AUTOGOV
Political, Economic and Social
Self-Government Platform for Communities

What should be the future of
human organization?

The world is evolving rapidly in the 21st century, the rate of its change is actually accelerating exponentially. Yet, the way communities organize themselves to best reflect their members’ wills and achieve their goals, is basically the same as two centuries ago. Everywhere you look you see evidence that change is needed, and if we look ahead to what is coming, that change is critical. Autogov is an attempt to address that need. To harness the power of the internet, and create a softer, more efficient way of political, economic and social organization.

The name Autogov refers both to Autonomous Government: we govern ourselves, and Automatic Government: once running, it all happens algorithmically except for our human choices.

Autogov is not a .com, i.e. a for profit Company. It is not a .org, i.e. a hierarchical Organization. It is just a .systems, i.e. a free to use in any way, Meta-System. As simple as installing a WordPress Theme, as complex as the organized creative freedom of the Universe.

Three main Sections

Autogov has 3 sections that work in synergy; however they can also function independently, and communities can choose to use only one or two of them.

 

POLITICS

At its most basic, Autogov is an internet software that enables communities of any size to take the decisions that best reflect the will of its members about any issue that affects them in the space-time-topic continuum.

Through its meta and neutral basic structural units called Vontests, composed by: a question raising a problem or need, unlimited answers, structured debate, and cumulative voting; it is able to generate laws, actions, tasks and positions in a continuous, dynamic, transparent, genuinely direct-democracy way.  Everyone has access to everything, but focuses on what is important or interesting to her/him.

ECONOMY

Making good decisions is important, but you also need power and freedom to execute them. That is the basic purpose of the Economy section. It has a Creative Market where members are encouraged and enabled to offer what they are really passionate about (possibly several different things).
It has its own internal virtual currency so as to generate its own value, a universal basic income and a public fund, so that the members can strive to live in freedom working on their passions, and the community as a whole can have the power to stand on its own and advance towards whatever goals were decided in the Political section.

SOCIAL

And finally, it has a Social section, a Culture, Collaboration and friendly Competition space where members can communicate with each other, express their creativity, forge partnerships and groups, collaborate and compete in a gamified environment aimed at encouraging participation and having fun.

This can be as modest as a messaging and notification system or as ambitious as a whole social network, only much better since the only objective is us all (not raising some company’s share price).



How each section works?

Politics

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What is the objective of Politics?
The Ship's Rudder
When we say Politics we don't mean " that which current politicians do" or even " the exercise of power".
We take a step back meta, and define Politics as the means to decide what is best for us all, within any community.
As the implemented reflection of our dynamic will.

But how do we know what is best for us all?
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What is the best for us all?
"We shape our buildings and therafter they shape us" Winston Churchill
This has traditionally been done hierarchically by a king, dictator or small group of experts. Yet slowly, as we evolve has become more and more horizontal, recognizing we all have a unique perspective and something to contribute to answer that.
And also, that failing to take everybody into account ends up creating unhealthy social divisions: If a system assumes the mob is stupid it creates a stupid mob. If it gives everyone responsibility, it creates responsible members.
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We don't know, we decide it
The Pragmatic Theory of Truth
When we as individuals face an important decision, we first make an effort to perceive the situation and its possible consequences; we formulate several options of action, we ask all our internal parts for their opinion, and finally we perceive which option won the comparison in our heart/mind

Politics, in this sense, tries to reflect the optimized (debated), will of its members.

But how do we find out the constantly changing will of its members?
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Vontest
A Betterment Engine
We don't know what is best, but through the Vontest algorithm we approximate it as much as we can at any given moment for any given issue. A Vontest (from 'Voted Contest') is a decision-making algorithm with 6 steps: a Question, Multiple Answers, Debate, Voting, Votography and Resolution.

Through Autogov, Anything, even this sentence, can be Vontested by anyone at any time, which amounts to put it into revision and see if, according to the community, it can be improved.

A 'Betterment Engine?: If in a Search Engine you explore 'what is', in a Betterment Engine you explore how can 'what is' be better.
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A Question
We always start with a question describing a problem, a need or an opportunity. Even if what prompted your participation was a proposal, you are asked to first describe the question that your proposal pretends to answer, and in that way allow for other alternative plans to be compared against yours. Any member can post a question at any time.

Example: What do we do with the abandoned factory on Bleeker st.?
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Multiple Answers
2. Multiple Answers. The proposals to fix that problem or fulfill that opportunity in the best possible way. Any member can post an answer at any time.

Examples:
We should transform it into a museum.
We should demolish it and make a park there.
We should build affordable housing.
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The Debate
What are the Pros and Cons of each proposal? Can it be further refined, or combined with another to gain support?.
Any member can comment on any answer at any time. Special attention is taken to weather an answer is in conflict with a previous law or resolution. If so it is marked and should it win, a new fast Vontest resolving that conflict follows.

Example Comments:
-- No one ever goes to the other museums we have.
-- A park would be great for air quality.
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Cumulative Voting
We the humans decide
Cumulative Voting. To make preferences more accurate, promote attention to all answers, and avoid Condorcet losers (you google it) Autogov uses a simple cumulative voting mechanism: You dispose of 10 votes per question, but can assign maximum 4 to a single answer. Any member can vote, and modify her vote, at any moment on any answer, on any web connected device.

Example: 4 votes to answer 2, 3 votes to answer 5 and 1 vote to answer 4 (you are not forced to use all your 10 votes).
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The Votography
Votes Fotography
When the Question was created, a Votography date was set. That is when all votes are tallied and a winer answer is declared. All members who participated in the Vontest or are subscribed to the Vontest’s topic are notified of the Votography imminence.
Note: Some vontests are ongoing and remain open after the Votography for another round.

Example: Answer 1 = 31 votes,  Answer 2 = 62 votes, and so on. 

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The Resolution
And finally, a Resolution that implements the winning proposal. Depending on the content of the proposal
, this can be an execution order for an action, or the creation of another Vontest to determine
who will take care to execute the order. Any member can compete to implement the winning
answer.

Example: Creation of the following new Vontest: Who takes care of demolishing the old factory
and build a park in its place?
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Trials and Conflict resolution
Private and Public Trials
A Vontest could actually be an appropriate tool to resolve conflicts and judge behaviour: the case is described in the Question, the verdicts are proposed in the Answers, the Trial itself would occur in the Debate, and the sentence would be decided through votes/votography. Perhaps, to avoid popularity concerns, the sentence voting can be restricted to some randomly chosen jury, or to some Judging service provider, one with good ratings and reviews found in the Creative Market.
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Optional Addons
WP Meeting Virtual Room

WP Blockchain

Economy

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What is the objective of the Economy?
When we say Economy we don't mean "the administration of scarcity", not even the administration of abundance, or of attention.
We mean that which gives us the energy and the freedom to, in a pleasant manner, pursue our changing political objectives.

This section is like the ship’s engine or sails, empowering the passengers to have a pleasant journey and reach their desired destination.
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Why crucial for Politics
"its the Economy stupid"
A decision making system may arriv e to valuable conclusions but without the power to then always immediately implement them, its just empty talk, a waste of time.

How do you gain that power?
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Virtual Currency
All currencies are but shared fictions.
A virtual currency called Voins by default (from Virtual Coins). Its monetary policy is decided through the Vontests, having as main aim its credibility and the preservation of its value. If that is achieved the Voins provide effective independence and real power to the community. If we all believe in it, and use it, the value of our created Voins become real.
The use of Voins can be combined with the use of the local fiat currency.
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Creative Market
Where users can simply and directly acquire and offer unlimited services, products and events and receive payment in Voins or fiat for them.
Users are encouraged to offer several different things reflecting their passions and skills. All offered items are then easy to find, without deafening and distorting publicity, and can be rated and reviewed to promote quality and fairness.
Why Creative?
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A Basic Income
The Creative Market is cushioned between a Basic Income in the bottom and a Accumulation Limit on top.
A Basic Income in Voins (or also in fiat to begin with if somehow available) to guarantee that members are free to dedicate their time to what is meaningful to them and avoid poverty and exploitation.
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A Public Fund
The amount of this fund, at least to begin with but the community can modify this, is equal to the sum of basic incomes delivered every month. How it is spent every period is decided by a public Vontest, except instead of just one winner, all top proposal that fit within the budget get selected to be realized. If the community has fiat currency, through activities or donations or fees from the users, it can have a Public Fund in fiat too, and be administered in the same manner
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Limits and/or Taxes
An Accumulation Ceiling of Voins (ACV) to prevent excessive power on one part which could damage the balance and correct functioning of the whole, which would be undesirable even for that part. The amount or percentage of this ceiling is determined in a special vontest and could be 0% if so voted. 

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Optional Addons

Oxidation is an optional measure to promote exchange and participation where earned Voins are lost if unused after a certain period of time.

Fiat/Dual currency

Criptocurrency and Blockchain

Needs

Social

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The Plaza
A Transparent Horizontal Social Fabric
This section is like the ship’s plaza, or pub, allowing members to express themselves, learn,
 mingle, communicate, join forces, and play. Groups of people can then participate in the Politics and Economy sections.
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Groups
From a small club, to a big company to an ideological movement, any association of members to pursue an end within the community is a Group.
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Members Profiles
Who is saying that, who is offering this service.
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Culture
Blogs, picture galleries, videos...
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The Game
We recognize humans like challenges and a friendly competition is a good way to promote engagement, participation and recognition. Thus Autogov introduces a level of gamification in its social section where the best participation: Questions, Answers. Services, etc. are rewarded and awarded.
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Internal Messaging and Notifications
Autogov includes internal messaging system and email notification of various events and subscriptions.
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Optional Addons
As this section is based upon the BuddyPress, all plugins of Buddypress could be easily added

Public Modules

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Public Positions
These are temporary (3 months to begin with) supervision tasks paid with Voins (through the Public Fund). The are like the government ministers, except their task is to decide things as little as possible. Instead they are to coordinate the Vontests necessary to decide and solve any situation within their topic.
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Public Tasks
Quite often, proposals that win in the Public Fund Vontest need someone in charge of getting them to fruition, thus through its resolution a new Task Vontest is created. Everybody can propose himself or others to do it for a fee and the Vontest winner gets the commission. These tasks are generally supervised by the corresponding Position holder.
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Public News
What is important for everyone to know? Who decides that? Well a What is news Vontest of course, to begin with, to which everyone is subscribed and notified. However, there could be some urgent events that cannot wait for a Vontest and need to be publicized immediately. That is the work of the News and Warnings Position
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Public Log and Stats
It All depends on its credibility
The main strength and security for Autogov is its transparency, that is why everything that occurs within it is logged and available for public scrutiny in the Public Log.
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Our main Values and Goals
This list is simply the answer to the continuous Vontest: “What values are most important for us?” 
 We could expect Happiness, Love, Freedom. Peace, Progress, Self- realization, etc to figure up there. It is just a reference to be used in debates as an evaluation parameter. What do we mean exactly by each concept? Well, obviously for Autogov, that also depends on the outcome of the Vontests: “What is freedom?”, “What is Peace?”, etc.

Similarly with the continuous Vontest "What are our communities main goals?"
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Meta Laws
Autogov strives to be as neutral and meta a structure as possible. A transparent glass to contain and transform the liquid content living within it. It intents to be a Nothing that facilitates All and then selects the Best of each from it. However, even a glass requires some limits that give the whole stability and long term confidence. For that purpose we introduce the Metalaws. These special laws can only be changed by a special majority (by default 70%)
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Meta Laws Defaults and Examples
- The Golden Rule
- The Autonomy Principle
- No one above, no one behind (in terms of static power)
- Altruism equals long term thought Egoism
- Rights of the minority, individual
- No one knows what is good, only the vontests do
- Everything should be decided and perform as horizontally, atomically, and publically as possible.
- The UN Declaration of Human Rights
- The Local Constitution

The actual Interface
(and a few Diagrams):

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The Inspiration
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Home Page
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Politics Main Page
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Create Vontest Page
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Decision Page
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Economy Main Page
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Social Main Page
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Group Main Page
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Me Main Page
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Components Diagram
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Programming Diagram


Autogov General Features

What kind of Democracy is Autogov? It is a...


Sure, we each think we know better, or that the experts we prefer do. But when it comes to “what is best for us all”, there is no real expertise to learn, and there are alleged experts in favor of all contradictory opinions.

We should, and can only, trust ourselves, and that trust will in turn promote through time and facilitate the inclusion and optimization of everybody into the debate.

Everybody can do everything, directly, should she want to.

To avoid dependence and exploitation, and to ensure independence of voting and debate, users most feel secure in life and thus total gained resources should be distributed among users assuring a universal basic income. Without this minimum playing field the system is rigged and bound to fail.

 Each part knows better about itself than the rest. As long as it does not directly affect the freedom of the rest, it should be free to choose about itself.

Confidence and accountability is essential. In Autogov, everything is public by default, except for personal and group communications. But even those are logged and, should there be an important incidence, can be consulted.

With Autogov there is no need to ask for money or for power or for permission. The community creates its own money, power and legitimacy, and is therefore independent and resilient.

Can you imagine the feeling of knowing that every time you come home frustrated from something or every time you get outraged from reading the news, you actually can do something about it immediately?

Why do we say ‘creative’ market? Is it just a marketing term? We believe, once automation and technology create enough abundance, humans will discover their creativity. We believe creativity in every sphere will become more and more essential in the human experience.

We all (mostly) know by now about the massive unemployment due to automation threat due to arrive in the next decade. 

Autogov with its basic income and creative market is ready to turn that threat into a freedom for humans opportunity.

As to the challenge to create a future friendly relationship and power balance between AI agents and humans, Autogov can provide two good scenarios: (1) Humans decide with expert help from AI in the debate stage of the Vontests. (2) Humans and Robots (and anything in between) debate and decide together as equal members of Autogov.

Al issues remain open for further debate, refinement, nudging and re-voting after they have been decided some way or other. Its all permanently softly rebalancing like a liquid. The frequency of a decision, the notoriety it gets, the credibility of any user, all vary according to time and topic and balance…

Let us divide every issue into its smallest components and carefully analyze its pros and cons, refine it, variate it, simulate it, compare it, mix it. (“Shake well before voting”) A lot of the extremism, anger and impotence in current 2OptionsPer4Years democracies will be solved just with that.

Through the Internet and Software a level of flexible interaction is possible without which it was mechanichally impossible to effectuate a Ddddddemocracy.

 

In the space-time-topic continuum. Whereas in todays democracies or todays community meetings few questions can be addressed at the same time and those take weeks to properly discuss and decide, in the dynamic always on internet, every second, every topic or tag, everybody can participate all the time. Plus decisions can be broken down to their most elemental questions, and often only that makes for easier decision making

Hate how some question was voted and decided? Already seeing something didn’t work as expected? No need to wait 4 years or even a month. The debate is continuous and if the leading answer in any ongoing Vontest changes, a new Votography is automatically set.

We can be proud of the freedoms we have gained, but, if we have to dedicate our time to something we don’t care about and obey our often stupid bosses or else we starve, how free we really are? Real freedom to do what we want with our life (within the no harm limits of course) is within reach in our times through the super efficient mechanism of UBI. With Autogov, with its independent and democratic currency, the implementation of it becomes much easier.

One of the main fears of people when faced with the prospect of doing the political decisions themselves is boredom or tedious. Through its gamification tools, Autogov can make participating in society an existential game. Each community can give this more or less importance by assigning monetary or just recognition awards.

Should a community prefer to use Bitcoin, Ethereum or any other altcoin instead of Voins, it can directly do so.

As for the decentralized security and accountability provided by Blockchain technology, there is a WordPress plugin: WP Blockchain that can easily be installed and configured to provide it for Autogov.

IMPLEMENTATION
GET STARTED

There are many ways you can participate and
collaborate with Autogov