113 lines
6.8 KiB
Markdown
113 lines
6.8 KiB
Markdown
# Modpol for Minetest
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Modpol, short for "modular politics," enables diverse governance processes on multi-user platforms. It offers a library with which users can choose, modify, and create modules that add specific governance functionalities.
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This implementation is a mod for [Minetest](https://minetest.net), a free/open-source voxel game. It is designed to be adapted to other multi-user platforms that also employ Lua as an extension language.
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## How to use it
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Modpol is built around groups called *orgs*. At the base is an org with all users in it, called `Root` by default. *Modules* enable people to do things within orgs, such as decide on membership, grant powers to the org, and much more. To get started in Minetest:
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* Type the command `/mp`
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* Select the org `Root`
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* Choose one of its modules to make new orgs and craft their behavior
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Modules can be nested in each other, so one module can rely on another module to accomplish a process. Users might use a module to unilaterally carry out actions in the game, or the module might require a group decision to do so. Users can also change the modules available to users of a given org. There are currently two ways of doing this:
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* Admins can remove modules from the list of modules loaded in `modpol_core/api.lua` and `modpol_minetest/api.lua`. This will make those modules no longer available to any user.
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* Players can change the modules available in a given org from within the program using the `Change modules` module. Removed modules can be re-added in any org by using `Change modules` again.
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Modpol should give you the ability to do whatever kind of politics you want with your modules. If there is something you would like to do that is not available, [develop a module for it](https://gitlab.com/medlabboulder/modpol/-/wikis/Module-Writing-Guide) (or ask us for help!).
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## Installation in Minetest
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To use this in Minetest, simply install it in your `mods/` or `worldmods/` folder. Minetest will load `init.lua`.
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In the game, open the Modpol dashboard with the command `/mp`.
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For testing purposes, players with the `privs` privilege (generally admins) can use the `/mp` command, which resets all the orgs and opens a dashboard.\
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## Standalone Version on the Command Line
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Modpol can also be used independently of Minetest as a command-line tool. Currently command-line use of modpol requires a Unix-style system, but it is intended to become more fully platform independent.
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The command-line version is in the `modpol` subdirectory. To run the program on Unix systems in CLI mode, install lua or luajit and execute the following in this directory:
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```
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$ lua[jit] login.lua
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```
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Alternatively, to test arbitrary functions in the interpreter outside of the interactive dashboards, load Modpol's library with:
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```
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$ lua[jit]
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> dofile("modpol_core/modpol.lua")
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```
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In the interpreter, for a list of global functions and tables, use `modpol.menu()`.
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## Storage
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The persistent storage method may be chosen in `modpol.lua`. If available, Modpol uses Minetest's built-in StorageRef system for Minetest 5.*. If that is not available, or in CLI mode, data will be stored in a data directory at `modpol_core/data/`. This will contain a log file and serialized program data files.
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## Design philosophy
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Modpol seeks to implement a theoretical framework called "[modular politics](https://metagov.org/modpol)," which proposes these design goals:
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* *Modularity*: Platform operators and community members should have the ability to construct systems by creating, importing, and arranging composable parts together as a coherent whole.
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* *Expressiveness*: The governance layer should be able to implement as wide a range of processes as possible.
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* *Portability*: Governance tools developed for one platform should be portable to another platform for reuse and adaptation.
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* *Interoperability*: Governance systems operating on different platforms and protocols should have the ability to interact with each other, sharing data and influencing each other's processes.
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Additionally, Modpol seeks to counteract the tendency for "[implicit feudalism](https://ntnsndr.in/ImplicitFeudalism)," according to which rigid, top-down power structures are the norm in online spaces. To this end, some design patterns include:
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* *Groups, not roles*: While most platforms assign powers through particular permissions given to individuals, in Modpol, power lies in groups (which Modpol calls "orgs").
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* *Consent, not oligarchy*: Rather than assuming that decisions will be made by a few power-holders, the software assumes that consent by all affected users is the norm.
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* *Inheritance, not blank slates*: When a new group is formed, it inherits the patterns of what preceded it, rather than imagining that it is starting from scratch.
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It is certainly possible to use Modpol to replicate practices of implicit feudalism, such as all-powerful admins, but doing so requires extra work to overcome these defaults.
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## Documentation
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Various guides are available at the [GitLab wiki](https://gitlab.com/medlabboulder/modpol/-/wikis/home).
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Read documentation of functions and modules at `docs/doc/index.html`. Documentation was generated using [LDoc](https://stevedonovan.github.io/ldoc/). To generate basic documentation for every page, download `ldoc` and use the following command:
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```
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$ cd docs/
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$ ldoc ..
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```
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This will not generate the same index page and sidebar as the documentation provided; the appropriate structure needs to be added manually.
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## Credits
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This project is led by [Nathan Schneider](https://nathanschneider.info) of the [Media Enterprise Design Lab](https://colorado.edu/lab/medlab) at the University of Colorado Boulder, as part of the [Metagovernance Project](https://metagov.org).
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Contributors include:
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* [Luke Miller](https://gitlab.com/lukvmil) (co-leadership, main control flow, object orientation, module spec)
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* [MisterE](https://gitlab.com/gbrrudmin) (early project refactoring, core feature development)
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* Robert Kiraly [[OldCoder](https://github.com/oldcoder/)] (ocutils.lua, storage-local.lua, project refactoring)
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* Skylar Hew (documentation)
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We are grateful for initial support for this project from a residency with [The Bentway Conservancy](https://www.thebentway.ca/). Read about us in _[The Field Guide to Digital and/as Public Space](https://www.thebentway.ca/stories/field-guide/)_.
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## Contributing
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We'd love to welcome more contributors. Please join the conversation in the [Issues](https://gitlab.com/medlabboulder/modpol/-/issues), our [Matrix.org channel](https://matrix.to/#/#minetest-modpol:matrix.org), and the [Minetest.net forum](https://forum.minetest.net/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=26037).
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Learn more about the project and how to develop your own modules in [the wiki](https://gitlab.com/medlabboulder/modpol/-/wikis/home).
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## Licenses
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* [Project](LICENSE.mt): MIT
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* [Lua Serpent Serializer](serpent/LICENSE.txt): MIT
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