Collaboration⚓︎
This document defines how people work together on a Topic. It focuses on the social rules and how we handle different opinions to build a trustworthy shared memory.
Joining the Conversation⚓︎
Collaboration in DMS is built on invitation and intent.
- Explicit Access: Users join a Topic by being invited or by requesting access.
- One Person, One Role: Each user holds exactly one role per Topic (e.g., you are either an Owner or an Advisor, not both).
- Audit Trail: Every time someone joins, leaves, or changes roles, it is recorded in the history.
Participation Roles⚓︎
How you help depends on your Role:
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Owner | Leads the Topic and makes the final Decision. |
| Advisor | Suggests Choices and adds Reasons (Pros/Cons). |
| Reviewer | Reflects on the Outcome and helps write Lessons. |
| Observer | Follows the Topic but does not add input. |
Privacy Boundary
Admins and the System are never part of the conversation. They cannot see or join Topics.
Handling Disagreement⚓︎
DMS does not force everyone to agree. In fact, disagreement is valuable data.
- Multiple Choices: It is okay to have many different options on the table.
- Conflicting Reasons: One person might see a "Pro" while another sees a "Con." Both are saved.
- Honest Reviews: A Reviewer is allowed to say a Decision was wrong without the system hiding that opinion.
Transparency
The system never hides disagreement. We preserve the "messy" reality of thinking so we can learn from it later.
Decision Conflicts⚓︎
If a Topic has more than one Owner and they cannot agree on a Choice:
- Record Everything: Each suggested Decision is saved separately.
- Flag the Topic: The Topic is marked as Disputed.
- Manual Resolution: The conflict must be solved by the people, not the software.
- Owners can talk and agree on one path.
- One Owner can withdraw their suggestion.
- The Topic can be closed as Unresolved if no agreement is possible.
History & Trust⚓︎
To keep the memory honest, we follow these rules:
No Silent Edits: Every change creates a new version. You can always see what was changed and by whom.
Full Attribution: Every Choice, Reason, and Lesson is signed by the person who wrote it. There are no "anonymous" comments.
Total Visibility: Everyone invited to a Topic can see the full history of how that Topic evolved.
Core Value
Trust is built through transparency. By knowing exactly who thought what and when, the team can move forward with confidence.
TODO⚓︎
- Define the "Transfer Ownership" flow for when a lead leaves the team.
- Explore "Mention" system (@user) to pull advisors into specific choices.