Subject: Ackanomic Digest V1 #417
From: [email-masked] (Ackanomic Digest)
To: ackanomic-digest

Ackanomic Digest       Sunday, December 22 1996       Volume 01 : Number 417

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 00:03:00 -0600
From: Mitchell Harding <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Misc: What Phoebe Says 

Having recently spent a great deal of time with a particular Steel Flea, I
have the following messages to relay to the general public:

"Where is the jacuzzi I ordered for my match box 3 weeks ago? Speaking of
bubbling, watery entertainment, I note that our fair land experienced a
flood recently. As far as natural disasters go, I have the following advice:
drink a lot of fluids. A fully hydrated individual is a productive
individual, my creators used to say, and who am I to question their
judgement? Oh, that reminds me, you really must choose a new official
dictionary. Any dictionary which does not contain the word guberniya is not
a very good dictionary. I encourage everyone to vote for Malenkai's proposal
to merge the dictionaries, old and new. Hark, the voices are calling me
again, I must go. This is Phoebe the Steel Flea, signing off. Is that a
Silly Vacation Hat on your head, Mr. Sevin? I can't tell, you may or may not
be wearing one, my eyesight isn't as good as it used to be. Ah well, such is
the life of a harfy Steel Flea such as myself..."

Your Faithful Messenger,
Robert Sevin

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 00:59:59 -6:00
From: [email-masked]
Subject: Re: Acka: Ghost

> For anyone wishing to amuse themselves during the long holiday, I
> will referee a game of Ghost.  Anyone who responds to this by
> monday 18:00 EST will be signed up.
> 
> Malenkai
> 
>

I would like to play.

Techno 

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

Date: Sat, 21 Dec 1996 22:46:35 -0900
From: Phil Ackley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Bomb Shelter 

>>>>From rule 1253:
>>>> If a Bomb Shelter exists, all players are Sheltered,
>>>> regardless of their Location.
>>Oh... you didn't need to tell us. The rules don't _require_ you to.
>>But thanks.
>
>I am glad he is reading the rules... I know I am not nearly as knowledgable
>about the rules as I once was (and should be!), and it is very comforting to
>know that /dev/joe is keeping up with them. I am not trying to lash out at
>you, CnH, it just seemed like some people were upset with /dev/joe about
>this comment, and others that displayed his knowledge of the rules... Lest
>we forget, the heart of this game is it's rules, and I for one wish to thank
>/dev/joe and all of the others out there who keep up with the rules and help
>keep the game running. Good job!
>
>Robert Sevin
>who, like CnH (and others, I imagine) enjoys making creative proposals and
>letting others edit them to work well with the current rules.

I second what Robert Sevin has to say.  This game takes all types, and I
doubt it could survive wihout all the work that /dev/joe puts into it.
Personally, I do not enjoy most of the same stuff that he does but I am
glad he is there to do it.

I honestly mean it when I say that no one could be a better Web-harfer,
scorekeeper or Rule Fixer than /dev/joe.

snowgod
who still enjoys staying in character, and though it's hard to believe
sometimes, reads the rules :)

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

Date: Sat, 21 Dec 1996 22:47:45 -0900
From: Phil Ackley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Ghost 

>> For anyone wishing to amuse themselves during the long holiday, I
>> will referee a game of Ghost.  Anyone who responds to this by
>> monday 18:00 EST will be signed up.
>>
>> Malenkai
>>
>>
>

I'll join in... Can we play guberniya?

snowgod

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 02:07:23 -0900
From: Phil Ackley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: New Church Member 

BuzzBee has been accepted into the Church of the Markovian Dream.  How is
work coming on those other churches?

snowgod

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 02:14:35 -0900
From: Phil Ackley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: New Church Dogma 

The Church of the Markovian Dream has changed it's Dogma to reflect
changing times.  We still look upon our old dogma as a most sacred
historical document, but it no longer guides our beliefs.

The members of the Church would like to thank his emminence Calvin N Hobbes
for providing us with this new, and inspirational, Dogma.  Remember, church
membership is open to any player who embraces this Dogma as truth.

snowgod
priest of the Church of The Markovian Dream

- -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- BEGIN DOGMA -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

The Prophet, once again in search of the Earth's edge, discovered
something. He did not find the edge, but did find another Golden Frog. Upon
smiling at the Frog, it spoke thusly:

"Diversity, creativity, free-thinking, and openness are boons to Ackanomia
and those qualities have wisely been sought and protected by the Church.
The Church also did well in fighting intolerance, elitism, de-humanization,
and anal strict-constructionalism. Acka has avoided its first dark age in a
long era of civil unrest. Never forget!

Now is the time to move on and face the next Crusade. The players of
Ackanomic, most favored children of the Universe, have mastered the first
understandings of Rule and Interpretation, foundation of this whole
Universe. Everywhere, one hears the joyful ceremonies of games and
recreations, punctuated by polite disagreements 'tis true, all mixed as
metaconcept and offered on an altar of Fun.

While leisure consumes more time, work goes undone and beautiful Ackanomic
is held between two hands that could crush it into paralysis: the Inner
Hand and the Outer Hand. Both keep Ackanomic together, were once required,
yet now keep it back from further growth into its Third Age.

The Rules of Ackanomic have become a lengthy and discordant set. Where once
there was a unified wind breathing life and enthusiasm on all it touched,
now is a dying breeze and the fires it kindled go the same way. Broken up,
without harmony, each rule burns on its own, diminishing the whole. This is
the Inner Hand.

Ackanomic has out grown its cradle and taken uneasy steps beyond. It has
moved into a consciousness beyond itself, and thus ensured complexity ever
increasing. Understanding the Universe behind the open doors is beyond any
one player. This is a frightening time when all must decide whether to
close the doors into isolationism, or punch yet larger holes in the walls
separating it and the wide Universe. This is the Outer Hand."

The Golden Frog thus offered help: "Prophet, this is today's duality. Put
this knowledge to good use and keep in mind the following:

Against the Inner Hand, Ackanomic requires players willing to put aside
their goals in an effort to consolidate and organize the rule set, to give
it consistency and nurture it into a rich garden. This is not a task, but
the labor of each day. Against the Outer Hand, the great new frontier,
Ackanomic requires colonists and explorers, warriors and adventurers,
players and leaders. Beware those that lurk in the darkness of the
Universe."

Thus Spoke the Golden Frog.

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 02:47:35 -0900
From: Phil Ackley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: P1540 Passes 

Quorum achieved: 19 Eligible voters - 13 Players cast votes
7 YES votes - 3 NO votes - 3 PRESENT votes - Proposal PASSES

Proposal 1540 - Tue 10 Dec 12:34 CST 1996
Frankenstein
Swann (Steven Swiniarski)

Swann gains 10 points points (+ new player bonus):

YES Votes:
- ---------

Swann
Habeous Corpus
snowgod                      (None Yet)

Guy Fawkes                   (None Yet)
Malenkai                     Harf
Mohammed
Lestrade

NO Votes:
- --------
breadbox
Niccolo Flychuck             Vulcan

fnord

PRESENT Votes:
- -------------

/dev/joe                     Vulcan
ThinMan                      Vulcan
Robert Sevin                 Harf

Abstentions:
- -----------

Bascule
AirHead                      Harf
Clairence
Techno                       Harf
mr cwm                       (None Yet)
Calvin N Hobbes              Harf

New Players Who Are Not Yet Active:
- ----------------------------------
Jammer
23 Skidoo
BuzzBee
G. Peefalt

[Am I forgeting anyone?]

Text of Passed Proposal:
- -----------------------

     This is a Proposal to create two Rules:

     Text of a Rule entitled "The Mad Scientist" (text delimited by
     ~'s):

     ~
     There is an Office of Mad Scientist which has one seat. The holder
     of the Office has the title of Scientist, but e is not a member of
     the Ackanomic Research Guild. This Office cannot be filled by any
     other Scientist, and when a Player takes the seat of this Office e
     must say publicly; "They laughed at me back at the Academy, the
     fools! Bwahahaha!" Or words to that general effect.

     This Office can only be filled or transferred as follows: If the
     seat is vacant, it is filled by the last Player to take possession
     of any Frankenstein Monster. If no such player exists, the seat
     shall be filled by Election for Office.

     The Mad Scientist's duty is to create Blueprints for, and build,
     Frankenstein Monsters. Being an outcast from the Scientific
     community, e has none of the other usual privileges associated
     with being a Scientist, this takes precedence over rules that
     would grant em duties and privileges beyond those assigned em in
     this Rule.

     The Mad Scientist shall receive A$15 for each Frankenstein Monster
     e creates.

     Any official communication by the Mad Scientist, in eir capacity
     as Mad Scientist, shall be made in a bad Transylvanian accent and
     contain at least one exclamation point.

     ~

     Text of a Rule entitled "The Frankenstein Monster(s)" (text
     delimited by ~'s):

     ~
     There is a class of entities known as Frankenstein Monsters. Each
     Frankenstein Monster is unique, and has its own name. Each
     Frankenstein Monster has its own unique Blueprint, which can only
     be crated as specified in this Rule. Only the Mad Scientist can
     construct anything from a Blueprint created by this Rule, an
     attempt by any(one)thing else to build something from a Blueprint
     for a Frankenstein Monster is doomed to dismal failure. This rule
     takes precedence over the Rules generally governing Blueprints.

     A Blueprint for a Frankenstein Monster is not a Blueprint until
     its construction is completed by the Mad Scientist. Until then it
     is a Blueprint-under-construction.

     If no Blueprint for a Frankenstein Monster is currently under
     construction, and no Frankenstein Monster is being built from a
     Blueprint, the Mad Scientist shall begin construction of a
     Blueprint for a Frankenstein Monster by making a public
     announcement, in the proper accent, as follows:

     "I am building a monster and its name is <name>!" (where <name>
     throughout this Rule refers to a name picked for the Monster by
     the Mad Scientist that is not the same as that of any other
     Entity, or any prior Monster.)

     Thereafter, the construction of a Blueprint for a Frankenstein
     Monster named <name> is initiated. The Blueprint is constructed by
     the Mad Scientist attaching valid Frankenstein Parts to it.
     However, e may only attach such Frankenstein Parts as are
     delivered to em.

     Any Player (including the Mad Scientist) has the option of digging
     up and delivering a Frankenstein Part to the Mad Scientist,
     provided that Player has not already done so since the prior
     Thursday.

     A Frankenstein Part is dug up in the following manner:
     i) A complete sentence of no more than thirty words is copied from
     either some current Rule, some past version of a Rule, or the text
     of a Blueprint for something other than a Frankenstein Monster.
     The sentence is only valid if it has never been used before to
     create a Frankenstein Part (even a rejected one); a body can only
     be dug up once.
     ii) A single noun is selected from this sentence.
     iii) All instances of the selected noun is replaced by <name> (in
     whatever grammatical form is appropriate.)
     iv) The modified sentence, if it fulfills all the above
     conditions, is a valid Frankenstein Part.

     The Mad Scientist must attach all parts to the
     Blueprint-under-construction, in the order delivered. If any Part
     is in conflict with a prior attached Part, (i.e. the two Parts
     would give the Monster mutually-exclusive attributes, (one says
     "the monster is blue," the other "the monster cannot be blue.") or
     would lead to a paradoxical or self-contradictory Blueprint) the
     new Part is rejected, withers, and is discarded.

     The Mad Scientist shall keep secret the text of the
     Blueprint-under-construction (it is not yet a Blueprint), not
     revealing anything of its nature or contents, until one of the
     following conditions is true:

     v) Its construction is such that any new Parts would be rejected.
     vi) It is over 1000 words long.
     vii) It consists of more than 25 complete sentences.

     Once this happens the Mad Scientist shall publicly announce;

     "I have assembled the Blueprint for <name>!"

     E shall then post the text of the Blueprint-under-construction. At
     this point the Blueprint is constructed, (and is a Blueprint) and
     no more Parts may ever be added to it. The Mad Scientist must
     immediately, after this announcement, begin building the
     Frankenstein Monster subject to the general limitations placed
     upon Scientists working from Blueprints.

     Once the Frankenstein Monster <name> is built, the following
     happens, (these provisions take precidence over the rules
     governing the fate of things built from Blueprints):

     viii) The Mad Scientist shall exclaim, "It's alive! <name> IS
     ALIVE!"
     ix) The <name> Monster is awarded to the last Player other than
     the Mad Scientist to have dug up and delivered a Part that was
     successfully attached (i.e. not rejected) to the Monster. This
     Player then owns the <name> Monster.
     x) If this Player also submitted the last Part in the case where
     any additional Parts would have been rejected, that Player shall
     also win the current cycle, be awarded the honorary title of Angry
     Villager, and be awarded a Silver Pitchfork (a non-unique ownable
     entity).
     xi) The Blueprint is hidden away and may never, ever be used again
     to create another Monster. If the <name> Monster ever ceases to
     exist, its Blueprint instantly crumbles into useless dust.

     ~

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 02:51:22 -0900
From: Phil Ackley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: P1541 Passes 

Quorum achieved: 19 Eligible voters - 12 Players cast votes
11 YES votes - 1 NO votes - 1 PRESENT votes - Proposal PASSES

Proposal 1541 - Tue 10 Dec 12:35 CST 1996
Boons of the Ancients
Malenkai (Randy Hall)

Malenkai gains 10 points:

YES Votes:
- ---------

Habeous Corpus
snowgod                      (None Yet)

Guy Fawkes                   (None Yet)
Malenkai                     Harf
Mohammed
Lestrade
/dev/joe                     Vulcan
ThinMan                      Vulcan
Niccolo Flychuck             Vulcan

fnord
Vulcan Unity Vote

NO Votes:
- --------
breadbox

PRESENT Votes:
- -------------

Robert Sevin                 Harf

Abstentions:
- -----------

Bascule
AirHead                      Harf
Clairence
Techno                       Harf
mr cwm                       (None Yet) (vacationing)
Calvin N Hobbes              Harf
Swann

New Players Who Are Not Yet Active:
- ----------------------------------
Jammer
23 Skidoo
BuzzBee
G. Peefalt

[Am I forgeting anyone?]

Text of Passed Proposal:
- -----------------------

     [gist: create a standard rule that is a probability-weighted list
     of prizes that can be doled out as specified by the rules. Right
     now, the *ping* machine is the only thing that does this, but
     other things can be added. Replace the gadget that the machine
     gives out with a Boon of the Ancients from this list].

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

     Create a new rule which reads:

     1) Whenever the rules specify a Boon of the Ancients is bestowed
     upon a particular player, the Boon is chosen from the list below,
     created if necessary (or as described following), and transferred
     to the particular player (or elsewhere, as described following).

     2) Boons may either be bestowed randomly or deterministically. If
     the rule bestowing the Boon does not specify a method, the random
     method is used.

     3) Under the deterinmistic method, the player designated to
     receive the Boon ("player" for the purposes of this rule) has 3
     days to choose a Boon for himself to receive. No Boon is bestowed
     if three days pass and the player has made no selection.

     4) Under the random method, the numbers in parentheses following
     each choice are summed, and the probability of receiving a
     particular Boon on the list is the number in parentheses after
     that Boon divided by the sum. The Officer in Charge of Random
     Things then randomly chooses a Boon for the player to receive
     based on these probabilities.

     5) If the Boon is not of type "Must Describe", it is immediately
     created if necessary, and transferred to the player after it has
     been chosen.

     6) If the Boon is of type Must Describe, the player has 3 days to
     post a description of the Boon as specified in the list. If no
     description is posted in that time, no Boon is bestowed. A Boon is
     of type Must Describe if the words "Must Describe" appear in its
     description in the list below.

     7) Boons of type Must Describe are created 7 days after their
     description is posted, or when the results of a Bogusity Hearing
     on that particular Boon's description are publically knowable,
     whichever is later, unless the Boon is found to be Bogus, in which
     case the player receives no Boon, and/or no Boon is created.

     8) Any player may call a Bogusity Hearing within three days of a
     description of a Must Describe Boon being posted. Only one such
     Hearing may be called per Boon. The player who described the Boon
     may not vote in the hearing. This takes precedence over R 1396.
     The valid responses to the Bogusity Hearing are "This loophole
     surfer is totally Bogus", and "Thats a pretty cool idea". If the
     result is the former, the Boon is found to be Bogus and the player
     who described it loses 11 points.

     9) Boon list [weights sum to 100 in this case]:

     a) The player has found an ancient artifact. A random Gadget from
     the pool of Blueprints which have existed for at least 14 days,
     such that no instance limits are exceeded for any particular
     Gadgets, is bestowed (45).

     b) The player has found an ancient scroll. A random Otzma Card,
     all cards having the same probability, such that no instance
     limits are exceeded for any particular Otzma Card, is bestowed
     (25).

     c) The gods smile upon the player. 1 Bonus Vote is bestowed (10).

     d) An ancient relic. A Trinket of value A$75 which the player Must
     Describe. In this case, A$75 in the Treasury is transmuted into
     the Trinket when it is bestowed as above (7).

     e) Ancient knowledge. A Blueprint is created in the Blueprint
     Archive (not owned by the player, but said to be created by the
     player), as described by the player (Must Describe) (5).

     f) Ancient wisdom. An Otzma Card is added to the Otzma Card Rule
     Suite, which the player Must Describe (5).

     g) The gods are bored. The player is given pointy ears (2).

     h) The gods are grouchy. The Chartreuse Goose is transferred to
     the player. This takes precedence over the rule entitled
     "Chartreuse Goose" (1).

     {{ renumber this rule to 1241.}}

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

     Amend R 1240, "The Machine That Goes *ping*", as follows:

     a) replace

     "one Gadget from a Blueprint randomly selected from the set of
     Blueprints which both existed at the beginning of the current
     Scholar's term and currently exist; this Gadget"

     with

     "one random Boon of the Ancients; this Boon"

     b) remove "Create a new rule reading:" from the top of the rule.

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 02:53:20 -0900
From: Phil Ackley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: P1542 Passes 

Quorum achieved: 19 Eligible voters - 12 Players cast votes
13 YES votes - 1 NO votes - 1 PRESENT votes - Proposal PASSES

Proposal 1542 - Tue 10 Dec 12:35 CST 1996
InterNomic Incentive
Malenkai (Randy Hall)

Malenkai gains 5 points:

YES Votes:
- ---------

Habeous Corpus
snowgod                      (None Yet)

Guy Fawkes                   (None Yet)
Malenkai                     Harf
Mohammed
Lestrade
/dev/joe                     Vulcan
ThinMan                      Vulcan
Niccolo Flychuck             Vulcan

fnord
Vulcan Unity Vote
Robert Sevin                 Harf
breadbox

NO Votes:
- --------

PRESENT Votes:
- -------------

Abstentions:
- -----------

Bascule
AirHead                      Harf
Clairence
Techno                       Harf
mr cwm                       (None Yet) (vacationing)
Calvin N Hobbes              Harf
Swann

New Players Who Are Not Yet Active:
- ----------------------------------
Jammer
23 Skidoo
BuzzBee
G. Peefalt

[Am I forgeting anyone?]

Text of Passed Proposal:
- -----------------------

     This is a Modest Proposal.

     Amend R 970, "Ackanomic/Internomic Interface", to replace

     "
     Any Ackanomic Player may request the Liaison to make an InterNomic
     Proposal by sending the Proposal to the Liaison.
     "

     with:

     "
     Any Ackanomic Player may request the Liaison to make an InterNomic
     Proposal by sending the Proposal to the Liaison. If said Proposal
     is adopted by InterNomic, the player who requested it receives 7
     points upon the Ambassador reporting the fact of its adoption to
     Ackanomic.
     "

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 08:41:46 EST 
From: [email-masked]
Subject: Acka: Duel

Now that the Duel between snowgod and Robert Sevin is concluded,  with
snowgod the victor,  I sincerely hope that RS shall abide by the outcome
and foreswear further mentioning the possibility of wearing a Sily
Vacation Hat.  Pending any challenge to the Judges Ruling (which I don't
believe is possible under the current Rules),  our bussiness is done,

Habeous Corpus
former Second to snowgod

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 08:38:23 -0600
From: john duncan <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Ghost

Malenkai wrote:
> 
> For anyone wishing to amuse themselves during the long holiday, I
> will referee a game of Ghost.  Anyone who responds to this by
> monday 18:00 EST will be signed up.
> 
> Malenkai

Sounds like a good idea. Count me in. 

Lestrade

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 09:53:58 -0500
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: P1542 Passes

Phil Ackley wrote:
> 
> Quorum achieved: 19 Eligible voters - 12 Players cast votes
> 13 YES votes - 1 NO votes - 1 PRESENT votes - Proposal PASSES
> 
> Proposal 1542 - Tue 10 Dec 12:35 CST 1996
> InterNomic Incentive

> NO Votes:
> --------

> [Am I forgeting anyone?]

You listed one no vote, but did not list who it is.  Since it is a
modest proposal, it matters not for scoring.
 
>      Any Ackanomic Player may request the Liaison to make an InterNomic
>      Proposal by sending the Proposal to the Liaison. If said Proposal
>      is adopted by InterNomic, the player who requested it receives 7
>      points upon the Ambassador reporting the fact of its adoption to
>      Ackanomic.

It would be nice if the acting CSRR would replace the last occurance
of 'Ambassador' with 'Liaison' in the new text added by this proposal.
I noticed this later, but did not feel like retracting it for such
a minor, indeed not really necessary, fix.

Malenkai
awaiting the rest of the voting results :)

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 09:58:03 -0500
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: P1540 Passes

Phil Ackley wrote:

> Proposal 1540 - Tue 10 Dec 12:34 CST 1996
> Frankenstein

I am conducting a nomination for the office of Mad Scientist.  Due to 
the holiday, the nomination period will end Dec 31st, giving the rule's
creator and others who are on vacation a chance at running for the
office.

email me if you wish to volunteer for this office.

Malenkai

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 08:32:41 -0800 (PST)
From: Brian Raiter <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Ghost

> For anyone wishing to amuse themselves during the long holiday, I
> will referee a game of Ghost.  Anyone who responds to this by
> monday 18:00 EST will be signed up.

Please count me in.

b

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 13:12:11 -0600 (CST)
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Victorious Eggplant

> I think arbitration has to be the way forward, but I don't see that
> it has to be messy. Unless somebody wishes to become literate in the
> ruleset of another nomic, I think it unfeasible for us to keep track
> of Acka entities that have gone to another nomic. We should be aware
> of those entities that have left our realm, but ownership beyond our
> borders should I believe be regulated by the rules of those nomics
> that have recieved said items.
	I've thought about it and this isn't the easiest way to do things. 
It also has undesirable side effects.  What I'm thinking of specifically
is the case in which we have gift entities, but some sister nomic of ours
doesn't.  Suppose we make a gift entity that destroys everything someone
owns if they hold onto it for more than three days.  If I were to give it 
to someone in Pumpkin Patch, and their rule set has no mechanism by which 
they could get rid of it, tough.
	I think it makes more sense for a thing to keep all its qualities,
including tradeability, wherever it goes.  This would mean that in order
to trade Agora currency, one would have to send a message to the proper
person in Agora.  Tedious.
	There's a better solution.  We could require each nomic that wants
to participate in Internomic trade have not only an Ambassador but a
Customs Officer.  Then, when you want to make a trade, you only have to
send mail to your customs officer. 
	No time to explain right now; I've got Forced Family Fun i must 
tend to.  I have some of this drafted; I'll post it later.  :o(

- --Mohammed

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 02:57:43 -0900
From: Phil Ackley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: P1543 Passes 

Quorum achieved: 19 Eligible voters - 11 Players cast votes
6 YES votes - 3 NO votes - 2 PRESENT votes - Proposal PASSES

Proposal 1543 - Tue 10 Dec 12:35 CST 1996
Prime Time for an Otzma Day
Malenkai (Randy Hall)

Malenkai gains 5 points:

YES Votes:
- ---------

Habeous Corpus
Malenkai                     Harf
Lestrade
/dev/joe                     Vulcan
Niccolo Flychuck             Vulcan

fnord

NO Votes:
- --------
ThinMan                      Vulcan
Guy Fawkes                   (None Yet)
Mohammed

PRESENT Votes:
- -------------

snowgod                      (None Yet)
Robert Sevin                 Harf

Abstentions:
- -----------

Bascule
AirHead                      Harf
Clairence
Techno                       Harf
mr cwm                       (None Yet) (vacationing)
Calvin N Hobbes              Harf
Swann
breadbox

New Players Who Are Not Yet Active:
- ----------------------------------
Jammer
23 Skidoo
BuzzBee
G. Peefalt

[Am I forgeting anyone?]

Text of Passed Proposal:
- -----------------------

     Amend R 1369.1, "Definition of Otzma Cards", as follows:

     I. replace section III, subsections 2 and 3, which currently read:

     "
     2. The following entities have the authority to declare an
     Otzma-Day: the President, the RuneMaker, any Institution. a
     proposal which has been accepted according to the rules can also
     declare an Otzma Day

     3. Otzma-Days must be declared at least three-days in advance,
     unless it has been declared by a proposal. An Otzma-Day last for
     three days or until the RuneMaker has declared the end of
     Otzma-Day, whichever comes first. Once an Otzma-Day is over, at
     least 10 days must pass before the next Otzma-Day can start.
     "

     with:

     "
     2. The following entities may declare an Otzma-Day: the President,
     the RuneMaker, any Institution, or any Rule.

     3. Otzma-Days must be declared at least three-days in advance,
     unless it has been declared by a rule. An Otzma-Day lasts for
     three days or until the RuneMaker has declared the end of the
     Otzma-Day, whichever comes first. Once an Otzma-Day is over, at
     least 10 days must pass before the next Otzma-Day can start; this
     sentence has precedence over section VI of this rule.
     "

     II. Add the following text at the end of the rule:

     "
     VI.
     Whenever a non-Null Proposal whose proposal number is prime is
     accepted, an Otzma Day is declared.
     "

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

     Amend the rule which was created by Proposal 396, either entitled
     "Promoter" or "Office of Promoter", by replacing section (b),
     which reads:

     "
     (b) assign the proposal a number and distribute it for voting.
     "

     with:

     "
     (b) assign the proposal a number 1 greater than the number
     assigned to the previously distributed proposal, and distribute it
     for voting.
     "

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

     Create a new rule entitled "I *really* wish my conditional rule
     changes proposal passed", with the following text [which
     effectively moves R 1535, if it was accepted, into the Otzma Card
     Rule Suite]:

     {{
     If proposal 1535 was accepted, perform the actions on the
     following list in the order listed:

     a) create a new rule, member of the Otzma Card Rule Suite, with
     text and title identical to the text and title, respectively, of R
     1535. Change authorship credit of this new rule to "Guy Fawkes
     (Robert Shimmin)"; this sentence takes precedence over the rule
     entitled "For Personal Glory...".

     b) repeal R 1535, "Otzma Card Type Amazing Hoover Building Mover".

     }}

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 10:21:47 -0900
From: Phil Ackley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Excuses, Excuses 

I'm not going to be able to finish tabulating tonight.  It is three in the
morning, and I have to be back at work at nine.  I've been having to work
double shifts due to the Christmas Holiday (good for business, bad for me
:) so I won't be off work until almost midnight tommorw.

i hope to get  the results out then.

deliquent as ever,
your faithful tabulator,

snowgod

[NOTE: This message was qued to be sent originally at 3:00 AM, but I lost
my PPP connection and am unable to re-establish it.  It should get sent
whenever someone else turns on the computer and establishes a PPP
connection]

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 16:23:01 -0600 (CST)
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: What is how big and how to say it.

> One omnibus package to amend each rule, or a single rulethat adds the
> attribute to each item?
	I prefer the former, but it's a matter of taste and a very, very 
long-running problem.
	Whatever you do, if you choose to introduce restrictions that 
really *use* size and capacity (for example, if you decide to propose to
forbid Players from entering locations that are already filled to 
capacity) remember we have the Really Big Blue Thing Etc., which is 
always slightly bigger than the place where it's located.  It could be 
rather problematic.

- --Mohammed

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 17:22:27 -0500
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: What is how big and how to say it.

Jason Orendorff wrote:

>         Whatever you do, if you choose to introduce restrictions that
> really *use* size and capacity (for example, if you decide to propose to
> forbid Players from entering locations that are already filled to
> capacity) 

Also remember that you will need a Capacity-Harfer or something to keep
track of it all, unless you design it so the restrictions can be
calculated on an as needed basis.

Malenkai

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 16:40:42 -0600 (CST)
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Misc: What Phoebe Says

Why, I challenge the authenticity of this alleged conversation with 
Phoebe!  The great Steel Flea would never say anything so crass!

Besides which, I am certain Mitchell Harding is *not* wearing a Silly 
Vacation Hat.

[...]
> again, I must go. This is Phoebe the Steel Flea, signing off. Is that a
> Silly Vacation Hat on your head, Mr. Sevin? I can't tell, you may or may not
> be wearing one, my eyesight isn't as good as it used to be. Ah well, such is
> the life of a harfy Steel Flea such as myself..."

Humph.  Methinks you had a little too much to frink, and were actually 
speaking with Fibber, the Low-Grade Brass-Painted Cheapo Plastic Flea.

- --Mohammed

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 17:54:22 -0500
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Misc: What Phoebe Says

Jason Orendorff wrote:
 
> Why, I challenge the authenticity of this alleged conversation with
> Phoebe!  The great Steel Flea would never say anything so crass!

A hearing has been called.  It ends a long time from now.  Send votes
to [email-masked].  The possible votes, in response to Robert Sevin's
report of what Phoebe said, are:

"Phoebe would not say anything so crass"

and

"Phoebe said much the same thing to me once"

Count Tabula

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 16:49:02 -0800 (PST)
From: Brian Raiter <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Misc: What Phoebe Says

> Humph.  Methinks you had a little too much to frink, and were actually 
> speaking with Fibber, the Low-Grade Brass-Painted Cheapo Plastic Flea.

I am hereby creating a trinket, A$9 in value, called Fibber the
Low-Grade Brass-Painted Cheapo Plastic Flea. Said trinket includes the
ziplock baggie that Fibber lives in.

Since I have never found Phoebe, I can console myself by talking to
Fibber instead. (And sometimes, when *I* have had too much to frink,
Fibber talks back.)

If it ever transpires that I do find Phoebe, I will put Fibber up for
auction.

breadbox: -9 trinket creation

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

Date: Mon, 23 Dec 1996 01:27:07 +0000
From: "Matt" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Victorious Eggplant

Mohammed inscribed:
> > I think arbitration has to be the way forward, but I don't see that
> > it has to be messy. Unless somebody wishes to become literate in the
> > ruleset of another nomic, I think it unfeasible for us to keep track
> > of Acka entities that have gone to another nomic. We should be aware
> > of those entities that have left our realm, but ownership beyond our
> > borders should I believe be regulated by the rules of those nomics
> > that have recieved said items.
> 	I've thought about it and this isn't the easiest way to do things. 
> It also has undesirable side effects.  What I'm thinking of specifically
> is the case in which we have gift entities, but some sister nomic of ours
> doesn't.  Suppose we make a gift entity that destroys everything someone
> owns if they hold onto it for more than three days.  If I were to give it 
> to someone in Pumpkin Patch, and their rule set has no mechanism by which 
> they could get rid of it, tough.

I'm intrigued. For an Acka-entity to have powers beyond Acka,
wouldn't that nomic's ruleset have to recognise ours as having
jurisdiction within that nomic? In the minimalist trading setup I was
envisioning, I was thinking once transferred to another nomic, an
Acka-entity would lose any properties it had here, because of it not
being recognised in the other nomic's rules.

> 	I think it makes more sense for a thing to keep all its qualities,
> including tradeability, wherever it goes. 

Right. If I understand you correctly, Mohammed, I believe this would
require participating nomics to surrender some of their sovereignty
(what a *great* word that is) to the greater union. It would be less
of a United Nomics, more of a Nomic Economic Community. Would we be
prepared to accept alien nomic entities with those properties that
had been ascribed to them by that other nomic? Would they want ours? 

> This would mean that in order
> to trade Agora currency, one would have to send a message to the proper
> person in Agora.  Tedious.
> 	There's a better solution.  We could require each nomic that wants
> to participate in Internomic trade have not only an Ambassador but a
> Customs Officer.  Then, when you want to make a trade, you only have to
> send mail to your customs officer. 

Fair play. But I see this as simply (!) a matter of implementation. 

> 	No time to explain right now; I've got Forced Family Fun i must 
> tend to.  I have some of this drafted; I'll post it later.  :o(
> 
> --Mohammed

Bascule
Hoping I haven't misunderstood

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

Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 19:58:13 -0600 (CST)
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Victorious Eggplant

> I'm intrigued. For an Acka-entity to have powers beyond Acka,
> wouldn't that nomic's ruleset have to recognise ours as having
> jurisdiction within that nomic? In the minimalist trading setup I was
> envisioning, I was thinking once transferred to another nomic, an
> Acka-entity would lose any properties it had here, because of it not
> being recognised in the other nomic's rules.
	*nod*  Yes.  However, I think it's possible to make a much more
interesting framework than that.  An Agoran with a Pyraic Frobnotzer
should be able to use it in just the same way an Ackanomian would:  by
sending messages to Ackanomic's mailing list. 

> > 	I think it makes more sense for a thing to keep all its qualities,
> > including tradeability, wherever it goes. 
> 
> Right. If I understand you correctly, Mohammed, I believe this would
> require participating nomics to surrender some of their sovereignty
> (what a *great* word that is) to the greater union. It would be less
> of a United Nomics, more of a Nomic Economic Community. Would we be
> prepared to accept alien nomic entities with those properties that
> had been ascribed to them by that other nomic? Would they want ours? 
	Excellent thinking.  For convenience, I'll repeat the example here
(paraphrased):  imagine a gift entity that, according to our rule set,
destroys all entities owned by whoever owns it continuously for more than
three days.  How would this work?
	One way of doing it is to say:  okay, it works as written while 
it's in Ackanomic; when it gets traded outside Ack, someone else tracks 
it and its power don't work.
	Another way is to say:  okay, every nomic has to have rules
deferring authority of such matters to the rules of other nomics.  So the
entity works no matter where it goes.
	In my mind, neither of these approaches is ideal-- the first 
because it's too strict, the second because it's too permissive.  The 
first framework will fail because it gives other nomics no reason ever to 
*want* to trade with Ack.  The second framework will fail because the 
nomic that will want to take the risk is probably rather rare.
	Instead, Ackanomic should track its own entities, even across 
Internomic borders.  And, while they should not be able to manipulate 
entities that came from other nomics, they should be able to manipulate 
Ackanomic entities wherever they find them.  So the above object would be 
"gift" wherever it goes, but its catastrophic effect would only have any 
effect on entities that are from Ackanomic (including itself.)
	That's the main plan.  I'd like to add another layer of protocol 
on top of it (Customs Officers) to make trade easier, but there's the 
basic idea.

- --Mohammed
(hoping he's making sense)

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

End of Ackanomic Digest V1 #417
*******************************