Implement new n-0 policy for my sanity

docs/why_no_n_minus_zero.md

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+# What does n-0 mean?
+"n-0" is part of a common nomenclature in the arcade scene referring to
+freshness of data. "n-0" (n minus zero) is the current game release, like a
+mathematical equation. "n-1" is the previous game release. Rarely you will see
+"n+1" where the next, unreleased version of a game is leaked early.
+
+A time can also be added to specify lengths instead of versions. For example,
+"n-6 months" or "n-1 year".
+
+# Why no n-0 in Bemanipatcher?
+
+The original policy of this repo was to accept any patch set that looked sane
+and had consistent style, to be a "global" repository for all games that had
+been released. Sometimes some private release would have hex edits appear as a
+PR, so I accepted them because I didn't want to get into the drama of "why does
+he have data but I don't".
+
+In mid 2021, some groups decided they'd start leaking the latest updates for
+pretty much every game under the sun. In addition to being a hugely
+irresponsible idea (Sega is especially litigious), this produced a lot of noise
+in PRs from people hastily trying to port edits.
+
+I have had several terrible PRs submitted that I have had to revert. These
+include:
+- Broken patches
+- Misattributed sources
+- Totally-fine patch sets where I immediately received a Discord DM saying "I
+  didn't want that to be public, delete it please"
+- PRs opened and closed almost immediately by someone reconsidering
+- PRs opened, merged and then reverted by the original uploader
+
+As such, this repo now has a new rule: No n-0, unless it is more than a year
+old.
+
+# When is n-0 OK? Why is day-old n-1 OK?
+In addition to the obvious frustration I have with all these junk PRs, read on
+for some moral soapboxing as to why you should reconsider public n-0.
+
+**Remember: this is my own opinion.** I like to think it's a fairly common one. You are welcome to disagree with me, but it won't change the policy.
+
+Why the year rule? When a new game comes out, why is the n-0 from yesterday
+suddenly OK? There are two important aspects to my reasoning: Acting in good
+faith, and preservation.
+
+You have to remember that rhythm games are an extremely niche market when
+compared to all other game formats. Arcade rhythm games are even more niche, and
+critically, comprise a different payment model (credits vs gacha/one-time-buy).
+
+Compared to huge MOBAs and FPS games where the majority just pays and plays the
+game, the at-home-arcade community *is* big enough to cause financial problems
+if they all stay at home, which is why we've seen COVID hit Sega hard enough to
+start closing flagship arcades in Akihabara.
+
+I have heard firsthand from arcade operators that as soon as home-data is
+released that matches or exceeds the version in their arcade, attendance drops
+sharply. After all, with no commute and no credits, playing at home on your ASC
+is usually good enough.
+
+So the first point, acting in good faith. By releasing old data, you minimise
+depriving arcade operators of their income. Whether it's in Japan and the coins
+go straight to Konami, or you're in Europe and they fund your local arcade's
+next cab purchase, it's critical to actually financially support the games in
+this niche.
+
+Adding the 1 year specifier is for games like Jubeat and Reflecbeat - games that
+have not seen a new release in years. I believe it's acting in good faith to
+release year old data. If there's been literally no updates in a year... That's
+on Konami for abandoning a property.
+
+The second aspect is preservation. Except for buying an offline cab and hoping
+it has the right version (good luck), there is simply no way to legitimately
+play old releases of these games. This is why n-1 suddenly becomes "good" once
+the next version of the game is released. So much digital history has been lost
+due to bitrot and always-online games becoming unplayable. I like the idea of
+being able to play every game in a series ever released.
+
+# Why did you write all this?
+A lot of people who share my opinion like to loudly flame newcomers thirsty for
+the latest data, chastising them for not innately knowing the correct etiquette.
+This is my attempt to explain where my opinions come from. If it's useful to
+even 1 person, it's done its job.