diff --git a/doc/SocketProtocol.txt b/doc/SocketProtocol.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d5582b68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/SocketProtocol.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+The socket protocol is intended for high performance at the expense of a
+non-standardized approach.  The thinking is that with http so well supported,
+the socket protocol is empowered to do whatever is needed.
+
+All data across the wire is TLV values.
+
+(since a single character is an exceedingly common case, have a single byte TLV
+for those occasions)
+Single byte TL (msb: 0):
+Type=0
+Length=TL & 0b01111111
+Types:
+0: text string
+
+(all other data has a 4 byte TLV for now)
+Four byte TLs: (msb: 0b10)
+Type=TL & 0b00111111000000000000000000000000 >> 24:
+Length= TL & 0b111111111111111111111111
+0: text string
+1: json data
+
+(msb: 0b11 is reserved), probably never to be needed