And Why 2.6 Is Not for Sale
Many people are reading the Baseline and assuming something that isn’t true:
that the free version is sufficient, and the rest is just refinement.
It isn’t.
The Baseline was designed in layers, and each layer introduces a different kind of cost. If you don’t understand the cost, you will misunderstand the purpose.
What v2.4 Actually Is
v2.4 is intentionally free because it is foundational, not complete.
It establishes:
- tone discipline
- basic structural order
- early guardrails against obvious failure
- clarity without confrontation
v2.4 lets you see how the Baseline thinks.
What it does not do is force responsibility into the open.
It does not require ownership to be named.
It does not block quiet delegation of consequence.
It does not prevent retreat into process, policy, or “best practice.”
That omission is deliberate.
v2.4 allows observation without standing.
That is why it is free.
What v2.5 Changes
v2.5 is where the Baseline stops being observational and becomes binding.
This is the point most readers miss.
v2.5 introduces obligation.
It requires:
- explicit ownership
- clear decision authority
- visible human responsibility
- accountability before momentum
At v2.5, you can no longer say:
“the system decided”
“this was recommended.”
“we followed protocol”
v2.5 does not give better answers.
It makes it impossible to hide behind them.
That is why v2.5 is licensed.
At this level, you are no longer consuming the Baseline.
You are standing behind it.
That is the first real cost.
What v2.6 Does — And Why It Is Not for Sale
v2.6 is not an upgrade.
It is a closure.
v2.6 removes the last remaining escape routes.
It forces:
- cost to be named early
- consequence to be acknowledged before action
- obligation to be explicit
- retreat through tone, abstraction, or delay to be disallowed
v2.6 does not optimize behavior.
It prevents moral outsourcing.
Once engaged, you cannot plausibly claim ignorance, inevitability, or lack of choice.
And that is exactly why v2.6 is not for sale.
It cannot be safely distributed as a product.
It cannot be adopted casually.
It cannot be separated from identity, standing, and consequence.
Anyone who thinks they “don’t need” v2.6 has already demonstrated why they are not ready for it.
The Core Misunderstanding
When someone says:
“I have the free one — that’s enough”
What they are actually saying is:
“I want clarity without obligation.”
The Baseline exists to expose that posture, not reward it.
The Line That Matters
There is no ladder here.
There is a threshold.
- v2.4 lets you see
- v2.5 requires you to stand
- v2.6 ensures you cannot hide
v2.6 is not a product.
It is not a feature set.
It is not an upgrade path.
It is a line you either cross — or you don’t.
And thresholds are never sold.
The Faust Baseline™ Codex 2.5.
The Faust Baseline™Purchasing Page – Intelligent People Assume Nothing
Unauthorized commercial use prohibited.
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