# The Dave Factor — A Shadow Lens on InfraFabric (Sanitized)

**Author:** Danny Stocker (`ds@infrafabric.io`)  
**Date (UTC):** 2025-12-21  
**Status:** OPTIONAL ANNEX (AUDIT CULTURE)  

**Canonical (static mirror):** `https://infrafabric.io/static/hosted/IF_DAVE_SHADOW_DOSSIER_SANITIZED.md`  
**Repo source:** `https://git.infrafabric.io/danny/hosted/src/branch/main/IF_DAVE_SHADOW_DOSSIER_SANITIZED.md`  
**SHA256 (sidecar):**
- `https://infrafabric.io/static/hosted/IF_DAVE_SHADOW_DOSSIER_SANITIZED.md.sha256`
- `https://git.infrafabric.io/danny/hosted/raw/branch/main/IF_DAVE_SHADOW_DOSSIER_SANITIZED.md.sha256`

> “Dave” is a pattern, not a person. This annex is a cultural threat model.
> It exists to prevent dilution-by-politeness and evidence-theater in safety-critical systems.

---

## 1) What this is

The **Dave Factor** names a predictable failure mode in organizations: systems drift toward *plausible deniability* because it is individually rational.

In safety work, this shows up as: logs without receipts, consensus without vetoes, metrics without methods, and documentation that is optimized for comfort instead of truth.

This annex is written as a *shadow lens*: a way to read every IF.* document and ask, “How would a rational actor dilute this into harmless theater?”

## 2) What this is not

- It is **not** an accusation about any individual.
- It is **not** a substitute for a threat model.
- It is **not** permission to be adversarial to humans.

It is a reminder that **incentives beat intentions**.

## 3) The Dave translation (small Rosetta stone)

| Rigorous phrase | Common dilution | What to do in IF.* docs |
|---|---|---|
| “Critical failure” | “Operational headwind” | Keep severity terms; attach evidence bundles |
| “Immediate action required” | “Next sprint item” | Add explicit deadlines + owner + acceptance test |
| “Unverified claim” | “Needs follow-up” | Mark as `UNVERIFIED` and require a trace ID |
| “Audit trail” | “Observability” | Require external verifier steps and SHA sidecars |
| “Veto / stop-ship” | “Alignment session” | State veto authority and escalation path |

## 4) How InfraFabric is designed to survive contact with Dave

InfraFabric’s protocols already contain strong countermeasures against this failure mode:

- **IF.TTT**: turns disputes into verification by producing portable evidence bundles.
- **IF.BIAS → IF.GUARD**: forces escalation and multi-voice review when risk is high.
- **IF.ARMOUR**: names epistemic attack surfaces (confabulation, narrative drift) explicitly.

The Dave Factor annex exists to keep these protections from being “optimized away” during adoption.

## 5) Recommended pattern: one Dave callout per paper

Add a short callout box (max ~6 lines) to each major paper:

> **The Dave Factor:** If this section is paraphrased into softer language, what *exactly* becomes untestable? What artifact (trace ID / bundle / verifier step) prevents that dilution?

This keeps the satire out of the mainline text while preserving the defensive intent.

## 6) Where the full satire lives

For workshops and cultural reflection, the full satirical “Dave’s Version” is published separately:

- `https://infrafabric.io/static/hosted/IF_DAVE_SHADOW_DOSSIER_FULL_SATIRE.md`
