1.5 KiB
RFC-0001: Observation First
Status: Proposed Phase: The Bedrock Phase
Abstract
This RFC formalizes the principle that observation must precede all other engineering activity within the standard.
Motivation
Without a formal commitment to observation-first methodology, the standard risks accepting principles based on authority, tradition, or aesthetic preference rather than verified reality.
Proposal
All additions to the Open Engineer standard must begin with an observation — a direct, verifiable encounter with reality. No principle, no vocabulary term, no specification may enter the standard without first identifying the observation(s) that motivate it.
Observation
Throughout the development of Open Engineer, the most robust and widely-applicable principles have consistently emerged from direct observation, not from abstract reasoning.
Engineering Principle
Observe first. Recognize patterns. Verify against reality. Translate into engineering language. Preserve the resulting understanding.
Reasoning
Observation anchors the standard to reality. Without it, the standard becomes an exercise in theory — potentially interesting, but not engineering. Engineering is fundamentally about engaging with reality as it is, not as we wish it to be.
Relationship to Existing Concepts
This RFC is the first in the priority chain and underpins all subsequent RFCs. It is closely related to the Translation over Adoption principle (see editorial-principles.md) and the Verification concept (OE-0007).