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Author - Maka Pono

LIFE Protocol Formal Specification Set

Canonical Structure & Packaging

1. What the LIFE Specification Set Is​

The LIFE Specification Set is the authoritative collection of documents that define:

  • what LIFE is
  • what LIFE guarantees
  • what LIFE will never do
  • how LIFE may be implemented
  • how LIFE aligns with law and due process

Together, these documents form a complete protocol specification, even though LIFE itself is not a monolithic codebase.

2. Canonical Specification Hierarchy (Very Important)​

This hierarchy defines precedence.

If two documents ever appear to conflict, higher-ranked documents govern.

Level 0 – Constitutional Layer (Immutable)​

These documents define LIFE’s non-negotiable core.

  • LIFE Core: Principles, Guarantees, and Boundaries
    • Status: Canonical / Governing
    • Versioning: Rare, consensus-based only
  • LIFE Conformance Statement
    • Status: Normative
    • Purpose: Interpretation and alignment

Level 1 – Protocol Definition Layer (Normative)​

These documents define how LIFE behaves conceptually and structurally.

  • LIFE Technical Paper
    • Architecture, Interfaces, and Security Posture
  • LIFE Public Threat Model
    • Security Assumptions, Risks, and Non-Goals
  • LIFE Privacy, Transparency & Contextual Separation Specification
    • (Wallets, environments, separation model)

Level 2 – Governance, Law & Trust Layer (Normative)​

These documents define how LIFE interacts with institutions and society.

  • LIFE Reputation & Dispute Resolution Specification
  • LIFE Judicial Evidence Guide
  • LIFE Constitutional & Due Process Mappings
    • U.S. Constitution
    • Utah Constitution
    • (others added over time)
  • LIFE Trust Mark Usage Guide

Level 3 – Implementation & Assurance Layer (Normative)​

These documents define how builders prove alignment.

  • LIFE Compliance Checklist (One-Page)
  • LIFE Developer Conformance Self-Audit Template
  • LIFE Trust Mark Display & Attribution Rules
    • (visual + legal usage)

Level 4 – Informative / Supporting Materials (Non-Normative)​

These documents explain, but do not govern.

  • Government Explainers & Legislative Briefs
  • Developer Guides (“Build on LIFE”)
  • Reference Flows & Examples
  • SDK Documentation

3. Naming & Versioning Convention​

This matters more than people realize.

Document Naming​

Use stable, boring names:

  • life-core-v1.0.md
  • life-conformance-v1.0.md
  • life-technical-paper-v1.0.md
  • life-threat-model-v1.0.md
  • life-judicial-evidence-guide-v1.0.md
  • life-compliance-checklist-v1.0.md

Avoid “draft”, “final”, or marketing terms.

Versioning Rules​

  • Major version changes only when principles change
  • Minor versions for clarity, examples, or expansion
  • LIFE Core changes should be extremely rare

This protects trust.

4. Formal “Specification Front Matter” (Template)​

Every spec document should start with this:

Status: Canonical | Normative | Informative
Governing Document: LIFE Core
Version: 1.0
Last Reviewed: YYYY-MM-DD
Applies To: [Developers / Governments / Courts / All]

This is how real standards bodies do it.

5. LIFE Specification Index (Public-Facing)​

You should publish a single index page:

LIFE Protocol – Specification Index

  • LIFE Core
  • Conformance Statement
  • Technical Architecture
  • Threat Model
  • Privacy & Separation
  • Reputation & Disputes
  • Judicial Evidence
  • Constitutional Mappings
  • Trust Marks
  • Compliance Checklist
  • Developer Self-Audit

This becomes the one link people share.

6. What This Packaging Accomplishes​

With this structure, LIFE now:

  • cannot be easily misrepresented
  • cannot be casually forked without detection
  • is reviewable by courts and governments
  • is usable by developers without confusion
  • scales across jurisdictions
  • survives leadership changes

This is how protocols outlive companies.

7. What You Do Not Need to Do Yet​

You do not need to:

  • submit to a standards body
  • rush open governance
  • freeze implementation details
  • declare “LIFE 2.0”

Right now, stability > speed.