Practice as a Protocol
A declaration for the post-AI web
What this is
Practice as a Protocol (PaaP) describes a way of building things for the web that preserves meaning instead of optimizing behavior.
It is not a product category.
It is not a business model.
It is not a growth strategy.
It is a boundary.
The problem PaaP responds to
In the post-AI web, everything that can be optimized will be automated. Everything that can be scaled will be flooded. Everything that depends on identity can be faked.
As a result:
- identity no longer guarantees trust
- automation erodes intention
- optimization removes meaning
- services extract behavior instead of respecting it
The web becomes fast, efficient, and hollow.
PaaP exists as a counter-architecture.
The core principle
Software sells access. Protocols preserve meaning.
A protocol does not optimize users. It defines how something is done - openly, predictably, and for everyone.
Practices only work when they are:
- visible
- repeatable
- available to all
The moment access is sold, the practice collapses.
The four axioms of PaaP
1Existence over access
The value lies in the fact that the practice exists. Not in features. Not in plans. Not in limits.
If something must be purchased to be used, it cannot function as a protocol.
2Trust through refusal
Trust is not created through promises. It is created through deliberate absence.
PaaP systems refuse:
- accounts
- tracking
- scoring
- behavioral optimization
What is intentionally missing is the signal.
3Adoption, not retention
A protocol does not try to keep users. It tries to become normal.
Success is not measured in:
- engagement
- conversion
- growth
Success is measured in:
- reuse
- citation
- imitation
If others adopt the structure without asking, the protocol works.
4Sustainability without leverage
A protocol may be sustained, but it must never gain power from its operation.
Any revenue may only:
- keep infrastructure running
- preserve availability
It must never:
- influence access
- shape behavior
- create dependency
What PaaP is not
- Software as a Service
- a platform
- a marketplace
- an identity system
- a trust score
It does not compete. It does not optimize. It does not convert.
Why PaaP must remain free
Practices cannot be owned. Standards do not charge rent.
The web works because essential things are free by necessity:
- links
- protocols
- declarations
- conventions
No one subscribes to a URL. No one pays to use a standard. They function because they are there.
Human meaning requires boundaries
Meaning emerges from:
- time
- presence
- friction
- responsibility
When everything is automated, nothing carries weight.
PaaP protects the boundary where human action still matters.
Implementation neutrality
Anyone may implement PaaP.
You do not need permission.
You do not need approval.
You do not need affiliation.
If this idea spreads beyond its origin, that is success.
If this becomes common
If others adopt the language, the structure, or the idea - this project does not lose.
It disappears into the web, where it belongs.
This is a promise
This practice will remain free.
Access will never be sold.
Presence will never be ranked.
Intent will never be verified for money.
Not because monetization is impossible - but because it would break the practice.
Closing statement
This is not a service you use. It is a boundary you step into.
If it disappears into the web, becoming ordinary and unremarkable, then it has done its job.
Practice as a ProtocolDeclared openly.Without a roadmap.Without an upgrade path.Without a catch.
Last updated: December 2024