Bunch of updates

advantages_of_imprecision.md

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+---
+date: "2020-06-16"
+---
+
+# Advantages of imprecision
+
+Some semantic vagueness is intended.
+
+* Too rigid law/contract is not applicable for novel situations.
+
+
+See also: ["I know it when I see it"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_know_it_when_I_see_it)

computable_contracts.md

@@ -1,7 +1,16 @@
 ---
 date: "2020-06-15"
+tags:
+  - paper
+  - concept
 ---
 
 # Computable contracts
 
+Paper by Harry Surden from 2012.
+TODO: read paper.
+
+
+Also a general term. Examples of computable contracts:
+
 - <daml_smart_contracts>

daml_smart_contracts.md

@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ date: "2020-06-15"
 
 # DAML smart contracts
 
+[DAML web page](https://daml.com/)
+
 A different interpretation of contracts as code, where the contracts are
 automatically generated and signed by computers and sent between servers.
 

generality.md

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+---
+date: "2020-06-16"
+tags:
+  - concept
+---
+
+# Generality
+
+Event `A` is more general than event `B`, iff every instance of `B` is also an instance of `A`.
+
+Example from Layman E. Allen (1987) _Normalized legal drafting and Query method_:
+
+* "penalty" is more general than "fine"
+* "penalty" is more general than "imprisonment"
+
+### Colloquial usage of "generalization"
+
+Paraphrased from a [Finnish source](http://sange.fi/~atehwa/cgi-bin/piki.cgi/yleistys), so trust my word. :-P /Inari
+
+Consider the following statements and their (unjustified) conclusions:
+
+* All humans can walk
+  * conclusion: All mammals can walk
+* It's sunny today
+  * conclusion: It's sunny always
+
+Despite colloquial usage, these conclusions are not generalisations.
+
+_Mammal_ is a generalization of _human_, and _always_ is a generalization of _today_.
+But the statement "it's sunny always" is __not__ a generalization of "it's sunny today".
+
+In all worlds where it's sunny _always_, it is also sunny _today_. So the logically correct direction is:
+
+* _it's sunny today_ is a generalization of _it's sunny always_.
+
+### Questions
+
+Is this confusion about generality of statements relevant in legal contracts?

index.md

@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 # Overview
 
+This is a Zettelkasten for the reading list of CCLAW@SMU.
+
+Contributions are welcome. (Maybe this can be moved to the smucclaw repository later and the structure can make more sense.)
+
+Start here:
+
 - <legal_drafting_is_broken>
-- <computable_contracts>

introduction_to_logical_spreadsheets.md

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+date: "2020-06-16"
+tags:
+  - paper
+---
+
+# An introduction to logical spreadsheets
+
+2007 paper by Michael Kassoff and Andre Valente.
+
+TODO: read paper.

legal_drafting_is_broken.md

@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ date: "2020-06-15"
 
 Humans are imprecise:
 * Incomplete information
-* Semantically vague
-* Syntactically ambiguous (e.g. <scope_ambiguity>)
+* Semantically vague (<generality>, …)
+* Syntactically ambiguous (<scope_ambiguity>, …)
 
 ### Legal drafting uses a suboptimal format
 Plain text is lacking:
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ Plain text is lacking:
 
 Proposed solutions to fix legal drafting:
 
-- <normalized_legal_drafting>
+- <teach_humans> 
 - <spreadsheets_for_law>
 - <computable_contracts>
+
+Alternative points of view:
+
+- <advantages_of_imprecision>

normalized_legal_drafting_query_method.md

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+---
+date: "2020-06-15"
+tags:
+  - paper
+---
+
+# Normalized legal drafting and the Query method
+
+1978 paper by Layman E. Allen: _Normalized legal drafting and the Query method_.
+
+Precursor to rules as code, computational contracts etc. "Normalized" legal document à la Allen ≈ <cnl> with the goal "Improve communication among humans".
+
+### Purpose
+
+Aims to fix _unintended_ syntactic ambiguity, imprecision, confusing turn of phrase or just plain incorrect meaning.
+(There are also <advantages_of_imprecision>, which this method would keep.)
+
+### Normalization
+
+(Manually) convert text into two equivalent formats:
+
+1. Itemized list, using line breaks and explicit tokens such as `1.` and `a)`  
+1. Human-readable visual diagram. For istance, _if a then b_ is expressed as
+
+    ```
+    >─┐
+      a
+      │
+      ˅
+      b
+    ```
+
+Advantages:
+
+* Exposes <scope_ambiguity> when you need to put things in parallel and be explicit about what is left unsaid.
+* Visual graph shows more clearly different ways of reaching a state, etc.
+
+### Query method
+
+Method for humans to learn to draft in the normalized style.
+
+TODO: read that part of paper.

spreadsheets_for_law.md

@@ -1,7 +1,14 @@
 ---
 date: "2020-06-15"
+tags:
+  - concept
+  - approach
 ---
 
 # Spreadsheets for law
 
-I don't know yet what this is, but Meng thinks it's important.
+TODO
+
+Related papers:
+
+- <introduction_to_logical_spreadsheets>

teach_humans.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+---
+date: "2020-06-16"
+tags:
+  - approach
+---
+
+# Teach humans to draft better
+
+The only feasible approach before computers were mainstream.
+
+(TODO: is there modern support for this approach?)
+
+Examples:
+
+- <normalized_legal_drafting_query_method> (Allen 1978)