Subject: Ackanomic Digest V1 #312
From: [email-masked] (Ackanomic Digest)
To: ackanomic-digest

Ackanomic Digest      Saturday, October 26 1996      Volume 01 : Number 312

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Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 20:18:04 -0400
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Not even an RFC

IdiotBoy wrote:

> This is the first of have heard of this notion, but I like it.  When new
> entities are being created,, we should always ask "who is going to pay for
> this.  I do believe the money supply should be contstant.  Therefore,
> someone must receive the money as well, when entities are created.

I understand the rationale behind this argument, but have often found
it problematic.  The assumption seems to be that wealth cannot be
created ex-niliho, and that is the issue we may have to agree to
disagree on.  (being a platonist, with a real loose stretch of the
term, I believe all kinds of wealth is just sitting around waiting to
be found).

One example is software.  In real life, I am paid money to discover
software algorithms.  It cost me nothing to discover these, yet in
their discovery, wealth is created.  I just sit on my couch and they
come to me.  That is what *work* is.  Time translation of effort into
wealth. The GDP of the US, on whole, has a real dollar growth rate
from time to time.  When this happens, wealth is created.  From where?

The US is not a closed system.  Perhaps it comes from the sun, it 
turns minerals into plants which turn into oil which we turn into pogo
sticks which we trade to russia for diamonds.  Who knows?  The wealth
comes from the work of transforming, and possibly from energy (such as
from the sun) coming into the system.

Now, for acka, we have a potentially similar situation.  I have alot
of wealth in terms of A$ because I work and discover lots of proposals,
which are alot like software.  Yes, it is an artificial, perhaps
fallacious simulation, but I am comfortable with it.

Of course, we can define acka as an open system, closed system, whatever
we want, but I personally think the current system is a pretty decent
simulation, although it may be so by chance.

Malenkai
not a clear thought in his head, and realises that to explore this
fully would literally take thick tomes

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Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 18:48:26 -0800 (AKDT)
From: Phil Ackley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Forehead Auction

IdiotBoy has bid A$150 for the lot of 8 prosthetic foreheads.  This is the
new high bid.

snowgod
Making a big profit :)

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Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 18:56:45 -0800 (AKDT)
From: Phil Ackley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Newspaper Violation

I, snowgod, publishing mogul, have recently become aware the Malenkai,
publisher of the alleged newspaper with a name worthy of a pile of ashes,
has used the name of my publication, is, in a news article.  I believe I
could make a strong case that malenkai attempted to publish an article in
my newspaper, however, I will be willing to drop the prosecution of this
case in exhange for payment of reasonable damages (which figures in t
about A$100 as advertising currently sells for A$75 a spot and malenkai
has really tried to usurp a whole isue of my paper, is).

snowgod
who is offended by "Guy Fawkes's allegation uses the word "is""

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 23:32:17 -0400 (EDT)
From: IdiotBoy <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Not even an RFC

On Fri, 25 Oct 1996, Malenkai wrote:

> I understand the rationale behind this argument, but have often found
> it problematic.  The assumption seems to be that wealth cannot be
> created ex-niliho, and that is the issue we may have to agree to
> disagree on.  (being a platonist, with a real loose stretch of the
> term, I believe all kinds of wealth is just sitting around waiting to
> be found).
> 
Problematic, schroblematic.  I gues we have to disagree on the term
"wealth."  Given that the total amount of rescources (I would include
intellectual property in this, tho I may be wrong) has not increased in the
history of humanity, I believe that wealth is constant, although human
ownership of wealth may be increasing.

> One example is software.  In real life, I am paid money to discover
> software algorithms.  It cost me nothing to discover these, yet in
> their discovery, wealth is created.  I just sit on my couch and they
> come to me.  That is what *work* is.  Time translation of effort into
> wealth. The GDP of the US, on whole, has a real dollar growth rate
> from time to time.  When this happens, wealth is created.  From where?
> 
In real life, I am paid way too much money to do similar things.  The 
"creation" of wealth comes from the transformation of ideas into saleable
entities.  The salability of these items has always existed, yet there was
nothing to sell prior to the execution.  I'm not saying that the money
supply is constant (any schmuck can show you that money can be created by
anyone), but that is our best isomorphism in Acka.

> The US is not a closed system.  Perhaps it comes from the sun, it 
> turns minerals into plants which turn into oil which we turn into pogo
> sticks which we trade to russia for diamonds.  Who knows?  The wealth
> comes from the work of transforming, and possibly from energy (such as
> from the sun) coming into the system.
> 
Oh god, what shape is the sun?

> Now, for acka, we have a potentially similar situation.  I have alot
> of wealth in terms of A$ because I work and discover lots of proposals,
> which are alot like software.  Yes, it is an artificial, perhaps
> fallacious simulation, but I am comfortable with it.
> 
I'd disagree that proposals are like software, but I'll save my argument for
rebuttal (it's easier that way.)

> Of course, we can define acka as an open system, closed system, whatever
> we want, but I personally think the current system is a pretty decent
> simulation, although it may be so by chance.
> 
> Malenkai
> not a clear thought in his head, and realises that to explore this
> fully would literally take thick tomes
> 
Eh, I doubt I'd call this a pretty decent simulation.  But then that's not
why I play this game.  If I wanted real life, I'd get off my butt and
experience it. ;)  I think a corporation with a monoply on creating
"Garments" would soon experience a glut of competition when the Champion's
cloaks are created.  Analagous to the fact that not everyone has the means
to create the desired software*?  Maybe, maybe not.

IB
- --
IdiotBoy, as always, dumber than a box of hammers.
[email-masked]

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Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 23:00:00 -0500 (CDT)
From: Guy Fawkes <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Forehead Auction

I bid 212 A$ for the foreheads
Guy Fawkes

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 26 Oct 1996 00:08:24 -0400
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Grab-a-Donkey

Round 6 of Grab-A-Donkey is beginning!  Don't get caught *admiring*
your donkey!  Get your moves in via private e-mail.  The current GAL
is below.

It can also be found at: http://www.itw.com/~malenkai/ackagal.htm

Round Ends Tuesday, October 29 1996, 00:06 EDT (or when all moves are in)

The GAL has not changed from round 5.  

snowgod, Habeous Corpus, and IdiotBoy grabbed snowgod and bounced
Guy Fawkes and /dev/joe grabbed Calvin N Hobbes and bounced
ThinMan and Niccolo covered
Calvin N Hobbes admired

Current GAL:
- --------------------------------------------------------------------
Calvin N Hobbes (Thierry Joffrain) [[email-masked]]
/dev/joe (Joseph DeVincentis) [[email-masked]]
Guy Fawkes (Robert Shimmin) [[email-masked]]
Habeous Corpus (Ed Graham) [[email-masked]]
IdiotBoy (Matt Miller) [[email-masked]]
Niccolo Flychuck (Uri Bruck) [[email-masked]]
snowgod (Phil Ackley) [[email-masked]]
ThinMan (John Bollinger) [[email-masked]]

Malenkai
Wrangler

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 26 Oct 1996 00:12:08 -0400
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: CFCJ 117 (fnord)

fnord has been selected to judge the following, and has
3 days to accept or decline the appointment.

Would the Financier please note ThinMan's A$20 Court Fee.

Clerk of the Courts
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Call for Criminal Judgement 117
  Subject:  Illegal *pinging*
Initiator:  ThinMan
    Judge:  fnord (selected Oct 26, 1996, 00:13 EDT)
Judgement:

Statement:

Guy Fawkes has broken the rules.

ThinMan's Reasoning:

The judge need only consider Guy Fawkes' own words:

>According to the rules, a message like this should be posted:
>
>Today is Friday, the 25th day of October, in the Year of Our Lord
>1996, and the Machine That Goes *ping* Has Gone *ping* today.  Since I
>have been scholar, the Machine has gone *ping* 6 times.
>
>However; I should have posted this message yesterday:
>
>Today is Thursday, the 24th day of October, in the Year of Our Lord
>1996, and the Machine That Goes *ping* Has Gone *ping* today.  Since I
>have been scholar, the Machine has gone *ping* 6 times.
>
>Making today's message:
>
>Today is Friday, the 25the day of October, in the Year of Our Lord
>1996, and the Machine That Goes *ping* Has Gone *ping* today.  Since I
>have been scholar, the Machine has gone *ping* 7 times.
>
>Alas, I have broken the rules.
>
>Guy Fawkes
>Scholar of *ping*

I respect Mr. Fawkes, and appreciate his contributions to the game.
It is particularly ironic that he has run afoul of a rule of his own
creation.  I think it very good sportsmanship that he admitted his
error at this time, and urge the judge to go easy on him.

Recommended Penalty:

1 day in Gaol

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 23:26:53 -0500 (CDT)
From: Guy Fawkes <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Not even an RFC

On Fri, 25 Oct 1996, IdiotBoy wrote:

> Problematic, schroblematic.  I gues we have to disagree on the term
> "wealth."  Given that the total amount of rescources (I would include
> intellectual property in this, tho I may be wrong) has not increased in the
> history of humanity, I believe that wealth is constant, although human
> ownership of wealth may be increasing.

You confuse resources with wealth.  Even if resources are constant (and I 
think thermodynamics will disagree with you on that), wealth depends not 
only on the presence of resources, but upon their arrangement.  A small 
quantity of titanium aluminum nitrite (that gold colored coating you see 
on some drill bits) is worth less than a dollar.  If plated onto an 
industrial gear cutter's bit (easily worth over $1000), it extends its 
life by up to ten times.  The resource is unchanged.  Repositioning it 
increases its value several thousand fold.  

The reasons I feel trying to apply economic principles to Acka is 
somewhat frustrating...

1) We may still have unlimited wants -- there'll always be something more 
to do -- but our abilbity to fulfill those wants (writing proposals) is 
about equal to our ability to realize just what our wants are (thinking 
of proposals to write).  Therefore, the idea of scarcity is difficult to 
apply.

2) If proposals are our main form of production, they are both a captial 
and consumption good.  They increase the enjoyment we derive from the 
game, and ALSO increase the possibility for future enjoyment.  This kind 
of undermines the whole idea of opportunity costs.

3) Economics generally works as a semi-science because the multitudes of 
people involved tend to cancel each other out into general trends.  With 
only twenty people playing, eckonomists don't have that luxury.  
snowgod's dispense of large amounts of cash for no reason other than to 
amuse us; Malenkai's desire to hold Treasure Hunts to purposely get rid 
of his useless wealth; several player's desires to play for enjoyment 
rather than points -- all of these have serious impact on game economics, 
yet they all defy economic principles!  What it comes down to is that the 
production of our primary consumer good, fun, leads us to behave in ways 
that seem to undermine traditional economic assumptions like maximizing 
profit and the like.  In short, economics just can't handle us!

Guy Fawkes

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End of Ackanomic Digest V1 #312
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