THE SHORT LOGICAL RULESET Last proposal with recorded effect on this ruleset: 6639 Last change to this ruleset: by proposal 6639 Last ratification: Short Logical Ruleset of 18 September 2008 Last ratification date: 24 September 2008 Last updated: 21 February 2010 Rule ID numbers: highest orderly: 2286 chaotic: none ====================================================================== The Game of Agora ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2105/4 (Power=1) The Map of Agora ____ _ /| DARWIN -> \_ |/ | / \ __/ / | | <- DSV / / | \ _ \ \_ | \ MORNINGTON CRESCENT -> / | <- GOETHE BARRIER _ _/ | \_/\_/ \ REEF / \\ <- SHARK BAY | | / | | \ <- TOWNSVILLE ___/ | | \_ __/ | | .___o ) | / | | ~~vv ===~~~ <-OSCAR'S MIRE / O <- SHERLOCK NESS | |/\ | | | |_ | | | EMERALD -> \ \ |__________=_____, \ BRISBANE / | | | <-' \ O <- LT. ANNE MOORE | __ _\ \ | |_______/ \/ | LORD | __/\ <- TARACOOLA / HOWE -> \ PERTH __/ \_ / / | <-' _ __/ | /| IVANHOE -> | <-. / _/ \/ \ / / | / WOLLONGONG |_ / <- ESPERANTO v /__ |_ / <- CANBERRA \_/ \ | \_ _| __ __ | | \__/ \_ __ \ / __ \___=_ ___| \_ / \ | / \ MANUBOURNE -> \/ NEW C.LAND \} \|/ \) _,.---v---._ /\__ )`-'] /\__/\ / \ | | COPPRO STRAIGHT( ! \_ _/ / \ | / MICHAELTON->) / \ \_| @ __| \_/ <- HOBART |^\ (_/ \ \_ ( | \ ,__/ / / * ~~~`~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/~~~~ BREE_523->/~ / MURPHENDELL--> # / / |BOBCHURCH PAVRITTON->/ _| {__/ / @ WOOBLEING HEIGHTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 101/13 (Power=3) The Rights of Agorans WHEREAS Agora, since its inception, has functioned not only as a game but as a society, and WHEREAS a society, to function, must balance its Rules with the natural rights of its participants, BE IT HEREBY PROCLAIMED that no interpretation of Agoran law or binding agreement may substantially limit or remove a person's rights as defined by this Rule, except through the explicit and legal amendment of this Rule. This rule takes precedence over any rule which would allow or mandate restrictions of the rights contained herein. i. Every person has the right, though not necessarily the ability, to perform actions that are not prohibited or regulated by the Rules, with the sole exception of changing the Rules, which is permitted only when the Rules explicitly or implicitly permit it. ii. Every person has the right to initiate a formal process to resolve matters of controversy, in the reasonable expectation that the controversy will thereby be resolved. Every person has the right to cause formal reconsideration of any judicial determination that e should be punished. iii. Every person has the right to refuse to become party to a binding agreement. The absence of a person's explicit, willful consent shall be considered a refusal. iv. Every person has the right to not be considered bound by an agreement, or an amendment to an agreement, or a Rule Change, which e has not had the reasonable opportunity to review. For the purpose of protecting this right, a rule change which would otherwise take effect without its substance being subject to general player review through a reasonably public process is wholly prevented from taking effect. v. Every player has the right of participation in the fora. vi. Every person has the right to not be penalized more than once for any single action or inaction. However, this right is not violated by replacing part or all of a penalty with a different but comparable penalty, e.g. when the rules governing penalties are amended. vii. Every player has the right to deregister; e may continue to accrue obligations and penalties after deregistration but, if e wishes to ignore the game, such penalties shall not unduly harass em. Please treat Agora right good forever. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2125/7 (Power=3) Regulation Regulations A regulated action is an action satisfying any of the following: a) It is IMPOSSIBLE. b) It is ILLEGAL. c) The rules explicitly state that it CAN be performed while certain conditions are satisfied. Such an action CANNOT be performed except as allowed by the rules. In particular, if the action in question is publishing a type of document, then a public message is not that type of document (even if it is labeled as such) except as allowed by the rules. d) The rules explicitly state that it MAY be performed while certain conditions are satisfied. Except as allowed by the rules, performing such an action is the Class-N Crime of Restricted Behavior, where N is the maximum power of the rules explicitly allowing it (rounded up as needed to become a valid Class of Crime). e) It would, as part of its effect, modify information for which some player is required to be a recordkeepor. Such an action CANNOT modify that information except as allowed by the rules. f) A judicial finding has determined that it is regulated, and has not been superseded by subsequent legislation. A person SHOULD NOT violate a rule. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1586/6 (Power=2) Definition and Continuity of Entities If multiple rules or contracts (hereafter documents) attempt to define an entity with the same name, then they refer to the same entity. A document-defined entity's name CANNOT be changed to be the same as another document-defined entity's name. A document referring to an entity by name refers to the entity that had that name when the document first came to include that reference, even if the entity's name has since changed. If the documents defining an entity are repealed or amended such that they no longer define that entity, then that entity and its properties cease to exist. If the documents defining an entity are amended such that they still define that entity but with different properties, then that entity and its properties continue to exist to whatever extent is possible under the new definitions. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1688/5 (Power=3) Power The Power of an entity is a non-negative rational number. An Instrument is an entity with positive Power. The Power of an entity cannot be set or modified except as stipulated by the Rules. All entities have Power zero except where specifically allowed by the rules. A Rule that secures a change, action, or value (hereafter the securing Rule) thereby makes it IMPOSSIBLE to perform that change or action, or to modify that value, except as allowed by an Instrument with Power greater than or equal to the change's Power Threshold. This Threshold defaults to the securing Rule's Power, but CAN be lowered as allowed by that Rule (including by the Rule itself). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2140/0 (Power=3) Power Controls Mutability No entity with power below the power of this rule can (a) cause an entity to have power greater than its own. (b) adjust the power of an instrument with power greater than its own. (c) modify any other substantive aspect of an instrument with power greater than its own. A "substantive" aspect of an instrument is any aspect that affects the instrument's operation. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2186/7 (Power=2) Victory Winning Conditions and Losing Conditions are conditions defined as such by the rules. When one or more persons satisfy at least one Winning Condition and do not satisfy any Losing Conditions, all such persons win the game. The game CANNOT be won in any other way, rules to the contrary notwithstanding. Each Winning Condition should (if needed) specify a cleanup procedure to prevent an arbitrary number of wins arising from essentially the same conditions. When one or more persons win the game, for each Winning Condition satisfied by at least one of those persons, its cleanup procedure occurs. A win announcement is a factually correct announcement explicitly labeled as a win announcement and/or clearly stating that one or more persons win the game. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2244/1 (Power=1) The Games of Agora When used as a period of time, a "game" is the period of time between one instant at which at least one person won the game, and the next such instant. The "first game" was the period of time between June 30, 1993, 00:04:30 GMT +1200, and the first instant at which a person won the game. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2245/0 (Power=1) Win by Not Losing While a player is the only active first-class player not to satisfy at least one Losing Condition, e satisfies the Winning Condition of Solitude. Cleanup procedure: The same person cannot satisfy this Winning Condition again until at least one other player ceases to satisfy any Losing Condition. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2110/5 (Power=1) Win by Paradox A tortoise is an inquiry case on the possibility or legality of a rule-defined action (actual or hypothetical, but not arising from that case itself, and not occurring after the initiation of that case) for which the question of veracity is UNDECIDABLE. Upon a win announcement that a tortoise has continuously been a tortoise for no greater than four and no less than two weeks, the initiator satisfies the Winning Condition of Paradox. Cleanup procedure: Each winner satisfying this Winning Condition SHALL, as soon as possible, make a reasonable attempt to resolve the paradox. The same person can not satisfy this Winning Condition again for the same tortoise or for any other tortoise that was linked to it in assignment. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2199/9 (Power=1) Ribbons Ribbons are a class of fixed assets. If winning is secured, then changes to Ribbon holdings are secured with the same power threshold. Ownership of Ribbons is restricted to players. Each Ribbon has exactly one color. Colors with different names are distinct, regardless of spectral proximity. Each color of Ribbon is a currency. The Herald is the recordkeepor of Ribbons. When a player earns a Ribbon as outlined below, any person CAN once, in a timely manner (except for White Ribbons, which can be awarded at any time within a month after they are earned), create that Ribbon in the player's possession by announcement, unless the player already possesses the color of Ribbon e earned (earning a Ribbon more than once entitles the bearer to multiple Ribbon awards, though capitalizing on this may be difficult): (+R) When an interested proposal is adopted and changes at least one rule with Power >= 3, its proposer earns a Red Ribbon. (+O) When an interested proposal is adopted by voting with no valid votes AGAINST, its proposer earns an Orange Ribbon. (+G) At the end of each month, each player who held at least one office continuously during that month earns a Green Ribbon, unless e failed to perform an official duty within a time limit during that month. (+C) When a player deputises for an office, e earns a Cyan Ribbon. (+B) When a player assigns a judgement to a judicial question in an interested judicial case other than a question on sentencing, e earns a Blue Ribbon, unless e violated a requirement to submit that judgement within a time limit. (+K) When a player assigns a judgement to a judicial question in an interested judicial case on sentencing, e earns a Black Ribbon, unless e violated a requirement to submit that judgement within a time limit. (+W) When a first-class person becomes a player for the first time, e earns a White Ribbon. When a first-class person has been a player continuously for at least three months, was never a player before that period, and names another player as eir mentor (and has not named a mentor in this fashion before), the named player earns a White Ribbon. (+M) When, during Agora's birthday, a player publicly acknowledges the occasion, e earns a Magenta Ribbon. (+U) When a player is awarded the Patent Title Champion, e earns an Ultraviolet Ribbon. (+V) When a player is awarded a Patent Title, e earns a Violet Ribbon, unless e earns a different Ribbon for the award. (+I) When a player is awarded a degree, e earns an Indigo Ribbon. (+Y) At the end of each month, for each contest that awarded points to at least three different contestants during that month, the contestmaster earns a Yellow Ribbon If this rule mentions at least six different specific colors for Ribbons, then a player CAN destroy one Ribbon of each such color in eir possession to satisfy the Winning Condition of Renaissance. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 104/0 (Power=3) First Speaker The Speaker for the first game shall be Michael Norrish. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== Rules ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2141/4 (Power=3) Role and Attributes of Rules A rule is a type of instrument with the capacity to govern the game generally. A rule's content takes the form of a text, and is unlimited in scope. In particular, a rule may define in-game entities and regulate their behaviour, make instantaneous changes to the state of in-game entities, prescribe or proscribe certain player behaviour, modify the rules or the application thereof, or do any of these things in a conditional manner. Every rule has power between one and four inclusive. It is not possible for a rule to have a power outside this range. Rules have ID numbers, to be assigned by the Rulekeepor, and are strictly ordered. Every rule shall have a title to aid in identification. If a rule ever does not have a title, the Rulekeepor shall assign a title to it by announcement as soon as possible. For the purposes of rules governing modification of instruments, the text, power, ID number, and title of a rule are all substantive aspects of the rule. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 217/6 (Power=3) Interpreting the Rules When interpreting and applying the rules, the text of the rules takes precedence. Where the text is silent, inconsistent, or unclear, it is to be augmented by game custom, common sense, past judgements, and consideration of the best interests of the game. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1030/9 (Power=3.2) Precedence between Rules In a conflict between Rules, the conflict shall be resolved by performing the following comparisons in the sequence written in this rule, until the conflict is resolved. - In a conflict between Rules with different Power, the Rule with the higher Power takes precedence over the Rule with the lower Power ; otherwise, - If all of the Rules in conflict explicitly say that their precedence relations are determined by some other Rule for determining precedence relations, then the determinations of the precedence-determining Rule shall be used to resolve the conflicts; otherwise, - If at least one of the Rules in conflict explicitly says of itself that it defers to another Rule (or type of Rule) or takes precedence over another Rule (or type of Rule), then such provisions shall be used to resolve the conflict, unless they lead to contradictions between each other; otherwise, - The Rule with the lower ID number takes precedence. Clauses in any other rule that broadly claim precedence (e.g. over "all rules" of a certain class) shall be, prima facie, considered to be limited claims of precedence or deference that are applicable only when such claims are evaluated as described within the above sequence. No change to the Ruleset can occur that would cause a Rule to directly claim precedence over this Rule as a means of determining precedence. This applies to changes by the enactment or amendment of a Rule, or of any other form. This Rule takes precedence over any Rule that would permit such a change to the Ruleset. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2240/1 (Power=3) No Cretans Need Apply In a conflict between clauses of the same Rule, if exactly one claims precedence over the other, then it takes precedence; otherwise, the later clause takes precedence. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 105/3 (Power=3) Rule Changes Where permitted by other rules, an instrument generally can, as part of its effect, (a) enact a rule. The new rule has power equal to the minimum of the power specified by the enacting instrument, defaulting to one if the enacting instrument does not specify, and the maximum power permitted by other rules. The enacting instrument may specify a title for the new rule, which if present shall prevail. The ID number of the new rule cannot be specified by the enacting instrument; any attempt to so specify is null and void. (b) repeal a rule. When a rule is repealed, it ceases to be a rule, and the Rulekeepor need no longer maintain a record of it. (c) amend the text of a rule. (d) retitle a rule. (e) change the power of a rule. A rule change is any effect that falls into the above classes. Rule changes always occur sequentially, never simultaneously. Any ambiguity in the specification of a rule change causes that change to be void and without effect. A variation in whitespace or capitalization in the quotation of an existing rule does not constitute ambiguity for the purposes of this rule, but any other variation does. This rule provides the only mechanism by which rules can be created, modified, or destroyed, or by which an entity can become a rule or cease to be a rule. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1681/17 (Power=1) The Logical Rulesets The Short Logical Ruleset (SLR) is a format of the ruleset. In this format, each rule is assigned to a category, and the rules are grouped according to their category. Rules are assigned to, ordered within, or moved between categories, and categories are added, changed, or empty categories removed, as the Rulekeepor sees fit. The listing of each rule in the SLR must include the rule's ID number, revision number, power, title, and text. The Rulekeepor is strongly encouraged not to include any additional information in the SLR, except that which increases the readability of the SLR. The Full Logical Ruleset (FLR) is a format of the ruleset. In this format, rules are assigned to the same category and presented in the same order as in the SLR. The FLR must contain all the information required to be in the SLR, and any historical annotations which the Rulekeepor is required to record. The Rulekeepor is also free to include any other information which e feels may be helpful in the use of the ruleset in the FLR. Whenever a rule is changed in any way, the Rulekeepor SHALL record a historical annotation to the rule indicating: a) The type of change. b) The date on which the change took effect. c) The mechanism that specified the change. d) If the rule was changed due to a proposal, then that proposal's ID number, author, and co-author(s) (if any). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1051/18 (Power=1) The Rulekeepor The Rulekeepor is an office; its holder is responsible for maintaining the text of the rules of Agora. The Rulekeepor's Weekly report includes the Short Logical Ruleset. The Rulekeepor's Monthly report includes the Full Logical Ruleset. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2221/2 (Power=3) Cleanliness Any player CAN clean a rule without objection by specifying one or more spelling and/or grammar corrections; the rule is amended by this rule as specified by that person. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1750/2 (Power=1) Read the Ruleset Week The first Agoran week each year which falls entirely in February is known as Read the Ruleset Week. During this time, Agorans SHOULD read the ruleset. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2223/1 (Power=1) Win by Junta Upon a win announcement that a rule states that one or more persons CAN cause it to make arbitrary rule changes by announcement, all those persons satisfy the Winning Condition of Dictatorship. Cleanup procedure: Those persons SHALL as soon as possible amend the rule so that it no longer states this, and SHOULD amend the rules to prevent this condition from being achieved again in essentially the same way. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== Players ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 869/31 (Power=2) How to Join and Leave Agora Citizenship is an entity switch with values Unregistered (default) and Registered, tracked by the registrar. A player is an entity whose citizenship is Registered. Changes to citizenship are secured. The verb "to be registered" means to become a player (i.e., to have one's citizenship changed from Unregistered to Registered), and the verb "to be deregistered" means to cease to be a player (i.e., to have one's citizenship changed from Registered to Unregistered). Where the verb "to register" or "to deregister" is used without an explicit direct object, the action is implicitly reflexive. A first-class person CAN (unless explicitly forbidden or prevented by the rules) register by publishing a message that indicates reasonably clearly and reasonably unambiguously that e intends to become a player at that time. A second-class person CAN register with Agoran Consent. A non-person CANNOT be registered (or created in a Registered state), rules to the contrary notwithstanding. A player CAN deregister by announcement. A person CANNOT register within thirty days after being deregistered by any means other than by a mechanism that the rules explicitly describe as a means of honorable deregistration. A player who is not a person and has never been a first-class person CAN be deregistered by any player by announcement. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2170/6 (Power=3) Who Am I? Rules regarding persons pertain to those persons directly, not to rule-defined avatars or other entities representing those persons within Agora. A person SHALL NOT make a public statement intended to mislead others as to the identity of its publisher. A player SHALL NOT select a confusing nickname, including but not limited to a name that has generally been used to refer to another entity within the past three months. A public message's (possibly implicit) claim as to the identity of its publisher is self-ratifying, provided that the claim is neither ambiguous nor self-contradictory, and no challenge of identity pertaining to the claimed publisher has been issued within one month before its publication. Upon a judicial finding that the claimed publisher of one or more messages (hereafter the Sock Puppet) was not a person, if any of those claims have already self-ratified, then the judge SHALL as soon as possible publish a judicial declaration that the Sock Puppet was a person during one or more time periods, and SHOULD ensure that it corresponds to general belief prior to that finding. The Executor of a public message is the first-class person who sends it, or who most directly and immediately causes it to be sent. (Upon a judicial finding that the Executor of a public message cannot otherwise be determined within reasonable effort, the judge SHALL as soon as possible publish a judicial declaration specifying the identity of that message's Executor.) The executor of an action performed by announcement is the executor of the announcement. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2150/6 (Power=3) Personhood A person is an entity defined as such by rules with power of at least 2. A person CAN generally be the subject of rights and obligations under the rules. Any biological organism that is generally capable of communicating by email in English (including via a translation service) is a person. A first-class person is a person of a biological nature. All other persons are second-class. The basis of a first-class person is the singleton set consisting of that person. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2268/0 (Power=2) Entanglement Two entities are entangled if and only if the intersection of their bases is non-empty. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2139/3 (Power=2) The Registrar The Registrar is an office; its holder is responsible for keeping track of players. The Registrar's report includes: a) A list of all players, including information sufficient to identify and contact each player. b) The date on which each player most recently became a player. c) The Activity of each player, and when each Inactive player became Inactive. d) For each former player for which the information is reasonably available, the dates on which e registered and deregistered. The portion of a public message purporting to be a Registrar's report that lists each player implies that no players other than those listed exist and is self-ratifying. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1789/7 (Power=2) Cantus Cygneus Whenever a Player feels that e has been treated so egregiously by the Agoran community that e can no longer abide to be a part of it, e may submit a document to the Registrar, clearly labeled a Cantus Cygneus, detailing eir grievances and expressing eir reproach for those who e feels have treated em so badly. As soon as possible after receiving a Cantus Cygneus, the Registrar shall publish this document along with a Writ of Fugere Agorae Grandissima Exprobratione, commanding the Player to be deregistered. The Registrar shall note the method of deregistration for that Player in subsequent Registrar Reports. The Player is deregistered as of the posting of the Writ, and the notation in the Registrar's Report will ensure that, henceforth, all may know said Player deregistered in a Writ of FAGE. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2130/10 (Power=2) Activity Activity is a player switch with values Active (default) and Inactive, tracked by the Registrar. The Registrar's report includes the date on which each non-Active player's activity last changed. A player CAN flip eir activity by announcement. "To go on hold" is to become Inactive; "to come off hold" is to become Active. A player CAN flip another player's activity to Inactive without objection. A player who has been continuously Inactive for at least three months CAN be deregistered by any other player without objection. This is a means of honorable deregistration. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2177/14 (Power=2) The Senate A Senator is any first-class player whose most recent registration was at least sixty days ago. The set of all Senators is known as the Senate. The Registrar's report includes a list of all Senators. A Senator CAN call an Emergency Session with 2 Senator supporters, provided no other emergency session existed at any time in the preceding 48 hours. An emergency session lasts until it is terminated. An unterminated emergency session terminates 21 days after it was called. A Senator CAN terminate an emergency session without 3 Senator objections. Terminating an emergency session is a secured change. The Assessor's monthly report includes the dates when the most recent emergency session was called and terminated. The roll call of an emergency session is the set of Senators at the time the emergency session was called. During emergency session, the previous definition of Senator does not apply; instead, a Senator is a first-class player who is a member of the roll call. The Assessor's monthly report includes the roll call of the most recent emergency session. During emergency session, any Senator CAN declare a filibuster on a proposal in its voting period, with 2 supporting Senators, provided no filibuster has been declared on that proposal in the past. Any Senator CAN end a filibuster on a proposal with 4 supporting Senators and without objection from a member of the Government (any of whom CAN object). While a proposal is in filibuster, its quorum is the number of eligible voters plus one, rules to the contrary notwithstanding. When an emergency session begins, all non-Senators' postures become supine, and non-Senators CANNOT flip their posture while the session lasts. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2215/3 (Power=1) Truthiness A person SHALL NOT make a public statement on a matter relevant to the rules unless e reasonably believes that it is true (or, in the case of a public statement that one performs an action, that it is thereby effective). For the purpose of this rule: a) Merely quoting a statement does not constitute making that statement. b) Any conditional clause or other qualifier attached to a statement constitutes part of the statement; the nature of the whole is what is significant. The above notwithstanding, a person stating that e intends to perform an action in the future does not thereby violate this rule, as such a statement is often a requirement to keep eir options open. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2228/5 (Power=2) Rests Rests are a fixed currency. The creation and destruction of Rests is secured with a power threshold of 1.7, a person generally CANNOT destroy rests except as permitted by Rules explicitly stating methods by which rests in particular CAN be destroyed. The Herald is the recordkeepor of Rests. Ownership of Rests is restricted to first-class persons. If, in the absence of this restriction, a number (N) of Rests would be created in the ownership of a non-first-class person, then for each member of that person's basis, N Rests are created in that member's possession. A first-class player CAN create Rests in eir own possession by announcement. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2229/4 (Power=2) Just Resting Owning one or more Rests is a Losing Condition. While a player owns at least 24 Rests, that player CAN be deregistered by any player by announcement. A person who owns at least 6 Rests, or where every member of eir basis owns 6 Rests, CANNOT register, rules to the contrary notwithstanding. A person who has one or more rests but is not a player is a Fugitive. The Herald's monthly report shall include a list of all Fugitives. At the beginning of each month, half of each Fugitive's rests (rounded down) are destroyed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== Definitions ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 754/11 (Power=3) Definition Definitions Regularity of communication being essential for the healthy function of any nomic, it is hereby resolved: (1) A difference in spelling, grammar, or dialect, or the use of a synonym or abbreviation in place of a word or phrase, is inconsequential in all forms of communication, as long as the difference does not create an ambiguity in meaning. (2) A term explicitly defined by the Rules by default has that meaning when used in any Rule of equal or lesser power, as do its ordinary-language synonyms not explicitly defined by the rules. The following clauses, where X and Y are both nouns or noun phrases, mean "X is/are defined as Y" unless they obviously have a different meaning: a) "X is/are Y" b) "Y is/are known as X" (3) Any term primarily used in mathematical or legal contexts, and not addressed by previous provisions of this Rule, by default has the meaning it has in those contexts. (4) Any term not addressed by previous provisions of this Rule by default has its ordinary-language meaning. In determining the ordinary-language meaning of a term, definitions contained in lower-powered Rules, followed by definitions used in contracts or other Agoran legal documents, are relevant and may provide guidance in helping to determine the meaning of a rule, but are not binding (especially if they differ greatly from the definitions that would be used otherwise). This rule takes precedence over any other rules which dictate terminology or grammar. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2152/5 (Power=3) Mother, May I? The following terms are defined. These definitions are used when a rule includes a term in all caps, and provide guidance in determining the ordinary-language meaning of a term when a rule includes a term otherwise. Earlier definitions take precedence over later ones. If a rule specifies one or more persons in connection with a term, then the term applies only to the specified person(s). 1. CANNOT, IMPOSSIBLE, INEFFECTIVE, INVALID: Attempts to perform the described action are unsuccessful. 2. MUST NOT, MAY NOT, SHALL NOT, ILLEGAL, PROHIBITED: Performing the described action violates the rule in question. 3. SHOULD NOT, DISCOURAGED, DEPRECATED: Before performing the described action, the full implications of performing it should be understood and carefully weighed. 4. CAN: Attempts to perform the described action are successful. 5. MAY: Performing the described action does not violate the rule in question. 6. MUST, SHALL, REQUIRED, MANDATORY: Failing to perform the described action violates the rule in question. 7. SHOULD, ENCOURAGED, RECOMMENDED: Before failing to perform the described action, the full implications of failing to perform it should (in the ordinary-language sense) be understood and carefully weighed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1023/26 (Power=2) Common Definitions The following terms are defined: (a) The phrases "in a timely fashion" and "as soon as possible" mean "within seven days". A requirement to perform an action at an exact instant (e.g. "when X, Y SHALL Z"), but not "in the same message", is instead interpreted as a requirement to perform that action in a timely fashion after that instant. (b) Agoran epochs: (1) Agoran days begin at midnight UTC. (2) Agoran weeks begin at midnight UTC on Monday. (3) Agoran months begin at midnight UTC on the first day of each Gregorian month. (4) Agoran quarters begin when the Agoran months of January, April, July, and October begin. (5) Agoran years begin when the Agoran month of January begins. These definitions do not apply to relative durations (e.g. "within days after "). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1769/7 (Power=3) Holidays A Holiday is a period of time designated as such by the Rules. During a Holiday, the Promotor SHALL NOT distribute any proposals, and judges SHALL NOT be assigned to any judicial case, and judges SHALL NOT assign judgement to any judicial question. If some Rule requires that an action be done prior to a given time, and that given time falls during a Holiday, or within the 72-hour period immediately following that Holiday, then that action need not be done until 72 hours after that Holiday ends. If some Rule bases the time of a future event (including the time limit to perform an action) upon the time of another event, and a) that other event occurs during a Holiday, then the time at which that Holiday ends shall be used instead for the purpose of determining the time of the future event. b) the future event would occur during a Holiday, then the future event occurs 72 hours after the end of that Holiday instead. This Rule takes precedence over all Rules pertaining to the timing of events, and over all Rules which require events to be performed before a specified time. The period each year from midnight GMT on the morning of 24 December to the beginning of the first Agoran week to begin after 2 January is a Holiday. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2161/6 (Power=1) ID Numbers If a rule defines a type of entity as having ID numbers, then: (a) Whenever an instance of that type does not have an ID number, the player held responsible by that rule SHALL assign an ID number to it by announcement as soon as possible. (b) Such an assignment is INVALID unless the number is a natural number (expressed as a decimal literal with at most 14 digits) distinct from any ID number previously assigned to an entity of that type, and (if the type of entity is defined by the rules as strictly ordered) ILLEGAL unless the number is greater than any orderly ID number so assigned. The player SHOULD select the smallest number possible. (c) Each ID number is either orderly (default) or chaotic. Upon a judicial finding that an ID number is unreasonably large, the ID number becomes chaotic. (d) Once assigned, an ID number cannot be changed. (e) If an office is responsible for assigning ID numbers, then that officer's report includes the greatest orderly ID number, and a list of all chaotic ID numbers, previously assigned to the type of entity. (f) If an instance of that type has an ID number, then its name is the combination of its type and ID number. Otherwise, it has no name. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2153/3 (Power=1) Interest Index An entity's interest index is an integer from 0 to 3, default value 1. When altering an entity's interest index, a person SHOULD try to pick a new value which reflects the complexity of that entity. "Disinterested" is a synonym for "interest index 0". ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2146/1 (Power=2) Indices Indices are elements of the extended real numbers, which is a total order consisting of the real numbers plus a minimum element, called negative infinity, and a maximum element, called positive infinity or unanimity. The ratio of a positive index to zero is positive infinity. The ratio of a negative index to zero is negative infinity. The ratio of zero to any index is zero. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2162/1 (Power=2) Switches A type of switch is a property that the rules define as a switch, and specify the following: a) The type(s) of entity possessing an instance of that switch. No other entity possesses an instance of that switch. b) One or more possible values for instances of that switch, exactly one of which is designated as the default. No other values are possible for instances of that switch. c) Exactly one officer who tracks instances of that switch. That officer's report includes the value of each instance of that switch whose value is not its default value. At any given time, each instance of a switch has exactly one possible value for that type of switch. If an instance of a switch comes to have a value, it ceases to have any other value. If an instance of a switch would otherwise fail to have a possible value, it comes to have its default value. "To flip an instance of a switch" is to make it come to have a given value. "To become X" (where X is a possible value of exactly one of the subject's switches) is to flip that switch to X. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 478/27 (Power=3) Fora Freedom of speech being essential for the healthy functioning of any non-Imperial nomic, it is hereby resolved that no Player shall be prohibited from participating in the Fora. Publicity is a forum switch with values Public, Discussion, and Foreign (default), tracked by the Registrar. The Registrar's report includes, for each forum with non-Foreign publicity, sufficient instructions for players to receive messages there. The Registrar may change the publicity of a forum without objection as long as: (a) e sends eir announcement of intent to that forum; and (b) if the forum is to be made public, the announcement by which the Registrar makes that forum public is sent to all existing public fora. Each active player should ensure e can receive messages via each public forum. A public message is a message sent via a public forum, or sent to all players and containing a clear designation of intent to be public. A person "publishes" or "announces" something by sending a public message. Where the rules define an action that CAN be performed "by announcement", a person performs that action by unambiguously and clearly specifying the action and announcing that e performs it. Any action performed by sending a message is performed at the time date-stamped on that message. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2263/0 (Power=3) Acting on Behalf Acting on behalf of (syn. send messages on behalf of) a person (the grantor) with a specified message is equivalent to sending a public message authored by the grantor. Acting on behalf of a person is secured, with power threshold 3 for first-class grantors and power threshold 2 for second-class grantors. Rules to the contrary notwithstanding, acting on behalf of a person is INVALID if not published. Such publication is INVALID unless it specified the text of the simulated message by: (a) clearly stating the text of a message; (b) clearly specifying an action (the message states the grantor performs the action); or (c) performing by announcement an action defined in a public contract's text to (clearly and unambiguously) include causing the grantor to perform a specific action (the message states the grantor performs the action) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1728/29 (Power=3) Dependent Actions A rule or contract which purports to allow a person (the performer) to perform an action by a set of one or more of the following methods (N is 1 unless otherwise specified): 1) Without N Objections, where N is a positive integer no greater than 8. 2) With N Supporters, where N is a positive integer. 3) With N Agoran Consent, where N is an integer multiple of 0.1 with a minimum of 1. 4) With Notice. thereby allows em to perform the action by announcement if all of the following are true: a) A person (the initiator) announced intent to perform the action, unambiguously and clearly specifying the action and method(s) (including the value of N for each method), at most fourteen days earlier, and (if the action depends on objections or notice) at least four days earlier. b) At least one of the following is true: 1) The performer is the initiator. 2) The initiator was authorized to perform the action due to holding a rule-defined position now held by the performer. 3) The initiator is authorized to perform the action, the action depends on support, the performer has supported the intent, and the rule authorizing the performance does not explicitly prohibit supporters from performing it. c) Agora is Satisfied with the announced intent, as defined by other rules. d) If a set of conditions for the performance of the action was given in the announcement of intent to perform the action, all those conditions are met. The actor SHOULD publish a list of supporters if the action depends on support, and a list of objectors if it depends on objections. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2124/15 (Power=2) Agoran Satisfaction A Supporter of a dependent action is an eligible entity who has publicly posted (and not withdrawn) support (syn. "consent") for an announcement of intent to perform the action. An Objector to a dependent action is an eligible entity who has publicly posted (and not withdrawn) an objection to the announcement of intent to perform the action. The entities eligible to support or object to a dependent action are, by default, all first-class players, subject to modification by the document authorizing the dependent action. However, the previous sentence notwithstanding, the Executor of the announcement of intent is not eligible to support it. Agora is Satisfied with an intent to perform a specific action if and only if: (1) if the action is to be performed Without N Objections, then it has fewer than N objectors; (2) if the action is to be performed With N supporters, then it has N or more supporters; and (3) if the action is to be performed with N Agoran Consent, then the ratio of supporters to objectors is greater than N, or the action has at least one supporter and no objectors. The above notwithstanding, if the action depends on objections, and an objection to it has been withdrawn within the past 24 hours, then Agora is not Satisfied with the intent. A person CANNOT support or object to an announcement of intent before the intent is announced, or after e has withdrawn the. same type of response. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2166/13 (Power=2) Assets An asset is an entity defined as such by a rule or contract (hereafter its backing document), and existing solely because its backing document defines its existence. Each asset has exactly one owner. If an asset would otherwise lack an owner, it is owned by the Lost and Found Department. 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 transferred to the Lost and Found Department if it is owned by an entity outside that class. If an asset is owned by the Lost and Found department any player CAN transfer or destroy it without objection. The Lost and Found department may own any asset, and have assets transferred to and from it, regardless of the asset's backing document or any Rule, Rules to the contrary notwithstanding. 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. An asset whose backing document is not a rule generally CAN be created by its recordkeepor by announcement, subject to modification by its backing document. To "gain" an asset is to have it created in one's possession; to "award" an asset to an entity is to create it in that entity's possession. An asset generally CAN be destroyed by its owner by announcement, and an asset owned by the Lost and Found Department generally CAN be destroyed by its recordkeepor by announcement, subject to modification by its backing document. To "lose" (syn. "spend") 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 by its owner to another entity by announcement, 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. A currency is a class of asset defined as such by its backing document. Instances of a currency with the same owner are fungible. A public class of assets is a class of assets whose backing document is a rule or a public contract. All others are private. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2285/0 (Power=3) Contracts For greater certainty, no entity is a contract for the purposes of Rules. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== Offices ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1006/30 (Power=2) Offices An office is a role defined as such by the rules. Each office is either vacant (default) or filled (held) by exactly one player. An officer is the holder of an office, who may be referred to by the name of that office. An imposed office is an office described as such by the rule defining it. All others are elected. The holder of an elected office CAN resign it by announcement, causing it to become vacant. Any player CAN cause an office to become vacant without objection. If the holder of an elected office resigns or announces an intent to resign eir office, and in doing so designates another active player to replace em who is qualified to hold the office; then the designee CAN, in the week following the officer's announcement, make emself the holder of the office by announcement; the IADoP SHALL initiate an election for the office asap after such an office change. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2143/10 (Power=1) Official Reports and Duties For each office: a) If any task is defined by the rules as part of that office's weekly duties, then the holder of that office SHALL perform it at least once each week. If any information is defined by the rules as part of that office's weekly report, then the holder of that office SHALL maintain all such information, and the publication of all such information is part of that office's weekly duties. b) If any task is defined by the rules as part of that office's monthly duties, then the holder of that office SHALL perform it at least once each month. If any information is defined by the rules as part of that office's monthly report, then the holder of that office SHALL maintain all such information, and the publication of all such information is part of that office's monthly duties. Any information defined by the rules as part of an office's report, without specifying which one, is part of its weekly report. Failure of the holder of an office to perform any duty required of that office within the alloted time is the Class-N crime of Tardiness, where N in the Interest Index of that office. While performing weekly or monthly duties or publishing weekly or monthly reports, officers SHALL NOT publish information that is inaccurate or misleading. Reports SHALL be published in plain text. Tabular data must line up properly when viewed in a monospaced font. Publishing reports that deviate from these regulations is the Class 2 Crime of Making My Eyes Bleed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2227/2 (Power=1) Interest Index of Offices Each office has an interest index, tracked by the IADoP. A player CAN set an office's interest index without 2 objections, or with Agoran Consent. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2160/7 (Power=3) Deputisation Any player (a deputy) CAN perform an action as if e held a particular office (deputise for that office) if all of the following are true: (a) The rules require the holder of that office, by virtue of holding that office, to perform the action (or, if the office is vacant, would so require if the office were filled). This requirement is fulfilled by the deputy performing the action. (b) A time limit by which the rules require the action to be performed has expired, or the office is vacant. (c) If the office is filled, then the deputy announced between two and fourteen days earlier that e intended to deputise for that office for the purposes of the particular action. (d) It would be POSSIBLE for the deputy to perform the action, other than by deputisation, if e held the office. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2154/28 (Power=2) Election Procedure A player CAN initiate an election for a specified elected office for which no election is already in progress a) by announcement, if e is the IADoP, or the office is vacant, or no election has been initiated for the office within 90 days before the announcement; b) with 4 Supporters, otherwise. When an election is initiated, the current holder of the office (if any) is initially considered to have been nominated and have accepted. During the first four days of the election (the nomination period), any player CAN by announcement nominate one or more active players. As soon as possible after the nomination period ends, the IADoP SHALL initiate an Agoran decision to determine the new officeholder. For this decision: 1) The valid options are the active players (hereafter the candidates) who, during the election, a) received and accepted a nomination for the office before the decision was initiated (self-nomination constitutes acceptance), and b) did not decline a nomination for the office, and c) are Senators if there is currently an Emergency Session. The set of candidates can change after the decision is initiated. If the number of candidates falls below two, PRESENT ceases to be a valid option. 2) If there is no Emergency Session at the time the decision is initiated, the eligible voters are the active first-class players. Otherwise, the eligible voters are the active Senators. 3) Each eligible voter's voting limit is one. An ordered list of multiple choices constitutes a conditional vote for the first choice if it could be the outcome, otherwise the second choice if it could be the outcome, and so forth. 4) If there are no valid options for the Decision, instead of initiating the Decision, the IADoP SHALL, in place of initiating the decision, announce this fact, ending the election. If there is exactly one valid option for the Decision, the IADoP SHALL, in place of initiating the Decision, announce the valid option (the candidate), thus installing that candidate into the office and ending the election. Upon the resolution of this decision, its outcome (if a candidate) is installed into the office, and the election ends. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2276/2 (Power=2) Assumption of Vacant Offices Assumption is an elected office switch, tracked by the IADoP with values Postulated (default) and Assumed. Changes to Assumption are secured. An active first-class player can make emself the holder of an elected office by announcement, provided that the office is either vacant or Assumed. Upon doing so, the office's Assumption is flipped to Assumed. When the holder of an office ceases to be an active player, the office's Assumption is flipped to Assumed. When a person comes to hold an office, or would come to hold an office if e did not hold it already, by a means other than the one provided by this Rule, then the Assumption of that office is flipped to Postulated. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2138/11 (Power=1) The Intergalactic Associate Director of Personnel The Intergalactic Associate Director of Personnel (IADoP) is an office; its holder is responsible for keeping track of officers and reports. The IADoP's report includes the following: a) The holder of each office. b) The date on which each holder last came to hold that office. c) The date when the most recent nomination period for that office began. d) The date when that office's reports were last published. The portion of a public message purporting to be an IADoP's report that lists the holder of each office is self-ratifying. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1551/13 (Power=3) Ratification A public document is part (possibly all) of a public message. When a public document is ratified, the gamestate is minimally modified so that the ratified document was completely true and accurate at the time it was published. Nevertheless, the ratification of a public document does not invalidate, reverse, alter, or cancel any messages or actions, even if they were unrecorded or overlooked, or change the legality of any attempted action. Ratifying a public document is secured. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2202/3 (Power=3) Ratification Without Objection An official document is a public document purported to be part (possibly all) of an official report; this part is the document's scope. Any player CAN, without objection, ratify an official document, specifying its scope. The date of this ratification and the scope of the ratified document become part of the official report in question, until the same scope is ratified at a later date. Ratification Without Objection CANNOT cause the repeal, amendment, enactment, or mutation of any Rule, rules to the contrary notwithstanding. A player SHALL NOT knowingly use or announce intent to use Ratification Without Objection to ratify a (prior to ratification) incorrect document when a corrected document could be produced with reasonable effort, unless the general nature of the document's error and reason for ratifying it is clearly and plainly described in the announcement of intent. Such ratification or announcement of intent to ratify is the Class-8 Crime of Endorsing Forgery. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2201/3 (Power=3) Self-Ratification A public document defined by the rules as self-ratifying is ratified when it is continuously undoubted for one week. A doubt is an explicit public challenge via one of the following methods, identifying a document and explaining the scope and nature of a perceived error in it: a) An inquiry case, appropriate for questions of legal interpretation. b) A claim of error, appropriate for matters of fact. The publisher of the original document SHALL as soon as possible either deny the claim (causing it to cease to be a doubt), publish a revision, or (if the subject is actually a matter of law) initiate an inquiry case regarding the truth of the claim. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== Agoran Decisions ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 693/14 (Power=3) Agoran Decisions When the rules calls for an Agoran decision to be made, the decision-making process takes place in the following three stages, each described elsewhere: (a) Initiation of the decision. (b) Voting of the people. (c) Resolution of the decision. When submitting a ballot, a player can select PRESENT (syn. ABSTAIN) rather than one of the options provided by the decision. Rules to the contrary notwithstanding, a ballot cast for PRESENT is considered to be a valid ballot, but, unless specified otherwise, does not count as a valid option. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 107/11 (Power=3) Initiating Agoran Decisions An Agoran decision is initiated when a person authorized to initiate it publishes a valid notice which sets forth the intent to initiate the decision. This notice is invalid if it lacks any of the following information, and the lack is correctly identified within one week after the notice is published: (a) The matter to be decided (for example, "the adoption of proposal 4781"). (b) A description of the class of eligible voters sufficient to enable public agreement on which persons are eligible. In particular, an explicit list of the eligible voters is always sufficient for this purpose. (c) A clear indication of the options available. (d) The identity of the vote collector. (e) Any additional information defined by the rules as essential parameters. The publication of such a valid notice initiates the voting period for the decision. By default, the voting period lasts for seven days. Rules to the contrary notwithstanding, the voting period for a decision with at least two options cannot be shorter than seven days. The vote collector for a decision with less than two options CAN and SHALL end the voting period by announcement, if it has not ended already, and provided that e resolves the decision in the same message. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 683/15 (Power=3) Voting on Agoran Decisions An eligible voter on a particular Agoran decision submits a ballot to the vote collector by publishing a valid notice indicating which one of the available options e selects. To be valid, the ballot must satisfy the following conditions: (a) The ballot is submitted during the voting period for the decision, and the submitter is an eligible voter at the time of submission. (b) The ballot clearly identifies the matter to be decided. (c) The ballot clearly identifies the option selected by the voter. (d) The voter has not publicly retracted the ballot during the voting period. ("Changing" a vote is equivalent to retracting it and casting a vote with the new value.) Among the otherwise-valid votes on an Agoran decision, only the first N submitted by each entity are valid, where N is the entity's voting limit on that decision. The voting limit of an entity that is not an eligible voter on an Agoran decision is zero. The voting limit of an eligible voter on an Agoran decision is one, except where rules say otherwise. The strength of an option is the number of valid ballots selecting that option. Other rules may place further constraints on the validity of ballots. This rule takes precedence over any rule that would loosen the constraints specified by this rule. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2196/5 (Power=3) Standard Classes of Agoran Decisions An Agoran decision with an adoption index is either ordinary or democratic. All Agoran decisions with an adoption index are ordinary by default. If an Agoran decision has an adoption index, then the following are essential parameters: a) Its adoption index. b) Whether it is ordinary or democratic. For any Agoran decision with an adoption index, the available options are FOR and AGAINST. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2127/6 (Power=1) Conditional Votes If a vote on an Agoran decision is submitted conditionally (e.g. "FOR if is true, otherwise AGAINST"), then the selected option is evaluated based on the value of the condition(s) at the end of the voting period, and is clearly specified if and only if the value of the condition(s) can be reasonably determined (without circularity or paradox) from information reasonably available during the voting period. If the option cannot be clearly identified, a vote of PRESENT is cast. Casting a vote endorsing another voter is equivalent to conditionally casting a vote whose value is the same as the most common value (if any) among that voter's valid votes on that decision. Casting a vote denouncing another voter is equivalent to conditionally casting a vote whose value is opposite to the most common value (if any) among that voter's valid votes on that decision. FOR and AGAINST are opposites. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2280/0 (Power=3) Implicit Votes When an eligible voter on an Agoran decision attempts to cast ballots without explicitly specifying the number of ballots to be cast (e.g. "FOR" instead of "FOR*1" or "FOR*3"), e casts a number of ballots equal to eir voting limit on that decision. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2222/1 (Power=2) Maximum Voting Limits Other rules to the contrary notwithstanding, no entity may have greater a voting limit than as allowed by this rule. The maximum voting limit for any entity on an ordinary decision is 12. The maximum voting limit for any entity on any other decision is 1. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2168/6 (Power=1) Extending the voting period Whenever the voting period of an Agoran decision would end, and the result would be FAILED QUORUM, the length of the voting period for that decision is instead doubled, provided this has not already happened for the decision in question. Upon such an occurrence, the vote collector for the decision SHALL issue a humiliating public reminder to the slackers who have not yet cast any votes on it despite being eligible, and CAN end its voting period by announcement (resolving it constitutes an implicit announcement that its voting period is first ended) if the result would no longer be FAILED QUORUM, or if the decision is whether to adopt a proposal and no voter (other than possibly the proposal's author) has voted FOR. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 208/7 (Power=3) Resolving Agoran decisions The vote collector for an unresolved Agoran decision CAN resolve it by announcement, indicating the option selected by Agora. If it was required to be initiated, then e SHALL resolve it as soon as possible after the end of the voting period. To be valid, this announcement must satisfy the following conditions: (a) It is published after the voting period has ended. (b) It clearly identifies the matter to be resolved. (c) It specifies which option was selected by Agora, as described elsewhere, and provides a tally of the voters' valid ballots on the various options. Each Agoran decision has exactly one vote collector, defaulting to the initiator of the decision. If the vote collector is defined by reference to a position (or, in the default case, if the initiator was so defined), then the vote collector is the current holder of that position. This rule takes precedence over any rule that would provide another mechanism by which an Agoran decision may be resolved. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 955/17 (Power=3) Determining the Will of Agora After an Agoran Decision's voting period ends, it has an outcome (syn. "the chosen by Agora"). (a) If there is more than one available option, and the number of distinct voters who submitted valid ballots is less than quorum, then the outcome is FAILED QUORUM, regardless of the remainder of this rule. Otherwise, the decision achieved quorum. (b) If the decision has an adoption index, then the voting index is the ratio of the strength of FOR to the strength of AGAINST. If the voting index is greater than 1, and greater than or equal to the decision's adoption index, then the outcome is ADOPTED; otherwise, the outcome is REJECTED. (c) Otherwise, the outcome is the option with the most votes. In case of a tie, the vote collector SHALL select one of the leaders as the outcome. If there are no options, the outcome is null. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 879/27 (Power=2) Quorum Quorum for an Agoran decision is N/3 (where N is the number of eligible voters with a positive voting limit on that decision), rounded up, with a minimum of five (unless this is greater than N, in which case quorum is N). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2034/6 (Power=3) Vote Protection and Cutoff for Challenges Any proposal that would otherwise change the validity of any existing vote on any specific unresolved Agoran decision is wholly without effect, rules to the contrary notwithstanding. This does not prevent amendment of the rules governing the validity of votes on Agoran decisions in general. Once an Agoran decision has been resolved, votes on it CANNOT be validly submitted or retracted, and its outcome CANNOT be changed in any way, rules to the contrary notwithstanding. This does not prevent correcting errors in reporting its resolution. A public document purporting to resolve an Agoran decision constitutes self-ratifying claims that a) such a decision existed, b) it was resolved as indicated, and c) (if the indicated outcome was to adopt a proposal) such a proposal existed, was adopted, and took effect. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== Proposals ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 106/25 (Power=3) Adopting Proposals When creating proposals, the person who creates them SHOULD ensure that the proposal outlines changes to be made to Agora, such as enacting, repealing, or amending rules, or making other explicit changes to the gamestate. When a proposal that includes such explicit changes takes effect, those changes are applied to the gamestate. A player CAN create a proposal by publishing ("submitting") a body of text with a clear indication that it is intended to become a proposal, which places the proposal in the Proposal Pool. The author (syn. proposer) of a proposal is the player who submitted it. A player CAN remove (syn. retract, withdraw) a proposal e authored from the Proposal Pool by announcement. A player specifically permitted by the Rules to distribute a Proposal CAN distribute the proposal by publishing it with the clear intent of distributing it. When a proposal is distributed, it is removed from the Proposal Pool. The distribution of a proposal initiates the Agoran decision of whether to adopt the proposal, as described elsewhere. Removing a proposal from the Pool by a means other than initiating an Agoran Decision to adopt it is secured. If the Rules do not otherwise permit at least one current active player to distribute a Proposal, then any player may do so Without 3 Objections. A co-author of a proposal is a person (other than its author) unambiguously identified as such by its author when it was submitted. The adoption index of a proposal is an integral multiple of 0.1 from 1.0 to 9.9. It may be set by the proposer at the time of submission, or otherwise defaults to 1.0. Determining whether to adopt a proposal is an Agoran decision. The adoption index of this decision is set to the adoption index of the proposal at the initiation of the decision. Changing the adoption index of the decision is secured with a power threshold of 2. The vote collector for this decision is the Assessor. If the option selected by Agora on this decision is ADOPTED, then the proposal is adopted, and unless other rules prevent it from taking effect, its power is set to the minimum of four and its adoption index, and then it takes effect. It does not otherwise take effect. Preventing a proposal from taking effect is a secured change; this does not apply to generally preventing changes to specified areas of the gamestate, nor to a proposal preventing itself from taking effect (its no-effect clause is generally interpreted as applying only to the rest of the proposal). This rule takes precedence over any rule which would permit a proposal to take effect. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2281/0 (Power=3) Proposal Cleanup The Promotor can, by announcement, remove a proposal from the Proposal Pool if it is Undistributable and has been in the Proposal Pool for in excess of one month. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2224/2 (Power=1) Interest Index of Proposals Each proposal has an interest index, which CAN be set by its author at the time of submission, and CAN be changed (while undistributed) by any player without 2 objections, or by the Promotor or Assessor without 3 objections. The submitter of a proposal SHOULD set its interest index to 0 if and only if the proposal's effects are limited to correcting errors and/or ambiguities. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1607/28 (Power=2) The Promotor The Promotor is an office; its holder is responsible for receiving and distributing proposals. Distributability is switch possessed by proposals in the proposal pool, tracked by the Promotor, with values Undistributable (default) and Distributable. In a given Agoran week, the Promotor CAN and SHALL, as part of eir weekly duties, distribute any proposal that is in the Proposal Pool and was Distributable at the beginning of that Agoran week. The Promotor CAN but SHALL NOT, in a given Agoran week, distribute any proposal that is in the Pool but was Undistributable at the beginning of that Agoran week, or was entered into the Pool during that Agoran week. A player CAN flip a specified Interested proposal to Distributable without a number of objections equal to 4 - II (where II is the Interest Index of the specified proposal). A player CAN flip a specified Disinterested proposal to Distributable by announcement. For an Agoran decision of whether to adopt a proposal, the following are essential parameters: a) Its author (and co-authors, if any). b) Its interest index. c) Its Chamber. Distributed proposals have ID numbers, to be assigned by the Promotor. The Promotor's report includes a list of all proposals in the Proposal Pool. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2250/2 (Power=1) Officer's Proposals If the submitter of a Proposal makes a claim that the proposal is submitted as part of an officer's duties in the same message in which the proposal was submitted, that proposal becomes Distributable upon entering the Proposal Pool. Falsely claiming that a proposal is submitted as part of an officer's duties is the Class 6 Crime of Official Distribunannigans. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2267/0 (Power=1.5) Judge's Proposals If the submitter of a Proposal makes a claim that the proposal is directly relevant to a specified judgement delivered by em in the same message, and does not make such a claim about any other proposal in connection with the same judgement, then that proposal becomes Distributable upon entering the Proposal Pool. Falsely claiming that a proposal is relevant in this fashion is the Class 6 Crime of Judicial Distribunannigans. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1950/20 (Power=3) Voting on Democratic Decisions The eligible voters on a democratic decision are those entities that were active first-class players at the start of its voting period. The voting limit of each eligible voter on a democratic decision is one. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2156/16 (Power=2) Voting on Ordinary Decisions Chamber is a proposal switch, possessed only by proposals which are in the proposal pool or have an ongoing Agoran Decision to adopt them, tracked by the Promotor, with values Green (default), Red and Purple. In the same message in which a player submits a proposal, e CAN set its Chamber by announcement; otherwise it is set to eir Title. Title is a player switch, tracked by the Assessor, with the same values and default as Chamber. A player CAN change eir Title by announcement, except if e has already done so before in the same month. A player with a Title of Green is a 'Green player', a player with a Title of Red is a 'Red player' and so on. Changes to Title and Chamber are secured. Each ordinary decision is either Green, Red or Purple; this defaults to the Chamber of the proposal the decision is about, but CAN be changed by Rules of Power 2 or higher during the voting period of the decision. The eligible voters on an ordinary decision are the players who were active at the start of its voting period. The voting limit of a player on an ordinary decision is eir base voting limit on that decision (as defined elsewhere in the rules), minus one for each positive multiple of two Rests the player owns. This rule defers to other rules of equal power in the determination of voting limits. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2279/0 (Power=2) Base Voting Limits - For a Green ordinary decision, the Green players have a base voting limit of 5, the Red players have a base voting limit of 2 and the Purple players have a base voting limit of 1. - For a Red ordinary decision, the Red players have a base voting limit of 5, the Purple players have a base voting limit of 2 and the Green players have a base voting limit of 1. - For a Purple ordinary decision, the Purple players have a base voting limit of 5, the Green players have a base voting limit of 2 and the Red players have a base voting limit of 1. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2142/5 (Power=2) Support Democracy A player CAN, with 2 support, change an ordinary decision in its voting period to be democratic. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2137/2 (Power=1) The Assessor The Assessor is an office; its holder is responsible for collecting votes and keeping track of related properties. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1450/10 (Power=2) Separation of Powers Lest the entire proposal process fall under the control of a single entity, any change that would result in the holders of Promotor and Assessor being entangled is canceled and does not occur, rules to the contrary notwithstanding. Lest the entire judicial process fall under the control of a single entity, any change that would result in the holder of Clerk of the Courts and the owner of Justiciar being entangled is canceled and does not occur, rules to the contrary notwithstanding. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1698/1 (Power=3) Agora Is a Nomic In the interest of safeguarding Agora's nomic-ness, if a change to the gamestate would otherwise make it IMPOSSIBLE to make arbitrary rule changes and/or adopt arbitrary proposals within a four-week period by any combinations of actions by players, then that change is canceled and does not occur, any rule to the contrary notwithstanding. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2134/6 (Power=2) Win by Clout Upon a win announcement that a specified player's voting limit on an ordinary decision with a specified Chamber initiated at that time would exceed the combined voting limits of all other players on that decision, the specified player satisfies the Winning Condition of Clout. Cleanup procedure: Each player's caste is set to its default value, and no player satisfies this Winning Condition again (the remainder of this rule notwithstanding) during the same month. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2188/1 (Power=1) Win by Proposal Upon a win announcement that a proposal awarding a win to one or more persons has been adopted, all those persons satisfy the Winning Condition of Legislation. Cleanup procedure: The condition cannot be satisfied again for the same proposal. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== Adjudication ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 991/11 (Power=2) Judicial Cases Generally A judicial case, also known as a call for judgement (CFJ), is a procedure to settle a matter of controversy. Each judicial case has exactly one subclass, with particular features as defined by other rules. Subclasses of judicial case exist only as defined by the rules. Defining a subclass of judicial case is secured, with a power threshold of 1.7. A judicial case's subclass CAN be specified by its initiator, or otherwise defaults to inquiry. The Clerk of the Courts (CotC) is an office, responsible for managing judicial activity. The CotC's report includes the status of all judicial cases that either require a judge or have at least one applicable judicial question that has no judgement. Judicial cases (other than appeal cases, which have historically been identified by reference to the prior case) have ID numbers, to be assigned by the Clerk of the Courts. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2246/2 (Power=2) Submitting a CFJ to the Justiciar A judicial case may be submitted to the Justiciar. For such a case, the Justiciar CAN, in a timely manner and by announcement, either accept or reject the case. Until the time limit expires or the Justiciar rejects the case, the CotC CANNOT perform any duties with regards to the case and does not incur any obligations with regards to it. If the Justiciar accepts the case, e switches places with the CotC entirely with regards to that case; e receives all obligations and all powers the CotC would receive, and the CotC receives all obligations and powers the Justiciar would receive. This includes any secondary duties required to fulfill obligations (such as rotating the bench). This takes precedence over Rules that would otherwise assign duties and powers regarding a judicial case to the Clerk of the Courts or the Justiciar. A player CAN deputize for Justiciar to perform these duties as if it were an office. All persons are encouraged to submit a case to the Justiciar only when there is a good reason not to submit it to the Clerk of the Courts. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2225/3 (Power=1.5) Interest Index of Judicial Cases Each judicial case has an interest index, which CAN be set by its initiator at the time of initiation, or otherwise defaults to zero. A player CAN, Without N Objections, increase or decrease the interest index of a judicial case by 1, where N is the 4 minus the interest index of that case immediately prior to that change. A player CAN set the interest index of a disinterested judicial case to 1 by announcement. When a player recuses emself from a judicial case whose interest index equals eir rank, the case's interest index is increased by 1 unless the recusing player announces in the same message that it should not. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2158/9 (Power=2) Judicial Questions A judicial question is a question that arises within a judicial case. Judicial questions arise only as defined by the rules. Defining a judicial question is secured, with a power threshold of 1.7. At any time, each judicial question is either inapplicable (default) or applicable. This is not a persistent status, but is evaluated instantaneously. At any time, each judicial question is either open (default), suspended, or has exactly one judgement. This is a persistent status that changes only according to the rules. The possible types of judgement for a judicial question depend on the type of question. When a judicial question is applicable and open, its case requires a judge. When a judicial question is applicable and open, and its case has a judge assigned to it, the judge CAN assign a valid judgement to it by announcement, and SHALL do so as soon as possible, unless e is recused from the case before the time limit for doing so has expired. A judge SHOULD NOT assign an inappropriate judgement to any judicial question. A judgement is valid and/or appropriate only as defined by the rules. Defining these things is secured, with a power threshold of 1.7. If more than one judgement is valid and appropriate, then the choice between them is left to the judge's discretion. When a judicial question on a non-appeal case is applicable and open, and its judge has violated a time limit to assign a judgement to it, or is not an active player, the Clerk of the Courts SHALL recuse that judge with cause by announcement as soon as possible; however, this requirement is waived if the judge assigns a judgement to it first. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 591/31 (Power=1.7) Inquiry Cases Inquiry cases are a subclass of judicial cases. An inquiry case's purpose is to determine the veracity of a particular statement. An inquiry case CAN be initiated by any first-class person, by announcement which includes the statement to be inquired into. (Including a yes/no question is equivalent to including a statement that the answer to that question is yes, and for such a case, YES and NO are synonymous with the judgements TRUE and FALSE respectively.) The initiator is unqualified to be assigned as judge of the case, and in the initiating announcement e CAN disqualify one person from assignment as judge of the case. An inquiry case has a judicial question on veracity, which is always applicable. The valid judgements for this question are as follows, based on the truth or falsity of the statement at the time the inquiry case was initiated: * FALSE, appropriate if the statement was factually and logically false * TRUE, appropriate if the statement was factually and logically true * UNDECIDABLE, appropriate if the statement was logically undecidable or otherwise not capable of being accurately described as either false or true * IRRELEVANT, appropriate if the veracity of the statement is not relevant to the game or is an overly hypothetical extrapolation of the game or its rules to conditions that don't actually exist * UNDETERMINED, appropriate if the statement is nonsensical or too vague, or if the information available to the judge is insufficient to determine which of the FALSE, TRUE, and UNDECIDABLE judgements is appropriate; however, uncertainty as to how to interpret or apply the rules cannot constitute insufficiency of information for this purpose * MALFORMED, appropriate if the text identified by the initiator as the statement cannot be parsed as a single statement in the ordinary-language sense; however, a compound statement (e.g. "X and Y", "X or Y") counts as a single statement Players SHOULD take the judgement of the question in an inquiry case, and the reasoning by which it was reached, into account when attempting to determine what is possible and/or legal in future play (including when making future judgements); but the judgement does not directly affect the veracity of the statement. The Rulekeepor is ENCOURAGED to annotate rules to draw attention to relevant inquiry case judgements. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2230/14 (Power=2) Notices of Violation A player CAN publish a Notice of Violation (with N support, where N is the number of valid un-Closed Notices of Violation e previously published during the same week, or by announcement if N is zero) alleging that a single entity (the Accused) has broken a Rule. A notice of violation is invalid if it lacks any of the following information, and the lack is correctly identified within one week after the notice is published: (a) The identity of the Accused; (b) The allegedly illegal action/inaction in question; (c) The Rule that was allegedly broken; (d) If the Rules specify exactly one Class-N Crime (where N is a positive integer) as being associated with the alleged breach, then the name of that Crime and the value of N; otherwise, the Power of the Rule that was allegedly broken. Knowingly issuing a Notice of Violation with incorrect information is ILLEGAL, and the Class-4 Crime of Libel. A Notice of Violation is valid if and only if: (1) it clearly specifies the required information for a Notice of Violation; (2) no previous valid notice specified substantially identical information (i.e. the same violation for the same specific act). (3) when a crime is named, the crime is specified within the Rules. Neither a Notice's incorrectness (i.e. whether its allegation is false) nor its unfairness (i.e. whether the punishment resulting from leaving it Uncontested would be manifestly unfair according to the guidance of the Rules) affects its validity. As soon as possible after a player makes an announcement that is reasonably recognizable as an attempt to issue such a notice, the Herald SHALL announce whether the Notice was valid. Such an announcement is self-ratifying. Affirming the validity of the notice does not in itself certify the correctness of the allegation. A valid Notice of Violation is initially Uncontested unless a Crime is named, Contested otherwise. Within four days after the publication of an Uncontested Notice, any player CAN make it Contested by announcement; a player SHOULD do so if e believes it is incorrect and/or unfair. An Uncontested Notice becomes Contested upon the initiation of a judicial case questioning its incorrectness and/or unfairness (but not merely by questioning its validity). If a Notice is Uncontested and was published at least four days ago, any player CAN cause it to become Closed by announcement. Any player CAN cause a Notice specifying em as Accused to become Closed by announcement. When a Notice becomes Closed, a number of Rests are created in the possession of the Accused equal to the Class of the specified Crime, or in its absence the Power of the violated rule, rounded up. If a Closed notice becomes Contested, these Rests remain, but CAN be later destroyed by judicial processes as described elsewhere. Valid NOVs have ID numbers, to be assigned by the Herald. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1504/46 (Power=2) Criminal Cases Criminal cases are a subclass of judicial cases. Any first-class person can initiate a criminal case by an announcement calling for judgement on the circumstances surrounding a specified valid Notice of Violation alleging a rules breach by a single entity (the Accused). The initiator and each member of the Accused's basis are unqualified to be assigned as judge of the case. A criminal case has a judicial question on culpability, which is applicable at all times following the call for judgement. The valid judgements for this question are: * GUILTY, appropriate if the judge finds, beyond a reasonable doubt, that ALL of the following are true: (a) the Accused breached the specified rule via the specified act; (b) the breach occurred within 90 days prior to the case being initiated; (c) judgement has not already been reached in another criminal case, or punishment already applied through another uncontested notice of violation, with the same Accused, the same rule, and substantially the same alleged act; (d) the Accused could not have reasonably believed that the alleged act did not violate the specified rule; (e) the Accused could have reasonably avoided committing the breach without committing a different breach of equal or greater severity. * NOT GUILTY, appropriate if GUILTY is not appropriate. In delivering this verdict, the judge SHOULD indicate which of of the sub-requirements for a finding of guilty were not found to be true beyond a reasonable doubt. When a judicial question on culpability is judged after a number of rests have been created in the Accused's posession due to the associated notice, those rests are destroyed. A criminal case has a judicial question on sentencing, which is applicable if the question on culpability is applicable and has a judgement of GUILTY. If a criminal case has an applicable question on sentencing which has a judgement, the Accused is hereafter known as the ninny, the judgement in the question on sentencing is known as the sentence, and the sentence is in effect. The valid sentences are: * DISCHARGE, appropriate only in extraordinary circumstances, if any available non-null punishment would be manifestly unjust. Has no effect. * APOLOGY with a set of up to ten prescribed words (the empty set if none is explicitly specified), appropriate for rule breaches of small consequence. When in effect, the ninny SHALL as soon as possible publish a formal apology of at least 200 words, including all the prescribed words, explaining eir error, shame, remorse, and ardent desire for self-improvement. Failure to do so is a Class-3 Crime of Failure to Apologize. * SILENCE with a positive number less than 15 (X). If a judgement of SILENCE has been in effect continuously for one week (or longer), any player CAN once create a number of Rests equal to X in the possession of the ninny, by announcement. * FINE with an amount of one class of asset, appropriate for rule breaches of small consequence. An amount is only valid if the currency's backing document binds the ninny (the Rules are considered to bind all players) or the ninny has this amount of the asset, and the backing document specifies a maximum FINE amount, and the amount is no greater than the maximum. When in effect, the ninny SHALL, as soon as possible, either destroy this amount of eir asset or transfer it to the Lost and Found Department. The ninny is only obliged to perform one destruction or transfer per question on sentencing, even if sentences of this type are assigned more than once or go into effect more than once. * COMMUNITY SERVICE with a set of up to five tasks (the prescribed tasks) that the ninny CAN reasonably and legally perform, appropriate for rule breaches of moderate consequence if the severity of the rule breach is reasonably correlated with the consequences of performing the tasks, and especially if any other available non-null punishment would be either unjust or insufficient. The balance between compensatory and punitive service is left to the judge's discretion. While a sentence of this type is in effect, the ninny SHALL perform the prescribed tasks (as soon as possible, unless a different time limit is specified). * TIME OUT with a number of days between 7 and 21. The ninny becomes inactive, and SHALL NOT become active for the number of days specified, as long as the sentence remains in effect. Players SHOULD NOT create rules defining Crimes of a Class greater than 14. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2277/0 (Power=2) Appeals of Criminal Cases An appeal concerning any assignment of judgment in a criminal case within the past week CAN be initiated by the accused by announcement. Unless otherwise specified, an appeal of a judgment in a criminal case is assumed to be appealing the question of culpability. If a verdict or sentence that led to the creation of Rests is overruled, remanded, or reassigned, the Rests are still considered to have been created, but any player CAN destroy any Rests thus created by announcement. When a judgement on a criminal case's question of culpability is suspended, the judgement (if any) on its question of sentencing is also suspended. Afterward, if the first judgement is assigned again, then so is the second. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2205/2 (Power=1) Judicial Arguments and Evidence Each of the following participants in a judicial case SHOULD present such arguments and/or evidence (explicitly labeled) relevant to that case as e is reasonably able to collect: 1) The initiator, when initiating the case. 2) For a criminal case, the defendant, during the pre-trial phase. 3) For an equity case, the parties to the agreement in question, during the pre-trial phase. 4) The judge, when delivering judgement. When submitting arguments and/or evidence, a player SHOULD classify matters of legal interpretation as arguments, and matters of fact as evidence. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2157/6 (Power=1.7) Judicial Panels A judicial panel is a structure whereby a group of two or more persons (its members) act together for the purpose of judging judicial cases. A judicial panel's membership cannot change, and if two panels have the same membership then they are the same panel. Judicial panels exist implicitly, without any specific act of formation. A judicial panel CAN send messages by means of any of its members sending a message identified as being from the panel, with the unanimous Support of the panel's other members. By this mechanism a judicial panel can act, in situations where the rules state that an action is performed by sending a message. The rules may specify other mechanisms by which the judicial panel CAN act. A judicial panel can incur obligations. The members of a panel SHALL act collectively to ensure that the panel satisfies all of its obligations. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 911/35 (Power=1.7) Appeal Cases Appeal cases are a subclass of judicial cases. An appeal case's purpose is to determine the appropriateness of a judgement that has been assigned to a judicial question, and make remedy if the judgement was poorly chosen. The assignment of judgement being questioned (appealed against, or appealed) is referred to as the prior assignment; the word "prior" in this rule is used to refer to the circumstances of the prior assignment. An appeal concerning any assignment of judgement in a non-appeal case within the past two weeks CAN be initiated by any player with 2 support. However, rules to the contrary notwithstanding, an appeal CANNOT be initiated concerning an assignment caused by a judgement in an appeal case, nor an assignment for which an appeal has already been initiated. The entities qualified to be assigned as judge of an appeal case are the judicial panels consisting of max(3,1+2*R) members (where R is the rank of the prior case), where each of the members is qualified to be assigned as judge of the prior case and none is the prior judge. If possible, the CotC SHALL assign a panel where each of the members is well qualified to be assigned as judge of the prior case. An appeal case has a judicial question on disposition, which is applicable if and only if the prior question is applicable. The valid judgements for the question on disposition, and their effects, are as follows, based on the appropriateness of the prior judgement at the time it was delivered: * AFFIRM, appropriate if the prior judgement was appropriate for the prior question; the prior judgement is assigned to the prior question again * REMAND, appropriate if there is serious doubt about the appropriateness of the prior judgement; the prior question is rendered open again; the judge SHOULD assign this judgement if the judge believes that the judge of the prior case will make a better judgement if given a new opportunity * REASSIGN, appropriate if there is serious doubt about the appropriateness of the prior judgement, or if the prior judge exhibited corruptive self-interest (material, with a specific and obvious impact on eir judgement and arguments, and not arising merely due to a difference of opinion or a wholly incidental material benefit common among many players); the judge of the prior case (if any) is recused, and the prior question is rendered open again; the judge SHOULD assign this judgement if the judge believes that the judge of the prior case will not make a better judgement if given a new opportunity * OVERRULE with a valid replacement judgement for the prior question, appropriate if the prior judgement was inappropriate in the prior question and the replacement judgement is appropriate for the prior question; the replacement judgement is assigned to the prior question When an appeal case is initiated, the prior question is suspended, and remains so until the question on disposition in the appeal case is judged. As soon as possible after a judicial panel is assigned, each member of the panel SHALL publish an appeals opinion indicating a valid judgement to assign to the case -- only the last such published opinion for each member is used to determine the outcome. Each member SHOULD choose an appropriate judgement, and include arguments for eir choice. If, immediately after either all members have so published or the time limit for so publishing has ended, a majority of the members have opined for the same judgement, the panel acts to deliver the judgement in question. If the panel publishes a valid judgement via another mechanism specified in the Rules, the requirement for individual members to publish individual opinions is waived. If the time period ends with no majority judgement, then: - if the Justiciar has published an opinion on the case clearly marked as the Justiciar's Opinion and indicating a valid judgement, and that judgement is the same as one given by at least one panel member (other than the Justiciar), then the panel delivers that judgement; - otherwise, the case enters an overtime period, which lasts for four days. The CotC SHOULD publicly remind the Justiciar when an overtime period begins. During this period, if the Justiciar publishes a Justiciar's Opinion that is the same as one panel member's as described above, then the panel delivers that judgement; - otherwise, the CotC CAN and SHALL, asap after the overtime period ends, act for the panel by announcement to deliver a judgement of either REMAND or REASSIGN, whichever e feels is most appropriate. Any panel member CAN publish a formal Concurring Opinion with panel member support, provided that the panel has judged AFFIRM, and SHOULD do so if and only if the reasoning by which the prior judge reached eir judgement was incorrect in whole or part. A Concurring Opinion SHOULD explain the nature of the error(s) in the prior judge's reasoning. Each Concurring Opinion has an error rating, an integer from 1 to 99, with larger numbers corresponding to larger errors in reasoning; it CAN be specified in the announcement of intent, or else defaults to 50. In the week after the panel publishes a valid judgement, any panel member CAN publish a formal Dissenting Opinion with Support. This Dissenting Opinion becomes a part of the record of the case; it can be used as an aid to help interpret the decision. The judge of a previously-appealed question SHALL NOT assign the same judgement to it without new reasoning that addresses the serious doubt about its appropriateness. Violating this prohibition is the Class-N Crime of Lazy Judging, where N is the judge's rank when e so judged. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2175/5 (Power=1) Judicial Retraction and Excess A new case is a judicial case (other than an appeal case) that has not had any judge assigned to it. The initiator of a new case CAN retract it by announcement, thus causing it to cease to be a judicial case. An excess case is a new case whose initiator previously initiated five or more cases during the same week as that case. The Clerk of the Courts CAN refuse an excess case by announcement, thus causing it to cease to be a judicial case. When e does so, e fulfills any obligations with regards to that case. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1868/16 (Power=2) Judge Assignment Generally At any time, a judicial case either has no judge assigned to it (default) or has exactly one entity assigned to it as judge. This is a persistent status that changes only according to the rules. At any time, a judicial case either does not require a judge (default) or requires a judge. This is not a persistent status, but is evaluated instantaneously. When a judicial case requires a judge and has no judge assigned, the CotC CAN assign a qualified entity to be its judge by announcement, and SHALL do so as soon as possible. The entities qualified to be assigned as judge of a judicial case are the active players who have not previously been assigned as its judge, subject to modification by other rules. Being unqualified to be assigned as a judge does not inherently prevent an entity from continuing to be judge of a case to which e is already assigned. When a player is poorly qualified to be assigned as judge of a judicial case, the Clerk of the Courts SHALL not assign em to be the judge of that case; if e has done so, and that player is still the judge of that case, then e CAN recuse that judge from that case by announcement. Making an entity unqualified or poorly qualified to judge is secured, with a power threshold of 1.5. To recuse a judge from a case is to deassign em as its judge. Assigning a judge to a case implicitly recuses its existing judge, if any. A recusal "with cause" is a recusal defined as such by the rules. A player CAN favor or disfavor a judicial case by announcement. When assigning a judge to a judicial case, the CotC, if possible, SHALL assign a player who has favored it and SHALL NOT assign a player who has disfavored it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1871/27 (Power=1.5) The Standing Court Posture is a player switch, tracked by the Clerk of the Courts, with the following values: * Standing. Standing players are generally qualified to judge. * Sitting. Sitting players are poorly qualified to judge, but will generally become qualified when the CotC rotates the bench. * Leaning. Leaning players are poorly qualified to judge, but are generally qualified to serve on appeal panels. * Supine (default). Supine players are unqualified to judge. Changes to posture are secured. A player CAN flip eir posture to any non-standing value by announcement. When the CotC assigns a player as judge, that player becomes sitting. A sitting player that assigns judgement in a disinterested judicial case CAN and MAY become standing by announcement in the same message in which e assigns judgement to that case. The CotC CAN rotate the bench (change all sitting players to standing) by announcement, but SHALL NOT do so unless, of the judicial cases requiring assignment: a) no entity is well-qualified to be assigned to any of them; b) e immediately afterwards (in the same announcement) assigns a judge to at least one of them. When the CotC recuses a non-supine player with cause, e CAN flip that player's posture to supine by announcement in a timely fashion. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2203/1 (Power=1.5) Hawkishness Hawkishness is a player switch, tracked by the Clerk of the Courts, with the following values: * Hanging. Hanging players are unqualified to be assigned as judge of any inquiry case. * Hugging. Hugging players are unqualified to be assigned as judge of any criminal case, and poorly qualified to be assigned as judge of any equity case. * Hemming-and-Hawing (default). * Hovering. Hovering players are poorly qualified to be assigned as judge of any inquiry case, unless there is no non-inquiry case requiring assignment, at least one inquiry case requiring assignment, and no such inquiry case with any non-Hovering player well-qualified to be assigned to it. Changes to hawkishness are secured. A player CAN flip eir hawkishness by announcement. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2226/3 (Power=1.5) Judicial Rank Judicial rank is a player switch, tracked by the Clerk of the Courts, with the same range and default as interest indices. A player is poorly qualified to judge judicial cases whose interest index exceeds eir judicial rank. A player CAN flip eir judicial rank to any value by announcement, unless eir rank was decreased due to an overrule within the past 30 days. When a judgement is overruled on appeal, if the prior judge's judicial rank is higher than 0, then it is decreased by 1. A player CAN flip eir judicial rank from 0 to 1 with 3 support. "Supreme", "Circuit", "District", and "Night" are synonymous with judicial ranks 3, 2, 1, and 0, respectively. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2248/0 (Power=2) Second-Class Judges If any first-class member of a second-class person's basis would be unqualified to judge a given judicial case, even if e were registered, active, standing, hemming-and-hawing, and Supreme, then that second-class person is unqualified to judge that case. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2204/0 (Power=1.5) Linked Assignments When the Clerk of the Courts assigns a player as judge of two or more judicial cases consecutively in the same announcement, that player only becomes sitting upon the last such assignment, rules to the contrary notwithstanding. The CotC SHOULD NOT do this unless those cases are closely related in their subject matter. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2164/3 (Power=1) Judicial Self-Recusal and Case Transfer The judge of a judicial case CAN recuse emself from it at any time by announcement. Such a recusal is with cause if and only if e has been assigned to the case for at least four days. An entity (the transferee) CAN, with consent from the current judge of a judicial case (the transferor), assign emself as the new judge of that case, provided that e is qualified to be assigned as judge of that case, and e immediately (in the same announcement) assigns a judgement to a judicial question in that case. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2212/0 (Power=1.7) Judicial Declarations A judicial declaration published by a judge as required by the rules in conjunction with a judgement is self-ratifying, provided that that judgement remains in effect. Such a judgement may be inappropriate due to the content of this declaration, rules to the contrary notwithstanding. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== Cards and Energy ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2282/0 (Power=2) Energy Ergs are a class of fixed assets and a measure of each Player's energy; to increase or decrease an entity's energy is to change the number of ergs in eir possession. Ownership of Ergs is restricted to players. At the beginning of each week: (a) All the ergs in existence are destroyed; then (b) P ergs are created in the possession of each player, where P for a player equals 4 plus the sum of the interest indices of offices that e holds. The Power Station Manager (PSM) is an office and the recordkeepor of ergs. Eir weekly report shall include a list of all erg transactions of the previous week. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2283/0 (Power=2) Fees If the Rules associate a non-negative cost, price, charge, or fee with an action, that action is a fee-based action. If the specified cost is not an integer, the actual fee is the next highest integer. To perform a fee-based action, a Player (the Actor) who is not otherwise forbidden to perform the action CAN perform it by announcing that e is performing the action while also announcing that there is a fee for that action. Upon said announcement, if the Player has sufficient energy, then the action is performed, and a number of ergs in the Actor's possession equal to the fee are destroyed. An attempt to performed a fee-based action is also implicitly a claim to be in possession of sufficient ergs to perform the action, and such a claim is self-ratifying. If the claim is erroneous but self-ratifies, then the action is deemed to have occurred and destroyed all ergs in the possession of the claimant. Making such a claim falsely is the Class-2 Crime of Assaulting the Batteries, but it is generally appropriate to DISCHARGE such a crime if it is disputed within four days. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2284/3 (Power=2) Fee-based actions - A player CAN increase eir voting limit on a specified decision to adopt a proposal in its voting period by 2Q, by paying a fee of Q. This rule defers to other Rules that define maximum voting limits. - A player CAN make a proposal Distributable for a charge of 1 erg. - A player CAN make a proposal Undistributable for a charge of 2 ergs. - A player CAN destroy a Rest in the possession of another player for a charge of 2 ergs. A player CAN destroy one of eir own Rests for a charge of 3 ergs. - A player CAN make an ongoing Ordinary decision Democratic for a charge of 3 ergs. - A player CAN initiate an election for a specified Office for a charge of 3 ergs unless there is an ongoing election for that office. - A player CAN change the chamber of an ongoing ordinary decision for a charge of 2 ergs. - A player CAN destroy an erg in the possession of a specified player for a charge of 2 ergs. The PSM SHALL note such a destruction in eir report. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2255/4 (Power=2) Cards Each of the items listed in this rule by a title and position is an asset tracked by the Herald. Collectively these assets are known as Cards. Cards CANNOT be destroyed except as described in this Rule, nor CAN more than a single instance of each particular card come into existence, rules to the contrary notwithstanding. If a CFJ determines that the possessor of the instance can't be determined by reasonable effort, then that Herald CAN and SHALL, as soon as possible, destroy any instance of that card that might exist and create that card in the possession of an active player who holds the Patent Title Champion, chosen at random. If the holder of a particular card is a Player, the holder of that card is considered to be the holder of its listed position, and have the powers and duties described by the Rules for that position. Title: Minister without Portfolio Position: The Minister without Portfolio CAN become holder of a specified vacant elected office by announcement, unless e is prevented from holding that office on an ongoing basis. Title: Majority Leader. Position: The Majority Leader CAN veto a specified decision by announcement. Title: Cabinet Secretary. Position: the Cabinet Secretary CAN rubberstamp a specified decision by announcement. Title: Chief Whip. Position: The Chief Whip's voting limit on an Ordinary proposal is 1.5 times what it would otherwise be. Title: Justiciar. Position: The Justiciar may be granted particular abilities or privileges associated with the judicial process as described elsewhere in the Rules. Title: Admiral of the Navy. Position: The Admiral of the Navy CAN begin a coup by announcing the ceremonial shelling of the palace. The effects of the coup (if any) are as described elsewhere in the rules. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2286/0 (Power=2) Veto and Rubberstamp Vetoing an ordinary decision during its voting period increases its adoption index by 1 and makes it Democratic. Vetoing a decision under other circumstances has no effect. Rubberstamping an ordinary, non-filibustered decision during its voting period decreases its quorum to 3, rules to the contrary notwithstanding. Rubberstamping a decision under other circumstances has no effect. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2275/2 (Power=1) Government When allowed to by the rules, a player Forms a Government by publishing a defined list of every card and, for each card, a different active player. The players chosen in this manner must contain a maximal number of players holding the patent title Champion; this requirement defers to any requirements imposed by other rules on the Formation of a Government. The Formation of a Government constitutes a self-ratifying declaration that the player Forming the Government is capable of doing so, and that all the cards are successfully created or transferred to the players specified. When a Government is Formed, each card is transferred to the player specified, or if the card does not exist, it is created in that player's possession. The Government is the set of entities, other than the Lost and Found Department, owning cards. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2269/1 (Power=2) Couple Coups A coup is either a coup d'etat, a coup de grace, or a chicken coup. When the Admiral of the Navy begins a coup, the coup is a coup d'etat if it has been at least two months since a player last Formed the Government (if ever) and since the last coup d'etat ended (if there was one) and if the Admiral of the Navy is not the Speaker, a coup de grace if there is an ongoing coup d'etat and e did not already begin a coup de grace in the same week, and a chicken coup otherwise. The effects of the various varieties of coup are defined elsewhere in the rules. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2270/0 (Power=2) Coups D'etat When a coup d'etat is begun, the current Admiral of the Navy becomes the initiator of the coup. The Speaker and all other members of the Government become the members of the Government in Exile. When the Admiral of the Navy begins a coup d'etat, e CAN in the same message Form a Government, except that no member of the Government in Exile can be a member of the new Government. If e does not do so, the coup is a chicken coup, not a coup d'etat, rules to the contrary notwithstanding. During a coup d'etat, the office of Speaker is held by the active player to have been awarded Champion most recently among players on the List of Succession who aren't members of the Government in Exile. If there is no such player, the Admiral of the Navy is the Speaker. This paragraph takes precedence over other rules with regards to the Speaker's identity. The Speaker CANNOT Form a Government during a coup d'etat, rules to the contrary notwithstanding. A coup d'etat lasts for three weeks, in which case it ends successfully, or until a member of the Government in Exile comes to be a member of the Government (except prior to the AotN Forming the government at the start of the coup), in which case it ends unsuccessfully. The initiator of a coup d'etat SHALL NOT, directly or indirectly, intentionally cause the coup to end unsucessfully. Doing so is the Class-6 Crime of Playing Both Sides. Upon the unsuccessful conclusion of a coup d'etat, the Speaker at the beginning of the coup d'etat is awarded 3 Leadership Tokens and CAN once within the next week Form a Government, provided e selects a maximal number of members of the coup d'etat's Government in Exile to be members of the new Government. The members of the Government in Exile other than the Speaker at the beginning of the coup d'etat are each awarded a Leadership Token. Upon the successful conclusion of a coup d'etat, the Speaker at the end of the coup d'etat is awarded 3 Leadership Tokens. The remaining members of the Government at the end of the coup are each awarded a Leadership Token. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2271/0 (Power=1) Ongoing Change During a coup d'etat, the Assessor's weekly report includes the following information: - The person who was Speaker at the beginning of the coup. - The initiator of the coup. - The identities of every member of the Government in Exile. - The date and time at which the coup will end successfully. The Assessor's monthly report includes the following information: - The date on which the most recently ended coup d'etat began and ended, and whether it was successful. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2272/1 (Power=1) Leadership Tokens Leadership Tokens are a currency tracked by the Assessor. A player CANNOT destroy (redeem) Leadership Tokens in eir possession except for one of the following effects: (a) A player CAN redeem 3 Leadership Tokens in eir possession to satisfy the Winning Condition of Leadership. (b) A player CAN redeem 1 Leadership Token in eir possession to earn two draws from each defined Basic Deck. (c) A player CAN redeem 1 Leadership Token in eir possession to earn five draws from a single defined Basic Deck, chosen at the time of redemption. (d) A player CAN redeem 1 Leadership Token in eir possession to be awarded 20+20i points. (e) A player CAN redeem 1 Leadership Token in eir possession to destroy up to 6 Rests e owns. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2273/1 (Power=1) Coups de Grace When a coup de grace is begun, the Admiral of the Navy CAN and SHALL in the same message choose a member of the Government and, for each card in that player's possession, choose a different active player who is neither a member of the Government nor of the Government in Exile, such that e chooses a maximal number of players with the patent title Champion to receive the cards. Each of those cards is transferred to the specified player, and the player originally chosen by the Admiral of the Navy becomes a member of the Government in Exile. If, somehow, a coup de grace is begun when there is no ongoing coup d'etat, the coup de grace is actually a chicken coup, rules to the contrary notwithstanding. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2274/1 (Power=1) Chicken Coups When a chicken coup is begun, the Admiral of the Navy SHALL, if possible, and as soon as possible, perform the next action e is explicitly and publicly instructed to perform by another player. Failure to do so is the Class-3 Crime of Spreading Salmonella. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== Patent Titles and Degrees ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 649/31 (Power=1.5) Patent Titles A Patent Title is a legal item given in recognition of a person's distinction. The Herald is an office; its holder is responsible for tracking Patent Titles. A person specifically authorized by the rules to award (revoke) a Patent Title SHALL do so as soon as possible after the conditions authorizing em to do so are announced, unless there is an open judicial question contesting the validity of those conditions. Awarding or revoking a Patent Title by any other method is secured. While a Patent Title has been awarded to (and not revoked from) an entity, that entity is said to Bear that Patent Title. The status of Bearing a Patent Title can only be changed as explicitly set out in the Rules. The Herald's monthly report includes a list of each Patent Title that at least one entity Bears, with a list of which entities Bear it. As soon as possible after a patent title is awarded or revoked, the herald SHALL announce the award or revocation. When a patent title is used as a noun to refer to bearers of the patent title, it is assumed to refer only to persons who Bear that patent title unless context clearly indicates otherwise. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1922/36 (Power=1) Defined Regular Patent Titles The following are Patent Titles: (a) Scamster, which may be awarded to any Player who has shown great enthusiasm, persistence, or skill in the perpetrating of scams. This title may not be declined, retracted, or revoked. (b) A Patent Title (non-unique) now will Be known as "Bard", and granted those with wit. In order for the Title to be filled, A level of Support must call for it. Three players to a fourth may grant this name If these three write as one, with two Support. A current Bard may also grant the same, Provided that a second Bard's a sport. And so we don't the name of Bard debase, A Player with three Supporters can conspire To (from a Bard), this Title to erase: Or Bard (plus two Bards) make a Bard retire. But lest we ruin some poor minstrel's fun No bard will be dis-bard for eir bad pun. (c) Three Months Long Service, Six Months Long Service, Nine Months Long Service, Twelve Months Long Service, to be awarded by the IADoP to any player who has held a particular Office continuously for the specified duration. Each of these titles shall be awarded only once per player. (d) Champion, to be awarded by the Herald to any person who wins the game, along with a specification (possibly implicit) of the method of victory. The Herald's monthly report includes how the player won. A message awarding Champion to a player constitutes a self-ratifying claim that the player in question won the game through that method. (e) Left in a Huff, to be awarded by the Registrar to any player who deregistered in a Writ of FAGE. (f) Elder Lurker, to be awarded to Persons who are true legends that were involved in Agora in its early days and now continue to grace us with their presence by lurking on the lists to occasionally add tidbits of wisdom or insight to discussions. (g) Cassandra, to be awarded to any player who noticed a scam, thought up a way to stop it, warned everyone clearly, and yet the scam happened anyway due to apathy on the part of other players. (h) Missed Congeniality, to be awarded to persons who gain the ability to make arbitrary changes to Rules with a power less than 2 by announcement, but lose the ability before gaining the ability to make such changes to higher-powered rules. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1367/14 (Power=1) Degrees Certain patent titles are known as degrees. The degrees are - Associate of Nomic (A.N.) - Bachelor of Nomic (B.N.) - Master of Nomic (M.N.) - Doctor of Nomic History (D.N.Hist.) - Doctor of Nomic Science (D.N.Sci.) - Doctor of Nomic Philosophy (D.N.Phil.) Degrees are ranked in the order they appear in this rule, with degrees listed later being ranked higher. A degree CANNOT be awarded to any person more than once, and CANNOT be revoked once awarded. After a player publishes a suitable thesis with explicit intent to qualify for a degree (the specific degree need not be mentioned), the Herald SHALL, as soon as possible, initiate an Agoran Decision to award that player (the author) a degree as follows: - The available options are FAILING GRADE and each degree that the author does not have. The available options can change during the voting period. - The eligible voters are each active player at the time the decision is initiated. - Each player's voting limit on the decision is three, plus five for each degree e held at that time (the high limit is so as to allow a player to cast votes for different titles and ensure that an inappropriate title is not awarded). - The specific thesis for which the degree is to be awarded is an essential parameter of the decision (but not the text of that thesis). When the Herald resolves the decision, e CAN and SHALL award the author the degree selected by Agora, or no degree if FAILING GRADE was the outcome. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2231/3 (Power=3) Order of the Hero of Agora Nomic The set of patent titles defined in this rule constitute the Order of the Hero of Agora Nomic; the titles may be collectively referred to as "Heroic titles" and a Bearer of a Heroic title as a Hero. Heroic titles are Agora's premier titles of distinction, and CAN be awarded to persons for meritorious service only by a proposal of power 3 or greater, which SHOULD explain why those persons are qualified. Players SHOULD NOT cause heroic titles to be revoked. Heroes are entitled to use the abbreviation of eir title as post-nomial letters in Agora communications and reports. The Heroic titles in decreasing precedence are: Grand Hero of Agora Nomic (GHAN) -- This title may be awarded to any person obviously and directly responsible for the existence of Agora and/or Nomic in general. As this title is the highest honour that Agora may bestow, a Bearer of this title OUGHT to be treated right good forever. Hero of Agora Nomic (HAN) -- This title may be awarded to any person for outstanding meritorious service to Agora above and beyond the call of duty. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== Foreign Relations ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 402/31 (Power=1) Identity of the Speaker The List of Succession is a list of the five active players who were most recently awarded the patent title Champion. This list, and the date on which each player on the list last became part of the list, is part of the Herald's monthly report. The Speaker is the active player on the List of Succession who won the game most recently. The Herald SHALL announce the ascension of a new Speaker as soon as possible after it occurs. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 103/6 (Power=1) Role of the Speaker The Speaker is an imposed office and a figurehead of Agora. The Speaker is a person who has proven themselves to be worthy of the title, and for a time can direct Agoran government affairs. If e has not already done so this quarter, or if e hasn't done so since e gained office, the Speaker CAN Form a Government. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2148/5 (Power=1) The Ambassador The ambassador is an office; its holder is responsible for relations with foreign nomics. A foreign nomic may grant certain powers (in the ordinary-language sense) and privileges to Agora's ambassador. If so, the ambassador shall generally exercise such powers in such manner as e sees fit, subject to other rules and orders. If a foreign nomic allows for Agora to take actions in it, the ambassador MAY, with Agoran consent, take any action in it on behalf of Agora, provided that the nomic is Protected, Friendly or Neutral. All players are prohibited from falsely claiming, to any nomic, to be the ambassador. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2147/7 (Power=2) Protectorates Whereas Agora, being the superpower of nomics, has an inherent responsibility to lead the nomic world; and whereas Agora desires to encourage growth and promotion of the nomic community, be it hereby known that Agora shall serve as benevolent protector to any nomic which requests such status (hereafter referred to as the protectorate). In order to become a protectorate, a nomic must specify in its ruleset that it submits to Agora as its benevolent protector. It must also have rules or other gamestate arranged such that any protective decree proclaimed by the ambassador will take full effect upon proclamation. Any restriction whatsoever on the content of a protective decree disqualifies the nomic from being a protectorate. If the criteria specified in the preceding paragraph are met, the ambassador may make the nomic a protectorate without three objections. If a protectorate ever does not meet these criteria, it ceases to be a protectorate. The ambassador shall check every month whether each protectorate continues to meet the criteria, and shall announce whenever a protectorate has ceased to be a protectorate. The ambassador's monthly report includes a list of all protectorates, with contact details for each, and for each the forum in which it is most appropriate to proclaim protective decrees that target that protectorate. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2159/3 (Power=2) Protective Decrees A protective decree is an act of Agora whose intended effect is to make explicit changes to the state of a protectorate nomic. The changes may include enacting, repealing, or amending rules of the protectorate, changing the set of players of the protectorate, or any other instantaneous changes to the protectorate's gamestate. Initiating a protective decree is secured, and is INVALID unless the initiating instrument unambiguously specifies the target protectorate and the changes to be made to it. As soon as possible after a protective decree has been initiated, the ambassador SHALL proclaim it to the target nomic. The decree takes effect upon this proclamation. Protective decrees should be initiated only for the purpose of assisting the protectorate in its growth and enabling its longevity. Protective decrees should always be benevolent. All players are prohibited from falsely claiming, to any nomic, that a document is a protective decree. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== Trophies ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1727/17 (Power=1) Happy Birthday WHEREAS, in June 1993, the world's only MUD-based nomic, Nomic World, had recently collapsed; yet, many of its players enjoyed nomic and did not wish to forego such a noble pursuit; And WHEREAS, Originator Chuck Carroll therefore composed an Initial Ruleset for an email nomic, based on the Initial Rulesets of Peter Suber, inventor of Nomic, and on the Rulesets of Nomic World and other nomics, And WHEREAS, a nomic thus rose like a phoenix from the ashes of Nomic World, played on the mailing list originally set up for discussion of Nomic World, and coming into existence at June 30, 1993, 00:04:30 GMT +1200, with a message sent by FIRST SPEAKER Michael Norrish, which read, in part, "I see no reason to let this get bogged down; there are no precedents or rules that cover this situation, so I think we may as well begin directly.... Proposals for new rules are invited. In accordance with the rules, these will be published, numbered and distributed by me at my earliest convenience." And WHEREAS, this nomic began as a humble and nameless nomic, known unofficially as yoyo, after the mailing list it was played on, until its Players, much later, gave it its OFFICIAL NAME of Agora, And WHEREAS, Agora has now become the wisest, noblest, eldest, and most interesting of all active email nomics, due to the hard work and diligence of Agorans as well as the frequent advice of Agoraphobes, And WHEREAS, Agorans desire to joyously commemorate Agora's founding, BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that Agora's Birthday is defined to be the entire day of June 30, GMT +1200, of each year. BE IT FURTHERMORE RESOLVED that Agora's Unbirthday is defined to be the entire day of December 30, GMT +1200, of each year; but, since that falls within a Holiday, is observed during the entire days of January 12 through 14, GMT +1200, of each year. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rule 2029/0 (Power=4) Town Fountain /\ /\ / \ / \ T his Power-4 Rule (the first ever) was placed to honor The Agoran Spirit Of The Game by Goethe, Steve, Murphy, root and OscarMeyr, Scamsters. Look on our works, ye Marvy, but do always Dance a Powerful Dance. Hail Eris! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- END OF THE SHORT LOGICAL RULESET