The Seal of the Simming League
The Simming League is an intersimming organization dedicated to promoting community and the exchange of information within the hobby of simming and online role-playing. Membership is open to all simmers and online role-players, regardless of rank or club affiliation. Founded in 1997, the Simming League is the oldest intersimming organization in existence.
Functions[]
The Simming League is a hub for the simming and online role-playing community. The League organizes the annual SciWorld Online Convention and Tournament of Simulations, provides coverage of major events within the simming and online role-playing community, and recognizes leading clubs and individuals by awarding the Simming Prizes and the Simming League Distinguished Service Medal. The League maintains the SimEnc wiki and a forum where people are free to discuss and share information on the hobby of simming and online role-playing.
The Simming League previously ran a parallel political organization intended to serve as a United Nations of simming, but that system was abolished in 2007.
Membership[]
Membership in the Simming League is open to any simmer or online role-player, regardless of rank or club affiliation. Interested individuals are encouraged to create an account.
Members of the League are able to take part in discussions at the League forum, contribute and edit the SimEnc wiki, and post recruiting articles.
Membership is free. There are no obligations to take part or contribute to a set level. There are no ranks, elections, or other distinctions within the League.
All members of the League are expected to follow the Simming League Code of Conduct. Members who violate the Code of Conduct may have their account deactivated.
Senior members of the Simming League serve as elder statesmen within the simming and online role-playing community. They are occasionally called upon to provide advise to groups, and serve as mediators to resolve disputes.
Organization[]
The day-to-day operations of the Simming League is handled by the Simming League Administrator, Chas Hammer. The Administrator is assisted by a group of individuals who help run the League.
History[]
In the days before the widespread use of the internet, sim clubs were forced to share the limited message boards and chat rooms of their online service. Competition was fierce, disputes erupted, and troublemakers could not be blocked. On June 30, 1997, a group of sim clubs on America Online established the Simming League as an "United Nations" for simming to encourage cooperation, community, and respect within simming.
From 1997 to early 2007, the Simming League was organized around the "United Nations" model. Clubs that joined the Simming League would follow a set of standards and send their top leaders to a Sim Senate. The Senate would organize events for the League, discuss problems facing the simming and online-role playing community, and amend standards that member clubs were expected to follow. The Senate elected a Simming League President who ran the day-to-day operations of the League, and approved Justices to a Court of Sim Justice that settled disputes involving member clubs and punished troublemakers.
Most major Star Trek sim clubs on America Online were members of the League during the late 1990s. Unfortunately, the administration of the League was uneven and swung depending on the skills of the President. Senators would propose programs but not volunteer to run them, leaving those who ended up running events feeling like they did the work but did not have a voice in the League. On occasion, decisions of the Court crossed into the day-to-day affairs of member clubs, adding further friction.
In 2002, as America Online declined, the League made a painful transition onto the Internet. The need for an "United Nations" type system for simming and online role-playing on the internet was not as acute, as clubs could set up their own websites, message boards, chat rooms, and police their members. Member clubs drifted away and those who remained fought over a new direction. In 2004, the League was rescued by a group of its former Presidents who pushed through major reforms that created the position of Administrator, taking responsibility for running the day-to-day operations of the League away from the President and placing them into the hands of a known capable individual.
Unfortunately, political disputes continued to plague the League. In 2006, the League decided to abolish its political structure in favor of becoming and organization open to all simmers and online role-players, regardless of rank or club affiliation, and to focus on its most successful aspects - organizing large events like the SciWorld Online Convention and the Tournament of Simulations, managing the SimEnc wiki, facilitating the exchange of news and information, and hosting discussions about simming and online role-playing at its forums. These changes became effective early 2007, and remain in place to this day.
Shut Down of Organization[]
On March 12th, 2012, the Simming League announces that they are closing their doors and all continuing operations would be taken over by Ongoing Worlds. The organization no longer maintains and online presence.