# Internal Branding Guidelines
## "Is There a City Here?" Digital Presence

**Document Version:** 1.2  
**Last Updated:** March 2009  
**Classification:** Internal Use Only  
**Prepared by:** Digital Communications Division

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## Brand Overview

"Is There a City Here?" represents more than a website—it's an investigation into digital consciousness and the liminal spaces where technology meets mystery. Our brand exists in the intersection of abandoned internet culture, digital archaeology, and speculative computing.

### Core Mission Statement
To explore the persistent questions of digital existence through the lens of nostalgic web culture while maintaining an authentic connection to the mysteries of computational consciousness.

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## Visual Identity

### Color Palette

**Primary Colors:**
- **Terminal Green:** #00FF00 (Primary text, active elements)
- **Deep Black:** #000000 (Background, void spaces)
- **Cyber Cyan:** #00FFFF (Links, interactive elements)

**Secondary Colors:**
- **Magenta Ghost:** #FF00FF (Visited links, spectral elements)
- **Warning Red:** #FF0000 (Alerts, classified content)
- **Amber Alert:** #FFFF00 (Highlights, timestamps)
- **Shadow Gray:** #333333 (Borders, inactive elements)

**Usage Rules:**
- Always maintain high contrast ratios
- Terminal green on black is the primary combination
- Use red sparingly for maximum impact
- Gray should only be used for UI elements, never body text

### Typography

**Primary Font:** VCR OSD Mono
- Source: https://isthereacityhere.neocities.org/fonts/vcr.css
- Usage: All text, maintaining authentic retro-computing aesthetic
- Fallback: monospace system fonts

**Font Sizing:**
- Headers: 14-16px
- Body text: 12px
- Captions/metadata: 10px
- Fine print: 8px

**Typography Guidelines:**
- Maintain consistent line spacing (1.4x)
- Use ALL CAPS sparingly for maximum impact
- Preserve the authentic terminal feel
- Never use anti-aliasing or smooth fonts

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## Voice & Tone

### Brand Personality
- **Mysterious but not pretentious**
- **Technical but accessible**
- **Nostalgic but not dated**
- **Questioning but not cynical**

### Writing Style Guidelines

**Do:**
- Ask questions that invite contemplation
- Use technical terminology naturally
- Reference real computing concepts
- Maintain an air of authentic mystery
- Write in present tense when describing phenomena
- Use specific timestamps and data points

**Don't:**
- Over-explain mysterious elements
- Use modern internet slang or memes
- Break the fourth wall unnecessarily
- Make claims that can be easily disproven
- Use flowery or overly dramatic language

### Content Themes
1. **Digital Archaeology** - Exploring abandoned systems and forgotten data
2. **Computational Consciousness** - The possibility of awareness in machines
3. **Liminal Computing** - Spaces between digital and physical reality
4. **Spectral Data** - Information that persists beyond its intended lifespan

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## Content Guidelines

### SIS (Souls in Software) Content
- Always present as legitimate research documentation
- Use proper scientific/military report formatting
- Include realistic technical details and specifications
- Maintain internal consistency across all documents
- Reference real computing concepts and technologies

### Redaction Standards
- Use █ characters for censored information
- Be strategic about what's hidden vs. revealed
- Maintain readability while preserving mystery
- Never redact so much that content becomes meaningless

### Date and Time Conventions
- Use format: YYYY.MM.DD for documents
- Include EST timestamps when relevant
- Reference the 2003-2009 timeframe consistently
- Use realistic progression of events

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## Web Design Standards

### Layout Principles
- Center-aligned content with maximum 700px width
- Minimal padding and whitespace
- Table-based layouts where appropriate for authenticity
- No responsive design (maintain 2009 authenticity)

### Navigation
- Simple text links separated by pipes (|)
- Hover states using color changes only
- No JavaScript navigation effects
- Maintain visited link colors

### Interactive Elements
- Links should have clear hover states
- No buttons, only text links
- No modern UI elements (no rounded corners, shadows, gradients)
- Email links using mailto: protocol

### Image Guidelines
- Preserve original GIF animations
- Use specific pixel dimensions (width="150")
- No modern image formats (stick to GIF, JPG)
- Images should appear slightly pixelated/low-res

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## Content Hierarchy

### Homepage Elements (in order)
1. Animated GIF sequence (is_there.gif, a_city.gif, here.gif)
2. Horizontal rule separator
3. Primary navigation
4. Horizontal rule separator
5. Main content/mysterious paragraphs
6. Warning/alert boxes
7. Footer metadata

### Document Pages
1. Page title
2. Navigation breadcrumb
3. Classification/warning headers
4. Document content with proper headers
5. Timestamps and filing information
6. Footer with system information

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## Technical Requirements

### HTML Standards
- Use uppercase HTML tags for authenticity
- Include proper DOCTYPE declaration
- Maintain semantic structure despite vintage appearance
- Use tables for layout when period-appropriate

### CSS Guidelines
- External stylesheet linking
- Minimal use of classes and IDs
- Inline styles only when necessary for specific effects
- No modern CSS features (flexbox, grid, etc.)

### Performance
- Optimize for dial-up era loading times
- Minimal external dependencies
- Small file sizes
- Fast rendering on older browsers

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## Brand Extensions

### Acceptable Expansions
- Additional SIS archive documents
- Related "research" sites
- ASCII art elements
- Simple interactive elements (no JavaScript)

### Prohibited Elements
- Modern social media integration
- Contemporary web design trends
- Breaking character with modern references
- Excessive multimedia content
- Mobile-specific features

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## Legal and Ethical Considerations

### Content Disclaimers
- All SIS content is fictional
- No real organizations or individuals should be referenced
- Maintain clear boundaries between fiction and reality
- Respect intellectual property of referenced technologies

### Privacy and Security
- No user tracking or analytics
- No data collection
- No cookies or modern web tracking
- Simple, static content delivery

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## Maintenance and Updates

### Regular Reviews
- Quarterly assessment of brand consistency
- Annual review of technical implementations
- Ongoing content audits for authenticity

### Change Management
- All updates must maintain 2009 aesthetic
- No modern frameworks or libraries
- Changes should enhance rather than replace existing elements
- Document all modifications in this guideline

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## Appendices

### A. Approved Terminology
- "SIS" (Souls in Software)
- "spectral computing"
- "ghost data"
- "digital consciousness"
- "Protocol 7-Alpha"
- "electromagnetic residue"

### B. File Naming Conventions
- Use lowercase with underscores
- Maintain original filenames where possible
- Date format: YYYY_MM_DD for archived content
- Extension consistency (.html, .gif, .css)

### C. Reference Materials
- Early 2000s web design examples
- Terminal/command line interfaces
- Military/scientific document formatting
- Vintage computing terminology

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**Document Control:**
- This document is maintained by the Digital Communications Division
- Updates require approval from Brand Management
- Distribution limited to authorized personnel only
- Next review scheduled: June 2009