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The Liberty Challenge

Started by teknari, December 22, 2006, 08:05 AM NHFT

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teknari


I was looking enviously at some members karma on this bbs the other day when I got an idea.  I will tentatively call it the 'Liberty Challenge'.

GENERAL IDEA

A web site that would list liberty orientated action items. For example, you would go to the web site and you would see a list of
Items, along with associated karma points, something like the following:

+1 Write an email to local representative on Real ID
+2 Write an hand written letter to local representative on Real ID 
+5 Call a local representative on Real ID
+20 Visit and personally express opinion on Real ID to local representative.
+20 Attend IRS building protest
+1000 Convince person to join FSP
+1000 Join FSP
Etc

You join the web site, and as you do any of these action items you gain the points associated with that item, or Liberty Karma.

On the main page of the web site, it would list members and their current 'Liberty Karma'.


PURPOSES

The purposes are several

- Provide a web site that lists action items that can be taken to promote liberty.  I have often found when joining different organizations or jobs, that I and other new members have been 'raring to go' however there has not been supplied a consolidated list of items where you could spend your extra time and efforts.

- Provide a ranking of importance of items, so that members get recognition for doing the tough stuff.  For example doing hard time for civil disobedience, or getting a person to join the FSP should receive much more points then sending an email off to your local representative on a current issue.

- Give recognition to those in the community who are doing allot to promote freedom.

- Harness the 'Karma Whore' that is in each of us, and use her for Liberty.


HOW TO RANK AND WEIGH THE ACTION ITEMS - MY EVOLUTION OF THOUGHT

My first thought was to simply come up with a point system for different items, trying to weigh their importance.

I quickly realized I didn't want the grief I would get from different members as to how I did the weighing of importance of different items.  I also knew I didn't have the time.

I then thought that you could have members themselves add items and weigh their importance.  Or maybe you would be better off having moderators who added the items and weighed them?

I was worried about Karma bloat.  Do you want to get giant Karma numbers in the millions and billions?  Maybe give each member 100 points, and they divide the 100 points between all their action items, to keep Karma reasonable.

How about having Karma actually mean something - have some objective measure instead of some nonsensical Karma number?

For example, lets say you donated $100 to the something like the FSP, Free Talk Live, or NHLA.  Maybe a Karma point would be worth $1, so you gain 100 Karma points for donating $100 to one of these different liberty organizations.

You could then use this as some sort of reference for other items.  For example how much is it worth to spend 2 hours protesting the IRS outside their offices?  Figuring maybe $20 an hour, along with 1 hour travel time you might come up with something like $60 worth of Karma.  You could argue over how much the time is worth, but at least you have some reference.  You know it certainly is worth more than 1 Karma point, and most likely less than 10,000.

As long as we are using dollars as a karma reference, why not Gold?  Everyone in the liberty community loves gold!  Donating $100 to a liberty organization would give you maybe 1/6th an oz of gold depending on the days price. The web site could be tied in to someplace like Kitco.com so you constantly know the value of Gold.  Maybe you would use grams, 1 karma point equals 1 gram of gold ... I like metric.  1 Karma point = 1 Gram of gold which is currently worth around $20.  Nice numbers.

And then I had the breakthrough ....


THE LIBERTY MARKETPLACE


Have the web site be a marketplace where liberty action is bought and sold.

Lets say for example you log on and see that someone (or several people) are offering 1 Karma point for a letter to the editor from a teacher on a current home schooling issue.  You happen to be a teacher so you send off a letter to the editor.  You then receive payment of 1 Karma point for writing your letter.

The marketplace could solve many problems and can offer solutions.

-How do you weigh items and their importance?

The marketplace does that for you.  As a member you decide how much to spend on individual liberty items.  The more members who want an action item done, and the more that they are willing to spend, the more that action item will be worth, and the more incentive there will be to get the item done.

-How do you know that people are actually doing the things in the Liberty Challenge that they say they are?

It is up to the buyers to decide the amount of evidence that is needed, and will pay accordingly.

- How do you regulate whether something is an actual 'Liberty worthy item.'

The market will decide.  If someone wants to offer a karma point for a public reading of the Communist Manifesto, go ahead and let them.  Nobody will take them up on the offer, and from then on nobody will want to sell to them either.  Maybe there can be eBay type trust ratings.

- How do you rank people?

People would be ranked not by just how much Karma they earn, but also by how much they spend!  The most value to liberty I think would be generated by individuals who earn allot by doing liberty oriented things, and then spend alot by getting others to do the same.  The VELOCITY of karma would be important as well as the overall amount of it generated.  I need to think about this more.

- The marketplace could offer solutions.

Suppose you feel a certain liberty outcome is desired, but you don't know how best to implement?  Let the market decide.  Put up an offer for a certain outcome, and let someone come up with solutions for you and pay them according to the results.

- Is there measureative value in the marketplace?

If this web site became widely adopted, there could be great value in watching our Liberty movement grow, or know if it is declining.  The web site could have graphs, which show how much karma is transacted over time. Maybe something like this:



As the liberty movement became stronger or weaker, you would see that reflected in the amount of karma traded over time.  A big protest for example would result in lots of karma being traded.  If the troops are demoralized or home for Christmas, you would see karma traded decline.

If karma had a real world equivalent such as a gram of gold, you would also know the absolute value of the liberty items being transacted.

The marketplace may also show you what types of items have the most value and give you direction as to where you are getting the most bang for your buck.


I have other thoughts, but I have already written a book.

Looking for feedback.  Good idea?  Bad Idea?  Suggestions?  How to bootstrap.  How to solve circular karma giving with no value.

I am also posting this on the Free Talk Live BBS

http://bbs.freetalklive.com/index.php?topic=10625.0

Teknari


Kat Kanning


error

It's a very good idea, especially if there's real money involved; this would solve pretty much every implementation problem you brought up.

You should do it. :)

maineiac


I think you're getting a little too wrapped up in the whole karma thing. :-[ :P

teknari

maineiac - possibly, however remember this Karma would represent real world action for Liberty.  Politicians called to task, letters to the editor, protesting, introducing bills, running for office, handing out fliers, etc.


error

Indeed. Think not in terms of "karma" but in terms of "silver" and then you've got a workable idea.

maineiac

Quote from: Teknari on December 22, 2006, 09:09 AM NHFT
maineiac - possibly, however remember this Karma would represent real world action for Liberty.  Politicians called to task, letters to the editor, protesting, introducing bills, running for office, handing out fliers, etc.



I guess it's all good, however, my preferred form of activism is basic refusal--refusal to pay onerous and illicit taxes, refusal to seek infinite permissions in the form of licenses and registrations, refusal to see terror around every corner and live in constant fear of everything and everybody, etc., etc..

I understand where you are coming from, though. I went through a "writing letters to bureaucrats" period years ago! In my experience, the refusal strategy seems much more effective!

teknari

#7
I may pay you karma to refuse to pay your taxes  :icon_pirat:

That is actually a really valuable thing, and I bet lots of people would pay.

You may end up with more karma than anybody else for refusing to pay taxes.