Proposal: Ruleset as Contract
(AI = 3, II = 3, please)
Change the title of Rule 2141 to "Role and Attributes of Individual
Rules", and amend it by replacing this text:
A rule is a type of instrument with the capacity to govern
the game generally. A rule's content takes the form of
a text, and is unlimited in scope. In particular, a rule
may define in-game entities and regulate their behaviour,
make instantaneous changes to the state of in-game entities,
prescribe or proscribe certain player behaviour, modify the
rules or the application thereof, or do any of these things
in a conditional manner.
with this text:
A rule is a type of instrument with the capacity to govern
the game generally. A rule's content takes the form of
a text, and is unlimited in scope with respect to defining the
gamestate. In particular, a rule CAN define in-game entities
and regulate their behaviour, make instantaneous changes
to the state of in-game entities, prescribe or proscribe certain
participant behaviour, modify the rules or the application
thereof, or do any of these things in a conditional manner.
[Jurisdiction extended from players to participants, but not to
non-participants.]
Create a rule titled "Role of the Ruleset as a Whole" with Power 3 and
this text:
The ruleset is a contract consisting of all rules that currently
exist. The ruleset CANNOT be terminated, rules to the contrary
notwithstanding. Parties to the ruleset are known as
participants. Changes to the set of parties to the ruleset are
secured.
A person who becomes and remains a player, or otherwise acts
with the clear intent of influencing the gamestate, thereby
agrees to be bound by the ruleset until e announces that e is no
longer a participant.
The proposal, fora, and registration processes are, prima facie,
considered protective of a participant's rights and privileges
with respect to making and changing the ruleset and the agreement
to be bound by it.
The ruleset CANNOT bind non-participants while they remain
non-participants, rules to the contrary notwithstanding, but
CAN bind them with respect to acts that would cause them to
become participants.
Create a rule titled "Abandonment" with Power 3 and this text:
A player who has been continuously Inactive for at least three
months CAN be deregistered by any other player without objection.
A non-player participant who has not acted with the clear intent
of influencing the gamestate CAN have eir participanthood removed
by any person by announcement.
Amend Rule 2130 (Activity) by removing this text:
A player who has been continuously Inactive for at least three
months CAN be deregistered by any other player without objection.
[Merged into "Abandonment".]
Create a rule titled "Dissolution" with Power 3 and this text:
A player who is not a person and has never been a first-class
person CAN be deregistered by any player by announcement.
If a registered partnership has the same basis as another
player, any player CAN deregister it with Agoran Consent.
Change the power of Rule 869 (How to Join and Leave Agora) to 3, and
amend it by replacing this text:
A player CAN deregister by announcement. E CANNOT register
within thirty days after doing so.
A player who is not a person and has never been a first-class
person CAN be deregistered by any player by announcement.
with this text:
A player CAN deregister by announcement; this also constitutes
an announcement that e is no longer a participant, unless e
specifies otherwise. A player CANNOT register within thirty
days after eir voluntary deregistration.
[Time limit generalized to other methods of voluntary deregistration,
i.e. Writ of FAGE. Second paragraph merged into "Dissolution".]
Amend Rule 2144 (Limited Partnerships) by removing this text:
If a registered partnership has the same basis as another
player, any player CAN deregister it with Agoran Consent.
[Merged into "Dissolution".]
Amend Rule 101 (Agoran Rights and Privileges) to read:
A person's defined rights CANNOT be removed or restricted beyond
reasonable effort by any interpretation of Agoran law or contract,
rules to the contrary notwithstanding. A person's defined
privileges are assumed to exist in the absence of explicit Agoran
law or contract to the contrary.
i. Every person has the privilege of doing what e wilt.
ii. Every person has the right to perform an unregulated action.
iii. Every person has the right to initiate a formal process to
resolve a matter of controversy, with the reasonable
expectation that the controversy will thereby be resolved.
Every person has the right to cause formal reconsideration
of any judicial determination that e should be punished.
iv. Every person has the right to refuse to become party to
a contract. The absence of a person's explicit, willful
consent shall be considered a refusal.
v. Every person has the right to not be considered bound by
an agreement, or an amendment to an agreement, which e has
not had the reasonable opportunity to review.
vi. Freedom of speech being essential for the healthy
functioning of any non-Imperial nomic, every player
has the right and every person has the privilege of
participation in the fora.
vii. Every person has the right to not be penalized more than
once for any single action or inaction.
viii. Every person has the right to become a participant, and
the privilege of becoming and remaining a player.
ix. Every person has the right to cease being a participant.
Please treat Agora right good forever.
[Rights /can/ be restricted within reasonable effort, e.g. "don't lie"
or "wait a week", but not "include a page from the 1947 Vladivostok
phone book" or "wait 10106 years". If you voluntarily sign away some
of your rights, then evidently you considered those limits reasonable.]
Amend Rule 478 (Fora) by removing the first paragraph.
[Merged into Rule 101 (vi).]
Change the power of Rule 1742 (Contracts) to 3, and amend it by
replacing this text:
Contracts are binding agreements governed by the rules. Any
agreement made by one or more persons with the intention that it
be binding on them and governed by the rules is a contract
(unless it would automatically terminate as a contract).
with this text:
Any agreement made in writing by one or more persons, with the
explicit intention that it be binding on them and governed by
the rules, thereby becomes a contract, and remains one until
terminated.
and by replacing this text:
Parties to a contract SHALL act in accordance with that
contract. This obligation is not impaired by contradiction
between the contract and any other contract, or between the
contract and the rules.
with this text:
Parties to (syn. members of) a contract SHALL act in accordance
with that contract. This obligation is not impaired by
contradiction between the contract and any other contract, even
if the other contract is the ruleset.
Amend Rule 2150 (Personhood) by replacing this text:
The basis of a first-class person is the singleton set
consisting of that person.
with this text:
Each person has a basis, which is a set of one or more persons
(its feet). The basis of a first-class person is the set
consisting of that person.
[Avoid "member of basis", as it can easily be confused with "member
of contract".]
Amend Rule 1504 (Criminal Cases) by replacing "member of the basis"
with "foot", and by replacing "member of the defendant's basis" with
"foot of the defendant".
Amend Rule 2169 (Equity Cases) by replacing this text:
The members of the bases of the parties to the contract are all
unqualified to be assigned as judge of the case.
with this text:
The feet of the parties to the contract are all unqualified to
be assigned as judge of the case, unless the contract is the
ruleset or ruleset-descended.
and by replacing this text:
the judgement is in effect as a binding agreement between the
parties.
with this text:
the judgement is in effect as a new contract between the parties,
acting in conjunction with the original contract. If the original
contract is the ruleset or ruleset-descended, then the new
contract is ruleset-descended.
Change the title of Rule 2197 to "Contract Changes", and amend it to read:
A Contract Change is any of the following:
a) A person voluntarily becoming party to a contract.
b) A person ceasing to be a party to a contract.
c) Amending a contract.
d) Terminating a contract.
Contract Changes CAN be performed in any of the following ways:
a) As allowed by the contract, provided that the method is not
otherwise PREVENTED or PROHIBITED.
b) Any person CAN become party to a contract by announcement,
unless the contract purports to regulate doing so.
c) By any party to the contract with the support of all other
parties, if the minimum number of parties is at least two.
d) By any party to the contract without objection, if the
minimum number of parties is less than two. Any party to
the contract CAN object to such an attempt.
The above notwithstanding, a Contract Change CANNOT be performed
if it is ambiguous, or if its permissibility cannot be determined
with certainty.
Repeal Rule 2198 (Making Contract Changes).
[Merged into Rule 2197.]
Amend Rule 2145 (Partnerships) by replacing "the the" with "the".
Amend Rule 2174 (Aliens) by replacing "member of the basis" with "foot".
