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PHP Forum Rewrite Repo Self-Sufficiency TODO

This file captures what v3 still needs before it is self-sufficient and no longer depends on ~/v2 as the authoritative source for core contracts.

Mostly historical. The self-sufficiency work described below is done; this doc is kept for that record. The one still-live, unresolved item is the licensing follow-up at the bottom (no LICENSE, CONTENT_LICENSE.md, or DATA_POLICY.md exists yet) — see "Follow-Up: Licensing For Downloaded Archives".

Current State

Status update on 2026-04-08:

  • docs/specs/canonical_post_record_v1.md now exists in v3.

  • docs/specs/identity_bootstrap_record_v1.md now defines the retained canonical bootstrap format in v3.

  • docs/specs/public_key_storage_v1.md now defines canonical public-key storage in v3.

  • docs/plans/php_forum_rewrite_trimmed_parity_suite_v1.md now records the reduced parity scope in v3.

  • tests/fixtures/parity_minimal_v1/ now provides a local seed fixture tree for the retained record families.

  • docs/plans/php_forum_rewrite_answered_questions.md has been updated so the migrated v3 docs, not ~/v2, are the authority set.

  • v3 now contains planning/spec docs plus a local seed parity fixture tree.

  • v3 still does not contain an executable parity test runner, but the retained contracts and fixture inventory now live locally.

  • The active project scope now excludes:

    • merge features

    • moderation (superseded — a native is_hidden/approved_flag moderation system has since been built; this exclusion referred to not migrating v2's moderation features, not to moderation staying unbuilt)

    • profile updates

    • task-planning/task-status features

    • thread-title updates

Conclusion

  • v3 is now self-sufficient at the planning/specification layer for the retained scope.

  • v3 still needs implementation-time executable tests later, but it no longer needs ~/v2 as the authoritative source for the core retained contracts documented here.

Resolved Items

These self-sufficiency items are now complete inside v3:

  1. Canonical post record spec.

  2. Identity/bootstrap record spec.

  3. Public-key storage spec.

  4. Profile read contract spec.

  5. Trimmed parity/regression scope document.

  6. Trimmed local fixture/sample record tree.

Tests/Behavior To Bring Over From v2

Keep only coverage for:

  • board index reads

  • thread reads

  • post permalink reads

  • profile reads

  • username profile route

  • activity page and RSS behavior

  • instance page

  • compose thread page

  • compose reply page

  • account key page

  • identity hint behavior

  • llms.txt

  • PHP static HTML / PHP fallback behavior

  • core write submissions for thread/reply/bootstrap flows

Do Not Migrate

Do not bring over v2 content for:

  • task pages or task write flows

  • merge features

  • moderation features (this meant v2's moderation implementation specifically — v3 has since built its own native is_hidden/ approved_flag moderation, unrelated to v2's)

  • profile update features

  • thread-title update features

Ready For Implementation

Implementation should treat these local documents as the authority set:

  1. docs/specs/php_forum_rewrite_spec_v1.md

  2. docs/specs/canonical_post_record_v1.md

  3. docs/specs/identity_bootstrap_record_v1.md

  4. docs/specs/profile_read_contract_v1.md

  5. docs/specs/public_key_storage_v1.md

  6. docs/plans/php_forum_rewrite_trimmed_parity_suite_v1.md

  7. tests/fixtures/parity_minimal_v1/

Relevant v3 Docs

  • docs/specs/php_forum_rewrite_spec_v1.md

  • docs/specs/profile_read_contract_v1.md

  • docs/plans/php_forum_rewrite_answered_questions.md

  • docs/plans/php_forum_rewrite_fdp_loop_recommendation.md

Follow-Up: Licensing For Downloaded Archives

The instance page now frames the downloadable repository and SQLite index as a continuity and anti-capture mechanism. To make that operationally real, the project should eventually define explicit licensing and reuse rights for both software and forum content.

Open questions to resolve:

  • Should the software ship with a standard open-source license such as MIT or Apache-2.0?

  • What rights do users have to archive, mirror, migrate, republish, or restore forum content from downloaded snapshots?

  • Do contributor terms already grant the operator enough rights to license exported post content and metadata for preservation purposes?

  • Should emergency continuity rights be stated explicitly for cases where board governance changes without community consent?

Recommended deliverables:

  1. Add a top-level LICENSE file for the software.

  2. Add a CONTENT_LICENSE.md or DATA_POLICY.md covering post content, metadata, exports, and archival rights.

  3. Add contributor-facing terms that explicitly permit preservation, replication, migration, and restoration of board content for continuity purposes.

This is a product/legal policy task rather than a coding blocker, but it directly affects whether the download feature is only a technical backup or also a legally usable community safeguard.