Reader warning - This is an opt-ed piece on an evolving, highly controversial situation developing in the Central Cluster.
He was no one.
A nobody.
Sinner or saint, scam artist or scam artiste, the CEO of ICANP has raised the hackles of capsuleers across the Central Cluster since he first began flashing waves last year.
This week, he topped himself.
Our CEO-In-Question started pushing sales of his own work in progress, a bible. Yes, that’s right, one hundred and eighty pages of bible, whether you use that term to speak of faith or code or ethics or morality. Mr. CEO-In-Question started flogging sales of his very own interpretation, or philosophy, of “life” not just within his own corp but across his alliance as well.
Now, while he is the CEO of his own 1000 plus capsuleer organization based in the Central Cluster, it turns out flogging sales in planetside currency for a work on religion is frowned upon; not only by his political opponents, but his alliance leadership as well. SICO, the alliance, involved in this sorry little morality tale took a stand; repudiating not only our CEO’s attempt to co-opt alliance communications to flog sales of his “book” but the substance of the book as well.
It turns out someone actually got a copy, read it, and started talking; and the people they talked to…talked and so on and so forth until it reached the ears of their alliance’s leadership. SICO’s leadership took a good hard look at the ideology in question and booted the CEO along with his corp from the alliance.
Distancing themselves as diplomatically as they could, SICO offered compensation for shared alliance assets to smooth the transition for ICANP’s caught in the crossfires membership. ICANP’s membership is largely comprised of newly licensed capsuleers who are turning to their leadership for answers because, unfortunately for them, well, they are new to these sorts of shenanigans.
And I use that word deliberately, shenanigans, as this is not the first imbroglio ICANP’s CEO has found himself in.
ICANP’s CEO has advocated for capital usage in the Central Cluster. He has lobbied for parity in pay for newly licensed capsuleers, pay to rival income levels considered excessive even in Null corporations. He has lately taken a posture I’ll label “Why do you hate Newbies” and beaten his opposition over the head with it. (Wave Profile here: Our CEO In Question)
“Why do you hate newbies?” seems to consist of the position the Central Cluster should have all the perks and benefits of null security space with the law enforcement of Concord intact. This position glosses over the fact whatever prosperity the null corps enjoy was earned by their own sweat and tears without the iron fist of Concord covering their backs. “Why do you hate newbies?” seems to boil down to no risks and all rewards.
It is the intransigence of this position “Why do you hate newbies?”, and his incessant bleating on this topic that has driven political rivals to join forces in order to, dare I say, liberate those new capsuleers in thrall to this……
….well, what do we call him? Misunderstood messiah? Dangerous demagogue?
Scam Artist?
Scam Artist? you ask? Well, yes. Scam Artist.
Our CEO is suspected (that’s right, just suspected) of being the current alias of this “player” who scammed his corp of newly licensed capsuleers of their possessions, Insider Story leaving, no doubt, many broken and disheartened capsuleers behind, in the dust of disillusionment.
Oh, and before I forget? Those political opponents, I mentioned? CODE. and the notorious (or notable) anti-ganker, Knowledgeminer are working together to unseat the hold our CEO has over his inexperienced followers.
Take that to bed and sleep on it. An anti-ganker and gankers working together; reminds me of that old trope “fedos and slaver hounds….living together.”
Sinner or saint?
In the end, given the context of the world within which we all act, does it matter?
I argue yes and no.
Yes, because every newly licensed capsuleer matters to the whole.
And, I argue no, as he has no name.
Planetside anyone of us could walk right by him, and never know it.
He is an alias. He uses an alias.
We don’t know him.
He is anonymous.
He has no name.