ARCHITECTURE OF A PUBLIC MIRROR    chat when editing, so we know our colours
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Mirroring and self-determination of publics

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.


Structural components
----------------------------------------------------

          Tributary
            intake

  Tributary   |   Tributary   |
     intake   |   intake      | submitted links
              |               V
          \   |   /
           \  |  /
            \ | /

         Trunk intake

              |
              |      |
              |      | vetted links
              |      V
              |
              V

         Mirror front

 * Intake - An input interface to accept submitted links.
 * Mirror front - The output interface that presents the vetted links together as the definitive image of the public.
 * Submitted link - A reference (e.g. URL) to a potential inter-communication 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 be a valid communication of the public, e.g. approved by a majority that holds for a stipulated time.

We implement the above components in our development prototype (a mirror on the topic of mirroring) as follows:

              |
              |  (no tributaries yet)
              |
          \   |   /
           \  |  /
            \ | /

     Google Group mir-in
        (trunk intake)

              |
              |
              |
              V

      Subreddit r/MirMir
       (mirror front)

 * Google Group mir-in - A combination mailing list, web forum and issue tracking system in the form of a Google Group in "collective inbox" mode.  http://is.gd/mirin
 * Subreddit r/MirMir - A news feed in the form of a Reddit subreddit.  http://www.reddit.com/r/MirMir/new/


Personal roles
----------------------------------------------------
 * Mirror member - (at mirror front) Looks into the mirror front and is thereby made a member of the public.
 * Submitter - (at intake) Sends a communication link to the intake.
 * Tributary relayer - (at 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 - (at trunk intake) Identifies vetted links at the trunk intake and translates them to the mirror front.
 * Trunk vetter - (at trunk intake) Reviews submitted links at the trunk intake and votes to approve or reject each.


See also
----------------------------------------------------
 * Index - http://piratepad.net/mIBeJRzstP
 * Theory of self-determined publics - http://piratepad.net/FsCaEwsmH0