Is there an equivalent to “the purpose of a system is what it does” for (meta)games/politics/coordination? 

I get that these are encapsulated by the idom, but looking for something that highlights the human side over the procedural/mechanistic one.

out of the context, all it rings a bell at this specific AC-less boilerroom of an overhumid room for me is Erik Hoel's:

(summer of) protocol {support | guild | fellowship} ☀️


out of the context, all it rings a bell at this specific AC-less boilerroom of an overhumid room for me is Erik Hoel's:

https://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/19/5/188