[Nomic] Proposal: The Database of DOOOOOOOOOOOOM

[Adam Biltcliffe]

On Sep 24 2004, Stuart Moore wrote:

> This complies of the following rules:
> 
> The Database of DOOOOOOOOOOOOM
> While a player is attempting to gain a consensus of opinion, they enter 
> it into the Proposals section of the AutoNomic, as well as sending a 
> copy to the email list.
> 
> Members of the List of Voters who have changed the AutoNomic to display 
> them as "For" a proposal have given unambiguous consent to it.
> 
> The Rules section of the AutoNomic should be updated to reflect changes 
> in game state. This shall be the responsibility of whichever entity made 
> the action that changed the game state, or The BOFH if they are not 
> available.
> ---
> The BOFH
> The BOFH is Stuart Moore
> ---

Ok, the more minor objection first: this rule isn't clear enough. "They 
enter it into the Proposals section of the AutoNomic" - so what happens if 
they don't? We can't say "players must do this", or the rules cease to have 
meaning as soon as someone doesn't do what the rules say they must. (I see 
the rules of a Nomic game as being descriptive, not prescriptive - that is, 
they don't mandate any actions which must be taken by extranomic entities, 
they only say what occurs when extranomic entities *do* take actions which 
might affect the game.)

Secondly, I don't want to see the game give actual authority to any kind of 
computer program. I recognise that it may be a useful tool for keeping 
track of things, but I suggest that the folowing would be a better paradigm 
of operation: players use the AutoNomic, if they wish to, to track who has 
consented to their own proposals. If instead they wish to use another 
method, that's fine. Players are, as ever, responsible for issuing their 
own Notices of Consensus once they determine by their means of choice that 
all voters have given consent.

See upcoming proposals.

adam