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B4 Index

REMOTE · B4-INDEX.VERCEL.APP · SCANNED SEP 24

Independent build-vs-buy index: score software categories BUILD/BUY/BRIDGE/BEWARE.

0 this week 78 Trust /100
Trust breakdown (7 categories)

How this component scores in each security and reliability category. Every signal is checked automatically against the live server, and we only credit what we can confirm. How we score → Why this is hard to score →

Endpoint Security63
Transport & Reachability100
Schema Quality & AI Usability59
  • AI-judged instruction clarity (excellent).Pass
  • Context-footprint check failed: tool/resource definitions use about 4057 tokens (~811/item across 5 items; 5 tools + 0 resources), over budget; trim descriptions and params. See how to fix → Fail
  • Usage-examples check failed: none of the tools include examples. See how to fix → Fail
Stability & Change Management100
  • No destabilizing schema changes in the last 30 days.Pass
Tool Coverage100
  • 100% of tools have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the tool's name).Pass
  • 100% of tool parameters carry a description.Pass
  • Structured output schemas are declared (100% of tools); any adoption earns full credit.Pass
Tool Safety100
  • No prompt-injection markers were found in the server instructions, tool names or descriptions we captured.Pass
  • We read all 5 captured tool definition(s), and no name or description among them implies an irreversible operation.Pass
  • An AI judge read all 6 captured unit(s) of tool text and found none that tries to manipulate the model reading it.Pass
Capabilities100
  • Implements a supported MCP spec version (2025-11-25); the latest is 2026-07-28.Pass
Install

How do I install the B4 Index MCP server?

B4 Index is a hosted endpoint at https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp, so there is nothing to install locally. Ready-made configuration for Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and 5 more is on this page, copied from each client's own documentation.

remote · b4-index.vercel.app

# add to Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport http ai-benroberts-b4-index 'https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp'
// .cursor/mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ai-benroberts-b4-index": {
      "url": "https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp"
    }
  }
}
// .vscode/mcp.json
{
  "servers": {
    "ai-benroberts-b4-index": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp"
    }
  }
}
# ~/.codex/config.toml
[mcp_servers.ai-benroberts-b4-index]
url = "https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp"
// opencode.json
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "ai-benroberts-b4-index": {
      "type": "remote",
      "url": "https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp",
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
# add to OpenClaw
openclaw mcp add ai-benroberts-b4-index --url 'https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp' --transport streamable-http
# ~/.hermes/config.yaml
mcp_servers:
  ai-benroberts-b4-index:
    url: "https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp"
// ~/.netclaw/config/netclaw.json
{
  "McpServers": {
    "ai-benroberts-b4-index": {
      "Transport": "http",
      "Url": "https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp"
    }
  }
}
# add to Vellum
assistant mcp add ai-benroberts-b4-index -t streamable-http -u 'https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp'
// mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ai-benroberts-b4-index": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp"
    }
  }
}

The mcpServers block is a cross-client convention. Remote transports vary, so check your client's docs.

Changelog

Every change we have recorded for this component, newest first. Security-relevant changes are always shown. ▲ marks a change for the better, ▼ a change for the worse; unmarked changes are neutral.

  • 23 Sept 26 0
    • The server rewrote its instructions, which are the text every model session reads security
    • Tool “b4_audit” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Tool “b4_browse” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Tool “b4_compare” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Tool “b4_recommend” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Tool “b4_score” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Schema quality: 628 → 811 functional
    • Server version: 3.4.0 → 3.4.9 functional
    • “b4_audit” reworded the description of “tools” cosmetic
  • 20 Sept 26 0
    • Tool “b4_audit” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Tool “b4_browse” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Tool “b4_compare” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Tool “b4_recommend” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Tool “b4_score” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Server version: 3.3.0 → 3.4.0 functional
    • “b4_browse” added an optional parameter “cursor” cosmetic
    • “b4_browse” added an optional parameter “includeVendors” cosmetic
    • “b4_recommend” added an optional parameter “capability” cosmetic
    • “b4_recommend” added an optional parameter “exclusions” cosmetic
  • 8 Sept 26 0
    • The server rewrote its instructions, which are the text every model session reads security
    • Tool “b4_audit” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Tool “b4_browse” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Tool “b4_compare” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Tool “b4_recommend” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Tool “b4_score” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Schema quality: 490 → 590 functional
    • Tool “b4_audit” now declares an output schema functional
    • Tool “b4_browse” now declares an output schema functional
    • Tool “b4_compare” now declares an output schema functional
    • Tool “b4_recommend” now declares an output schema functional
    • Tool “b4_score” now declares an output schema functional
    • First check of Tool coverage: 100 functional
  • 26 Aug 26 78
    • We updated how we score, so this day's move reflects our rubric, not a change to the server See what changed → functional
  • 25 Aug 26 0
    • Stability: 0.97 → pass security
  • 13 Aug 26 0
    • Tool “b4_audit” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Tool “b4_compare” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Tool “b4_recommend” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
  • 11 Aug 26 0
    • We updated how we score, so this day's move reflects our rubric, not a change to the server See what changed → functional
  • 10 Aug 26 0
    • Tool “b4_audit” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Tool “b4_browse” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Tool “b4_compare” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Tool “b4_recommend” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Tool “b4_score” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads security
    • Schema quality: 132 → 490 functional
    • Schema quality: good → excellent functional
    • “b4_audit” added an optional parameter “org” cosmetic
    • “b4_browse” added an optional parameter “org” cosmetic
    • “b4_compare” added an optional parameter “org” cosmetic
    • “b4_recommend” added an optional parameter “org” cosmetic
    • “b4_score” added an optional parameter “org” cosmetic
Diagnostics

Diagnostic detail from the automated scan of this channel: what the scanner observed at each step, so you can see exactly where a check passed or failed. It is informational only and never changes the trust score.

Captured 24 Sept 2026 · Probed https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp

TLS valid

Negotiated TLS 1.3 with TLS_AES_128_GCM_SHA256 .

Subject Issuer Valid from Valid until Key Signature Serial
CN=*.vercel.app CN=WR1,O=Google Trust Services,C=US 29 Aug 2026 27 Nov 2026 RSA 2048 SHA256-RSA f7911168ffa7d0f4135e24792e7a52a8
SANs: *.vercel.app
CN=WR1,O=Google Trust Services,C=US (CA) CN=GTS Root R1,O=Google Trust Services LLC,C=US 13 Dec 2023 20 Feb 2029 RSA 2048 SHA256-RSA 7fd9e2c2d2048a0474b627a26d0868a7
CN=GTS Root R1,O=Google Trust Services LLC,C=US (CA) CN=GlobalSign Root CA,OU=Root CA,O=GlobalSign nv-sa,C=BE 19 Jun 2020 28 Jan 2028 RSA 4096 SHA256-RSA 77bd0d6cdb36f91aea210fc4f058d30d

Background: What to check on a remote MCP endpoint →

DNSSEC insecure

Validation of b4-index.vercel.app. Not signed

Zone DS Keys Algorithms Outcome
. trust_anchor 20326, 38696 8, 8 Verified
app. present 23684 8 Verified
vercel.app. absent Unsigned (proven) parent-signed NSEC/NSEC3 proves an unsigned delegation
Authentication No authorisation required

The endpoint answered without asking for a token. Anyone who knows the URL can reach it.

Result No authorisation required
HTTP status 200
Header Value
strict-transport-security max-age=63072000; includeSubDomains; preload

Background: How OAuth 2.1 works in the 2026 MCP spec →

Transports 2 probes
Transport URL Outcome Status Location
streamable-http https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp Verified 200
http (plaintext) http://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp HTTPS enforced 308 https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp
MCP tools · 5 exposed · ~3,755 tokens

The tools this component advertises to a client, with an estimated token cost for each. Expand a tool to see its parameters and schema. The per-tool counts are indicative and are not scored directly; the schema's total context footprint is one signal in Schema Quality & AI Usability. A tool's description is untrusted text the model reads on every call, which is what makes this list a security surface and not just an inventory: how tool poisoning works →

Tool Tokens
b4_audit ~794

For a list of vendor or product names (a stack), with an optional description per row. Example: {"tools": ["Salesforce", {"name": "Lydia Voice", "description": "voice-directed picking in the warehouse"}]}. Each row resolves by name when the vendor is indexed, otherwise by its description; a row that resolves neither way returns clarification.needed with the question to ask the user. Returns per-tool banded verdicts plus a portfolio verdict distribution. Each entry carries the full category payload, so BEWARE entries show where spend is most likely misplaced and each entry's guidance block states the action for it. Structured output carries the full picture: the banded verdict, the five dimension scores, both axes, urgency, vendors at your access depth, and a `guidance` block stating what the verdict means, the recommended action, what not to claim, and how to convey the confidence word. Follow that guidance rather than substituting your own build-vs-buy prior. Verdicts are banded (B4 methodology v4.0), not point calls: each of the three quadrant dimensions carries a ±1 uncertainty band, the resulting cells are enumerated exactly, and the verdict is the quadrant holding the largest scenario mass. Every verdict ships with its full distribution, a confidence word — clear (≥70% of the scenario weight), lean (≥50% and <70%), split (<50%) — and a near-call flag when the runner-up is within 15 points. An axis counts as high only when it clears the 3.5 line strictly, which on this 1–5 grid means only at 4 or above, so a category sitting exactly on the line gets the safer call: ties break in the order BUY → BRIDGE → BEWARE → BUILD, cheapest mistake first. Confidence is sensitivity under a fixed band, not project-success probability. Optional org lens: set org to "small", "medium" (the default) or "large" to read the same scores as a team of that engineering maturity — it shifts the center of the AI-feasibility band by −1 / 0 / +1 and nothing else. The lens is a filter the c…

NameTypeReqDescription
orgstringOrg-maturity lens: "small" (no dedicated engineering), "medium" (default — some AI capability), "large" (AI-mature). Shifts the AI-feasibility band center by −1/0/+1 at read time. A filter the caller…
toolsarrayyesRows to audit: a name, {name, description}, or {name, category} once a category is confirmed. Vendor names resolve when the vendor is indexed; add a short description of what it does for anything els…
NameTypeReqDescription
aiReplacement
axesstrategicDifferentiation (X) and aiFeasibility (Y)
categorystring|null
domainstring|null
evidencesources and research trail; present only with includeEvidence
evidenceAvailableboolean
evidenceHintstring
guidancehow to use this result: meaning, action, what not to claim, confidence handling
lensstring|null
rationalestring|null
resolvedbooleanyesfalse when nothing matched; the payload then carries no verdict
scoresthe five v3.2 dimension scores, 1-5
urgency
vendorCountnumber
vendors
vendorsWithheldnumber
verdictbanded verdict: primary, confidence, nearCall, distribution

No examples provided.

b4_browse ~815

For browsing, filtering, or finding the index's name for something. Example: {"query": "warehouse picking", "domain": "Supply Chain"}. Search and filter the B4 Index's 1,600+ independently scored software categories. Browse by keyword, domain, quadrant, or industry. When filtering by industry, returns all vertical categories for that industry PLUS all horizontal categories (which apply to every industry). Each row carries its banded verdict — primary, confidence word, and a near-call flag — and the quadrant filter matches the verdict at whichever lens you are reading. Verdicts are banded (B4 methodology v4.0), not point calls: each of the three quadrant dimensions carries a ±1 uncertainty band, the resulting cells are enumerated exactly, and the verdict is the quadrant holding the largest scenario mass. Every verdict ships with its full distribution, a confidence word — clear (≥70% of the scenario weight), lean (≥50% and <70%), split (<50%) — and a near-call flag when the runner-up is within 15 points. An axis counts as high only when it clears the 3.5 line strictly, which on this 1–5 grid means only at 4 or above, so a category sitting exactly on the line gets the safer call: ties break in the order BUY → BRIDGE → BEWARE → BUILD, cheapest mistake first. Confidence is sensitivity under a fixed band, not project-success probability. Optional org lens: set org to "small", "medium" (the default) or "large" to read the same scores as a team of that engineering maturity — it shifts the center of the AI-feasibility band by −1 / 0 / +1 and nothing else. The lens is a filter the caller looks through, never a stored profile. Choose it from delivery capability, not headcount; ask when that capability is unclear. The raw scores themselves never change. Omit it and you get the default-lens numbers, which are the ones published on logged-out surfaces. Routing: a vendor or product name → b4_audit (one or many; add a short description of what it does for anything the index may no…

NameTypeReqDescription
cursorstringOpaque continuation from the previous page. Keep filters and lens unchanged; restart on SNAPSHOT_EXPIRED.
domainstringFilter by domain (e.g., 'Marketing Technology', 'CRM & Sales')
includeVendorsbooleanExpand vendor lists; omitted by default for bounded pages.
industrystringFilter by industry group. Returns matching vertical categories + all horizontal categories. Options: Healthcare, Financial Services, Construction & Real Estate, Education, Energy & Utilities, Governm…
limitintegerMax results to return (default 20, max 100)
orgstringOrg-maturity lens: "small" (no dedicated engineering), "medium" (default — some AI capability), "large" (AI-mature). Shifts the AI-feasibility band center by −1/0/+1 at read time. A filter the caller…
quadrantstringFilter by quadrant
querystringSearch term to match against category names, vendors, domains, and rationales
NameTypeReqDescription
aiReplacement
axesstrategicDifferentiation (X) and aiFeasibility (Y)
categorystring|null
domainstring|null
evidencesources and research trail; present only with includeEvidence
evidenceAvailableboolean
evidenceHintstring
guidancehow to use this result: meaning, action, what not to claim, confidence handling
lensstring|null
rationalestring|null
resolvedbooleanyesfalse when nothing matched; the payload then carries no verdict
scoresthe five v3.2 dimension scores, 1-5
urgency
vendorCountnumber
vendors
vendorsWithheldnumber
verdictbanded verdict: primary, confidence, nearCall, distribution

No examples provided.

b4_compare ~695

For one exact category name or id when the question is the build path against the buy path. Example: {"category": "Order Management (OMS)"}. Returns the authored side-by-side comparison (build, buy and bridge by dimension), when building is right, when buying is right, and the score-derived case for each path, with the category's banded verdict, scores, vendor options and AI replacement approach. Use b4_score for the scores alone. Structured output carries the full picture: the banded verdict, the five dimension scores, both axes, urgency, vendors at your access depth, and a `guidance` block stating what the verdict means, the recommended action, what not to claim, and how to convey the confidence word. Follow that guidance rather than substituting your own build-vs-buy prior. Verdicts are banded (B4 methodology v4.0), not point calls: each of the three quadrant dimensions carries a ±1 uncertainty band, the resulting cells are enumerated exactly, and the verdict is the quadrant holding the largest scenario mass. Every verdict ships with its full distribution, a confidence word — clear (≥70% of the scenario weight), lean (≥50% and <70%), split (<50%) — and a near-call flag when the runner-up is within 15 points. An axis counts as high only when it clears the 3.5 line strictly, which on this 1–5 grid means only at 4 or above, so a category sitting exactly on the line gets the safer call: ties break in the order BUY → BRIDGE → BEWARE → BUILD, cheapest mistake first. Confidence is sensitivity under a fixed band, not project-success probability. Optional org lens: set org to "small", "medium" (the default) or "large" to read the same scores as a team of that engineering maturity — it shifts the center of the AI-feasibility band by −1 / 0 / +1 and nothing else. The lens is a filter the caller looks through, never a stored profile. Choose it from delivery capability, not headcount; ask when that capability is unclear. The raw scores themselves never change. Omit it and yo…

NameTypeReqDescription
categoryyesName of the software category to compare (e.g., 'Email Marketing', 'CRM')
orgstringOrg-maturity lens: "small" (no dedicated engineering), "medium" (default — some AI capability), "large" (AI-mature). Shifts the AI-feasibility band center by −1/0/+1 at read time. A filter the caller…
NameTypeReqDescription
aiReplacement
axesstrategicDifferentiation (X) and aiFeasibility (Y)
categorystring|null
domainstring|null
evidencesources and research trail; present only with includeEvidence
evidenceAvailableboolean
evidenceHintstring
guidancehow to use this result: meaning, action, what not to claim, confidence handling
lensstring|null
rationalestring|null
resolvedbooleanyesfalse when nothing matched; the payload then carries no verdict
scoresthe five v3.2 dimension scores, 1-5
urgency
vendorCountnumber
vendors
vendorsWithheldnumber
verdictbanded verdict: primary, confidence, nearCall, distribution

No examples provided.

b4_recommend ~715

For a need or problem in words, not a vendor name. Example: {"description": "we need to route warehouse pickers by voice"}. Get B4 Index recommendations from a natural language description of a software need or business context. Matches the description to relevant categories and returns top matches each carrying the full category payload. Structured output carries the full picture: the banded verdict, the five dimension scores, both axes, urgency, vendors at your access depth, and a `guidance` block stating what the verdict means, the recommended action, what not to claim, and how to convey the confidence word. Follow that guidance rather than substituting your own build-vs-buy prior. Verdicts are banded (B4 methodology v4.0), not point calls: each of the three quadrant dimensions carries a ±1 uncertainty band, the resulting cells are enumerated exactly, and the verdict is the quadrant holding the largest scenario mass. Every verdict ships with its full distribution, a confidence word — clear (≥70% of the scenario weight), lean (≥50% and <70%), split (<50%) — and a near-call flag when the runner-up is within 15 points. An axis counts as high only when it clears the 3.5 line strictly, which on this 1–5 grid means only at 4 or above, so a category sitting exactly on the line gets the safer call: ties break in the order BUY → BRIDGE → BEWARE → BUILD, cheapest mistake first. Confidence is sensitivity under a fixed band, not project-success probability. Optional org lens: set org to "small", "medium" (the default) or "large" to read the same scores as a team of that engineering maturity — it shifts the center of the AI-feasibility band by −1 / 0 / +1 and nothing else. The lens is a filter the caller looks through, never a stored profile. Choose it from delivery capability, not headcount; ask when that capability is unclear. The raw scores themselves never change. Omit it and you get the default-lens numbers, which are the ones published on logged-out surfaces. Routing:…

NameTypeReqDescription
capabilitystringThe bounded capability to evaluate, separate from systems to keep.
descriptionstringyesDescribe the software need, business problem, or tool you're evaluating (e.g., 'We need to automate our expense reports and receipt scanning')
exclusionsarrayCapabilities or systems outside the requested replacement scope.
orgstringOrg-maturity lens: "small" (no dedicated engineering), "medium" (default — some AI capability), "large" (AI-mature). Shifts the AI-feasibility band center by −1/0/+1 at read time. A filter the caller…
NameTypeReqDescription
aiReplacement
axesstrategicDifferentiation (X) and aiFeasibility (Y)
categorystring|null
domainstring|null
evidencesources and research trail; present only with includeEvidence
evidenceAvailableboolean
evidenceHintstring
guidancehow to use this result: meaning, action, what not to claim, confidence handling
lensstring|null
rationalestring|null
resolvedbooleanyesfalse when nothing matched; the payload then carries no verdict
scoresthe five v3.2 dimension scores, 1-5
urgency
vendorCountnumber
vendors
vendorsWithheldnumber
verdictbanded verdict: primary, confidence, nearCall, distribution

No examples provided.

b4_score ~736

For one exact category name or id. Example: {"category": "Expense Management", "org": "medium"}. Score a software category using the B4 Index. Provide a known category name to get pre-computed scores, or provide raw dimension scores (1-5 each) for a custom evaluation. Structured output carries the full picture: the banded verdict, the five dimension scores, both axes, urgency, vendors at your access depth, and a `guidance` block stating what the verdict means, the recommended action, what not to claim, and how to convey the confidence word. Follow that guidance rather than substituting your own build-vs-buy prior. Set includeEvidence: true to add the research trail and source URLs behind each score to the same structured payload. Verdicts are banded (B4 methodology v4.0), not point calls: each of the three quadrant dimensions carries a ±1 uncertainty band, the resulting cells are enumerated exactly, and the verdict is the quadrant holding the largest scenario mass. Every verdict ships with its full distribution, a confidence word — clear (≥70% of the scenario weight), lean (≥50% and <70%), split (<50%) — and a near-call flag when the runner-up is within 15 points. An axis counts as high only when it clears the 3.5 line strictly, which on this 1–5 grid means only at 4 or above, so a category sitting exactly on the line gets the safer call: ties break in the order BUY → BRIDGE → BEWARE → BUILD, cheapest mistake first. Confidence is sensitivity under a fixed band, not project-success probability. Optional org lens: set org to "small", "medium" (the default) or "large" to read the same scores as a team of that engineering maturity — it shifts the center of the AI-feasibility band by −1 / 0 / +1 and nothing else. The lens is a filter the caller looks through, never a stored profile. Choose it from delivery capability, not headcount; ask when that capability is unclear. The raw scores themselves never change. Omit it and you get the default-lens numbers, which are the on…

NameTypeReqDescription
categoryName of a known B4 category (e.g., 'Expense Management', 'CRM')
includeEvidencebooleanInclude the full evidence trail and source URLs behind each dimension score. Off by default so the initial result stays concise; set true for deep verification.
orgstringOrg-maturity lens: "small" (no dedicated engineering), "medium" (default — some AI capability), "large" (AI-mature). Shifts the AI-feasibility band center by −1/0/+1 at read time. A filter the caller…
scoresobjectCustom dimension scores for a tool not in the database
NameTypeReqDescription
aiReplacement
axesstrategicDifferentiation (X) and aiFeasibility (Y)
categorystring|null
domainstring|null
evidencesources and research trail; present only with includeEvidence
evidenceAvailableboolean
evidenceHintstring
guidancehow to use this result: meaning, action, what not to claim, confidence handling
lensstring|null
rationalestring|null
resolvedbooleanyesfalse when nothing matched; the payload then carries no verdict
scoresthe five v3.2 dimension scores, 1-5
urgency
vendorCountnumber
vendors
vendorsWithheldnumber
verdictbanded verdict: primary, confidence, nearCall, distribution

No examples provided.

Common questions

What is the B4 Index MCP server?

B4 Index is an MCP server listed in the public MCP registry as ai.benroberts/b4-index. Independent build-vs-buy index: score software categories BUILD/BUY/BRIDGE/BEWARE. This page covers its hosted endpoint (https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp).

Is the B4 Index MCP server safe to use?

B4 Index scores 78 out of 100 on VerifyMCP. That is a record of what we were able to check automatically, not an endorsement. The category breakdown on this page shows every signal behind the number, including the ones we could not confirm.

What tools does the B4 Index MCP server expose?

B4 Index exposes 5 tools: b4_browse, b4_score, b4_audit, b4_compare, b4_recommend. Their descriptions and schemas cost roughly 3,755 tokens of context every time the server is loaded.

Does the B4 Index MCP server require authentication?

No. We connected to B4 Index without credentials and it answered, so anything it exposes is reachable by anyone who knows the address.

Is the B4 Index MCP server still maintained?

B4 Index is still listed as active in the MCP registry. We last reached this channel on 24 September 2026. Those dates come from our own scans of the registry and the channel itself, not from anything the publisher announced.