Psybergram.com is a tool used for developing client-server, peer-to-peer, and standalone apps. The apps are written in a new programming language called Parthonyte, as well as a text markup language called Parthotags. Parthonyte is implemented in Java, so apps run on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Server-side code is written in Java. Mobile apps are supported for Android and iOS.
Mandate
The mandate of Psybergram is to use its revenue stream to support a nonprofit organization called Psyberhood.org. This organization creates and maintains a tool used for teaching math and an online community of consumer/survivors. Subscription fees of community members are waived, as well as fees of math tool users (who are clients of other nonprofit organizations).
Business Model
Client-server apps, which are hosted by third party Java hosting services, and peer-to-peer apps (no hosting required), are monetized by charging subscription fees of $60 per regular user per year. Subscription fees for basic users are $20 per year. Guest users of those apps pay no fees and are restricted to monochrome mode (black and white display). Quarterly, a portion of the subscription fee for each regular user equal to $12 (or $4 for basic users) is split up amongst the app authors. Apps which are more heavily used receive a larger share of that portion of the subscription fees.
Fee Allocation
- Apps are ranked by amount of accumulated user-minutes. Any minute in which a given user generates at least 5 user events (each event is basically a mouse click or keystroke) counts as a user-minute.
- Multiple tiers exist. The number of shares per app in each tier is equal to Fib(i), where i = tier no. starting at 1 for the lowest tier and Fib(i) = i-th term in the Fibonacci series: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13,...
- Assume Fib(0) = 1, then Fib(i) = Fib(i-1) + Fib(i-2)
- Iterating from the highest ranking to the lowest ranking, start with a share of 1, after the 2nd iteration, the top ranking app becomes 2 (and the 2 lower ones are each 1). Keep iterating, so that the number of 1's is up to 2 times the number of 2's, which is up to 2 times the number of 3's, which is up to 2 times the number of 5's, which is up to 2 times the number of 8's, and so on.
- Quarterly, perform the above process, to determine the fee allocation amount for each app.
- Note: bots are strictly forbidden, so all user-minutes are genuine.
Sample Table
Example: in the case where 60 apps exist, then 5 tiers exist.
T = Tier No.
F = Fib = Weight
N = App Count
P = Product = F x N
[T, F, N, P]
[1, 1, 30, 30]
[2, 2, 16, 32]
[3, 3, 8, 24]
[4, 5, 4, 20]
[5, 8, 2, 16]
Totals of N and P:
[60, 122]
Monospaced Mode
Only monospaced mode is supported. All characters in a given panel are the same size, and adjacent cells in a given panel may be merged to form a subpanel. Panels and subpanels can contain a widget, graphic, or a block of text. Different panels containing text need not share the same font size. Subscripts and superscripts are offset vertically by half the height of a character cell. Lines of text can optionally be separated by a gap equal to half of a character cell. The canvas property of a panel supports drawing graphics such as lines, circles, and rectangles. Panels with canvases do not contain a character grid.
Basic Users
Basic users save money but can only access 3 apps in full color mode per quarter. All other apps run in monochrome mode. In any given month, 2 of the apps in full color mode experience block-photo mode, in which photos are partially obscured by multiple randomly sized and positioned black rectangles.