Introducing the MPEx Rota

[MPOE-PR]

It's meant to be a better means of resolving disputes. You can read the charter here, and apply to be a Judge if you qualify (also there).

Enough applications have already been filed for the Rota to start hearing cases on December the 15th, so if you have a dispute and can fit it under the causes of action enumerated you can probably sue, then.

Comments probably best directed there, as you have the best chance of a competent answer.

[greyhawk]

Judges? We don't need no stinking judges.

In seriousness, this is a great way to get a list of people who should be first up against the wall when the Libertopian Revolution happens. 

[MPOE-PR]

Judges? We don't need no stinking judges.

In seriousness, this is a great way to get a list of people who should be first up against the wall when the Libertopian Revolution happens. 

Well fine, but how do you propose to resolve disputes? Wager of combat to be supplanted in ~ five centuries by assize of novel disseisin?

[greyhawk]

]

Well fine, but how do you propose to resolve disputes?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmRAiUPdRjk 

[MPOE-PR]

So now that there are 4 applications already this is definitely a go starting Dec 15th.

[bitcoinbear]

Interesting concept.

This part makes me wonder:

II.2. The Rota supersedes the jurisdiction of any other court, institution, group, organisation, corporation, reigning monarch, city fool etc.

So you are saying that you are above everybody else, a sort of world supreme court? If this works out well, will you try to get the UN to implement a similar system?

I get the idea that this system only works for people who are already in the web-of-trust?

[Nolo]

I'm a big fan of any type of alternative dispute resolution services.  Glad to see you trying this out. 

[Monster Tent]

Good luck but without men with guns backing up the court its pretty much pointless.

[greyhawk]

Good luck but without men with guns backing up the court its pretty much pointless.

Who says Mr. Popescu doesn't have men with guns backing him up?

[MPOE-PR]

So you are saying that you are above everybody else, a sort of world supreme court? If this works out well, will you try to get the UN to implement a similar system?

Well, philosophically this builds on ideas MP was fleshing out in that article about gpg contracts. Basically, that a world based on people's word and willing enforcement is better than the currently implemented alternative. In a larger sense, failing to live up to this (and implicitly recognize the superiority of BTC-courts) is the scammy thing to do. It specifically aims to make simple scamming as in 419 stuff and "talking to a lawyer" scamming notionally equivalent.

A very important point is that "you". This isn't about trying or even wanting to institute some sort of MPEx/MP monopoly on the resolution of BTC disputes. This is about sinking some available money and intellectual resources into trying to make a working prototype of a BTC court. Once shown to be working hopefully others will follow, some venues will be ridiculous/fake/scams in themselves, some others will be the BTC-justice equivalent of the Las Vegas marriage chapel, some will be quite respectable and eventually overtake and supersede MPEx's Rota much like the current day courts have overtaken and superseded the Apostolic Tribunal. So, in short, this is a natural and necessary outgrowth of Bitcoin: decentralized Bitcoin courts.

I get the idea that this system only works for people who are already in the web-of-trust?

The way it works is that you need a signature to sue, but you can register in the WOT five minutes before you sue, no big deal. You also may only sue people who have a registered signature (in fact you're not even suing people/corporations, you're suing signatures), but this isn't arbitrary: anything else would be meaningless.

I'm a big fan of any type of alternative dispute resolution services.  Glad to see you trying this out. 

Thanks. We're kind of curious how it works out.

Good luck but without men with guns backing up the court its pretty much pointless.

At least in theory the "backed by guns" method has failed. Even in practice it's not anything anyone really wants.

Good luck but without men with guns backing up the court its pretty much pointless.

Who says Mr. Popescu doesn't have men with guns backing him up?

Even if he did, the entire point of this is voluntary contracts, voluntary enforcement and voluntarism in general.

Thanks everyone for the interest, and please consider registering if you haven't done so already. The first rolls of Judges will be announced December 15th, so in about one week. If you miss that cut-off there's going to be further rolls every three months.

[davout]

Nice!

Will probably be better than stare contests and rock-paper-scissors to solve disputes.

[MPOE-PR]

Nice!

Will probably be better than stare contests and rock-paper-scissors to solve disputes.

Especially seeing how complex some arguments in commercial disputes have become, I think this is both a necessary and unavoidable development. Might even offer a workable solution to the scammer tag problem (as mods have already stated multiple places that they're neither really prepared nor really have the time to hear the various cases).

[MPOE-PR]

The first Roll of Judges (5 people).

Interested parties may sue at their leisure.

[misterbigg]

This is actually really cool

[MPOE-PR]

And there's a first case before the Rota.

[kjj]

And there's a first case before the Rota.

We seriously need to standardize an armor format for bitcoin signed messages.

[MPOE-PR]

And there's a first case before the Rota.

We seriously need to standardize an armor format for bitcoin signed messages.

It would be as easy as adding an -a to the command line but the problem with ascii armored messages is that they're not readily readable to the naked eye. Does c/p-ing into gpg fail for you on the snippets in that article? Or is it just the gray cruft that bothers?

[kjj]

And there's a first case before the Rota.

We seriously need to standardize an armor format for bitcoin signed messages.

It would be as easy as adding an -a to the command line but the problem with ascii armored messages is that they're not readily readable to the naked eye. Does c/p-ing into gpg fail for you on the snippets in that article? Or is it just the gray cruft that bothers?

The GPG messages, I don't usually bother validating.  I've done enough of those that I know that I can, given a little fiddling around.  Unless it is a dramatic revelation, or important to me personally (like my mpex STATs), I just assume that someone will point out if it doesn't work.

That bitcoin signed message from Wences, on the other hand, I got nothing.  I don't know where it starts, I don't know where it stops, I don't know if the linebreaks are real or not, nor what character they are.  If anyone managed to validate that signature, my hat is off to them.  I gave up after trying about a dozen combinations.

[YipYip]

And there's a first case before the Rota.

We seriously need to standardize an armor format for bitcoin signed messages.

It would be as easy as adding an -a to the command line but the problem with ascii armored messages is that they're not readily readable to the naked eye. Does c/p-ing into gpg fail for you on the snippets in that article? Or is it just the gray cruft that bothers?

++ 2


BTC\LTC need some form of very light oversight

I think a more community based process instead of appointed judges would be better

Everybody couldbe a judge and also people would upvote others weight in the voting process based upon previous & percieved "Judgyness"

i.E similar to the OTC trust factor... so some peoples vote would be weighted greater than others etc

[MPOE-PR]

That bitcoin signed message from Wences, on the other hand, I got nothing.  I don't know where it starts, I don't know where it stops, I don't know if the linebreaks are real or not, nor what character they are.  If anyone managed to validate that signature, my hat is off to them.  I gave up after trying about a dozen combinations.

Oh, that. Yes, bitcoin signed stuff is a mess atm. Needs standardization first and foremost (hey, Bitcoin Foundation, how hard would a -----BEGIN BITCOINd SIGNED MESSAGE----- header have been? But from the get go, cause we're not the sort of idiots who release unencrypted wallets, at least not anymore, yes?) and armoring too.

In any case, pigeons was saying it checks out for him.

++ 2


BTC\LTC need some form of very light oversight

I think a more community based process instead of appointed judges would be better

Everybody couldbe a judge and also people would upvote others weight in the voting process based upon previous & percieved "Judgyness"

i.E similar to the OTC trust factor... so some peoples vote would be weighted greater than others etc

You know, anyone could be a judge as it is, the original article linked in the original post reads

I.1. Any person with reputation in good standing, an OTC-WOT rating older than six months, with ratings above 3 from respected community members and who was never excluded from the College may apply to be added to the MPEx Rota College of Judges.

What's better, it's a paid job.

III.16. Upon entering judgement each Judge shall receive the case pay of 3 BTC.

III.17. At the regular end of a Judge's term he shall receive the sum of 30 BTC for his services. Excluded Judges receive nothing.

You really should read the whole article, I think.