# Categories A `Category` is a means of denoting a core feature that is key in distinguishing [Entities](/about/elements/data/entities.md) - for now, we have them broken out as follows, but this may change and we will keep this page and the [Data](/about/elements/data.md) updated accordingly. Feel free to share [Feedback](/about/feedback.md) as you have it! ## Types of Categories Right now we are using the following `Categories`: ### Government {% hint style="success" %} **`Government`** applies to any of the **`Entities`** that are governmental in nature {% endhint %} We believe this will generally be somewhat simple, but there are [Entities](/about/elements/data/entities.md) with very close ties to [#non-profit](#non-profit "mention")s we expect may take some disambiguation. > **EXAMPLE**: `Army Futures Command` is a government `Organization` and has various `Projects` associated with it). ### Academic {% hint style="success" %} We applied **`Academic`** to **`Entities`** that have a primary tie to universities or other educational institutions. {% endhint %} Although the majority of these are also `Non-Profit` (at least nominally), the distinction is significant enough to warrant a separate category in our judgment. > **EXAMPLE**: `Stanford` offering of a class focused on `Hacking for Defense`, which is a separate `Project` `Entity` with the `Non-Profit` `Category`. ### Non-Profit {% hint style="success" %} **`Non-Profit`** is applied to non-**`Academic`** **`Entities`** that do not operate for a profit as **`Commercial`** counterparts do. {% endhint %} While sometimes challenging to distinguish from `Government` or `Academic` efforts (at least, we often find it confusing), this distinction applies to a number of `Entities` we think are important (such as us!). > **EXAMPLE**: The `Common Mission Project`, which runs `Hacking for Defense` at universities around the country in coordination with the `National Security Innovation Network`. ### Commercial {% hint style="success" %} We use **`Commercial`** with **`Entities`** whose primary goal is financial gain as measured by stakeholder value or other similar metric. {% endhint %} These are generally wonderful teammates and great folks who care about the mission as much as the rest of us (but it is important to understand how their incentives and structures differ from other `Entities`). > **EXAMPLE**: `BMNT`, a consultancy which originated the `Hacking for Defense` method and spun-off the `Common Mission Project` as a separate `Non-Profit` `Entity`. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.natsec.io/about/elements/data/categories.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.