This paper explores the intersection of protocol design, community formation, and digital culture through the framework of onchain artificial life (OALife), examining how composable systems create new forms of existence and social organization. The authors investigate what it means when autonomous agents designed to be eternal on the blockchain disappear, challenging assumptions about permanence and presence in decentralized systems.
Ghosts in Machines is a Protocolized anthology woven from stories of science fiction and science fact. Writers explore strange rules and familiar haunts through the lens of protocols.
Protocolized
This paper presents Pattern 11 on Loitering Protocols, arguing that informal and improvisational uses of marginal urban spaces—though often discouraged or prohibited—serve essential functions by meeting unanticipated community needs while increasing space utility at minimal cost. Austin proposes that space stewards should develop explicit 'loitering protocols' that legitimize and encourage these unplanned uses rather than restrict them.
Drew Austin
This paper presents Pattern 07 on Fractional Housing, proposing a protocol-based alternative to Airbnb that enables flexible, medium-to-long-term shared residential usage to address housing shortages and affordability. The protocol seeks to make urban housing markets more efficient by allowing homeowners to fractionally lease units while maintaining compliance with local regulations, contrasting with tourism-focused short-term rental platforms.
Drew Austin