Terminological Twists
What's in a word? Each story in this anthology uncovers a possible world hidden behind everyday jargon — tales of hyperstition where terminology shapes reality.
Summer of Protocols
The Kafka Index
Asparouhova develops an evaluative framework called the Kafka Index to identify structurally bad protocols through specific design failures: broken feedback loops, invisible outcomes, wrong metrics, and excessive complexity that trap participants. She identifies three archetypes of protocol failure—Kafka (participant trapped in incomprehensible maze), Bartleby (participant forced into costly participation with no alternatives), and a third unnamed type—each representing different ways protocols distribute power asymmetrically between system and user.
Related resources
Addressable Space: Appendices 5–6
Hart proposes an addressability-based framework for housing that distinguishes between static addresses (stable, memorable identifiers) and dynamic addresses (reflecting actual spatial boundaries and resident locations). The framework enables flexible living arrangements by reconceptualizing how physical and digital infrastructure can accommodate shifting household compositions and residential boundaries through adaptive protocols like flexible doorways.
Chenoe Hart
Dangerous Protocols
Asparouhova examines how protocols, while often celebrated as liberating alternatives to centralized platforms, function as mechanisms of control that constrain user freedom and choice in practice. The paper argues that protocols are not inherently emancipatory but rather represent a fundamental trade-off between managing complexity and maintaining autonomy.
Nadia Asparouhova