Review prior notes about RetroPolls and add more from private notes

“RetroCensus aggregates community preferences and impacts into a structured, easily understood dataset.”

RetroPolls and RetroCensus/RetroSurveys

Optimism Fractal RetroPolls

I’m thinking about launching an Optimism Fractal Retro Season over the next few weeks that features Retrospectives, RetroPitches, RetroPolls, RetroCensus, and RetroFunding. I listened to the past episodes about Respect Trees today and am thinking am thinking about doing something similar to what you wrote about in the design for OPF Trees for RetroPolls (though only focusing on the retroactive aspects, not the forward looking planning aspects for now). This could both help improve the Optimism Collective RetroFunding process and potentially provide evaluations to reward Optimism Fractal participants.

Optimism Collective RetroPolls

On a related note, I thought of a powerful system to enable many more Optimism stakeholders to vote in RetroPolls and form a fractal RetroCensus, which could provide a lot of helpful data for the Collective while showcasing some of the value propositions of Optimism Fractal. It involves using Snapshot X, multiple voting strategies, and The Graph / Pinax to generate spreadsheets, charts, and lists for badgeholders. I can share more about this soon and would appreciate feedback

what is a census? what is a retrocensus? how is census helpful in governance?

ChatGPT said:

ChatGPT

A census is a systematic process of collecting, recording, and analyzing data about the population of a specific region or country. It typically gathers information about individuals, such as their age, gender, occupation, education, and household size. A census is usually conducted by a government at regular intervals, often every 5 or 10 years, to provide a comprehensive snapshot of the population and its characteristics.

Retrocensus

A retrocensus is a less common term and could refer to either of the following concepts:

A historical census: Going back to review or analyze census data from past decades or centuries to understand population trends over time.
A reconstructed census: Estimating population data for past periods where no formal census was conducted, using historical records, tax rolls, or other sources of demographic information.

The term is not widely used in official contexts but might be relevant in specific research, historical studies, or governance strategies that require examining population data retrospectively.

How a Census Is Helpful in Governance

Censuses play a critical role in governance by providing accurate and detailed information about the population. This data is essential for various reasons:

Resource Allocation: Governments use census data to allocate resources effectively. For example, understanding population size and distribution helps in budgeting for public services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
Political Representation: Census results are often used to determine the number of seats each region or constituency receives in legislative bodies. This ensures that political representation is proportional to the population.
Policy Planning: Knowing the demographic breakdown (e.g., age, income levels, education) helps governments create policies that target the needs of different segments of the population, such as housing programs for low-income groups or education reforms for specific age groups.
Economic Development: Businesses and governments use census data to plan for economic growth. For instance, companies can decide where to open new stores or factories based on population trends, while governments can design economic policies that encourage investment in growing regions.
Public Health and Welfare: Census data helps identify population health trends and welfare needs, guiding public health initiatives, social safety nets, and emergency responses during crises like pandemics or natural disasters.
Monitoring Changes: Regular censuses track population growth, migration patterns, and other demographic shifts, helping governments adjust their long-term strategies to accommodate societal changes.

By providing detailed and reliable data, censuses empower informed decision-making, contributing to effective and equitable governance.

You said:

Do censuses also provide opinions of the community/society? Is it usually just demographic and objective data, or does it also include subjective data like the preferences of the people?

ChatGPT said:

ChatGPT

Censuses typically focus on collecting demographic and objective data, rather than subjective opinions or preferences. The primary goal of a census is to gather factual information about the population, such as:

Age
Gender
Household size and structure
Employment status and occupation
Education level
Ethnic background
Housing conditions
Geographic distribution

This data is crucial for understanding the size, composition, and distribution of a population and is used for resource allocation, policy planning, and governance. Censuses are designed to be as neutral and objective as possible, providing a clear statistical picture of the population without delving into personal opinions, beliefs, or preferences.

Subjective Data (Preferences and Opinions)

In some cases, governments or organizations may conduct surveys that are separate from the census to gather subjective data, such as people's opinions, preferences, or attitudes on specific issues like public services, political views, or satisfaction with governance. These surveys, often referred to as public opinion polls or social surveys, are more flexible and can focus on topics like:

Satisfaction with government services
Political preferences or voting intentions
Social attitudes (e.g., on education, healthcare, environment)
Personal preferences for lifestyle, technology, or entertainment

While subjective data can be valuable for understanding public sentiment and guiding policy decisions, it is usually not included in a census. The reason is that censuses are meant to be a reliable and comprehensive source of population data that is consistent and comparable over time, which is easier to achieve by focusing on objective, verifiable information.

In summary, censuses collect objective, demographic data, while other tools, like opinion surveys, are used to capture subjective preferences and opinions. Both types of data are valuable in governance, but they serve different purposes.

You said:

would it make sense to people if i create something called RetroPolls where community members are invited to vote (using weighted voting with reputation tokens/scores from different demographics within the community) on retroactive contributions/impact of each project/contributor, then call the output of their preferences a RetroCensus? I'm thinking about the best way to explain it, and RetroPolls seems fairly synonymous with the RetroSurvey, whereas RetroCensus implies more about the data that is output from the polls/surveys. I'm also planning to organize the data into a spreadsheet, charts, and other formats to make the data easier to understandSo i'm wondering if the term RetroCensus is good enough in this scenario and people will get it , or if there is some other better word than Census or Survey for explaining the output results of this experiment?

ChatGPT said:

ChatGPT

Memory updated

The term RetroCensus could work well in the context you're describing, as it suggests a structured, data-driven output resulting from community voting (RetroPolls) on retroactive contributions or impacts. While a census traditionally implies objective demographic data, you're expanding the concept to capture a broader range of information—both objective (contribution impact, reputation scores) and subjective (community preferences).

RetroCensus effectively conveys:

A collective result derived from the community.
The idea of a comprehensive snapshot or assessment of past contributions, similar to how a census captures demographic data.

However, because the data is based on preferences rather than strictly factual characteristics, some might find the term RetroCensus slightly unconventional. You could clarify its meaning with a brief explanation, like: "RetroCensus aggregates community preferences and impacts into a structured, easily understood dataset."

If you're open to other terms, here are a few suggestions:

RetroReport: Focuses on the output being a detailed summary of the community’s weighted voting results.
ImpactCensus: Combines the idea of a census with the focus on retroactive impact.
RetroAnalysis: Emphasizes the analytical aspect of the data derived from the polls.

Ultimately, RetroCensus works as long as you clearly explain that it's about community-assessed contributions, and the term gives it a structured and formal feel, which might enhance its appeal. Would you like help drafting an introduction for the concept?

You said:

Hmmm. Yes i'd like help drafting an introduction for the concept. Also, provide the etymology of Census. How does it compare/relate with 'consensus'? Does RetroCensus make sense in this context. Also, provide a comparison between RetroReport and RetroCensus. Perhaps it makes sense to publish a RetroReport that includes the RetroCensus?

ChatGPT said:

ChatGPT

Draft Introduction for RetroPolls and RetroCensus

Introducing RetroPolls and RetroCensus: A New Way to Evaluate Community Impact

In our community, recognizing the value of contributions is essential to fostering collaboration and progress. That’s where RetroPolls comes in—a voting system where community members assess the retroactive impact of projects and contributors using a weighted voting method. By combining reputation tokens and community demographics, RetroPolls gives everyone a voice in determining which contributions have made the most meaningful impact.

The results of these polls are organized into what we call the RetroCensus—a comprehensive snapshot of community preferences, ratings, and impact data. Much like a traditional census provides a demographic profile of a population, the RetroCensus presents a clear, data-driven view of the community’s collective decisions, displayed through spreadsheets, charts, and other formats that make the insights easily accessible.

With RetroCensus, we aim to provide a deeper understanding of past contributions, helping guide future decisions and priorities. This dynamic process not only honors past efforts but also informs ongoing development.

Etymology of "Census" and Comparison with "Consensus"

Census comes from the Latin word censere, meaning "to assess" or "to estimate." Historically, a census was a method of counting and evaluating populations for taxation and resource allocation purposes. It implies a systematic, structured collection of data about a population.
Consensus also has Latin roots, deriving from consentire, which means "to agree" or "to feel together." Consensus emphasizes agreement or mutual decision-making within a group, often about shared values or opinions.

In your context, RetroCensus makes sense because you're presenting structured data derived from a community assessment (like a census), but it differs from a consensus. RetroPolls involves the community's opinions and preferences about contributions, which is more about collecting individual data points than achieving unanimous agreement. However, since the results reflect collective input, there’s a slight alignment with the idea of consensus, particularly in the aggregate sense.

Comparison Between RetroReport and RetroCensus

RetroCensus:

Focuses on providing a structured dataset that reflects the community’s voting results on contributions and impacts.
Emphasizes the data collection and population-style assessment (like a traditional census).
Ideal for presenting raw data in charts, spreadsheets, and other formats that summarize voting outcomes.
Associated with comprehensive insights into the who, what, and how of contributions.

RetroReport:

Functions as a narrative or analytical summary of the data derived from RetroPolls.
Provides an opportunity for in-depth discussion and reflection on the results.
May include highlights, key takeaways, trends, and insights that go beyond the data, offering context and interpretation.
More flexible and report-like, emphasizing storytelling and analysis of the RetroCensus data.

Publishing a RetroReport that includes the RetroCensus makes a lot of sense. The RetroCensus can provide the raw data and factual breakdown of voting results, while the RetroReport could offer a detailed analysis of the data, summarizing key points, identifying trends, and making recommendations based on the insights. This way, the RetroReport would serve as a digestible narrative for community members who want a deeper understanding of the voting outcomes, while the RetroCensus remains the structured dataset for those interested in the detailed breakdown.

Would you like to refine this introduction further or explore additional concepts?

Optimism Fractal Retro Season

After figuring out the logistics of how to distribute funds to team members, then there is the question of how to allocate the funds.

I/we could potentially work out some kind of arrangement where Optimystics allocate some funding to Vlad and Tadas (and potentially other developers like Abraham), though I’m not sure how these allocations would be determined.
For example, how would we decide the relative value of Vlad’s work, Tadas’ work, Abraham’s work, and my work?

I (and Vlad) could potentially estimate this and we have a better understanding of the tools than basically anyone, so we could be more accurate than other community members, but i think it’s also valuable to ask other community members because they’ll have some unique knowledge and perspectives

I think that Optimism Fractal RetroPolls and RetroCensus could provide a solution for this that also enhances RetroFunding process and showcases Optimism Fractal / fractal democracy processes

For example, we could make a series of polls that ask questions like:

“how much do you think each tool has impacted Optimism Fractal?”
“how much do you think each tool has contributed to Optimism Fractal?”
“how much do you think each tool has impacted Optimism Collective?”
“how much do you think each tool has contributed to Optimism Collective?”
“How much should we weigh the answers to these questions?

I have holistic strategy for promoting this along with other forms of Retro for community leadership and wider contributions to the collective that i can share now too

Plan for Promoting Optimystics Tools and Events

Optimystics Promotional Strategy

Optimism Fractal Retro

Retrospectives, RetroPitches, RetroPolls, RetroCensus, and RetroFunding

Optimystics Keynote
Optimystics Guidebook
Optimystics Podcast
Related Work

Optimism Fractal Stories podcast
Creator Talk, etc….

I think that Optimism Fractal RetroPolls and RetroCensus could provide a solution for this that also enhances RetroFunding process and showcases Optimism Fractal / fractal democracy processes

For example, we could make a series of polls that ask questions like:

“how much do you think each tool has impacted Optimism Fractal?”
“how much do you think each tool has contributed to Optimism Fractal?”
“how much do you think each tool has impacted Optimism Collective?”
“how much do you think each tool has contributed to Optimism Collective?”
“How much should we weigh the answers to these questions?