🧠 PolicyDraft.org Tutorial

🎮 Gamification System: Costs & Rewards

PolicyDraft.org uses a reputation and token system to gamify contributions. Every action has a cost or reward. Look for the ⭐ indicators throughout the interface to see what each action does!

📖 How to Read the Indicators

  • ⭐ +rep = Content owner gets reputation when you do this action
  • ⭐ +X.X = Content owner gets X.X points when you do this
  • ⭐ -X tokens = This action costs X tokens (uses your daily quota)
  • ⭐ +X tokens = This action gives you X tokens (reduces daily usage)

Key Insight: You earn reputation when others interact with your content, not when you create it!

💰 Actions That Cost Tokens

Content Creation

  • Create Node: -1 token (+rep when others interact)
  • Edit Node: -1 token (only owner can edit)
  • Create Edge/Connection: -1 token (target owner gets +2.0 points)
  • Upload Essay: dynamic (1–25 tokens) (cost shown on button, varies with AI budget)
  • Generate Whitepaper: dynamic (1–50 tokens) (cost shown on button, varies with AI budget)
  • Bulk Create Nodes: -20 tokens

Thematic Ownership

  • Create Thematic: -10 tokens (requires 50+ reputation)

📊 Dynamic AI Costs

AI-powered features (Essay Upload, Whitepaper Generation, AI Merge Proposals) use dynamic pricing that adjusts in real time based on:

  • Budget leeway: When AI budget is plentiful, costs drop (as low as ~50% of base). When budget is tight, costs rise (up to ~5× base)
  • Real-time display: The exact cost is shown on each button — always check before using
  • Recalculation: Costs update automatically as usage and remaining budget change

📈 Dynamic Merge Rewards

Merge rewards encourage consolidation in densely connected graphs:

  • Base reward: +3 tokens each (proposer and accepter) for cross-user merges
  • Large graph bonus: When the merged nodes are part of a graph with many connected nodes, both users earn extra tokens (e.g. +5 total instead of +3)
  • Why: Larger graphs benefit more from merges — the system rewards you for reducing complexity

🎁 Actions That Give Rewards

Token Rewards

  • Accept Cross-User Merge: +3 to +5 tokens each (base + bonus when graph is large — both proposer and accepter earn)
  • Self-Merge (your own nodes): 0 tokens (consolidation only, no reward)
  • Rank Improvement: +10 points per rank (daily bonus, can't lose points)

Reputation Rewards (to Content Owner)

  • View Node: +1.0 point (free action for viewer)
  • Connect to Node: +2.0 points (costs 1 token for connector)
  • Search (node appears): +0.5 points (free action for searcher)
  • Like Node: +0.5 to +3.0 points (based on liker's reputation, free action)
  • Like Publication: +0.5 to +3.0 points (based on liker's reputation, free action)

📊 Daily Quota System

Your daily action limit is based on your reputation score and role:

OBSERVER

0 actions/day

Read-only access

CONTRIBUTOR

max(2, floor(reputation)) actions/day

Minimum 2 actions, scales with reputation

MODERATOR

max(10, reputation) actions/day

Minimum 10 actions, scales with reputation

ADMIN / FOUNDER

100 actions/day

Effectively unlimited

Pro Tip: The more valuable content you create, the more others interact with it, the higher your reputation, and the more daily actions you can perform! It's a positive feedback loop. Your quota resets at midnight each day.
Important: Self-interactions don't count! You don't get reputation when you view or expand your own nodes. Also note: only you can edit your own nodes - others cannot edit them. The system is designed to reward collaboration through connections, views, and likes.

🎯 Getting Started

Welcome to PolicyDraft.org! This is a gamified knowledge graph platform where you can create, connect, and explore ideas through nodes and relationships.

🔑 Registration & Login

  1. Get an invitation token — an existing user, admin, or founder can send you one. If you don't have one, join the waiting list on the homepage and an admin will send you an invite link by email
  2. Go to the homepage and click "Get Started"
  3. Fill in your name, email, password, and paste your invitation token
  4. After registering, sign in with your email and password
  5. A 6-digit access code will be sent to your email (2FA)
  6. Enter the code to complete sign-in
Sign-In Modal

Sign In

×
Email
jane@example.com
Password
••••••••
Access Code (sent to your email)
4 8 2 7 1 5

Forgot your password? · Register

Sign In
Registration Form

Register

×
Full Name
Jane Doe
Email
jane@example.com
Password
••••••••
Invitation Token
abc123-invite-token
Create Account
The access code is sent via email every time you log in. Check your inbox (and spam folder) for the code from PolicyDraft.org.

🔒 Forgot Your Password?

  1. On the sign-in form, click "Forgot your password?"
  2. Enter your registered email address
  3. Check your email for a password reset link (valid for 1 hour)
  4. Click the link and enter your new password
Start by exploring the existing graph to understand how nodes and connections work before creating your own content. Notice the point indicators next to buttons - they show you what each action does!

📊 Graph Interface

Navigation & Controls

🔍 Search ⭐ +0.5

Use the search bar to find nodes by title or summary. Search results will highlight matching nodes on the graph.

Gamification: When your nodes appear in search results, you get +0.5 points per match!

carbon policy
Search
Carbon Tax — A mechanism to tax carbon emissions…
Carbon Pricing — Market-based pricing of CO2…

📋 Loading Modes

Choose how to load nodes:

  • Saved Layout: Your previously saved workspace
  • Recently Worked On: Nodes you've interacted with recently
  • Most Visited: Your most frequently viewed nodes
  • All Nodes: Every active node in the system

🎨 Canvas Controls

Interact with the graph:

  • Drag: Move nodes around
  • Zoom: Mouse wheel or pinch
  • Pan: Click and drag empty space
  • Select: Click on nodes

Node Interactions

  1. Click a node to view its details in the modal
  2. Drag nodes to organize your workspace
  3. Use Actions dropdown for advanced operations
  4. Press Delete/Backspace to remove selected nodes from canvas
Graph Canvas
Climate
Action
Green
Energy
Carbon
Tax
Reputation: 24.5 Tokens: 18/25
Actions Menu

Actions

×
  • New Node Free
  • Upload Essay 5 tokens
  • Generate Whitepaper 10 tokens
  • My Created Nodes
  • Share Workspace
Node Details Modal

Node Details

×
Title
Green Energy Transition
Type
Roadmap
Status
ACTIVE
Summary
A comprehensive strategy for transitioning to renewable energy sources by 2040.
Thematic
Climate Policy
Tags
energy sustainability policy
👍 12 💬 3 comments
Expand Center View Connect Close

➕ Creating Content

Creating Nodes

  1. Click the "Create Node" button
  2. Fill in the title (required)
  3. Add a summary to describe the concept
  4. Select appropriate tags for categorization
  5. Click "Create Node" to add it to the graph
Good node titles are concise and descriptive. Summaries should explain the concept clearly for other users.

Creating Connections

  1. Click on a node to open its details
  2. Click "Connect..." in the Actions dropdown
  3. Select the target node from the dropdown
  4. Choose a relation type (e.g., "relates_to", "causes", "part_of")
  5. Click "Create Connection"

Creating Connected Nodes

  1. Click on a node to open its details
  2. Click "Create Connected Node" in the Actions dropdown
  3. Fill in the new node details
  4. Specify the relation between the nodes
  5. Click "Create Node" - the connection is made automatically
Create Node Modal

Create Node

×
Title (ideally 2–5 words)
Carbon Tax
Type
Policy
Summary
A mechanism to tax carbon emissions to incentivize green alternatives.
Tags
carbon × tax × emissions ×
Type to add tags...
Create Node Cancel
Create Connection

Create Connected Node

×
Connecting from: Green Energy Transition
New Node Title
Solar Subsidies
Relationship
enables
Summary
Government subsidies to accelerate solar panel adoption.
Create Node Cancel
Green
Energy
enables
Solar
Subs.
Use "Create Connected Node" when you want to create a new concept that's directly related to an existing one.

🎮 Gamification & Reputation System

⭐ How Points Work

PolicyDraft.org is gamified! Every action you take can earn you reputation points or cost you tokens. Look for the ⭐ +rep and ⭐ -X tokens hints next to buttons to see what each action does.

💰 Token System (Daily Actions)

Tokens represent your daily action quota. Each action costs tokens:

⭐ Actions That Cost Tokens

  • Create Node: -1 token (owner gets reputation when others interact)
  • Edit Node: -1 token (only the owner can edit their node)
  • Create Edge: -1 token (target owner gets reputation)
  • Upload Essay: dynamic (1–25 tokens, cost shown on button; lower when AI budget plentiful, higher when tight)
  • Generate Whitepaper: dynamic (1–50 tokens, cost shown on button; scales with AI budget leeway)
  • Bulk Create Nodes: -20 tokens

🎁 Actions That Give Rewards

  • Accept Cross-User Merge: +3 to +5 tokens (both users earn; bonus when merge is in a large graph)
  • Self-Merge (own nodes): 0 tokens (consolidation only)
  • Create Valuable Content: Others interact → You get reputation
  • Rank Improvement: +10 points per rank gained daily

📈 Reputation System (How You Earn Points)

Key Insight: You earn reputation when others interact with your content, not when you create it!

When Others View Your Node

+1.0 point

Automatically tracked when someone clicks your node

When Others Like Your Node

+0.5 to +3.0 points

Based on the liker's reputation score

When Others Connect to Your Node

+2.0 points

When someone creates an edge pointing to your node

When Others Like Your Publication

+0.5 to +3.0 points

Based on the liker's reputation score

When Your Node Appears in Search

+0.5 points

Automatically tracked when your node matches a search

🎯 Daily Quota System

Your daily action limit is based on your reputation score:

  • CONTRIBUTOR: max(2, floor(reputation_score)) actions per day
  • MODERATOR: max(10, reputation_score) actions per day
  • ADMIN/FOUNDER: 100 actions per day (unlimited)
  • OBSERVER: 0 actions per day (read-only)
Pro Tip: The more valuable content you create, the more others interact with it, the higher your reputation, and the more daily actions you can perform! It's a positive feedback loop.
Reputation Toast (appears on screen)
🎉 Reputation Increased!
+2.0 points (Total: 26.5)
Navbar Badges
⭐ Reputation: 26.5 📊 Tokens: 18 / 26 🔔 3
How reputation flows
Other User
views your node → +1.0 rep
to you → Higher quota
more daily tokens
Daily Quota Example (Contributor)

Your Daily Quota

18 / 26
tokens remaining today
Resets at midnight · Reputation: 26.5 → 26 tokens/day
Leaderboard Entry
1
Hans Balgobin
42 nodes · 15 connections
85.2
2
Jane Doe
28 nodes · 9 connections
26.5
3
Alex Smith
12 nodes · 5 connections
14.0
Important: Your quota resets at midnight each day. Plan your actions accordingly!

🏆 Leaderboard & Rankings

Compete with other users:

  • Main Leaderboard: Top users by total reputation score
  • Risers: Users with biggest 30-day growth
  • Daily Ranking Bonus: +10 points per rank improvement (can't lose points)
  • Expertise Dimensions: Track your expertise by tags/domains
Leaderboard View

Leaderboard

# User Reputation 30-Day
1 Alice M. 142.5 +38.2
2 Bob T. 98.0 +22.7
3 You 54.5 +12.0
Reputation Earned Toast
+1.0 rep — Someone viewed your node "Carbon Tax"
+2.0 rep — "Alice M." connected to your node "Green Energy"
Daily Quota Header Badge
Reputation 54.5
Tokens Left 18 / 54
Role CONTRIBUTOR
Check the leaderboard regularly to see your progress and compete with top contributors!

📧 Nightly Digest Notifications

Every night, you'll receive a comprehensive digest notification summarizing:

📊 Node Activity Summary

  • Views on your nodes
  • Likes received
  • New connections to your nodes
  • Merge proposals involving your nodes
  • Top 5 most active nodes

📈 Reputation Changes

  • Daily reputation gain/loss
  • Current total reputation
  • Breakdown by activity type

💡 Personalized Recommendations

  • Actions to improve engagement
  • Connection suggestions
  • Thematic organization tips
  • Reputation growth strategies
Nightly Digest Email Preview
PolicyDraft.org
Your Daily Digest — Feb 10, 2026
Node Activity
24
Views
6
Likes
3
Connections
Reputation Change
+12.5 points today
Total: 54.5 · Rank: #3 (+1)
Recommendations:
• 2 of your nodes have no connections — consider adding edges
• You have a pending merge proposal — review it to earn tokens
Pro Tip: Check your notifications daily to see what's happening with your content and get actionable recommendations for improvement!

What Triggers Recommendations?

  • Low Activity: If your nodes aren't getting engagement, we'll suggest ways to improve visibility
  • Missing Thematics: We'll remind you to create or organize thematics to help with discovery
  • Connection Opportunities: We'll highlight orphaned nodes that could be connected
  • Publication Likes: We'll remind you to like publications to maintain reputation
  • Reputation Milestones: We'll guide you toward the next level
  • Low Token Balance: You'll receive a warning when your daily token usage is running low

📚 Publications & Whitepapers

Generating Whitepapers

  1. Check the cost displayed on the button — it updates dynamically based on AI budget
  2. Click the "Generate Whitepaper" button - the current cost is shown on the button
  3. Wait for AI processing (may take 30-60 seconds)
  4. View the generated whitepaper in the publications page
Whitepapers are AI-generated documents that synthesize information from your current graph view. The token cost is dynamic: it drops when AI budget is plentiful and rises when usage is high, so always check the button before generating.

Viewing Publications

  1. Navigate to the Publications page
  2. Browse the list of generated whitepapers
  3. Click on any publication to view its full content
  4. See metadata including author, creation date, and node count
Publication List Card

Climate Policy Framework 2040

By Jane D. · Feb 10, 2026 · 12 nodes PUBLISHED

A comprehensive whitepaper synthesizing insights from the Climate Policy thematic, covering carbon taxation, renewable incentives, and emission targets…

Read 👍 8

AI Ethics Discussion Draft

By Bob T. · Feb 8, 2026 · 5 nodes DRAFT

An initial exploration of ethical considerations in AI policy…

Publication Detail Modal

Climate Policy Framework 2040

✎
×
PUBLISHED Jane D. · 12 nodes
1. Introduction
This whitepaper examines the intersection of climate policy and renewable energy transition strategies…

2. Carbon Taxation
We propose a progressive carbon tax starting at $25/tonne…
Save Draft 👍 Like Delete Close

🏆 Leaderboard & Rankings

Understanding Rankings

The leaderboard shows:

  • Top Contributors: Users with highest total reputation
  • Top Risers: Users with biggest reputation gains recently
  • Your Position: Your current ranking in the system
Check the leaderboard regularly to see how your contributions compare to other users.

⚙️ Admin Features ADMIN FOUNDER

User Management

Admins and founders can:

  • View all users in the system
  • Search users by name or email
  • See user roles and reputation scores
  • Manage user permissions

Node Management

Advanced node operations:

  • Deactivate Nodes: Hide nodes from all users while keeping them in the database
  • Remove from Canvas: Remove nodes from your personal workspace
  • Audit Logs: Track all system changes and user actions
User Management Panel

Users

Search users…
Name Role Rep Nodes
Alice M. CONTRIBUTOR 142.5 38
Bob T. CONTRIBUTOR 98.0 21
Charlie K. OBSERVER 0 0
Node Deactivation

Admin Actions

You can deactivate individual nodes or all visible nodes on the canvas.

Confirm Deactivation
This will deactivate 12 nodes currently visible on the canvas. This action is logged and cannot be easily undone.
Deactivate All (12) Cancel
Deactivating a node will hide it from all users and API responses. This action is logged and should be used carefully.

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

Canvas Navigation

  • Mouse Wheel: Zoom in/out
  • Click + Drag: Pan around
  • Double-click: Reset zoom

Node Operations

  • Delete/Backspace: Remove selected node from canvas
  • Click: Select node
  • Drag: Move node

Form Shortcuts

  • Enter: Submit forms
  • Escape: Close modals
  • Tab: Navigate form fields

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Can't create nodes or connections

  • Check your daily quota in the header
  • Ensure you're logged in
  • Try refreshing the page

Nodes not appearing

  • Try different loading modes
  • Check if nodes were deactivated by an admin
  • Clear browser cache and refresh

Whitepaper generation fails

  • Ensure you have enough tokens (check the cost displayed on the button)
  • Check your internet connection
  • Wait a moment and try again - AI budget may have been temporarily exhausted

Admin features not visible

  • Verify you have ADMIN or FOUNDER role
  • Log out and log back in
  • Contact a founder for role assignment

💡 Best Practices

Creating Quality Content

  • Clear Titles: Use descriptive, concise titles
  • Helpful Summaries: Explain concepts clearly for others
  • Appropriate Tags: Use relevant tags for categorization
  • Meaningful Connections: Connect related concepts with clear relationships

Organizing Your Workspace

  • Save Layouts: Your positions are automatically saved
  • Use Loading Modes: Switch between different node sets
  • Remove Unwanted Nodes: Clean up your canvas regularly
  • Group Related Concepts: Position related nodes near each other

Collaboration Tips

  • Build on Others' Work: Connect to existing nodes when possible (owners get +2.0 points!)
  • Use Standard Relations: Stick to common relationship types
  • Document Your Ideas: Write clear summaries for complex concepts
  • Like Quality Content: Like nodes and publications to reward good contributors (free action!)
  • Respect the Community: Follow the reputation system and daily limits

🚀 Advanced Features

Canvas Layout Management

Your workspace management features:

  • Checkpoints: Save named snapshots of your workspace to restore later
  • Auto-save: Node positions are automatically saved as you work
  • Load Modes: Choose how to load nodes (saved layout, recent, popular, all)
  • Fit to View: Pan and zoom to fit all visible nodes

Thematic Organization

  • Load Thematics: Load all nodes in a specific thematic category
  • Create Thematic: Create and own a thematic category (requires 50+ reputation, costs 10 tokens)
  • Filter by Thematic: Use thematic filter in search
  • Browse by Thematic: See all thematics with node counts

Tag Management

  • Tag Input with Autocomplete: Type to see suggestions from existing tags
  • Tag Browser: Browse all available tags with usage counts
  • Tag Chips: Visual tags with X button to remove
  • Tag Suggestions: See most-used tags as you type

Bulk Operations

  • Select Nodes: Click "Select for Bulk Action" in node details
  • Bulk Actions Button: Shows count of selected nodes
  • Thematic Ownership: Own and maintain thematics through engagement (creating nodes/edges in your thematic)
  • Visual Selection: Selected nodes show blue border

Activity Tracking

The system tracks your interactions to provide:

  • Recently Worked On: Nodes you've interacted with recently
  • Most Visited: Your most frequently viewed nodes
  • My Content: View only nodes you created
  • Reputation Tracking: See your reputation score and expertise breakdown

Merge Proposals

  • AI Merge Proposals: The AI runs nightly and identifies duplicate or similar nodes that could be combined
  • Self-Merges: When the AI finds two of your own duplicate nodes, they appear under "Your Duplicate Nodes" in your Account page. Click "Merge Now" to consolidate them (no tokens earned)
  • Cross-User Merges: When the AI finds similar nodes from different users, it proposes a merge. Both the proposer and accepter earn +3 to +5 tokens each (more in large graphs)
  • User-to-User Proposals: You can also manually propose merges to other users from the node details
  • View Proposals: See all proposals in your Account page under "Merge Proposals"
Merge Proposal (Account Page)

AI Merge Suggestion

Carbon
Tax
⇄
Emission
Pricing
AI Reason: Both nodes address pricing mechanisms for carbon emissions with overlapping content.
Merged Title
Carbon Emission Pricing
Proposed By
AI
Reward
+5 tokens each
Accept Merge Reject View Details
Upload Essay Modal

Upload Essay for Bulk Node Creation

×
🪙 Processing this essay will cost 5 tokens (balance: 18 tokens).
Essay Title
Climate Change Adaptation Strategies
Essay Content
Paste your essay content here. AI will extract nodes with appropriate connections...
1,247 / 200,000 characters
Process Essay Cancel
After Processing (extracted nodes)
☑ Coastal Erosion ☑ Sea Level Rise ☑ Flood Barriers ☐ Managed Retreat

Live Canvas Updates

When other users interact with nodes on your canvas in real time, you'll see it happen live:

  • Node Created: When another user creates a node in your thematic, a green toast notification appears and the node animates into view with a green border
  • Node Updated: When someone edits a node you can see, it refreshes with an amber dashed border animation
  • Merge Completed: When a merge involving visible nodes completes, the source node fades out and the merged node highlights with a purple double border
  • New Connection: When someone creates a connection involving visible nodes, the edge appears with a green highlight animation
Live Canvas Notifications
🟢 New Node: "Urban Planning" created by Alice M. in Climate Policy
✏ Updated: "Carbon Tax" was edited by its owner
🤝 Merged: "Renewable Credits" merged into "Green Energy Transition"
Live updates let you see collaboration in real time without refreshing the page. All animations are temporary and fade after a few seconds.
AI Merge Proposal

Merge Proposal

AI Suggested
Carbon
Tax
by You
→
Carbon
Pricing
by Alice M.
Suggested title: Carbon Tax & Pricing
Reason: These nodes cover the same concept of pricing carbon emissions as a policy tool.
Both users earn +3 tokens on accept
Accept Merge Reject View Details
Essay Upload Modal

Upload Essay

×
Essay Title
The Future of Renewable Energy in Europe
Essay Content
Paste your essay content here. AI will extract nodes with appropriate connections…
0 / 200,000 characters
🪙 Processing this essay will cost 5 tokens (current balance: 18 tokens).
Upload Essay 5 tokens Cancel

Connection Suggestions

  • Orphan Nodes: The system identifies your nodes that have no connections (edges)
  • Suggestion Badge: The connection suggestions count appears in the graph toolbar
  • Connect Orphans: Click on suggested nodes to add connections and strengthen the graph

Notifications

  • Notification Badge: Red badge in navbar shows unread count
  • Notification Types: Node connected, liked, merge proposals, reputation changes, etc.
  • Mark as Read: Individual or bulk mark as read
  • Real-time Updates: Notifications appear as events happen via Server-Sent Events
Notifications Panel

Notifications 3

Mark all read
Alice M. connected to your node "Carbon Tax"
2 min ago · +2.0 rep
Bob T. liked your node "Green Energy"
15 min ago · +1.5 rep
New merge proposal for "Carbon Tax" & "Carbon Pricing"
1 hour ago · Review needed
Your rank improved to #3 — +10 points
Yesterday
Thematic Browser

Thematics

Create Thematic 10 tk
Climate Policy
28 nodes · 5 contributors
Load
AI Ethics
14 nodes · 3 contributors
Load
Economic Reform
0 nodes · new
Load

📋 Complete Activity Reference

Graph Page Actions

Node Actions

  • Create Node (-1 token) (+rep when others interact)
  • Edit Node (-1 token) (owner only)
  • Like Node (free) (owner gets +0.5 to +3.0)
  • Connect to Node (-1 token) (target owner +2.0)
  • View Node (free) (owner +1.0)
  • Expand Node
  • Focus Node
  • Select for Bulk Action
  • Hide Node
  • Deactivate Node (admin)

Content Creation

  • Upload Essay (dynamic: 1–25 tokens, see button)
  • Generate Whitepaper (dynamic: 1–50 tokens, see button)
  • Create Edge (-1 token) (target owner +2.0)
  • Search (free) (node owners +0.5)

Workspace Management

  • Save Checkpoint
  • Load Checkpoint
  • Load Thematics
  • Create Thematic (if you have 50+ reputation)
  • Bulk Actions
  • Fit to View
  • Clear Canvas
  • My Content
  • Share Workspace

Account Page Actions

Account Management

  • Change Password
  • Update Email
  • Request Level Upgrade
  • Export Data
  • Delete Account
  • View Sessions
  • Revoke Session

Merge Proposals

  • Accept Cross-User Merge (+3 to +5 tokens each, dynamic)
  • Merge Own Duplicates (0 tokens)
  • Reject Proposal
  • Initiate Proposal
  • View Proposals

Notifications

  • View Notifications
  • Mark as Read
  • Mark All Read
  • Click to Navigate

Other Pages

Leaderboard

  • View Rankings
  • View Risers
  • View Expertise
  • Search Users

Publications

  • View Publications
  • View Details
  • Filter Publications

Admin (Admin/Founder Only)

  • Manage Users
  • Update Roles
  • Trigger AI Merges
  • Auto-Tag Nodes
  • Review Flagged Nodes

📞 Getting Help

If you need assistance:

  • Check this tutorial for common solutions
  • Contact an admin for technical issues
  • Report bugs through the admin interface
  • Suggest features to improve the platform
The PolicyDraft.org community thrives on collaboration. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions or ideas!