Wiki source code of Federation & Decentralization
Version 7.3 by Robert Schaub on 2025/12/16 20:27
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| author | version | line-number | content |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | = Federation & Decentralization = | ||
| 2 | |||
| 3 | FactHarbor is designed to operate as a **federated network of nodes** rather than a single central server. | ||
| 4 | |||
| 5 | Decentralization provides: | ||
| 6 | * **Resilience** against censorship or political pressure | ||
| 7 | * **Autonomy** for local governance and moderation | ||
| 8 | * **Scalability** across many independent communities | ||
| 9 | * **Trust** without centralized control | ||
| 10 | * **Domain specialization** (health-focused nodes, energy-focused nodes, etc.) | ||
| 11 | |||
| 12 | FactHarbor draws inspiration from the Fediverse but uses stronger structure, versioning, and integrity guarantees. | ||
| 13 | |||
| 14 | ---- | ||
| 15 | |||
| 16 | == Federated FactHarbor Nodes == | ||
| 17 | |||
| 18 | Each FactHarbor instance ("node") maintains: | ||
| 19 | * Its own database | ||
| 20 | * Its own AKEL instance | ||
| 21 | * Its own reviewers, experts, and contributors | ||
| 22 | * Its own governance rules | ||
| 23 | |||
| 24 | Nodes exchange structured information: | ||
| 25 | * Claims | ||
| 26 | * Scenarios | ||
| 27 | * Evidence metadata (not necessarily full files) | ||
| 28 | * Verdicts (optional) | ||
| 29 | * Hashes and signatures for integrity | ||
| 30 | |||
| 31 | Nodes choose which external nodes they trust. | ||
| 32 | |||
| 33 | ---- | ||
| 34 | |||
| 35 | == Global Identifiers == | ||
| 36 | |||
| 37 | Every entity receives a globally unique, linkable identifier. | ||
| 38 | |||
| 39 | **Format**: | ||
| 40 | `factharbor://node_url/type/local_id` | ||
| 41 | |||
| 42 | **Example**: | ||
| 43 | `factharbor://factharbor.energy/claim/CLM-55812` | ||
| 44 | |||
| 45 | **Supported types**: | ||
| 46 | * `claim` | ||
| 47 | * `scenario` | ||
| 48 | * `evidence` | ||
| 49 | * `verdict` | ||
| 50 | * `user` (optional) | ||
| 51 | * `cluster` | ||
| 52 | |||
| 53 | **Properties**: | ||
| 54 | * Globally consistent | ||
| 55 | * Human-readable | ||
| 56 | * Hash-derived | ||
| 57 | * Independent of database internals | ||
| 58 | * URL-resolvable (future enhancement) | ||
| 59 | |||
| 60 | This allows cross-node references and prevents identifier collisions in federated environments. | ||
| 61 | |||
| 62 | ---- | ||
| 63 | |||
| 64 | == Trust Model == | ||
| 65 | |||
| 66 | Each node maintains a **trust table** defining relationships with other nodes: | ||
| 67 | |||
| 68 | === Trust Levels === | ||
| 69 | |||
| 70 | **Trusted Nodes**: | ||
| 71 | * Claims auto-imported | ||
| 72 | * Scenarios accepted without re-review | ||
| 73 | * Evidence considered valid | ||
| 74 | * Verdicts displayed to users | ||
| 75 | * High synchronization priority | ||
| 76 | |||
| 77 | **Neutral Nodes**: | ||
| 78 | * Claims imported but flagged for review | ||
| 79 | * Scenarios require local validation | ||
| 80 | * Evidence requires re-assessment | ||
| 81 | * Verdicts shown with "external node" disclaimer | ||
| 82 | * Normal synchronization priority | ||
| 83 | |||
| 84 | **Untrusted Nodes**: | ||
| 85 | * Claims quarantined, manual import only | ||
| 86 | * Scenarios rejected by default | ||
| 87 | * Evidence not accepted | ||
| 88 | * Verdicts not displayed | ||
| 89 | * No automatic synchronization | ||
| 90 | |||
| 91 | === Trust Affects === | ||
| 92 | |||
| 93 | * **Auto-import**: Whether claims/scenarios are automatically added | ||
| 94 | * **Re-review requirements**: Whether local reviewers must validate | ||
| 95 | * **Verdict display**: Whether external verdicts are shown to users | ||
| 96 | * **Synchronization frequency**: How often data is exchanged | ||
| 97 | * **Reputation signals**: How external reputation is interpreted | ||
| 98 | |||
| 99 | === Local Trust Authority === | ||
| 100 | |||
| 101 | Each node's governance team decides: | ||
| 102 | * Which nodes to trust | ||
| 103 | * Trust level criteria | ||
| 104 | * Trust escalation/degradation rules | ||
| 105 | * Dispute resolution with partner nodes | ||
| 106 | |||
| 107 | Trust is **local and autonomous** - no global trust registry exists. | ||
| 108 | |||
| 109 | ---- | ||
| 110 | |||
| 111 | == Data Sharing Model == | ||
| 112 | |||
| 113 | === What Nodes Share === | ||
| 114 | |||
| 115 | **Always shared** (if federation enabled): | ||
| 116 | * Claims and claim clusters | ||
| 117 | * Scenario structures | ||
| 118 | * Evidence metadata and content hashes | ||
| 119 | * Integrity signatures | ||
| 120 | |||
| 121 | **Optionally shared**: | ||
| 122 | * Full evidence files (large documents) | ||
| 123 | * Verdicts (nodes may choose to keep verdicts local) | ||
| 124 | * Vector embeddings | ||
| 125 | * Scenario templates | ||
| 126 | * AKEL distilled knowledge | ||
| 127 | |||
| 128 | **Never shared**: | ||
| 129 | * Internal user lists | ||
| 130 | * Reviewer comments and internal discussions | ||
| 131 | * Governance decisions and meeting notes | ||
| 132 | * Access control data | ||
| 133 | * Private or sensitive content marked as local-only | ||
| 134 | |||
| 135 | === Large Evidence Files === | ||
| 136 | |||
| 137 | Evidence files are: | ||
| 138 | * Stored locally by default | ||
| 139 | * Referenced via global content hash | ||
| 140 | * Optionally served through IPFS | ||
| 141 | * Accessible via direct peer-to-peer transfer | ||
| 142 | * Can be stored in S3-compatible object storage | ||
| 143 | |||
| 144 | ---- | ||
| 145 | |||
| 146 | == Synchronization Protocol == | ||
| 147 | |||
| 148 | Nodes exchange data using multiple synchronization methods: | ||
| 149 | |||
| 150 | === Push-Based Synchronization === | ||
| 151 | |||
| 152 | **Mechanism**: Webhooks | ||
| 153 | |||
| 154 | When local content changes: | ||
| 155 | 1. Node builds signed bundle | ||
| 156 | 2. Sends webhook notification to subscribed nodes | ||
| 157 | 3. Remote nodes fetch bundle | ||
| 158 | 4. Remote nodes validate and import | ||
| 159 | |||
| 160 | **Use case**: Real-time updates for trusted partners | ||
| 161 | |||
| 162 | === Pull-Based Synchronization === | ||
| 163 | |||
| 164 | **Mechanism**: Scheduled polling | ||
| 165 | |||
| 166 | Nodes periodically: | ||
| 167 | 1. Query partner nodes for updates | ||
| 168 | 2. Fetch changed entities since last sync | ||
| 169 | 3. Validate and import | ||
| 170 | 4. Store sync checkpoint | ||
| 171 | |||
| 172 | **Use case**: Regular batch updates, lower trust nodes | ||
| 173 | |||
| 174 | === Subscription-Based Synchronization === | ||
| 175 | |||
| 176 | **Mechanism**: WebSub-like protocol | ||
| 177 | |||
| 178 | Nodes subscribe to: | ||
| 179 | * Specific claim clusters | ||
| 180 | * Specific domains (medical, energy, etc.) | ||
| 181 | * Specific scenario types | ||
| 182 | * Verdict updates | ||
| 183 | |||
| 184 | Publisher pushes updates only to subscribers. | ||
| 185 | |||
| 186 | **Use case**: Selective federation, domain specialization | ||
| 187 | |||
| 188 | === Large Asset Transfer === | ||
| 189 | |||
| 190 | For files >10MB: | ||
| 191 | * S3-compatible object storage | ||
| 192 | * IPFS (content-addressed) | ||
| 193 | * Direct peer-to-peer transfer | ||
| 194 | * Chunked HTTP transfer with resume support | ||
| 195 | |||
| 196 | ---- | ||
| 197 | |||
| 198 | == Federation Sync Workflow == | ||
| 199 | |||
| 200 | Complete synchronization sequence for creating and sharing new content: | ||
| 201 | |||
| 202 | === Step 1: Local Node Creates New Versions === | ||
| 203 | |||
| 204 | User or AKEL creates: | ||
| 205 | * New claim version | ||
| 206 | * New scenario version | ||
| 207 | * New evidence version | ||
| 208 | * New verdict version | ||
| 209 | |||
| 210 | All changes tracked with: | ||
| 211 | * VersionID | ||
| 212 | * ParentVersionID | ||
| 213 | * AuthorType | ||
| 214 | * Timestamp | ||
| 215 | * JustificationText | ||
| 216 | |||
| 217 | === Step 2: Federation Layer Builds Signed Bundle === | ||
| 218 | |||
| 219 | Federation layer packages: | ||
| 220 | * Entity data (claim, scenario, evidence metadata, verdict) | ||
| 221 | * Version lineage (ParentVersionID chain) | ||
| 222 | * Cryptographic signatures | ||
| 223 | * Node provenance information | ||
| 224 | * Trust metadata | ||
| 225 | |||
| 226 | Bundle format: | ||
| 227 | * JSON-LD for structured data | ||
| 228 | * Content-addressed hashes | ||
| 229 | * Digital signatures for integrity | ||
| 230 | |||
| 231 | === Step 3: Bundle Includes Required Data === | ||
| 232 | |||
| 233 | Each bundle contains: | ||
| 234 | * **Claims**: Full claim text, classification, domain | ||
| 235 | * **Scenarios**: Definitions, assumptions, boundaries | ||
| 236 | * **Evidence metadata**: Source URLs, hashes, reliability scores (not always full files) | ||
| 237 | * **Verdicts**: Likelihood ranges, uncertainty, reasoning chains | ||
| 238 | * **Lineage**: Version history, parent relationships | ||
| 239 | * **Signatures**: Cryptographic proof of origin | ||
| 240 | |||
| 241 | === Step 4: Bundle Pushed to Trusted Neighbor Nodes === | ||
| 242 | |||
| 243 | Based on trust table: | ||
| 244 | * Push to **trusted nodes** immediately | ||
| 245 | * Queue for **neutral nodes** (batched) | ||
| 246 | * Skip **untrusted nodes** | ||
| 247 | |||
| 248 | Push methods: | ||
| 249 | * Webhook notification | ||
| 250 | * Direct API call | ||
| 251 | * Pub/Sub message queue | ||
| 252 | |||
| 253 | === Step 5: Remote Nodes Validate Lineage and Signatures === | ||
| 254 | |||
| 255 | Receiving node: | ||
| 256 | 1. Verifies cryptographic signatures | ||
| 257 | 2. Validates version lineage (ParentVersionID chain) | ||
| 258 | 3. Checks for conflicts with local data | ||
| 259 | 4. Validates data structure and required fields | ||
| 260 | 5. Applies local trust policies | ||
| 261 | |||
| 262 | Validation failures → reject or quarantine bundle | ||
| 263 | |||
| 264 | === Step 6: Accept or Branch Versions === | ||
| 265 | |||
| 266 | **Accept** (if validation passes): | ||
| 267 | * Import new versions | ||
| 268 | * Maintain provenance metadata | ||
| 269 | * Link to local related entities | ||
| 270 | * Update local indices | ||
| 271 | |||
| 272 | **Branch** (if conflict detected): | ||
| 273 | * Create parallel version tree | ||
| 274 | * Mark as "external branch" | ||
| 275 | * Allow local reviewers to merge or reject | ||
| 276 | * Preserve both version histories | ||
| 277 | |||
| 278 | **Reject** (if validation fails): | ||
| 279 | * Log rejection reason | ||
| 280 | * Notify source node (optional) | ||
| 281 | * Quarantine for manual review (optional) | ||
| 282 | |||
| 283 | === Step 7: Local Re-evaluation Runs if Required === | ||
| 284 | |||
| 285 | After import, local node checks: | ||
| 286 | * Does new evidence affect existing verdicts? | ||
| 287 | * Do new scenarios require re-assessment? | ||
| 288 | * Are there contradictions with local content? | ||
| 289 | |||
| 290 | If yes: | ||
| 291 | * Trigger AKEL re-evaluation | ||
| 292 | * Queue for reviewer attention | ||
| 293 | * Update affected verdicts | ||
| 294 | * Notify users following related content | ||
| 295 | |||
| 296 | ---- | ||
| 297 | |||
| 298 | == Cross-Node AI Knowledge Exchange == | ||
| 299 | |||
| 300 | Each node runs its own AKEL instance and may exchange AI-derived knowledge: | ||
| 301 | |||
| 302 | === What Can Be Shared === | ||
| 303 | |||
| 304 | **Vector embeddings**: | ||
| 305 | * For cross-node claim clustering | ||
| 306 | * For semantic search alignment | ||
| 307 | * Never includes training data | ||
| 308 | |||
| 309 | **Canonical claim forms**: | ||
| 310 | * Normalized claim text | ||
| 311 | * Standard phrasing templates | ||
| 312 | * Domain-specific formulations | ||
| 313 | |||
| 314 | **Scenario templates**: | ||
| 315 | * Reusable scenario structures | ||
| 316 | * Common assumption patterns | ||
| 317 | * Evaluation method templates | ||
| 318 | |||
| 319 | **Contradiction alerts**: | ||
| 320 | * Detected conflicts between claims | ||
| 321 | * Evidence conflicts across nodes | ||
| 322 | * Scenario incompatibilities | ||
| 323 | |||
| 324 | **Metadata and insights**: | ||
| 325 | * Aggregate quality metrics | ||
| 326 | * Reliability signal extraction | ||
| 327 | * Bubble detection patterns | ||
| 328 | |||
| 329 | === What Can NEVER Be Shared === | ||
| 330 | |||
| 331 | **Model weights**: No sharing of trained model parameters | ||
| 332 | |||
| 333 | **Training data**: No sharing of full training datasets | ||
| 334 | |||
| 335 | **Local governance overrides**: AKEL suggestions can be overridden locally | ||
| 336 | |||
| 337 | **User behavior data**: No cross-node tracking | ||
| 338 | |||
| 339 | **Internal review discussions**: Private content stays private | ||
| 340 | |||
| 341 | === Benefits of AI Knowledge Exchange === | ||
| 342 | |||
| 343 | * Reduced duplication across nodes | ||
| 344 | * Improved claim clustering accuracy | ||
| 345 | * Faster contradiction detection | ||
| 346 | * Shared scenario libraries | ||
| 347 | * Cross-node quality improvements | ||
| 348 | |||
| 349 | === Local Control Maintained === | ||
| 350 | |||
| 351 | * Nodes accept or reject shared AI knowledge | ||
| 352 | * Human reviewers can override any AKEL suggestion | ||
| 353 | * Local governance always has final authority | ||
| 354 | * No external AI control over local content | ||
| 355 | * Privacy-preserving knowledge exchange | ||
| 356 | |||
| 357 | ---- | ||
| 358 | |||
| 359 | == Decentralized Processing == | ||
| 360 | |||
| 361 | Each node independently performs: | ||
| 362 | * AKEL processing | ||
| 363 | * Scenario drafting and validation | ||
| 364 | * Evidence review | ||
| 365 | * Verdict calculation | ||
| 366 | * Truth landscape summarization | ||
| 367 | |||
| 368 | Nodes can specialize: | ||
| 369 | * Health-focused node with medical experts | ||
| 370 | * Energy-focused node with domain knowledge | ||
| 371 | * Small node delegating scenario libraries to partners | ||
| 372 | * Regional node with language/culture specialization | ||
| 373 | |||
| 374 | Optional data sharing includes: | ||
| 375 | * Embeddings for clustering | ||
| 376 | * Claim clusters for alignment | ||
| 377 | * Scenario templates for efficiency | ||
| 378 | * Verdict comparison metadata | ||
| 379 | |||
| 380 | ---- | ||
| 381 | |||
| 382 | == Scaling to Thousands of Users == | ||
| 383 | |||
| 384 | Nodes scale independently through: | ||
| 385 | * Horizontally scalable API servers | ||
| 386 | * Worker pools for AKEL tasks | ||
| 387 | * Hybrid storage (local + S3/IPFS) | ||
| 388 | * Redis caching for performance | ||
| 389 | * Sharded or partitioned databases | ||
| 390 | |||
| 391 | Federation allows effectively unlimited horizontal scaling by adding new nodes. | ||
| 392 | |||
| 393 | Communities may form: | ||
| 394 | * Domain-specific nodes (epidemiology, energy, climate) | ||
| 395 | * Language or region-based nodes | ||
| 396 | * NGO or institutional nodes | ||
| 397 | * Private organizational nodes | ||
| 398 | * Academic research nodes | ||
| 399 | |||
| 400 | Nodes cooperate through: | ||
| 401 | * Scenario library sharing | ||
| 402 | * Shared or overlapping claim clusters | ||
| 403 | * Expert delegation between nodes | ||
| 404 | * Distributed AKEL task support | ||
| 405 | * Cross-node quality audits | ||
| 406 | |||
| 407 | ---- | ||
| 408 | |||
| 409 | == Federation and Release 1.0 == | ||
| 410 | |||
| 411 | **POC**: Single node, optional federation experiments | ||
| 412 | |||
| 413 | **Beta 0**: 2-3 nodes, basic federation protocol | ||
| 414 | |||
| 415 | **Release 1.0**: Full federation support with: | ||
| 416 | * Robust synchronization protocol | ||
| 417 | * Trust model implementation | ||
| 418 | * Cross-node AI knowledge exchange | ||
| 419 | * Federated search and discovery | ||
| 420 | * Distributed audit collaboration | ||
| 421 | * Inter-node expert consultation | ||
| 422 | |||
| 423 | ---- | ||
| 424 | |||
| 425 | == Related Pages == | ||
| 426 | |||
| 427 | * [[AKEL (AI Knowledge Extraction Layer)>>FactHarbor.Specification.AI Knowledge Extraction Layer (AKEL).WebHome]] | ||
| 428 | * [[Data Model>>FactHarbor.Specification.Data Model.WebHome]] | ||
| 429 | * [[Architecture>>FactHarbor.Specification.Architecture.WebHome]] | ||
| 430 | * [[Workflows>>FactHarbor.Specification.Workflows.WebHome]] |