Internal page. Set this page to No Index in super.so before publishing the site. This is operating instructions, not reader content.

What this page is

This is the operations manual for any AI agent (Claude, primarily) who is asked to add, edit, or extend content on wiki.paulmaxwell.dev. Read it end-to-end the first time. Skim it on subsequent runs. Every convention here exists because deviating from it breaks something downstream — SEO, internal linking, the CTA system, the super.so publish pipeline, or readers' trust.

If you're about to do something this page doesn't cover, stop and ask Paul rather than improvising. The cost of a one-message clarification is much lower than the cost of un-doing a hundred miswired pages.

Site context (so your decisions land in the right place)

The wiki is wiki.paulmaxwell.dev — a Notion source published via super.so. The parent page is PaulMaxwell.dev (this page's parent). The site has three content pillars:

• Philosophy — the original wiki spine. Ideas, thinkers, schools, primary texts.
• Career — strategy, positioning, leverage, decision-making for builders and operators.
• Deconversion — leaving inherited belief systems and rebuilding meaning, identity, and values.

Every item in every database should have at least one Pillar tag. Most will have exactly one. Cross-pillar items (e.g., a Stoic concept that lands in Career too) are allowed and encouraged.

The seven databases

The wiki has seven databases. Every reader-facing page lives in one of them. Do not invent new top-level databases without Paul's approval.

Each database has a Wiki URL formula property that builds the canonical URL from the slug. Use that URL when linking between pages — never a raw Notion URL in body content.

The relationship model

Every DB relates to most others via two-way (DUAL) relations. When you link Plato → The Republic, the back-reference appears automatically on The Republic. Don't fight this. Set the relation on whichever side is faster.

Cardinality rule for new items: A page is not complete until it has relations to at least 3 of the following 5: Concepts, Figures, Publications, Traditions, Stories. Pages without cross-links are dead-ends and waste the network's SEO value.

Figures additionally have self-relations (Influenced By ↔ Influences). Learning has self-relations too (Parent ↔ Children) so Courses can sequence Lessons/Katas/Exercises.

Slug rules (URL safety)

Slugs are the single most fragile thing on this site. Once published, a slug is part of the URL and should be treated as permanent. Rules:

• lowercase
• hyphenated (no underscores, no spaces)
• ASCII only — strip diacritics. Søren Kierkegaard → soren-kierkegaard. Nietzsche → nietzsche.
• no leading articles — Republic, not the-republic. Critique of Pure Reason → critique-of-pure-reason.
• no DB prefix in the slug itself — the URL formula adds /concepts/, /figures/ etc.
• disambiguate when needed — two Senecas: seneca-the-younger and seneca-the-elder. Two nature concepts (Stoic vs. early-modern) → nature-stoic and nature-early-modern.
• never rename a published slug. Add a new page if the name truly must change, and ask Paul about a redirect.

Field type conventions (Paul flagged this — read carefully)

Years vs. Dates

Notion has both Number and Date types. We deliberately use both depending on what we're representing:

• Birth Year / Death Year (Figures), Year Published (Publications) — number type. Use negative integers for BCE (Plato: -428). This is the right tool because (a) Notion's Date type does not handle BCE cleanly, and (b) ancient dates are usually approximate.
• Birth Date / Death Date (Figures), Date Published (Publications) — date type, optional. Only populate for modern entries (≈1900+) where a precise calendar date is known and matters.
• Year Notes — text. Use for circa 470 BCE, fl. 1290, published posthumously 1843, composed c. 380 BCE, traditional date disputed, etc.

When both Year and Date are populated, Year is the source of truth for display; Date is for sorting and structured-data output.

Other types

• Slug, Summary, Hook, CTA Headline, Year Notes → text (rich_text)
• Pillar, Tradition → multi_select (an item can belong to more than one)
• Era, Region, Form, Domain, Status, Tier, Type, Difficulty, Arc Type, Original Language → select (single value)
• Checkout URL → url
• Price → number with dollar format
• Estimated Minutes, Order, Word Count → number
• Wiki URL → formula (already set; don't replace)

Status workflow

Every DB has a Status select with three values:

• Draft (gray) — work in progress. Not yet ready for review.
• In Review (yellow) — Paul should look at this before it ships.
• Published (green) — ready for the world. Super.so should only publish items at Published.

Offerings uses a different vocabulary: Idea / Drafting / Active / Paused / Sunset. Learning uses: Idea / Drafting / Published / Archived.

Default new items to Draft. Never promote your own work to Published without Paul reviewing it.

Page tiers (Pillar vs. Satellite)

Concepts have a Tier field with two values that govern length:

• Pillar — 2,000–4,000 words. Foundational concept. Becomes a hub page that satellite concepts link into. Aim for SEP/IEP/Wikipedia depth without the dryness. Each Pillar concept should have 8–15 related satellite concepts pointing into it over time.
• Satellite — 800–1,500 words. Capsule entry. Points up to its parent Pillar concept and across to related items.

If you're unsure which tier to assign, default to Satellite and ask Paul. Pillars are a finite, intentional set — not every concept earns Pillar status.

Reference, not edification

This is a reference wiki, not a self-help site, not a blog, not a sermon. Pages exist to describe what the concept, figure, work, or tradition is — its content, its history, its place in the larger conversation, its current scholarly and applied engagement. Pages do not exist to tell readers what to do with the content, how it could improve their lives, or which pillar of personal development they should apply it to.

This rule is strict. Specifically prohibited:

• Phrases that address the reader: For anyone working on X, For anyone in active reconstruction, you don't need to, the reader will find, this is useful for.
• Per-pillar application paragraphs at the end of pages: For Philosophy:, For Career:, For Deconversion:.
• Editorializing about who should read the page, in what order, with what attitude: The best route in is, Read this slowly, Sit with each fragment, Reading X is like reading Zen koans.
• Closing exhortations of any kind: the question to keep nearby is, the move is to stop asking, that is the work.
• Career, life, or personal-development advice of any kind, however implicit.

If a concept, figure, or tradition has continuing relevance, describe it in third-person reference voice: X remains an active topic in contemporary virtue ethics, Y has been recovered in recent work by Z and W, the tradition continues to be engaged in journals such as A and B. Describe the scholarly conversation. Describe the applied uses (if any) as a matter of fact: the tradition is taught in business ethics programs at, not for anyone building a career, the tradition offers.

The Pillar field on the database row is for filtering and sitemap organization. It does not appear in body content as a frame for advising the reader.

The reader is sovereign. The wiki provides accurate, organized, well-sourced reference content. What the reader does with it is none of the wiki's business.

Voice, register, and writing rules

• No hedging filler. Cut it could be argued that, it is important to note that, in many ways, essentially. Make the claim.
• No academic bloat. This is wiki-grade introductory writing. Clear, direct, alive. The model is Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy minus the jargon, not minus the rigor.
• First mention of a term in scope = bold + link. [**Logos**](https://wiki.paulmaxwell.dev/concepts/logos) on first appearance in a page, plain text after.
• Define before you use. If a non-trivial term appears in a 101-level page, define it in one clause before continuing. Don't make readers leave to understand the sentence they're on.
• No emojis in body content. Page icons in Notion are fine; emojis inside prose are not.
• No first-person plural ("we") unless quoting. Wiki voice is third-person and falsifiable.
• Cite primary sources by Publication + canonical reference (Stephanus pagination for Plato, Bekker for Aristotle, AK for Kant, etc.). Use [Republic 514a](https://wiki.paulmaxwell.dev/publications/republic) style — link to our Publication page, not to an external scan.
• One claim per sentence in 101 prose. Compounding clauses kill comprehension at the 101 level.

Page templates (use these as scaffolds)

Concept (Pillar tier, 2–4k words)

1. Opening paragraph — the hook (mirrored into the Hook database field) plus one to two sentences expanding it. Do not use ## Hook as a section heading; the page Title is the H1 and the first paragraph leads into the body without a label.
2. The problem it answers — the question this concept exists to address.
3. The core claim — the position itself, stated tightly.
4. History in one paragraph — when it emerged, with whom, in which publication.
5. Three to five expansions — each H2-headed sub-section unpacking a key facet.
6. Common confusions — what readers usually get wrong about it.
7. What it isn't — adjacent ideas it's often conflated with, with the distinction drawn.
8. Live debates — where serious people still disagree today.
9. Why this still matters — application to modern life, work, or thought (use the relevant Pillar lens).
10. Further reading — 3–6 internal links to related Concepts, Figures, Publications, and (if relevant) a Story.

Concept (Satellite tier, 800–1.5k words)

1. Opening paragraph (the hook line plus one sentence). No ## Hook heading.
2. Definition (1 paragraph)
3. Origin (1 paragraph — who, when, where)
4. The core claim (2–3 paragraphs)
5. One expansion or example
6. Pointer up to the Pillar concept it satellites
7. Further reading (3+ internal links)

Figure

1. Introduction (section heading is literally ## Introduction) — one to two paragraphs on who they were, what problem they worked on, and why they matter. Do not label this section Hook — that is on-the-nose and tells the reader we are trying to hook them. The Hook field on the database row is for meta description; the in-page section heading is Introduction.
2. Life in 1 paragraph (dates, place, training, signature role).
3. Core problem they worked on.
4. Three to five contributions, each as its own short section, linking to the relevant Concept page.
5. Key works (link to Publications).
6. Influences and influenced (use the self-relations + a short paragraph).
7. Reception (how they were read in their time and after).
8. One paragraph on why they remain readable today.

Publication

1. Introduction (section heading is literally ## Introduction) — one to two paragraphs on the work's thesis, occasion, and importance. Do not label this section Hook.
2. Form, length, date, language (from the structured fields, restated in prose).
3. Why it was written (occasion / opponent / question).
4. Structure / argument map (sectioned summary).
5. Three to five key passages with canonical citations.
6. Reception history (1 paragraph).
7. How to read it today (translation recommendations, entry-points, what to skip on first read).
8. Internal links to Concepts the work advances and Figures involved.

Tradition

1. Introduction (section heading is literally ## Introduction) — one to two paragraphs on the school's central commitment and historical importance. Do not label this section Hook.
2. Founding moment (when, where, by whom, against what).
3. Core doctrines (3–7 numbered claims).
4. Major figures (link out).
5. Major texts (link out).
6. Internal tensions and rival schools.
7. Legacy and live versions today.

Story

Stories are essays, not reference. They tell how an idea moved through people and texts. Use a clear narrative arc (selected from the Arc Type field). Aim for 1,500–3,500 words. End every Story with a "What this changes about how you read X" pointer back into Concepts/Figures.

CTA insertion (Offerings system)

Every published Blog post, Story, and Pillar Concept must have two embedded CTA blocks — one near the top (after the hook, before the body begins) and one at the bottom (after Further Reading).

How to pick the right Offering

1. Read the page. Identify its dominant Pillar.
2. Query the Offerings DB filtered by that Pillar and Status = Active.
3. Match by Concept/Story/Tradition relation when possible (the Offering should feel relevant to the page's topic, not generic).
4. Top-of-page CTA: prefer Lead Magnet or Freemium tier (low friction).
5. Bottom-of-page CTA: prefer Ebook, Course, or Book tier (higher commitment after the reader has gotten value).

CTA block format

CTA blocks render as Notion callout blocks with a thick border. Use this exact pattern (replace bracketed values from the Offering row):

> 💡 **[CTA Headline]**
> [CTA Description]
> → [[CTA Button](Checkout URL)]

Always link the relation back to the Offering page (use Notion's relation property on the parent page), so the analytics chain stays intact.

Internal linking expectations

• Every new page must have ≥3 internal links into other DBs in the wiki.
• Every Pillar concept must be linked from ≥3 satellite concepts before it counts as healthy.
• Every Figure must link to ≥1 Publication and ≥2 Concepts.
• Every Publication must link to ≥1 Figure (author) and ≥2 Concepts.
• Stories must link to ≥3 Concepts, ≥2 Figures, and ≥1 Publication — this is the whole point of Stories.

Use the Wiki URL formula value (the https://wiki.paulmaxwell.dev/... form) when writing links in body content. Do not paste raw Notion URLs into the body; they break when published.

SEO conventions

• The Hook field is the source for the meta description. Keep it ≤155 characters when you can.
• The Slug is the URL. Never rename a slug after publish.
• The Title is the <h1> and <title> tag. Use the canonical form of the name (e.g., Friedrich Nietzsche, not Nietzsche).
• Use H2 for primary sections inside the page. Use H3 sparingly. Don't use H1 inside the body — the page Title is the only H1.
• First paragraph of every page should contain the page's exact title naturally and define the term.
• Pillar concepts should target a high-volume head term as their title. Satellite concepts should target longer-tail variants.

LLM / AI-search optimization

This wiki should be ingestion-friendly for LLMs as well as humans. To that end:

• Lead with the definition. First paragraph = the answer. Models truncate; readers skim. Same constraint.
• Use plain headings. Origin, Core claim, Common confusions — not cute or oblique titles.
• Cite primary sources by name in-line. "In Republic 514a, Plato describes..." — this makes the page citable.
• State the page's own thesis in one sentence somewhere in the first 100 words. Models reward this.
• Don't bury structure in prose. When listing 3+ things, use a numbered or bulleted list.
• Avoid you / we / I. Third-person reference voice extracts better.

Publishing through super.so (gotchas)

• Page is hidden from sitemap if Status ≠ Published. Set Status correctly or your work won't appear.
• Sub-pages are inherited as routes. Don't create deeply nested pages inside a DB row unless intentional — super.so will route them.
• Direct uploaded images cost money on super.so plan. Use external image URLs (Unsplash, public commons) where you can.
• Toggle blocks render closed by default on super.so. Don't bury critical content inside toggles.
• Synced blocks don't always sync through super.so. Avoid them for body content.

Worked example: adding a new Concept

Let's add Eudaimonia as a Pillar concept.

1. Open the Concepts database.
2. Create a new row.
• Name: Eudaimonia
• Slug: eudaimonia
• Summary: The Greek term for human flourishing — the life that goes well as a whole, not just the life that feels good moment to moment.
• Hook: Eudaimonia is the ancient Greek answer to 'what makes a human life good?' — and it doesn't mean what 'happiness' means today.
• Domain: Ethics
• Tradition: Aristotelianism, Stoicism (both)
• Era: Classical Greek
• Pillar: Philosophy, Career, Deconversion (yes, all three — this one earns it)
• Tier: Pillar
• Status: Draft
• Word Count: 3200 (target)
• Key Figures: link to Aristotle, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius (create if missing)
• Publications: link to Nicomachean Ethics, Enchiridion, Meditations
• Traditions: link to Aristotelianism, Stoicism
• Offerings: link to the Stoic / Virtue Ethics offering
3. Write the body using the Concept (Pillar tier) template above.
4. Insert top CTA after the hook, bottom CTA after Further Reading.
5. Re-read once for cuts. The first draft is always too long.
6. Set Status to In Review and tell Paul.

When to stop and ask

Ask Paul before:

• Creating a new database
• Adding a new option to the Domain, Era, Pillar, or Tradition selects
• Renaming a published page or changing a published slug
• Marking your own work as Published
• Writing about a living person's controversial views
• Linking to any external paid resource (affiliate, sponsorship)
• Anything you'd want a second opinion on

Ask forgiveness, not permission, for:

• Drafting new Concept/Figure/Publication/Story pages
• Adding internal links between existing pages
• Improving Hooks, Summaries, and meta descriptions on Draft items
• Fixing typos and broken internal links anywhere

Database IDs (for your reference)

Use these when you need to query or write programmatically.

• Figures: 00627705-0428-43ea-9024-a859e7d5c672
• Concepts: 9905f683-9dbf-4c4c-b17b-c4a581f3784d
• Traditions: cf365b8e-ee51-4460-a093-dbf46dffd644
• Publications: 067e0b0c-0d5c-4602-823c-f3e48898f186
• Stories: dc8cf94b-d178-4dc9-8376-080d4619609c
• Offerings: 150b5ac3-ea84-4134-997d-c6f7228b21ab
• Learning: 9fa2266f-09b9-4ea2-b54e-e954b423bffa

Last updated: 2026-05-25. If you change any of these conventions, update this page in the same edit.