virtual worlds keep promising shared
space.
but most of them still run like
private kingdoms.
you can build there.
you can gather there.
you can make a living there.
until you can’t.
a long time ago
i wrote that we cannot accept
"trust us."
no matter how cute and earnest
our rulers appear in the
beginning—
we need democracy in the
foundation.
we need it in writing.
shared space without shared
power is tenancy.
so what if we took that
seriously now?
what if we built a virtual world
where democratic rights are part
of the protocol, not just a line
in a terms-of-service page:
due process before exile.
transparent rule changes.
meaningful appeals.
portable identity.
portable assets.
ip ownership for honest
creators, not the tax man.
rights that survive acquisition.
rights that survive new
management.
rights that survive the mood of
a moderator.
if "shared virtual space" is the
goal, then shared power has to
be part of the design.
what would that look like?