Layer 1 · Membership
3 Exit & Separation Protocol
- Layer: 1 — Membership System
- Status: Stub — not yet adopted
- RCOS reference: §3.6, §3.7, §3.8
Voluntary Exit
RCOS definition3.6.1, 3.6.2, 3.6.4
- 3.6.1 Voluntary exit MUST be possible at all times.
- 3.6.2 Exit procedures MUST be explicit, documented, and non-punitive.
- 3.6.4 Exit MUST NOT result in loss of rights beyond those explicitly tied to membership.
Why make leaving frictionless?
A community that is hard to leave is not a community — it is a trap. Voluntary exit must be available at all times, without interrogation, notice periods, or punishment, because the right to withdraw consent is what makes every other act of consent real. Retaining contribution history separately ensures that leaving does not erase the work the person did.
<Voluntary exit process and access revocation timeline — to be defined.>
Forced Exit
RCOS definition3.6.3, 3.6.4
- 3.6.3 Forced exit MUST follow due process and be handled through Layer 4 mechanisms.
- 3.6.4 Exit MUST NOT result in loss of rights beyond those explicitly tied to membership.
Why gate removal behind Layer 4?
Removal is the sharpest power the community holds over a person. If it can be exercised by anyone with enough social pull, membership is worthless. Requiring a concluded Layer 4 accountability decision — with written reasons, a notification, and a minimum re-application window — turns removal from an act of power into an act of governance that can be reviewed and contested.
<Forced exit process, notification requirements, and re-application block — to be defined.>
Suspension
RCOS definition3.7.1, 3.7.2, 3.7.3
- 3.7.1 The community MAY define temporary suspension states.
- 3.7.2 Suspension conditions MUST be explicit, time-bounded, and reviewable.
- 3.7.3 Suspension MUST NOT be used as an indefinite or punitive substitute for exit.
Why leave suspension undefined for now?
A poorly-designed suspension state is worse than none — it becomes a soft exit with no due process, or an indefinite limbo used to punish without the accountability of a full removal. Until the community can commit to explicit conditions, time bounds, and review mechanisms, it is safer to have no formal suspension than a loose one.
<Formal membership suspension — to be defined.>
Asset, Role, and Responsibility Separation
RCOS definition3.6.5
- 3.6.5 Asset, role, and responsibility separation MUST be defined prior to exit.
Why enumerate separation steps?
When someone leaves, every unclosed thread — a role nobody vacated, an account still active, a task still assigned — becomes a live attack surface or an operational gap. A checklist forces these threads to be closed deliberately, not discovered months later when something breaks or someone abuses access they no longer should have.
<Separation steps applying to both voluntary and forced exits — to be defined.>
Ratification Record
- Adopted:
- Decision type: Strategic
- Version:
- Decision record: