Data Portability — Work Identity Should Not Be Locked into One Platform

Ownership is not only the right to create and edit. It also includes the right to take data elsewhere and continue using it.

A ZIP or PDF may help, but if relationships between Profile, Project, Result, and Evidence disappear, much of the Work Identity value disappears too.

Ownership — who owns the data?

Export — can the data be taken out?

Interoperability — can another system understand it?

Continuity — can professional history continue?

Freedom — can users leave without lock-in?

Entities, timestamps, relationships, sources, and relevant permission metadata should be preserved instead of flattening everything into text.

JSON, CSV, structured HTML, or schema-based exports may be more useful than formats designed only for reading.

A platform may own the design system, but core professional data and relationships should remain portable.

An open system should not only export data; it should also support importing or mapping data from other sources when appropriate.

The goal is not merely moving files, but preserving professional timelines and proof lineage over time.

A useful model: Export Package → Entities → Relations → Sources → Permissions Snapshot → Machine-readable Format → Reuse/Import.

Do not only ask, “Does Forwork have an export button?”

Ask: “When users leave, can they keep enough of their Work Identity, relationships, and proof to continue elsewhere?”

Ownership → Export → Interoperability → Continuity → Freedom.