User:Mike-ZeleaCom/Public mirror

A public mirror is a device that enables an open, topical community (a public) to formalize the definitive bounds of its own communications, and therein the image of itself. It works by revealing the topical discussion as a whole. The revealing image is formed at the mirror front as a timely sequence of references (links) each pointing to a communication of the public, such that all links together define the total of that public's communications in time and space.

[MF]Mirror front. A concept sketch of a mirror front.

The mirror front is similar in form to a conventional news feed. It aggregates a timely sequence of disclosures concerning a specific topic or topical category. The differences are in a) the exclusion of mass communications from the sequence, b) the claim to totality, and c) the self-determination that redeems that claim. (a) A principle criterion for the inclusion of a boundary link in the sequence is that one may immediately join the linked communication and reply in kind as a peer. The link is always actually to an inter-communication, a thread of discussion, and always among peers; unidirectional or asymmetric exchanges such as mass communications are excluded.

(b) The image formed at the mirror front is asserted to cover the entire public discussion of the topic across all communication media and sites. It claims to be the most complete, accurate and up-to-date outline of the extended discourse that is available anywhere.

(c) This claim is redeemed by the public members themselves who continually submit the boundary links, self-organize the necessary labour, and self-constitute the necessary government. No aspect of this redeeming self-determination is controlled by an external authority.

Utility

A public mirror will effectively resolve the entire participatory discussion of its topic across all communication media and sites. This would be something new. To borrow a metaphor from Jeff Atwood, discussion is still the "dark matter" of the internet. It would be useful and interesting to light it up and reveal the true shape of its larger self, both to those who are already participating in the discussion, and to those who might wish to join it.

Structure

[S]Structural design.

Two types of intake component are deployed behind the mirror front: tributary and trunk. The tributary intakes are arrayed in a fan-out that cuts across multiple discussion media and communication modes, making it convenient for participants to submit new links. Meanwhile a single trunk intake serves to vet the submitted links and maintain the quality of the image as projected at the mirror front. See figure S.

• Intake - An input interface for receiving submitted links.
• Mirror front - The output interface that presents the vetted links together as the definitive image of the public.
• Submitted link - A reference to a potential inter-communication (discussion thread) of the public.
• Tributary intake - An intake that relays its submitted links to a trunk intake.
• Trunk intake - The intake that vets the submitted links and relays them directly to the mirror front.
• Vetted link - A submitted link that is judged by the vetters to reference a valid thread of the public, e.g. by a majority approval that holds for a stipulated time.

Function

The following operational roles are expected to be required for the routine function of a mirror. They exclude roles of governance, which have yet to be designed.

• Submitter @ intake - Sends a thread link to the intake.
• Tributary relayer @ tributary intake - Translates submitted links from the tributary intake to the trunk intake. Mediates informal communications between the tributary submitters and the trunk vetters. Each tributary relayer is also a trunk vetter.
• Trunk relayer @ trunk intake - Identifies vetted links at the trunk intake and translates them to the mirror front.
• Trunk vetter @ trunk intake - Reviews submitted links at the trunk intake and votes to approve or reject each.

Prototypes

[P]Prototype implementation.

A minimal prototype was assembled from off-shelf components and deployed on the topic of public imaging itself (fig. P). The mirror back is currently implemented as a stub without any tributary intakes; all links are submitted directly to the trunk intake. The front is implemented as a subreddit. It isn't necessarily pretty at this stage, but it works.

• Google Group mir-in   Trunk intake implemented as a combination mailing list, web forum and issue tracking system in the form of a Google Group in "collective inbox" mode.
• Subreddit r/MirMir   Mirror front implemented as a news feed in the form of a reddit subreddit.

A second prototype on this same pattern (right) is also running:

• Google Group no7-in   Trunk intake
• Subreddit r/No7Mir   Mirror front

Problems

The prototypes have shortcomings, some of which are temporarily floated in an Etherpad bug tracker. If the tracker happens to be defaced, then please refer to the backup copy instead.

Addenda

Property settings

• Date (Jul 26 2013)
• Form (Google Groups)
• Form (Reddit)
• Origin (Votorola)
• Purpose (Stuff:Outcast)
• Stage (alpha)

 }}