Version: 2.0 Date: March 2026 Status: Active
Where TAS stands now
TAS has 122 technology cards across 12 categories, 9 deployment recipes (from Minimal Server to GrapheneOS Mobile Stack), a formal assessment model (Assessment Criteria v1.1), a 30-second public test (/test.html), four pilot validations with counterarguments, a dependency graph, an autonomy map, and a card builder for community submissions.
The model works. Signal went from A3 to A2 when we tightened criteria. Nextcloud scores A3 with a D4 diagnostic flag. Every score has a one-line gap explanation. The scoring is reproducible — that was the goal.
Principle: Core First, Scale Second
Features that make TAS bigger are only valuable if the core is trustworthy.
Core = unassailable. Every card has a complete TAS Score. Every assessment is reproducible. Trajectory is becoming a signal, not an opinion.
Scale = multiplier. Community contributions, external validations, distribution — these amplify a strong core. They cannot fix a weak one.
What’s done
These items from the original roadmap are complete:
| Item | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Catalog: 40+ technologies | ✅ Done | 122 cards, 12 categories |
| /test page (viral entry point) | ✅ Done | 30 seconds, 3 questions, share button |
| Assessment Criteria formalization | ✅ Done | v1.1 with 10 structural + 5 diagnostic checks |
| Dependency graph visualization | ✅ Done | Auto-generated from frontmatter |
| Autonomy Map | ✅ Done | Interactive SVG, 12 constellations, trajectory colors |
| Card Builder | ✅ Done | Community submissions without GitHub |
| Validate the Model page | ✅ Done | 4 pilot assessments, open invitation |
| Recipes expanded | ✅ Done | 9 recipes including Mobile Stack |
| TAS Score gap explanation | ✅ Done | One line per card |
| Dependency frontmatter | ✅ Done | depends_on / depended_by in cards |
| Recommended Stack page | ✅ Done | Visual landing with recipe cards |
| Mobile Apps page | ✅ Done | GrapheneOS + app recommendations |
Priority 1 — Fix what’s broken
These create wrong impressions right now.
1.1 Catalog Index vs. navigation mismatch
Problem: The sidebar navigation shows ~96 cards. The Autonomy Map and main page claim 122. The Catalog Index page shows a different subset. Three different numbers for the same catalog.
Impact: An attentive reader notices the mismatch and questions accuracy — exactly what TAS can’t afford.
Solution: Ensure the GitHub Action that generates catalog/index.md also feeds the sidebar navigation data, or collapse navigation to point to Catalog Index only (instead of listing every card in the sidebar).
Effort: Low-medium. Debugging the Action + Jekyll nav config.
1.2 Sidebar navigation overload
Problem: 96+ card links in the sidebar make it unusable. The nav is longer than most pages.
Solution: Collapse the Technology Catalog sidebar to show only category groupings or top-level link to Catalog Index. Individual cards are discoverable through Catalog Index filters, Autonomy Map, and search.
Effort: Low. Jekyll _data/navigation.yml or frontmatter nav_exclude.
Priority 2 — Strengthen the core
These make TAS more credible.
2.1 Formalize Trajectory Signals
Current state: Trajectory is rated as opening / stable / mixed / closing — but based on judgment.
Solution: Define 4 measurable signals:
- License change — has the license become more restrictive in the last 3 years?
- Feature gating — have features moved from community to paid tier?
- Self-hosting friction — have new versions introduced cloud dependencies?
- Governance concentration — single maintainer? declining community contribution?
Each signal: ✅ (opening) / ➖ (neutral) / ⚠️ (closing). Auditable, disputable.
Effort: Medium. Update template-card.md + retroactively apply.
2.2 Add Failure Modes to Recipes
Problem: Recipes show how to build but not what breaks.
Solution: Add a ## Failure Modes section to every recipe — component, failure, impact, recovery.
Effort: Medium. Requires thinking through each recipe’s critical path.
2.3 Context Weights by Category
Problem: Pause is more critical for a security camera than a media server.
Solution: One line per card: Critical criteria: Pause, Exit — marking which structural questions matter most for this category. Does not change the score. Adds context.
Effort: Very low.
Priority 3 — Community and peer review
These matter once external attention arrives.
3.1 First external validation
The Validate the Model page invites independent assessments. Zero external submissions so far. The first one carries disproportionate weight.
Action: When publishing on HN or Reddit, frame the ask as “try to break our scores” — not “check out our project.” Disagreement is more valuable than agreement.
3.2 Peer review process for contributions
Mechanism:
- Card Builder and GitHub Issues as contribution entry points (already exist)
- PR review checklist: complete TAS Score? Trajectory signals? Dependency fields?
- Every external assessment published — whether it agrees or not
Why it matters: At 122 cards, the catalog is large enough that unchecked growth turns assessments into opinions.
3.3 Trajectory tracking over time
Mechanism: trajectory_history array in frontmatter — date, event, signal direction. Turns Trajectory from a snapshot into a living record.
Priority 4 — Distribution
After Priority 1 is fixed.
4.1 Hacker News
Post: “Show HN: Three questions that reveal who controls your infrastructure” Entry point: /test.html → Validate the Model → Catalog. Timing: After nav mismatch is fixed.
4.2 r/selfhosted
Different framing: practical, recipe-first. Entry point: Minimal Autonomous Server recipe. Post link in first comment (low karma account).
4.3 awesome-selfhosted
Submit TAS as a meta-resource. The catalog evaluates what awesome-selfhosted lists.
4.4 Хабр
Use existing Russian-language material. Practical tone, no philosophy in the headline.
What we are not building (now)
| Item | Why not now |
|---|---|
| 1-click deploy | Needs failure modes in recipes first |
| API for catalog data | Schema is stable enough, but audience isn’t there yet |
| Localization (full RU) | After EN content is stable. Хабр post can use existing material |
| Mobile app | Not in scope. Web-first |
| Economic model / monetization | Premature. Need users first |
| TAS-specific domain | Reserved (miri.life purchased). Acquire when ready |
Definition of Done for Priority 1
- Sidebar nav, Catalog Index, Autonomy Map, and main page all show the same card count
- Sidebar navigation is collapsed (cards not individually listed)
- ROADMAP.md reflects actual project state (this document)
The goal is not a bigger catalog. The goal is a more trustworthy one.