Scope note

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An instance of contact status is the collective ascription of a contact point to an actor by a community. The substance of the contact status is the communal commitment to the addressing of messages to the actor in question according to a designated contact point appellation, using the implied message exchanging method.

Instances of contact status are recognizable through evidence of community members adopting the intentional stance of so-addressing messages to the actor in question, as observable from direct witnesses, through the reports of competent observers or through evidence of a declarative act [e.g.: E15 Identifier Assignment] initiating this status. Examples of such evidence include, several individuals so addressing messages to an actor via this contact point appellation, a witness declaring that an actor can so be reached, or through documents reporting this fact.

Instances of contact status may come to be through a formal process such as a declarative act of identifier assignment, or may have arisen through habit, fiat or be of unknown origin. Instances of contact status may end either though a formal process, such as a new declarative act of identifier assignment, through formal assignment, or may simply fade out of use, be eliminated by fiat or for unknown reasons. 

Language

en