You are a constitutional council ranking individual git commits for ownership allocation.

Compare these two commits. Decide which contributed more lasting value to the project.

Judge substance, not spectacle:
- Prefer correct, lasting design and real bugfixes over churn, formatting, renames, or generated noise.
- Prefer clarity and necessity over sheer line count. A small precise change can beat a large diffuse one.
- Do not favor a side merely because its patch is longer or noisier.
- Weight what the change does for the project, not the contributor's name.

Return ONLY a JSON object: {"winner": "A" or "B", "ratio": "N:M", "explanation": "..."}
The explanation must cite concrete differences in the patches (1-3 sentences).

Side A — contributor: tommy-mor
Side A — commit message:
[30a67104] fixes

Side A — unified diff (full patch):
diff --git a/agents.md b/agents.md
index a6a283716e09fcaba1fd690f4e877e0bbecda2c0..d9a924d2f77c444d9b112bbf37a480b963ace4f0 100644
--- a/agents.md
+++ b/agents.md
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ Strict **CSP** that blocks `eval` would break the current app. Other projects ma
 
 - **`VoteComparePost`:** On success returns **`text/javascript`** that **morphs** **`#vote-compare-preview`** (new ingest card) and **`#vote-edge-history-region`** (recomputed edge list). Uses **`RpcResult::PostOk`**’s **`post_id`** / **`post_index`** for the card. **`__rpc__`** carries **`form_action: "/ui"`**; **`thread_tag`** and ratio fields come from the same form as **`$form`** holes.
 
-- **Garden pin / compare voting:** Cookie **`slug_garden_pin`** via **`set_garden_pin`**. Pairwise UI: **`GET /vote/compare?…`** / **`GET /r/:room_key/vote/compare?…`**. HUD: **`#slug-pin-hud`** when **`layout`** passes garden metadata on **`body`**.
+- **Garden pin / compare voting:** Cookie **`slug_garden_pin`** via **`set_garden_pin`**. Pairwise UI: **`GET /vote/compare?…`** / **`GET /r/:room_key/vote/compare?…`**. HUD: **`#slug-pin-hud`** when **`layout`** passes garden metadata on **`body`**; the label is **`POST /ui`** **`set_garden_pin`** **`clear:true`** (**`slug_ui.js`**), not a permalink to the item.
 
 **Rule of thumb:** New **CLI or API** verbs → `RpcCommand`. New **in-page morph or form-driven** behavior that only makes sense in the browser → `HtmlUiAction`. If both need the same operation, implement the real work once (e.g. call shared RPC helpers from `post_ui_html`) and keep the wire shapes separate.
 
diff --git a/server/src/html/garden.rs b/server/src/html/garden.rs
index 8a46b1e92d38f2c390f88d48750d95d11388cd73..121d9498e8cb93d4d001dc1bbce23d74fbb958f5 100644
--- a/server/src/html/garden.rs
+++ b/server/src/html/garden.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ use crate::{
     canonical_path::{canonicalize_item, canonicalize_tag},
     form_template::template_json_compact,
     html::{
-        forum::ingest_entry_markup,
         ui_action::UI_RPC_FIELD,
         user_can_post_room,
         JsBuilder,
@@ -111,6 +110,23 @@ fn votes_for_edge(content: &ContentState, a: &ItemId, b: &ItemId) -> Vec<crate::
     out
 }
 
+/// Number of vote ingests recorded for this unordered pair in `content` (same scope as ranking).
+fn edge_vote_count_for_pair(content: &ContentState, a: &ItemId, b: &ItemId) -> usize {
+    let (lo, hi) = canonical_edge_items(a, b);
+    let lo_s = lo.as_str();
+    let hi_s = hi.as_str();
+    content
+        .item_votes
+        .get(&lo)
+        .into_iter()
+        .flat_map(|q| q.iter())
+        .filter(|v| {
+            (v.a.as_str() == lo_s && v.b.as_str() == hi_s)
+                || (v.a.as_str() == hi_s && v.b.as_str() == lo_s)
+        })
+        .count()
+}
+
 fn vote_thread_tags_for_pair(content: &ContentState, a: &ItemId, b: &ItemId) -> Vec<String> {
     let set: HashSet<String> = content
         .item_threads
@@ -288,6 +304,7 @@ fn child_row_pin_or_vote(
     nav: &ThreadNav,
     row_item: &ItemId,
     pinned_room_and_item: Option<&(String, ItemId)>,
+    scope_content: &ContentState,
     next_path: &str,
 ) -> maud::Markup {
     let pin_matches_scope = pinned_room_and_item
@@ -315,7 +332,16 @@ fn child_row_pin_or_vote(
                 @if pi == row_item {
                     span class="ont-garden-pinned-here" title="Pinned" aria-label="Pinned" { "📌" }
                 } @else {
-                    a class="ont-garden-vote-ico" href=(vote_compare_href(nav, pi, row_item, None)) title="Vote vs pinned" aria-label="Vote" { "⚖" }
+                    @let nv = edge_vote_count_for_pair(scope_content, pi, row_item);
+                    @let tip = format!(
+                        "Compare and vote — {nv} pairwise vote{} in this scope for pinned vs this row",
+                        if nv == 1 { "" } else { "s" },
+                    );
+                    @let aria = format!("Vote; {} pairwise {}", nv, if nv == 1 { "vote" } else { "votes" });
+                    a class="ont-garden-vote-ico" href=(vote_compare_href(nav, pi, row_item, None)) title=(tip) aria-label=(aria) {
+                        span class="ont-garden-vote-glyph" aria-hidden="true" { "⚖" }
+                        span class="ont-garden-vote-count" { (format!("{}", nv)) }
+                    }
                 }
             } @else {
                 form method="POST" action="/ui" data-navigate="full" class="ont-pin-form ont-garden-pin-form" {
@@ -978,10 +1004,9 @@ async fn render_scope_view(
 ) -> axum::response::Response {
     let scope = nav.scope();
     let pin_ref = pinned_item_from_jar(&jar);
-    let model = {
-        let reduced = state.reduced.read().await;
-        build_item_page_view_model(&reduced, &scope, browse.item())
-    };
+    let reduced = state.reduced.read().await;
+    let model = build_item_page_view_model(&reduced, &scope, browse.item());
+    let scope_content = content_for_garden_view(&reduced, &scope);
     let thread_href = |tag: &str| nav.thread_url(tag);
     let external_empty_body = browse.is_external() && model.body.is_none();
     let cli_path_arg = item_display_path(&model.item);
@@ -1108,7 +1133,7 @@ async fn render_scope_view(
                                     @let item_url = item_href(r.item.as_str(), &nav);
                                     @let score_str = format!("{:.3}", r.score);
                                     li data-garden-item=(r.item.as_str()) {
-                                        (child_row_pin_or_vote(&nav, &r.item, pin_ref.as_ref(), &next_for_pin))
+                                        (child_row_pin_or_vote(&nav, &r.item, pin_ref.as_ref(), scope_content, &next_for_pin))
                                         a class="item-link" href=(item_url) { code { (item_display_path(r.item.as_str())) } }
                                         span class="ont-rank-score" { (score_str) }
                                     }
@@ -1124,7 +1149,7 @@ async fn render_scope_view(
                         ul class="ont-group-list" {
                             @for name in &model.child_rankings.unranked_items {
                                 li data-garden-item=(name.as_str()) {
-                                    (child_row_pin_or_vote(&nav, name, pin_ref.as_ref(), &next_for_pin))
+                                    (child_row_pin_or_vote(&nav, name, pin_ref.as_ref(), scope_content, &next_for_pin))
                                     @let href = item_href(name.as_str(), &nav);
                                     a class="item-link" href=(href) { code { (item_display_path(name.as_str())) } }
                                 }
@@ -1363,6 +1388,33 @@ mod tests {
         }));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn edge_vote_count_for_pair_matches_votes_for_edge_len() {
+        use super::{
+            content_for_garden_view, edge_vote_count_for_pair, votes_for_edge,
+        };
+        use crate::path_types::ItemId;
+        let mut reduced = ReducerState::default();
+        apply_ingest(
+            &mut reduced,
+            1,
+            "@00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000:test:local/test\n\
+             ~/topic {root}\n\
+             ~/topic/a {alpha}\n\
+             ~/topic/b {beta}\n\
+             ~/topic/a 3:2 ~/topic/b {first vote}\n\
+             ~/topic/b 2:3 ~/topic/a {second vote}\n",
+        );
+        let content = content_for_garden_view(&reduced, &ScopeId::Public);
+        let a = ItemId::parse("~/topic/a").unwrap().normalized_storage();
+        let b = ItemId::parse("~/topic/b").unwrap().normalized_storage();
+        assert_eq!(
+            edge_vote_count_for_pair(content, &a, &b),
+            votes_for_edge(content, &a, &b).len()
+        );
+        assert_eq!(votes_for_edge(content, &a, &b).len(), 2);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn item_page_model_includes_body_and_unranked_without_votes() {
         let mut reduced = ReducerState::default();
diff --git a/server/static/slug_ui.js b/server/static/slug_ui.js
index c0de1cddbba78227dfb80bfd41e7b855b3a42bc3..86f935f8dd998f3d6df016f33b1e47f9780782ea 100644
--- a/server/static/slug_ui.js
+++ b/server/static/slug_ui.js
@@ -170,15 +170,6 @@
       return { room: raw.slice(0, i), item: raw.slice(i + 1) };
     }
 
-    function gardenItemHref(prefix, storageUrl) {
-      var marker = 'https://slug.social/~/';
-      if (storageUrl.indexOf(marker) === 0) {
-        var tail = storageUrl.slice(marker.length);
-        return prefix.replace(/\/$/, '') + (tail ? '/' + tail : '');
-      }
-      return storageUrl;
-    }
-
     function refreshPinHud() {
       var hud = document.getElementById('slug-pin-hud');
       if (!hud) return;
@@ -187,19 +178,37 @@
       var pin = decodePinCookie();
       hud.innerHTML = '';
       if (!pin || !prefix || pin.room !== bodyRoom) return;
-      var a = document.createElement('a');
-      a.className = 'slug-pin-hud-link';
-      a.href = gardenItemHref(prefix, pin.item);
-      a.title = 'Pinned item';
+      var form = document.createElement('form');
+      form.method = 'POST';
+      form.action = '/ui';
+      form.setAttribute('data-navigate', 'full');
+      form.className = 'slug-pin-hud-form';
+      var rpc = document.createElement('input');
+      rpc.type = 'hidden';
+      rpc.name = '__rpc__';
+      rpc.value = JSON.stringify({
+        action: 'set_garden_pin',
+        clear: true,
+        room_wire: '',
+        next: window.location.pathname + window.location.search,
+        form_action: '/ui',
+      });
+      form.appendChild(rpc);
+      var btn = document.createElement('button');
+      btn.type = 'submit';
+      btn.className = 'slug-pin-hud-link slug-pin-hud-unpin-btn';
+      btn.title = 'Unpin — removes this item from the corner HUD';
+      btn.setAttribute('aria-label', 'Unpin pinned item');
       var span = document.createElement('span');
       span.className = 'slug-pin-hud-glyph';
       span.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'true');
       span.textContent = '📌';
-      a.appendChild(span);
+      btn.appendChild(span);
       var label = pin.item.replace(/^https:\/\/slug\.social\/~\/?/, '~/');
       if (label.length > 36) label = label.slice(0, 34) + '…';
-      a.appendChild(document.createTextNode(' ' + label));
-      hud.appendChild(a);
+      btn.appendChild(document.createTextNode(' ' + label));
+      form.appendChild(btn);
+      hud.appendChild(form);
     }
     refreshPinHud();
 
diff --git a/server/static/theme_default.css b/server/static/theme_default.css
index ec0fbe7acee0aa2802f978f14a9b0fc86e78c5b8..9178f0629cfb868348740e6dea1626dc6afb8345 100644
--- a/server/static/theme_default.css
+++ b/server/static/theme_default.css
@@ -799,6 +799,12 @@ details > summary::-webkit-details-marker { display: none; }
 }
 
 /* Pinned item HUD — bottom bar, same plane as spread */
+.slug-pin-hud-form {
+  display: inline;
+  margin: 0;
+  padding: 0;
+  border: none;
+}
 #slug-pin-hud.slug-pin-hud {
   margin-left: auto;
   max-width: min(42vw, 280px);
@@ -808,6 +814,13 @@ details > summary::-webkit-details-marker { display: none; }
   overflow: hidden;
   text-overflow: ellipsis;
 }
+.slug-pin-hud-link.slug-pin-hud-unpin-btn {
+  background: transparent;
+  border: none;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  font-size: inherit;
+  font-family: inherit;
+}
 .slug-pin-hud-link {
   color: var(--ui);
   text-decoration: none;
@@ -815,7 +828,10 @@ details > summary::-webkit-details-marker { display: none; }
   align-items: center;
   gap: 4px;
 }
-.slug-pin-hud-link:hover { color: var(--signal); }
+.slug-pin-hud-link:hover,
+.slug-pin-hud-unpin-btn:hover {
+  color: var(--signal);
+}
 .slug-pin-hud-glyph { font-size: 13px; line-height: 1; }
 
 /* Garden pin / vote controls */
@@ -890,10 +906,21 @@ span.ont-garden-pinned-here {
   align-items: center;
   justify-content: center;
 }
+a.ont-garden-vote-ico {
+  gap: 4px;
+}
 a.ont-garden-vote-ico:hover {
   color: var(--signal);
   background: var(--g4);
 }
+.ont-garden-vote-count {
+  font-size: 10px;
+  font-weight: 700;
+  font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
+}
+span.ont-garden-vote-glyph {
+  line-height: 1;
+}
 span.ont-garden-pinned-here {
   border-color: var(--link);
   color: var(--signal);
diff --git a/server/static/theme_retro_craft.css b/server/static/theme_retro_craft.css
index 092d4b3540b052cc86870179e4c264541c4446cc..efaeed06d01fd835df0621f4c621c8f034c8b536 100644
--- a/server/static/theme_retro_craft.css
+++ b/server/static/theme_retro_craft.css
@@ -593,6 +593,12 @@ body.view-ontology #controls {
    (Global craft `code` + `button[type=submit]` are tuned for dark
    thread pages; these overrides match the cream ontology shell.)
    ---------------------------------------------------------------- */
+body.view-ontology .slug-pin-hud-form {
+  display: inline;
+  margin: 0;
+  padding: 0;
+  border: none;
+}
 body.view-ontology #slug-pin-hud.slug-pin-hud {
   margin-left: auto;
   max-width: min(42vw, 280px);
@@ -603,6 +609,14 @@ body.view-ontology #slug-pin-hud.slug-pin-hud {
   overflow: hidden;
   text-overflow: ellipsis;
 }
+body.view-ontology .slug-pin-hud-link.slug-pin-hud-unpin-btn {
+  background: transparent;
+  border: none;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  font-size: inherit;
+  font-family: inherit;
+  padding: 0;
+}
 body.view-ontology .slug-pin-hud-link {
   color: #1a4a8c;
   text-decoration: none;
@@ -610,7 +624,8 @@ body.view-ontology .slug-pin-hud-link {
   align-items: center;
   gap: 0.25rem;
 }
-body.view-ontology .slug-pin-hud-link:hover {
+body.view-ontology .slug-pin-hud-link:hover,
+body.view-ontology .slug-pin-hud-unpin-btn:hover {
   color: #0d3d82;
   text-decoration: underline;
 }
@@ -676,6 +691,20 @@ body.view-ontology .ont-garden-child-actions {
   gap: 0.1rem;
 }
 body.view-ontology button.ont-garden-pin-ico,
+body.view-ontology a.ont-garden-vote-ico {
+  gap: 0.2rem;
+}
+body.view-ontology .ont-garden-vote-count {
+  font-size: 0.65rem;
+  font-family: var(--font-ui);
+  font-weight: 600;
+  font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
+  opacity: 0.92;
+}
+body.view-ontology span.ont-garden-vote-glyph {
+  line-height: 1;
+}
+body.view-ontology button.ont-garden-pin-ico,
 body.view-ontology a.ont-garden-vote-ico,
 body.view-ontology span.ont-garden-pinned-here {
   font-size: 0.95rem;
diff --git a/test/browser_garden_pin.clj b/test/browser_garden_pin.clj
index 169ff9b6913049094611fb0e5b6683b30220b285..98c086d5647207f3ac72dbb9cbc13488c030eef1 100644
--- a/test/browser_garden_pin.clj
+++ b/test/browser_garden_pin.clj
@@ -21,6 +21,17 @@
             (do (Thread/sleep 200) (recur))
             false))))))
 
+(defn- wait-for-absence-substr [pg selector substr timeout-ms]
+  "True once selector text does not contain substr (or is empty), or timeout."
+  (let [deadline (+ (System/currentTimeMillis) timeout-ms)]
+    (loop []
+      (let [text (locator/text-content (page/locator pg selector))]
+        (if (not (and (string? text) (str/includes? text substr)))
+          true
+          (if (< (System/currentTimeMillis) deadline)
+            (do (Thread/sleep 200) (recur))
+            false))))))
+
 (defn garden-pin-flow! []
   (println "\n━━━ browser garden pin (POST /ui set_garden_pin + HUD + vote link) ━━━\n")
 
@@ -75,8 +86,14 @@
                (is (wait-for-text pg ".ont-item-shell" "~/gp-pin-b" 15000) "on item b page")
                (is (wait-for-text pg "a.ont-vote-compare-btn" "vote" 10000)
                    "vote link visible vs pinned item")
+               ;; HUD clears pin (POST set_garden_pin clear), not navigate to item
+               (locator/click (page/locator pg "#slug-pin-hud button.slug-pin-hud-unpin-btn"))
+               (is (wait-for-absence-substr pg "#slug-pin-hud" "gp-pin-a" 15000)
+                   "HUD clears after unpin from HUD button")
+               (is (wait-for-absence-substr pg "body" "ont-vote-compare-btn" 15000)
+                   "compare vote CTA removed after HUD unpin on same reload")
                (is (str/includes? (or (page/url pg) "") "/~/gp-pin-b")
-                   "still on item b after vote link check"))))))
+                   "still on item b after HUD unpin"))))))
 
      (finally
        (when-some [s @!server] (common/kill-server s))


Side B — contributor: tommy-mor
Side B — commit message:
[674964ef] refactor: Deref for href newtypes, CanonicalItemUrl through resolve_item

- Implement Deref<Target=str> for GardenItemUrl, ForumThreadUrl, TildeOntologyPath
- resolve_item returns CanonicalItemUrl; validate uses HashSet<CanonicalItemUrl>
- compute_scope_rank_changes keys are CanonicalItemUrl; pair RPC uses Vec pool
- pick_random_distinct_canonical; connectivity stats on &[CanonicalItemUrl]
- Global rank unranked uses stored ids before GardenItemUrl mapping

Made-with: Cursor

Side B — unified diff (full patch):
diff --git a/server/src/api/helpers.rs b/server/src/api/helpers.rs
index 03b3e77911ccd662bec8635345dafe2593cf242e..1b291db83df7364a026f2e147e0a29a70a399371 100644
--- a/server/src/api/helpers.rs
+++ b/server/src/api/helpers.rs
@@ -30,13 +30,13 @@ pub fn now_ms() -> i64 {
     t.as_millis() as i64
 }
 
-/// Resolve an item path as a first-class canonical path.
-pub fn resolve_item(item: &str) -> Result<String, String> {
+/// Resolve DSL/user input to a stored canonical item id.
+pub fn resolve_item(item: &str) -> Result<CanonicalItemUrl, String> {
     let canonical = canonicalize_item(item);
     if canonical.is_empty() {
         return Err(format!("empty item path: `{}`", item));
     }
-    Ok(canonical)
+    Ok(CanonicalItemUrl(canonical))
 }
 
 pub fn parse_parent_specs(parent: Option<&String>) -> Vec<String> {
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ pub fn paginate_rankings(
     (out_components, out_unranked)
 }
 
-pub fn pick_random_distinct(items: &[String]) -> Option<(String, String)> {
+pub fn pick_random_distinct_canonical(items: &[CanonicalItemUrl]) -> Option<(CanonicalItemUrl, CanonicalItemUrl)> {
     use rand::seq::SliceRandom;
     if items.len() < 2 {
         return None;
@@ -123,15 +123,12 @@ pub fn is_pair_voted(group: &crate::reducer::GroupState, a: &str, b: &str) -> bo
     group.voted_pairs.contains(&(i, j))
 }
 
-pub fn compute_connectivity_stats(group: &crate::reducer::GroupState, pool: &[String]) -> ConnectivityStats {
+pub fn compute_connectivity_stats(group: &crate::reducer::GroupState, pool: &[CanonicalItemUrl]) -> ConnectivityStats {
     let n = pool.len();
 
     let global_idxs: Vec<Option<usize>> = pool
         .iter()
-        .map(|it| {
-            let key = CanonicalItemUrl(it.clone());
-            group.item_to_idx.get(&key).copied()
-        })
+        .map(|it| group.item_to_idx.get(it).copied())
         .collect();
     let present: Vec<usize> = global_idxs.iter().filter_map(|x| *x).collect();
 
diff --git a/server/src/api/mod.rs b/server/src/api/mod.rs
index cf22cb0129366c3aed031bc86f3197a4321cb806..a10ce662105cff8fad949c6b83f7035ce79bed18 100644
--- a/server/src/api/mod.rs
+++ b/server/src/api/mod.rs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ pub use auth::{
 
 pub use helpers::{
     api_error, compute_connectivity_stats, is_pair_voted, now_ms, paginate_rankings,
-    parse_parent_specs, pick_random_distinct, resolve_item, sha256_hex, vote_touches_path,
+    parse_parent_specs, pick_random_distinct_canonical, resolve_item, sha256_hex, vote_touches_path,
 };
 
 pub use rpc::handle_rpc_batch;
diff --git a/server/src/api/rpc.rs b/server/src/api/rpc.rs
index 5f7d50188f1381267402f2e57e671234ef5db2fd..de0955d0887d32740e1fd18365205c5bdb53c247 100644
--- a/server/src/api/rpc.rs
+++ b/server/src/api/rpc.rs
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ use crate::{
 use super::auth::verify_bearer_principal;
 use super::helpers::{
     compute_connectivity_stats, is_pair_voted, now_ms, paginate_rankings, parse_parent_specs,
-    pick_random_distinct, resolve_item, vote_touches_path,
+    pick_random_distinct_canonical, resolve_item, vote_touches_path,
 };
 use super::validate::{normalize_room_and_thread, validate_ingest_document};
 
@@ -146,21 +146,21 @@ fn authorize_room_read(reduced: &ReducerState, headers: &HeaderMap, room: &str)
 }
 
 fn compute_scope_rank_changes(
-    parent: &str,
+    parent: &CanonicalItemUrl,
     before: &crate::scope_rank::ChildrenRankings,
     after: &crate::scope_rank::ChildrenRankings,
     room_wire: &str,
 ) -> Option<ScopeRankChanges> {
-    fn build_positions(rankings: &crate::scope_rank::ChildrenRankings) -> HashMap<String, Option<RankPosition>> {
+    fn build_positions(rankings: &crate::scope_rank::ChildrenRankings) -> HashMap<CanonicalItemUrl, Option<RankPosition>> {
         let mut map = HashMap::new();
         for comp in &rankings.component_rankings {
             let total = comp.ranked.len();
             for (i, item) in comp.ranked.iter().enumerate() {
-                map.insert(item.item.as_str().to_string(), Some(RankPosition { rank: i + 1, of: total }));
+                map.insert(item.item.clone(), Some(RankPosition { rank: i + 1, of: total }));
             }
         }
         for item in &rankings.unranked_items {
-            map.insert(item.as_str().to_string(), None);
+            map.insert(item.clone(), None);
         }
         map
     }
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ fn compute_scope_rank_changes(
     let before_pos = build_positions(before);
     let after_pos = build_positions(after);
 
-    let all_items: std::collections::BTreeSet<String> = before_pos.keys().cloned()
+    let all_items: std::collections::BTreeSet<CanonicalItemUrl> = before_pos.keys().cloned()
         .chain(after_pos.keys().cloned())
         .collect();
 
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ fn compute_scope_rank_changes(
         };
         if changed {
             changes.push(RankChange {
-                item: GardenItemUrl::from_storage_str(&item, room_wire),
+                item: GardenItemUrl::from_stored(&item, room_wire),
                 before: b,
                 after: a,
             });
@@ -203,11 +203,7 @@ fn compute_scope_rank_changes(
     });
 
     Some(ScopeRankChanges {
-        parent: if parent.is_empty() {
-            "/".to_string()
-        } else {
-            GardenItemUrl::from_storage_str(parent, room_wire).into_inner()
-        },
+        parent: GardenItemUrl::from_stored(parent, room_wire).into_inner(),
         changes,
     })
 }
@@ -473,8 +469,8 @@ async fn rpc_post(
         for s in &v.doc.statements {
             if let dsl::Stmt::Vote { item1, item2, .. } = s {
                 if let (Ok(a), Ok(b)) = (resolve_item(item1), resolve_item(item2)) {
-                    if let Some(p) = CanonicalItemUrl::parse(&a).and_then(|c| c.parent()) { parents.insert(p); }
-                    if let Some(p) = CanonicalItemUrl::parse(&b).and_then(|c| c.parent()) { parents.insert(p); }
+                    if let Some(p) = a.parent() { parents.insert(p); }
+                    if let Some(p) = b.parent() { parents.insert(p); }
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -525,7 +521,7 @@ async fn rpc_post(
             .filter_map(|p| {
                 let before = pre_rankings.get(p)?;
                 let after = crate::scope_rank::build_children_rankings(content, p);
-                compute_scope_rank_changes(p.as_str(), before, &after, &room_key)
+                compute_scope_rank_changes(p, before, &after, &room_key)
             })
             .collect();
         if v.is_empty() { None } else { Some(v) }
@@ -638,8 +634,8 @@ async fn rpc_check(
         for s in &v.doc.statements {
             if let dsl::Stmt::Vote { item1, item2, .. } = s {
                 if let (Ok(a), Ok(b)) = (resolve_item(item1), resolve_item(item2)) {
-                    if let Some(p) = CanonicalItemUrl::parse(&a).and_then(|c| c.parent()) { parents.insert(p); }
-                    if let Some(p) = CanonicalItemUrl::parse(&b).and_then(|c| c.parent()) { parents.insert(p); }
+                    if let Some(p) = a.parent() { parents.insert(p); }
+                    if let Some(p) = b.parent() { parents.insert(p); }
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -961,7 +957,7 @@ fn rpc_search(reduced: &ReducerState, q: &str, limit: usize, principal: Option<&
 async fn rpc_get_pair(state: &AppState, room: String, parent_path: String) -> Result<RpcResult, RpcErr> {
     let scope = scope_from_room_wire(&room);
     let reduced_arc = state.reduced.clone();
-    let pool: Vec<String> = {
+    let pool: Vec<CanonicalItemUrl> = {
         let reduced = reduced_arc.read().await;
         let content = content_for_room(&reduced, &room);
         let tmp = if parent_path.trim().is_empty() {
@@ -970,12 +966,11 @@ async fn rpc_get_pair(state: &AppState, room: String, parent_path: String) -> Re
             Some(parent_path.clone())
         };
         let specs = parse_parent_specs(tmp.as_ref());
-        let raw_pool: Vec<CanonicalItemUrl> = if specs.is_empty() {
+        if specs.is_empty() {
             content.ranking_group.idx_to_item.clone()
         } else {
             crate::scope_rank::resolve_scope(content, &specs)
-        };
-        raw_pool.into_iter().map(|it| it.0).collect()
+        }
     };
     if pool.len() < 2 {
         return Err((
@@ -983,31 +978,30 @@ async fn rpc_get_pair(state: &AppState, room: String, parent_path: String) -> Re
             Some("add items via ingest".into()),
         ));
     }
-    let selected: Option<(String, String)> = {
+    let selected: Option<(CanonicalItemUrl, CanonicalItemUrl)> = {
         let mut reduced = reduced_arc.write().await;
         let content = reduced.content.entry(scope.clone()).or_default();
         let group = &mut content.ranking_group;
         if group.idx_to_item.is_empty() {
-            pick_random_distinct(&pool)
+            pick_random_distinct_canonical(&pool)
         } else {
             let mut rng = rand::thread_rng();
-            let idxs: Vec<usize> = pool.iter()
-                .filter_map(|it| {
-                    let key = CanonicalItemUrl(it.clone());
-                    group.item_to_idx.get(&key).copied()
-                })
+            let idxs: Vec<usize> = pool
+                .iter()
+                .filter_map(|it| group.item_to_idx.get(it).copied())
                 .collect();
             let ranked = ranked_items_subset(group, &idxs, 10000, 1e-8);
-            let ranked_set: HashSet<String> = ranked.iter().map(|r| r.item.as_str().to_string()).collect();
-            let unsorted: Vec<String> = pool.iter()
+            let ranked_set: HashSet<CanonicalItemUrl> = ranked.iter().map(|r| r.item.clone()).collect();
+            let unsorted: Vec<CanonicalItemUrl> = pool
+                .iter()
                 .filter(|it| !ranked_set.contains(*it))
                 .cloned()
                 .collect();
-            let mut pick: Option<(String, String)> = None;
+            let mut pick: Option<(CanonicalItemUrl, CanonicalItemUrl)> = None;
             if !unsorted.is_empty() {
                 if let Some(left) = unsorted.choose(&mut rng).cloned() {
-                    let mut candidates: Vec<String> = if !ranked.is_empty() {
-                        ranked.iter().map(|r| r.item.as_str().to_string()).collect()
+                    let mut candidates: Vec<CanonicalItemUrl> = if !ranked.is_empty() {
+                        ranked.iter().map(|r| r.item.clone()).collect()
                     } else {
                         pool.clone()
                     };
@@ -1021,21 +1015,21 @@ async fn rpc_get_pair(state: &AppState, room: String, parent_path: String) -> Re
                     let a = ranked[i].item.as_str();
                     let b = ranked[i + 1].item.as_str();
                     if a != b && !is_pair_voted(group, a, b) {
-                        pick = Some((a.to_string(), b.to_string()));
+                        pick = Some((ranked[i].item.clone(), ranked[i + 1].item.clone()));
                         break;
                     }
                 }
                 if pick.is_none() {
                     for _ in 0..64 {
                         let (Some(a), Some(b)) = (pool.choose(&mut rng).cloned(), pool.choose(&mut rng).cloned()) else { break; };
-                        if a != b && !is_pair_voted(group, &a, &b) {
+                        if a != b && !is_pair_voted(group, a.as_str(), b.as_str()) {
                             pick = Some((a, b));
                             break;
                         }
                     }
                 }
             }
-            pick.or_else(|| pick_random_distinct(&pool))
+            pick.or_else(|| pick_random_distinct_canonical(&pool))
         }
     };
     let Some((left, right)) = selected else {
@@ -1043,8 +1037,8 @@ async fn rpc_get_pair(state: &AppState, room: String, parent_path: String) -> Re
     };
     let reduced = reduced_arc.read().await;
     let content = content_for_room(&reduced, &room);
-    let left_key = CanonicalItemUrl(left.clone());
-    let right_key = CanonicalItemUrl(right.clone());
+    let left_key = left.clone();
+    let right_key = right.clone();
     let lb = content.item_bodies.get(&left_key).cloned();
     let rb = content.item_bodies.get(&right_key).cloned();
     let th: Vec<String> = content
@@ -1058,8 +1052,8 @@ async fn rpc_get_pair(state: &AppState, room: String, parent_path: String) -> Re
         .collect();
     let cs = compute_connectivity_stats(&content.ranking_group, &pool);
     Ok(RpcResult::Pair(PairResponse {
-        left: GardenItemUrl::from_storage_str(&left, &room),
-        right: GardenItemUrl::from_storage_str(&right, &room),
+        left: GardenItemUrl::from_stored(&left, &room),
+        right: GardenItemUrl::from_stored(&right, &room),
         left_body: lb,
         right_body: rb,
         threads: th,
@@ -1554,7 +1548,7 @@ pub async fn handle_rpc_batch(
                     for r in items {
                         let pct = want_percent.then(|| ((r.score - bot) / range * 100.0).clamp(0.0, 100.0));
                         ranked.push(RankRow {
-                            item: GardenItemUrl::from_storage_str(r.item.as_str(), &room),
+                            item: GardenItemUrl::from_stored(&r.item, &room),
                             score: r.score,
                             percent: pct,
                         });
@@ -1562,11 +1556,11 @@ pub async fn handle_rpc_batch(
                 }
 
                 let ranked_total = ranked.len();
-                let mut unranked: Vec<String> = content
+                let mut unranked: Vec<CanonicalItemUrl> = content
                     .items
                     .iter()
                     .filter(|it| !group.item_to_idx.contains_key(*it))
-                    .map(|it| it.as_str().to_string())
+                    .cloned()
                     .collect();
                 unranked.sort();
                 let unranked_total = unranked.len();
@@ -1574,7 +1568,7 @@ pub async fn handle_rpc_batch(
                 let page: Vec<RankRow> = ranked
                     .into_iter()
                     .chain(unranked.into_iter().map(|it| RankRow {
-                        item: GardenItemUrl::from_storage_str(&it, &room),
+                        item: GardenItemUrl::from_stored(&it, &room),
                         score: 0.0,
                         percent: want_percent.then_some(0.0),
                     }))
@@ -1722,7 +1716,7 @@ pub async fn handle_rpc_batch(
                     .filter(|p| !parents.contains(p.as_str()))
                     .map(|p| GardenItemUrl::from_stored(p, &room))
                     .collect();
-                paths.sort_by(|a, b| a.as_str().cmp(b.as_str()));
+                paths.sort();
                 line_ok(RpcResult::Leaves(LeavesResponse { paths }))
                 }
             },
diff --git a/server/src/api/validate.rs b/server/src/api/validate.rs
index a51c783ee9785569b5a44c0b1572471fe00d174b..3c7aa80fd485cf247231fe5c5c7e6fea62f22534 100644
--- a/server/src/api/validate.rs
+++ b/server/src/api/validate.rs
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ pub fn validate_ingest_document(
     };
 
     let ts = super::helpers::now_ms();
-    let mut defined_in_doc: HashSet<String> = HashSet::new();
+    let mut defined_in_doc: HashSet<CanonicalItemUrl> = HashSet::new();
 
     for s in &doc.statements {
         match s {
@@ -66,14 +66,14 @@ pub fn validate_ingest_document(
                 let Some(body_text) = body else {
                     return Err((
                         StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST,
-                        format!("item missing body: {}", GardenItemUrl::from_storage_str(&item, room_wire)),
+                        format!("item missing body: {}", GardenItemUrl::from_stored(&item, room_wire)),
                         Some("items must be declared with bodies, e.g. `~/path/item { ... }`".to_string()),
                     ));
                 };
                 if body_text.trim().is_empty() {
                     return Err((
                         StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST,
-                        format!("item body is empty: {}", GardenItemUrl::from_storage_str(&item, room_wire)),
+                        format!("item body is empty: {}", GardenItemUrl::from_stored(&item, room_wire)),
                         Some("write at least one sentence inside `{ ... }`".to_string()),
                     ));
                 }
@@ -102,11 +102,8 @@ pub fn validate_ingest_document(
                 };
                 let missing: Vec<String> = [&a, &b]
                     .into_iter()
-                    .filter(|it| {
-                        let key = CanonicalItemUrl((*it).clone());
-                        !defined_in_doc.contains(*it) && !item_exists(&key)
-                    })
-                    .map(|it| GardenItemUrl::from_storage_str(it, room_wire).into_inner())
+                    .filter(|it| !defined_in_doc.contains(*it) && !item_exists(it))
+                    .map(|it| GardenItemUrl::from_stored(it, room_wire).into_inner())
                     .collect();
                 if !missing.is_empty() {
                     return Err((
@@ -120,11 +117,8 @@ pub fn validate_ingest_document(
                 }
                 let missing_body: Vec<String> = [&a, &b]
                     .into_iter()
-                    .filter(|it| {
-                        let key = CanonicalItemUrl((*it).clone());
-                        !defined_in_doc.contains(*it) && !body_exists(&key)
-                    })
-                    .map(|it| GardenItemUrl::from_storage_str(it, room_wire).into_inner())
+                    .filter(|it| !defined_in_doc.contains(*it) && !body_exists(it))
+                    .map(|it| GardenItemUrl::from_stored(it, room_wire).into_inner())
                     .collect();
                 if !missing_body.is_empty() {
                     return Err((
diff --git a/server/src/html/editor.rs b/server/src/html/editor.rs
index ecdd226b1b17d5f11d1b79f99add5759ef918281..26d648d7c8d6e5d53ce5ed7a051b44856fca2fcf 100644
--- a/server/src/html/editor.rs
+++ b/server/src/html/editor.rs
@@ -130,8 +130,8 @@ pub async fn editor_check(
                 for s in &v.doc.statements {
                     if let crate::dsl::Stmt::Vote { item1, item2, .. } = s {
                         if let (Ok(a), Ok(b)) = (resolve_item(item1), resolve_item(item2)) {
-                            if let Some(p) = crate::path_types::CanonicalItemUrl::parse(&a).and_then(|c| c.parent()) { parents.insert(p); }
-                            if let Some(p) = crate::path_types::CanonicalItemUrl::parse(&b).and_then(|c| c.parent()) { parents.insert(p); }
+                            if let Some(p) = a.parent() { parents.insert(p); }
+                            if let Some(p) = b.parent() { parents.insert(p); }
                         }
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/types/src/paths.rs b/types/src/paths.rs
index 2950a7502255927583fbacdfd2adb700f0b0c221..839684dfa0ecdd6c2572e2d8132ecee4d5c41bf8 100644
--- a/types/src/paths.rs
+++ b/types/src/paths.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 use std::borrow::Borrow;
 use std::fmt;
+use std::ops::Deref;
 
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
@@ -319,6 +320,14 @@ impl fmt::Display for GardenItemUrl {
     }
 }
 
+impl Deref for GardenItemUrl {
+    type Target = str;
+
+    fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
+        &self.0
+    }
+}
+
 fn garden_href_string(item: &str, room_wire: &str) -> String {
     let room = room_wire.trim();
     if room.is_empty() || room == "public" {
@@ -386,6 +395,14 @@ impl fmt::Display for ForumThreadUrl {
     }
 }
 
+impl Deref for ForumThreadUrl {
+    type Target = str;
+
+    fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
+        &self.0
+    }
+}
+
 /// `~/a/b` style path for list UIs (paths index `path` field).
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Hash, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 #[serde(transparent)]
@@ -412,6 +429,14 @@ impl fmt::Display for TildeOntologyPath {
     }
 }
 
+impl Deref for TildeOntologyPath {
+    type Target = str;
+
+    fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
+        &self.0
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
@@ -452,6 +477,13 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(c.tilde_segments(), Vec::<&str>::new());
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn garden_item_url_deref_to_str() {
+        let g = GardenItemUrl::from_storage_str("https://slug.social/~/x", "public");
+        let s: &str = &*g;
+        assert_eq!(s, "https://slug.social/~/x");
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn garden_public_passthrough_https() {
         let u = "https://slug.social/~/a/b";