Reticulum

Definition

• reticule: Earlier senses name a small netlike bag or an optical grid; later usage describes two or more syntactic devices able to communicate with one another.
• reticulum (lower-case): A reticule formed by interconnecting two or more smaller reticules.
• Reticulum (capitalized): The largest such network, joining together the preponderance of all reticules in the world; sometimes abbreviated to "Ret."

Context and Usage

• Directive relay (as described in-math): Avout accounts speak of instructions "going out over the Reticulum" and being conveyed locally by the Ita.
• Live services and image-matching: An Ita demonstrates that a syntactic program available on the Reticulum can match a phototype to a place and surface a live feed; in one case this is used to locate and observe an ongoing excavation on Ecba associated with the Temple of Orithena.
• Filtering and access: In this account, an Ita describes long-standing filtering systems that return meta-information about sources (e.g., whether few high-repute or many low-repute posts exist on a topic). Access to some reticules is controlled and may require a repute process sometimes referred to as an "asamocra," with approvals taking days.
• Connectivity in remote areas: Connections can be patchy far from cities; travelers may find workable access only near certain offices or relays. Even limited access can suffice to fetch reticule data once per day for later review.
• Devices and media: Handhelds such as a jeejah are used to query the Reticulum; imagery can originate from public or vehicle-mounted capture devices such as a Speelycaptor.
• Terminology in speech: People also joke about having a "private reticule," invoking the small, ad hoc loops that contrast with the capitalized Reticulum.
• Shutdowns and throttling: Characters report that the Powers That Be temporarily shut down most of the Reticulum to control distribution of a leaked speely; during that period only limited pockets of access remained.

Related Terms

• Reticule: general term for a small network of communicating devices.
• Ita: practical order frequently associated with relaying directives and maintaining or improving filter interfaces.
• jeejah: a common handheld used to access the Reticulum and to view stored items when out of coverage.
• Speelycaptor: capture devices whose recordings can later surface on reticules and be retrieved via the Reticulum.

Notes

• Technical mechanisms and governance of the Reticulum are not specified in detail in-text. Where access control, filtering, and usage are mentioned, they are presented as participants' descriptions within the story and may reflect their vantage and terminology.