Rob's Rules DAO White Paper
Abstract
Rob’s Rules DAO is using Blockchain to build a scalable and human-driven voting and decision platform. This platform allows individuals to reach a consensus by discussing, refining, and ultimately agreeing on the best solution for all involved.
We are scaling the essence of the historically proven parliamentary process called Robert’s Rules of Order using Blockchain to support any size group across any sized geographic area.
The problem being addressed is the limited choices and actions presented to the voter. For too long we have been expected to accept proposals with limited choices in the outcome provided to us by elite groups. We know if a group wants to steer the decision of an issue to a predetermined conclusion, then the best place to start is by providing the voters with an A or B choice. Rob’s Rules is correcting this practice. We will use the essence of Robert’s Rules of Order, which not only encourages debate but provides a means to form alternative approaches as a result of the debate.
Robert’s Rules of Order allow voters to discuss the proposal, creating a final solution debated by the same people who will live with the decision’s result. The essence of Robert’s Rules of Order on Blockchain is an excellent combination of process and technology.
Although this amazingly productive means of governance is used by many different types of entities, from governments to local non-profit organizations, the use of Robert’s Rules of Order has been limited to in-person (IRL) gatherings. Now, with the development of Blockchain, we can offer this incredible parliamentary process to small and large groups, making big and small decisions, and involving people across the globe or locally. Using Blockchain we are now able to scale the essence of Robert’s Rules of Order.
This white paper outlines the foundational aspects of Robs Rules DAO and its potential impact on the future of decentralized governance. By leveraging the strengths of Robert’s Rules of Order and blockchain technology, Robs Rules DAO offers a unique and powerful tool for DAOs to achieve their governance goals.
Scope
Although the Mission of Rob’s Rules DAO is far-reaching encompassing all areas of decision-making and social interaction, the initial vision is to focus on the governance of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAO). In the future, the founders see Rob’s Rules DAO reimagining social media and all forms of discourse throughout our society. In a time when discussions are being infiltrated by non-human input, such as from AI, human relationships and ingenuity must be protected. Rob’s Rules DAO will always favor the human over the artificial.
Introduction
The Problem
People are often presented with a limited choice regarding major governance issues. This limited choice is derived from a select group of elite actors. The limited choice is then presented to the people with only the option of a ‘thumbs up or thumbs down” vote. Once the choice is made, the decision is made. Yet, we do not make decisions in our personal lives with this limitation. If we encounter a situation that appears to have one or two choices, we look for a third way, so that we can consider all options. In our personal lives, we do this through discussion, entertaining modified approaches followed by more discussion until we have distilled the problem down to its most effective solution.
Why do we continue to accept the current limitations of governance when there is a parliamentary process available to us? This process is called Robert’s Rules of Order. And, now, using Blockchain technology, this proven process can be accessed across time and space.
The Solution
Rob’s Rules DAO aims to democratize the decision-making process by adapting Robert’s Rules of Order for the blockchain era. For over a century, Robert’s Rules of Order has been the gold standard for conducting meetings and making decisions in a fair and orderly manner. By embedding these rules into a decentralized framework, Robs Rules DAO seeks to empower any organization, community, or collective to engage in a structured, equitable, and transparent decision-making process.
Robs Rules DAO integrates the time-honored principles of Robert’s Rules of Order with blockchain technology. By placing parliamentary procedures on the blockchain, Robs Rules DAO offers a structured, transparent, and democratic process for decision-making that scales from local to global governance needs.
Although Robs Rules DAO can provide solutions for a myriad of governance and social scenarios, the first implementations will be for Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs). We will present a roadmap for future releases of Rob’s Rules DAO as part of our vision. However, the initial rollout of Rob’s Rules DAO will be DAOs. This is a community that needs improved governance processes. This community is knowledgeable of the benefits of Blockchain and the use of WEB3 applications.
Mission and Vision
Mission
To bring the principles of Robert’s Rules of Order to the blockchain, offering a decentralized and immutable platform for structured decision-making processes.
Vision
To become the standard governance tool for DAOs, ensuring that all voices are heard and that decisions are made through consensus, transparency, and democracy.
Why Robs Rules DAO for DAOs?
The Need for Structured Governance in DAOs
DAOs, by their very nature, operate without centralized authority, making governance a challenge. Traditional methods often fall short of ensuring that decisions are made democratically, transparently, and efficiently. Robs Rules DAO provides a solution by:
Establishing Clear Procedures
By adopting the principles of Robert’s Rules, DAOs can ensure that every decision is subject to structured discussion, amendment, and voting.
Enhancing Transparency
All actions taken within Robs Rules DAO are recorded on the blockchain, providing an immutable record of decisions and ensuring accountability.
Facilitating Consensus
The process encourages compromise and consensus, which is crucial for the sustainable governance of any DAO.
Integrating Parliamentary Process with Blockchain Technology
Robs Rules DAO is designed to facilitate the entire decision-making process—from the proposal stage through discussion and amendment, to voting and final decision—entirely on the blockchain. This integration offers several key benefits:
Decentralization
Eliminates the need for a central authority by automating governance through smart contracts.
Immutability
Ensures that all decisions are recorded and cannot be altered, providing a permanent and transparent history.
Accessibility
Any DAO, regardless of size or scope, can adopt Robs Rules DAO to enhance its governance process.
How DAOs Can Leverage Robs Rules DAO for Governance
Proposal Creation and Discussion
Robs Rules DAO allows members to submit proposals, which are then subject to structured discussion. This process ensures that all viewpoints are considered, and any proposal is thoroughly vetted before moving forward.
Amendment and Consensus Building
In line with Robert’s Rules of Order, any proposal can be amended during the discussion phase. This feature encourages members to collaborate and reach a consensus that reflects the collective will of the DAO.
Voting and Decision-Making
Once a proposal has been discussed and amended, it moves to the voting phase. Smart contracts automatically record and tally votes, ensuring that the decision-making process is fair and transparent. The outcome is then permanently recorded on the blockchain.
Implementation of Decisions
After a proposal is approved, Robs Rules DAO facilitates its implementation, ensuring that the DAO’s decisions are executed efficiently and in line with the agreed-upon procedures.
Advantages of Robs Rules DAO
Scalability
Robs Rules DAO can be implemented by any DAO, regardless of its size, making it a versatile tool for decentralized governance.
Transparency and Accountability
By recording all actions on the blockchain, Robs Rules DAO ensures complete transparency and accountability.
Inclusivity
The structured process ensures that all members have a voice in the decision-making process, fostering inclusivity and engagement.
Efficiency
By automating the governance process through smart contracts, Robs Rules DAO reduces the time and resources needed to make and implement decisions.
Use Cases
Community DAOs
Robs Rules DAO can be used by community-based DAOs to manage resources, make decisions, and resolve disputes.
Corporate Governance
Companies transitioning to a DAO model can adopt Robs Rules DAO to maintain order and transparency in their decision-making processes.
Non-Profit Organizations
Non-profits can use Robs Rules DAO to ensure that all stakeholders have a say in key decisions, enhancing trust and collaboration.
Current Forms of Governance Available for DAOs
Rob’s Rules DAO will incorporate the most popular forms of governance as makes sense for the process in Rob’s Rules DAO. All of the forms of governance below are under consideration but may not yet implemented.
Multi-Sig
Executives of the DAO manage high-level decisions
Token-Weighted Voting
Each vote is weighted based on the number of governance tokens a participant holds. The more tokens, the more influence the voter has.
Quadratic Voting
Voters are allowed to cast multiple votes, but the cost of each additional vote increases quadratically, encouraging more balanced voting rather than dominance by large token holders.
Liquid Democracy
Voters can delegate their voting power to another member (a delegate) who votes on their behalf. Voters can revoke their delegation at any time.
Approval Voting
Voters can vote for all options they approve of rather than just selecting one. The option with the most votes wins.
Ranked-Choice Voting
Voters rank the options in order of preference. If no option receives a majority, the least preferred option is eliminated, and the votes are redistributed until a majority is reached.
Time-Locked Voting
Votes are weighted by how long a member has held their tokens. The longer tokens are held, the greater the voting power.
Conviction Voting
Voting power increases over time, as voters continue to stake their tokens toward an option. The more conviction and time behind a proposal, the more likely it is to pass.
Offchain Voting and Discussion
Off-chain voting is where token holders vote on governance proposals offchain.
DAO’s Risk of Attack Through Governance
While all DAOs should be aware of what can go wrong and try to minimize those risks, you should be aware of the complexity that comes with additional layers of governance safeguards. Rob’s Rules DAO is aware of these issues and will address them through future development efforts.
Plutocracy problem
In DAOs with an uneven distribution of tokens, the large token holders (“whales”) control the vote, whereas small token holders have little say. These smaller token holders may feel lower motivation to participate. And the whales might not vote in the best interest of the smaller token holders, or be missing context that the small token holders have.
Dark DAOs Problem
Since votes can be purchased, this may open the DAO up to risks of votes being manipulated, such as an individual or group buying tokens to pass a vote. This may be a consideration for DAOs with large treasuries that could be targets of such attempts. See the “What can go wrong, and how to mitigate it” section for more.
Sybil Attacks
Where malicious actors create many wallets to have more voting power. One solution is to use Know Your Customer (KYC) solutions such as BrightID – the tradeoff is that people revealing their identities can lead to fears of being doxxed. Another safeguard is to require proof of effort or attendance via POAPs. To have your wallet allowed, members would need to earn POAPs by participating in meetings or delivering bounties, which could make it more difficult to exploit the system.
Centralizing (over time)
In large communities with tokens, certain investors buy up more and more tokens with the success of the project, leading to a more uneven distribution and lower participation. One way to mitigate this is having mechanisms for distributing voting power, such as an initial fair launch to ensure no one starts with a huge distribution of tokens or airdrops designed to spread distribution.
Technical Overview
Rob’s Rules DAO will focus on the needs of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations in its initial deployment. The essence of the first version of Robert’s Rules of Order will be deployed.
Rob’s Rules DAO
Robs’ Rules DAO will use the Aragon.org platform for the management of its DAO and related treasury.
Development Strategy
The underlying technology that will be used to deliver the essence of Robert’s Rules of Order will be Vocdoni.io. Vocdoni delivers an affordable, easy-to-use, and GDPR-compliant voting experience that anyone can use from anywhere with their PC, laptop, tablet, and mobile. Powered by the Vocdoni Blockchain.
Vocdoni is a voting system platform with cutting-edge technology such as zero-knowledge proofs and a custom blockchain to ensure secure and anonymous voting while providing a transparent and verifiable voting process.
The Vocdoni SDK will be used to expedite the deployment of the advanced features of the Vocdoni voting platform. The rules that define the essence of Robert’s Rules of Order will be deployed within the Rob’s Rules open-source code that will be custom-developed by the RRD development effort. This will combine the best of Vocdoni’s voting platform with the elegance of Robert’s Rules of Order parliamentary processes.
The intent is to provide plugins or other integrations of Rob’s Rules DAO with DAO platforms, such as Aragon.ai.
The development process will be led and managed by OLinks Corporation, the creator of the Rob’s Rules DAO Foundation.
Funding and Management
Rob’s Rules DAO (RRD) will entertain several sources for funding. This will include Angel Funding, Grants, and the sale of the RRD NFT. RRD is the foundation of the OLinks Corporation. Funds used to progress the capabilities of RRD will be passed through the RRD treasury to OLinks Corporation, an S corporation in the State of Texas.
Rob’e Rules DAO will be managed initially by the Director of OLinks Corporation.
Conclusion
Rob’s Rules DAO represents a significant advancement in decentralized governance, combining the time-tested principles of Robert’s Rules of Order with the transformative power of blockchain technology. By adopting Rob’s Rules DAO, any DAO can ensure that its governance process is structured, transparent, and democratic, paving the way for more effective and sustainable decision-making.
**Contact Information**
For more information, visit https://robsrulesdao.com/contact-us/