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Requirements for Personal Data Operations

This document consolidates requirements extracted from use cases. Requirements are organized by functional domain and mapped back to the memex ontology (Essential properties, Functions, and Teleological orientations).

Methodology: Requirements derived from 19 use cases following W3C working group approach.

Temporal & Provenance Requirements

Requirements for tracking time, history, and lineage of knowledge.

R1: Temporal Ordering Preservation

Definition: System must preserve temporal ordering of mnemegrams Rationale: Understanding conceptual evolution requires knowing "when" - the sequence matters Related Functions: F6 (Versioning) Source: UC-1 (Researcher Traces Evolution)

R2: Provenance Chain Maintenance

Definition: System must maintain provenance chains (what influenced what) Rationale: Tracing how understanding developed requires tracking causal/influence relationships Related Functions: F6 (Versioning), F5 (Relating) Related Telos: T7 (To Reflect) Source: UC-1, UC-15 (News Provenance)

R4: Time-Travel Views

Definition: System must support "time-travel" views (what did I know when?) Rationale: Reflecting on past understanding requires ability to see state at specific moments Related Functions: F6 (Versioning), F4 (Retrieval) Source: UC-1

R66: Graph Queries for Provenance Chains

Definition: System must support graph queries for provenance chains Rationale: Tracing information genealogy requires graph traversal capabilities Related Functions: F5 (Relating) Source: UC-15

R67: Same Claim, Different Framings

Definition: System must support "same claim, different framings" Rationale: Understanding information evolution requires comparing variations Source: UC-15

R68: Temporal Ordering of Claim Appearance

Definition: System must track temporal ordering of claim appearance Rationale: Knowing "who said it first" matters for provenance Related Functions: F6 (Versioning) Source: UC-15

Definition: System must link decisions to outcomes (retroactive evaluation) Rationale: Learning from decisions requires connecting them to results Related Functions: F5 (Relating), F6 (Versioning) Source: UC-18

Retrieval & Query Requirements

Requirements for finding, surfacing, and accessing mnemegrams.

R3: Semantic Query Support

Definition: Retrieval must support semantic queries, not just keyword matching Rationale: Personal knowledge often needs conceptual search, not exact text match Related Functions: F4 (Retrieval) Related Telos: T3 (To Connect) Source: UC-1

R14: Graph Traversal and Pattern Detection

Definition: System must support graph traversal and pattern detection Rationale: Discovering connections requires exploring relationship networks Related Functions: F5 (Relating), F4.1 (Surfacing) Source: UC-4

R17: Non-Obvious Connection Discovery

Definition: Surfacing should help discover non-obvious connections Rationale: Value of memex includes serendipitous insight Related Functions: F4.1 (Surfacing) Related Telos: T3 (To Connect), T8 (To Generate) Source: UC-4

R30: Surface Knowledge Gaps

Definition: System should surface gaps (what's underexplored) Rationale: Metacognition requires awareness of what's missing Related Functions: F4.1 (Surfacing) Related Telos: T7 (To Reflect) Source: UC-7

R31: Progression Queries

Definition: Retrieval should support "show my progression on X" Rationale: Learning requires seeing development over time Related Functions: F4 (Retrieval), F6 (Versioning) Source: UC-7

R43: Context Retrieval Based on Agent Queries

Definition: System must support context retrieval based on agent queries Rationale: Pre-meeting briefings, task context depend on agent-initiated queries Related Functions: F4 (Retrieval) Source: UC-10

R50: Full-Text Search Across Heterogeneous Content

Definition: System must support full-text search across heterogeneous content types Rationale: Personal memex contains varied formats - all must be searchable Related Functions: F4 (Retrieval) Source: UC-11

R58: Task Queries Surface Relevant Mnemegrams

Definition: Task queries should surface relevant mnemegrams Rationale: Context-aware work requires linking tasks to knowledge Related Functions: F4 (Retrieval), F5 (Relating) Source: UC-13

R71: Geospatial Indexing and Query Support

Definition: System must support geospatial indexing and query Rationale: "Where was I when X happened?" is valid query pattern Related Functions: F3 (Indexing), F4 (Retrieval) Source: UC-16

R72: Temporal Indexing

Definition: System must support temporal indexing (when) Rationale: Time-based queries are fundamental to personal memory Related Functions: F3 (Indexing) Source: UC-16

R84: Temporal Queries

Definition: System must support temporal queries ("what did we decide when?") Rationale: Decision archaeology requires time-based search Related Functions: F4 (Retrieval) Source: UC-18

Access Control & Protection Requirements

Requirements for security, privacy, and permission management.

R5: Fine-Grained Access Control

Definition: System must support fine-grained access control (not just all-or-nothing) Rationale: Sharing requires nuance - not everything should be visible to everyone Related Functions: F9 (Protection) Related Telos: T9 (To Commune), T5 (To Hold Accountable) Source: UC-2

R6: Mnemegram-Level Access Control

Definition: Access control must work at mnemegram level, not just collection level Rationale: Individual items may have different sensitivity/context Related Functions: F9 (Protection) Source: UC-2

R7: Multi-Context Mnemegrams

Definition: System must handle mnemegrams that belong to multiple contexts Rationale: Work/personal boundaries are not always clean Related Functions: F9 (Protection), F2 (Assertion) Source: UC-2

R9: Auditable Access Grants

Definition: Access grants must be auditable (who saw what, when) Rationale: Accountability requires knowing who accessed what Related Functions: F9 (Protection) Related Telos: T5 (To Hold Accountable) Source: UC-2

R21: Family as Access Unit

Definition: Access control must support "family" as unit, not just individuals Rationale: Some sharing contexts are collective, not individual Related Functions: F9 (Protection) Source: UC-5

R23: Cryptographic Verification

Definition: System must support cryptographic verification of mnemegrams Rationale: Proving authenticity under threat requires cryptography Related Functions: F9 (Protection) Related Telos: T5 (To Hold Accountable) Source: UC-6

R24: Irrevocable Deletion

Definition: Deletion must be irrevocable (not just tombstones) Rationale: True forgetting requires actual removal, not just marking deleted Related Functions: F9 (Protection) Related Telos: T11 (To Forget) Source: UC-6

R25: Capability-Based Delegation

Definition: Access control must support capability-based delegation Rationale: Flexible sharing requires delegatable access tokens Related Functions: F9 (Protection), F8 (Transmission) Source: UC-6

R26: Dead Man's Switch Transmission

Definition: System must support "dead man's switch" transmission Rationale: Some information should be shared upon creator's death/absence Related Functions: F8 (Transmission), F9 (Protection) Related Telos: T6 (To Transmit) Source: UC-6

R27: Offline and Under-Duress Protection

Definition: Protection must work offline and under duress Rationale: Activist/threat scenarios require local-only security Related Functions: F9 (Protection) Source: UC-6

R32: Context-Based Partitioning

Definition: System must support context-based partitioning Rationale: Work/personal separation requires contextual boundaries Related Functions: F9 (Protection) Source: UC-8

R35: Audit Trail of Preservation/Deletion

Definition: Audit trail must show what was preserved/deleted Rationale: Transitions require knowing what happened to data Related Functions: F9 (Protection) Source: UC-8

R44: Privacy for Relationship Data

Definition: Privacy: relationship data is especially sensitive Rationale: Social graph information reveals personal connections Related Functions: F9 (Protection) Source: UC-10

R52: Fine-Grained AI Access Permissions

Definition: System must have fine-grained permission model for AI access Rationale: AI agents need controlled, specific access, not blanket permissions Related Functions: F9 (Protection) Source: UC-12

R53: AI Query Audit Trail

Definition: System must maintain audit trail of AI queries and actions Rationale: Knowing what AI accessed matters for control Related Functions: F9 (Protection) Source: UC-12

R54: Revoke AI Access to Specific Mnemegrams

Definition: System must allow revoking AI access to specific mnemegrams Rationale: Permissions should be changeable, not permanent Related Functions: F9 (Protection) Source: UC-12

R74: Privacy-Preserving Location Storage

Definition: System must use privacy-preserving location storage Rationale: Location history is highly sensitive Related Functions: F9 (Protection) Source: UC-16

R79: Local Privacy for Usage Data

Definition: Privacy: usage data stays local Rationale: Behavioral patterns are intimate, should not leak Related Functions: F9 (Protection) Source: UC-17

R90: Privacy for Mental Health Data

Definition: Privacy: deeply personal mental health data Rationale: Emotional states are extremely sensitive Related Functions: F9 (Protection) Source: UC-19

Schema & Interoperability Requirements

Requirements for data representation, portability, and tool independence.

R10: Tool-Independent Representation

Definition: Mnemegrams must have tool-independent representation Rationale: Tool lock-in prevents long-term knowledge preservation Related Essential: E5 (Interpretability) Related Telos: T1 (To Persist) Source: UC-3

R11: Relation Preservation Across Schema Transformations

Definition: Relations must be preserved across schema transformations Rationale: Tool migration should not break connections Related Functions: F5 (Relating) Source: UC-3

R12: Schema Evolution Without Data Loss

Definition: System must support schema evolution without data loss Rationale: Understanding evolves; schema should evolve with it Related Essential: E5 (Interpretability) Source: UC-3

R13: Human-Readable Export Format

Definition: Export format must be human-readable (outlive the tools) Rationale: Long-term preservation requires readable formats Related Telos: T1 (To Persist) Source: UC-3

R28: Maturity/Status Annotations

Definition: System must support annotation of mnemegrams with maturity/status Rationale: Not all knowledge is equally developed - status matters Related Functions: F2 (Assertion) Source: UC-7

R29: Presentation-Ready Export

Definition: Collections must be exportable in presentation-ready formats Rationale: Knowledge must be shareable beyond the memex Related Functions: F8 (Transmission) Source: UC-7

R81: Structured Decision Documentation Format

Definition: System must support structured decision documentation format Rationale: Some knowledge types benefit from formalization Related Functions: F1 (Inscription), F2 (Assertion) Source: UC-18

R85: Export for Handoff/Transitions

Definition: System must support export for handoff/transitions Rationale: Knowledge transfer requires portable formats Related Functions: F8 (Transmission) Source: UC-18

Multi-Agent & Collaboration Requirements

Requirements for supporting multiple agents and shared knowledge.

R8: No Duplication for Sharing

Definition: Sharing must not require duplicating or forking the memex Rationale: Same knowledge should exist once, with controlled access Related Functions: F8 (Transmission) Source: UC-2

R18: Multi-Agent Support with Different Roles

Definition: System must support multiple agents with different roles Rationale: Families, teams have varied contribution patterns Related Functions: F1 (Inscription), F9 (Protection) Related Telos: T9 (To Commune) Source: UC-5

R19: Persistence Beyond Agent Lifetime

Definition: Mnemegrams must persist beyond creating agent's lifetime Rationale: Generational memory requires surviving individuals Related Telos: T6 (To Transmit), T1 (To Persist) Source: UC-5

R20: Assertions by Non-Creator Agents

Definition: Assertions can be added by agents other than original creator Rationale: Collective memory involves multiple interpretations Related Functions: F2 (Assertion) Source: UC-5

R61: Multi-Agent Authorship with Attribution

Definition: System must support multi-agent authorship with clear attribution Rationale: Collaborative knowledge requires knowing who said what Related Functions: F1 (Inscription) Related Telos: T9 (To Commune), T5 (To Hold Accountable) Source: UC-14

R62: Personal vs Shared Mnemegrams

Definition: System must distinguish between personal and shared mnemegrams Rationale: Not all knowledge in collaboration is collective Related Functions: F9 (Protection) Source: UC-14

R63: Consensus Mechanisms

Definition: System must support consensus mechanisms (this claim is accepted by group) Rationale: Group knowledge involves agreement/disagreement Related Functions: F2 (Assertion) Source: UC-14

R64: Activity Visibility for Accountability

Definition: System must support activity visibility for social accountability Rationale: Collaboration benefits from knowing who's contributing Related Telos: T5 (To Hold Accountable) Source: UC-14

R65: Merge/Fork Operations

Definition: System must support merge/fork operations for diverging interpretations Rationale: Collaborative knowledge sometimes needs to branch Related Functions: F6 (Versioning) Source: UC-14

R83: Multi-Agent Access for Team Logs

Definition: System must support multi-agent access (team decision logs) Rationale: Organizational memory is multi-author Source: UC-18

Generation & Derivation Requirements

Requirements for creating new knowledge from existing content.

R15: Maintain Provenance to Source Mnemegrams

Definition: Generated content must maintain provenance to source mnemegrams Rationale: Derivative work should cite its sources Related Functions: F7 (Generation) Related Telos: T8 (To Generate) Source: UC-4

R16: Distinguish Captured vs Generative Information

Definition: System must distinguish captured vs generative information Rationale: Knowing whether something is observed or derived matters Related Functions: F7 (Generation), F1 (Inscription) Source: UC-4

R55: Boundary Between AI-Generated and Human Content

Definition: System must clearly mark boundary between AI-generated and human-captured content Rationale: Agency and authorship matter Related Functions: F7 (Generation) Source: UC-12

Automation & Integration Requirements

Requirements for low-friction capture and external system integration.

R36: Automated Multi-Source Capture

Definition: System must support automated capture from multiple data sources Rationale: Manual logging doesn't scale; automation enables data exhaust Related Functions: F1 (Inscription) Source: UC-9

R37: Low-Friction Integration

Definition: Integration must be low-friction (ideally zero manual input) Rationale: Capture friction determines what gets captured Related Functions: F1 (Inscription) Source: UC-9

R45: Communication Platform Integration

Definition: System must integrate with communication platforms (email, messaging) Rationale: Conversations are knowledge - need capture from where they happen Related Functions: F1 (Inscription) Source: UC-10

R46: Platform API Ingestion

Definition: System must ingest content from external platforms via APIs Rationale: Knowledge exists across platforms - need ingestion capability Related Functions: F1 (Inscription) Source: UC-11

R47: Local Content Preservation

Definition: Content must be preserved locally (not just links) Rationale: External platforms die - content must survive Related Telos: T1 (To Persist) Source: UC-11

R48: Preserve Context Structure

Definition: Capture must preserve context (thread structure, replies) Rationale: Meaning depends on context - isolated content loses value Related Functions: F1 (Inscription), F2 (Assertion) Source: UC-11

R49: Handle Platform Shutdown Gracefully

Definition: System must handle platform shutdown gracefully Rationale: External dependencies will fail - system must be resilient Source: UC-11

R51: Programmatic API for Agent Access

Definition: System must provide API for programmatic access to memex by agents Rationale: AI assistants, automation require machine-readable access Related Essential: E6 (Agency) Source: UC-12

R70: Web Archive Integration

Definition: System must integrate with web archive/preservation Rationale: External content disappears - archiving essential for provenance Source: UC-15

R75: Automated Capture with Manual Annotation

Definition: System must support automated capture with manual annotation Rationale: Balance automation (scale) with human interpretation (meaning) Related Functions: F1 (Inscription), F2 (Assertion) Source: UC-16

R76: Behavioral Data Capture

Definition: System must support behavioral data capture (usage logs) Rationale: Self-awareness requires tracking behavior Related Functions: F1 (Inscription) Source: UC-17

Relation & Structure Requirements

Requirements for connecting and organizing knowledge.

R33: Context Assertions

Definition: Assertions can indicate "work context" vs "personal context" Rationale: Context is semantic information about mnemegrams Related Functions: F2 (Assertion) Source: UC-8

R34: Context-Aware Reference Integrity

Definition: Deletion of personal context must not break work context references Rationale: Partitioning shouldn't create dangling references Related Functions: F5 (Relating) Source: UC-8

R38: Temporal Correlation Analysis

Definition: System must support temporal correlation analysis Rationale: "What causes what?" requires correlation over time Related Functions: F5 (Relating) Source: UC-9

R39: Cross-Type Relatability

Definition: Different data types (location, biometric, behavioral) must be relatable Rationale: Insights emerge from connecting heterogeneous data Related Functions: F5 (Relating) Source: UC-9

R41: Entity and Relationship Modeling

Definition: System must model entities (people) and their relationships Rationale: Social graph is knowledge structure Related Functions: F5 (Relating) Source: UC-10

R42: Temporal Decay Functions

Definition: System must support temporal decay functions ("relationship half-life") Rationale: Time matters for relationships - need mathematical models Related Functions: F4.1 (Surfacing) Source: UC-10

R56: Tasks as First-Class Entities

Definition: Tasks are first-class entities with rich context Rationale: Tasks aren't separate from knowledge - they're embedded Related Functions: F2 (Assertion) Source: UC-13

Definition: System must support bidirectional links between tasks and knowledge Rationale: Tasks reference knowledge; knowledge implies tasks Related Functions: F5 (Relating) Source: UC-13

R59: Task Transformation Support

Definition: System must support task transformation (research → draft → publish) Rationale: Tasks evolve through states Related Functions: F6 (Versioning) Source: UC-13

R60: Temporal Data Integration

Definition: System must integrate with temporal data (deadlines, schedules) Rationale: Time-based constraints affect knowledge work Related Functions: F5 (Relating) Source: UC-13

R69: Primary vs Secondary Source Distinction

Definition: System must distinguish between primary and secondary sources Rationale: Provenance chains have hierarchies Related Functions: F2 (Assertion) Source: UC-15

R73: Entity Tracking (People, Places)

Definition: System must support entity tracking (people, places) Rationale: Persistent referents enable connection across mnemegrams Related Essential: E3 (Referent Capacity) Source: UC-16

R88: State to Intervention Pattern Matching

Definition: System must support pattern matching: state → helpful intervention Rationale: Conditioning requires learning "when I feel X, Y helps" Related Functions: F5 (Relating), F4.1 (Surfacing) Source: UC-19

Surfacing & Proactivity Requirements

Requirements for system-initiated presentation and recommendations.

R77: Pattern Detection and Anomaly Alerts

Definition: System must support pattern detection and anomaly alerts Rationale: Awareness of patterns requires surfacing them Related Functions: F4.1 (Surfacing) Source: UC-17

R78: Intervention System

Definition: System must support intervention system (notifications, blocks) Rationale: Behavioral change requires active intervention Related Functions: F4.1 (Surfacing) Source: UC-17

R80: Pattern Visualization Over Time

Definition: System must support visualization of patterns over time Rationale: Understanding trends requires temporal views Related Functions: F4.1 (Surfacing) Source: UC-17

R86: Emotional/Mental State as First-Class Data

Definition: System must treat emotional/mental state as first-class data Rationale: Wellbeing is valid knowledge domain Related Functions: F1 (Inscription), F2 (Assertion) Source: UC-19

R87: Context-Aware Surfacing Rules

Definition: System must support context-aware surfacing rules Rationale: "Right content at right time" requires context Related Functions: F4.1 (Surfacing) Source: UC-19

R89: Time-Based Triggers

Definition: System must support time-based triggers (reminders, scheduled surfacing) Rationale: Some content should appear at specific times Related Functions: F4.1 (Surfacing) Source: UC-19

Infrastructure & Longevity Requirements

Requirements for system sustainability and long-term viability.

R22: Decadal Maintainability

Definition: System must be maintainable across decades (not dependent on startup survival) Rationale: Personal knowledge outlives companies Related Telos: T1 (To Persist), T6 (To Transmit) Source: UC-5

R40: Privacy-Preserving Local Processing

Definition: System must support privacy-preserving local processing (sensitive health data) Rationale: Some computation must happen locally for privacy Related Functions: F9 (Protection) Source: UC-9

Summary Statistics

Total Requirements: 90 (R1-R90)

By Functional Domain:

  • Temporal & Provenance: 8 requirements
  • Retrieval & Query: 12 requirements
  • Access Control & Protection: 19 requirements
  • Schema & Interoperability: 8 requirements
  • Multi-Agent & Collaboration: 9 requirements
  • Generation & Derivation: 3 requirements
  • Automation & Integration: 11 requirements
  • Relation & Structure: 13 requirements
  • Surfacing & Proactivity: 6 requirements
  • Infrastructure & Longevity: 2 requirements

Most Referenced Memex Functions:

  • F9 (Protection): 19 requirements
  • F1 (Inscription): 11 requirements
  • F4 (Retrieval): 10 requirements
  • F5 (Relating): 10 requirements
  • F2 (Assertion): 9 requirements

Most Referenced Teleological Orientations:

  • T1 (To Persist): 5 requirements
  • T9 (To Commune): 5 requirements
  • T5 (To Hold Accountable): 5 requirements

Next Steps

  1. Derive Principles - What architectural principles emerge from these requirements?
  2. Identify Conflicts - Which requirements tension with each other?
  3. Prioritize - Which requirements are essential vs nice-to-have?
  4. Map to Existing Systems - How well do current technologies satisfy these requirements?

Cross-References