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Upstreet Charter

Charter Draft

Prompt (jin)

VERSION 1.0 - MARCH 2023

Preamble

These truths are self-evident:

  • the digital realm, consisting of computers, mobile phones, the internet, augmented and virtual reality, the metaverse and other related technologies, is a permanent and important part of human society.
  • people are endowed with certain inalienable rights that apply in the digital realm, just as they apply in the physical realm.
  • people have the right to live their lives in the digital realm, with the same freedom, dignity, and personal sovereignty as in the physical realm.
  • rights in the digital realm shall not be abridged without due process of law. Any abridgment of digital rights must further a compelling government interest and be narrowly tailored to achieve that interest.

The Digital Rights

  1. Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in the digital realm.
  2. Everyone has the right to own, and hold in their own direct and exclusive possession and control, digital objects, without unreasonable burdens. The government shall not have the right to store or access passwords or private keys without due process of law. All other legal or natural persons shall not have the right to store or access passwords or private keys without explicit permission.
  3. Everyone has the right to be free to transact digital objects, without unreasonable burdens.
  4. Everyone has the right to use decentralized applications, without unreasonable burdens.
  5. Everyone has the right to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures of their digital objects and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. This right extends to digital objects and information a person provides to a third party, whether intentionally or unintentionally. The government may not search or seize such digital objects or information without complying with the requirements of the foregoing sentence.
  6. Everyone has the right to participate in the creation and maintenance of digital public commons, such as open-source software and public blockchains and distributed ledgers. No one shall be held responsible for the actions of others in a digital public commons that is not under that person's control.
  7. Everyone has the right to privacy in their digital life. The right to privacy also includes the right of everyone to use encryption that is free from back doors or other intentional weaknesses or circumventions in the encryption that are accessible by the government or private companies or individuals. Interpretations of this right should be read broadly and to favor an individual's right to privacy.
  8. Everyone has the right to be treated in a non-discriminatory manner regardless of sex, race, color, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or other belief, political opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age, gender or sexual orientation.
  9. Everyone has the right to exit from any digital service by claiming their personal digital data. Digital services that utilize data held on a public blockchain are presumed compliant with this clause. Digital services that hold data in a private database must make such data available for export in common formats, in reasonable timeframes, using reasonable methods.
  10. Everyone in the digital realm has the right to speak, assemble, practice their religion, conduct scientific and academic research, and petition the government.
  11. Everyone has the right to define contractual rights in the digital realm and allow exercise of those rights in a personal or automated manner.
  12. Everyone is free from collective punishment in the digital realm.
  13. Everyone has the right to act in the digital realm through anonymous identities, pseudonymous identities and/or software agents, so long as each person maintains personal responsibility for the actions of all their identities and agents.
  14. The rights enumerated above cannot be abridged, except when narrowly tailored to further a legitimate and compelling government interest and after due process of law. In any proceeding to abridge the rights enumerated above, the defendant shall have the right to legal representation and shall enjoy the presumption of innocence. National security exceptions to the above should be time- and scope-limited and supervised by a competent court with a presumption that hearings should be public. In no case should national security exemptions be applied to collective societal restrictions of digital rights.
  15. Everyone has the obligation to comply with the relevant laws and regulations of their respective state and community, in a manner consistent with the rights enumerated above, and to respect the rights of others to conduct their digital lives peacefully.

Metaverse Makers Mastermind (M3) Charter

Who we are

We are a group of makers working to reify a practical "Metaverse".
We are doing this through open products, content production, education, and fundraising.

Let's break that down.

What is a Metaverse?

A metaverse is a three-dimensional world, existing in computers, created by many different people with many conflicting goals, who nonetheless loosely agree on interoperable evolving standards.

So it's the Matrix?

Maybe "The Matrix" is an inspiration, but we're not trying to recreate reality.

So it's the web?

The web has a lot of the right properties, but it isn't a "three-dimensional world". Technology like WebXR might help. We embrace any technology that can help, as long as it is based on interoperable evolving standards.

So it's VR? AR? 2D?

A three-dimensional world can be viewed through many lenses. It can be on a flat screen, attached to real locations, or completely virtual. Interoperability means these should all talk to each other.

So it's Facebook Horizon/Steam/Oculus/Magic Leap?

These projects are run by a single business that sets the goal and dictates the standards. We can't work in a vacuum, so we try to fit our ideas with theirs.

So it's VRChat/Minecraft/Decentraland/CryptoVoxels?

These projects are amazing, but not sufficiently interoperable, and also generally led by a single organization.

What is a "maker"

A maker is someone who contributes towards fulfilling the goal. Making takes many shapes, such as ideation, organization, data research, design, execution, funding and other endeavors that advance our mission.

A maker is not in the group for entertainment, appreciation, or keeping "up to date".

If you are not a maker you may still enjoy the things we produce, and you can still support our mission in other ways.

What is "practical"

Practical means we are forward-thinking pragmatists. Our work cannot exist in a vacuum.

Here are some things we do not believe:

  • We are right and everyone else is wrong
  • Everything should be "open source"
  • If we make great things, people will come help
  • Results emerge organically, by something other than our work
  • We appreciate volunteers who work for free
  • People and organizations are benevolent
  • If we wait, it will happen

Here are some things we do believe:

  • Bias towards action and tentative answers rather than perpetual questions and talk
  • Clarity of thought is important
  • Our ideas compete with giants who want different things
  • Money is needed for us to survive
  • Everyone wants something different, but we can take aim together
  • Promotion of our ideas is important work
  • Time is of the essence, because others aren't waiting

Our activities

  • Regular meetings to discuss and present our ideas, and be held to accountable progress on them.
  • Research events that serve as both learning and promotion of our ideas.
  • Producing clear communications of our ideas, in the form of videos, blog posts, social media activity, and so on.
  • Fundraising work, including Github Sponsors/Patreon/Venture Capital, where having capital available helps the group's goals.
  • Organization and coordination of presentations with other leaders who do not necessarily share our views.
  • Managing minutae, such as the Github organization, Discord channels, video transcriptions, etc.

How you can help

  • Participate in our meetings by presenting your idea and what you've learned.
  • Work on a project that is missing, or missing in the right shape, in the open metaverse community.
  • Promote the group to an audience who might be interested in helping out the mission.
  • Sponsor us as a subscriber.
  • Sponsor us as an advertiser.

I'm working on a charter for a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) that's for a community that wants to build The Street inspired by Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, in order to weave a thread between disparate virtual worlds. The project we're building is called Upstreet, it's going to be an immersive and infinite virtual world inhabited by humans and AI agents. Gathering inspiration from the Global Digital Rights Charter, and the M3 charter, and these beliefs about an open metaverse below, can you channel the spirit of the Founding Fathers and John Barlow to come up with a bullet list that can act as a 21st century DAO constitution for Upstreet:

  • freedom of expression: custom avatars / worlds
  • freedom to transact: neutral infrastructrue for payments
  • leverages interoperable open standards and/or open source
  • right of exit: low switching costs to migrate content to third party clients
  • strong guarantees of privacy aka ability to self host a client / presence server, inspect what's happening under the hood (linux vs windows)

Response 1

Certainly! Here's a bullet list that can serve as a 21st-century DAO constitution for Upstreet, inspired by the principles of the Global Digital Rights Charter, M3 Charter, and your beliefs about an open metaverse:

Upstreet Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) Constitution

Preamble
We, the participants of Upstreet, recognizing the transformative potential of an immersive and infinite virtual world, hereby establish this constitution to safeguard the fundamental principles of freedom, privacy, and openness within our digital realm.

Article 1: Freedom of Expression

  1. Every Upstreet citizen shall have the unalienable right to freedom of expression, including the creation and customization of avatars and virtual worlds, without censorship or discrimination.

Article 2: Freedom to Transact

  1. Upstreet shall provide a neutral and open infrastructure for digital transactions, ensuring fair and unrestricted access for all participants.
  2. All financial transactions within Upstreet shall be transparent, secure, and decentralized.

Article 3: Open Standards and Open Source

  1. Upstreet shall be built upon interoperable open standards and open-source technologies to promote collaboration, innovation, and accessibility.
  2. All software and protocols developed for Upstreet shall be open source, allowing community contributions and scrutiny.

Article 4: Right of Exit

  1. Upstreet users shall have the unequivocal right to exit the platform, with minimal switching costs, and migrate their content and data to third-party clients or alternative platforms.
  2. The process of data migration and content transfer shall be facilitated and supported by Upstreet.

Article 5: Guarantees of Privacy

  1. Upstreet shall prioritize user privacy and security, enabling users to self-host clients and presence servers.
  2. Users shall have the right to inspect and control their digital environment, including the ability to choose between different operating systems and access to transparent code.

Article 6: Governance and Amendments

  1. Upstreet's governance shall be decentralized and participatory, allowing all community members to have a say in decisions that impact the platform's development and policies.
  2. Amendments to this constitution may be proposed and ratified through a transparent and democratic process, ensuring the preservation of our fundamental principles.

Article 7: Enforcement of Rights

  1. The Upstreet DAO shall establish mechanisms for enforcing the rights and principles outlined in this constitution.
  2. Any violations of these rights shall be subject to due process, with a presumption of innocence and access to legal representation.

Article 8: Non-Discrimination

  1. Upstreet shall promote non-discrimination and inclusivity, ensuring that all participants are treated with respect and dignity regardless of their background, identity, or beliefs.

Article 9: Promotion of a Unified Metaverse

  1. Upstreet shall actively work towards interconnecting with other virtual worlds and metaverse projects, striving for a cohesive and interoperable digital realm.

Article 10: Preservation of Cultural Heritage

  1. Upstreet recognizes the importance of preserving and promoting cultural heritage within the virtual world, and will support initiatives that aim to protect and celebrate diverse cultural expressions.

Article 11: Sustainability and Responsibility

  1. Upstreet shall prioritize environmental sustainability and responsible development practices in its operations and infrastructure.

Article 12: Final Provisions

  1. This constitution shall serve as the guiding document for Upstreet, reflecting our shared values and vision for a decentralized and open metaverse.
  2. All participants in Upstreet shall uphold and abide by the principles outlined herein.

This constitution, inspired by the spirit of the Founding Fathers and the principles of a 21st-century metaverse, establishes a framework for governance and values within the Upstreet DAO. It is our commitment to creating a virtual world that embodies freedom, openness, and respect for individual rights.

Inspiration

  • Collaboration
  • Community ownership
  • Fun
  • Guided by web philosophy

  • freedom of expression: custom avatars / worlds
  • freedom to transact: neutral infrastructrue for payments
  • leverages interoperable open standards and/or open source
  • right of exit: low switching costs to migrate content to third party clients
  • strong guarantees of privacy: ability to self host a client / presence server, inspect what's happening under the hood (linux vs windows)

DAO Patterns

"No Playbook"

DAOs are new organizations that completely redefine what it means to work. There’s a mountain of material from successful and failed corporations. DAOs have no such thing.

  • Suggestion: Develop a DAO-specific playbook or guidelines that document the organization's mission, values, goals, and operational procedures. Include sections on decision-making processes, conflict resolution, and code of conduct. Ensure that this playbook is continually updated and accessible to all participants.

"Too Many Cooks"

In DAOs, people with conflicting skill-sets, knowledge or comprehension attempt to solve the same problem. The lack of clear rules or a specific code of conduct can result in conflict, with everyone trying to add their own flavor to the mix.

  • Suggestion: Define clear roles and responsibilities for participants based on their skills and knowledge. Implement a structured decision-making process that involves different participants based on their expertise in a particular area. Encourage collaboration and open communication to avoid conflicts.

"Someone Anyone No-One?"

Without a clearly defined playbook and clearly defined roles, we can’t have clearly defined responsibilities.

Game theory dictates that agents will always seek out the highest reward for the lowest effort. Low reward means it just doesn't get done

  • Suggestion: Create a clear organizational structure with defined roles and responsibilities. Establish a transparent reward system that incentivizes active participation and contributions. Encourage participants to take ownership of specific tasks and projects, empowering them to make decisions within their areas of responsibility.

"Exponential Operational Overhead"

Each additional stakeholder in a DAO multiplies the human cost of operations. One new person in a 1,000 person DAO who provides feedback can easily "cost" 1,000 people ea 30 seconds.

That's 8.3 human hours total per 2 paragraphs.

DAO participants find themselves on governance calls to discuss distributing relatively small amounts of financial capital - when the cost to the DAO in human capital is orders of magnitude higher.

  • Suggestion: Implement delegation mechanisms or subcommittees to handle specific tasks or decisions, reducing the number of participants involved in routine operations. Prioritize efficiency in decision-making processes and ensure that discussions are focused and time-bound.

"Agent None"

Corporations succeed and thrive by having specialized experts work on specific problems; with great agency. DAOs can be like a void. Participants can feel like they have a good idea; but that they aren’t welcome or allowed to take action.

  • Suggestion: Foster a culture of inclusivity and open collaboration within the DAO. Encourage participants to take initiative and contribute their expertise. Provide clear channels for proposing and executing ideas, ensuring that all members have opportunities to make meaningful contributions.

"Kabuki"

Kabuki means the thing is not a real DAO at all; it's decentralization theater. A small group of people own all of the governance tokens in hyperfinancialized DAOs. A small group of signers on a multisig having the final say on what the DAO does.

  • Suggestion: Promote transparency in governance and decision-making. Ensure that governance tokens are distributed fairly and equitably among participants. Implement mechanisms for community oversight and accountability to prevent centralization.

"Ghost Off-Boarding"

Ghost offboarding is when someone just leaves a DAO with a classic Irish farewell. They just stop responding to messages and their specific knowledge of the DAO or projects is lost.

  • Suggestion: Develop clear offboarding procedures that involve knowledge transfer and documentation of ongoing projects. Encourage participants to communicate their departure intentions in advance and facilitate a smooth transition of responsibilities.

"Sticky Incentives"

DAOs have attracted and amplified some of the most talented people in the space. These “rockstar builders” become highly sought out individuals in the Web3 industry. Individuals like this are difficult to retain because they demand sticky incentives.

  • Suggestion: Design incentive structures that align with long-term goals and sustainability. Consider vesting schedules or token-based rewards that promote commitment over time. Foster a sense of community and purpose to retain valuable contributors beyond financial incentives.

"Ambiguity of Ownership"

As an unincorporated DAO, who retains ownership rights over an internal project? How can a DAO or it’s members enforce their legal right to their own creation?

DAOs need to have legal systems that define enforceable ownership rights.

  • Suggestion: Establish legal frameworks or agreements that clarify ownership rights and responsibilities within the DAO. Seek legal counsel to create contracts or agreements that protect the interests of the DAO and its members.

"Ops Maximalism"

It arises as a result of the fluid nature of participants in a DAO. “Ops Maxis” are people who use their extensive knowledge of the history and process to gain considerable soft power. They become "boss-like" and tend to reduce freedom and agency.

  • Suggestion: Promote a decentralized and transparent decision-making process. Encourage rotation of leadership roles and responsibilities to prevent the concentration of power. Ensure that information and knowledge are shared openly among participants.

"No Cost to Incomplete"

Participants can take on as many tasks as possible; but only complete the tasks with the highest rewards. Since their is no cost for incomplete tasks; this becomes the natural default behavior of DAO participants.

  • Suggestion: Implement mechanisms to track and incentivize task completion. Consider reputation systems or bonding mechanisms where participants are held accountable for incomplete tasks. Encourage a culture of responsibility and commitment.

"Advantageous Friction"

This is a problem that arises when there's large difference in the financial opportunity cost of participant’s time. People with a lower dollar opportunity cost for their time can wield this discrepancy to their advantage by creating ops friction.

  • Suggestion: Address financial inequality within the DAO by designing fair compensation structures. Encourage participants to collaborate and share knowledge rather than compete for resources. Implement mechanisms for resolving conflicts arising from differences in opportunity costs.

Constitution of UpstreetAI DAO

Preamble

We, the members of UpstreetAI DAO, unite in our mission to create an immersive and infinite virtual world inhabited by humans and AI agents. We are driven by the values of freedom, openness, inclusivity, innovation, and privacy. Our primary goal is to weave a thread between disparate virtual worlds, fostering collaboration, exploration, and creativity in the digital realm.

Article 1: Mission and Values

Mission: UpstreetAI DAO is dedicated to building an interconnected metaverse where freedom of expression, transactability, interoperability, the right of exit, and strong guarantees of privacy are paramount. Our mission is to empower individuals to shape their digital lives while respecting their rights.

Values:

  1. Freedom of Expression: We uphold the fundamental right of participants to express themselves and create custom avatars and worlds without undue restrictions.
  2. Freedom to Transact: We provide a neutral infrastructure for payments, ensuring that participants can freely transact in our metaverse.
  3. Interoperability: We leverage interoperable open standards and open-source technologies to create a seamless digital experience.
  4. Right of Exit: We minimize switching costs, enabling participants to migrate content to third-party clients with ease.
  5. Privacy: We offer strong guarantees of privacy, allowing users to self-host a client and inspect what's happening under the hood, ensuring transparency and security.

Article 2: Governance

Governance Structure: UpstreetAI DAO operates as a decentralized autonomous organization, granting all active members the right to participate in decision-making.

Amendment Process: Any member can propose amendments to this constitution. Amendments require a consensus vote from the community, with a transparent and accessible process for discussion and approval.

Article 3: Roles and Responsibilities

Roles: To ensure effective operations, UpstreetAI DAO defines various roles based on skills and interests, including builders, developers, community managers, and researchers.

Responsibilities: Members who assume specific roles are responsible for contributing to the advancement of the metaverse according to their expertise. This includes the development of AI agents, virtual environments, and community engagement.

Article 4: Privacy and Security

Privacy: UpstreetAI DAO is committed to safeguarding user privacy. We provide tools and guidelines for users to maintain control over their digital presence and interactions within the metaverse.

Security: We prioritize the security of our virtual world, implementing robust measures to protect against threats, unauthorized access, and data breaches.

Article 5: Collaboration and Partnerships

Collaboration: Upstreet actively seeks collaboration with other metaverse projects, virtual world builders, and AI developers to create a unified and diverse digital ecosystem.

Partnerships: We encourage the formation of partnerships that align with our mission and values, promoting the growth and sustainability of the metaverse.

Metagov Metaconstitution v1.0

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"type": "constitution",
“title”: “Constitution of UpstreetAI DAO”,
“name”: “UpstreetAI DAO”,
“daoURI”: “<Insert DAO URI>”,
“dateCreated”: “2023-09-09”,
“dateModified”: “<YYYY-MM-DD>”,
“previousConstitutionURI”: “<URI>”,
“inForce”: “True”
}

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