Open Source Alliance

Welcome Message
To All Those To Whom These Presents Come, Greetings.

Today marks the dawn of a new era on Cyber Nations, the Age of Openness. A door has opened, a light shone and a new community born. For on this day, a group of friends united in their values, aims and aspirations have brought forth unto the Cyberverse, a new style of play: the Open Source Style. From this day, until the ending of time, all who walk the path of Openness shall be our brethren.

Many new alliances are but exercises in rebranding: new forum, new flag, new name, but the same people, the same rules, the same style of play. The Open Source Alliance is different. A Black Team alliance, we are committed to education, activity, community and engagement. Respect, trust, cooperation, learning and sharing are the bywords of the OSA, and the values by which we live. Our Source Code (charter) is our guide, filled with insight and direction, but still open; changing with and for the times.

The OSA offers an unparalleled training experience for both new and long time CN players. Our extensive mentoring and aid systems will have any player at the top of their game in short order. The happiness, security and fun of our members is, and shall always remain the focus of our Alliance. From tech to trades, wonders to wars, OSA members experience CN like no other alliance.

About OSA
The OSA is a Black Team (formerly multicolored) alliance founded by a group of nerdy friends united in their passion for growth and sharing their accumulated knowledge and experiences. While primarily a "nation building" alliance, the OSA has an open foreign policy and seeks good relations with all alliances on Planet Bob. True to the doctrine of "Openness" the OSA makes but a few demands of potential members the most important of which are:
 * Expansion of Knowledge
 * Activity
 * Respect
 * Loyalty

The OSA takes pride in our organizational skills. To us details are everything.

Approximately one third of OSA nations are armed with nuclear weapons, and nearly half our members have developed multiple national wonders, the most popular being the Stock Market.

Dates of Interest
The following section is dedicated to important events in the history of the Open Source Alliance.
 * Friday February 13th 2009 - The OSA declares its existence as a General's Protectorate of The Phoenix Federation.
 * Sunday May 10th 2009 - OSA celebrates being listed on the “Top 7 Day Biggest Alliance Gains” for all but one of the previous 6 days.
 * Thursday May 28th 2009 - OSA accedes to NOIR
 * Sunday May 31st 2009 - OSA and SNAFU sign a PIAT
 * Tuesday August 4th 2009 - OSA's Protector's TPF, receive peace from Karma. The terms of this treaty suspend their protection of OSA. OSA offers to pay 90 million CN dollars to Poison Clan in payment of TPF's assessed reparations.
 * Friday August 14th 2009 - OSA celebrates six months of existence
 * Saturday September 5th 2009 - OSA signed its first MDoAP treaty, with Ronin as the lucky treaty partner!
 * Saturday September 5th 2009 - City of Rapture disbands with members encouraged to join OSA, who promise to protect CoR members for two weeks until they find new homes
 * Friday 29 January 2010 - OSA together with Ronin and Genesis found Checkmate. an MDoAP bloc.
 * Sunday January 31st 2010 - OSA declares war against The Sweet Oblivion in support of Ronin



Government
The OSA is governed by an group of democratically Executive Officers who appoint deputies and other officers to assist them with their tasks. The Legislative function is preformed by the Commonsense Council which consist of the the elected Executive Officers plus the Deputy Ministers each enjoying differently weighted voting rights. Members of the OSA enjoy the right to petition the Commonsense council to introduce legislation, and must approve all treaties with defensive clauses and amendments to the Source Code.

Additionally, the membership have the right to access all secret government records after a Source Code imposed secrecy time limit (90 days maximum, typically 30-40 days in practice). The fight against secrecy is very strong in OSA, and less than 1% of the alliance's communications and information are considered "TOP SECRET" and of limits to all but the senior Executive. OSA's government is best described as a  "Meritocratic Democracy" , where members who have demonstrated their skill and dedication are able to stand for election to any of the higher offices. Following the principles of openness, sharing, and participation the government of the OSA seeks to engage the membership in the running of the alliance and the decision making process; the OSA's government serves the membership, not the other way round.

Government Branches
The Open Source Alliance government consists of the following departments:
 * Ministry of Education and Training - The MoET takes care of new members. It provides a training course and lots of help for new members. The MoET also houses all of OSA's guides, which any OSA member can access.


 * Ministry of Internal Affairs - The MoIA deals with the inner workings of the Open Source Alliance, such as the day-to-day operations of the alliance and membership issues.The MoIA also houses the Job Center and the Nation Planning sections.


 * Ministry of Economics - The MoE takes care of trades and tech deals, along with banking.


 * Ministry of External Affairs - The MoEA deals with foreign relations, like maintaining embassies and planning foreign policy. It also keeps foreign diplomats updated on current events within OSA.


 * Ministry of Defense - The MoD takes care of the defense of the Open Source Alliance and its members from all kinds of attacks, such as wars, tech raids, and spies. This is where all OSA members report if they are attacked.


 * Ministry of Information Services - The MoIS deals with keeping the Open Source Alliance informed and protects them from security risks. The MoIS also keeps stats on OSA, and also foreign alliances and nations.

Source Code

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 * 2-14-2009_4-47-22_AM.png The Source Code is OSA's Charter. A modular and living document, the Source Code defines the structure, values and purpose of the OSA. The Source Code, true to the OSA's central tenets of teamwork and cooperation was a collaborative effort involving all the founders. While filled with the a high level of detail such as one would expect from an OSA document, the Source Code is nonetheless designed to afford maximum operation flexibility while maintaining order, fairness, transparency and democracy.


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Consolidated Acts, Regulations, & Standing Orders

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 * 8-4-2009 5-23-05 AM.png The Consolidated Acts, Regulations and Standing Orders of the Commonsense Counsel (CARSOCC) is the compendium of the laws and rules passed by the OSA government. In OSA legal precedence, it ranks bellow the Source Code which it cannot contradict, but above policy directives issued with executive authority by the President and the Ministers or their staffs. Even if an act is passed by the Commonsense Council, it is not technically in effect or law until the President gives their assent (signified by their ruler name followed by the letter "P") and publishes the act as a chapter in the CARSOCC.
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The Openness Doctrine
The Openness Doctrine has three parts: Values, Foreign Relations and Technology Liberation.

The values section explains that all members of the OSA and the Alliance as a whole will treat non-OSA members and foreign alliances the same as they would OSA members in any dealings with them. It also states that the OSA will not allow any nation that is not a member to use the OSA or OSA student Alliance Affiliation. The doctrine also ensures that, while the OSA government might name a senate candidate, members enjoy freedom of choice when it comes to their vote.

In Foreign Relations, the doctrine sates that the OSA will never allow its sovereignty to be compromised, and that it will never sign a treaty which would force it to go to war save for the defence of an ally. It goes on to explain that OSA treaties do not chain (that is the are between the OSA and the other alliance only, not the OSA and the other alliance’s allies.) The doctrine's development has lead to the OSA's adoption of the following position with regards to potential treaty partners:


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'' "For OSA, a treaty is a representation of a relationship, not the reason for it. Treaties are not signed to shape relationships, but rather to explain to others the nature of the parties' commitments. We prefer to let relationships develop organically rather than trying to mold them to suit some grand design. Therefore, OSA shall be slow to sign treaties and require regular government to government contact, as well as general membership familiarity and support on both sides, before even discussing the possibility.  This would of course mean that an OSA treaty would only be possible with  a "quality alliance"; that is to say, an alliance that posses an active and engaged membership, a history of standing with its friends when the going gets tough, that shies away from hypocrisy and opportunism, that is open, forthright and honest in its actions, interactions and communications, that has come together as a community on Planet Bob for the same reasons OSA did, (friends, fun, sharing, learning and growth), that has a distinctive feel and style, that is prepared to stand-up for and assist alliances even if they do not have a formal treaty have a treaty, and lastly that are a true friend of the OSA!.

Though treaties are not signed lightly, and are to be honored in full and to the letter, we shall nonetheless less be aware that over time relationships, communities and goals must evolve and that a regular and thoughtful review of our treaties is a natural part of our External Affairs.” ''
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The Doctrine also sates that the OSA will be magnanimous and respectful towards defeated enemies, offering them peace at the first reasonable opportunity and never impose harsh terms for surrender. To maintain the reputation and good name of the OSA,the OSA bank ensures that all tech deals done with OSA nations will be honoured.

As for Technology Liberation, the doctrine states that Tech and land raiding is permitted in the OSA but only under the strict regulation and supervision of the Ministry of Defense. OSA nations who tech raid must follow these rules, and conduct tech raids at their own risk. The following excerpt from the doctrine outlines OSA's rules for Technology and Land Liberation:


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Article III - Technology Liberation

1. Tech raiding is permitted in the OSA under the strictly regulation and supervision of the Ministry of Defence


 * a. Tech raiders who do not adhere to MoD policy forfeit their membership rights in all matters concerning the raid in dispute


 * b. No OSA member may raid a nation on the Black team


 * c. The target of a tech raid must be at least 4 days inactive and not have given information about their inactivity in their Nation Bio


 * d. A request for permission to raid must be submitted to the Commanding Officer responsible for the OSA member making the request along with a message sent to the target stating they will be tech raided in 24 hours if they do not reply


 * e. The Commanding Officer; or a Junior Officer if the Commanding Officer is not available, must approve the request by reviewing the target to determine if all Charter and MoD policies are satisfied. Without approval the tech raid may not commence


 * f. No target nation which is a member of an Alliance consisting of 5 or more nations may be raided


 * g. No target with nuclear weapons may be raided


 * h. No OSA member will be allowed to conduct more then one tech raid operation at a time; and no more then one OSA member may tech raid the same target simultaneously


 * i. If the target of a tech raid requests peace the OSA member conducting the raid must cease all attacks and offer peace immediately


 * j. If the target of a raid requests reparations the OSA member will pay the reparations at the full value of all damage caused


 * k. An OSA member may request help from another OSA member to repay reparations but they may not request the use of bank funds unless they have a credit balance


 * l. No OSA member conducting tech liberation may request, nor will they be given military assistance, beyond combat guidance, from the OSA or its members


 * m. Violation of the tech raid policy will be meet with punishment of varying degrees up to and possibly including expulsion form the OSA and or ZI'ing


 * n. An operation conducted as part of an Open Source University training course is exempt from all restrictions outlined here except Ch11ArtIIIS13 ( a ), ( b ), ( f ), and ( g )


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Typical OSA Nation
Each month the zany nerds of the Ministry of Information Services create an example of a "typical OSA Nation", all the data for which is based on Alliance averages and modes.

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