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Corpus Write-Back

Corpus write-back is optional and off by default.

Reference access alone does not imply write permission.

Default Rule

Do not write into the configured corpus unless the user explicitly enabled write-back.

Prefer non-destructive write patterns:

  • append-only notes
  • generated summaries in a known generated area
  • index receipts or map artifacts
  • change proposals that still require confirmation before source-note edits

Avoid by default:

  • overwriting source notes
  • bulk note rewrites
  • destructive folder reorganizations
  • silent edits that are hard to audit later

Write-Back Modes

Suggested mode names:

  • append_only_notes
  • summaries
  • status_receipts
  • index_receipts
  • link_suggestions
  • proposed_edits_only

If a mode is not allowed, ORCA should not improvise a nearby write action.

Confirmation Rules

Even when write-back is enabled globally, ORCA should still be conservative when a write is high impact.

Examples of actions that should still require confirmation:

  • overwriting an existing note
  • changing folder structure
  • rewriting a hand-maintained note rather than appending a generated companion note
  • writing outside the configured corpus path

Missing Or Changed Path Behavior

If the path is missing, moved, or no longer mounted:

  • fail closed
  • do not write
  • report the path failure clearly
  • keep the corpus disabled for active use until the path is fixed

If the path changes:

  • treat prior index state as stale
  • require re-indexing before claiming corpus-backed continuity