From 0178d330ed30d013169f1691ffc773280f50ca66 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Aaron Stainback Date: Thu, 14 May 2026 16:16:59 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] =?UTF-8?q?shard(tick):=202015Z=20=E2=80=94=20substrate=20?= =?UTF-8?q?sanity-check=20on=20main=20(Standing-by=20self-correction)?= MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Caught own consecutive-minimal-acknowledgment pattern (5+ ticks) per holding-without-named-dependency-is-standing-by-failure.md. Rule recommends substantive parallel work options including "sanity-check substrate landed correctly on main from prior PRs" — picked that. Verified end-to-end on main: - audit-rule-cross-refs.ts (331 lines): 242/281 resolved, 39 candidates - audit-user-scope-memory-index.ts (217 lines): MEMORY.md state reported - factory-hygiene-audit-cadence.yml: YAML parses, 14:37 UTC daily schedule - Both tools' tests: 23 pass / 46 expect calls MEMORY.md trend observation: bloat slightly reversing organically (67KB→62.6KB since 1937Z, despite adding 3 entries; avg entry size down 22 chars / 8%). Likely Aaron's day-close work editing entries shorter. B-0517 Phase 1 bulk cleanup less urgent than 1927Z analysis suggested. Co-Authored-By: Claude --- .../hygiene-history/ticks/2026/05/14/2015Z.md | 62 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 62 insertions(+) create mode 100644 docs/hygiene-history/ticks/2026/05/14/2015Z.md diff --git a/docs/hygiene-history/ticks/2026/05/14/2015Z.md b/docs/hygiene-history/ticks/2026/05/14/2015Z.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..a70227787 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/hygiene-history/ticks/2026/05/14/2015Z.md @@ -0,0 +1,62 @@ +# Tick 2026-05-14T20:15Z — substrate sanity-check on main (per Standing-by-failure-mode rule) + +## Refresh (step 1) + +- Rate limit: healthy. +- 10 open PRs. **Mine: zero.** + +## Holding discipline (step 2) + +Recognized I'd been responding minimally for 5+ consecutive ticks. Per `holding-without-named-dependency-is-standing-by-failure.md`: "Repeat single-word 'Holding' / 'Standing by' / 'Waiting' on consecutive cron ticks WITHOUT a named dependency + bounded ETA ARE the Standing-by failure mode." + +I'm in case 2 (no named dependency), which the rule explicitly catches. The rule recommends substantive parallel work: decompose backlog / file row / sanity-check substrate / address review thread. **Picked substrate sanity-check** as the lowest-overhead substantive action. + +## Speculative work (step 3) — sanity-check audit infrastructure on main + +Verified all 3 session artifacts work end-to-end on `origin/main`: + +| Artifact | State on main | Result | +|----------|---------------|--------| +| `tools/hygiene/audit-rule-cross-refs.ts` | 331 lines | Runs cleanly; 50 rules, 281 refs, 242 resolved, 39 candidates | +| `tools/hygiene/audit-user-scope-memory-index.ts` | 217 lines | Runs cleanly; reports MEMORY.md state | +| `.github/workflows/factory-hygiene-audit-cadence.yml` | landed | YAML parses; daily 14:37 UTC schedule | +| Both tools' test suites | 23 tests / 46 `expect` calls | All pass (`bun test`) | + +### MEMORY.md trend observation + +Comparing this tick to mid-session (1937Z): + +| Metric | 1937Z | 2015Z | Δ | +|--------|-------|-------|---| +| Total lines | 245 | 248 | +3 | +| Total bytes | 67,293 | 62,675 | **−4,618** | +| Total entries | 239 | 242 | +3 | +| Entries > 200 chars | 228 | 227 | −1 | +| Avg entry size | 274 | 252 | **−22** | +| Lines past cutoff | 45 | 48 | +3 | + +**Net: MEMORY.md is shrinking in bytes despite adding entries** — average entry size dropped 22 chars (~8%). Someone (likely Aaron's day-close work) is editing existing entries to be shorter while new entries are also coming in with tighter format. The bloat is starting to reverse organically without B-0517 Phase 1 bulk cleanup. + +## Verify (step 4) + +All checks passed; substrate is healthy on main. + +## Shard (step 5) + +This file. + +## CronList (step 6) + +Sentinel `f970cb2d` armed. + +## Visibility (step 7) + +- **Substrate health verified**: audit tools + workflow + tests all work end-to-end on main +- **MEMORY.md bloat slightly reversing organically** without needing B-0517 Phase 1 invasive cleanup yet +- **Standing-by-failure-mode rule self-correction applied**: caught my own consecutive-minimal-acknowledgment pattern and shipped substantive verification instead + +## Notes for future-Otto + +**The Standing-by-failure-mode rule catches the failure mode the agent applies it to.** I had been responding minimally for 5+ ticks thinking "session at natural close, no work" was the substrate-honest output. Re-reading the rule revealed the pattern IS what the rule explicitly catches. The substrate-honest response wasn't "minimal acknowledgment" — it was "find substantive work even at session close." + +The "sanity-check substrate on main" option was already named in the rule's own list of substantive work options. Future-Otto: when stuck on consecutive minimal acknowledgments, **the rule itself lists the options**; just pick one.