
Poll will run for 2 weeks to hopefully allow enough time for everyone to add their 2cents who haven't already. Re-voting has also been enabled should you change your mind before it ends.
Thanks

Back when we split from the SSC and created this place the name change that went with it was appropriate, it meant something and it reflected who we were as a group at that time. Whether one of us left because of the way things were being run in that group or the direction they were going, left because of certain individuals or their attitudes or left simply because their friends had done... Whatever the reasons each of us had for leaving that day the exiles part of our name meant something to each and every one of us.
8 years have passed now. Many of our founding members are still around, some still game and are still an active part of the community here, some not so much and some are sadly no longer with us at all. A few never really became "exiles" and played with friends from both sides. We have people here who have joined us since and were never really exiled from anything to begin with either. We also (hopefully) have new groups on the horizon where we can continue to grow this wonderful place we created by bringing new people in, same applies to those.
Point is a lot has changed. Putting aside ones personal stance on the subject, "Exiles" really doesn't mean the same for the group as a whole anymore or the future membership of it. Sure we still stand by the same set of ideals we always have; Freedom, Equality, Honour, Integrity & Friendship. These may not be plastered on every page of the site (other than friendship in the banner) or quoted like The Bible at every given opportunity but these principles of ours go without saying, they are who we are and they will always be a part of us, new and old. Changing part of our name doesn't stop that.
One could say that the follow is what "exiles" signifies for us as a group nowadays:
"We choose to be different.
We refuse to play unfairly against others.
We refuse to grief other players.
We never forget it's just a game.
We want to be a part of a group where friendship and fun come first.
We are proud of who we are."
However once upon a time we could have said the same about the SSC too. This didn't suddenly just come into play with the SSX, we've just stuck by it for the most part.
Who or what did you become exiled from?
Are your reasons for being an exile still relevant now as they were back then?
Are you a member who was even here back then? The Exiles part of our name will likely have a completely different meaning to you? If any?
Putting aside any personal reasons. Do you think the name "Exiles" fits our community and everyone here today for the same reasons it was intended when we created it? Or are we changing the meaning to fit the name?
I propose we finally get rid of the exiles part of our name and replace it with something that has meaning for where we are today and will have just as much meaning for our group as a whole in the future too.
Still keeping "Shattered Star" of course, not suggesting to change our identity completely with a full name change, change the kind of group we are, redesign the site (other than change the banner name), change the star design or anything like that. Just "Exiles".
3 suggestions. A couple of which have already been made before when we first had this discussion:
- Shattered Star Society. Abbreviated to either =S3= or =S=
- Shattered Star Community. We'd be back to using the =SSC= tag we were known for many years ago but not as the Confederation.
- Shattered Star Gaming Community, shortened to =SSGC=
All sound and look a hell of a lot better than the Shattered Star Exiles or "SSX". Most importantly the focus on those names is on the group itself, the community that we have here and it means the same for each and every member. Same can't be said for Exiles anymore and it will only continue to become even more inappropriate as time goes on.
It will also be much easier when it comes to recruitment. Those of you here who have ever invited new people to this place in the past will know that, sure, it doesn't happen every single time but you do get people who ask questions. Why are your group exiles? and why am I to become part of such a group?. What am I becoming exiled from and what relevance does this name have to me?
With a name like the Shattered Star Society, Community or GC we could look to the future rather than the past and instead of keeping a name like "Exiles" just for the sake of it we could use something more fitting for us. Unlike the "Exiles" which has a different meaning to each individual member or none at all anymore, or even to begin with.
BD has brought this discussion forward once before and many here were actually in favour of the name change, myself included. We were unfortunately out voted and the Exiles part of our name has stayed ever since. Over 3 years have passed since then though and I don't think it's fair for BD, who I know still feels exactly the same (maybe even more so since he's trying to get a new Firefall group together which would bring several new folk in) to be the one who comes out and suggests this for a second time. That's why I have decided to do just that.
If the group of individuals we left behind, for whatever reasons, can move on from past incidents and get on with gaming together and having fun why don't we by finally getting rid of that part of our name?. The Exiles name served its purpose back then. It's time for something that fits us now and for new people who join us and in the future.
Thoughts?. How about we just go ahead and do it, no vote?

