flavoureddestruction

And we're back online!

(Unless Neopets wants to make a fool of me...)

And we're back online~

Or maybe they went back offline again....

 

Bugger all with their teenage mood swings >__<

This is infuriating, I mean... it's been down for half an hour or something already :(

I wonder if their birthday celebrations got out of hand or something... >.>

 

Thank you guys for your help!

 

I really NEVER knew that.

 

What is the post number then?

Are you asking what your post number is or what titles are attached to post levels?

(If it's the latter, then I'm not too sure)

 

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I love to vote, everything about it. I even love queueing to vote. Last time, there was hardly any wait at the stands and I was surprised at how disappointed I was, because it only took a few minutes :P

But I am aware, especially after reading this thread, that not everyone feels this way. And I do think it's silly to have mandatory voting. Voting is a right and a privilege and I'd even say duty, but it shouldn't be forced. I feel that it should be up to the individual whether or not they want to vote (due to lack of knowledge or diversity in those you can vote for). Regardless of everything, I think people should show up to put in their ballot, even if they choose to put in an empty or invalid one, just to say "hey, I was here and I think all the choices are bad".

Boy would I love to be as enthusiastic about voting as you :D

I find it interesting to find that most people either love it or hate it, I personally dislike it, but not hate it. Mandatory voting is one thing, but I think fining people heavy sums of money because they choose to exercise the right not to vote is a little much. :/

 

Personally, I don't understand how it's such a burden do vote. Read a newspaper article. Watch the news for 10 minutes. View the party's website - they'll list their top priorities. See which one you identify with the most and go cast your ballot. It takes maybe 15 minutes out of your day and you don't have to think about it again for four years.

 

Similarly, I think they should go over this in school - and I don't mean 5th grade social studies where you learn what each party is.. you should learn about the current politicians, their current views and help set you up to vote.

 

If young voters are not voting, and continue this "trend" because they are too lazy (we all know that's the truth - if you don't think so, you are lying to yourself) to get involved, we're going to be in a lot of trouble.

I find there is a big difference between voting for local and federal elections. Come federal elections, information is everywhere and you don't have to seek it out. Local elections however, most people seemed to only find out 2 weeks before hand when big "Vote 1" posters were hammered to power poles.

 

Teaching children in year 5 at primary school about current people running is a little... not quite the right way? Yes, teaching the importance is good. But by the time they're of voting age, candidates will be different. There needs to be an education thing for those of voting age. And there are ALWAYS new weird parties.... I thought it was a joke when someone said there was a Sex Party running a few years back... *big facepalm*

Seriously... who lets these things through? :eh:

Whenever I spin the wheel it usually takes between two and three hours. However, I always spin the wheel in a second window and then just minimize it while I do other stuff, whether it's playing neopets or checking my emails, whatever. Then before I know it, the wheel's finished spinning!

This took me a little while to realise after it wasn't stopping... Had to open up a new window...

At least I know for next time :D

Thanks and much luck to you. That avatar's a real pain.

Its been a pain getting it to 301... I can't imagine what the next 699 will be like.... x__x

 

Guess I better keep an eye out here in case there are really cheap items I've yet to stumble across :P

Since I got the SDB Packrat avatar a couple days ago, I've been trying to get rid of the items cluttering up my SDB, but I still have about 600 items to go. If you want to help me clean it up, check out my shop sometime. =)

http://www.neopets.c...?owner=andaraen

Bought a few things priced at 1NP for my own SDB ;)

700ish more things to go~

Woooo~

Time to bag another avatar!

 

Neopets username: flavoureddestruction

 

Talk nonsense, tell me jokes, anything and I'll do the same!

 

(Having the NM subject as "Avatar" or something similar would help me know where you came from)

 

Cheers, all!

It stopped spinning close at close to 3 hours... and after all that waiting, the beast came out and attacked my poor pet :(

Wow... 24 hours.... What was Neopets thinking? x_x

 

And thanks for the link, I'll try it out tomorrow!

Wow. D: I would hate that. Ours are pretty laidbackish, but the people that are there confirming your ID and stuff would definitely put a stop to that.

 

Hahhaha, yeah, hard to get mixed signals from that!

The people who checked ID and marked off names were on the other side of the meeting hall having a grand old chat with each other. :worried:

I guess that says something about how much people really care...

What's the average time? Mine's been spinning for a solid 2 hours and I don't know how much more I can take...

 

Does it have a maximum time it won't go over?

It makes me wonder how morbid the people who create these gross items are, or if they just get kicks out of disgusting things like this... :/

Wait, wait--- your family was hovering over you while you voted? How is that allowed? o_O

 

Yeah, I find that trying to get information on the platforms of the people running is ridiculously difficult a lot of the time. I would like to see a poster for each party at each voting location that gave a quick run down of their platform. Have a maximum size, so each party has equal space allotments, but yeah. That way anyone who came in, but wasn't totally sure whom to vote for would have a way of maybe making up their minds, and it's easily accessable by everyone- good for people whom don't have internet.

It was by far the most laid back voting place I could imagine.....

There were only cardboard barriers in between voters, voters were chatting as they were ticking things off, no one seemed to care...

 

Poster is good. I like that idea. Even if its just 5 words on what they're for. I think one of the parties was called "Against parking meters" or something XD

At least they made it somewhat obvious. :P

I don't know if I really like the idea of compulsary voting... I don't think that people should have to vote if they didn't bother to read up on what the election is actually about. I think it's important to gauge the amount of people that didn't vote as well, and try to find a way to engage them more in politics.

...

I would prefer if everyone was eligable to vote as soon as they turned 18 though. Putting myself on the voters list wasn't hard, but it was a bit of a pain- trying to find the place they were doing it at, getting myself down there--- and all for something that took 5 minutes. -shrugs- I would have prefered if I got a note when I turned 18 or whatever, and could just go vote.

I suppose with compulsory voting in question, the thing to go hand in hand with it would have to be a plentiful supply of information to give people informed choices. I was really annoyed when the labour, liberal and greens parties threw flyers at me before voting on how to vote for them, but not what they were going to do.

 

I guess with compulsory voting at least they try to make it convenient- almost all meeting halls, church grounds and any place people can go turns into a place where you could vote. I could have walked down to the surf club and placed my vote there or walked up to the Anglican church to vote as well, all of them within 5 minutes walking distance. And I guess everyone sees receiving a letter about automatic enrolment differently, but as far as I know, this only came out last year so everyone prior had to go enrol the slightly more time consuming way.

 

 

I do like that people have mentioned just showing up and casting an empty ballot if you don't know enough about the candidates. I don't think I'd have as much of a problem with compulsory voting if people were well informed that they can cast blank votes, or even if there were an actual option on the ballot like "no vote" or "none of the above" so people aren't just voting randomly.

An empty vote I would have done if my parents weren't hovering over me, my brother told me to vote anyone but the "hippie Greens". So as far as I know, with compulsory voting, no one seems to take it seriously... It's rather sad :(

 

 

I agree with Natalie in that there is no way such a small percentage could accurately represent the views of the community that voted, but the way I look at it is, if you choose not to vote and the winner happens to be one you don't like, it's your fault for not going to vote. This was a problem in many Canadian provinces for the longest time. People turning up to vote were traditionally middle-class, white, middle age and seniors. The younger generation (30 and under) voter turnout was abysmal, and still isn't great. But by only a small demographic voting, we ended up with a bias.

I think this is a problem everywhere and not just Canada. I know in several months time, people will be complaining in the local paper than the council isn't doing this and how they should be doing that, and how this person just doesn't seem to understand or know what they're doing. It'll be amazing if anything if there are just pages of praise and how everyone agrees with what's going on.

 

Yay for living in a democratic society.

-____-

In the U.S., it's optional to sign up for voting when you're 18.

Even when you sign up, it's also optional to vote.

I like that it's an option to sign up for voting, I honestly wasn't happy when I received a letter saying I was automatically enrolled because I was over 18... It made me feel like the Government has tabs on me... I know the government would obviously have information, but it's kind of creepy having a letter sent to my door saying it had signed me up to something I didn't decide purely because of age.

 

 

I was in a similar situation today. Australian and first time voting. I don't follow politics at all but had to vote anyway to avoid the fine. Technically you don't have to vote, you can do what Kwa did and just get your name ticked off. I can't really complain much because they open polling places everywhere and I have a few within walking distance. All you have to do is turn up and get your name marked off and this happens only once in a while. It's a bit of a bother but I guess the government gets to earn a handsome sum of money from those who forget to vote and have to pay the fine hmmmm it's probably all a money-making scheme.

I would have been too guilt stricken to throw in an empty vote or just get my name marked off (my parents went with me because they obviously needed to vote, too). And I absolutely agree on the government finding cruel ways of making revenue! As if GST and income tax isn't enough? Now they want a stupid carbon tax too.... .____.

 

 

So yes, there is a difference between forcing people to vote and explaining them why it's important and see the turnout rate going up.

Yes, voting is important and it's a way of exercising citizenship rights and whatnot, and also getting voices heard- I just wish there was more than just the Labour, Liberal, and Greens throwing flyers at us before going into the voting places. Having posters attached to power poles with faces also don't really help, they just become an eyesore and make people resent the whole campaigning.

 

compulsory voting for local government i don't get. since actually in Australia local government exists only because they state government is not able to take care of local decisions, there is no place for local government in our constitution, just like its not officially worded in our (Australian) constitution about political parties either (the unwritten constitution) so really there isn't a reason (to me) why thats compulsory.

...

but voting is also really important since thats when the Government usually does Referendums (to change the constitution or law) as its hugely expensive to do it any other time, so its a chance for Australians to have direct imput into the laws which affect and govern us :P

 

also ironically if you want Australia to no-longer have compulsory voting, we will have to have a Referendum on that too :P

State elections I generally follow becuase it'll be all over the telly, the paper, courier, and in mail boxes. In addition to that, there's a sense of importance that it will affect pretty much everyone, so I understand that. Local elections baffle me. There is little to no coverage and the little coverage is in the local monthly courier where they feature in a small rectangle about cleaning up a beach or visiting a local school to show kids how to cross a road. Yeah, its probably important to know that garbage is being taken care of, beaches are kept clean, life guards get recognition, local enrironment is looked after. Though whether this really requires an election on who does it is beyond me, though I would just hope that it's someone who knows what they're doing.

 

Compulsory voting seems... hmm... weird. In Bulgaria you are automatically signed as eligible to vote when you turn 18, but it is by no means compulsory. We do see less than 40% of the eligible population voting quite often - but really, that's because all politicians here are the same and it doesn't matter... long story. Compulsory voting is a thing of our communist past. To me, voting is a right, making it compulsory makes it a chore.

They should give an incentive to people who have to take time away to vote. I mean, even if you're overseas, you still would need to waddle over to an Australian Embassy to vote unless you had a really good excuse not to do it.

 

Even making the process easier would be great! Making following politics understandable would be fabulous!

 

Oh the dumb things I wish.... -____-

 

 

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Hey all!

 

I'm from NSW, Australia and I just took my first step into adulthood by exercising my apparent right to vote, today. It's apparently a right to vote, but it seemed more like a chore if anything else (I'd have to pay a fine if I didn't vote).

 

Several months ago, I received a letter saying that I had been automatically put on the local electoral roll, because I was already 18 (I've since turned 19, but still). Two days ago, I found out I was to make a vote for the local elections.

 

Today, I went and I voted. Who for? No idea. What anyone was campaigning? No clue.

 

Do you think its right to have mandatory voting? In addition to that, what age is most appropriate for someone to be completely aware of what is going on?

 

I hear in the US, its an optional thing and you have to be 21? I'd like to hear from some people in the US on how they feel it is.

 

Cheers,

Sarah.

Go here and check the step 102. If you did that right you should have the medicine!

Hey! It worked!

 

Thank you so much!

Welcome aboard TDN train :D

 

I've done the exact same as you (minus the hacking I think) in starting up on Neopets again after getting into university XD

A combination of two delicious food doesn't always end up tasty...

But when they do, it's like heaven in your mouth :D