Forking

A fork is a change or a split in a software code or a blockchain, creating a new version or a branch.

Fork

Ludum Vitae by design should make it very unlikely to need to fork, however the possibility to fork a sphere is still possible given a sustained disagreement or surprising revelation.

An Member in Ludum Vitae could theoretically fork a Sphere if they have access to the data contained within the original Sphere’s ledger. A “fork” in this context means creating a new, separate version of the Sphere that diverges from the original. This happens much like how its happened with bitcoin.

Gem Fork

Before we cover the complexity of the sphere fork, Gems have a much simpler process:

A Gem can be forked for a small fee, it's likely less expensive then creating a new Gem. The Gem will be placed in draft mode till it is activated, offering time to review and make a subset of the original success criteria. Remember, creating a duplicate Gem is expensive and sometimes blocked, especially when having exactly the same success criteria.

Sphere Fork Types

• A Contentious fork - A fight for access or coercive actions.
• A Planned/Organized fork - more likely to be a organized exit to a new copy of a sphere.

Unlike a bitcoin fork, which is over the protocol, these forks are over the Sphere itself and the value created, and the history it contains.

Here’s a step-by-step outline of how this could happen:

Access the Sphere Data

The Member must have access to the complete historical data of the Sphere, which includes all transactions, interactions, and changes that have been recorded on the immutable blockchain.

If you don't have access to all the data, then creating a new sphere will be the next option.

Replicate the Data Structure

Using the data accessed, the Member would replicate the Merkle tree structure that contains the entire history of the original Sphere. This involves recreating the hash-linked chain of all the transactions and states the Sphere has undergone.

Initiate the Fork

The Member would then initiate a new Sphere, which is a copy of the original but with a new, separate blockchain ledger. This new Sphere would start with the same state as the original at the point of divergence.

Transfer Multi-Signature Wallets (Optional)

For the forked Sphere to have any of the original value, the multi-signature wallets associated with the original Sphere would need to be transitioned to the new one. Without this step, the new Sphere would exist without the inherent value of the original, and Members would need to fund it independently.

Independent Progression

From the point of the fork, the new Sphere would operate independently of the original. The actions and decisions made within the forked Sphere would lead to a different path of development, unique from the original Sphere’s trajectory.

Community Involvement

For the fork to be meaningful, the Member would need to attract other Members to participate in the new Sphere. The success and sustainability of the forked Sphere would rely on community engagement and the contributions of its members.

Voting

It also may be possible to vote for a fork at some point, we don't expect Forks to be common place as the design of Ludum Vitae should reconcile differences before they get to a critical stage.

Summary

It’s important to note that while the process of forking is technically possible, it would require considerable effort and resources to execute successfully. Moreover, the value of the forked Sphere would heavily depend on the community’s acceptance and participation in the newly created branch of the game.