Congratulations Commissioner Spitfire!

Hello all!

It is my pleasure to congratulate Spitfire for his promotion to the rank of server Commissioner after his long-standing contributions as server Deputy!

Like several before him, Spitifre had a rocky start on his journey across the space and time of our server community. Brash and reckless, with an over-eagerness to roleplay and bring along a colourful assortment of friends (many of whom had to be heavily vetted before being whitelisted), it was hard to imagine us being less than on-our-guard in his (and his posse's) presence. He had the experience of being a former server admin, but this worked against him for a while as he was vocally TOO confident in getting a leadership position, to the point of making himself ineligible. Even so, he was a talented builder, a fantastic socializer, and fairly level-headed and humble -- and these attributes, over the course of many months after, would slowly brew interest in his abilities enough to finally grant him a Deputy position.

As a deputy his experience was definitely made manifest and then some. Even as his friend group declined in participation and started leaving the server never to return, he was still steadfast and loyal to our group and continued on as often as he could. He is very helpful and friendly to new players, and will help them build houses and towns even with his limited abilities. He lends his server experience and investigative skills to any projects or searches that require a great attentio to detail. And like any good Deputy, he listens carefully to advice and is willing to grow as a person, and learn new things, despite [or because of?] being an older player.

I know for many of you Spit has also been an incredible friend for extra-server activities, and for that I appreciate his ability to extend his cheer far and wide in places I can't possibly follow in; for this reason and more, I feel he's finally demonstrated enough integrity as a Deputy to merit an expanded set of powers and responsibilities as a server Commissioner. May he continue to aid the server as an experienced resource, a valuable friend, and a constant reminder to never judge a book by its cover!

Spit was voted in through a parliamentary-style staff election featuring an excellent 83% voter turnout, with 12 votes in favor and two abstains due to unavailability!

I want to thank all staff who participated in giving Spit such a superb vote of confidence, as well as all players who have helped make him the fun and remarkable staff member he is today!

Congratulations Moderator Liz [and Welcome Back Commissioner Jammy]!

Hello all!

It is my pleasure to congratulate Liz for her promotion to the rank of server Moderator after her remarkable and long-standing contributions as server Deputy and Commissioner, as well as a great friend to many of you!

If anyone needed proof that the old adage "slow and stead wins the race" is true, one need only look to Liz. From her humble beginnings as an honourary "Bread Knight" [a kind of proto-Deputy], to her unwavering spirit and loyalty as a Deputy and Commissioner, she was able to do much for the server with very little in terms of presence or flash or special needs. She may be quiet and unassuming, but she still helps fellow staff members when they were in trouble, rallied to the creation of application reviews and server TODO's, and is always open and responsive to requests and questions. She has a very open mind and refuses to let immature, scary or unacceptable behaviour phase her, instead opting for quiet brandishing of authority that puts idiocy in the quiet corner it belongs in! Nothing phases her, she is highly talented, she accepts honest critique with a calm nobility, she can be friendly or firm as needed, she is responsible in balancing the needs of work, home and play, and she always does so without impeding the work of her fellow staff members or myself. That she was one of my loyal Bread Knights is very fitting as, in the end, the most noble, patient and "knightly" of the group stands before you on the brink of a well-deserved ascension to my most trusted position.

I hereby proudly request that Liz be offered the opportunity to become a Moderator on our server, and join the elite cadre of staff members entrusted with limitless access to the very heart and soul of our server. Already she has been very Moderator-like, so this is purely a formality to recognize the respect and trust she has gained from all of us!

Liz was voted in through a parliamentary-style staff election featuring a respectable 81% voter turnout, with 11 votes in favor and two abstains due to unavailability!

I want to thank all staff who participated in giving Liz such an enthusiastic vote of confidence, as well as all players who have helped make her the remarkable staff member she is today!

Lastly, due to the Commissioner shortage, Jammy has decided to come out of Deputy-retirement and return as a Commissioner to join her friend. No application is necessary since she stepped down voluntarily, she is able to return to full Commissioner function effective immediately.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BOTH OF THEM!!!

Congratulations Moderator Kacii!

Hello all!

It is my pleasure to congratulate Kacii for her promotion to the rank of server Moderator after her incredibly fun and stable contributions as server Deputy and Commissioner, as well as great friend and RP partner to many of you!

Although Kacii has proven to be a phenomenal Commissioner, displaying a vast array of positive traits including approachability, reliability and loyalty, there is one underlying trait that I think embodies her most important contribution to its server, its staff and its players: stability. Even through some of her most difficult years, encountering many challenges both in-game and real-life, being exposed to countless different players of all shapes and sizes, and participating in all manner of activity, from the casual roleplay to the most harrowing WorldControl edit, she has never faltered in her core values. She is still friendly, approached, reliable, loyal, and committed to upholding the responsibilities entrusted in her. She has taken failure gracefully and learned from them, and has grown stronger and more confident as a result of her experiences in this role of responsibility. 

Kacii has come a tremendously-long way from her humble origins as a brave and spirited, but humble player, completely ambivalent and disinterested in administrative matters. Even up until recently, she was perfectly happy to remain Commissioner in perpetuity, perfectly content with the stable position it offered as a median point between a player and close-confidante to the Owners. It was only when she genuinely felt confident and ready to ascend that she took the bold step to accept my invitation; and it's that care and attention to detail that cements her as a truly reliable and stable member of our staff, demonstrating a calm and mature wisdom that belays her age by a few decades. 

I hereby proudly proclaim that Kacii has been offered the opportunity to become a Moderator on our server, and join the elite cadre of staff members entrusted with limitless access to the very heart and soul of our server. I have no doubt that she will be nothing less than a rock solid pillar of support for a long time to come! Thank you very much!

Kacii was voted in through a parliamentary-style staff election featuring a respectable 85% voter turnout, with 13 votes in favor and two abstains due to unavailability!

I want to thank all staff who participated in giving Kacii such an enthusiastic vote of confidence, as well as all players who have helped make her the remarkable staff member she is today! 

HAPPY CAY DAY 2016!!!

From all of us in the Big Sister Gulliver Minecraft Server, we want to wish you...

...a very Happy Cay Day!  :)

Happy Birthday to our Dear Leader and Grand Owner, Cayfie, without whom this server and everything that has made it great wouldn't be possible!

Feel free to peruse last year's address, which in turn rinses and repeats the 2014 address... :P

http://ciabatta-breadalot.blogspot.com/2015/05/happy-cay-day-2015.html

And please don't forget that there are free Cay Heads, cake and fireworks at CAY'S, the official Cay Day department store!!!

ENJOY!! And please post your birthday messages at our official Cay Day 2016 forum thread!! ^^

http://bigsister.forumotion.com/t867-cay-day-2016

PS:  It's not quite her birthday on the 15th, but given the real one falls on a weekday, we'll celebrate it now for convenience. ^^

Mandatory Server Donations

I'M POOR!!!
YOU'RE ALL EATING ME OUT OF HOUSE AND HOME!!!  XD

With the server fees for both Big Sister and Little Brother totaling to about 1/100000000th of what I earn each year, I'm basically out on the street and eating leftover cat food or dog food just to substitute.  And it's not even GOOD cat or dog food... it's some crappy cheapo brand full of wheat... I mean who in the HELL thought feeding carnivores some kibble full of wheat, other grains and starchy vegetables was a good idea?!  Especially since they lack the means to probably digest this stuff?!! XD

And GAWD, I'm so poor now, I make silly tangents about pet food!  Everyone should BOW THEIR HEADS IN SHAME for making me stoop this low!  Come on!  Each and every one of you!  Bow your heads in shame!  Yep!  Yes, you!  The person reading this very serious April Fools Day blog post!  Get off the screen, get on the floor, and grovel for forgiveness!  I'll wait till you're done,so I can stand up, strike a haughty pose, and pardon you condescendingly for the CRIME of making me run a Minecraft server.  XD

Luckily, I've come up with a solution that will benefit no one but me!! :D

I will henceforth require ALL players -- including inactive players and failed applicants -- to make mandatory donations in order to keep this smelly old server alive!  My only job here is to relax, sit back, and let everyone run the server for me, so why should "I" have to PAY to do all this work?!! It's time to get all you little misers and lazy bums to pony up!  >v<

But don't worry... I am a merciful person, and I always make sure to provide tiered unfair advantages "benefits" to make it worth your while to donate more and possibly help me turn a profit... even though none of these unfair advantages "benefits" cost me a single penny, and I'm sure I might be breaking the Minecraft EULA, but whatevs!  Here they are from lowest tier to highest (priced in USD):

• Donate $1 = a slap upside the head from Cia, you CHEAPSKATE!!
• Donate $5 = the option to live another day,... for now...
• Donate $10 = a nice big pat on the back
• Donate $20 = a slightly bigger pat on the back
• Donate $50 = a nice big pat on the front!
• Donate $100 = the joy and satisfaction of being somewhat tolerated!
• Donate $1000 = an in-game charcoal [yummy]
• Donate $10,000 = an in-game wooden sword [unenchanted]
• Donate $100,000 = an in-game diamond... hoe
• Donate $1,000,000 = an in-game puppy [look at its kewt wittle eyes!]
• Donate $10,000,000 = access to the /afk command [such fun!!]
• Donate Your House = your name on some obscure commemorative plaque somewhere
• Donate Your Unborn Child = a cool kit containing 500 Cheese, an apple, and an iron helmet
• Ask Cia a Food Question = automatic staff position
• The Knowledge That Some People Are Going to Take This Post Seriously = Priceless. ^^

Please note that these unfair advantages "benefits" aren't cumulative, so if, for example, you want the puppy and the commemorative plaque, you must sell us your home and give us $1,000,000. It's only fair after all.  ^^

Happy Banana Day!!

Hey all,

April Fool's Day must've come early this year.  XD

Have a Happy Banana Day on the server (or at least for those of you who's timezone now marks March 25th)! ^^

Little Brother Now Features Minecraft 1.9

Alo peoplez!

Well not really news if you've been paying attention to the forum, but ever since the Monthly Mod Flavors have been retired from Little Brother, it is customary to have it feature Minecraft snapshots instead.  And now that Minecraft 1.9 is officially out, we're having it as the permanent "mod" on Little Brother from now on.. or at least till the next batch of Vanilla snapshots arrive.  ^^

Note that it is still technically a test server so don't get overly attached to creations in it as Little Brother is not actively as supported or backed-up as Big Sister; and since there is no Forge for Minecraft 1.9, its Dynmap is currently disabled.  However, unlike with the Mod Flavors, you're bound to have a MUCH more consistent experience playing here on this semi-permanent Vanilla server.  If you need a taste of modern Minecraft, a break from the hustle and bustle of Big Sis, or just want a little peace and quiet, Little Brother will always be here to serve as a kind of "summer cottage" for our players. :)

The Little Brother IP can be found on the Guide tab above... there is no need to apply for a separate whitelist if you're already a player on Big Sister.  [unless you're new and I forget to whitelist you, in which case remind me on the forum] ^^;