Alt.gothic Alcohol Transfer Engine

Description

agATE is a simple process. Let us suppose that Alice and Bob have a shared secret. No, wait. Erm. goth(a)<ref>e.g. Absinthe Fabricat Cardiac</ref> wishes to buy goth(b)<ref>e.g. Bier Of Sorrows</ref> a drink. goth(a) and goth(b) are unlikely to be at the same event in the near future, but both know goth(c)<ref> e.g. Charlotte Octal </ref><ref> Look, i'm doing my best here. it is about process, not names.</ref> will be seeing goth(a) and then goth(b) soon.

So, goth(a) acquires a stone<ref>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...</ref>, 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.<ref>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.</ref> 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
	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:

1. unique
2. such that it can be sent in a standard airmail envelope
3. recognisable from a digital photograph/description/similar

the following qualities of an agLET are preferred:

1. made out of rock
2. capable of being attached to a cord, keychain, or lanyard
3. shiny

improvements to the agLET specification may include:

1. recyclability
2. inherent addressability (as with Gothic Internal Mail Protocol)
3. sustainability
4. jangly

Footnotes

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