openengineer/rfc/rfc-0002.md

28 lines
1.2 KiB
Markdown
Executable File

# RFC-0002: Thought Drift
**Status:** Proposed
**Phase:** The Bedrock Phase
## Abstract
This RFC defines "thought drift" — the accumulation of redundant or contradictory concepts under different names — and establishes countermeasures.
## Motivation
Continued ideation without structure leads to duplicates under different names. Thought drift erodes clarity and creates the ambiguity that a standard cannot tolerate.
## Observation
During development, the project observed that unconstrained ideation produced concepts that, upon review, were redundant with existing definitions under different names.
## Engineering Principle
No new concept may be added without first verifying it does not duplicate or contradict an existing concept. OE-0002 (Core Vocabulary) is the authoritative check.
## Reasoning
A standard requires one definition per term and one home per concept. Allowing drift creates ambiguity, which creates confusion, which undermines trust.
## Relationship to Existing Concepts
Thought drift is countered by Single Responsibility (`reference/editorial-principles.md`, Section 2), the Refinement Gate (Section 4), and Law 6 (Compression Over Expansion).