Defining the forums legally
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 1:28 am
Don't you think it's a little bit strange that the definition of our forums is so ad-hoc? The only part of the LawBook that's actually about forums is the one listing our historic forums (which the vile Children of Vanchau have destroyed, btw). I guess there are reasons for it - flexibility maybe - but I think we should at least *try* to write a bill that defines our forumset legally... it would make my job more fun 
.
Here's my attempt at a first draft:
- define the categories and the important forums (and the realllly important subforums) right there in the law. And some not that important ones such as Shrine of Controversy...
- is declaring the categories too inflexible? Do we want to just list the forums and leave the categories on their own?
- leave the less important bits as ad-hoc as before, and leave the bits that have a good reason to stay ad-hoc, ad-hoc
- implement local prerogative for Duchies correctly (I might be posting about this as a principle eventually, but I've got a few things to get around in Straylight and the MiniInt and the Landsraad first, so don't look forward to hearing about it too soon)
- define the Steward's position in terms of user privileges, as global moderator. This might become a bit of a point of contention... do we want the Steward to be a board admin instead?
- a bunch of other points, messiness due to this being a first draft, random issues that might or might not be important that I didn't even notice myself, etc?
.Here's my attempt at a first draft:
Basically:LawBook section XI. D. "Historic forums" shall be removed.
A new section shall be added to the LawBook as section XI. D., named "Forums":
1. There official Message Board of Shireroth shall be hosted at http://shireroth.kuroshiro.net/forum/index.php. The Imperial Government, all of the Subdivisions, and other Shirithian functions, shall be hosted on this board.
1.1. If the Message Board of Shireroth is moved to a different URL, Shirerithian citizens with knowledge about the move must make a reasonable effort that all Shirithian citizens and denizens will know about the new URL.
2. The Board Administrators shall be the Kaiser, the Minister of the Interior, Erik Metzler, and Scott Alexander.
2.1. The Board Administrators shall be given membership in the Administrators usergroup as their primary group.
2.2. The Message Board of Shireroth may be moved to a different URL by command of a Board Administrator.
2.3. The Steward of Shireroth shall be a global moderator, but not a Board Administrator merely by having the position of Steward.
3. The Message Board of Shireroth is divided into categories, forums, and subforums.
3.1. Each forum shall have a Forum Leader, who shall be given moderatorship over the forum, and authority to create subforums and choose other forum leaders within the forum as they will. Forums and forum leaders may also be changed freely by Landsraad legislation or Imperial Decrees.
3.1.1. As changes requested by forum leaders are implemented by the Board Administrators, the Board Administrators may reject such changes. If the Minister of the Interior is given a request in his ministry and he rejects the request, he must notify the requester about the decision.
3.2. Forum leaders may choose the names of their forums.
3.3. Unless otherwise noted, forums shall be visible from the board front page. Forum leaders have authority to decide on the visibility of their forums.
3.4. Forum leaders may request for subforums with restricted permissions from the Ministry of the Interior. The Ministry shall set a price for the creation of such forums to be paid to the Crown account.
4.The forums and categories shall be as follows:
4.1. A General category, containing General Discussion, and Shrine of Controversy.
4.1.1. The Kaiser of Shireroth shall be the leader of General Discussion. Ari Rahikkala shall be the leader of the Shrine of Controversy.
4.2. A Government category, containing Kaiser's Court, Landsraad Front Gate, The Landsraad, and Imperial Judex. The Landsraad shall have subforums Landsraad Passed Bills, and Landsraad Archives.
4.2.1. The Kaiser of Shireroth shall be the leader of Kaiser's Court. The Praetor shall be the leader of Landsraad Front Gate, the Landsraad, and subforums of the Landsraad. The Arbiter shall be the leader of Imperial Judex.
4.3. A Ministry Row category. Each Ministry of Shireroth shall have a forum. Ministers shall be leaders in their respective ministry forums.
4.4. A Shirekeep City Center category. Forums and forum leaders shall be decided on by the Board Administrators.
4.5. A Military category. Forums and forum leaders shall be decided on by the Board Administrators.
4.6. A Subdivisions category. Each Duchy shall have a forum. Dukes shall be leaders in their respective Duchies.
4.6.1. Dukes may choose their subforums, moderators, and forum visibility policy as they see fit. However, in case they have no local policy, the default policy shall be as follows:
a. Each Barony gets a subforum under its Duchy's forum, with the Baron and the Duke as leaders of the forum.
b. Each County gets a subforum under its Barony's forum, with the Count, Baron and Duke as leaders of the forum.
c. County forums shall not be visible from the board front page if they have neither a count nor any interesting activity, as decided on by the Board Administrators.
4.7. An Archives category, containing all archived forums.
5. Board Administrators may create, change and archive forums and categories as will, as permitted by the board software given their administrative privileges. They are considered leaders of each forum. Forums whose existence is legislated may not be archived by Board Administrators.
- define the categories and the important forums (and the realllly important subforums) right there in the law. And some not that important ones such as Shrine of Controversy...
- is declaring the categories too inflexible? Do we want to just list the forums and leave the categories on their own?
- leave the less important bits as ad-hoc as before, and leave the bits that have a good reason to stay ad-hoc, ad-hoc
- implement local prerogative for Duchies correctly (I might be posting about this as a principle eventually, but I've got a few things to get around in Straylight and the MiniInt and the Landsraad first, so don't look forward to hearing about it too soon)
- define the Steward's position in terms of user privileges, as global moderator. This might become a bit of a point of contention... do we want the Steward to be a board admin instead?
- a bunch of other points, messiness due to this being a first draft, random issues that might or might not be important that I didn't even notice myself, etc?
