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key elements
This document outlines the four major features that need to be developed technically for Nation1. It will be expanded on greatly in the coming days.
It is a progression from the architecture document online at http://minnow.cc.gatech.edu/squeak.729
1) CITIZENSHIP SYSTEM
A database that contains information on citizens, which they submit when they first register to use Nation1. Information contained will include their location, age, name, contact details, and authentication details (ie. CitizenID and password). This database will be used to
a) authenticate users when they log in.
b) track users to provide a personalise service based on CitizenID or a news service based on where the citizen lives.
c) ensure standardisation (ie. ensuring that people have a unique ID means no one can vote twice or similar).
2) MESSAGING SYSTEM
A system that allows for the exchange of information between citizens. At the very least this means providing the ability for citizens to organise themselves into groups, and communicate via e-mail. Likely features include:
a) ability to set preferences and permissions for each group, based on both the preferences of the creator of the group (initially), and the members themselves. For instance, setting moderators, delegators, or other leadership roles would be optional and flexible.
b) providing a web-based interface for users to read discussion forums, and for those with permissions to edit the preferences of the group.
c) the ability for the computer to select who should receive important messages (labelled "news"), outside any group system, based on their personal preferences, history, location and other criteria.
3) VOTING
This system will be a simple mechanism in which a Nation1 user can setup a system that tallies the results of a poll, and provides the answers back. This may be used:
a) Within Groups of Interest / Region to come up with "issue based" polls to see what the youth opinion on certain issues are, the results of which could be shared with world leaders or whoever is appropriate.
b) Within any "group" (any space within nation1 where public discussion is possible, ie. Groups of Interest, Administration Groups, Action Groups, even the Board) to determine who should be the leaders.
c) To be used within the nation1 administration system as a means for the "general public" to propose ideas to the n1 Ministry Councils etc.
d) To be used as a measure of public interest, support for doing something admin wise in Nation1, ie. it may be necessery for people to find the support of 10 people before they can start any group at all.
4) DATABASES
Users of Nation1 should be able to create their own flexible databses of information. That is, if a group discussing environmental issues has a number of upcoming events, it should be able to input into the system easily the event dates and information about each event. This information should be both readily searchable, and also automatically provided to citizens who might be interested (determined by set criteria) by the system. A number of different database templates could be created to begin... ie. events, address book, finance ledger etc. In a perfect world, the computer should be able to automatically recognise when somone requires some information from oneof these databases, and suggest pointers on how to retrieve it.
OVERALL
Overall, Nation1 needs a system that is interconnected. We need to create a backbone... the the applications & features are only powerful when they are connected to each other.
For instance, within Groups of Interest, information on participants will be pulled from the citizenship database (allowing users to personally log in to just their own messages), the messaging system itself will provide the latest messages and news and a way for them to choose how to place human structures (leaders) into their conversations/actions, thirdly, the voting would allow them to choose how to do this, and make decisions; and the database would provide further handy information.