Society · Protocols
UptakeOverTimestamp
Usage determines canonical status, not who minted first
Definition
Mechanism
Resolves canonical status conflicts by prioritizing Usage Volume (uptake) over Registration Time (timestamp). When querying for a concept Handle, the system returns the variant with the highest `Reference_Count` or `Execution_Count`. The usage signal it ranks on is the one UptakeAsGround establishes.
Preconditions
- Multiple patterns exist for similar concepts
- Usage metrics available
Postconditions
- Canonical pattern identified
- Squatted/Dead patterns suppressed
Invariants
- Canonical status is decided by the declared uptake metric.
- Creation date is not a factor in ranking.
Risks
Failure modes
The Facebook {{problem}} (Network Effects)
A mediocre pattern with high early uptake becomes impossible to dislodge by a superior new pattern.
Cold Start
New patterns have 0 uptake, making them invisible to discovery algorithms.
Relationships
Builds on
References
Infrastructure
A state gap with a cost of inaction
Meaning emerges from successful coordination
Nothing in this library builds on this pattern yet.