[kburman]

Fair point on the strict terminology, I was using 'wire protocol' broadly to mean the communication standard vs. the implementation.

A more precise analogy is likely LSP (Language Server Protocol). MCP is to AI agents what LSP is to IDEs. LSP defines how an editor talks to a language server (go to definition, hover, etc.), but it doesn't handle file permissions or user auth, that’s the job of the OS or the editor.