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> There are many people who have decided to pollute the commons for their own benefit

Phrasing reminds me that internet communities have a lot of commons problems, and that led me to revisit Elinor Ostrom's rules for commons management.

1. Define clear group boundaries.

2. Match rules governing use of common goods to local needs and conditions.

3. Ensure that those affected by the rules can participate in modifying the rules.

4. Make sure the rule-making rights of community members are respected by outside authorities.

5. Develop a system, carried out by community members, for monitoring members’ behavior.

6. Use graduated sanctions for rule violators.

7. Provide accessible, low-cost means for dispute resolution.

8. Build responsibility for governing the common resource in nested tiers from the lowest level up to the entire interconnected system.

Seems more or less exactly what nice-feeling places on the internet are characterized by.

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