I just finished reading this all through. I don't entirely understand all
of it, but most of it makes sense. One part that seemed a bit strange and
arbitrary is the fact that contracts always cost 1 shiny to create. Is
there a reason why this is a fixed value instead of, say, 1/20th of the
floating value?
On Sun, Oct 15, 2017 at 4:18 AM, Aris Merchant <
thoughtsoflifeandligh...@gmail.com> wrote:
> A new contracts version is affixed.
>
> -Aris
>
> ---
> Title: Contracts v5
> Adoption index: 3.0
> Author: Aris
> Co-author(s): o, G., ais523, Gaelan, 天火狐, CuddleBeam, V.J Rada,
> Trigon, Alexis, P.S.S.
>
>
> Lines beginning with hashmarks ("#") and comments in square brackets ("[]")
> have no effect on the behavior of this proposal. They are not part of any
> rules
> created or amended herein, and may be considered for all game purposes to
> have been removed before its resolution.
>
> # 1 Cleanup & Miscellaneous
> # 1.1 Gamestate Cleanup
>
> Destroy each organization.
>
> Destroy each agency.
>
> For the purposes of this proposal, neither pledges are nor rules are
> contracts. Destroy each contract. [Just in case.]
>
> # 1.2 Organization, Secretary, and Economic Cleanup
> # 1.2.1 Repeal Organizations
>
> Repeal rule 2459 ("Organizations").
>
> Repeal rule 2461 ("Death and Birth of Organizations").
>
> Repeal rule 2460 ("Organizational Restructuring").
>
> Repeal rule 2457 ("Lockout").
>
> Repeal rule 2458 ("Invoking Lockout").
>
> Repeal rule 2462 ("Bankruptcy").
>
> # 1.2.2 Change Secretary to Treasuror
>
> Amend rule 2456 ("The Secretary") by
>
> * Changing its title to "The Treasuror", then by
> * Replacing its text, entirely, with:
>
> {{{
> The Treasuror is an office, and the recordkeepor of Shinies.
>
> The Treasuror's weekly report also includes:
>
> 1. the current Floating Value, and all derived values
> defined by the Rules.
> 2. the list of all public classes of assets.
>
> }}}
>
> Make o the Treasuror.
>
> Amend the following rules, in order, by replacing the word
> "Secretary" with the word "Treasuror" wherever it appears:
>
> * Rule 2487 ("Shiny Supply Level")
> * Rule 2498 ("Economic Wins")
> * Rule 2497 ("Floating Value")
>
> # 1.2.3 General Economy Fixes/Cleanup
>
> Amend rule 2489 ("Estates") by replacing the first sentence with:
>
> {{{
> An Estate is a type of indestructible liquid asset.
> }}}
>
> Amend rule 2491 ("Estate Auctions") by replacing its text,
> entirely, with:
>
> {{{
> At the start of each month, if Agora owns at least one
> Estate, the Surveyor CAN and SHALL put one Estate which is owned by
> Agora up for auction by announcement. Each auction ends
> seven days after it begins.
>
> During an auction, any player or contract may bid a number of Shinies
> by announcement, provided that the bid is higher than all
> previously-placed bids in the same auction.
>
> If, at the end of the auction, there is a single highest bid,
> then the player or contract who placed that bid wins the auction.
> The winner CAN cause Agora to transfer the auctioned Estate to emself
> by announcement, if e pays Agora the amount of the bid. The person
> who
> placed the bid SHALL see to it that this is done in a timely fashion.
> }}}
>
> Amend rule 2483 ("Economics") by replacing its text, entirely, with:
>
> {{{
> Shinies (singular "shiny", abbreviated "sh.") are an
> indestructible liquid currency, and the official currency
> of Agora. The Treasuror is the recordkeepor for shinies.
>
> }}}
>
>
> # 1.3 Agency Cleanup
>
> Repeal Rule 2467 ("Agencies")
>
> Repeal Rule 2468 ("Superintendent")
>
> # 1.4 Define Extricability
>
> [Note that I do not believe this section makes any substantive changes on
> its
> own. Because of the volume of concerns raised about restricting by
> announcement
> conditionals, this section only contains definitions.]
>
> Create a new power 3.0 rule entitled "Conditionals and Extricability",
> with the
> following text:
>
> A conditional is any textual structure that attempts to make a statement
> (the
> substrate) affecting any part or aspect of the gamestate, or the
> permissibility, possibility, or effect of any action affecting such a
> part or
> aspect, dependent on the truth value or other state of a textual
> structure
> (the condition). The condition is said to be "affixed" to the substrate
> (inverse "to be conditional upon").
>
> A condition is inextricable if it is unclear, ambiguous, circular,
> inconsistent, paradoxical, depends on information that is impossible or
> unreasonably difficult to determine, or otherwise requires an
> unreasonable
> effort to resolve; otherwise it is extricable. A conditional is
> inextricable
> if its condition is inextricable; otherwise it is extricable. A player
> SHOULD
> NOT use an inextricable conditional for any purpose.
>
> An action is said to be "subject to" a conditional if its possibility,
> permissibility, or effect (depending on context) is determined by the
> conditional. A value is said to be subject to a conditional of the state
> of the value is determined by the conditional.
>
> Create a new power 3.0 rule entitled "Determinacy", with the following
> text:
>
> If a value CANNOT be reasonably determined (without circularity or
> paradox)
> from information reasonably available, or if it alternates indefinitely
> between values, then the value is considered to be indeterminate,
> otherwise
> it is determinate.
>
> Amend Rule 1023, "Common Definitions", by (please note that these actions
> are severable):
>
> * removing the third item of the top level list; and
> * renumbering appropriately.
>
> # 1.5 Definition and Continuity of Entities
>
> Reenact Rule 1586, "Definition and Continuity of Entities" (Power = 2),
> with
> the text:
>
> If multiple rules attempt to define an entity with the same
> name, then they refer to the same entity. A rule-defined
> entity's name CANNOT be changed to be the same as another
> rule-defined entity's name.
>
> A rule, contract, or regulation to an entity by name refers to the entity
> that had that name when the rule first came to include that reference,
> even
> if the entity's name has since changed.
>
> If a the entity that defines another entity are amended such that it no
> longer
> defines an entity, then the second entity and its attributes cease to
> exist.
>
> If the the entity that defines an entity is amended such that it defines
> an entity both before and after the amendment, but with different
> attributes,
> then the second entity and its attributes continue to exist to whatever
> extent is possible under the new definitions.
>
> [Note to the Rulekeepor:
>
>
> Created by Proposal 2481, Feb. 16 1996
> Amended(1) by Proposal 2795 (Andre), Jan. 30 1997, substantial
> Amended(2) by Proposal 3999 (harvel), May 2 2000
> Power changed from 1 to 2 by Proposal 3999 (harvel), May 2 2000
> Amended(3) by Proposal 5077 (Murphy), 18 July 2007
> Amended(4) by Proposal 5723 (Murphy), 7 October 2008
> Amended(5) by Proposal 5836 (Murphy), 12 October 2008
> Amended(6) by cleaning (comex), 26 January 2009
> Amended(7) by Proposal 6650 (coppro), 10 March 2010
> Amended(8) by Proposal 6981 (Murphy, omd), 10 April 2011
> Repealed by Proposal 7614 (G., omd), 13 January 2014
> ]
>
>
> # 1.6 Random Amendments
>
> Amend Rule 869, "How to Join and Leave Agora", by changing its last
> paragraph to
> read:
>
> The Rules CANNOT compel non-players to act without their express or
> reasonably
> implied consent. The rules CANNOT compel players to unduly harass
> non-players.
> A non-person CANNOT be a player, rules to the contrary notwithstanding.
>
>
> Amend Rule 2139, "The Registrar", by changing the sentence "The Registrar
> is
> also responsible for tracking any switches that would otherwise lack an
> officer
> to track them, unless the switch is defined as untracked." to read "The
> Registrar is also responsible for tracking any switches, defined in a rule,
> that would otherwise lack an officer to track them, unless the switch is
> defined
> as untracked."
>
> Amend Rule 2466, "Acting on Behalf", by changing it to read in full:
>
> When a rule allows one person (the agent) to act on behalf of another
> (the principal) to perform an action, that agent CAN perform the action
> if it
> is POSSIBLE for the principal to do so, taking into account any
> prerequisites
> for the action. If the enabling rule does not specify the mechanism by
> which
> the agent may do so, then the agent CAN perform the action in the same
> manner
> in which the principal CAN do so, with the additional requirement that
> the
> agent must, in the message in which the action is performed, uniquely
> identify
> the principal and that the action is being taken on behalf of that
> person.
>
> A person SHALL NOT act on behalf of another person if doing so causes the
> second person to violate the rules. A person CANNOT act on behalf of
> another
> person to do anything except perform a game action; in particular, a
> person
> CANNOT act on behalf of another person to send a message, only to perform
> specific actions that might be taken within a message.
>
> When an action is performed on behalf of a principal, then the
> action is considered for all game purposes to have been performed by the
> principal, unless a rule specifically states that it is treated
> differently
> for some purpose, in which case it is treated as described by that rule.
>
> Allowing a person to act on behalf of another person is secured at power
> 2.0.
> This rule takes precedence over any rule which would prohibit a person
> from
> taking an action, except that it defers to any rule that imposes
> limitations
> specifically on actions taken on behalf of another person.
>
>
> Amend Rule 2350, "Proposals", by appending the sentence "However, if a
> proposal
> is submitted as an action on the behalf of a player, then the agent is the
> author." to the paragraph beginning "Creating a proposal..."
>
>
> # 2 Contracts
> # 2.1 Core Contract Features
>
> Create a new power 2.5 rule, entitled "Contracts", with the following text:
>
> A contract is a textual entity, and the ruleset-described entity embodied
> therein. A document can only become a contract through the appropriate
> ruleset
> defined procedures. Changes to the contract's text by rule defined
> mechanisms
> (including those delegated to the contract itself) do not change the
> identity
> of the contract.
>
> If any change to a contract's text, internal state, or other properties
> would
> cause them to become indeterminate and remain so for any
> non-infinitesimal
> amount of time, the change is canceled and does not occur.
>
> The following changes are secured at power 2.1: creating or modifying a
> contract or causing an entity to become a contract. [Note that,
> as a precaution, causing an entity to cease being a contract is not
> secured.]
>
> The properties of contracts, as defined by other rules, include the
> following:
>
> - Parties, persons who agree to be bound by and assume powers under
> the contract.
> - The ability to be amended or destroyed.
> - The ability to compel actions by their parties.
> - The ability to allow persons to take actions on the part of their
> parties.
> - The ability to define arbitrary classes of asset.
> - The ability to possess and control assets.
>
> Create a new power 2.5 rule, entitled "Parties to Contracts", with the
> following
> text:
>
> Each contract has an associated set of persons, known as the parties. The
> person who creates a contract is automatically a party. Other persons CAN
> become parties to a contract by announcement if the contract's text
> permits
> them to do so. Parties can leave a contract by announcement, ceasing
> being
> parties, if the contract's text permits them to do so. A contract CAN
> expel a
> party or group of parties by announcement, causing them to cease being
> parties.
>
> It is IMPOSSIBLE, by any means, for a person to become a party to a
> contract,
> for an contract to be created with a person as a party, or for an entity
> to
> become a contract with a person as a party, without that person's clear,
> willful consent. This rule takes precedence over any rule that might make
> such a change possible. A person CANNOT act on behalf of a person to give
> consent for the purposes of this rule.
>
> Create a power 2.5 rule entitled "Contract Lifecycle", with the
> following text:
>
> A person CAN create a contract by announcement by spending 1 shiny,
> specifying
> the contract's text. A person SHALL NOT create more than X (where X is
> the
> contract limit) contracts per week by this method, and the Notary CAN
> destroy
> any excess (i.e. beyond the X permitted) contracts by announcement
> within 7
> days of the contract's formation, but only if the contract(s) were
> excess at
> the time of their creation.
>
> The contract limit is an untracked singleton switch, defaulting to 3,
> with
> possible values of any integer between 3 and 7. The contract limit can be
> set to any valid value in a regulation promulgated by the Notary.
> The amendment limit is an untracked singleton switch, with possible
> values
> of integers greater than or equal to 5, or positive infinity (default).
> The amendment limit can be set in a regulation promulgated by the Notary.
>
> The person or persons who create a contract CAN and SHOULD also specify a
> name for the contract; if e does not do so, the Notary CAN and
> SHALL assign a name in a timely fashion.
>
> A contract CAN amend, destroy, or retitle itself by announcement. A
> player
> CAN amend, destroy, or retitle a contract without objection, even if its
> text denies em the ability to do so. Players SHOULD only use this
> mechanism
> to recover from situations where the contract is underspecified or has
> unintended effects.
>
> The Notary CAN by regulation stop the same contract from
> amending or retitling itself more than Y times (where Y is the amendment
> limit
> limit) combined times per Agoran day; e CANNOT stop a contract from being
> destroyed, or from being retitled or amended by any other means.
>
> If a contract has fulfilled its purpose, does not specify any gamestate
> affecting statements, or otherwise seems unlikely to be used, the Notary
> CAN and SHOULD destroy it with Agoran Consent. Any player CAN destroy a
> contract with 2 Agoran Consent. Players SHOULD NOT use the methods in
> this
> paragraph to further their private interests.
>
> If the possibility of any action defined by this rule is indeterminate,
> or
> is subject to a inextricable conditional, it is presumptively impossible.
>
>
> # 2.2 Powers of Contracts
>
> Create a new power 2.4 rule, entitled "Contracts as Agreements", with the
> following text:
>
> The text of a contract can specify obligations upon its parties. Parties
> to
> a contract SHALL abide by its terms and SHALL NOT deliberately or
> negligently
> breach them. The fact that the action described by the contract is in
> violation of the rules is not a defense if the violative nature is
> reasonably clear from its text. If whether an action is permitted or
> forbidden
> by a contract is indeterminate or subject to an inextricable conditional,
> it is presumptively permitted.
>
> As an exception to the provisions of the previous paragraph and the
> circumstances in which cards would ordinarily be appropriate, a person
> awarding a card under this rule MAY and CAN validly consider the
> equitable
> interests of justice and interests of the game, including the importance
> of
> the observation of contracts, as a mitigating or aggravating
> circumstances
> when awarding a card. Such a person MAY, CAN validly, and SHOULD also
> consider
> the instructions of the contract or contracts in question when issuing a
> card.
>
>
> Create a new power 2.4 rule, entitled "Acting on Behalf via Contract", with
> the following text:
>
> If a rule says that a contract CAN do something by announcement, it is
> equivalent to saying that that any person CAN take that action by
> announcement
> if the contract's text says that e CAN do so under the circumstances; if
> whether the contract enables the person to do so is indeterminate, or is
> the
> subject of an inextricable conditional, the action is presumptively
> IMPOSSIBLE. A person SHALL NOT cause a contract to violate a rule using
> this
> method.
>
> If a rule specifies that a contract SHALL or SHALL NOT do something, each
> party to the contract SHALL ensure that the contract respectively does
> or does not do that thing.
>
> The text of a contract can permit persons to act on behalf of a party or
> group of parties. To do so, it must specify:
>
> a. Which of its parties can be acted on behalf of;
> b. What actions can be taken;
> c. Who can take the actions; and
> d. Any conditions or limitations upon the actions. If any such
> limitations or conditions are inextricable, the actions CANNOT be
> used.
>
> # 2.3 Contract Interpretation and Maintenance
>
> Create a new power 2.6 rule, entitled "Interpreting Contracts",
> with the following text:
>
> A contract should generally be interpreted according to its text,
> including
> any clauses giving directions for its interpretation or construction.
> Additionally, justice, the intent of the contract's parties, and the
> principles
> governing rule interpretation should be reasonably applied when
> interpreting
> a contract.
>
> A contract is subservient to the rules. Although a contract may specify
> obligations or powers beyond those created by the rules, a contract may
> not
> override the rules: in particular, any provision of a contract that would
> unreasonably violate an inalienable right of players and/or persons or
> cause any rule defined statement about the gamestate, or about the
> possibility
> of an action, to become false is void and without effect insofar as it
> does
> so.
>
> The following are protected actions:
>
> 1. Registering and deregistering;
> 2. Submitting, pending, or voting freely on a proposal, but only if the
> sole
> effect the proposal would have if adopted is to create, modify, or
> destroy
> a contract or group of contracts, or to cause an entity or group of
> entities to become or cease to be a contract or group of contracts;
> 3. Creating, destroying, or amending a contract, intending to do so, and
> supporting, objecting to, or resolving such an intent, except where
> the
> mechanism for destruction or amendment is created by the contract
> itself;
> 4. Making true statements about a contract;
> 5. Calling, judging, assigning, or freely discussing a CFJ;
> 6. Lawfully performing an official duty;
> 7. Objecting to or supporting an intent to perform an action while
> speaker;
> 8. Using an executive order; and
> 9. Making, amending, revoking or calling in a pledge.
>
>
> Rules to the contrary notwithstanding, a contract CANNOT compel, forbid,
> or in any significant way alter, tamper with, or modify the performance
> of
> a protected action. A contract CANNOT punish a player for performing or
> failing protected action, or for doing so in a particular manner, except
> where it would otherwise be ILLEGAL. A contract also CANNOT enable a
> person to
> do any of the things prohibited to the contract by this paragraph.
> Insofar as
> a contract or a provision or clause of a contract contravenes the letter
> or
> spirit of this rule, it is void and without effect.
>
> Create a new power 2.4 rule, entitled "Sustenance Payments", with following
> text:
>
> The Notary CAN, once a month, cause each contract that owns at least
> one shiny to transfer one shiny to Agora. E SHALL do so in the first week
> of every month. If a contract does not own at least one shiny, and is
> thus unable to make said payment, the Notary CAN and SHALL destroy
> it With Notice. If a contract becomes and remains able to pay before its
> destruction, the Notary CANNOT destroy it, and CAN and SHALL instead
> collect the shiny.
>
> The Notary CAN, by regulation, exempt a contract from the preceding
> paragraph.
> E SHALL NOT do so unless the contract seems to be in the public interest
> of
> Agora.
>
>
> Create a new power 1.0 rule, entitled "The Notary", with the following
> text:
>
> The Notary is an office, and the recordkeepor of contracts. The Notary's
> weekly report contains all contracts, including their name, text, and
> parties. The Notary's weekly report also contains the list of private
> classes
> of asset. The Notary is ENCOURAGED to list all changes to the
> information e
> tracks in eir report.
>
> Make o the Notary.
>
> # 3.0 Asset Changes
>
> Amend Rule 2166, "Assets", by changing it to read in full:
>
> An asset is an entity defined as such by a (a) rule, (b) authorized
> regulation, (c) group of rules and/or authorized regulations (but if such
> regulations modify a preexisting asset class defined by a rule or another
> title of regulations, they must be authorized specifically to do so by
> their
> parent rule), or (d) contract (hereafter its backing document), and
> existing
> solely because its backing document defines its existence. An asset's
> backing
> document can specify when and how that asset is created, destroyed, and
> transferred.
>
> Each asset has exactly one owner. If an asset would otherwise
> lack an owner, it is owned by Agora. If an asset's backing document
> restricts
> its ownership to a class of entities, then that asset CANNOT be gained
> by or
> transferred to an entity outside that class, and is destroyed if it is
> owned
> by an entity outside that class (except if it is owned by Agora, in
> which case
> any player CAN transfer or destroy it without objection). The
> restrictions in
> the previous sentence are subject to modification by its backing
> document.
>
> Unless modified by an asset's backing document, ownership of an asset is
> restricted to Agora, players, and contracts. As an exception to the last
> sentence, non-player persons are generally able to own assets defined by
> a contract they are a party to, subject to modification by the contract
> in
> question.
>
> A contract's text can specify whether or not that contract is
> willing to receive assets or a class of assets. Generally, a contract
> CANNOT
> be given assets it is unwilling to receive. If the contract is silent on
> the
> matter, or if its willingness is indeterminate or the subject of a
> inextricable conditional, the procedure to determine its willingness is
> as
> follows:
>
> 1. If the contract appears to anticipate being given assets, other
> than for
> sustenance (e.g. by authorizing parties to spend the contract's
> assets),
> then the contract is willing to receive all assets.
> 2. Otherwise, it is unwilling to receive all assets.
>
> The previous paragraph (including the list) notwithstanding, a contract
> CAN be given 1 shiny a month for its sustenance payment, so long as
> it never has more than 1 shiny at a time.
>
> The recordkeepor of a class of assets is the entity (if any)
> defined as such by, and bound by, its backing document. That
> entity's report includes a list of all instances of that class
> and their owners. This portion of that entity's report is
> self-ratifying. Rules to the contrary notwithstanding, a contract CANNOT
> oblige a person who isn't a member to record its internal state, nor is
> the default recordkeepor responsible for tracking a contract's internal
> state.
> For the purposes of this rule, the promulgator of a regulation is bound
> by
> it.
>
> An asset generally CAN be destroyed by its owner by
> announcement, subject to modification by its backing document. An
> indestructible asset is one defined as such by it backing document, and
> CANNOT
> be destroyed except by a rule, other than this one, specifically
> addressing
> the destruction of indestructible assets or that asset in particular; any
> other asset is destructible. In circumstances where another asset would
> be
> destroyed, an indestructible asset is generally transferred to Agora,
> subject
> to modification by its backing document and the intervention of other
> rules.
>
> To "lose" an asset is to have it destroyed from one's
> possession; to "revoke" an asset from an entity is to destroy it
> from that entity's possession.
>
> An asset generally CAN be transferred (syn. paid, given) by announcement
> by
> its owner to another entity, subject to modification by its
> backing document. A fixed asset is one defined as such by its backing
> document, and CANNOT be transferred; any other asset is liquid.
>
> When a rule indicates transferring an amount that is not a natural
> number,
> the specified amount is rounded up to the nearest natural number.
>
> A currency is a class of asset defined as such by its backing document.
> Instances of a currency with the same owner are fungible.
>
> The "x balance of an entity", where x is a currency, is the number of x
> that
> entity possesses. If a rule, proposal, or other competent authority
> attempts
> to increase or decrease the balance of an entity without specifying a
> source
> or destination, then the currency is created or destroyed as needed.
>
> When a player causes one or more balances to change, e is ENCOURAGED
> to specify the resulting balance(s). Players SHOULD NOT specify
> inaccurate balances.
>
> Where it resolves ambiguity, the asset or currency being referred to is
> the
> currency designated as "Agora's official currency", if there is one.
>
> An asset or class of assets is private, rather than public, if its
> backing document is a contract.
>
