.. _`Fire Dragons`: #fire-dragons-distinguishing-conflicts-from-overwrites
+Note that writing a file that does not already have an entry in
+the `magic folder db`_ is initially classed as an overwrite.
+
A *write/download collision* occurs when another program writes
to ``foo`` in the local filesystem, concurrently with the new
version being written by the Magic Folder client. We need to
For example, suppose that Alice's Magic Folder client sees a change
to ``foo`` in Bob's DMD. If the version it downloads from Bob's DMD
is "based on" the version currently in Alice's local filesystem at
-the time Alice's client attempts to write the downloaded file, then
-it is an overwrite. Otherwise it is initially classified as a
+the time Alice's client attempts to write the downloaded file ‒or if
+there is no existing version in Alice's local filesystem at that time‒
+then it is an overwrite. Otherwise it is initially classified as a
conflict.
This initial classification is used by the procedure for writing a