The BIG Paradox

[Note: The issue of BIG Bulletin #44 fundamentally changes the nature of BIG as a business opportunity, particularly its compensation plan. Also provided here: BIG Bulletin #45, #47, #55 and #56.]

IMPORTANT: Since these Bulletins were issued, BIG Agents have gained the capability of withdrawing up to $2,000 per month from their accounts.

BIG Bulletin #55 further changes the nature of BIG International as a business opportunity. We no longer recommend that anyone put any of their own cash into BIG. However, in our opinion, it's still worth participating in BIG on the basis of receiving EPRs (see BIG Bulletin #55 ) or on the basis of funds received from other BIG accounts.

Funds in BIG accounts can be used to purchase goods and services available through the ABS$ TRADING BAY. BIG is also developing a "Bill Paying Service" to enable BIG players to pay utility bills with BIG funds.

New players wishing to put their own money into BIG may be able to purchase ABS$s (BIG funds) at a discount from existing players or from ABS$ traders -- see BIG Forum , ABS$ TRADING BAY, The City Programme, and Virtual e-Stock.

BUSINESS INCENTIVE GAMES INTERNATIONAL
The World's Fastest Growing Humanitarian Organisation

REPLY TO: AOS on BIOS

****************
BIG BULLETIN #44
****************

Vienna - September 7th 1999

In this bulletin -

* BIG CONTEXT
* STANDING ON YOUR OWN TWO FEET
* AVAILABLE INTEREST BALANCE (AIB)
* TRUST
* ABS CASH AND ABS FUND
* ABS PAYMENT SERVICE APPLICATION PROCEDURE
* PLAYERS BANK LETTER - INFO RELEASE #1

BIG CONTEXT
***********
Because of the new payment systems announced here, we're taking this opportunity to re-clarify some of the key aspects of BIG. From time to time comments and messages appear on the BIG Forum that indicate to us that some players are making incorrect assumptions with regard to what BIG is about and how it operates. In light of these new payment systems we feel it timely to clear up any misconceptions about BIG International and what it does.

STANDING ON YOUR OWN TWO FEET
******************************
Life can be viewed as a process of moving out of a state of dependence. As a newborn, you are dependant on the support of your parents and guardians. You cannot function without them. As a teenager the urge to leave the nest grows and, as a young adult, you find yourself in a situation where you have to become responsible, whether you like it or not. Independence and the freedom associated with it becomes a primary focus.

For many people today, financial independence is viewed as a top priority. Countless self-help books focus on "how to achieve financial independence". There is much agreement for financial independence and most business opportunities will incorporate it as an achievable ideal. In many cases, financial independence becomes the defining term of what a person wants out of life.

Let us be clear.

BIG International is not about financial independence. It is our firm belief that there is no such thing. Financial independence, as a condition, is a phallacy. It is literally not possible to be financially independent because each person shares this world with everyone else. To paraphrase the poet John Donne, "No man is an island unto himself".

No BIG player is an island unto himself. In fact, players are part of the new and expanding BIG continent. BIG does not seek financial independence for each player but seeks financial interdependence for ALL players.

What do we mean by financial interdependence?

We mean that players gain their necessary individual financial freedoms through being part of a self-supporting organisation. We mean that each player, simply by being a player, helps build an organisation that extends these financial freedoms to others and to future generations. We mean that each player acknowledges and understands that their financial interdependence is only achieved because others have also committed to the same goal. We mean that BIG International players are a team. We mean that BIG International offers an achievable and practical vision of economic justice for any individual who chooses it. We mean that BIG International offers a viable alternative to current financial systems that tend to benefit the few at the expense of the many.

>From time to time we receive letters from players along the lines of "my plan is to re-work my 10 PR's over the next 5 years and then leave BIG taking my $XX million with me." This is an incorrect assumption about how BIG works. Players thinking along these lines will be disappointed. If BIG allowed players to simply remove large amounts of cash and, by default, inject that finance back into the systems we are seeking to transform, then our goal becomes unachievable. We will fail as we merely end up fuelling the fire we seek to extinguish.

Some years ago, a small group of visionaries closely examined the world of finance and did not like what they found. So they created and built a fund with a view that it should grow and that the earnings power of that fund should, when the time was right, be made available to individual members of the public. BIG International is the expression of that vision. One of the ground rules applicable to the core fund is that it must continue to grow so that the opportunity of financial interdependence can be made available to future generations.

These points are mentioned here because they have a direct influence on the payment structure and system we are about to present to you.

AVAILABLE INTEREST BALANCE (AIB)
********************************
Available Interest Balance (AIB) is generated by the monthly interest on Lodgements. Lodgements are an allocation of a small part of BIG's core fund. Lodgements are never owned by the player but the interest generated on them is.

Many players now have a very healthy AIB total with many more too follow. They see 6 and 7 figure sums in their account and now seek to withdraw and use that money to meet their financial commitments. What are a player's probable financial commitments? Here's what we think they are likely to be.

1. BASICS - food, clothes, health, services.
2. HOUSE - mortgage, rent, lease, buy, maintenance.
3. MOTOR VEHICLES - cars, vans, motorbikes, off-road vehicles etc.
4. LUXURIES - holiday homes, yachts, jets, helicopters etc
5. BUSINESS - invest into businesses and projects.

These 5 categories cover 99% of expenditures to be made by players. Review the list and you will see that purchases made for categories 2 to 5 would generally not be paid using cash. You are unlikely to buy a car for $30,000 or a house for $300,000 in cash. So the AIB in your ABS account is to be restructured in line with these payment practices.

TRUST
*****
Many players are building up large amounts of Available Interest so they can pay off, for example, the outstanding mortgage on their house or buy a new house or car outright. This is what BIG is designed for. However, these types of purchase can be met in a manner that does not use cash in the way that most players would assume. Let us look at an example.

BIG player David Jones has $150,000 in Available Interest. He's built this amount up over time and wants to clear his outstanding mortgage where there is $100,000 left to pay on his $200,000 house. Understandably, David Jones would assume that all he need do is instruct ABS to send $100,000 to the lender and thereby pay off the mortgage, but there are serious drawbacks with this method.

First, the players of BIG International who, by their participation, have helped David Jones build his Available Interest Balance to $150,000, will see their organisation's asset holding reduced by $100,000. This is $100,000 that will leave the organisation and that can no longer be used to generate additional finance for either David Jones or any other players in BIG. Second, the $100,000 is now with the lender and the lender is operating to standards that run contrary to the principles of moral law that underpin BIG International. If player commitments of this type were consistently met in this way, then these drawbacks would ultimately bring BIG International to a halt. However, there is way in which David Jones's house can be bought from his ABS account that is much more effective, both for David Jones and all other players in BIG International. It is done through trust.

Instead of paying the lender directly, David Jones instructs ABS to set up a Trust with David Jones as the beneficiary of the trust. The trust is instructed to buy David Jones' house. David Jones sends $100,000 to his ABS Trust Account which then pays the $100,000 to the lender thereby completing the mortgage payment. The deeds to the property are then held by the trust. David Jones, as beneficiary of the trust, can then reside in the house and has full use of the house in exactly the same way as if he had paid off the outstanding $100,000 directly. The advantages of this method are:

1. The ABS Trust (of which David Jones is the beneficiary) now owns the house.
2. This Trust is part of a larger Trust owned by ABS.
3. The asset value of the house ($200,000) can be used by BIG International to generate additional finance for the organisation without putting the property or trust at risk.
4. David Jones has what he wants but also the added protection of a trust structure allowing him to also make his children beneficiaries if he so chooses.
5.Although the lender directly receives $100,000 from ABS, this arrangement gives ABS the opportunity to extend services to the lender which, in time, will lead to lenders retaining all or part of the sums paid within the ABS system and thereby strengthen the core fund of BIG International even further.
6. The property deeds held in this way form a growing property portfolio held by BIG International which becomes a valuable asset.

This trust method will also be used to buy a property outright at 100% of the selling price (ie without a mortgage already on the property) and for other major asset expenditures such as cars, boats, second properties etc.

ABS CASH AND ABS FUND
*********************
To enable the goals of each player and ALL players to be met, the Available Interest Balance in a player's ABS account will now be split into 2 sections; ABS CASH and ABS FUND.

ABS CASH is available from October the 1st onwards (see below) and provides a level of cash funding to assist players in meeting their regular monthly commitments.

ABS FUND (available beginning 2000) builds up to the larger amounts that can be entered into an ABS player owned trust which is then used to completely remove a player's major areas of expenditure ie houses and cars whilst retaining asset value within BIG International. Further details on the trust structure willbe released prior to the provision of this service in early 2000.

ABS PAYMENT SERVICE APPLICATION PROCEDURE
*****************************************
Your monthly ABS CASH withdrawal limit is calculated by dividing your total Available Interest Balance by 12, (corresponding to the 12 months of the year). During this introductory phase, the maximum amount of ABS CASH cannot exceed $1000 per month. Therefore, players can now receive up to $1000 per month in cash via the ABS PAYMENT SERVICE. To receive funds in this way, you must do the following:

1. Download the new ABS PAYMENT SERVICE Application Form and Transfer form found under Print Materials at www.biglotto.com. (available later this week).
2. Complete the Application form and mail to the address as shown, enclosing a photocopy of your passport or your Drivers Licence incorporating photo ID as requested.
3. Organisations will also need to enclose a photocopy of a recent bank statement of the organisation.
4. Also fill in an ABS Transfer form as instructed.
5. You will also need to enclose a copy of a bank paying-in slip as issued at the high street bank where you keep your bank account. This is because ABS PAYMENT SERVICE will use one of the following ways to deliver payment to you:
a. CASH / BANKERS DRAFT / CHECK posted to your address.
b. DIRECT PAYMENT wired to your high street bank account.
6. When you apply you will be sent a receipt containing instructions as to your personal monthly transfer deadline. This deadline date is generated randomly for each player and will fall between the 5th and 25th of the month.
7. Players can only make 1 Transfer per month using the ABS PAYMENT SERVICE, transfer to be in by the player's monthly deadline.
8. Each transfer incurrs a processing fee of $15 charged to the player's ABS account. Minimum transfer is $1 ($16 charged to your ABS account when including the transfer fee), maximum transfer (at this time) is $1000 ($1015 charged to your ABS account when including the transfer fee). Transfers to be in whole dollars only.

There are further instructions and details on the Transfer Form so please download and read them later this week.

The ability to make ABS CASH requests via BIOS is planned to be added to BIOS during October. Your ABS CASH amount will be automatically calculated and shown within BIOS.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Your first Transfer Request has to be done by post as you must supply a copy of your passport/drivers licence. Any comments and feedback you may have on ABS PAYMENT SERVICE should be directed to the BIG Forum and the bigchat mailing list. Please do not bmail questions to us on this topic at this time.

THE PLAYERS BANK INFORMATION RELEASE #1
***************************************
Below is a copy of the first information release sent to Players who have applied and paid for Stock Units within the Players Bank. Further information releases will be sent to all Players who apply or Stock Units and this information subsequently released within upcoming Bulletins.

Dear *********,

Your individual request for bank stock was received before August 19th 1999 and is included within the figures stated below. Details stated below confirm the value of first payment made to the bank owners directly related to the original agreement.

We thank you for your support and believe the benefits will be considerable to you the Stock Holder Player (SHP) and the Non Stock Holder Player (NSHP).

FINANCIAL SUPPORT RECEIVED

First weeks figures to August 19th 1999 is US Dollars:

Players ABS Transfer value in US Dollars 00,422,000.00
Transfer from BIG International's core account 10,000,000.00
New cash input from Players and Sponsors 27,000,000.00

_________________________________________

First week's asset commitments to August 19th 1999 Stock issue in US Dollars:

Five properties transferred by deed 03,200,000.00
Bullion transferred by assignment 02,500,000.00
Mineral assets transferred by assignment 08,350,000.00

These assets are transferred directly to one of the three banks currently being purchased.
_________________________________________

First payment value made to bank Ref:004302/cp purchased against bank stock:

On August 19th 1999 twenty five million dollars of bank stock was purchased on behalf of the Players. The date of this purchase and the amount was paid upon the agreed time schedule of purchase.

The purchase value of each bank in US Dollars:

Ref.: 004302/cp/L 080,000,000.00
Ref.: 0227615/la/F 280,000,000.00
Ref.: 033/ej/S 130,000,000.00

We have entered one fixed time agreement with Ref.: 004302/cp/L, now under stock and asset purchase. All current management and two directors will remain. The directors have agreed to remain ad ensure the smooth running and transfer of the banks current business under performance related contracts.

Agreements of stock and asset values have been agreed with Ref.: 0227615/la/F. The bank owners are currently negotiating the protection and value of the name that also relates to their family name. The name is highly respected for dependable private banking within their nation. Four of the bank's directors have agreed to remain and balance new business against currently established clients.

END NOTES
*********
There are a host of additional developments in line with the information presented here and we will be bringing you this information in upcoming bulletins. The ABS PAYMENT SERVICE will be fully operational in October and first payments will arrive during that month with those players that send in applications for the service. The Application Forms will be available for download later this week.

Regards

Agora Office Services
For and on behalf of BIG International

BUSINESS INCENTIVE GAMES INTERNATIONAL
The World's Fastest Growing Humanitarian Organisation

REPLY TO: AOS on BIOS

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BIG BULLETIN #45
****************

Vienna - September 15th 1999

In this bulletin -

* ABS PAYMENT SERVICE
* ABS PAYMENT SERVICE APPLICATION FORM
* REFUND POLICY
* DRAW RESULTS UPDATE

ABS PAYMENT SERVICE
*******************
The announcement of the ABS PAYMENT SERVICE in Bulletin #44 has generated considerable response from players. The bulk of this response can be found on the BIG Forum (url at foot of this bulletin). Some players have been critical of the developments detailed in Bulletin #44. Others see the benefits of this structure and how it fits in with the overall goals of BIG International.

Some players have, yet again, misunderstood the nature of the structure and what is being built. The volume of questions on the Forum is such that we cannot answer them all directly but we'll seek to clear up a few misunderstandings here.

THE ABS PAYMENT SERVICE is a new service. Those players that have witnessed the SecureCard situation over the course of 1999 will be aware that the terms of use of the card were ignored by the vast majority of players who received them and that this, along with other issues, caused problems which have led to the temporary suspension of the SecureCard service. New services take time to bed in and we do not want a repeat of what happened with SecureCard. So the service will start in a controlled manner. And when it is working, then the initial $1000 monthly limit will be reviewed. Figures have been set for increasing the limit and we will announce these once the service is working correctly. Changes to the limit are targetted for introduction in the early part of 2000.

The Trust Structure information contained in BB #44 was limited, yet many players have made judgements on this information, even though we stated that full detailed information on this service will be provided in early 2000. However, in one post to the forum, a key point was raised which players should note and which has a direct bearing on the trust structure. The current situation within the UK (a situation which could develop elsewhere) means that the courts have the power to seize your assets if they can prove they were bought with money received from BIG International. However, a Trust arrangement enables you to have the use of assets which cannot be seized by the courts because you don't own them. This aspect is part of the power of this structure which is being implemented to benefit all players.

Any player discussions you may witness on the Trust structure at this time are mere conjecture on their part. We can inform all players that not one player will currently have specific knowledge of what is being structured. This structure is about player empowerment and creating a permanent difference to the financial standing of all players and there is much more information to come on this area.

ABS PAYMENT SERVICE APPLICATION FORM
************************************
The Application Form for the new ABS PAYMENT SERVICE will be available at www.biglotto.com under Print Materials within the next few hours. The form is in PDF format and will require that you have Adobe Acrobat installed on your system. Acrobat is a free download and you will find a link to it at the BIG website. Simply fill in the form and post it to the address shown. First payments from ABS PAYMENT SERVICE will go out over October. All applicants will receive confirmation prior to receipt of their first payment. Operating standards for the new service will be announced as soon as we have had time to run the service for a few weeks. BIOS will be upgraded to provide the ABS PAYMENT SERVICE online.

REFUND POLICY
*************
Players of BIG are, by default, pioneers. The pioneering business has its own unique challenges and risks. As a pioneer you need to know that the casualty rate amongst pioneers can be high. History shows that few things of value are not gained without cost. BIG is no different in this respect. The organisation has had to change tack on several occassions in the past and no doubt will need to do so again in the future. Some players will read this as an admission that we intend to change the rules as we go along. And to a degree they are correct. BIG will change the rules whenever it is required to protect the interests of ALL players and also keep the organisation growing correctly in line with moral law. However, sometimes we will make a change that is too much for some players and at that point they may well choose to leave and terminate their account. The safety valve for all players that reach this point is to know that they can ask and receive a Refund on their account.

Some players have found the information in Bulletin #44 too big a change and have signalled their intent to sell their accounts to the highest bidder. Players can leave the organisation in this way if they so choose. The Refund Policy that applies to this action results in an audit being carried out on the players account and a settlement figure being reached. The settlement figure is calculated by adding up all monies paid in by the player for PR's and deducting from this total any monies paid out to the player. Settlement figures therefore will either produce an amount to be paid to the player by BIG, or an amount to be paid to BIG by the player.

Any and all interest generated on the account is not taken into account. Interest is generated on core fund and core fund is owned by the Players as a whole. Players who therefore leave the organisation and, by default, no longer support it, will not receive the financial support frm BIG in the form of the interest generated on their account.

Some players are choosing to sell their accounts to other players (new or existing) and are selling accounts at various levels of discount. Players that buy these account need to be aware of this Refund Policy as, should they at a point in the future also choose to leave the organisation, then the account they have bought will be audited in the above manner. In certain cases this will mean that the purchaser of the account would have to meet a payment to BIG and would also have to take into account the money he/she originally paid for the account from the original account holder. We therefore suggest that players who are buying accounts put up for sale by other players ensure that they have full information on the status of that account and the account history.

Players seeking a Refund should send a signed letter to the Agora Vienna address so that an account audit can be carried out. Players should allow approximately 60 days for this process to complete.

DRAW RESULTS UPDATE
*******************
A backlog of Draw Results covering draws held in August and the bginning of September has built up and we expect to bring these to you over the course of next week.

Regards

Agora Office Services
For and on behalf of BIG International

BUSINESS INCENTIVE GAMES INTERNATIONAL
The World's Fastest Growing Humanitarian Organisation

REPLY TO: AOS on BIOS

****************
BIG BULLETIN #47
****************

Vienna - October 1st 1999

In this bulletin -

* ABS PAYMENT SERVICE
* ABS STATEMENTS
* END NOTES

ABS PAYMENT SERVICE
*******************
We are pleased to announce the first change to this service which is specifically for agents and which comes into operation from November 1st 1999 onwards.

On the ABS statements to be sent over October, Agents will see a figure called "Agent Cash Transfer Limit". This figure is calculated by adding all sales lodgements held by the agent (ie ASLD, ORLD and for some agents NALD) and multiplying this figure by 4% (the current monthly interest rate). The calculated figure is termed the "Agent Cash Transfer Limit" and has, at this time, a top limit of $2000. This figure is then added to the ABS Monthly Cash figure (which is calculated at 1/12th of the AIB, maximum $1000) to produce a maximum monthly withdrawal figure for the agent. Agents therefore will, from November onwards, be in a position to receive up to a maximum of $3,000 per month.

Agents who want to know what their maximum monthly withdrawal figure is can easily calculate it from their lodgement and balance figures as shown in BIOS. Agents who want help with this should ask on the BIG Forum.

Another suggestion put forward has been for a minimum figure to be applied to the CASH limit. This would result in the 1/12th calculation only applying to sums above the limit and allowing players with a smaller account holding access to sensible sums. A change of this type will be implemented in due course. We ask players to bear in mind that many new systems development have to take place to deal with these structures effectively and that the service will evolve steadily as each piece is put in place.

ABS STATEMENTS
**************
ABS will be mailing printed statements to all account holding players over the course of October. The statement provides a detailed summary of the status of the account. Full transaction histories on accounts will not be included in these statements. Players that require fuller and more detailed information on their account will need to take steps to access their account over BIOS. Agents should therefore be aware that they may receive requests from players to help them access their account over BIOS. The mailing also includes a summary of recent news and developments as well as a new re-designed application form (which will be available as a PDF file later next week) and an ABS Payment Service Application Form. These items are included for those players who are without internet access.

END NOTES
*********
We have, within the last few hours, taken delivery of the draw results for August and September 1999. These will be prepared over the next few days and released during the course of next week. In addition, a new prize dept has been set up to track and administer all prizes, including past prizes. We're now into the last 3 months of this millenium. They are promising to be a very busy and rewading 3 months for BIG Players everywhere. We have some very special developments planned over this period in preparation for taking BIG International into the year 2000.

Regards

Agora Office Services
For and on behalf of BIG International

EPR COUNTDOWN - 16 WEEKS TO GO

In this bulletin -

* THE NEXT STEP
* EPR'S
* HUMANITARIAN EMPORIUM INC.
* ABS PAYMENT SERVICE
* ACCOUNT PERMISSIONS
* ABS SURVEY
* END NOTES

THE NEXT STEP
*************
This BIG Bulletin details major changes to BIG. The implications of these developments are considerable and should generate much discussion amongst players. The next stage of our journey starts here. So let's begin.

EVALUTION PR'S (EPR'S)
**********************
Historically, two of the biggest considerations raised by many prospective players of BIG have been:

01 I don't believe it, it is not possible to make over 300% return per annum
02 Therefore, it's a con, a money scam, you're relying on money in today to meet your commitments tomorrow

Point 2 has also been the mainstay of illegal attacks made upon the BIG player community by authorities such as the UK's DTI back in May 1998. Now however, with the advent of EPR's (Evaluation PR's), these 2 considerations are removed. EPR's make it possible for any player to freely receive money from BIG, year after year, at no risk and with no financial outlay whatsoever.

EPR stands for Evaluation Profit Reimbursement and can be given away freely by any player that wants to help others. EPR's are similar to PR's but with a few differences. The key points are:

01 Any player who does not already have a standard PR can be given/receive 1 EPR only
02 EPR's are free and result in a $600 EPR Lodgement in the account of the player
03 EPR Lodgements mature once a year in exactly the same way as a standard PR
04 When the EPR matures each year, an additional $105 is deducted from the gross return leaving an approximate net return of just over $150 (at current interest rate of 4% per month)
05 This $150 can only be spent with other ABS account holders (see Humanitarian Emporium Inc.) or on standard PR's
06 To be able to spend the $150 each year, the EPR player MUST provide proof of ID (passport/drivers licence) within 3 calendar months of receiving the EPR Lodgement
07 12 months after the EPR Lodgement starts, agent Lodgements (EASLD and EORLD) are credited to the upline agents who gave the EPR away, but only if the EPR player has submitted proof of ID

Therefore, EPR's enable players to evaluate BIG at no cost and to receive a return for doing so. The overall structure of the program also ensures that there is an ever growing number of EPR's to give away.

When the program starts in a few months time, there will initially be a total of 10 million EPR's available for players to give away. This is not a misprint. 10 million EPR's means finding 10 million individuals and/or organisations that would like to evaluate BIG at no cost and receive $150 a year for doing so. However, this figure will grow as each EPR is given away. Here's how.

BIG has set aside total funding of $1.05 billion to fund the EPR program - this amount pays for 10 million player fees at $15 each and 10 million EPR's at $90 each. As each EPR is given away, it generates 3 Lodgements; $600 EPRLD which goes to the player, $150 EASLD and $30 EORLD which goes to the upline agents. The agents however do not receive their Lodgements until the EPR matures ie in 12 month time. During that 12 month period, the EASLD and EORLD are held by the EPR core account, and this account receives the interest generated on these Lodgements. At the current rate of 4% per month, the total annual compound interest generated on the 2 Lodgements ($150 + $30) is $108. This $108 is then used to fund a further EPR which can be given away. In addition, an extra $105 is also deducted from the return on the EPR at the end of each year, and this money is also used to fund another EPR. Therefore, every EPR that is given away results in the generation of 2 EPR's which can be given away in 12 months time. Logically therefore, if the player community gives away 10 million EPR's over 12 months, then it will be able to give away 20 million the year after that, 40 million the year after that, 80 million the year after that and so on. The simple rule here is that every EPR given away generates 2 EPR's to be given away in the subsequent year.

The EPR program starts Thursday May 4th 2000. On that day, players who do not already own a standard PR will be able to order and receive an EPR over BIOS, with the EPR Lodgement starting on June 1st 2000. Although 16 weeks away, we are informing you now because many of you will want to give EPR's away and this gives you time to prepare yourselves to do this effectively. For example, you may want to assist new players into BIG with a free ticket only, then come the beginning of May it will be a simple step for these players to request and receive an EPR. This also applies to current players who only have a free ticket. This period also allows these players to submit their proof of ID so that their account is registered and they can then spend the $150 annual return from their EPR. Doing this also ensures that you, as their agent, also receive your EASLD (or EORLD) on the EPR they have received.

Any player can give away EPR's. By doing so, a player achieves agent status and an agent fee of $120 (if not already paid) will be charged to his/her account 24 months after they have given away their first EPR. The interest generated on the EASLD and EORLD Lodgements can only be spent with other ABS account holders (see Humanitarian Emporium Inc.) or on standard PR's.

Players who therefore give away EPR's can increase the value of their account holding considerably. The 12 month delay in receiving EASLD and EORLD on an EPR has been designed for 2 reasons:

01 It enables the EPR core account to receive approx $108 which extends the EPR program by 1 more EPR
02 It enables all players to give something to others without any initial reward for doing so and hence, reinforce the spirit of the BIG player community with all players involved in the EPR program

The money generated from all EPR associated Lodgements (EPRLD, EASLD, EORLD) can only be spent with other ABS accounts, primarily merchants recognised by Humanitarian Emporium Inc.

HUMANITARIAN EMPORIUM INC.
**************************
Organisations that want to supply goods and services to the global BIG player community can do so by applying for merchant status with Humanitarian Emporium Inc. Organisations will be able to apply for merchant status before the launch of the EPR program at the beginning of May 2000. The key points with regard to merchant accounts are as follows:

01 The organisation must have been trading for at least 2 years and will be required to provide documentation (record of accounts, company incorporation etc) to verify this.
02 All members, staff, employees of the organisation must have an ABS account and must also own at least 1 standard PR (organisations can give all their staff an EPR to start with, but they must have a standard PR before merchant status can be conferred).
03 Organisations will need to supply details of their products/services including price, areas of distribution etc.
04 The merchant contract is made between the organisation and Humanitarian Emporium Inc.
05 Organisations that receive Merchant Status will have an initial contract of 1 year, reviewed each quarter.
06 Initial contracts may stipulate limits on the amount of trade that can be conducted by the merchant during the initial contract period with trading limits also reviewed every quarter.
07 All monies received by a merchant for goods and services provided are held within the organisation's merchant account.
08 Any and all monies in the Merchant account can be transferred to the organisations nominated bank account at any time. There is no limit on the size of transfer. Delivery timeframes for transfer of funds are expected to be in line with current business banking practices ie between 5 to 10 working days.
09 Money can only enter a merchant account for goods and services provided.
10 Money in the merchant account receives no interest.
11 Within ABS, merchants can only transfer funds from their merchant account to their organisation account and to other supplier merchants.
12 Merchants will be required to help their suppliers become merchants also. This enables merchants to then meet supplier payments directly (using BIOS) without any time delay or fees to pay, giving all merchants an instant, real-time payment and exchange system at no cost. This aspect will also be extended so that merchants can automatically pay their ABS account holding staff with a simple pay-run as and when required ie once a week, month etc.

Merchants will also be listed within the Humanitarian Emporium Merchant database and will also have the opportunity of linking their website to and from that database.

The development of merchants within BIG is of major importance as it enables players to obtain the goods and services they require directly from merchants within the BIG community. In addition, the EPR progam ensures that all monies accruing to players from EPRLD, EASLD and EORLD can only be spent with other ABS accounts. Given that players give away the initial 10 million EPR's, this will then generate over $2 billion in the following year (2001) available to spend with merchants. We therefore anticipate a considerable demand from organisations who wish to serve this marketplace as accredited merchants.

Applying to become a merchant is a paper process as organisations need to supply physical copies of certain documents. The necessary forms required for this process are targetted for release before the end of March 2000. BIG has already been approached and is currently in talks with several global organisations who have expressed an interest in supplying a wide range of products and services including vehicles, electrical goods, computers and travel. Players with established businesses should also consider applying for merchant status.

ABS PAYMENT SERVICE
*******************
The Humanitarian Emporium Inc. will bring about a situation where, in time, players can trade at no cost to obtain all they require to live a productive and debt free life. However, we are well aware that this will take time and during that time, players have to operate and meet their current financial committments. The ABS Payment Service is designed to assist with this requirement. The revised rules for the service now support the long term development of our community by more fully integrating the trade between players and merchants. The key points regarding the ABS Payment Service are as follows:

01 Players must submit proof of ID to use the service (see also ACCOUNT PERMISSIONS)
02 AGENT LIMIT: Agents that own ASLD and ORLD Lodgements can always request payment once a month. The AGENT LIMIT for each player is calculated by adding the ASLD and ORLD and mulitplying by the monthly interest rate (ie 4%). The limit on this figure is $2000 per month.
03 PLAYER LIMIT: All Players that have joined BIG by April 30th 2000, and who have 1 standard PR or more, can obtain 1/12th of their total available interest balance once a month, up to a maximum of $1000. This is known as the PLAYER LIMIT. The PLAYER LIMIT rule will stay in place for these players up to November 20th 2001. After that date no players can use the PLAYER LIMIT, the only way a player can withdraw funds after November 20th 2000 is under the AGENT LIMIT rule.
04 The current maximum possible cash withdrawal limit is $3000 per month ($2000 AGENT LIMIT + $1000 PLAYER LIMIT). After November 30th 2001, the maximum amount that can be withdrawn each month is $2000 as determined by the AGENT LIMIT.
05 Players that join BIG after April 30th can only use the AGENT LIMIT.
06 Therefore, as the system develops, monies generated from PR's will only be able to be used/spent with other ABS account holders ie Merchants who will be able to supply the vast majority of goods and services needed such as houses, cars, electrical goods etc.
07 It is likely that players/agents will be able to increase their AGENT LIMIT when they introduce merchants. More information to follow.

IN SUMMARY:
All current players with 1 PR or more, and those players that join by April 30th 2000 and own 1 PR or more, can use the PLAYER LIMIT up to November 20th 2001.

Players that receive an EPR and Players that join after April 30th 2000 will not have access to the PLAYER LIMIT.

The PLAYER LIMIT will end for ALL players on November 20th 2001.

Players with an EPR can give away EPR's on which they will receive EASLD (and EORLD) 12 months after ther EPRLD has started. Monies generated on these Lodgements can only be spent with other ABS account holders (ie merchants) and on standard PR's.

ALL players can act as agents and receive ASLD (and ORLD) on standard PR Loans made by their players. ALL players with ASLD and ORLD can always receive cash (once per calendar month), the figure not to exceed $2000 and calculated by adding the ASLD and ORLD and multiplying by the monthly interest rate (4%). We understand that some players may see this as a limiting development but it is in fact the most powerful way to develop our organization and provide all the goods and services that you need within your own, player owned, community. We await your feedback with interest.

ACCOUNT PERMISSIONS
*******************
The introduction of the EPR progam means that the submission of proof of ID is now integral to using your player account. Without this procedure, the EPR program could be abused by those who would seek to take advantage of the generosity of your organization by making multiple requests for EPR's using different account names. So submission of proof of ID will now be standard procedure. Here are the key points:

01 ALL Players must submit a photocopy of either their passport or drivers licence.
02 The ID must clearly show the passport/drv lic number, the country of issue, and the name of the passport/driver licence owner (ie the player)
03 A revised version of the player registration form will be released shortly to accomodate these ID fields and the EPR. In the meantime, players should use the ABS Registration Form for submitting ID.
04 ALL current players should submit proof of ID by April 30th 2000. The reason for this is that submission of ID enables a range of account permissions for use on BIOS. Players that do not submit proof of ID will only be able to use bmail after April 30th. They will not be able to receive funds into their ABS account or send funds to other ABS accounts until they submit their ID.
05 The ID checking procedure is set up so that the the ID data can only appear once on BIOS against a personal account. This means that multiple account holders will only be able to use/register 1 account. Procedures for consolidating multiple accounts into 1 account will be released shortly in an upcoming bulletin. This will maximise data integrity on BIOS and also stops those occurrences where players have knowingly introduced themselves so as to receive sales lodgements as well as pr lodgements.

With the EPR program, players will be able to sign up and submit all their necessary details (including the ID data) online using BIOS. However, they will still have to submit proof of ID (by post or fax) to unlock their account and gain full account permissions. They have 3 calendar months from the date of the EPR Lodgement in which to submit proof of ID and during this time they can use bmail to assist them with this process.

As with all player data held by big, your ID information is kept secure and confidential. It is never made available to any third party for any reason. As final comment on this section, we have to state that this step was taken somewhat reluctantly. It is not our aim to make it overly difficult for new players to join BIG, but the distribution of over $2 billion a year via the EPR program means that we need a system of verification that reduces the possibility of abusing that generosity. However, even at this stage, we are open to any suggestions from players that are more effective. If you have an easier, simpler and ultimately better way of verifying players, then let us know. Fame and fortune await you.

ABS SURVEY
**********
BWF23, a regular contributor to the BIG Forum, has independently set up a survey which focuses on ABS spending habits and desires. The timing of this is excellent taking into account the arrival of the Humanitarian Emporium. If you want to paticipate, then please click on the link below and complete the quick survey. BWF23 has extended the closing deadline for the survey, which will now close at midnight EST on Friday the 21st January. The link is:

http://www.zoomerang.com/recipient/survey-intro.zgi?ID=HRGBFVJC0P20

END NOTES
*********
A lot has been covered in this bulletin. We politely request all players to direct their feedback, comments and criticisms to the BIG Forum (http://www.delphi.com/bigforum) where your communications can be seen by all players and the necessary debates can grow and develop. There is more info to come on these areas and this will be released steadily over the 16 week countdown to the start of the EPR program. There is however a great deal to do over this period.

* Players who have yet to submit ID should do so asap
* Any player you have introduced in the past who owns just 1 free ticket should be contacted and their ID submitted - come May the 4th they will be able to receive an EPR and the $150 a year that comes with it
* Agents and webmasters should begin to discuss the most effective ways and means of supplying information to prospective EPR players - how to set up websites and your own version of BIOS etc

In addition, the next upgrade of BIOS is due in February. This release addresses many of the minor systems errors that we have dealt with over the last few months - it also contains improvements to the look and feel of BIOS. After that, another upgrade will be released on May the 4th which will include the EPR ordering module and a few other tasty improvements.

May we also suggest you pay a visit to http://www.biglotto.com. The site will soon receive a major facelift but for now you will find the Draw results for November and December (done as monthly draws with the new prize structure). October's results will be up shortly. Also, try out the new BIG Tour - it's a new 24 page presentation of BIG and should be helpful to all players (particularly first timers) who need to get to grips with the many aspects of the world's fastest growing humanitarian community. Allow 20 to 30 seconds for it to load - if you use the full screen presentation (which you activate by clicking the slide icon in the bottom right hand corner) then remember to right click your mouse to move through the presentation, left click to close.

This Bulletin should have given you more than a glimpse of where we're heading. It's a low key way of announcing major developments. In the months ahead, the momentum will continue to build. Together, we are developing a true alternative economic community that works, is owned by all and costs nothing to use. Prepare for change.

Regards

Agora Office Services
For and on behalf of BIG International

**********************************************************************
BIG BULLETIN #56 - EVERY THURSDAY JANUARY 20TH 2000
**********************************************************************

[Partial Extract]

THANK YOU
*********
The response to Bulletin #55 has been outstanding. For the first time,
many players are now contributing and communicating on the BIG Forum
and on the bigchat email list. We want to thank all of you who have
responded over this last week to the developments detailed in Bulletin
#55. We are a community that is growing both in quantity and quality
and your contributions make a massive difference to how we develop.
>From all the team at Agora, we send a big BIG thank you and look
forward to your continued support and criticisms in this way.

PLAYER FEEDBACK
***************
Of all the information contained in Bulletin #55, the removal of the
1/12th rule after November 30th 2001 has produced the greatest level
of response and criticism. This is understandable and was expected.
Views expressed have been along the lines of "BIG has not just moved
the goalposts but changed the game" and "this is denying us our money"
and "many people don't want to be agents but will need to be if they
want to get cash" and "you're forcing us to do things which is not
right" and "this is not the organization I joined - I want it to stay
the way it was when I joined".

Conversely, there have been messages from players who see the wider
possibilities of these latest developments, an example of which is
featured in this Bulletin.

Many players have expressed the view that they like the new merchant
development, but want to see it develop in tandem with the 1/12th
rule. The simple fact is that this is exactly what is planned to
happen. November 30th 2001 is 22 months away. BIOS launched just 9
months ago in April 1999. Those 9 months have been a period of
tremendous change and growth and these patterns will continue and
accelerate over the next 22 months. We cannot see into the future, but
we can say with some certainty that the landscape of this community
will be considerably changed by the time we arrive at November 2001.
It is said that 3 months of Internet time is equivalent to 1 year of
old-business time so a lot is going to happen in the forthcoming 22
months (or is that 7 years?).

This community will always be evolving and changing. It has to. That
is the nature of this type of organization. The ride may get rocky
from time to time. That's fine too. Sometimes we may need to change
the route and at others we may need to stop and stand our ground. We
all desire a peaceful and problem free route, but we are unlikely to
get one. Why? Because a debt free money system that empowers
individuals in line with moral law is diametrically opposed to the
current system in force today.

That system has to put you in debt as without it, the system fails. So
long term, we cannot keep feeding money back to a system that works
against all of us night and day. It does not sleep, and if we are to
overcome it, neither must we; eternal vigilance is the price of
freedom. So we have to begin a process of withdrawal from that system
running alongside the development of our own merchant system. A time
has been set for that process which is November 2001.

This organisation is about the permanent transformation of money and
the removal of debt. It is NOT about destroying the banking system or
conducting a witch hunt against those individuals who now find
themselves holding the reigns of power over that system. The dominant
debt based system in todays world is the result of corrupt thinking
and practices. It does not serve humanity. The transformation of this
system is something that has been needed for a long time. We are
fortunate to live at this time when we, as individuals, have been
given the means (cyberspace) and the opportunity (BIG International)
to make a difference. A difference that will transform our lives and
the lives of generations to come.

Right now, this community needs players who understand the challenges
that lie ahead and, in spite of what may come, are determined to build
it. And it is happening. Right in front of all our eyes. The ABS$
Dollar is a powerful currency which more and more players are coming
to realise. Many view the US Dollar or British pound or German Mark as
hard currency. But these currencies, like all bank notes, are merely
tokens that are used to facilitate exchange. They are backed up with
nothing except the agreement given to them by over 90% of all people
on this planet. Bank notes are trading tokens and as such we need them
- trade is the lifeblood of society. What we don't need however, is a
situation where we have to pay to use the tokens. Unfortunately, this
is what has occurred.

The development details of the cash payment system will remain. This
community will not achieve its goal if we set up costly and
inefficient routes to give money back to the very system that has
robbed all of us in the first place. However, we have made substantial
modifications to the EPR system that redress the imbalance that some
players feel is occuring and that will also provide more flexibility
for day to day living as we move into this transition period.

ABS PAYMENT SERVICE AND EPR'S
*****************************
Some players will remember the BILLS PAID system that was used between
1996 and May 1998. This system enabled players to submit utility bills
and these were then paid by ABS. The reason for this service was to
help players meet the vital payments required, such as gas,
electricity, water, phone, rates, rent, mortgage, lease, etc. This
service is going to be re-introduced, with players being able to
manage this service via BIOS.

BILLS PAID will handle the primary bills for most players. This means
that players will be able to retain the cash they were spending on
bills and use that cash to meet other areas of commitment with all the
flexibility that cash currently gives.

As with the 1/12th Player Cash Limit, players will be able to spend up
to 1/12th of their Available Interest Balance on BILLS PAID each month
(variations will be reviewed for bills that occur quarterly). The
BILLS PAID service will also have a BILLS PAID LIMIT. On May 4th 2000,
that limit will start at $0.

The BILLS PAID limit will link in to the EPR programme. Here is how it
will work:
1 The BILLS PAID LIMIT will be set at $0 on May 4th 2000.
2 On May 4th 2000, players can request or be given an EPR.
3 There are 10 million EPR's to be given away from May 2000 to April
2001.
4 Every time 20 EPR's are given away (to players who submit ID), the
BILLS PAID LIMIT will increase by 1 cent.
5 Therefore, if all 10 million are given away, then the BILLS PAID
LIMIT will hit $5000 for every player.

The BILLS PAID LIMIT affects ALL players. Whenever 20 EPR's (with ID)
are given away anywhere in the world, the BILLS PAID LIMIT FOR ALL
PLAYERS will increase by 1 cent. This also applies to players who
never give away an EPR. In other words, Players who do not want to act
as agents will also benefit from this structure. Therefore if we, as a
community, succesfully distribute the 10 million EPR's, then ALL of us
will end up with a BILLS PAID LIMIT of $5000 per month.

All current aspects of the Agent structure are focussed on creating a
return for the agent only. This EPR structure means that all of us
benefit from the efforts of everyone who distributes EPR's. If 1
player gives away all 10 million, then we will all have a lot to thank
that player for as we will all be able to request up to $5000 worth of
bills paid every month.

We believe the power of this is considerable. Players that find
effective ways of distributing EPR's should share their findings with
everyone else. This is a community target and we all benefit from the
efforts of everyone else. To help with this, we intend to provide a
live countdown indicator on the website which will show the available
EPR total ticking down and the corresponding BILLS PAID LIMIT that we
have created.

In addition to this, the returns from the EPRLD, EASLD and EORLD can
also be used to meet BILLS PAID. This means that the recipients of an
EPR can use the $150 each year to pay their bills as well as spend
that money with merchants. So by giving away 10 million EPR's, 10
million individuals can pay off some of their utility bills over the
following year if they so choose.

In comparison to the number of players, the number of utilities
companies is relatively small and this structure will enable a more
effective payment system as ABS will be meeting payments for a large
number of players to each specific utility company. In the long term,
it also enables us to negotiate better rates for players and also
identify those utilities companies that are providing the best service
at the optimum cost.

The EPR system starts on May 4th, but the BILLS PAID system will be
developed after that date for a start targetted in the Autumn of 2000.
This is not a limitation as all players who join up to April 30th 2000
will be able to use all the ABS Payment Service as it currently stands
including the 1/12th rule. The aim is that as the current system comes
to a close by November 2001, we, that is you the players, will have
built a large base of EPR holding players and a large base of
merchants (with some support from the corporate sponsors of BIG who
will be providing goods and services through the Humanitarian
Emporium).

The player base has over 25 million PR holding players. But the vast
majority of these are not involved in the EPR program at this time.
The distribution of EPR's is being given to us, the online community.
This means we have tens of thousands of players right now who can
distribute EPR's. 10 million is a large number but we'd better get
used to it because the year after that we'll have 20 million to give
away. So a simple thought for you. If just 5000 players give away 2
EPR's in May, and these 10,000 give away 2 in June and these 20,000
give away 2 in July and so on, then by February 2001 we'll have given
away over 10 million. Of course, this is called living in la la land.
But isn't that one of the stop over points on this journey?
We look forward to your feedback on this.

ABS ACCOUNT CHANGE
******************
The implementation of the BILLS PAID system will incur additional
costs. To meet these costs, ABS will no longer be paying Compound
Interest on Available Interest Balance. This change is targetted for
introduction on May 1st 2000 - ie the last month that Compound
Interest will run is April 2000. Compound Interest has, since ABS
began, been calculated in a simple manner where BIOS gives 4% on the
balance total on the last day of the previous month. This is not an
accurate way to deal with compound interest and the complications of
calculating on balances every day have also been a factor in this
decision. This change does not affect the return on a PR Lodgement as
the interest on Lodgements is a closed system for 12 months - players
will still receive $270 net per annum on each PR (based on 4% interest
per month).

The new merchant accounts had to be structured so they receive no
compound interest on monies received for goods/services provided, and
this change now means that all accounts will operate under the same
conditions. The net result therefore is that Available Interest will
(from May 1st 2000 onwards) be generated from Lodgements only. We look
forward to your feedback on this development also.

ID STRUCTURE
************
Thanks to those player who have made constructive suggestions and
feedback on the ID structure. Since last week we have had a major re-
think of this aspect and so bring you the latest changes. Expect a few
more tweeks before this is complete. However, these changes make the
procedure easier.

1 We aim (at this time) to stay with passports and drivers licences.
Birth certficates have been looked at, but it is felt that it is too
easy to obtain duplicate copies of a birth certificate and this
therefore impairs their effectiveness as proof of ID.
2 The only way players can submit their ID details will be over
BIOS. (If they do not have access to BIOS then they can ask their
agent to do it for them). Once entered, these details cannot be
changed.
3 Players DO NOT have to submit a photocopy of their ID. However, AOS
may request a copy of proof of ID at any time and will give the
player a 30 day window in which to submit the copy.
4 If the copy fails to arrive, or if the details differ from what was
submitted, then the account may be suspended and audited so as to
establish the integrity and validity of the account.
5 Players can have 1 PERSONAL account and use their ID to register
it. Players can also act as the contact/decision maker for 1
ORGANISATION account, also using the same ID to register it.
This procedure now means that a new player can download BIOS, install
it, set up his/her account, claim an EPR and then submit ID (then or
sometime later) so as to gain full account permissions. Not having to
send a physical copy at this point will make the take up of EPR's that
much easier for new players.