From nomic-official-owner@teleport.com Wed Apr 12 10:41:32 1995 Return-Path: nomic-official-owner@teleport.com Received: from desiree.teleport.com (desiree.teleport.com [192.108.254.11]) by Shamino.quincy.edu (8.6.9/8.6.9) with ESMTP id KAA09940 for ; Wed, 12 Apr 1995 10:41:26 -0500 Received: (from daemon@localhost) by desiree.teleport.com (8.6.10/8.6.9) id IAA24003 for nomic-official-outgoing; Wed, 12 Apr 1995 08:37:58 -0700 Received: from mizar.astro.indiana.edu (mizar.astro.indiana.edu [129.79.160.43]) by desiree.teleport.com (8.6.10/8.6.9) with SMTP id IAA23949 for ; Wed, 12 Apr 1995 08:37:42 -0700 Received: from poverty by mizar.astro.indiana.edu with uucp (Smail3.1.28.1 #7) id m0rz4U8-0001VEC; Wed, 12 Apr 95 10:37 EST Received: by poverty.bloomington.in.us (V1.17-beta/Amiga) id <2oor@poverty.bloomington.in.us>; Wed, 12 Apr 95 10:29:49 EST5 Date: Wed, 12 Apr 95 10:29:49 EST5 Message-Id: <9504121529.2oor@poverty.bloomington.in.us> From: kelly@poverty.bloomington.in.us (Kelly Martin) To: nomic-official@teleport.com Subject: OFF: CFJ760: Final Judgement Sender: owner-nomic-official@teleport.com Precedence: bulk Reply-To: nomic-discussion@teleport.com Status: RO ====================================================================== FINAL JUDGEMENT OF CFJ 760 (Rule 1446 must be interpreted as such,...) ====================================================================== Final Judgement: FALSE Judgement of the pro-Clerk of the Courts: FALSE Judgement of the Justiciar: FALSE Judgement of the Speaker: FALSE Clerk of the Courts: Kelly Delegate: elJefe Justiciar: Steve Speaker: Vanyel Judgement: TRUE Judge: Kelly Eligible to Judge: Blob, Coren, Chuck, Elde, elJefe, Jeffrey S, JonRock, Kelly, Michael, Oerjan, Pascal, Steve, Swann, Vanyel, Vlad, Xanadu Caller: TAL Scorekeepor: Kelly receives 5 Points for speedy Judgement elJefe receives 5 Points for speedy Judgement Steve receives 3 Points for timely Judgement Kelly must return 5 Points for being overturned ---------------------------------------------------------------------- History: Called Mon, 03 Apr 95 17:02:20 SET by TAL Assigned Mon, 3 Apr 1995 16:55 UTC to Kelly Judged TRUE Mon, 3 Apr 95 13:51:22 EST5 by Kelly --> Kelly receives 5 Points Appealed Mon, 3 Apr 95 17:03:28 EDT by elJefe Appealed Tue, 4 Apr 1995 02:40:00 -0400 by Swann Appealed Wed, 5 Apr 95 10:33:39 -0400 by KoJen Assigned Wed, 5 Apr 1995 19:45 UTC to elJefe as pro-CotC Assigned Wed, 5 Apr 1995 19:45 UTC to Steve as Justiciar Assigned Wed, 5 Apr 1995 19:45 UTC to Vanyel as Speaker Judged FALSE Wed, 5 Apr 95 17:18:57 EDT by elJefe --> elJefe receives 5 Points Judged FALSE Wed, 12 Apr 1995 13:07:46 +1000 (EST) by Steve --> Steve receives 3 Points Judged FALSE Wed, 12 Apr 1995 00:58:28 -0500 (CDT) by Vanyel --> Vanyel receives 3 Points --> Kelly loses 5 Points ====================================================================== Statement: "Rule 1446 must be interpreted as such, that the transfer from the Abelain Group to the Scam Contest Fund and the transfer from Scam Contest Fund to TAL, when the Scam Contest was dissolved, are both legal." Barred Players: KoJen, Dave Bowen, Andre ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Arguments: Rule 1011 (Game Entities May Not Be Arbitrarily Changed) and Rule 692 (Trading Points) which normally prohibit the two transfers are both preceeded by 1446. Thus both transfers are legal, the first being allowed by good old 116. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- References (contest announcement and various Rules): ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE CONTEST Name: Scam Contest Regulations: 1) The Contest has at most one participant 2) The initial Contestmaster is TAL, until 1 second after he becomes Contestant. No other provision for a Contestmaster is given in these Regulations 3) The entry fee is 1 Point 4) Immediately after the one and only participant has paid his fee, 300 Points shall be transfered from the Abelian Group to the Scam Contest fund. ========== In case you wondered, this transfer is allowed because Rule 1446 states: "This Rule takes precedence over all other Rules which determine which Point and Currency transfers are legal and/or taxable" 1446 therefore takes precedence over Rule 1011 (Game Entities May Not Be Arbitrarily Changed) ] ========== Scorekeepor, please take note: I, TAL, transfer 1 Point to the Scam Contest Fund, thusly becoming the one and only Participant. Immediately 300 Points are transfered from the Abelian Group Treasury to the Scam Contest Fund. One second later, the Scam Contest no longer has a Contestmaster and is dissolved. By Rule 1446 the contents of the Scam Contest Fund is divided over the partipants. Hence TAL receives 301 Points, enough to win the current game. ========== Rule 116/0 (Semimutable, MI=3) Permissibility of the Unprohibited Whatever is not 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. Rule 692/2 (Mutable, MI=1) Trading Points A Player may voluntarily transfer Points to any other Player for any purpose, within the following limits: (a) the transfer must be posted to the Public Forum (b) a Player may only transfer a positive number of Points (c) a Player may not transfer more Points than e currently has (d) a Player may not transfer Points if the recipient has more than than 90% of the Points required to Win, or would pass this limit as a result of the transfer. If any agreement among Players includes any transfer of Points between two Players then each such transfer shall be in accordance with the above. But this Rule shall not be construed as having any bearing on the legality or legal enforceability of any terms of said agreement which do not involve such a transfer. All Nomic Entities shall abide by the above limits whenever Points are traded. If a Nomic Entity must trade Points by the current Rules but would end up breaking the above limits, then the Nomic Entity trades the maximum amount possible without breaking any of the above limits. This Rule shall have precedence over all other Rules pertaining to the Trading of Points. Rule 1011/0 (Mutable, MI=1) Game Entities May Not Be Arbitrarily Changed Any Entity which is created by the Nomic Rules, and which exists only within the context of Agora Nomic (such as Points, Votes, Currencies and any Official Records) may *not* be changed by any action other than those specified by the Rules. No two Nomic Entities (including Players) shall have the same name or nickname. (*Was: 450*) Rule 1446/0 (Mutable, MI=1) Contests A contest is a subgame of Agora Nomic, having its own Name, Entry Fee, Regulations, Contestmaster, and Contest Fund. It is created when a Player posts to the Public Forum an announcement of the contest, including the Name and Regulations. Participants in the subgame are called Contestants of that contest. The player making the post becomes the Contestmaster. The Contestmaster for a given Contest is a Player who has responsibility for administering the subgame. He reports all score changes and currency transfers taking place under the Regulations, administers the Contest Fund, and maintains the Regulations. The Contest Fund is an entity capable of owning, trading, and spending Points or Currencies in the same manner as a Player, but only as authorized by the Regulations. The Regulations specify the operation of the Contest. All Contestants, and the Contestmaster, are bound by the Regulations except where these conflict with the Rules. They may also specify: - how the Contestmaster is replaced, - how currencies and Points are transferred to or from the Contest Fund, - the amount of the Entry Fee for the Contest, which shall be in Points, - additional restrictions on Players to become Contestants, - how the Regulations may be changed, and - ways for the Contest to be dissolved. A Player becomes a Contestant by notifying the Contestmaster and paying the prescribed Entry Fee to the Contest Fund. A Contestant may quit a Contest at any time by so notifying the Contestmaster, or by so posting to the Public Forum. A contest is dissolved when there is no Contestmaster and no provision for replacing em, or as otherwise provided in the rules, or in the Regulations. When this happens the Contest Fund is distributed as provided in the Regulations; if no provision is made the Fund is divided equally between the Contestants. If according to the Regulations the Contest Fund must transfer Points and/or currency to a Contestant, and the Fund does not have sufficient resources, then enough of the Contestmaster's Points and/or currency are transferred to the Fund to cover the transaction. If e does not have sufficient Points or currency to accomplish this, then each Contestant is given back eir entry fee, and the Contestmaster loses the number of Points of the returned entry fees. The Contest is then dissolved. No Blots shall be assigned by this Rule. This transfer is not taxable. This Rule takes precedence over all other Rules which determine which Point and Currency transfers are legal and/or taxable, or which would assign Blots to any Player. ====================================================================== Judgement: TRUE In the matter of Call for Judgement Number 760, I hereby enter a Judgement of TRUE, for the reasons detailed below. Rule 1446 declares that a Contest is created when an announcement of the Contest is posted to the Public Forum, specifying the Name and Regulations of the Contest. TAL did so by posting the announcement to nomic-business, which has been designated by the Distributor as a Public Forum at approximately 16:59 UTC on 3 Apr 1995. The Regulations specify TAL as Contestmaster initially, which is consistent with Rule 1446. TAL is a Player, according to the most recent Registrar's Report. I therefore find that the Scam Contest was legally created. I also find that TAL legally joined the Contest, at the same time it was created (or, for the quantum time people, at a time T seconds later, where T is the smallest unit of time allowed by natural law). As to the first transfer, from Abelian Group's Treasury to the Contest Fund, I find that it was only legal, but not of the size claimed by TAL in his message to the Public Forum. The Regulations are permitted, by 1446, to specify the manner in which currencies and Points are transferred to or from the Contest Fund. I interpret this to mean that the Regulations of a Contest may, under conditions specified in the Regulations, require transfers into the Contest Fund from other sources. I cannot find any specific Rule which would prohibit a transfer out of a Group's Treasury, aside from Rule 1011. But Rule 1011 does not apply in this case, because 1446 grants legislative authority to effect transfers of Points to and from Contests Funds, which is exactly what the first transfer is. Also, Rule 692 does not apply, because 692 deals with trading points between Players, and this transfer was neither to nor from a Player. The last paragraph of 692, which requires that "all Nomic Entities ... abide by the [specified] limits whenever points are traded", does not prevent this transfer, although it does restrict it. The transfer was posted to the Public Forum; and it was for a positive number of points. Clause (d) does not apply because a Contest Fund may not win. Clause (c), however, limits the transfer to the number of Points in the Contest Fund, which at the time of the transfer was 1. Hence, I find that the transfer is legal in principle, but that the size of the transfer is limited to one Point. Rule 1442 attempts to claim precedence, as TAL notes in his Arguments; however, 692 _also_ claims precedence. By Rule 1030, therefore, 692 takes precedence by the numerical method. Since the question placed before me in this CFJ is whether the transfer is legal, I find that it is, in fact, legal. As to the second transfer, I also find that it is legal, although not of the size alleged to by TAL in his message to the Public Forum. One second after TAL entered the Contest, which I find he did, the Contest had no Contestmaster. Hence, it is dissolved by Rule 1442, and its Contest Fund distributed amongst the Contestants, which is to say, TAL. Hence, TAL does receive the entire contents of the Contest Fund: two points. Again, the same argument which limits the size of the first transfer would have applied to limit the size of the second transfer; Rule 692 and Rule 1446 both claim precedence. By Rule 1030, 692 therefore has precedence. It is therefore the finding of this Court that both transfers are legal, and that this CFJ is TRUE. However, it is the nonbinding opinion of this Court that the size of these transfers is misstated in TAL's message to the Public Forum; specifically, the first transfer from Abelian's Treasury to the Scam Contest Fund is of 1 Point, not 300, and the second transfer, from the Scam Contest Fund to TAL is of 2 Points, not 301. Respectfully submitted this 3rd day of April, 1995, Kelly Martin ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Additional evidence: Rule 1030/1 (Mutable, MI=1) Precedence Between Conflicting Rules There are two types of conflicts between rules: (a) conflicts between rules with the same Mutability Indices; (b) conflicts between rules with different Mutability Indices. (a) Conflicts between Rules with the same Mutability Indices: If two or more Rules with the same Mutability Indices conflict with one another, then the Rule with the lower 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 defer to one another, then the numerical method again governs. (b) Conflicts between Rules with different Mutability Indices: In a conflict between rules with different Mutability Indices, the rule with the higher Mutability Index takes precedence over the Rule with the lower Mutability Index. History: ... Amended(1) by Proposal 1527, Mar. 24 1995 ====================================================================== Judgement of the pro-Clerk of the Courts: FALSE The first transfer was legal by the loophole in Rule 692 (though modified to 1 Point). The second transfer was not legal since the Scam Contest cannot be dissolved. THE FIRST TRANSFER: ABELIAN GROUP to SCAM CONTEST FUND I accept the argument of Judge Kelly, that the first transfer is legal, though not in the amount claimed. Rule 1446 says that Contest Funds may transfer Points in the same manner as a Player. Rule 692 says that a Player may transfer Points to any other Player, subject to certain limits. It does not say "transfer Points in eir possession." This is the same omission already repaired in the Rule 1040 and Rule 614. We just never thought to repair it in Rule 692. As Judge Kelly points out, this transfer is still subject to the limits imposed by 692(c), and is therefore modified by the last paragraph of Rule 692, and the Contest Fund trades the maximum which would be allowed, namely 1 Point. THE SECOND TRANSFER: SCAM CONTEST FUND to TAL The second transfer is the transfer from Scam Contest Fund to TAL. There is no legal way such a transfer can take place. Rule 1446 permits Regulations to specify how the Contestmaster may be replaced. This is different from saying that they have the power to vacate the Contestmastership. TAL became Contestmaster when he posted the Scam Contest announcement. The Regulations do not specify any way of replacing the Contestmaster, and hence he remains Contestmaster. Since the Contest continues to have a Contestmaster, it does not auto-dissolve under Rule 1446. The Regulations do not specify any other way of dissolving the Contest, and so the Contest is not dissolved. Therefore the disbursal under Rule 1446 does not take place. There is no regulation authorizing the Contest Fund to transfer Points to a Contestant. Rule 1446 says that the Fund may make transfers, but only as authorized by the regulations. Hence the transfer cannot take place, either as a dissolution disbursement, or as an ordinary Contest transfer. --Justice ElJefe ====================================================================== Judgement of the Justiciar: FALSE I Judge that the Statement is FALSE. Justice eljefe has provided convincing and cogent arguments to the effect that the first transfer is legal, though not of the size reported by TAL, but that the second transfer is illegal because the Scam Contest cannot be dissolved. ====================================================================== Judgement of the Speaker: FALSE I judge FALSE for several reasons. First, let me quote a few salient points. >From the Contest Announcement: > 4) Immediately after the one and only participant has paid his fee, > 300 Points shall be transfered from the Abelian Group to the > Scam Contest fund. Since TAL did, undoubtedly, transfer the Entry Fee, Regulation 4 is invoked. The Scam Contest attempts to transfer 300 points from Abelian to the SC Fund. Rule 116, in its entirety: > Rule 116/0 (Semimutable, MI=3) > Permissibility of the Unprohibited > > Whatever is not 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. This is often taken to mean that what isn't *prohibited* is legal. But, it must be remembered that *regulation* counts to prevent invocation of 116, too. Selections from Rule 692: > Rule 692/2 (Mutable, MI=1) > Trading Points > > A Player may voluntarily transfer Points to any other Player for > any purpose, within the following limits: > [...] > (c) a Player may not transfer more Points than e currently has > > [...] > > All Nomic Entities shall abide by the above limits whenever > Points are traded. If a Nomic Entity must trade Points by the > current Rules but would end up breaking the above limits, then > the Nomic Entity trades the maximum amount possible without > breaking any of the above limits. This Rule shall have > precedence over all other Rules pertaining to the Trading of > Points. That first sentence is worthless in our case, as it only applies if Points are *traded*, which is two-way. But the rest of the paragraph may be helpful: a Nomic Entity (the SC) must trade by current Rules, but breaks the limits (the Scam Contest owns 0 Points and attempts to transfer 300 Points). So, the NE (the SC) trades the max possible (0) without breaking limits. This Rule, numbered 692, attempts to take Precedence. >From Rule 1011: > Rule 1011/0 (Mutable, MI=1) > Game Entities May Not Be Arbitrarily Changed > > Any Entity which is created by the Nomic Rules, and which exists > only within the context of Agora Nomic (such as Points, Votes, > Currencies and any Official Records) may *not* be changed by any > action other than those specified by the Rules. > [...] It is impossible for this to take effect in the current case, as the Actions taken *are* specified, and regulated. >From Rule 1446: > Rule 1446/0 (Mutable, MI=1) > Contests > > [...] > > The Contest Fund is an entity capable of owning, trading, and > spending Points or Currencies in the same manner as a Player, > but only as authorized by the Regulations. Note, please, that there are *TWO* entities at work here: the Contest, and the Contest Fund. The Scam Contest seems to be the one possessing the Regulations, and the Contest Fund holds the Points--meaning that the Contest can't transfer Points, period, as it doesn't own any (see part c of the Points Transfer Rule). Indeed, there may even be three (the Contest, the CF, and the Regs), depending on your reading of the Rule. > The Regulations specify the operation of the Contest. All > Contestants, and the Contestmaster, are bound by the Regulations > except where these conflict with the Rules. They may also > specify: > - how the Contestmaster is replaced, > - how currencies and Points are transferred to or from the > Contest Fund, The Scam Contest Regulations do specify how currencies are transferred; does this automatically mean these transfers are executed? I assume so, but it's not really explicit, as I think about it. > [...] > > This transfer is not taxable. This Rule takes precedence over > all other Rules which determine which Point and Currency > transfers are legal and/or taxable, or which would assign Blots > to any Player. This Rule, numbered 1011, attempts to take precedence; 692 also does. Therefore 692 wins, and Points are transferred only as according to it. That is to say, not at all. Thus, the transfer of 300 Points is *not* a legal transfer (although the Rules do modify it so that it becomes so). Note that if this Appeal overturns Player Kelly's Judgement in the matter, for reasons very similar to the ones given in eir own Judgement, I do not believe the resultant Point loss should be reported by the CotC; if it is, I will recompense em for eir loss. ===== Vanyel -=-=-=-Don Blaheta-=-=-=-blahedo@quincy.edu-=-=-=-dblaheta@aol.com-=-=-=- War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ketchup is a vegetable. ====================================================================== -- kelly martin I have been told that when a large group of people believe in a fantasy, it is called a culture. When a small group believes, it is called a cult. When two people believe in a fantasy, it is called love; and when one person believes, it is called psychosis.