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What are Missions?
The Missions Network is a way to put the CyberArmy principles and beliefs into practice. Ready Response, a CyberArmy affiliate, is responsible for missions. There is only ever one mission at any time, but the mission changes regularly. A mission is used to raise awareness of netizens on a certain issue/web site/event or potential threat to the wired world, and let them know what they can do about it to show either their support or their concern (depending on the case) in an ethical and legal way.
It is not compulsory for anyone to complete a mission. Missions can be classed under any of the following categories: Echelon/Privacy, Anti-Spam, Security, Offensive Site, Important URL, Good Deed, or Miscellaneous. A mission will provide details of the issue/site/event itself (and often provide a URL to find more detailed information on the specifics) as well as provide details of what you can do in order to complete the mission.
The current mission can be found here: http://network.readyresponse.org?item=mission
The mission proposals currently on vote can be found here: http://network.readyresponse.org/index.php?item=proposals
You can propose a new mission here: http://network.readyresponse.org/index.php?item=propose
There is a full Missions FAQ here: http://network.readyresponse.org/index.php?item=faqs
Who decides on these Missions?
You do! - anyone on the Internet can send in a suggestion for a mission (referred to as a "Mission Proposal"). The ReadyResponse Missions Research team then examine the proposal, and does any additional research and editing to ensure the information gives to us is valid/ethical/legal and is as detailed as possible. We also ensure the best possible completions methods are selected.
If a Mission Proposal passes the research stages...it is published on http://network.readyresponse.org?item=proposals for voting (a simple yes or no vote, to say whether it should become the new Mission or not). Anyone can vote on a proposal at any time - but only one vote per person is allowed. Using this voting system, we offer everyone a fair chance to express their feeling on each proposal and decide which proposals become Missions and which do not.
How does voting work?
Anyone can visit http://network.readyresponse.org?item=proposals and choose "yes" or "no" on each mission proposal we have up at any time. All proposals start off at 300 points...every "Yes" vote adds 10 points to the proposals total, and every "No" vote removes 10 points from the proposals total. If the proposal reaches 1000 points - it passes voting and becomes queued to be a Mission. If a proposal receives too many "No" votes (i.e. it is perceived as a bad mission) and reaches 0 points...it fails, and is deleted.
How can I propose a new Mission?
You can propose a new mission at any time using this form: http://network.readyresponse.org?item=propose
What makes a good Mission?
A good mission is a mission that is clear, direct, provides good information (even better if it links to further information to read up on) and simple, straight-forward completion methods. The important thing to realise is that we want people to actually do the missions...not just click "Mission Done". If the completion methods are vague, implausible, long, or difficult - people will not actually do the mission - it's sad, but that is the truth.
If a mission can be completed online, it is also better since it is a mission that can be done there and then by the person. Missions that ask you to hand out flyers in your area, or to visit local business etc also tend to be poor missions, even if the aims/goals are valid and admirable. Again, this is because we have found people simply will not do the mission, they will click "mission done" and that will be it. Remember that all missions appear across the net on sites other than CyberArmy (due to the Missions Network) - so ideas/proposals that only benefit CyberArmy itself are not always suitable - Missions are here to benefit the net as a whole.
Please think about this when you are proposing and try to include as much detail into your proposal as possible. Hyperlinks to other sites with information/details are very welcome.
What past missions have we have?
Over the years there have been hundreds of missions - but we changed scripts and improved the missions system greatly earlier on this year, starting fresh. Hence we have a Missions Archive (http://network.readyresponse.org/index.php?item=archive) which dates back all the way to 09/03/2003 - since then, there have been over 100 missions! You can take a look through the Missions Archive - and still complete any of them at any time. In the archive you will see we have a range of missions covering a variety of topics and issues.
The quality of missions/proposals is poor
Missions are, and always will be what you make them. The public/community proposes the missions, and votes on which proposals should be missions. The proposal voting stage is here to decide which proposals are good and which are bad - that is where you make your voice heard. If you do not like the quality of missions/proposals currently on offer...do something about it! Propose the missions you want to see. It is no good just sitting back and complaining, show us the missions you want!
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