From b6468ffde31ca170d98fdfa1479dd79cc8145654 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Giovanni Giovanni Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2026 18:16:04 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] docs: add concise protocol-vs-operation positioning (INST-GOV) Adds a 'Protocol and operation' section to the flagship map: the protocol defines the rules; AFI Research Institute is designated (non-exclusively) to operate the official open reference Gateway and oracle-ingress services; independent conforming operation is permitted; no live deployment is claimed. Repository count and enumerations unchanged (the Institute is an operating entity, not a repo). Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) --- README.md | 21 +++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 21 insertions(+) diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index 16ce1c8..082cefc 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -27,6 +27,27 @@ governed artifact in those repositories, the governed artifact wins. This map is not the schema home, not the math home, not a runtime, and not a substitute for [afi-docs](https://github.com/AFI-Protocol/afi-docs). +## Protocol and operation + +AFI separates the **protocol** from its **operators**. + +- **Rules vs operation.** AFI Protocol defines the interoperable rules — the + governed contracts, schemas, math, identities, and lifecycle. Operating a + service confers no authority over them; self-labeling confers nothing. +- **Official reference services.** AFI Research Institute is *designated to + operate* AFI's official open reference services — a hosted **Gateway** reference + service for structured ingress and an **oracle-ingress / CPJ-normalization** + reference service for message- and source-derived signals + ([INST-GOV](https://github.com/AFI-Protocol/afi-governance/blob/main/decisions/research-institute-reference-services-v0.1.md); + [reference-services spec](https://github.com/AFI-Protocol/afi-docs/blob/main/specs/AFI_RESEARCH_INSTITUTE_REFERENCE_SERVICES.v0.1.md)). +- **Non-exclusive.** The designation is non-exclusive. Any independent party may + run the open-source Gateway, a conforming re-implementation, its own collectors, + or its own AFI-compatible infrastructure — conformance is defined by the + afi-config contracts and KATs, not by who operates. +- **No live deployment claimed.** These reference services are not deployed; the + implemented pipeline is CI-proven and currently reaches `SCORED` (see + [Implemented today](#implemented-today)). + ## The protocol in brief - **`signalId` is the canonical join key.** Every artifact about a signal —