> *A protocol is a stratum of codified behavior that allows for the construction or emergence of complex coordinated behaviors at adjacent loci.* [The Unreasonable Sufficiency of Protocols](https://venkatesh-rao.gitbook.io/summer-of-protocols#ehi77ca7jdys) A system of rules that explain the correct procedures to be followed to participate in a given context. eg. social protocols, health protocols, military protocols, diplomatic protocols, network protocols. Protocols are a distinct and crucial type of [[Informational Constructs]]. They serve as the "software" of many complex systems, providing structured information that guides behavior and facilitates coordination. These are a few examples of protocols: 1. In social interactions, handshake protocols specify how to greet someone in a professional setting. This coordinates behavior between individuals, setting expectations and reducing uncertainty in social encounters. 2. In computer networking, the TCP/IP protocol suite defines how data should be packaged, addressed, transmitted, and received across the internet. This protocol coordinates the behavior of millions of devices, ensuring they can communicate effectively regardless of their hardware or software specifics. 3. In biology, DNA serves as a protocol for cellular processes, providing instructions for protein synthesis. This coordinates the behavior of cellular components, ensuring that the right proteins are produced at the right time. ## Protocol Characteristics > *Protocols are richer and more dynamic than typical social conventions and industry standards, and exhibit some evolutionary tendencies driven by an internal logic... Protocols tend to define and regulate flows of codified behaviors rather than stocks of technological artifacts.* [The Unreasonable Sufficiency of Protocols](https://venkatesh-rao.gitbook.io/summer-of-protocols#ehi77ca7jdys) 1. Collective Nature: Protocols are inherently social or systemic, requiring collective adherence to function effectively. They facilitate interaction and coordination between multiple entities or components within a system. For example, communication protocols like Morse code only work when all parties understand and use the same code. 2. Adaptive Capacity: Many protocols can evolve organically in response to changing circumstances, without requiring centralized control. This adaptability allows protocols to remain effective in shifting environments. Language evolution exemplifies this characteristic, as new words and expressions emerge naturally to reflect societal changes. 3. Enforcement Mechanisms: Protocols often incorporate built-in enforcement mechanisms to ensure adherence and maintain system integrity. These can be technical (error checking in computer protocols), social (peer pressure in etiquette), or even biological (cellular mechanisms for DNA replication). 4. Scalability: Well-designed protocols can coordinate complex behaviors across large networks. They maintain consistency whether applied to small or large-scale systems. The Internet Protocol (IP) demonstrates this by enabling seamless communication among billions of devices worldwide using the same basic rules. 5. Context-Dependency: Protocols derive their meaning and effectiveness from their operational context. A protocol that works well in one environment might be ineffective or meaningless in another. For instance, a handshake protocol only makes sense within certain cultural contexts and may be inappropriate or confusing in others. ## Protocols vs Techniques To understand the concept better, let's explore the key differences between two types of [[Informational Constructs]]– protocols and techniques: 1. Collective nature vs. Individual application: - Protocols are inherently collective, requiring shared understanding and adoption by multiple parties to function effectively. - Techniques can be applied individually. A single person can use a technique effectively without requiring others to know or use it. 2. Interaction focus vs. Task focus: - Protocols primarily govern interactions between entities or components within a system. - Techniques are typically focused on accomplishing specific tasks or achieving particular outcomes, often by an individual or within a process. 3. Standardization vs. Variation: - Protocols aim for standardization to ensure consistent interaction across a system. - Techniques can vary widely between practitioners and can be personalized or adapted more freely. 4. System-level vs. Local-level: - Protocols often operate at a system level, coordinating multiple components or participants. - Techniques usually operate at a more local level, focused on how an individual or small group accomplishes a task. 5. Rule-based vs. Method-based: - Protocols are typically rule-based, specifying what should or shouldn't be done in certain situations. - Techniques are more method-based, describing how to do something effectively. 6. Coordination-oriented vs. Action-oriented: - Protocols often focus on how information or actions should be communicated or coordinated. - Techniques are more directly action-oriented, focusing on how to perform specific actions. 7. Enforcement mechanisms: - Protocols often have built-in or associated enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance. - Techniques typically don't have enforcement mechanisms; their use is often optional or based on effectiveness. For example, the rules of chess are a protocol - they define how players interact and how the game proceeds. In contrast, chess strategies or moves are techniques - methods a player can use to try to win the game. This distinction helps clarify why protocols are particularly important in complex systems where multiple entities need to interact consistently. Techniques, while crucial for effectiveness and efficiency, don't necessarily require the same level of collective adoption or system-wide coordination. ## Dimensions of Protocols > *Loosely speaking, a hard protocol is one with relatively inflexible expectations, with small deviations causing errors... A soft protocol on the other hand, accommodates a wide range of behaviors... An atomic protocol is one that is difficult or pointless to further decompose, while a systemic protocol is one that is made up of many atomic protocols, often organized in strata.* [The Unreasonable Sufficiency of Protocols](https://venkatesh-rao.gitbook.io/summer-of-protocols#ehi77ca7jdys)  ## Protocol Society > *The concept of “protocol society” is an invitation to see social structures through the lens of the protocol—a set of voluntary rules governing communication and conduct. Examples include monastic rules, cross-border financial systems, diplomatic rituals, Internet standards, and blockchain contracts. Protocols typically coexist with other kinds of social structures, such as states and markets, and they can be an enabling substrate for those structures, but protocols are not reducible to them. Recognizing the existence of protocol-based social ordering helps reveal underappreciated aspects of historical and present societies. Protocols can also serve as the basis of imagining possible social futures—particularly in the pursuit of societies less dependent on enforcement through state violence.* [Protocol Society By Nathan Schneider](https://beta.briefideas.org/ideas/7c294f66fae2352765ec79bf5b0c7966) Understanding protocols is crucial because they play a fundamental role in coordinating complex systems, from digital networks to social interactions to biological processes. Protocols serve as a critical link between individual components and larger systemic structures. By examining the protocols at play in any given system, we can gain insights into how that system functions, what values or priorities it embodies, and how it might evolve or be changed. ## Dive Deeper ### Topic relates to: [[Blockchains]] [[Institutions]] ### Further reading: [Who could write protocol fiction for speculative infrastructure?](https://interconnected.org/home/2022/08/11/casi)