A Universal Textual Protocol for Spatial Mentions (PPS v0.2)

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How Pingmark™ Works

Pingmark™ defines a minimal protocol (PPS v0.2) that transforms location from a complex "feature" into a simple textual element. Similar to @ for usernames and # for hashtags, !@ is the universal token for physical space.

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1. The Text Trigger

User types the trigger: "I am at !@" in any app or text field.

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2. Local Coordinate Generation

The client (L1 Parser) uses the device's GPS to silently grab /Lat/Lon.

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3. The Resolver Link

The final, shareable, and open URL is generated: pingmark.me/Lat/Lon/...

Crucially: !@ never contains coordinates. They are generated locally by your client application (e.g., keyboard or browser extension) and embedded into a standardized, open URL.

Protocol Syntax (ABNF)

Formal syntax definition for the Pingmark protocol:

pingmark-token  = "!@"
pingmark-link   = "https://pingmark.me/" latitude "/" longitude [ "/" timestamp ]
latitude        = ["-"]1*DIGIT "." 1*DIGIT
longitude       = ["-"]1*DIGIT "." 1*DIGIT
timestamp       = 4DIGIT "-" 2DIGIT "-" 2DIGIT "T" 2DIGIT ":" 2DIGIT "Z"

Processing Rules

1

Detect the token !@ in text

2

Retrieve device coordinates locally

3

Generate resolver link

4

Optionally append timestamp

5

Replace token with link or preview

Example Transformation

Input:

"Arrived safely !@"

Output:

"Arrived safely https://pingmark.me/43.0842/25.6550/2025-10-14T12:10Z"

Protocol Structure (PPS v0.2)

Standard Resolver Link

https://pingmark.me/<latitude>/<longitude>[/<timestamp>]
  • latitude/longitude: Generated locally by the device's GPS.
  • [timestamp]: Optional (ISO 8601), indicating the ephemerality of the location.

How Pingmark Compares

Criterion geo: URI Plus Codes what3words Pingmark
Human readability ✖ ◐ ✔ ✔✔
Open standard ✔ ✔ ✖ ✔✔
Real-time capability ✖ ✖ ✖ ✔
Requires app ✔ ✔ ✔ ✖

Security & Privacy

Risk Mitigation
Coordinate spoofing Use trusted device geolocation API
Data persistence Resolver cache limited to 24 hours
Link leakage Optional resolver key signing
Tracking risk No user identifiers or analytics stored

Openness and Privacy

Pingmark™ is designed as an Open Standard.

No Tracking: Coordinates are not stored centrally.
Open Source: The reference code will be publicly available on GitHub.
View Code on GitHub

References

K. Dimitrov, "Pingmark: A Textual Protocol for Universal Spatial Mentions," arXiv:2510.09672, DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2510.09672, 2025.