The Initial Rules of EcoNomic

Immutable Rules
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100. The first Speaker of EcoNomic is Narf (JoshuaN@earthlink.net).  
Additional players may join by announcing eir intent to the speaker.

101. Obey The Rules
All players must always abide by all the rules then in effect, in the
form in which they are then in effect, and interpreted in accordance 
with currently existing game custom.  Until such time as they are 
legally transmuted, Rules 101-115 are immutable, and Rules 201-219 are 
mutable.

102. Mutables and Immutables
Initialy rules in the 100's are immutable and rules in the 
200's are mutable. Rules subsequently enacted or transmuted (that
is, changed from immutable to mutable or vice versa) may be immutable 
or mutable regardless of their numbers, and rules in the Initial Ruleset
may be transmuted regardless of their numbers.


103. What Is A Rule Change?
A rule change must be one of the following:  The enactment, repeal, or
amendment of a rule in its current state;  or the transmutation of an immutable rule into a mutable rule, or vice versa.

104. Adopting Proposals
All valid proposals submitted privately to the speaker shall be voted on.  Three conditions must be satisfied for a proposal to be adopted: (1) a quorum must have been achieved; (2) the required number of votes must have been cast in
favor of the proposal; and (3) the prescribed voting period must have
elapsed.  Proposals must effect a rule change to be valid.

105. Proposals Must Be Written Down
Any proposed rule change must be submitted to all the players before
it is voted on.  If adopted, it must guide play in the form in which
it was voted on.

106. When Proposals Can Take Effect
A rule change will take effect when either the prescribed voting peroid
has elapsed, or all players have cast their vote, whichever is first.  
No rule change may have retroactive application.

107. Numbering Proposals
The Speaker shall give each proposed rule change an ordinal number for 
reference.  The numbers shall begin with 301, and each valid proposal 
shall receive the next successive ordinal, whether or not the proposal
is adopted.  If an accepted proposal creates a new rule, the number of
the rule shall be one higher than that of the current highest numbered
rule.  If an accepted proposal ammends an existing rule, the rule 
number shall not change, unless specified by the proposal.

108. Mutable/Immutable Inconsistencies
Mutable rules that are inconsistent in some way with some immutable rule
(except by proposing to transmute it) are wholly void and without effect.
They do not implicitly transmute immutable rules into mutable rules and at
the same time amend them.  Rule changes that transmute immutable rules
into mutable rules will be effective only if they explicitly state their
transmuting effect.

109. Making Proposals
The proper way to make a proposal is to send it by electronic mail to
the current Speaker.  The Speaker will then distribute the proposal to 
all Players.  The prescribed voting period begins at the moment that 
the proposal is distributed by the Speaker.

110. Winning The Game
The state of affairs that constitutes winning the game may not be changed
from achieving n points to any other state of affairs.  However, the
magnitude of n and the means of earning points may be changed, and rules
that establish a winner when play cannot be continued may be enacted and
(while mutable) be amended or repealed.  

111. Forfeiting The Game
A player always has the option to forfeit the game rather than continue to
play or incur a game penalty.  No penalty worse than losing, in the
judgement of the player to incur it, may be imposed.

112. At Least One Mutable Rule
There must always be at least one mutable rule.  The adoption of rule
changes must never become completely inpermissible.

113. Rule Changes That Affect Rule Changing Rules
Rule changes that affect rules needed to allow or apply rule changes are
as permissible as other rule changes.  Even rule changes that amend or
repeal their own authority are permissible.  No rule change is
impermissible solely on account of the self-reference or self-application
of a rule.

114. Voting Options
Players may vote either for or against any proposal during the prescribed 
voting period.  Players should send their vote by electronic mail to 
the Speaker before the end of the voting period.  Players who do not vote 
within the prescribed period shall be deemed to have abstained.

115. Permissibility Of The Unprohibited
Whatever is not explicitly prohibited or regulated by a rule is permitted
and unregulated, with the sole exception of changing the rules, which is
permitted only when a rule or set of rules explicitly or implicitly
permits it.


Mutable Rules.
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201. Quorum
Quorum is defined to be 50% of the active registered players.

203. Required Number Of Votes
The number of votes required to pass a proposal is three-fifths of the votes
legally cast within the prescribed voting period.

204. One Player One Vote
Each player has exactly one vote.

205. The Prescribed Voting Period
The prescribed voting period on a proposal is seven days, starting from
the moment that the proposal is distributed by the Speaker.

206. When Proposals Take Effect
An adopted proposal takes effect at the moment that the  prescribed voting
period ends.

207. Scoring When A Proposal Is Adopted
When a proposed rule change is adopted, those players who voted against it
receive 5 points each.  A player whose proposed rule change is adopted
also receives 10 points and 5 E-Dollars.

208. Scoring When A Proposal Is Defeated
When a proposed rule change is defeated, the player who proposed it loses
10 points and each player who voted for it gains 3 points and 1 E-Dollar.

209. Required Number Of Points To Win
The winner is the first player to achieve a score of at least 100 points.
If more than one player achieves this condition simultaneously, all 
such Players win.
When a game ends in this manner:
  - All players' scores are reset to 0, but they keep their E-Dollars.
 - a new game is begun. All the rules and proposed rule changes retain the
 status they had at the end of the old game.


210. Resolving Conflicts
If two or more mutable rules conflict with one another, or if two or more
immutable rules conflict with one another, then the rule with the lowest
effective ordinal number takes precedence.  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 supercede the numerical method for determining
precedence.  If two or more rules claim to take precedence over one
another, or to defer to one another, then the numerical method must again
govern.

Within a rule, sentences and clauses occuring first take precedence over 
clauses coming after them unless the later sentence or clause claimes 
precedence.

211. Invoking Judgement
Any player who has a question or complaint about any matter concerning the
laws and their interpretation may email their statement to the Speaker, 
who will then distribute it to the rest of the Players.  A call for 
judgement is then incurred on that statement.

212. Selecting A Judge
When Judgement has been called for, a Judge is randomly selected from
among the other registered players by the Speaker.  The player selected 
has 3 days in which to accept or refuse the appointment by posting to the 
Speaker.  Any player who does not respond to selection in 3 days 
is deemed to have refused appointment.  If a
selected player refuses appointment, then a further random selection is
made from the remaining pool.

213. Delivering Judgement
Having accepted the appointment, a Judge has exactly one week in which to
post an official Judgement.  A Judge who fails to deliver Judgement within
that period is penalized 10 points.

214. Three Possible Judgements
There are only three possible Judgements: (1) True; (2) False; or (3)
Undecided.  A Judgement may be accompanied by reasons an arguments, but
any such reasons and arguments  form no part of the official Judgement
itself.

215. Judgements Must Accord With The Rules
All Judgements must be in accordance with all the rules then in effect.
When the rules are silent, inconsistent, or unclear on the statement in
question, however, then the Judge shall consider currently existing game
custom and the spirit of the game in reaching a decision.

216. Judgements Are Not Rules
If a statement on which Judgement has been called is Judged to be true,
and that Judgement is not overruled, it does not thereby become a rule, or
any part of a rule.  It merely becomes an explicit part of currently
accepted game custom.

217. Overturning Judgements
At any time in the week following the posting of a Judgement of "true" or
"false", any player may propose that the Judgement be  overruled, i.e.
changed to "undecided".  If that proposal is adopted, according to
whatever rules are currently in effect for the adoption of proposals, then
the Judgement is overruled, and the Judge who made it penalized 20 points.

218. Registered Players
A player is any person who is registered as a player.  No person may
register as a player more than once concurrently.  Anyone is allowed to
observe the game and parrticipate in discussion of any issue, but no
person who is not a player may make a proposal, or vote on any proposal,
or call for judgement, or judge, or score  points, or win the game.

219. Winning By Paradox
If the rules are changed so that further play is impossible, or if the
legality of some action cannot be determined with finality, or if some
action appears equally legal and illegal, then a player may call for
judgement on a statement to that effect.  If the statement is judged true,
and the judgement is not overruled, then the player who called for
judgement is declared the winner of the game.  This rule takes precedence
over every other rule for determining the winner of the game.