1.6 KiB
RFC-0002: Thought Drift
Status: Proposed Phase: The Bedrock Phase
Abstract
This RFC identifies and defines the phenomenon of "thought drift" — the tendency for a project to accumulate redundant or contradictory ideas under different names over time — and establishes countermeasures.
Motivation
As Open Engineer brainstormed extensively, it became evident that continued ideation without structure leads to duplicates under different names. This is thought drift, and it erodes the clarity and coherence of the standard.
Observation
Open Engineer has enough conceptual bedrock now. If brainstorming continues without discipline, duplicates will emerge under different names. That is exactly what was identified as thought drift.
Engineering Principle
Once sufficient foundational concepts are established, further ideation must be channeled through the specification workflow rather than free-form exploration. No new concept may be added without first verifying it does not duplicate or contradict an existing concept.
Reasoning
Thought drift is the enemy of a standard. A standard must be precise and non-redundant. Every term must have exactly one meaning. Every concept must have exactly one home in the specification. Allowing drift creates ambiguity, which in turn creates confusion, which in turn undermines trust in the standard.
Relationship to Existing Concepts
Thought drift is countered by the single-responsibility editorial principle (see editorial-principles.md), the four-question framework (OE-0008), and the freeze workflow (OE-0011).