we were to leave the Network, we could put these variants to use on our own site instead.

What are the arguments for remaining?

There is one major argument for remaining, which is that we would not be allowed to use the PHPDiplomacy codebase if we left. However, I’ve received a message from PlayDiplomacy in support of our plight:

“vDiplomacy is great. Absolutely great. webDiplomacy is trying to take your freedom - SAD! vDiplomacy would be at the top of the list for a code-exchange agreement if it left the Network.”

So, there you have the fully balanced argument from both sides. Please cast your vote by +1ing the appropriate post below:

Thank you for your time, and we hope you appreciate being given a say on this major decision!

- vDiplomacy Moderator & Admin Team