66 lines
3.2 KiB
Markdown
66 lines
3.2 KiB
Markdown
# The Dave Factor — A Shadow Lens on InfraFabric (Sanitized)
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**Author:** Danny Stocker (`ds@infrafabric.io`)
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**Date (UTC):** 2025-12-21
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**Status:** OPTIONAL ANNEX (AUDIT CULTURE)
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**Canonical (static mirror):** `https://infrafabric.io/static/hosted/IF_DAVE_SHADOW_DOSSIER_SANITIZED.md`
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**Repo source:** `https://git.infrafabric.io/danny/hosted/src/branch/main/IF_DAVE_SHADOW_DOSSIER_SANITIZED.md`
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**SHA256 (sidecar):**
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- `https://infrafabric.io/static/hosted/IF_DAVE_SHADOW_DOSSIER_SANITIZED.md.sha256`
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- `https://git.infrafabric.io/danny/hosted/raw/branch/main/IF_DAVE_SHADOW_DOSSIER_SANITIZED.md.sha256`
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> “Dave” is a pattern, not a person. This annex is a cultural threat model.
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> It exists to prevent dilution-by-politeness and evidence-theater in safety-critical systems.
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---
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## 1) What this is
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The **Dave Factor** names a predictable failure mode in organizations: systems drift toward *plausible deniability* because it is individually rational.
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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.
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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?”
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## 2) What this is not
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- It is **not** an accusation about any individual.
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- It is **not** a substitute for a threat model.
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- It is **not** permission to be adversarial to humans.
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It is a reminder that **incentives beat intentions**.
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## 3) The Dave translation (small Rosetta stone)
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| Rigorous phrase | Common dilution | What to do in IF.* docs |
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|---|---|---|
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| “Critical failure” | “Operational headwind” | Keep severity terms; attach evidence bundles |
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| “Immediate action required” | “Next sprint item” | Add explicit deadlines + owner + acceptance test |
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| “Unverified claim” | “Needs follow-up” | Mark as `UNVERIFIED` and require a trace ID |
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| “Audit trail” | “Observability” | Require external verifier steps and SHA sidecars |
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| “Veto / stop-ship” | “Alignment session” | State veto authority and escalation path |
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## 4) How InfraFabric is designed to survive contact with Dave
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InfraFabric’s protocols already contain strong countermeasures against this failure mode:
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- **IF.TTT**: turns disputes into verification by producing portable evidence bundles.
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- **IF.BIAS → IF.GUARD**: forces escalation and multi-voice review when risk is high.
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- **IF.ARMOUR**: names epistemic attack surfaces (confabulation, narrative drift) explicitly.
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The Dave Factor annex exists to keep these protections from being “optimized away” during adoption.
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## 5) Recommended pattern: one Dave callout per paper
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Add a short callout box (max ~6 lines) to each major paper:
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> **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?
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This keeps the satire out of the mainline text while preserving the defensive intent.
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## 6) Where the full satire lives
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For workshops and cultural reflection, the full satirical “Dave’s Version” is published separately:
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- `https://infrafabric.io/static/hosted/IF_DAVE_SHADOW_DOSSIER_FULL_SATIRE.md`
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