proj-liquidRepublic-reputationAddendum

In organizations that assign unequal and varying voting weight to members using a reputation system like PieTrust?, there is a need for a 'seed group' or 'inductive base case' in order to compute the reputation, and hence voting weight, of other members. Members of the seed group can have unequal 'seed voting weight', but this voting weight should not be able to be taken away by members outside the seed group unless permitted by a vote by the seed group itself. We call the seed group the 'seeds' and we call the seed voting weight 'Seedshare'.

Beyond being the seed group of the reputation system, other privileges of Seeds include not being able to be expelled, and being able to, as a group, veto amendments to the Bylaws and the admission of new members.

We specify Fellows in this same document just because the procedure for their election is similar to that of Seeds. There is no need for these to both be combined.


Voting weight determined by reputation system

The voting weight of members is not equal, but is determined by a delegation system (also called a reputation system). The voting weight of each member may vary over time through no fault of their own, and no member has a right to complain if their voting weight falls due to the proper operation of the system, even if it falls to zero.

The choice of reputation system is specified in these Bylaws, and an amendment to these Bylaws is required to choose a different reputation system. The Bylaws may (reversibly) delegate decisions regarding changes in the reputation system to an outside provider.

The Chairs are charged with operating the reputation system.

The reputation system currently chosen is that of PieTrust?, with Influence flavor corresponding to voting weight. Decisions to change the system are currently delegated to PieTrust?.

Seeds

todo: change from 'seed' to 'partner' or possibly 'core member'

Seedshare

There is a quantity called 'Seedshare' which is distributed, possibly unevenly, amongst Members. Members with nonzero Seedshare are called "Seeds". This quantity always sums to 100% over all of the Seeds. It is used by the reputation system and also as voting weight when voting on authorizations to reallocate Seedshare or amendments to the Bylaws.

As with voting in the Forum, Seeds may reversibly transitively proxy their Seedshare to any Member, even to non-Seeds. The reputation system uses the distribution of Seedshare after accounting for proxying, rather than Seedshare itself. All proxying and voting according to Seedshare and proxied Seedshare is public, except for authorizations of reallocations of Seedshare or authorization of new Seeds.

How Seedshare is allocated

The procedure for raising a Member to a Seed is as follows.

The Chairs, by unanimous agreement, may nominate one or more Member(s) to be raised to Seed.

The existing Seeds then each submit proposals for how much voting weight to give the nominee, expressed as a percentage between 0% and 100% inclusive. Not submitting anything is equivalent to submitting zero. For each nominee, the highest number such that at least 2/3s of the existing Seeds, weighted by Seedshare, submitted a number at least that amount or larger, is selected. If this number is greater than zero, then the nominee is considered authorized for Seed candidacy for the selected amount of voting weight. If there are no existing seeds then the steps in this paragraph can be skipped.

After this point, the Forum or the Board are able to create and pass an Act to give the nominee(s) the selected amount, or less, of Seedshare. This Act has the same voting threshold as an ordinary measure. Upon the passage of such an Act, the nominee(s) become Seeds with the indicated amount of Seedshare. The voting weight of the other Seeds is reduced proportionately (diluted) to allow the new Seeds to have the indicated amount, while still constraining the total Seedshare to sum to 100%.

A similar procedure must be used to reallocate additional Seedshare to an existing seed from all other seeds. Upon the death or permanent medical incapacity of a Seed, that Seed's Seedshare is proportionately redistributed to the other Seeds, if any. The Forum and the Board may not raise new Seeds or reallocate Seedshare without the action first being nominated by the Chairs and then authorized by the existing Seeds in the manner specified above, and any Acts that purport to do so are void.

Unrestricted ability to give input to the reputation system

The seed share holders' inputs to the reputation system may not be specifically dictated by the Bylaws. For example, the Bylaws cannot prohibit the seed share holders from giving no influence to certain members or to anyone who gives influence to those members or to anyone who gives influence to THOSE members, etc. The Bylaws cannot direct the seed share holders to give reputation to any specific person or entity, or to give reputation to every member.

However, the Bylaws may impose broad duties on seed share holders, such as a duty to distribute seed share disinterestedly in the interests of the project as a whole.

Privileges of Seeds

Seeds have certain privilages in addition to their function in the reputation system.

Resolutions to Amend the Bylaws can become effective after only one vote if the resolution otherwise passes, and if the Seeds also vote to fast-track it with a >=2/3s threshold.

The Seeds can veto an Amendment to the Bylaws with a >50% threshold.

The Seeds can veto the admission or expulsion of a member with a >50% threshold.

The Seeds can veto the candidacy of a candidate for Chair with a >50% threshold.

The Seeds can veto any application of censorship with a >50% threshold.

The Seeds can 'call an election' with a >50% threshold. This puts all Chairs, and all Boardmembers, up for vote. The incumbents remain in power until the vote is over.

The Seeds can remove the power to run elections from the Chairs, and assign it to the Seeds, with a >=2/3s vote. This can be done simultaneously with calling a new election.

A Seed can be demoted from a Seed to an ordinary Member against their will by a vote of >=2/3s of the seeds (the seed member in question does get to vote on their own expulsion).

One of the three Chair seats is elected by the Seeds, using single-seat Score voting with the votes weighted by Seedshare rather than ordinary voting weight. This is a separate election from the other two seats, e.g. the winner of the Seed's Chair seat is not downweighted in the election for the other two Chair seats, neither are the winners of the other two seats downweighted in the Seed's Chair election. The Chairs section of the Bylaws is hereby amended to reflect this.

By the same procedure as to authorize an allocation of seedshare to a new seed, the seeds may set or change a minimum percentage of seed reputation that each seed must give to members outside of the seed group within the reputation system. Before this is set, it is 0%.

Fellows

Fellowship is an award given by the organization.

The procedure for selecting Fellows is: (a) a candidate member may be nominated by the unanimous decision of the Chairs, (b) if there are existing Fellows, the nominee must be authorized by a vote of 2/3s of the existing Fellows, if any, weighted by their ordinary voting weight. (c) Once nominated and authorized, a candidate Fellow may become a Fellow via an Act.

No Act may create a Fellow who has not been nominated and authorized as above; any Act that purports to do so is void.

Fellows may be stripped of their Fellowship via an ordinary Act.

Acts may specify additional requirements to be a Fellow.