Ratified by the archive's editorial authority (MANUS), 2026-08-03. These guarantees govern every AXN identifier and every service built on them, including axnidentifiers.org. Amendments occur only by numbered, published change proposal — never silently, never retroactively.
I. The identifier is content-derived
Canonical bytes v1 = the exact raw byte sequence of the submitted file. No normalization, no re-encoding, no stripping. The identity kernel is the SHA-256 of those bytes; the six-glyph checksum derives from the first six bytes of that hash through the canonical 256-glyph table. Any future normalization profile can only ever be opt-in, versioned, and non-retroactive: no existing kernel will ever be redefined.
Grammar: AXN:HEX.FAMILY.⟨6 glyphs⟩ — e.g. the registered position AXN:05AB.UNCLASSIFIED.🔃✊🌹⏫∞✖️ (kernel deb473d8ff92c55f…). The derivation is fully specified and independently implementable; it runs in your browser at Stamp & Verify and nothing leaves your device for computation. An AXN is true or false independently of any registry, including this one.
II. Verification is free, forever
Dated public promise (2026-08-03): computing kernels, stamping files, looking up identifiers, and verifying files against the registry are free, permanently. The full registry is public, git-versioned, and exportable. Paid services sell human labor and witnessing around identifiers — never the identifier's truth, and registry positions are never sold.
III. Continuity and wind-down
If any AXN service ends, all registry data will be offered as a downloadable archive during a stated wind-down window, stored sealed cores will be returned or exported, and a final registry snapshot will be published. AXN identifiers remain valid regardless, because they are content-derived. The registry lives in version control with full public history; its continuity does not depend on any single website remaining online.
IV. What an AXN does not claim
Identity ≠ Authorship. An AXN proves a file's identity, not who created it. Authorship statements are recorded as declarations and marked UNVERIFIED unless independently attested.
Witnessing ≠ Notarization. Registration timestamps prove when a file was witnessed, not when it was created. Nothing here is legal notarization or legal advice.
Resolver ≠ Indefinite hosting. A registry entry is a record, not a promise of perpetual file hosting. Storage terms are always explicit.
V. Corrections and change control
Errors are corrected by amendment and tombstone, never silent deletion — withdrawn records remain as typed tombstones naming the rightful state. Protocol changes (canonical bytes, derivation, schema, this constitution) require a numbered public proposal with test vectors, migration impact, and ratification. The first proposed mutation — byte normalization — was caught and refused before this page was published; that refusal is why Section I reads as it does.
