First-Principles Design Moves

See folder README for orientation. Eight design moves derived from the Habermasian framework. Each carries a Why and a Cost line — no design move is presented as free.

These are not independent. They reinforce each other and conflict with each other in known ways (see tensions.md).

The moves

• topic-centred.md — organise around matters of common concern, not around users.
• status-blind.md — no public follower counts, no like/repost counters, no verified badges.
• communicative-action-affordances.md — composer features that nudge toward orientation-to-understanding rather than orientation-to-winning.
• federation.md — plural counterpublics by federated architecture, after Fraser.
• gatekeeping.md — editorial filtering reconstituted in distributed, accountable forms.
• economics.md — reader-funded, advertiser-free; multiple sub-models.
• algorithmic-transparency.md — open-source, inspectable, user-selectable ranking.
• identity-sovereignty.md — user-owned identity, portable, with proof-of-personhood without disclosure.