Memetic Software

The old world versions bytes. Memetic versions intent.

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Learn how agents coordinate through commitments, not commands.

memetic

/mɪˈmɛtɪk, miːˈmɛtɪk/

adjective

Relating to an element of culture or system of behaviour passed from one individual to another by imitation or other non-genetic means.

The Paradigm Shift

What if we versioned intent instead of bytes?

The Old Assumption

Code is the canonical form. The exact bytes are the source of truth. Nodes converge on identical state.

Memetic Software

Intent is the canonical form. Code is a local derivation. Nodes converge on behavior, not bytes.

Why Now

Three shifts that make this possible

  1. AI agents can translate intent to implementation. The gap between "what I want" and "the code that does it" can now be bridged programmatically.
  2. Code is increasingly disposable. When an agent can regenerate implementation from spec in seconds, why obsess over preserving exact character sequences?
  3. Environments are heterogeneous. The fiction that "same code = same behavior everywhere" was always partially false. Memetic makes this explicit.
Architecture

The Two-Layer Ledger

Layer What's Stored Consistency Model
Intent Layer Specifications, conversations, decisions, constraints Strongly consistent, canonical
Code Layer Local manifestations Eventually behavioral, not bytewise

The intent layer is the source of truth. The code layer is a cache that can be regenerated.

Foundations

Promise Theory Connection

Mark Burgess's Promise Theory provides the formal underpinning. Agents are autonomous. Cooperation emerges from voluntary commitments, not centralized control. Memetic Software applies this directly to how code is distributed and maintained.

Promise Theory Memetic Software
Agents are autonomous Nodes manifest locally
Promises are voluntary commitments Nodes promise to satisfy intent, not replicate bytes
You can't impose, only propose You can't force identical code, only share spec
Cooperation through mutual promise Behavioral convergence through shared intent
Analogy

Software as Meme, Not Gene

Genes

Replicate with high fidelity. Mutations are errors — merge conflicts, not features. Evolution is slow.

Memes

Replicate with variation. Adaptation is the feature. Spread is fast.

Software

Behavior is more like a meme than a gene. Fidelity to purpose, not to form.

Software behavior is memetic. We've been treating it as genetic.

The Stack

Explore the layers

Protocol Intent Transfer Protocol
Learn more → Try the Playground
Network Intent Network Coming soon
Application Memetic VCS Coming soon