LEXICON

 DEBATE

Debates are a means by which members can create a threaded discussion on any Proposal within the Consul environment. Debates and comments can be ranked by popularity (thumbs up, thumbs down) to show support or otherwise for contributions made by a member to the discussion.

For more information: https://youtu.be/zU_0UN4VajY

DEMOCRACY

The word ‘democracy’ has its origins in the Greek language. It combines two shorter words: ‘demos’ meaning whole citizen living within a particular city-state and ‘kratos’ meaning power or rule.

  • It is generally agreed that liberal democracies are based on four main principles:

  • A belief in the individual: since the individual is believed to be both moral and rational;

  • A belief in reason and progress: based on the belief that growth and development is the natural condition of mankind and politics the art of compromise;

  • A belief in a society that is consensual: based on a desire for order and co-operation not disorder and conflict;

  • A belief in shared power: based on a suspicion of concentrated power (whether by individuals, groups or governments).

https://www.moadoph.gov.au/democracy/defining-democracy/#

Author’s definition: Democracy is: One issue; one person, one vote, a choice made by simple majority with no absolute but your right to choose, anytime, every time.


 A derivative of Information and Librarian ”Infor + marian”

Informarians are members of the co-operative and they are the curators of this deliberative culture. They are the principal point of all contact between the Public and the Co-operative. Informarians are responsible for:

  • the generation of original content for any Issue that they are assigned or selected

  • curating the conversations and contributions from the Public relevant to decision making and deliberation on the Issue.

  • assisting the Public with tiered levels of assistance to contributors based on “popularity & support” for their Proposal.

  • helping the Public with technology issues using the app. No software (or hardware) is perfect. We start with what we have and with your help, and our members expertise, create something better.

  • archive the information in the equivalent of a local wikipedia.

  • assist with registration and other issues related to Co-op transactions with Co-op members and the Public.

Informarians receive payment through votes. Every vote of 55c generates a 30c income for an informarian. It either goes to the default local informarian OR you choose to reward someone else for helping you decide.

The Public may also add a discretionary tip to any vote transaction, 55c is the cost of carriage, anything more says thank you to someone who cares that you get the best Information possible, provides you with a safe and respectful place to discuss, contribute, review and decide.

budget from 2016, indicative income & outgoings, Federal Politics.

Informarian

 Polls

Informarians are employed to curate and edit the following:

  • Receipt of bills, agenda items, or other forms of legislative articles from an Executive branch of local government;

  • Process and post the body of the proposition as a poll within the cooperatives Consul;

  • Draft arguments and supporting material to elaborate on the proposition within the polling process from Media, Other Institutions, Research and Development.

 Proposals

Informarians are employed to collaborate with members of the Consul community and bring their ideas into proposal coherence. They also have a range of other responsibilities such as;

  • Mentorship - Informarians also have a mentorship role that assists the Authors articulate issues at a local level;

  • Training - Introduction to different forms of digital media to support the Author in delivering their concept to a differing audience in a different media form;

  • Moderation - providing mediation and personal intervention where needed, and reinforcing Standards of Behaviour within the Code of Conduct.

 Help

Informarians welcome new members and help them familiarise themself with the main navigation features of the Consul community. They also provide assistance with:

  • Assistance - beginning Members can communicate directly with Informarians through message requests;

  • Understandings - in consultation with the latest documentation the Informarian will help Members understand the community Code of Conduct;

  • Updates - pass through feedback to Administration which informs the user experience development of the Consul community

Remuneration & Reward

Informarians receive a fixed share (30c or 54.54545454545455%) of every vote transaction received for a poll that they have been assigned to or they have taken Stewardship of.

Members may also provide a gratuity (tip) in acknowledgement of their exceptional service. eg $10.55 (says thank you to someone)

Informarians may work on many polls simultaneously across many Consul communities.

Every Informarian has a reputation ranking which informs members of their history, their trustworthiness and honesty. This provides members and the Public with an indication of their skills, interest and expertise.

Good service and reputation are rewarded through;

  • Priority - being invited to administer a particular poll

  • Choice - privilege to select popular polls.

 A Proposal

Proposals are created in two ways:

  1. From the top-down through the executive process of Government;

  2. From the bottom up through contributions by Members of the Consul Community

All proposals are given Resources with tiered levels of support available on attaining (“Milestones”) based on popularity and engagement with the constituency.

A Proposal will reach a critical mass of support that triggers a binding vote in a Poll.

The Proposal will then be decided by a simple majority (50%+1) taken from the pool of votes collected by the Co-op over the period determined in the proposal, nom. 30days.

 A Milestone

Proposals graduate through a set of targets, milestones, that enable the proposer and allies to utilise community resources to more widely promote the proposal in teh pursuit of more support such that it will be put to a vote.

Resources include:

  • Social media campaigns

  • Email campaigns

  • Physical media, such as print advertising, posters and handbills

  • Access to specialist skills such as graphic design, copy writing, video production, audio production

Collaborative Legislation

Collaborative Legislation is the integrated process of :

  • drafting a proposal

  • developing and maintaining support material

  • developing and refining a budget

  • allowing for the contribution, comment and debate by members within a time frame

  • transition the proposal to a poll for the decision making process

A LEGISLATIVE MATTER

An Informarion receives executive items to be raised as a poll, much like every level of Government has a term and form for the presentation of a Proposal to be voted on in the process of creating Legislation, Law or Budget (Operational or Project). 

Common terms are Bill, Agenda Item, Act, Budget.

An Informarian is the conduit for information passing between the administrative and operational bodies and the community of each constituency.

 A MATTER

Within the context of the Code of Practice and the Code of Conduct, which guides the actions of Informarians, a ‘Matter’ may mean a Proposal, a Discussion, a Debate, a Poll, or a Participatory Budget - a coverall term for any one (1) or combination of these activities.