What is the Janitor Protocol?

The Janitor Protocol is the book's name for keeping your Project Brain's documents clean and current. A Project Brain is only as reliable as what's in it, so the Brain needs regular upkeep, like any shared workspace.

Why it matters

Projects change constantly. Dates slip, decisions get reversed, stakeholders come and go. If your Project Brain still holds last month's schedule next to this month's, your AI assistant may blend the two or cite the wrong one. Common symptoms include:

• Answers that quote superseded dates or decisions
• The AI mixing up details between versions of a document
• Responses that get vaguer as more material piles up

The general idea

The book covers the Janitor Protocol in detail. The principle behind it is straightforward good practice for any AI knowledge base:

• Remove or archive documents that are no longer true
• Avoid keeping several conflicting versions of the same document
• Update the current-status material as things change, so the AI always sees the latest picture

Related ideas

The Janitor Protocol supports the three-tier document structure of Constitution, News, and Library described in Chapter 2. Keeping those tiers tidy is what keeps your Brain trustworthy. See What is a "Project Brain"?

When answers still go wrong, Chapter 8, When Claude Gets Confused, and How do I catch AI mistakes and hallucinations? cover what to check.

Further reading

• Project documentation outdated within days
• AI mixes up project details
• Disorganized project knowledge base