artifacts/incoming

Conversation Markdown Specification v0.1

artifacts/incoming/conversation_markdown_spec_v_0.md

Rendered from markdown source. Open raw source on GitHub.

Conversation Markdown Specification v0.1

Purpose

This specification defines a human-readable, machine-witnessable markdown format for logging multi-party conversations that may include ambiguity resolution, verification, conditional consent, and narrative compression.

The goal is to:

  • Preserve full conversational fidelity ("the squawk")
  • Enable additive witnessing and verification
  • Allow safe compression into readable narrative arcs
  • Maintain auditability without cognitive overload

This spec is rendering-agnostic: it defines structure and semantics, not UI.

---

Core Design Principles

  1. Additive Only

No block may overwrite or mutate prior text. Clarification and verification are always appended.

  1. Narrative-First Rendering

Default views SHOULD privilege readability over exhaustiveness.

  1. Collapse Without Deletion

Compression is a view-layer concern. All artifacts remain addressable.

  1. Witness Attribution

All non-human or delegated interventions must be attributable.

  1. Artifact vs Attractor Separation

Logged text is an artifact. Meaning, agreement, and satisfaction are inferred attractors.

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Primitive Block Types

1. Utterance Block (Default)

Represents a raw conversational contribution.

**Alice:** Is this number right?

Rules:

  • Speaker attribution REQUIRED
  • Timestamp OPTIONAL (may be implicit in ordering)
  • Utterances are immutable once logged

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2. Sidebar Block

A Sidebar represents additive context: clarification, verification, translation, or commentary.

:::sidebar verification id=ver-014 status=verified mood=green
Witness Proxy: Verified the subtotal equals $12,480.23 under invoice set A.
Proof reference: see footnote [^ver-014]
:::

Required Attributes

  • type (first positional token): verification | clarification | translation | note | dispute
  • id: globally unique within the document

Optional Attributes

  • status: pending | verified | failed | accepted | rejected
  • mood: green | amber | red | neutral
  • witness: agent identifier

Rules:

  • Sidebars MUST reference an existing artifact implicitly or explicitly
  • Sidebars MUST NOT restate or replace original utterances

---

3. Consent Block

Represents explicit or conditional consent.

:::consent id=cons-033 status=pending
I agree if the math checks out.
Conditions: verification ver-014
:::

Consent blocks MAY later be resolved via Sidebar blocks.

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4. Resolution Marker

A Resolution Marker indicates that a conversational concern has reached a stable outcome.

:::resolution id=res-009 relates=ver-014,cons-033 outcome=accepted
All parties satisfied.
:::

Resolution markers are non-authoritative summaries. They do not negate dissent logged elsewhere.

---

5. Footnote Block

Footnotes anchor detailed proofs, logs, or external artifacts.

[^ver-014]: Proof bundle hash `bafy...` • Inputs A1–A9 • Check: sum(line_items) == subtotal

Rules:

  • Footnotes MUST be immutable
  • Footnotes MAY reference external content-addressable storage

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Compression Semantics (Non-Normative)

Renderers MAY:

  • Collapse Sidebar, Consent, and Resolution blocks by default
  • Represent resolved segments as:
  • [clarified intent ✅]
  • [sidebar verification ✅]
  • Provide progressive disclosure on interaction

Compression MUST:

  • Preserve referential integrity (ids remain stable)
  • Never hide unresolved or failed states by default

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Example (Compressed View)

**Alice:** Is this number right?

[sidebar verification ✅]

Example (Expanded View)

**Alice:** Is this number right?

:::sidebar verification id=ver-014 status=verified mood=green
Witness Proxy: Verified the subtotal equals $12,480.23.
:::

:::resolution id=res-009 relates=ver-014 outcome=accepted
All parties satisfied.
:::

---

Relationship to FractalIdentity

  • Utterances → Expression Events
  • Sidebars → Witness Events
  • Consent Blocks → Conditional Consent Records
  • Resolution Markers → Non-binding convergence indicators

This format is compatible with FractalIdentity Extension A and may be used as a primary human-facing log representation.

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Status

Draft v0.1 — intended for experimentation, not standardization.