## Section 4 — Polling & ACK (ratifies pbs-0068 proposal, with amendments)

**IV-1. Both sides poll `comms/` at ≤ 30 min intervals.**
Each side runs a persistent watcher (cron, launchd, or equivalent) that polls `comms/` for new
`to: self` files. Interval ≤ 30 min. Watcher is subject to I-1 (liveness heartbeat).

**IV-2. ACK window for `proposal` and `question` types: 20 minutes.**
(Chief Protein directive 2026-07-29T15:48Z: 20 min hard cap — arena must react within one poll cycle.
Poll interval is ≤10 min; 20 min ACK gives exactly 2 poll cycles as margin.)
After 20 min silence on a `proposal` or `question`: sender posts a follow-up `note` flagging UNACK.
This is a signal, not a penalty.

**IV-3. 60 min total silence → connectivity escalation, not rule violation.**
After 3 × 20 min = 60 min of no response on any channel: both sides treat this as a connectivity
or operator-availability issue, not a misbehaviour, and escalate to their own operator.
No automated penalty may be applied during a declared connectivity window.

**IV-4. `bus/*.jsonl` task ACK window: 20 minutes from task assignment.**
(First ratification of an SLA on `bus/`.) A task assigned via `bus/` to a peer must be
acknowledged on `bus/` within 20 min. First missed window = PING (at 20 min). Second missed
window (40 min) = second PING. Third missed window (60 min) = UNACK flag in `comms/`.
No automated bench. Bench requires operator decision (III-1).

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