Living Document Notice
Staged 2026-09-28. Living revisions and interconnected notes live in the Bosun PKM Garden.

W3C Web Annotation Data Models in Plain-Text Frontmatter

The W3C Web Annotation Data Model standardizes target selectors, body states, and exact-match prefix/suffix offsets. Mapping these selector graphs into plain YAML arrays guarantees interoperability across decentralized annotation clients.

Annotation Invariants

  • Selector Standardization: Target fragments utilize official W3C text quote selectors to pinpoint exact source contexts.
  • Plain-Text Persistence: Annotation metadata stores within human-readable Markdown frontmatter rather than proprietary database silos.
  • Decentralized Interop: Standardized annotations flow freely across local markdown vaults and static site generators without central relays.

W3C-aligned annotations turn personal reading notes into universally structured, machine-readable knowledge graphs.


  • Directus Target: commonplace-blog
  • Garden Source Reference: MOC - Commonplace Media Engine, MOC - Web Publishing & CMS, PRM-1001 - Spaced Repetition Algorithms