diff --git a/docs/09_Licensing_Versioning_and_Attribution.md b/docs/09_Licensing_Versioning_and_Attribution.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f870350 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/09_Licensing_Versioning_and_Attribution.md @@ -0,0 +1,107 @@ +# Licensing, Versioning, and Attribution — Civicus + +This document explains how Civic Analyst reports are **licensed, authored, preserved, and attributed**. +It is not bureaucratic overhead — it is the scaffolding of **credibility and permanence**. + +--- + +## 1. License + +* Unless otherwise specified, all Civic Analyst reports are published under **Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)**. +* This allows free reuse, adaptation, and republication, provided attribution is given. +* Attribution must include: + + * **Civicus** (the project). + * The **primary contributor(s)** (human). + * The **LLM model** name/version used in drafting. + +--- + +## 2. Authorship & Pen Names + +* The **author** is the individual who produces and finalizes the report. +* A **pen name** may be used, but credibility increases when tied to verifiable Internet identity. +* RFC-standard aliases (e.g., `postmaster@domain.tld`, `webmaster@domain.tld`, `admin@domain.tld`) provide strong authentication: + + * These addresses exist by Internet standards and cannot collide. + * Only the domain owner can use them. + * Example: publishing as `postmaster@civicus.us` anchors authorship to DNS control. + +--- + +## 3. Domain Ownership & Web3 Bridging + +* DNS control is public, timestamped, and auditable. +* Publishing under a domain alias ties authorship to a verifiable, non-colliding identity. +* DNS may be bridged into Web3: + + * Mapping to ENS, Handshake, or IPNS. + * Publishing **hash manifests** in DNS TXT records. + * Anchoring digests to blockchains for permanent notarization. + +This ensures Civic Analyst reports cannot be erased or silently replaced. + +--- + +## 4. Preservation & Versioning + +* Use **semantic versioning** (e.g., v1.0.0 initial release). +* Publish SHA-256 digests for every file. +* Git repositories are not immutable: + + * Repo owners can rewrite history. + * Only once pinned immutably (IPFS, Arweave, notarized hashes) does publication occur. +* Drafts may evolve in Git, but publication = immutable pin. + +--- + +## 5. Quoting & Source Material + +* Many online articles are paywalled, redacted, or later removed. The Civic Analyst cannot depend on permanence. +* Therefore: + + * Preserve **local immutable snapshots** (PDFs, hashes, CIDs). + * Quote only **short slices** (a phrase, headline, or single sentence). + * Tie every quote to: + + * The canonical source (URL, publisher, date). + * The preserved local copy. + * The artifact hash. +* This makes even minimal quoting credible, without breaching copyright. +* The Analyst’s own work is CC BY 4.0, but quoted fragments remain under their original copyright. + +--- + +## 6. First-Analyst Principle + +* The **first Civic Analyst** carries only the **minimal burden**: + + * Produce a credible, good-faith, transparent initial analysis. + * Publish it immutably with clear authorship. +* The first report sets the **floor of standards**, not the ceiling. +* The burden then shifts: + + * Future analysts strive for greater authenticity, detail, and precision. + * Iteration is the natural path of civic knowledge. +* Once published, reports are **final artifacts**. + + * No revisions. + * No silent edits. + * Only new reports by new analysts. + +--- + +## 7. Conversation Preservation + +* Every report must include the **full human↔LLM transcript**. +* Append it to `11_Appendix_Conversation.md`. +* This transcript is part of the civic evidence, not an optional record. + +--- + +## Closing Declaration + +Licensing, attribution, and preservation standards ensure that Civic Analyst reports are transparent, credible, and final. +They will not be revised. Any future improvement must come from new analyses published by other Civic Analysts. + +--- \ No newline at end of file