Alt.gothic Alcohol Transfer Engine
_alt.gothic Alcohol Transfer Engine [agATE]_ RFC
As devised by erith, Scientific Factologist, and Specifistician
Description
agATE is a simple process. Let us suppose that Alice and Bob have a shared secret. No, wait. Erm. goth(a)[1] wishes to buy goth(b)[2] a drink. goth(a) and goth(b) are unlikely to be at the same event in the near future, but both know goth(c)[3][4] will be seeing goth(a) and then goth(b) soon.
So, goth(a) acquires a stone[5], buys goth(c) a drink, and sends goth(b) the stone. When goth(b) sees goth(c) they give goth(c) the stone, and goth(c) buys goth(b) a drink. For validation purposes, goth(a) has supplied goth(c) with a picture of the stone, if not a counterpart.[6] goth(a) has, for all intents and purposes, purchased a drink for goth(b), and goth(c) not only has a story from it, but a token of their participation in the transaction.
Process
To recap -
| A wishes to buy B a drink. | A -intent-> B | ||
| A is able to buy C a drink. | A -means--> C | ||
| C is (or will be) able to buy B a drink. | C -means--> B | ||
| A sends a token to B. | A -agLET--> B | ||
| A buys a drink for C. | A -*pint*-> C | ||
| B gives token to C. | B -agLET--> C | ||
| C buys a drink for B. | C -*pint*-> B | ||
| Through process then, | A -*pint*-> B | ||
| A -agLET--> C</nowiki> | Happiness abounds. |
agLET Conceptualization
Frequent travellers within the gothic subculture may find themselves laden with agLETs. Ensuring that they have a means to be transported, personalising them, or otherwise ensuring that goth(C) has an interest in displaying said token/agLET just makes the scheme better.
A draft agLET speculation follows:
an agLET (alt.gothic Libatory Encounter Token) should be:
- unique
- such that it can be sent in a standard airmail envelope
- recognisable from a digital photograph/description/similar
the following qualities of an agLET are preferred:
- made out of rock
- capable of being attached to a cord, keychain, or lanyard
- shiny
improvements to the agLET specification may include:
- recyclability
- inherent addressability (as with Gothic Internal Mail Protocol)
- sustainability
- jangly
Footnotes
- ↑ e.g. Absinthe Fabricat Cardiac
- ↑ e.g. Bier Of Sorrows
- ↑ e.g. Charlotte Octal
- ↑ Look, i'm doing my best here. it is about process, not names.
- ↑ No, really - some kind of rock or a marble or something, a physical token. an agLET (alt.gothic Libatory Encounter Token) is an acceptable substitute. I might even make some for distribution...
- ↑ agLET's may, for example, be a key and a lock. this is not just about working, but about being exclusionary and elitist. think of these as our very own round TUITs.