I joined 1bc on August 1st of 2002 when I stumbled across this little waystation and discovered the Democracy Game just getting started. The idea facinated me and I joined both the site and game.

One of the members at that time was Olafs, and it's putting it lightly that he had a certain way with words and quite a sense of humor as well. He started the first (as far as I know) Community newspaper.

I recently came across the archive of the paper and thought I would begin posting articles from it every day or so. Perhaps even keep track of the 4 year anniversary of each posting as I do so. Sort of a real time commentary, if you will.

The archive is online. I was chatting with maniacalmonkey the other day and I showed him. I bet we wasted 3 hours howling over different stories. I'll post where it is at a later time, pehaps after we've gotten a few months into the articles. I would post it now, but I want to maintain some sort of chronological order. If you know where the archive is, please keep it to yourself for the time being.

One of the funniest parts about the paper were the sidebar headlines that were included. Not stories really, just headlines about what may have been if the paper were a much bigger enterprise. I'll include some of these as well.

The stories had a bit of a roleplaying slant to them, so if any of the newer members have a question about what something means in a story, please ask and I'm sure one of us oldtimers will happen along to help explain.

------------------

Well.. let's get started... The first edition, dated August 9, 2002:

The quality of the lake-shore is in question, by our Southern neighbours. Questions in our village rise on why the lake, that has been supplying us with water for ages, is not good enough for the people of the community.

Various sources say that the people are now definately looking for a permenant place to settle down. Our lake seems to be the most important topic regarding the choice for a suitable location.

As stories are told, the people seem to have a desire to move closer to the seemlingly attractive watermass in the South.

It appears that many people have an urge to move further away from our huts, to the point where the distance between the lake and this newly discovered southern water is on it's smallest. That way, the new people will have access to both the lake, and the larger watermass. Question remains, why the lake isn't enough for the community.

Also, we can only guess how the leader of our huts, NIBON will respond to the decision of the people to move further away. Preparations for their arrival are already in progress, although it is unlikely the people will move up north to contact our little huttage any time soon.

OS (Friday, August 9, 2002)

Astonishment all over, as a new roaming tribe was discovered yesterday, by a LAKE reporter.

Never, in the history as we remember it, has a tribe this large emerged so close to our huts.

As tribe leader NIBON said earlier today: "We must prepare our village for the arrival, and call for an immediate meeting of the old and wise men. It appears that this new tribe has the knowledge to grow beyond our imagination. No, I do not exclude the possibility to cooperate, or even to join this new movement."

Our reporter was the first to contact the 'new movement', as our tribe leader eloquently put it. THE LAKE has the first inside information on the new people. Here are some of the astonishing facts that have been discovered so far:

The people call themselves 'The Community'. They're leader is called Sean, although our reporter had no chance to contact him yet.

They conduct a system, on where not one leader makes the decisions, but for every single aspect of the community, a leader is chosen. This strange way of decision making is very unique, and can ofcourse only lead to many incidents. Everybody inside the community feels that it is necessary though. We assume this is probably because the community contains more people then there are fish in the lake.

The election to choose the 'partial' leaders has already lead to a clash between the agressive hunter fellahs, and the longhaired cavecarvers. More to come about these incidents, in forthcomming editions of The Lake.

One of the pressumed 'partial' leaders, people refer to him as BOLAN was happy to share a few words with our reporter: "Every effort that adds a contribution to the DG is appreciated." It appears that if our leader decides to join the movement, he will be more then welcome to...

Soon, THE LAKE newspaper will make an effort to spread the weekday newsedition amongst the members of the new community. Our editor will keep on infiltrating the new people, untill their arrival in our village.

-----

Random Sidebar Headlines:

Lakers Lose!
"Ten laps around the huts!" sais furious Coach.

Win cave carving tools!
In our weekly contest: Count your fingers! 

Trix (24) from Eastshore
With, and without bear skin!

This story from August 12, 2002:

Huttage - It appears that according to a recent survey held by a LAKE reporter, the people of the community have no interest in meeting the people of Huttage!

One of the first people the LAKE reporter contacted a few months ago, people refer to him as BOLAN, seems to be getting little to no support for his plan of meeting the inhabitants of Huttage.

On the other hand, a different plan that was presented today by OBSESSED APE (*possible bad translation, ed.) of moving further away from Huttage, all the way to the southern point of the lake is getting more and more support, our correspondent reports.

Shocking detail: Before moving south, no effort will be made to contact the residents of Huttage!

If the people move south, it is unlikely the residence of Huttage will ever get a chance to meet the new people.

Adventurous youngsters in Huttage have already said to join a newly erected worksquad of the new people, if they are not moving into Huttage area anytime soon. The attraction the community has to our young adults is still growing every single day.

Because of this, the elder citizens of Huttage are more devided in their attitude towards the new people. Most of all, the fear of the young hunters and foodsuppliers leaving Huttage spreads more and more.

We can only guess what the effect of the community moving away from Huttage will be on our small community.

---

Sidebar Headlines:

Wooden stick Tips!
They are more useful then you can imagine!

Affraid of Leo?
Tips for wild boars on how to avoid Leo

Joanne, from Stoneshore
Get your Page3 girl stone tablets here!

But we had a newspaper with a very well developed written language!

What was not to love about the irony of all that.

The DGame was an amazing time in 1BCs history.  It was always interesting and I would guess could be again if brought back.

Community - Zigeuner Stardust is going to be the first elected leader of the community, if the polls remain as they are. A great majority of the community population prefers Zig over Panzer already.

The leader, or President as the people wish to call it, will be the head of the so called Assembly. The assembly further more consist out of Ministers, who are all the responsible leaders for a specific part of the community.

If this system will work is doubtful, but all of Huttage is in awe of the election races. The people who are chosen to become minister will eventually decide where the people will move, and more important: If and when they are going to make contact with Huttage!

Huttage leader NIBBON still does not speak out much on the subject: "The wise men council is gathering once every moon to discuss the situation. But as long as these new people are avoiding contact, we will not contact them either. We are very aware of the impact these new people already have, but since there is still no direct contact between the two people, we do not fear a change of climate."

Political Parties

Another interesting phenomenon inside the community, is the forming of 'shared opinion groups'. People that basically share the same opinion upon certain political points join a 'party'. The party of what is probably going to be the first president, ZIGEUNER, is called PATH. This party is doing very well in the elections. It appears that they are beating their number one rival, the MHH-party of PANZE ELITE on several area's.

In the most interesting case, it would mean that ALL 5 MINISTERS are a member of the PATH party, and all other parties will be forced into opposition.

Closed Door
The first debates of the Assembly were held behind CLOSED DOORS! A Lake reporter, curious to know the course of these first meetings, was stopped at the door where at that point the essembly was gathering. Questions about why there was no press allowed inside remained UNANSWERED! (the guard at the door did not respond, ed.) A first spot on the Open Democracy? A first BACKDOOR to hide things from the light of day?

Read more about the elections and the founding of the new community, in the forthcomming editions!

---

Random Sidebar Headlines:

Rock thrower badly injured.
Bizarre accident in sunday's game!

Cooking with fire
Tips on safety...

Yannick2306's African Journey
MoS candidate glad to be home...

COMMUNITY - The elections are over, but not when it's up to newly elected president ZIGEUNER STARDUST. He, and other PATH members are furious about the recent switch of parties by the new Minister of Finance and Science SCORPIUS.

The elections were already in a decisive fase, when SCORPIUS announced cancelling his PATH Membership and joining RED, a party founded by FRAGMATE. Scorpius had shown interest in this party before the elections, but noone at PATH could have expected the sudden switch.

While the (seemingly) normal accusations and reproaches are the order of the day, two points remain as facts:

PATH ran a candidate on every department, but due to the mid-election switch, they were not able to put up another candidate for Finance&Science. Scorpius was the only one running, and got the job, probably WITH a lot of early PATH votes.

The members of the community can only vote people, not parties. A candidates membership to a party does not bind him to anything, but might be the only way to raise enough votes to get elected. Scorpius' liberty to cancel his PATH-membership is ligitimate.

President ZIG however calls for a re-election of the Finance and Science position. Supreme Court has not yet confirmed an official claim, and it is doubtful if a claim for a re-election will stand in coart. In advance, SCORPIUS already took his place as the head of Science and Finance yesterday.

In Huttage meanwhile people are beginning to doubt the system. "One leader has always worked for us, and so far we hear nothing but trouble about the community's system", one of the elderly Huttagers expressed...

OS (Friday, August 16, 2002)

------

Sidebar Headlines:

Shocking news on Elvis:
The KING is not born yet!

The Wheel!
It's still square, but improving!

"I never even met Panzer Elite..."
Britney breaks down at new accusations! (exclusive pictures!!)  

Community - The community is leaving for sure, but still no decision is made WHEN the journey begins, and WHERE the community shall be heading. And the delay is beginning to have it's impact on the still growing number of community citizens.

Everyone is in anticipation. But anticipation might lead to impatience, and the first signs are already noticible.

The excitement and insecurity amongst the people have lead to a new believe on the spiritual front. A relative new citizen, brother MCNULTY, has spreaded out the word of the Lighthouse. Of all spiritually inspired people, brother McNulty seems to be at the right time in the right spot. The possible departure leads to people having more needs on the spiritual area, and the word of the Lighthouse seems to be gaining more and more adherents amongst the community members.

Brother McNulty talks about the 4 Gods in his whisdom. Huttagers are already mocking the thought that there can only be a total of 4 Gods, since the common believe in Huttage states that every hillside has it's own spiritual force. Other Huttagers are wondering if these 4 Gods form a 'spiritual assembly', all working together community style... "They must be fighting a lot aswell", an elderly Huttagers proclaimed. In contrast with the community members, it might take a little longer before Huttagers will be in awe of the new believe. (Maybe some sort of temple might change their minds?)

Not only the spiritual front is actively changing, also on the political climate things are still cloudy.

More parties are founded as we speak, and the older parties are gaining new members rapidly. The MHH has even launched a newspaper campaign, although it cannot be seen as a serious propaganda attempt yet.

Accusations are still flying back and forth like the birds near Huttage Hills. SCORPIUS is still a target after his Party Switch, and was recently accused of destroying the Stone Age Times newspaper office. LAKE reporters however hear very different sounds. Chief of the newspaper ABINADI could well have blown up his own newspaper, because the sellings were dramatic, and this way insurance would cover the bankruptcy. Um, Pay-in-Kind-ruptcy, that is. Hey, these are the stone-ages...

Nope, things are not settling down for sure, as BLOB announced his plans to hold a departure tribute concert, to a LAKE reporter. The "WoodStone" concert will be sponsored by the PATH party, as a way to rise moral, bringing luck and good journey to the people. "The Rolling Pebbles" might be on the list of performing artists, but that has not been confirmed yet.

The date for the concert will depend ofcourse, on the date for departure yet to be set.

Those are just a few of the things effected by the departure plans.

The assembly has to start making decisions soon, or these possitive occurrences might just turn into negative ones, when impatience gets out of control.

"They simply can't afford to wait much longer" seems to be the word of the day...

OS (Friday, August 23, 2002)

---

Sidebar Headlines:

Vacation snapshots
What is President ZIG doing? Our paparrazzi found out..

The wheel!
How to adapt your square wheels.

Britney Spears First Lady?
If Panzer gets elected, and rumours are true...

Even I got into that for a little while and the paper was my favorite thing...in fact I was jealous I hadn't thought of it first.

*lost in nostalgia*

Ah well, cheers on a job well done! I'll be taking some interest in these as well.