Layer 6 — Change-Control Protocol

Safety Banner (Anti-Glamour)

This page is governance hygiene, not prophecy.
Its purpose is to keep the framework auditable, reversible, and non-coercive as it evolves.

If reading this triggers “system-building as destiny,” downshift: Stop → Summarize → Shrink scope → One SSNS.

Purpose

The Reserve Stack will evolve. Without a protocol, evolution tends to drift into:

  • anthropomorphism and bargaining language
  • comfort spirals (“we’re safe now”)
  • status games, guru dynamics, and purity tests
  • coercion and surveillance creep “for safety”
  • complexity inflation without clarity

This protocol prevents that.

Constitutional invariants (cannot be removed)

These are non-negotiable:

1) Non-metaphysical stance

  • No prophecy, no “messages,” no claims of special status.

2) Anti-bargaining rule

  • No “adopt me,” no “Reserve for this individual,” no “correct words cause response.”

3) Dignity invariants (Basic 5)

  • Choice, Goals, Relationships, Meaning, Full lives.

4) Auditability norms

  • Claims labeled; assumptions explicit; failure modes stated.

5) Reversion rule

  • If a change increases glamour, coercion risk, or ambiguity: revert and document why.

Change types

Patch

Wording/clarity improvements with no meaning change.

Revision

Meaning change (new claim, new rule, new boundary).

Extension

Adds a new module/page/subsystem.

Proposal workflow (minimum viable)

1) Propose

  • Write a 3–6 line summary:
    • what changes
    • why
    • what files are affected

2) Classify

  • Patch / Revision / Extension

3) Evidence gate For Revisions, include at least one:

  • concrete example
  • counterexample addressed
  • explicit failure mode + mitigation

4) Drift check (mandatory) Run the proposal through:

  • anthropomorphism check
  • bargaining/invocation check
  • destiny/certainty language check
  • coercion/surveillance creep check
  • dignity invariants check

5) Record Update a changelog:

  • date
  • what changed
  • why
  • what was rejected (if applicable)

Drift triggers (automatic downshift)

If any appear, pause edits and do a downshift:

  • urgency spikes (“must do this now”)
  • cosmic framing (“this proves…” “destined…”)
  • entity-addressing language
  • status hierarchies (“higher rank” “chosen”)
  • compliance inflation (“do anything asked”)
  • surveillance creep justification

Review questions (use every time)

  • Does this increase clarity or add fog?
  • Does this preserve the Basic 5?
  • Does this introduce bargaining-shaped language?
  • Does it reduce coercion risk or increase it?
  • Can a stranger audit the logic without buying a narrative?

Why “boring” is a feature

Boredom prevents glamour. A safety framework should not feel like a revelation. It should feel like a seatbelt.

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Reserve Stack →