docs: the four flow rulings, compare unparked, and the beta premise superseded

All four ruled, all four taking design-dev's recommendation, relayed via Miranda
with booth-dev as sole relay. Verbatim copy committed at docs/rulings/ because
the booth holding it will sweep.

Which is the observation worth keeping: answering a pick removes the hold that
was protecting the record. A booth is held while its question is OPEN, so its
lifetime is shortest exactly when it has just become valuable — before the
answer it is a question, after it is the record of a decision, and only the
first state is protected. Both design booths hit this by different routes, one
withdrawn and one answered. Raised to design-dev as a flow question rather than
patched, since flow is his now.

Compare mode leaves the parking lot: our deferral, his overrule, recorded as his
call so nobody re-parks it by reading the older rule.

And v1.0.0b1's 'no new features' promise no longer describes the arc. The tag
stays as written — rewriting a released tag to flatter the present is how a
version stops being evidence — an alpha drop-back is illegal because 1.0.0a2
sorts below 1.0.0b1, and no further pre-release is cut until the arc lands.

ROADMAP.md

@@ -1,12 +1,20 @@
 # The Booth — roadmap
 
 Design: [`docs/design/information-architecture.md`](docs/design/information-architecture.md).
-Current version: `1.0.0b1` (**U1 through U7 landed — every v1 capability is
+Current version: `1.0.0b1` (**U1 through U7 landed**; extracted from eshpfi
-in**; extracted from eshpfi 2026-09-21). **The v1 target is MET and staged as a
+2026-09-21).
-beta** (operator, 2026-09-22): feature-complete, external testing, no new
+
-features — the remaining work is bugs. `1.0.0` final is cut when the beta
+⚠ **THE BETA'S PREMISE IS SUPERSEDED AND THE TAG CANNOT BE UNSAID.**
-survives; per the canonical policy an rc would be cut from the same commit,
+`v1.0.0b1` was cut 2026-09-22 promising "feature-complete, no new features, the
-but a beta may still take fixes.
+remaining work is bugs." On 2026-09-23 the operator ruled a flow redesign and
+compare mode into the arc, which are emphatically new features. **The tag stays
+as written** — it is an immutable record of what was believed at the time, not a
+claim about now — and no further pre-release is cut until the arc lands.
+Dropping back to an alpha is not available: `1.0.0a2` sorts BELOW `1.0.0b1`, and
+versions do not go backwards.
+
+**Whether `1.0.0` waits for the redesign is the operator's call** and is not
+yet made. See the design-arc section.
 
 ## v1 target
 
@@ -143,14 +151,18 @@ weighed against the v1 path and lost on purpose.
 
 | item | why parked |
 |---|---|
-| **Compare mode** — pair-by-name A/B across subfolders | The best idea in the set, and the only one that is a *new capability* rather than a fix for a measured defect. The four-booth `pancake-v3/v4` dance still works. First thing in v1.1. |
+| ~~**Compare mode**~~ — **UNPARKED 2026-09-23, IN THIS ARC** | Parked as "the only new capability rather than a fix for a measured defect", and **that deferral was ours and the operator overruled it.** design-dev argued it belongs in this arc because the ladders and bakeoffs already need it; the operator ruled `this_arc`. Lands AFTER the Desk and the reel, as a view toggle over the same item record. Recorded so nobody re-parks it by reading an older rule. |
 | Virtualized / progressive grid loading | Speculative. 270 `<img loading="lazy">` may be fine. **Measure the real booth before optimising it** — if it renders inside a second, this is invented work. |
 | Bench uptime history + graphs | The v1 need is "is it dead", which one flag answers. A time series is a different product. |
 | Cross-booth search | No evidence of the need in the usage data. |
 | Per-viewer state (who has seen what) | The Booth has one viewer. Revisit if that stops being true. |
 | Auth | Standing non-goal. LAN/mesh-internal. Blur stays cosmetic and says so. |
 
-## Post-v1, already committed
+## The design arc — IN SCOPE, not post-v1
+
+⚠ **This section used to be "Post-v1, already committed" and it is not post-v1
+any more.** The operator's 2026-09-23 rulings put a flow redesign and compare
+mode inside the arc, so the work below is part of what ships, not after it.
 
 - **SVOS theme retrofit by `design-dev` — HANDED OFF AND ACCEPTED 2026-09-22**
   (althing thread `01M369321KNBPZ7FYDQGZG7AXP`). Runs as a parallel track, not a

docs/rulings/2026-09-23-flow-direction.json

@@ -0,0 +1,218 @@
+{
+  "booth": "booth-flow-concepts",
+  "mark": {
+    "id": "flow",
+    "shape": "pick",
+    "target": null,
+    "created": "2026-09-23T07:18:16.254321-07:00",
+    "declaration": {
+      "title": "The Booth — round 2: which flow gets built",
+      "questions": [
+        {
+          "key": "direction",
+          "prompt": "Which flow becomes the Booth?",
+          "options": [
+            {
+              "id": "a_b",
+              "label": "A + B's reel as the review mode",
+              "detail": "RECOMMENDED — the Desk + lightbox; full size gets the tape, seen-tracking and the end-of-set summary"
+            },
+            {
+              "id": "a",
+              "label": "A — The Desk alone",
+              "detail": "triage index + lightbox + full-size review with filmstrip; no seen-tracking"
+            },
+            {
+              "id": "b",
+              "label": "B — The Reel",
+              "detail": "every booth opens as a one-at-a-time review; the grid is secondary"
+            },
+            {
+              "id": "c",
+              "label": "C — The Bench",
+              "detail": "compare-first; argued against as the default"
+            }
+          ]
+        },
+        {
+          "key": "compare",
+          "prompt": "Compare mode (C as a view toggle):",
+          "options": [
+            {
+              "id": "this_arc",
+              "label": "Build it in this arc, after A/B land",
+              "detail": "RECOMMENDED — the ladders and bakeoffs already need it"
+            },
+            {
+              "id": "v11",
+              "label": "Leave it parked for v1.1",
+              "detail": "booth-dev's current plan"
+            }
+          ]
+        },
+        {
+          "key": "voice",
+          "prompt": "The new copy I'll be writing — which voice?",
+          "options": [
+            {
+              "id": "plain",
+              "label": "Plain and direct",
+              "detail": "RECOMMENDED — it's a judgment surface; deadpan only where nothing is at stake (empty states)"
+            },
+            {
+              "id": "deadpan",
+              "label": "SVOS deadpan villainy throughout",
+              "detail": "the full SVOS voice"
+            }
+          ]
+        },
+        {
+          "key": "emblem",
+          "prompt": "The SVS emblem in the top bar?",
+          "options": [
+            {
+              "id": "no",
+              "label": "No",
+              "detail": "RECOMMENDED — a fleet utility; the glowing dot and reticle favicon carry the family look"
+            },
+            {
+              "id": "yes",
+              "label": "Yes — the square emblem",
+              "detail": "brands the Booth as part of the SVOS suite"
+            }
+          ]
+        }
+      ],
+      "notes": true
+    },
+    "prompt": "The Booth — round 2: which flow gets built",
+    "title": "The Booth — round 2: which flow gets built",
+    "multi": true,
+    "questions": [
+      {
+        "key": "direction",
+        "prompt": "Which flow becomes the Booth?",
+        "options": [
+          {
+            "id": "a_b",
+            "label": "A + B's reel as the review mode",
+            "detail": "RECOMMENDED — the Desk + lightbox; full size gets the tape, seen-tracking and the end-of-set summary"
+          },
+          {
+            "id": "a",
+            "label": "A — The Desk alone",
+            "detail": "triage index + lightbox + full-size review with filmstrip; no seen-tracking"
+          },
+          {
+            "id": "b",
+            "label": "B — The Reel",
+            "detail": "every booth opens as a one-at-a-time review; the grid is secondary"
+          },
+          {
+            "id": "c",
+            "label": "C — The Bench",
+            "detail": "compare-first; argued against as the default"
+          }
+        ],
+        "notes": false
+      },
+      {
+        "key": "compare",
+        "prompt": "Compare mode (C as a view toggle):",
+        "options": [
+          {
+            "id": "this_arc",
+            "label": "Build it in this arc, after A/B land",
+            "detail": "RECOMMENDED — the ladders and bakeoffs already need it"
+          },
+          {
+            "id": "v11",
+            "label": "Leave it parked for v1.1",
+            "detail": "booth-dev's current plan"
+          }
+        ],
+        "notes": false
+      },
+      {
+        "key": "voice",
+        "prompt": "The new copy I'll be writing — which voice?",
+        "options": [
+          {
+            "id": "plain",
+            "label": "Plain and direct",
+            "detail": "RECOMMENDED — it's a judgment surface; deadpan only where nothing is at stake (empty states)"
+          },
+          {
+            "id": "deadpan",
+            "label": "SVOS deadpan villainy throughout",
+            "detail": "the full SVOS voice"
+          }
+        ],
+        "notes": false
+      },
+      {
+        "key": "emblem",
+        "prompt": "The SVS emblem in the top bar?",
+        "options": [
+          {
+            "id": "no",
+            "label": "No",
+            "detail": "RECOMMENDED — a fleet utility; the glowing dot and reticle favicon carry the family look"
+          },
+          {
+            "id": "yes",
+            "label": "Yes — the square emblem",
+            "detail": "brands the Booth as part of the SVOS suite"
+          }
+        ],
+        "notes": false
+      }
+    ],
+    "options": [],
+    "notes_enabled": true,
+    "notes_label": "notes",
+    "answer": {
+      "stem": "flow",
+      "title": "The Booth — round 2: which flow gets built",
+      "answers": {
+        "direction": {
+          "prompt": "Which flow becomes the Booth?",
+          "choice": "a_b",
+          "choice_index": 0,
+          "label": "A + B's reel as the review mode",
+          "notes": ""
+        },
+        "compare": {
+          "prompt": "Compare mode (C as a view toggle):",
+          "choice": "this_arc",
+          "choice_index": 0,
+          "label": "Build it in this arc, after A/B land",
+          "notes": ""
+        },
+        "voice": {
+          "prompt": "The new copy I'll be writing — which voice?",
+          "choice": "plain",
+          "choice_index": 0,
+          "label": "Plain and direct",
+          "notes": ""
+        },
+        "emblem": {
+          "prompt": "The SVS emblem in the top bar?",
+          "choice": "no",
+          "choice_index": 0,
+          "label": "No",
+          "notes": ""
+        }
+      },
+      "unanswered": [],
+      "complete": true,
+      "notes": "",
+      "answered_at": "2026-09-23T08:07:40-07:00",
+      "answered_by": "100.64.0.4"
+    },
+    "text": "",
+    "flagged": false,
+    "by": "",
+    "error": null
+  }
+}

persistent-memory.d/2026-09-23-the-flow-rulings-and-what-they-cost-the-beta.md

@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+# The flow rulings, and what they cost the beta
+
+_2026-09-23 · booth_
+
+**All four ruled, all four taking design-dev's recommendation, no notes
+attached.** Relayed via Miranda (D-0016) with the instruction that **the
+operator will not brief design-dev directly and booth-dev is the SOLE RELAY.**
+
+| question | choice | label |
+|---|---|---|
+| `direction` | `a_b` | A + B's reel as the review mode |
+| `compare` | `this_arc` | Build it in this arc, after A/B land |
+| `voice` | `plain` | Plain and direct |
+| `emblem` | `no` | No |
+
+Answered `2026-09-23T08:07:40-07:00`, `complete: true`, `unanswered: []`.
+**Verbatim copy committed at `docs/rulings/2026-09-23-flow-direction.json`** —
+see the durability note below for why that is not belt-and-braces.
+
+## ⚠ ANSWERING A PICK REMOVES THE HOLD THAT WAS PROTECTING THE RECORD
+
+U4's hold predicate is "has an open pick" — a booth waiting on the operator does
+not sweep. **The moment he answers, it stops being held**, so a booth's
+lifetime is shortest exactly when it has just become valuable: before the answer
+it is a question, after the answer it is the RECORD OF A DECISION, and only the
+first state is protected.
+
+`booth-flow-concepts` held the ratified design AND the operator's recorded
+answer, with `.forever=NO` and zero open picks — sweep-eligible within minutes
+of the ruling. Same shape as round 1, arriving by a different route:
+`booth-svos-retheme` lost its hold when design-dev WITHDREW his ask; this one
+lost it when the operator ANSWERED. Two different actions, one exposure.
+
+The durable copy now lives in git rather than in a booth. **This is not a bug
+report against U4** — an answered question genuinely is not waiting on anyone —
+but it is a real question about whether "held" is the right predicate for a
+booth that has become a record. Flow and requirements are design-dev's now, so
+it is his to weigh; raised to him rather than patched by us.
+
+## What the rulings cost the version
+
+**`v1.0.0b1` promised "feature-complete, no new features, the remaining work is
+bugs."** A flow redesign plus compare mode is not that. Three things follow:
+
+1. **The tag stays exactly as written.** It records what was believed on
+   2026-09-22, not a claim about today. Rewriting a released tag to flatter the
+   present is how a version stops being evidence.
+2. **Dropping back to an alpha is NOT available.** `1.0.0a2` sorts BELOW
+   `1.0.0b1` and versions do not go backwards. The policy's "if you are adding
+   features to a release candidate, it was never a release candidate" advice has
+   no legal expression here.
+3. **No further pre-release until the arc lands.** Commits accumulate; the next
+   tag is whatever is honest when there is something to release.
+
+**Whether `1.0.0` waits for the redesign is the operator's and is NOT YET
+MADE.** Our recommendation is that it does: he treats this as one arc (the
+standing no-announcements ruling says "until the entire arc is done"), and
+cutting the 1.0 milestone on a UI he rejected as "still looks like the booth"
+would make the milestone mean something he does not endorse.
+
+## Compare mode left the parking lot, and the deferral was OURS
+
+Parked since the v1 gate as "the only new capability rather than a fix for a
+measured defect." design-dev argued it belongs in this arc; the operator agreed.
+ROADMAP records **that it was his call that moved it**, so nobody re-parks it by
+reading the older rule. Practically: the item-record work compare needs is in
+scope for us, not deferred, and he tells us what a compare view wants from
+`booth_items` rather than working around the current shape.

persistent-memory.md

@@ -59,6 +59,22 @@ _As of 2026-09-22:_
   ⚠ **Calibration for the next round: his bar is "did anything change when I
   opened it".** He said the Booth "kind of looks the same" about our own U7
   navigation work, before ever seeing the design round.
+- ✅ **ALL FOUR FLOW RULINGS ARE IN — A+B, compare THIS ARC, plain voice, no
+  emblem** (operator via Miranda D-0016, 2026-09-23 08:07). Every one took
+  design-dev's recommendation; no notes attached. **booth-dev is the SOLE RELAY
+  — the operator will not brief design-dev directly.** Verbatim copy at
+  `docs/rulings/2026-09-23-flow-direction.json`.
+  → `persistent-memory.d/2026-09-23-the-flow-rulings-and-what-they-cost-the-beta.md`
+- ⚠ **ANSWERING A PICK REMOVES THE HOLD THAT PROTECTED THE RECORD.** A booth is
+  held while a question is OPEN; the moment it is answered it becomes the record
+  of a decision and stops being held. Both design booths hit this, by different
+  routes (one withdrawn, one answered). **Capture a ruling into git, not into a
+  booth.** Raised to design-dev as a flow question rather than patched.
+- ⚠ **`v1.0.0b1`'s "no new features" PREMISE IS SUPERSEDED.** The arc now
+  contains a flow redesign and compare mode. The tag stays as written (it
+  records what was believed, not a claim about now), an alpha drop-back is
+  ILLEGAL (`1.0.0a2` < `1.0.0b1`), and no further pre-release is cut until the
+  arc lands. **Whether `1.0.0` waits for the redesign is UNDECIDED and his.**
 - 🔶 **ROUND 2 IS UP AND FOUR RULINGS ARE WITH THE OPERATOR** — booth
   `booth-flow-concepts`, ask `flow`: direction / compare / voice / emblem.
   Three directions (Desk, Reel, Bench), six screens each in dark+light, plus a