From ford@jps.net Sat May 6 23:17:41 2000 Date: Sat, 06 May 2000 13:02:33 -0700 From: Ed Murphy Reply-To: agora-discussion@gecko.serc.rmit.edu.au To: agora-business@gecko.serc.rmit.edu.au Subject: BUS: Agoran Weekly Journal THE AGORAN WEEKLY JOURNAL VOLUME 46, ISSUE 16 May 6, 2000 ADOPTED PROPOSALS ----------------- "Compensations" by harvel - Proposal 3998 adopted 5/2 The New Player Award, Judicial Salary, and Distributor's Gratuity are made part of the Budget. "Nomic Entity Reform" by harvel - Proposal 3999 adopted 5/2 The term "Nomic Entity" is removed from all Rules. "Oligarchy Auctions 'in progress'" by Steve - Proposal 4000 adopted 5/2 An Oligarch Auction is deemed to be 'in progress' until all positions being Auctioned are filled, or one week after the most recent billing of a winning Bidder, whichever occurs first. If a Player becomes an Oligarch during an Oligarch Auction, all eir Bids are cancelled. If a winning Bid in an Oligarch Auction is not paid within a week, then the bill is vacated, the Bidder is penalized 2 Blots, and a new Auction for that position occurs. A winning Bidder assumes eir Oligarch position when eir bill is satisfied, even if e does not satisfy it emself. Only winning Bids are considered when determining the amount that winning Bidders in any sort of Auction are billed. "Please, Be Nice to the Payroll Clerk" by lee - Proposal 3996 adopted 4/23 Repeal Trade Fellowships, which are inadvertently required by be paid out of Player funds (impossible and unintended). REJECTED PROPOSALS ------------------ "Auction fix" by Taral - Proposal 3997 rejected 4/23 Bids may not be cancelled, but may be replaced with higher Bids. Auctions end after 7 days, regardless of Bid timing. If the highest losing Bid is less than the lowest winning Bid, then the winners are billed the highest losing Bid + 1 MUQ of the Currency. Rule 1888 (Private Auctions) is repealed. PENDING PROPOSALS ----------------- "Blots Hurt" by t - Proposal 4003 Being Blotted is a Win-Preventing Condition. "Free Oligarchy Votes" by Elysion (Steve?) - Proposal 4001 Votes on Ordinary Proposals have no VT cost. "Milder Blot Penalties" by t Players with more than 7 (not 5) Blots are Mute. Players with more than 6 (not 3) Blots are Denied. Players with more than 4 (not 0) Blots cannot Nominate for Office. "Mistakes Happen" by Taral - Proposal 4005 Promotor Misrepresentation is a Class 2 (not 1) Crime, but only occurs when the Promotor deliberately distributes a Proposal not in the Current Batch. "Officer Reform" by harvel - Proposal 4002 If an Office's duties include being the Recordkeepor of a Currency, then records for that Currency are part of that Office's Report. Monthly Reports are defined. Various reporting duties are merged into the Rules defining the Offices. "Probate Fix" by Peekee (unsuccessful; Peekee is Mute) Executorless entities possessing Currency/credits/debts enter Probate automatically. "Estate" and "Terminal" are no longer defined. When executing a Will, the Notary (not "Executor in Probate") will perform any actions required of em by the Will as Executor of the entity in Probate - not just submit Transfer Orders required by the Will. The Notary may not act as Executor of an entity in Probate except as defined by Rule 1908 (Automatic Dispensation). Upon performing the actions required by Rule 1908, the entity ceases to be in Probate, and the Notary ceases to be eir Executor. Rule 1757 (Implementation of Probate Plans) is repealed. "Simplify 'ASAP'" by Steve - Proposal 4004 ASAP means "within a week". Tardiness is a Class 1 (not 2) Infraction. Following clauses are deleted from Rule 1023 (now "Definition of 'as soon as possible'"): * Precedence claim over Rules defining a later cutoff time * Explicit allowance for Rules to define an earlier cutoff time * Explicit allowance for Rules to define different cutoff times for Official Duties and Inactive Players; however, explicit allowance is made for Rules to define later cutoff times for Inactive Players "Urgency Must Be Paid For" by Wes Urgent Proposals are distributed ahead of the next scheduled Batch only if their Priority exceeds that of any other Proposal in the Queue. [old] "Consistent Batch Sizes" by Steve Amend Rule 1839 (The Promotor Can Change the Batch Size) to require the Batch Size to be from 1 to 4, inclusive. (Currently, one clause requires it to be from 2 to 6, and another requires it to be from 1 to 3.) "Score fix" by Taral A Player gaining the Patent Title of Distributor does not receive Points for it. "Speaker Delegation" by Taral The Speaker may delegate any Office e holds, even if e is not Electee. PROTO-PROPOSALS --------------- "Fix Ratification" by Murphy "Official Document" is replaced with "document". A document's eligiblity for ratification is measured only at the time that an attempt to ratify it occurs, and is not tied to any specific method of ratification. "Fuzzy Logic" by Elysion The Fuzzy Logic Rule shall submit Proposals to amend Rules (randomly selected by the Speaker) by replacing "and" with "xor", "xor" with "or", and "or" with "and". "Mistakes Happen 2" by Taral Misappropriation is a Class 15 (not 20) Crime, and only occurs when an improper Transfer Order is executed (not submitted). "Probate Yet Again" by Wes Wills are no longer SLCs. While the Executor of an entity in Probate, the Notary may only act as required by "Automatic Dispensation": 1) Pay debts. 2) Expunge Blots. 3) Implement Will. 4) Transfer Currency to Bank; vacate credits. 5) Declare end of Probate. Rule 1757 (Implementation of Probate Plans) is repealed as redundant. "Property" by Kelly Property is a generalization of Currency. Currency is a subset of Property where individual units with the same owner are indistinguishable. Payment Orders are replaced with Debts. "Limited Executor" is defined. More of Probate is left to the Notary's discretion. Each Bank Currency Recordkeepor is a Limited Executor of a single Bank. Voting is free. "Proposal Slots" by Steve Proposal submissions are paid for with Proposal Slots, a new Currency auctioned monthly (Bids in P-Notes). "Real Support, redux" by Murphy A Player may not give Support to an action that e emself intends to take. [old] "Distributor Salary" by Taral The Distributor Salary is made part of the Budget. "Extreme Measures take 5" by Taral A Legislator may, Without Objection, and with the support of two Senators (other than emself) within four days, cause a Proposal to be adopted. "New Terminology" by Wes "Fees" are defined. "Public message" is defined as "message sent to the Public Forum". CALLS FOR JUDGEMENT ------------------- CFJ 1209 "The change to the minimum wage on March 30, 2000 was invalid [FALSE] and the subsequent minimum wage PO's were incorrect." 4/17 Called by lee 4/17-24 Assigned to Chuck, who Judges FALSE Caller's argument (summary): Rule 1893 (The Treasuror's Budget) requires the Minimum Income to be an integer multiple of 0.1 times the Basic Officer Salary, but the attempted change on 3/30 was to 0.25 times the Basic Officer Salary. Judge's refutation (summary): Rule 1893 requires the Minimum Income to be "given in" such a multiple - that is, requires the Treasuror to choose only such a multiple. Rule 1906 (Amending the Budget) permits the Treasuror to choose a value that is not such a multiple, and have it take effect, though e violates Rule 1893 by doing so. CFJ 1210 "Kelly is not the nickname of a Player" 5/1 Called by Palnatoke 5/1 Assigned to Murphy CFJ 1211 "The announcement required by Rule 1927 must contain the number [DISMISS] of new units of Currency the Executor intends to Mint." 5/2 Called by Taral 5/2-3 Assigned to Kelly, who dismisses the CFJ Judge's reasoning (summary): Rule 1927 does not require any announcement to be made; it only prevents Minting in the absence of an announcement. CFJ 1212 "Wes became the High Oligarch on Wed, 3 May 2000 12:48:35 +0300." 5/4 Called by t 5/?-5 Assigned to Peekee, who tentatively agrees with #2 below (but has not given any reasoning) Caller's argument (summary): Rule 1937 (Filling Vacancies in the Oligarchy) specifies that the Low Oligarchs select a Middle Oligarch to become High Oligarch, but does not specify when the selection takes effect. Reasonable possibilities are: #1) Wed, 3 May 2000 09:49:12 +0100 - Majority established #2) Wed, 3 May 2000 12:48:35 +0300 - All three votes cast #3) Thu, 4 May 2000 00:00:00 GMT - Three-day deadline expires [old] CFJ 1206 "Peekee did not gain 2 Blots due to Tardiness, because of Oerjan's [FALSE] Probate." 4/1 Called by Peekee 4/2-7 Assigned to Sherlock, who Judges TRUE 4/9 Appealed by Steve, Wes, and lee 4/10-14 Appeal assigned to Chuck, Blob, and Murphy, who unanimously move to overturn and reassign 4/14-15 Reassigned to Anthony, who becomes a Zombie 4/16-18 Reassigned to else...if, who Judges TRUE Caller's argument (summary): Rule 1908 (Automatic Dispensation) requires the Notary to perform certain actions in order, and Rule 1023 (Definition of ASAP) explicitly allows its timing requirements on Official duties to be changed by other Rules. Furthermore, the Notary cannot perform certain actions required by Rule 1908, because Oerjan is no longer in Probate. Counterarguments: Wes's claim of Tardiness is sufficient to Blot the Notary. Peekee transferred a total of 94 VTs from Oerjan, but Oerjan had 124 VTs per the Accountor's Report of 3/25, so Peekee was indeed Tardy; and this is a cause of eir being Blotted, albeit possibly an indirect cause. Rule 1908's ordering requirement is in addition to (not instead of) the normal timing requirements of ASAP. The Notary's inability to perform an action does not prevent em from being required to perform it, unless the Rules explicitly say so. CFJ 1207 "An Official Report ratified according to Rule 1791 (Ratification [FALSE] Without Objection) is ratified by an Officer, not by Rule 1791 itself. Rule 1791 is an Instrument, but Officers are not Instruments, so Rule 1550 (Ratification) does not attempt to prohibit this method of ratification." 4/13 Called by Murphy 4/13-14 Assigned to Wes, who Judges FALSE Judge's refutation (summary): Rule 1791 attempts to allow the Speaker to Ratify Reports, possibly without holding any Office, so the first sentence is not always true. CFJ 1208 "The Herald's Report was last ratified after 01Feb2000" [TRUE] 4/14 Called by Elysion 4/16-19 Assigned to Blob, who Judges TRUE Caller's argument (summary): Elysion allegedly ratified the Herald's Report, Without Objection, on 2/14. Kelly and Wes argue that Rule 1552 (Requirements for Ratification), by declaring a document legal to ratify "at the time the Proposal which would ratify it is Proposed", implies that no document is legal to ratify when no such Proposal exists. Judge's opinion (summary): When no such Proposal exists, Rule 1552 is void, and Rule 101 then makes any document legal to ratify. OFFICES ------- 4/30 Elections begin for Assessor, Priest, and Herald. 5/1 Elysion Nominates for Priest and Herald. t Nominates for Assessor. 5/2 Low Oligarch harvel selects Wes to become High Oligarch. 5/3 Low Oligarch t selects Wes to become High Oligarch. High Oligarch Wes attempts to initiate an Auction for the vacant Low Oligarch seat. However, there is no vacant Low Oligarch seat, because e has not yet selected a Low Oligarch to become Middle Oligarch. 5/4 High Oligarch Wes selects harvel to become Middle Oligarch, and initiates an Auction to the now-vacant Low Oligarch seat. [old] 4/14 Blob is elected Justiciar and Notary. 4/16 Crito is elected Accountor. Taral is elected Promotor. Referenda to Impeach Peekee as Accountor and Promotor both fail. OTHER ----- 4/27 Notary Blob distributes Oerjan's remaining Currency, in accordance with Probate. E does not remove Oerjan from Probate, because the only Rule permitting it uses the now-undefined term "Trustee". 4/28 Wes wins the Anthony Zombie with a Bid of 6.9 Indulgences. 4/30 Promotor Taral changes the Batch Size to 2. 5/1 Kelly registers. An Auction for 14 Indulgences begins. harvel makes emself eligible to Judge CFJs. 5/2 Peekee comes Off Hold. Treasuror lee (with Support from Taral and harvel) amends the Budget by changing the Distributor's Gratuity to 0.3 and the New Player's Award to 2.7. Promotor Taral announces eir intent to mint some P-Notes. lee gives eir Support. Payroll Clerk lee announces eir intent to tax 50% of all Stems, exempting 200 Stems per Player, on 5/9. 5/3 Novalis Abandons the game. An Auction for the Novalis Zombie begins. Distributor Steve announces that www.escribe.com is now archiving the Agora mailing lists. [old] 4/6 Blob becomes High Priest of the Order of the Evil Eye. 4/14 else...if registers. 4/15 The Agoran Carnival destroys the Currency Denaria. (Denaria has recently been redefined as a non-Currency.) Anthony has been Active and Quiet for over two weeks. Registrar Michael makes em a Zombie, and initiates an Auction with a Starting Bid of 3 Indulgences. The Harlequin Zombie is auctioned to Elysion for 7.5 Indulgences. Registrar Michael makes Steve the new Distributor. 4/16 elJefe deregisters. 4/17 Treasuror lee announces eir intent to decrease the Minimum Income from 0.25 to 0.2 times the Basic Officer Salary. Taral gives Support, but lee does not make the change. Treasuror lee announces eir intent to decrease the Basic Officer Salary from 75 to 38 Stems, and double all figures (Officer Salaries, Minimum Income, Speaker's Gratuity) expressed in terms of the BOS. Taral gives Support, and lee makes the change. (The Minimum Income is changed to 0.5 times the BOS. This is based on its alleged previous value of 0.25 times the BOS, which may not have been valid; see CFJ 1209.) Treasuror lee announces eir intent to increase the Basic Officer Salary from 38 to 40 Stems. Taral and Steve give Support, and lee makes the change. Assessor t announces eir intent to change the Voting Mode on Proposals to Public. Taral and harvel give Support, and t makes the change. Promotor Taral changes Batch Size to 3. E later attempts to change it back to 2, but Rule 1839 (The Promotor Can Change the Batch Size) prevents em from making a second change within the same week. 4/22 Palnatoke comes Off Hold, and makes emself ineligible to Judge or otherwise oversee a CFJ until 5/1. TRADE OFFERS ------------ Ongoing offers: Player Date Will sell In return for ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Carnival 9/16 +0.01 VT 1 Denaria Carnival 9/16 10 Denaria On a Player's birthday, sing "Happy Birthday" to em in a key with at least four sharps OotEE 9/13 1 Iris 1 VT; non-members subject to 9% Tariff Wes 4/5 1 Twig Commenting on and changing a proto Wes 4/5 ad space 1 Twig per 30 days Recent one-time offers: Player Date Will sell In return for ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Kelly 5/4 Any Basic Negotiable; e has 170 Stems, no ABC Currency Murphy 5/6 VTs, P-Notes IATs; one-to-one basis Murphy 5/6 33 P-Notes 0.9 Indulgences; directed to t, if Peekee turns down eir offer Peekee 5/5 VTs, P-Notes IATs; 1.1 VTs/P-Notes per IAT Peekee 5/2 50 VTs or 1 Indulgence P-Notes t 5/2 0.9 Indulgences 33 P-Notes from Peekee; will not sell at any price to an Immaculate Player Taral 5/4 P-Notes VTs; directed to Kelly ERRATA ------ 4/23 "Ratification fix" was rejected. "Simplify Power" was adopted. (harvel) -- Ed Murphy http://rivendell.fortunecity.com/meridian/309/ "Most of the time, it seemed sublimely unaware of its limbs, though it was beginning to suspect it had hands."