function Person() {

    // properties and validations
    this.attr(
        { id: Number, unique: true, nullable: false },
        { email: String, unique: true, nullable: false, min: 1, max: 55, format: '[a-b]' },
        { salt: String },
        { pswd: String },
        { active: Boolean, init: false },
        { tags: Array }
    );

    // helpful property declarations
    this.timestamp();

    // callbacks
    this.creating({ before: poundSalt, after: emailActivationCode });
    this.updating();
    this.deleting();

    // a private function to generate a unique salt for hashing the password, called in 'creating' callback
    // testable therefore by the creating callback?
    function poundSalt(obj) {

    }

    // emails an activation code
    function emailActivationCode(obj) {

    }


    function forgotPassword(obj) {

    }

    // views, beautiful custom finders
    this.view('tags', { map: function () {}, reduce: function () {} });
    this.view('popular');

    // public instance attributes
    return {
      // activates the user account
      get active() {

      },
      set active() {

      };
}