EarthLinC Relationships & X · Document 2 of 3

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Overview

Much independent work starts with one person: a notebook of river measurements, a repair method, a melody, a translation. Placing that work beside related work makes it more useful. Keeping a route back to its source — the author, the Station and the first question asked — keeps the record checkable however far the work travels.

This document proposes the rules for that path. It covers four actions a person may take with their own work — Publish, Crown, Cast and connecting with an X — and the relationship several participants may form together.

What an X is

An X is an identifiable entity organized around a stated purpose, connecting contributions that remain independent (RX-06). An X may bring people, Stations, knowledge, capabilities and resources together without taking a fixed sector or organizational form; its purpose is open across sectors.

Participation does not merge contributor ownership or identity (RX-07). A shared presentation keeps a route back to each source and its available context, and authorship, token ownership, content rights, editing permissions and service access stay distinct from one another (RX-09).

Distinct actions, distinct authorizations

The design rests on a single principle: each action produces its own effect. Publication, token creation, copying and X participation are distinct actions and MUST NOT be interchangeable (RX-01). An authorization covers the effects it states, and any further effect requires its own explanation and authorization.

Distinct effects can still follow one another in sequence. In this specification, Cast is defined in relation to a Crowned Station, so a Cast depends on a prior Crown. Where one interface offers Crown together with X association, each effect is explained and authorized in its own right (RX-04); how the underlying transactions are coordinated, and what happens on partial failure, is not specified by this document.

Visible connection alone must not imply authorship, endorsement, ownership or confirmed participation. Clause RX-02

Key Scenarios

The scenarios below start from one source Station and follow each action in turn. Opening an action shows its explanation immediately underneath and highlights it in the diagram. Nothing here signs, mints, copies, transfers, pays or enrols, and no X described here exists.

Independent source work

Twelve seasons of silt — a field notebook

Written, measured and held by one author, on that author’s Station. Whatever happens next, this remains the origin of the record.

Figure 1 — four actions leaving one source Station Hand-drawn diagram. A box on the left reads “Source Station, one independent work”. Three ink lines leave it to the right, reaching three boxes: Publish, with the note “presentation and access conditions, RX-03”; Crown, with the note “proposed token identity, RX-04”; and Connect with an X, with the note “contribution to a stated purpose, RX-06 to RX-08”. A dashed line runs from Crown to a fourth box, Cast, labelled “dependency: Cast relates to a Crowned Station, RX-05”, with the note “copy or reference in another Realm”. A dashed panel at lower right reads: coordinated outcome, RX-04 and RX-08 — one interface may offer Crown and X association, each effect is explained and authorized, transaction coordination is pending. Source Station one independent work Publish presentation and access conditions RX-03 Crown proposed token identity RX-04 Cast copy or reference in another Realm RX-05 dependency (RX-05): Cast relates to a Crowned Station Connect with an X contribution to a stated purpose RX-06 – RX-08 Coordinated outcome RX-04 · RX-08 One interface may offer Crown and X association. Each effect is explained and authorized. Transaction coordination: pending. Figure 1 — four actions leaving one source Station Hand-drawn diagram, drawn vertically. A box at the top reads “Source Station, one independent work”. An ink spine runs down the left and branches to three boxes: Publish, “presentation and access conditions, RX-03”; Crown, “proposed token identity, RX-04”; and Connect with an X, “stated purpose, RX-06 to RX-08”. A dashed line runs from Crown down to Cast, labelled “requires Crown, RX-05”, with the note “copy or reference in another Realm”. A dashed panel at the foot reads: coordinated outcome, RX-04 and RX-08 — one interface may offer Crown and X association, each effect is explained and authorized, transaction coordination is pending. Source Station one independent work Publish presentation and access · RX-03 Crown proposed token identity · RX-04 Cast copy or reference in a Realm · RX-05 Connect with an X stated purpose · RX-06 – RX-08 requires Crown (RX-05) Coordinated outcome (RX-04, RX-08) One interface may offer Crown and X association. Each effect is explained and authorized. Transaction coordination: pending.
Figure 1 — four actions, one source Illustrative example Each action leaves the same source work and ends somewhere different. An authorization covers the effects it states, and any further effect requires its own explanation and authorization. The dashed line records the dependency: Cast is defined in relation to a Crowned Station. The dashed panel records the coordinated case: where Crown and X association are offered together, both effects are explained and authorized, while the mechanics of transaction coordination remain pending. Clauses: RX-01, RX-03, RX-04, RX-05, RX-06, RX-08
  • PublishExplain · RX-03

    Source

    The field notebook on the author’s Station, which remains the origin of the record.

    Intended effect

    Presents selected content through a stated destination, channel and access arrangement. Access conditions MUST be understandable before authorization.

    Rights that must not silently change

    Publish MUST NOT silently transfer token ownership, grant additional content rights, or enrol the work in an X.

    Illustrative example: explanation only — no destination is chosen and no authorization is requested here.

  • CrownExplain · RX-04

    Source

    The Station holding the notebook, which the proposed token identity would be associated with.

    Intended effect

    Proposes the creation of an on-chain token identity associated with that Station. Token creation and X association are separate effects; a combined interface MUST explain and obtain authorization for each.

    Rights that must not silently change

    Crown MUST NOT imply automatic transfer of copyright or of control over all content.

    Not specified by this document: token standard, authorized actor, Station reference, metadata and transaction outcomes; the ERC-721 mechanism, which remains unverified; whether Crown requires an X; transaction coordination and partial-failure behaviour. Permission effects that are not specified here are not described as mechanisms.

  • CastExplain · RX-05

    Source

    A Crowned Station. In this specification, Cast is defined in relation to a Crowned Station, so Cast depends on a prior Crown; the original source is retained and remains identifiable.

    Intended effect

    Proposes a copy or reference, associated with a Crowned Station, placed in another Realm. The recipient association and the original source MUST remain distinguishable, both for the recipient and for anyone reading later.

    Rights that must not silently change

    Cast MUST NOT silently transfer the originating token, or grant unrestricted edit, redistribution or other rights.

    Not specified by this document: copied material, source version and permissions; copy or reference; fixed or current source version; recipient rights, access and withdrawal behaviour; the ERC-1155 implementation, which remains unverified.

  • Connect with an XExplain · RX-06 – RX-08

    Source

    The notebook keeps its author, its Station and its route home; the X keeps its stated purpose.

    Intended effect

    A chosen contribution relationship with an identifiable entity organized around a stated purpose, alongside other contributions that remain independent. Before joining or contributing, authorization MUST identify the action, the permissions and the conditions of participation.

    Rights that must not silently change

    Participation MUST NOT imply ownership merger or a merged organizational identity, and an interface MUST NOT imply that unresolved rules are already established.

    Not specified by this document: X identifiers, creation and administration; purpose changes; member admission; exit; removal of a contribution and what it leaves behind.

One work, more than one purpose

A contribution may be connected to more than one X while remaining independent of each of them. In the second figure, the same independent work is connected to two illustrative purpose entities. The dashed lines show the obligation in RX-07: from each shared presentation, a reader can travel back to the source and its available context.

Figure 2 — one independent work connected to two purpose entities Hand-drawn diagram. A box on the left reads “One independent work, Station of origin”. Two ink lines run right to two boxes: “X — purpose A, reading a river across a catchment” and “X — purpose B, keeping old instruments working”, each marked RX-06. Two dashed teal lines with arrowheads run back from the purpose boxes to the work, and a caption reads that each shared presentation keeps a route to the source, RX-07. One independent work Station of origin X — purpose A reading a river across a catchment RX-06 X — purpose B keeping old instruments working RX-06 Dashed routes: each shared presentation keeps a route to the source (RX-07) Figure 2 — one independent work connected to two purpose entities Hand-drawn diagram, drawn vertically. A box at the top reads “One independent work, Station of origin”. Two ink lines run down to two boxes: “X — purpose A, reading a river across a catchment” and “X — purpose B, keeping old instruments working”. Two dashed teal lines with arrowheads run back up the right side to the work, with the note that each shared presentation keeps a route to the source, RX-07. One independent work Station of origin X — purpose A reading a river across a catchment X — purpose B keeping old instruments working Dashed routes: each shared presentation keeps a route to the source (RX-07) RX-06 · RX-07 · RX-09
Figure 2 — routes retained Illustrative example One independent work is connected to two entities, each organized around its own stated purpose. Each contribution stays separate: the work keeps its author, its Station and its route to origin, and participation implies neither ownership merger nor a merged organizational identity. Purposes are open across sectors, and neither entity shown here exists. Clauses: RX-06, RX-07, RX-09

Illustrative purposes an X could hold

Written to show the shape of a purpose and the paths it keeps. None of these exist and none accept members.

  • Reading a river across one catchment Gauge readings, a silt notebook and a boatman’s seasonal log, held side by side for one question. work A → author’s Station · route retained
    work B → author’s Station · route retained
  • Keeping old instruments working Repair methods, part drawings and a workshop’s failure notes, connected while each stays with its own holder. each method → its own Station · authorship unchanged (RX-09)
  • Carrying a text between languages A source text and several independent translations, presented together with every translator still named at the end of their own path. translation → translator’s Station · source → origin Station

Institutional Scenario

Non-normative

This section is non-normative. It gives one short example of an existing program read as an X-shaped relationship. It adds no clause and changes none of RX-01 to RX-10, and naming an organization here makes that organization no party to the protocol.

Illustrative X pattern

Study — Human-Centered AI Education and Research Program

YuCROWN’s Human-Centered AI Education and Research Program within Study illustrates how a shared purpose can connect learners, educators, mentors, creative work and research. Each contribution retains its attribution and applicable rights. This example describes a relationship pattern; X registration and participant commitments are not specified by this document.

Read against the clauses: the purpose is stated (RX-06), each contribution keeps a route back to its source and available context (RX-07), and authorship, token ownership, content rights, editing permissions and service access stay separable (RX-09).

YuCROWN Study — program website ↗ (external site, opens in a new tab) · Institutional research and support arrangements

Each action carries its own authorization: joining a program, contributing work or taking part in research leaves publication, token creation, copying and X enrolment to be authorized separately (RX-01, RX-08).

Full Specification

Ten proposed clauses, RX-01 to RX-10. Every clause appears here in readable text, and the diagrams restate clauses rather than carrying requirements of their own. The implementation mechanics of Crown (RX-04) and Cast (RX-05) are not specified by this document; those clauses record what is undefined and describe no verified behaviour.

Conformance vocabulary

  • MUSTRequired for proposed conformance.
  • SHOULDRecommended, with departures explained.
  • MAYOptional.

These words describe proposed conformance for this specification. Implementation status is recorded under Document information.

10 of 10 shown
RX-01

Identification, and actions that are not interchangeable

Relationships MUST identify the participating works or entities and the context of the connection.

Publication, token creation, copying and X participation are distinct actions, and MUST NOT be interchangeable.

RX-02

Conceptual connection, recorded relationship, executable action

LinC describes independent contributions connected with identifiable sources.

A conforming system MUST distinguish a conceptual connection, a recorded relationship and an executable action.

Visible connection alone MUST NOT imply authorship, endorsement, ownership or confirmed participation.

RX-03

Publish

Publish presents selected content via a specified destination, channel and access arrangement.

Publish MUST NOT silently transfer token ownership, grant additional content rights, or enrol the work in an X.

Access conditions MUST be understandable before authorization.

RX-04

Crown

In this specification, Crown denotes the proposed creation of an on-chain token identity associated with a Station.

Token creation and X association are separate effects; a combined interface MUST explain and obtain authorization for each. How the underlying transactions are coordinated is not yet specified.

The final specification must define the token standard, the authorized actor, the Station reference, metadata and transaction outcomes before an implementation specification.

Crown MUST NOT imply automatic transfer of copyright or of control over all content.

RX-05

Cast

In this specification, Cast denotes a proposed copy or reference, associated with a Crowned Station, placed in another Realm. As defined, Cast depends on a prior Crown.

The recipient association and the original source MUST remain distinguishable.

Cast MUST NOT silently transfer the originating token, or grant unrestricted edit, redistribution or other rights.

The final specification must define the copied material, the source version and permissions.

RX-06

What an X is

X is an identifiable entity around a stated purpose, connecting independent contributions.

An X MAY bring people, Stations, knowledge, capabilities and resources together, without a fixed sector or organizational form.

RX-07

Shared presentation keeps the route home

A shared X presentation MUST retain a route to each source and its available context.

Participation MUST NOT imply ownership merger or a merged organizational identity.

RX-08

Authorization before joining or contributing

Before joining or contributing, authorization MUST identify the action, the permissions and the conditions of participation.

Initiation, administration, changes and leaving require explicit specification.

An interface MUST NOT imply that unresolved rules are already established.

RX-09

Rights stay separable

Authorship, token ownership, content rights, editing permissions and service access MUST stay distinct.

An action that changes one of them MUST identify the authority changed.

Provenance alone does not guarantee hosting or availability.

RX-10

External collections

External collections, such as Earth Library, MAY be references.

A reference MUST NOT imply confirmed participation, funding, endorsement or completed integration without evidence.

No clause matches that term. Use “Show all clauses” to restore the full list.

Reference cited in RX-10

Earth Library ↗

Cited as a reference only. No participation, funding, endorsement or completed integration is claimed.

Related reading

Crown and Cast effects remain proposed; token standards and X governance are not specified by this document.

Specification boundaries

The items below are not specified by this document. This document describes no mechanism for them, and each would require specification before any implementation.

Crown Not specified by this document
  • Whether Crown requires an X, or X is optional.
  • Separate or coordinated transactions, and the behaviour on partial failure.
  • The ERC-721 mechanism, which remains unverified.
  • Token standard, authorized actor, Station reference, metadata and transaction outcomes.
X governance Not specified by this document
  • X identifiers, creation and administration.
  • Purpose changes; member admission; exit.
  • Removal of a contribution, and what it leaves behind.
Cast Not specified by this document
  • Copy or reference.
  • Fixed version or current version of the source.
  • Recipient rights, access and withdrawal behaviour.
  • The ERC-1155 implementation, which remains unverified.
Rights and consent Not specified by this document
Evidence of rights and of consent is not specified by this document. Permission effects that are not specified here are not described as mechanisms.
Institutional examples Not specified by this document
Whether an institutional program is registered as an X, and the terms on which participants take part, are not specified by this document. The institutional scenario is non-normative, and the clauses apply equally to every participant.

Document information

Requirements describe proposed conformance. This document certifies no implementation and claims no deployed functionality; implementation status has not been verified clause by clause. The agreements currently in force continue to apply.

This is Document 2 of 3 in the EarthLinC Protocol set. The three documents share one format, one conformance vocabulary and one illustration language.

Previous document

1 · Identity & Context

Next document

3 · Human Agency, AI & Infrastructure

Protocol overview: the Protocol section on the master EarthLinC Station. About stays embedded there — master overview, Research, Participate, Get Started.

EarthLinC Protocol · Relationships & X · Document 2 of 3