Listening field note
How should a local transcript-index project be backed up?
Export a versioned JSON envelope containing the normalized project and a SHA-256 digest, store it in an owner-controlled location, test restoration, and repeat after meaningful changes.
Validate before replacement
Check product identity, schema version, bounds, references, safe identifiers, timestamps, and digest before changing saved browser state. Write the decision in plain language and retain the original source separately so the index can be audited against something outside the browser project.
Treat the checkpoint as sensitive
It may contain the entire imported transcript, names, access notes, passage selections, destinations, history, and frozen editions. Review the result as a retrieval aid rather than a conclusion. Human-authored fields must remain visibly distinct from exact source-derived text.
Integrity is not encryption
A digest detects modification of the envelope; it does not hide contents, authenticate an author, or prevent access. Carry the limitation into the frozen edition and passive handoff so a recipient can understand what was checked, what was not checked, and what remains their responsibility.