protocol concept to enable decentralization and expansion of a giving economy and a new social good
(seeking contributors, collaborators)
This concept begins with a description of what it is, and what it could be. First, the proposal here - a conceptual protocol to enable decentralization - is not new. There are many such protocols. At its essence, this proposal respects voluntaryist characteristics and ideas about free will inherent in many systems.
Basic level: Suggests a mechanism to be adopted for any cryptocurrency that would alter the fee layer to help fund a new public good. Just as this could be designed by developers for any decentralized cryptocurrency - bitcoin, litecoin, feathercoin, quarkcoin, and any of the many currencies that are blossoming - this could also be applied to any system which decentralizes the management of:
- widely used fiat currencies
- hourbank systems
- localized currency systems
- barter arrangements
Because this protocol would operate on a decentralized basis, there would be no single person or entity who could decide what would be funded on the microtransaction level. This would be determined differently by each person who is a user of a system employing this protocol. This protocol could be deployed via wallet technology, for example. It is thought that the development of a new social good via the ABIS protocol will occur more quickly as more and better anonymity options become available. Depending on the system people are using and what their intentions are, people may want to disclose a personal identity in connection with each of their transactions, or they may choose anonymity and obfuscate the origin of the giving process. If any user anywhere the world under a wallet or system that has integrated ABIS protocol wants to claim tax deductions available based on their giving - their microdonations - they might wish to reduce tax liability by keeping a record of their personal or family giving pattern. If any user wants to depart from common systems associated with taxation, and become part of a growing number of people who individually and collectively build a new public good with their generosity through what is proposed to become a completely voluntary system, the inclination will be in favor of anonymity, because a point will be reached at which many governing bodies around the globe will react poorly to these developments, and such governing bodies, as their power dissipates, will become more aggressive in their desire to extract resources from users. The ability to select anonymity of one's transactions in the ABIS protocol at any point will be a protective option, enabling users to remove themselves from coercive and violent systems at the microtransaction level.
It is proposed here that the ABIS protocol be implemented as part of each currency system - those in existence now and those that will come to be - dependent upon the will and ability of developers and users of currency systems to integrate the ABIS protocol into the system they are using and / or developing. Each wallet technology employing this protocol should thus be able to detect whether or not the currency system is utilizing the ABIS protocol, and if it is not, should provide ABIS protocol as an option to the currency system user (of any decentralized currency system) via the wallet technology. Because the ABIS protocol is proposed to be used in each decentralized currency system, any code associated with it will only come to be if user interest is present and to the extent that developers make it so. This proposal as described here comes only as a proposal, with no code attached. It will largely fall upon the various developers of decentralized cryptocurrency systems to decide what they want to do with this concept and whether they wish to develop code to support it. It is suggested that 'bounty' or 'reward' addresses be established as incentives to those considering code development to support the ABIS protocol concept.
A user's option in any given cryptocurrency might look like this under the ABIS protocol:
Optional transaction fee...
Pay transaction fee -- user-selected amount - - currency unit selection -
Divide donation -- user-selected percentage - - label of destination - - address of destination -
- user-selected percentage - - label of destination - - address of destination -
- user-selected percentage - - label of destination - - address of destination -
etc.
A user could hypothetically add an unlimited number of destination addresses to devote a portion of the microtransaction - for the purpose of keeping the system intact, the transaction fee should be hardcoded into any decentralized currency system to support that system, and the donation fee area - shown above as Divide donation - should either limit the number of destination addresses that the donation fee can be distributed to and / or limit the "tinyness" of the microdonation. Depending on the decentralized currency system, it's possible that microdonations of certain sizes will collectively become unmanageable, so each development team - depending on what currency system they are working with - should evaluate what appropriate threshold(s) should be for minimum size of the microdonation.
The net result of the ABIS protocol will be that whether someone wishes to purchase an orange, a boat, or anything at all, they will have the inherent ability to - on the transaction and microtransaction levels - decide what they will fund and support in the world. As a natural extension of the ABIS protocol, it is also proposed here that people freely - and on a purely voluntary basis - establish, develop, and manage addresses and systems of addresses - each of which would provide the eventual means to providing funding for the new public good as it evolves. Some examples of this: -systems of addresses that together make a new social security system intended to eventually be available to anyone -an address which represents a nonprofit that works to support the homeless with shelter and work -addresses and applications which provide funding for work on roads, drains, and other public infrastructure -decentralized marketplaces which present opportunities for building credits designed to help the natural environment through acquisition and dedication of open space, solar and wind opportunities, etc. voluntary certification programs - organic certifications, training programs for gardeners or hunters, fully decentralized associations or corporations pursuing a standard for a certain aspect of the new public good, etc. addresses supporting a decentralized higher education system for anyone with an interest in pursuit of knowledge systems designed to support a local currency etc.
There are numerous references in literature about this or related issues. Core developers will, based on their experience, figure out what will work and what will not in evaluating how to implement the ABIS protocol.
Project page: http://abis.io Plan of Action: https://gist.github.com/ABISprotocol/8515891