Reticulum
Definition
- reticule (small network loop): 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 (monastic scholars) speak of instructions "going out over the Reticulum" and being conveyed locally by the Ita (practical service order).
- 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.
- Devices and media: Handhelds such as a jeejah (handheld communicator) are used to query the Reticulum; imagery can originate from public or vehicle-mounted capture devices such as a Speelycaptor (video-capture device).
- Public live feed and local jamming: During a widely viewed incident, an Ita used a jeejah to stream a live feed; on-scene participants stated that "a billion people" were watching via the Reticulum. When the Sæcular Power (worldly authority) arrived, it "jammed the Ret" locally, while soldiers continued to communicate on a secure private reticule (small network loop). Observers note that this left responders unaware of information already public on the world Reticulum.
- Terminology in speech: People also joke about having a "private reticule" (small network loop), invoking the small, ad hoc loops that contrast with the capitalized Reticulum.
- 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.
- Unexpectedly strong coverage: A traveler remarks on having "good Reticulum access" while camped on Ecba and later infers a local explanation tied to how the island is managed. This suggests that coverage and throughput may depend on provisioning by the controlling entity in a given place.
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.
Summary:
Capitalized, Reticulum denotes the largest reticule linking the preponderance of smaller reticules, sometimes abbreviated "Ret." In current accounts it carries centrally issued directions and Ita-run services; characters also report that authorities have at times curtailed most access to limit circulation of a leaked speely.
First seen:
Part 3: Eliger - Chapter 16
Part 3: Eliger - Chapter 16
Most recently seen:
Part 8: Orithena - Chapter 38: Dialog
Part 8: Orithena - Chapter 38: Dialog
Known as:
The ReticulumRet
The ReticulumRet