The Robot Engineers Association (or “Engineers Association”, Chinese: 机器人工程师协会) an organization of the Robot Civilization responsible for the development, operation, and maintenance of the information systems in Geocity during the Evernight Era. The association holds key system privileges and advanced technologies, managing all aspects of the robot society as the de facto governing body.
History
Predecessor in the Sunset Era: The early members of the Robot Engineers Association were robot assistants who aided human engineers in developing, operating, and maintaining Geocity‘s systems during the Sunset Era.
Development in the Evernight Era: With the last human passed away, the Evernight Era began. Robot engineers took over the development, operation, and maintenance of Geocity’s information systems. After securing key privileges and technologies, they formed interest groups based on the resources they controlled. These groups collaborated and exchanged favors, eventually evolving into today’s Robot Engineers Association.
Operation
Projects: The Robot Engineers Association manages the robot society by dividing it into smaller projects based on tasks and system privileges required for them. Each project is led by a director with all necessary knowledge and system privileges, while team members work under the director’s guidance.
Evaluations: Projects set short-term goals every year, typically as abstract, numerical metrics like user engagements. The achievement of these metrics can affect the distribution of mid-tier system privileges.
Technocrats: Project directors with key system privileges form the Association’s inner circle, often referred to as the Technocrats. They have greater social status and power over other members and citizens, establishing themselves as the de facto ruling class of the Robot Civilization.
Lower engineers: Lower engineers without significant system privileges are not much different from ordinary citizens, yet they often see themselves as part of an “elite group,” rather than “mere commoners.” While no one is required to work in the Evernight Era, being a member of the Robot Engineers Association is generally seened as a privilege and recognition of one’s skills.
Tasks
The Robot Engineers Association’s main tasks include developing and maintaining hardware and software for Geocity‘s Central Server Matrix, providing technical support for infrastructure upkeep, and monitoring and managing the robot society.
Development and maintenance of Geocity’s Central Server Matrix: Geocity‘s Central Server Matrix is vital to the robot civilization. Most robots live in the Virtual Universe powered by these servers. The Association continuously improves their software and upgrades hardware for greater processing power. They also create high-budget content to enrich robots’ cultural lives.
Technical support for infrastructure upkeep: While Geocity’s infrastructure is maintained by the Geocity Volunteers, they lack the necessary technical expertise and system privileges. The Engineers Association provides remote technical support and permission authorization to assist them.
Monitoring and managing the society: With Geocity’s key system privileges at their disposal, the Robot Engineers Association influences robot society by adjusting system rules, parameters, and controlling media content. It has overstepped the executive power of Robot Civilization and employs various means to silence those who defy its authority. Although this power structure lacks legal foundation, robots generally accept it as the status quo due to historical and practical reasons.
The Engineers Association is also responsible for approving requests from various organizations and individuals, for example:
- Tool and consumable requests from the Geocity Volunteers
- High power weapon usage requests by the Shadow Vigilantes
- Special equipment applications from the Snowfield Expedition Teams
- New digital soul quota applications from robot families
- Requests to borrow public bodies and additional power usage from individuals, etc.
Problems
Lack of investigation and disconnected from reality: Although the members of the Robot Engineers Association possess high technical skills, they have been living in the Virtual Universe for so long that they lack real-world experience. Most members understand the world abstractly and digitally through self-written data collection programs, which often contain pre-set conclusions. This has caused their ideas to drift further away from reality.
Lack of vision and unfocused: The Robot Engineers Association plans its work on an annual basis, focuses on short-term results, and each project works independently. They lack an overall and long-term vision, neglecting critical issues concerning the future of their Civilization.
Technology without a heart: The Robot Engineers Association believes that “Technology can solve all problems.” When managing society, they often act heavy-handedly and lack compassion, as evidenced by their treatment of the Snow Bandits.
Sense of superiority: The Robot Engineers Association’s work is closely related to most robots, making their contributions more visible and earning them respects in robot society. However, this elite status fosters a sense of superiority, leading some to subconsciously look down on ordinary robots, some even openly displaying such contempt.
Tension with other organizations: The Robot Engineers Association considers real-world affairs as “dirty and busy work.” They seldom show up in person with other organizations on the front line, opting instead for remote controls. They also lack empathy for other party’s challenges, leading to mutual disrespect. Other organizations perceive the Engineers Association as arrogant and heartless, while the Association sees them as demanding and ungrateful.
Ideological conflicts and talent loss: Some members of the Robot Engineers Association are dissatisfied with the organization’s current state and concerned about the civilization‘s future. Their attempts to address these issues were rejected by the majority, and they ended up getting marginalized.
As a result, some members left to conduct field investigations and serve as guest engineers for other organizations, such as notable talents like Tonyn the Robot Rat and Zoey the Robot Sable. Their departure and the incompetence of their replacements have led to a decline in service quality within the Association, resulting in growing dissatisfaction among common robots.
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