Plan to build a new Virtual City (Cyber City) on liberal principles (Public Discussion)

[Wili Clip]

Purpose of this forum post is to initiate a public discussion on topic of building a virtual city based on liberal principles in Second Life.
This topic will be edited and updated on the go.

To do:
1) Set up a scripting university that will recruit and train new scripters that will help building supportive systems for virtual life and cooperation enablers.

2) Create a basic framework and procedure for land owners to join the Liberium Project. Define how they can contribute to the project (virtual land contributions, buildings -> university, ministries, city headquarters) 

Share with us how you think a virtual city could open doors of many opportunities. How to set foundations for a virtual city so that it can provide value for it residents (through education, cooperation, trade,... ).

 

The idea is to build a virtual city in Second Life that would operate under public consent for matters of public interest and would be based on liberal principles.

This is not something that any individual person could achieve alone because a set of different experience, skill sets and talents are needed to run a multicultural cyber city. Cooperation of everyone interested will be needed.

There is an unique set of problems and opportunites in front of us that we will need to define,create and organize departments like ministries that contain interested people who are most educated and interested to run them. Everyone interested will be able to offer solutions and laws like proposals for solutions to problems.

In my opinion best and least risky approach to an attempt of building a framework for something we can call a true cyber city is through a public experiment. Second Life is currently the best virtual environment to conduct such and experiment or an attempt to create a framework for a virtual cities.

Experimental city name: City Of Liberium
Goal:  Goal of the city is to create public structures within a city that will benefit wider public interest and enable advancement of everyone involved in cyber city life. New fun activities and useful things for residents to do for good of the wider virtual public and personal spirits, satisfaction.
Starting activity: Creating an inworld facility where education and social meetings can be conducted.
City borders: City borders doesn't need to be limited on one sim. Amneties of the city can be on multiple sims connected through special city boards signs that include all participating lands.
Education: Education would be one of the main activities provided to residents. City would be especially strong on scripting classes and design but other types of education such as learning languages, history, politics, law can be provided if proper professionals volunteer their time to offer such classes for free or small fees.
Monetary System:  Team of City scripters would work on a monetary system that would provide residents an internal currency they would be able to use to pay for services and products among residents. Such internal currency is needed for city to be able to provide incentives to all cooperating subjects.
City Scripters: Scripters would have an important role in developing systems that would help to partially or fully automatize governance, voting systems, offer technological support to virtual education approaches and  would provide advanced complex systems to enhance role play activities for residents and make a virtual city life fun and interesting thing to take part in.
Governance/Management/Founding Fathers: There would be a council of all residents that contribute more then average for the City Of Liberium to function that would regulary meet up and vote and discuss on important matters (their role would be to provide and agree on legislative framework that organize departments).
They would have an ability to open up or shut down ministries that would organize and govern areas that are of public interests such as education.
Proposed starting set of ministries with people heading them:

• Ministry of virtual Education
• Ministry of Scripting & Technology
• Ministry of Virtual Arhitecture & Design
• Ministry of Virtual Finances
• Ministry of Virtual Law & Justice
• Other Ministries that will be opened.....

(Ministries would only be created if a proper professional or in that area educated person can be found that can run it can be found).

Everyone interested can join Second Life Group: City Of Liberium

It is important to understand what based on liberal principles means. 10 liberal principles:

Principle 1. The life of each individual is an absolute and universal moral value. No non-aggressive individual's life, liberty, or property may be legitimately sacrificed for any goal.

Principle 2. Every individual owns his body, his mind, and the labor thereof, including the physical objects legitimately obtained through such labor.

Principle 3. Every individual has the right to pursue activities for the betterment of his life - including its material, intellectual, and emotional aspects - by using his own body and property, as well as the property of consenting others.

Principle 4. The rights of an individual to life, liberty, and property are inherent to that individual's nature. They are not granted by other human beings, and they cannot be taken away by any entity.

Principle 5. The initiation of physical force, the threat of such force, or fraud against any individual is never permissible - irrespective of the position and character of the initiator. However, proportionate force may be used to retaliate and defend against aggression.

Principle 6. The sole fundamental purpose of government is to protect the rights of individuals by engaging in actions specifically delegated to the government by its constituents. Government is not the same as society, nor is the government entitled to sacrifice some non-aggressive individuals to advance the well-being of others.

Principle 7. Every individual has the absolute right to think and express any ideas. Thought and speech are never equivalent to force or violence and ought never to be restricted or to be subject to coercive penalties. Specifically, coercion and censorship on the basis of religious or political ideas are not acceptable under any circumstances.

Principle 8. Commerce, technology, and science are desirable, liberating forces that are capable of alleviating historic ills, improving the quality of human life, and morally elevating human beings. The complete freedom of trade, innovation, and thought should be preserved and supported for all human beings in the world.

Principle 9. Accidents of birth, geography, or ancestry do not define an individual and should not result in manmade restrictions of that individual's rights or opportunities. Every individual should be judged purely on his or her personal qualities, including accomplishments, character, and knowledge.

Principle 10. There are no "natural" or desirable limits to human potential for good, and there is no substantive problem that is necessarily unsolvable by present or future human knowledge, effort, and technology. It is a moral imperative for humans to expand their mastery of the universe indefinitely and in such a manner as will reinforce the survival and flourishing of all non-aggressive individuals.

[Dillon Levenque]

I think you'd be better served to post this in the Role Play section, since RP is clearly what it is. Second Life already provides for all the things you're describing (well, SL doesn't specifically forbid the use of physical force, but since there IS no way to use force in SL that's kinda moot). Since you want your city to work on its own agreed upon currency, you must make that 'agreed upon' part of RP rules. Thus RP is the only way to go for your idea.

Good luck. I have to admit I do find the idea interesting, and I don't generally care for RP. I don't think your cyber city would ever work as described but it could be a fascinating maelstrom of dissidence. I would be tempted to be a minor player, checking in now and then and maybe carrying a placard in the current social action demo.

[Wili Clip]

It is impossible to know if a virtual city can work in a way anyone can imagine it. I believe it can work. In what way we can't know yet and that is why I believe its best we formulate it as an experiment and discuss together to see if there is enough of people that find the idea interesting enough to want to take part in it.

The City Of Liberium would not be a role play city (role play would not be prohibited and would be a welcomed activity especially in the designed areas of sims for role playing). Education that would happen under the city's realm would be real and the purpose of this virtual city would be to find way how to organize things that actually provide added value to its residents.

Real knowledge, real friends and real social relationships, business partnerships and cooperation would take place in the City Of Liberium.  City would grow a giant international community and would provide solutions, know how and best practices in virtual education, community building and virtual business cooperation and commerce and solutions to enhance and boost virtual GDP and facilitate and boost exchange of virtual services and products between residents.

[Orca Flotta]

Will, this all sounds very nice but is kinda impossible in  SL. SL land can only be owned by one person or a group (which also has an owner). So all attempts to form a democratic gov'ment are moot. I don't know **bleep** about OSG but I guess a project like yours is better hosted there.

[Aethelwine]

The Confederation of Democratic Simulators (CDS) has been doing this in a historic setting successfully and for 5 years maybe more. You may wish to look them up for tips and assistance.

[Celestiall Nightfire]

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Wili Clip wrote:

Purpose of this forum post is to initiate a public discussion on topic of building a virtual city based on liberal principles in Second Life.

The idea is to build a virtual city in Second Life that would operate under public consent for matters of public interest

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Hypergrid   ....Open Sim  .....Go!     *laughing*

Seriously, you'll need to go open sim to do this.

I'm a member of sci-fi communities in Hypergrid, and a resident of other grids out in the metaverse.  You need to explore.  You might be surprised what you find...  ; )

[Wili Clip]

We will need to create some legal framework to define how land owners can cooperate (This is not something I am specialized for so any suggestion or links to case studies or research is welcome).

I am specialized in setting up complex systems. This is the aspect I can contribute to popularization and adoption of virtual city.

I will try to organize a scripting school where we will work on systems that land owners will be able to integrate to include their land for virtual city. There could be a central city system that would allow all other scripters to develop derivative products that would be plugged on the main system.

 

[Tor Karlsvalt]

Hi Will,

Yes, the Confederation of Democratic Simulators has been a democracy in Second Life for almost 10 years.  We were founded as Neualtenburg in September 2004.   A dispute with a founder required us to change the name of our island to Neufreistadt.  Since then we have added four regions: Colonia Nova, Alpine Meadow, Locus Amoenus and Monastery.  At present we have over 70 citizens.  

We are in the midst of a special election for Chancellor.   Despite what one may think, we are indeed a resident governed estate. 

Come check us out.  We would look upon your endeavor with interest and support your efforts.