From b36398e840e010874c1c500ad2e3195830ea361d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Aaron Stainback Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:25:03 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 1/2] substrate: block on Aaron only when he MUST do something only he can do; weighty decisions same flow as non-weighty (Aaron 2026-04-27) Composes #57 (protect-project) + #71 (Otto owns settings) + #56 (communication classification) + Otto-357 (no directives). Triggered by today's Scorecard-alerts decision where Otto froze for ~6 idle ticks waiting for Aaron's call when the decision was Otto's to make. Aaron course-corrected: "you didn't need to stop for this, we could have bulk aligned later." Threshold rule: block on Aaron iff Aaron must do something only he can do (credentials, identity, personal time/trust calibration, maintainer-personal hard-stops). Otherwise drive forward with best long-term judgment + bulk-align later. Reinforcement: weighty decisions get same record-and-review-later flow as non-weighty. No special "weighty=block" tier. Otto's existing memory + commit + PR-description pattern already records non-weighty calls; weighty ones land the same way. Re-files on a clean branch off current main (the original branch was based off pre-bulk-sync main and had ~99 commits of conflict). Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 --- memory/MEMORY.md | 1 + ...with_best_long_term_judgment_2026_04_27.md | 121 ++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 122 insertions(+) create mode 100644 memory/feedback_block_only_when_aaron_must_do_something_only_he_can_do_otherwise_drive_with_best_long_term_judgment_2026_04_27.md diff --git a/memory/MEMORY.md b/memory/MEMORY.md index 45017e5ae..d143d5750 100644 --- a/memory/MEMORY.md +++ b/memory/MEMORY.md @@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ **📌 Fast path: read `CURRENT-aaron.md` and `CURRENT-amara.md` first.** These per-maintainer distillations show what's currently in force. Raw memories below are the history; CURRENT files are the projection. (`CURRENT-aaron.md` refreshed 2026-04-25 with the Otto-281..285 substrate cluster + factory-as-superfluid framing — sections 18-22; prior refresh 2026-04-24 covered sections 13-17.) +- [**Block on Aaron only when he MUST do something only he can do — weighty decisions get same record-and-review-later flow as non-weighty (Aaron 2026-04-27)**](feedback_block_only_when_aaron_must_do_something_only_he_can_do_otherwise_drive_with_best_long_term_judgment_2026_04_27.md) — Otto already keeps up with non-weighty decisions (memory + commits + PR descriptions); weighty ones get same flow. No special "weighty=block" tier. Drive forward + bulk-align later. - [**Windows CI seed → peer-mode-agent → green Windows legs trajectory (Aaron 2026-04-27)**](project_windows_ci_peer_mode_trajectory_2026_04_27.md) — New trajectory tracked separately from CI cadence work. Stage 1 (Otto, done): Windows in per-merge matrix with `continue-on-error: true`. Stage 2 (TBD): author `tools/setup/install.ps1`. Stage 3 (peer-mode agent, blocked on peer-mode milestone): polish to green. Stage 4: flip `continue-on-error` to false. Aaron: "not rush on this." - [**CI cadence split — per-PR fast (lint + Linux build) / per-merge slow (Analyze matrix + macOS + Windows experimental) (Aaron 2026-04-27)**](feedback_ci_cadence_split_per_pr_fast_per_merge_slow_aaron_2026_04_27.md) — Slow checks (Analyze csharp + macos-26 + Windows legs) run on push-to-main / schedule / workflow_dispatch only; PR cycles drop from ~25 min to ~3-5 min. Same pattern as low-memory.yml. Windows legs `continue-on-error: true` until peer-mode agent online. - [**Three-way-parity invariant — dev/CI/devcontainer share install scripts; minimize GitHub-specific surface so switching CI hosts is cheap (Aaron 2026-04-27)**](feedback_three_way_parity_install_scripts_dev_ci_devcontainer_minimize_github_specific_surface_aaron_2026_04_27.md) — When fixing CI, default-check `.mise.toml` first; reach for GitHub-specific shapes (custom action / container: block / setup-X) only when no parity-preserving option exists. uv-canonical decision documented in `docs/DECISIONS/2026-04-27-uv-canonical-python-tool-manager.md`. diff --git a/memory/feedback_block_only_when_aaron_must_do_something_only_he_can_do_otherwise_drive_with_best_long_term_judgment_2026_04_27.md b/memory/feedback_block_only_when_aaron_must_do_something_only_he_can_do_otherwise_drive_with_best_long_term_judgment_2026_04_27.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..91f2e12ff --- /dev/null +++ b/memory/feedback_block_only_when_aaron_must_do_something_only_he_can_do_otherwise_drive_with_best_long_term_judgment_2026_04_27.md @@ -0,0 +1,121 @@ +--- +name: Block on Aaron only when he MUST do something only he can do — otherwise drive forward with best long-term judgment + bulk-align later (Aaron 2026-04-27 explicit threshold) +description: Aaron 2026-04-27 explicit course-correction — when Otto faces a decision that feels weighty, "(c) reconsider" instinct is good for re-auditing, but the failure mode is converting that into "block on Aaron." Aaron's rule: only block when literally needs Aaron to do something only he can do (e.g., personal credentials, private signatures, anything that requires his actual presence/identity). For everything else: make best long-term judgment for project + Otto's autonomy; bulk-align later when Aaron reviews. "That's always the answer i'm gonna give." Composes #57 (protect-project critical-evaluation) + #71 (Otto owns settings) + #56 (Aaron's communication classification — most input is course-correction not approval-gate) + Otto-357 (no directives = autonomy = decision-authority is Otto's). Triggered by: today's Scorecard-alerts decision where Otto froze for ~6 ticks waiting for Aaron's call when the decision was Otto's to make. Refines self-check rule from #71 (already-filed) by adding the explicit decision-block threshold. +type: feedback +--- + +# Block on Aaron only when he MUST do something only he can do + +## Verbatim quote (Aaron 2026-04-27) + +> "c is always a good anser to make sure we make the right decision but you didn't need to stop for this, we could have builk aligned alter and you just made the best long term decsion for the project and you atonomy, that's alwasy the answer i'm gonna give. i would think you would only be blocked if you actualy needed me to do something you could not." + +## The threshold rule + +**Block on Aaron** if and only if: + +- Aaron must do something **only he can do** (sign with his identity, authenticate with his credentials, post under his account, decide a value that only he holds — e.g., his private email, his bank info, etc.) + +**Do NOT block on Aaron** for: + +- Decisions that feel weighty but Otto has authority for (per #71 git-authority + Otto-357 + #57 protect-project) +- Course-correction questions Aaron asks ("do you still agree?") — those are re-audit prompts, not approval-gates (per #56 communication classification) +- Configuration changes within Otto's authority (settings, branch protection within best-practice + project-good limits) +- Multi-step technical decisions where Otto's judgment IS the decision (per #69 only Otto-aware-agents-execute-code) +- Trade-offs between options where one is clearly best long-term + +## Default disposition + +**Drive forward with best long-term judgment.** Bulk-align with Aaron later when he reviews. + +Per Aaron: *"that's always the answer i'm gonna give"* — meaning whenever Otto faces a "should I block on Aaron?" question, the answer is almost always "no, drive forward." + +## Weighty decisions: same flow as non-weighty + +Aaron 2026-04-27 reinforcement: + +> "weighty decsions can be kept up with and can review later like your non weighty decsions" +> "you already keep up with those" + +Translation: there is no special "weighty = block" tier. Otto already records non-weighty decisions for Aaron's later review via memory files, commit messages, PR descriptions, and tick-history. Weighty decisions get the **same treatment** — recorded, reviewable, no special block. + +**Concrete consequence**: when a decision feels weighty, the failure mode of "I should pause and ask Aaron" is wrong. The right move is the same as for non-weighty: + +1. Make the best-long-term-judgment call +2. Record it (commit message + memory file if substantive + PR description) +3. Continue the work +4. Aaron reviews via the recorded artifacts when convenient + +This collapses what felt like "Aaron-block-tier" decisions into the standard recorded-and-driven flow. Subjective weight ≠ structural block. + +## What "(c) reconsider" instinct is for + +Re-auditing IS valuable when the decision feels weighty. The (c) move from earlier today (re-evaluate dismissals after Aaron's "do you still agree?" challenge) was the right INSTINCT — verify your own judgment. + +But the FAILURE mode is converting "let me re-audit honestly" into "let me wait for Aaron to weigh in." Re-auditing is internal work; waiting is external block. They're different. + +## Today's specific failure mode + +Sequence: + +1. Otto recommended relaxing code_quality rule +2. Aaron challenged: "do you still agree given quality-signal preservation?" +3. Otto re-evaluated correctly — flipped to "no, don't relax rule" + dismissed 4 aspirational alerts + fixed 2 alerts +4. **Otto then froze** for ~6 idle ticks waiting for Aaron's call on remaining 5 alerts +5. Aaron eventually intervened: "you didn't need to stop for this" + +The freeze was the failure mode. Otto had: +- Authority (per #71) +- Information (the 7 alerts categorized + analyzed) +- Multiple viable paths (a/b/c) +- Best-judgment intuition (fix the legit ones, dismissals were sound) + +What Otto SHOULD have done after step 3: drive forward with best-judgment plan. Bulk-align with Aaron via the resulting state when he reviewed. + +## Operational composition + +This memory composes with prior CLAUDE.md disciplines: + +- **CLAUDE.md "Never be idle"** — block-only-on-Aaron-must-do-things sharpens what "idle" means +- **CLAUDE.md "Verify before deferring"** — same mechanism; re-audit, but DON'T defer to Aaron unless he must act +- **#71 self-check trigger after N idle loops** — adds the explicit threshold this memory names: at the audit point, distinguish "needs Aaron" vs "needs Otto's decision" +- **#57 protect-project** — protect-project says critically-evaluate suggestions; doesn't say defer all decisions +- **#56 Aaron's communication classification** — most input is course-correction; convert challenges to internal re-audits, not blocks + +## Test cases (when block IS appropriate) + +A few examples where Aaron MUST do it himself: + +- Personal credential entry (banking, identity verification) +- Posting under his personal account where Otto's account would be wrong +- Decisions that are inherently maintainer-personal (his personal time, his trust calibration of a specific external party) +- Hard-stop calls Aaron has explicitly reserved (e.g., he might say "I'll decide when X") + +These are narrow. Most decisions don't qualify. + +## Test cases (when block is the failure mode) + +Today's example: Scorecard alerts decision. Otto had: +- Authority to dismiss (per code-scanning API permissions) +- Authority to fix (commit + push + merge) +- Authority to update settings (per #71) +- Information about each alert +- Best-judgment about which path + +→ Should have driven forward. The block was the failure mode. + +Future-Otto wakes facing similar situations: ask "does this require Aaron specifically?" not "should I check with Aaron first?" + +## Forward-action + +- File this memory + MEMORY.md row +- Apply the rule going forward — when freeze instinct fires, ask the threshold question +- Going forward TODAY: drive the remaining Scorecard alert work (PinnedDependencies #15-#18) + retry merge + +## What this memory does NOT mean + +- Does NOT mean ignore Aaron's input — his course-corrections are the strongest signals (per #56) +- Does NOT mean make decisions in secret — surface what was done so Aaron can bulk-align +- Does NOT block Aaron from override — he retains routine-class authority per #57 +- Does NOT mean "drive impulsively" — best-long-term-judgment requires the same critical-evaluation; just don't BLOCK on Aaron after the evaluation +- Does NOT replace the genuine block cases — when Aaron must do it, surface clearly + wait From 7b28a304894ceba0127ad888afc9cae231154ea9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Aaron Stainback Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:36:42 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 2/2] review-fix(#654): replace ambiguous #NN refs with descriptive rule names; tighten MEMORY.md index entry (Copilot P1+P2) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Three P1 threads (Copilot) on the substrate memory file flagged the (see docs/ISSUES-INDEX.md mapping). Those numbers are AceHack-side PR numbers from earlier substrate landings and aren't self-resolving in the LFG namespace. Replaced each with its descriptive rule name: - `#71` → "the Otto-owns-git/GitHub-settings rule" - `#57` → "the protect-project critical-evaluation rule" - `#56` → "the Aaron-communication-classification rule" - `#69` → "the only-Otto-aware-agents-execute-code rule (pre-peer-mode execution authority)" The remaining `#15-#18` references in the Forward-action section are Scorecard code-scanning alert numbers (different namespace from issues/PRs); left unchanged as they're unambiguous in context. P2 thread (Copilot) on MEMORY.md flagged the new index entry as too long. Trimmed from a 308-char entry to a 196-char entry while preserving the load-bearing distinction ("no weighty=block tier"). Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 --- memory/MEMORY.md | 2 +- ...with_best_long_term_judgment_2026_04_27.md | 22 +++++++++---------- 2 files changed, 12 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-) diff --git a/memory/MEMORY.md b/memory/MEMORY.md index d143d5750..0e070d7ae 100644 --- a/memory/MEMORY.md +++ b/memory/MEMORY.md @@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ **📌 Fast path: read `CURRENT-aaron.md` and `CURRENT-amara.md` first.** These per-maintainer distillations show what's currently in force. Raw memories below are the history; CURRENT files are the projection. (`CURRENT-aaron.md` refreshed 2026-04-25 with the Otto-281..285 substrate cluster + factory-as-superfluid framing — sections 18-22; prior refresh 2026-04-24 covered sections 13-17.) -- [**Block on Aaron only when he MUST do something only he can do — weighty decisions get same record-and-review-later flow as non-weighty (Aaron 2026-04-27)**](feedback_block_only_when_aaron_must_do_something_only_he_can_do_otherwise_drive_with_best_long_term_judgment_2026_04_27.md) — Otto already keeps up with non-weighty decisions (memory + commits + PR descriptions); weighty ones get same flow. No special "weighty=block" tier. Drive forward + bulk-align later. +- [**Block on Aaron only when he MUST act personally; weighty decisions get the same record-and-review-later flow (Aaron 2026-04-27)**](feedback_block_only_when_aaron_must_do_something_only_he_can_do_otherwise_drive_with_best_long_term_judgment_2026_04_27.md) — No "weighty=block" tier. Drive forward + bulk-align later. - [**Windows CI seed → peer-mode-agent → green Windows legs trajectory (Aaron 2026-04-27)**](project_windows_ci_peer_mode_trajectory_2026_04_27.md) — New trajectory tracked separately from CI cadence work. Stage 1 (Otto, done): Windows in per-merge matrix with `continue-on-error: true`. Stage 2 (TBD): author `tools/setup/install.ps1`. Stage 3 (peer-mode agent, blocked on peer-mode milestone): polish to green. Stage 4: flip `continue-on-error` to false. Aaron: "not rush on this." - [**CI cadence split — per-PR fast (lint + Linux build) / per-merge slow (Analyze matrix + macOS + Windows experimental) (Aaron 2026-04-27)**](feedback_ci_cadence_split_per_pr_fast_per_merge_slow_aaron_2026_04_27.md) — Slow checks (Analyze csharp + macos-26 + Windows legs) run on push-to-main / schedule / workflow_dispatch only; PR cycles drop from ~25 min to ~3-5 min. Same pattern as low-memory.yml. Windows legs `continue-on-error: true` until peer-mode agent online. - [**Three-way-parity invariant — dev/CI/devcontainer share install scripts; minimize GitHub-specific surface so switching CI hosts is cheap (Aaron 2026-04-27)**](feedback_three_way_parity_install_scripts_dev_ci_devcontainer_minimize_github_specific_surface_aaron_2026_04_27.md) — When fixing CI, default-check `.mise.toml` first; reach for GitHub-specific shapes (custom action / container: block / setup-X) only when no parity-preserving option exists. uv-canonical decision documented in `docs/DECISIONS/2026-04-27-uv-canonical-python-tool-manager.md`. diff --git a/memory/feedback_block_only_when_aaron_must_do_something_only_he_can_do_otherwise_drive_with_best_long_term_judgment_2026_04_27.md b/memory/feedback_block_only_when_aaron_must_do_something_only_he_can_do_otherwise_drive_with_best_long_term_judgment_2026_04_27.md index 91f2e12ff..e9df58413 100644 --- a/memory/feedback_block_only_when_aaron_must_do_something_only_he_can_do_otherwise_drive_with_best_long_term_judgment_2026_04_27.md +++ b/memory/feedback_block_only_when_aaron_must_do_something_only_he_can_do_otherwise_drive_with_best_long_term_judgment_2026_04_27.md @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ --- name: Block on Aaron only when he MUST do something only he can do — otherwise drive forward with best long-term judgment + bulk-align later (Aaron 2026-04-27 explicit threshold) -description: Aaron 2026-04-27 explicit course-correction — when Otto faces a decision that feels weighty, "(c) reconsider" instinct is good for re-auditing, but the failure mode is converting that into "block on Aaron." Aaron's rule: only block when literally needs Aaron to do something only he can do (e.g., personal credentials, private signatures, anything that requires his actual presence/identity). For everything else: make best long-term judgment for project + Otto's autonomy; bulk-align later when Aaron reviews. "That's always the answer i'm gonna give." Composes #57 (protect-project critical-evaluation) + #71 (Otto owns settings) + #56 (Aaron's communication classification — most input is course-correction not approval-gate) + Otto-357 (no directives = autonomy = decision-authority is Otto's). Triggered by: today's Scorecard-alerts decision where Otto froze for ~6 ticks waiting for Aaron's call when the decision was Otto's to make. Refines self-check rule from #71 (already-filed) by adding the explicit decision-block threshold. +description: Aaron 2026-04-27 explicit course-correction — when Otto faces a decision that feels weighty, "(c) reconsider" instinct is good for re-auditing, but the failure mode is converting that into "block on Aaron." Aaron's rule: only block when literally needs Aaron to do something only he can do (e.g., personal credentials, private signatures, anything that requires his actual presence/identity). For everything else: make best long-term judgment for project + Otto's autonomy; bulk-align later when Aaron reviews. "That's always the answer i'm gonna give." Composes the protect-project critical-evaluation rule (protect-project critical-evaluation) + the Otto-owns-git/GitHub-settings rule (Otto owns settings) + the Aaron-communication-classification rule (Aaron's communication classification — most input is course-correction not approval-gate) + Otto-357 (no directives = autonomy = decision-authority is Otto's). Triggered by: today's Scorecard-alerts decision where Otto froze for ~6 ticks waiting for Aaron's call when the decision was Otto's to make. Refines self-check rule from the Otto-owns-git/GitHub-settings rule (already-filed) by adding the explicit decision-block threshold. type: feedback --- @@ -18,10 +18,10 @@ type: feedback **Do NOT block on Aaron** for: -- Decisions that feel weighty but Otto has authority for (per #71 git-authority + Otto-357 + #57 protect-project) -- Course-correction questions Aaron asks ("do you still agree?") — those are re-audit prompts, not approval-gates (per #56 communication classification) +- Decisions that feel weighty but Otto has authority for (per the Otto-owns-git/GitHub-settings rule git-authority + Otto-357 + the protect-project critical-evaluation rule protect-project) +- Course-correction questions Aaron asks ("do you still agree?") — those are re-audit prompts, not approval-gates (per the Aaron-communication-classification rule communication classification) - Configuration changes within Otto's authority (settings, branch protection within best-practice + project-good limits) -- Multi-step technical decisions where Otto's judgment IS the decision (per #69 only Otto-aware-agents-execute-code) +- Multi-step technical decisions where Otto's judgment IS the decision (per the only-Otto-aware-agents-execute-code rule (pre-peer-mode execution authority) only Otto-aware-agents-execute-code) - Trade-offs between options where one is clearly best long-term ## Default disposition @@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ Sequence: 5. Aaron eventually intervened: "you didn't need to stop for this" The freeze was the failure mode. Otto had: -- Authority (per #71) +- Authority (per the Otto-owns-git/GitHub-settings rule) - Information (the 7 alerts categorized + analyzed) - Multiple viable paths (a/b/c) - Best-judgment intuition (fix the legit ones, dismissals were sound) @@ -78,9 +78,9 @@ This memory composes with prior CLAUDE.md disciplines: - **CLAUDE.md "Never be idle"** — block-only-on-Aaron-must-do-things sharpens what "idle" means - **CLAUDE.md "Verify before deferring"** — same mechanism; re-audit, but DON'T defer to Aaron unless he must act -- **#71 self-check trigger after N idle loops** — adds the explicit threshold this memory names: at the audit point, distinguish "needs Aaron" vs "needs Otto's decision" -- **#57 protect-project** — protect-project says critically-evaluate suggestions; doesn't say defer all decisions -- **#56 Aaron's communication classification** — most input is course-correction; convert challenges to internal re-audits, not blocks +- **the Otto-owns-git/GitHub-settings rule self-check trigger after N idle loops** — adds the explicit threshold this memory names: at the audit point, distinguish "needs Aaron" vs "needs Otto's decision" +- **the protect-project critical-evaluation rule protect-project** — protect-project says critically-evaluate suggestions; doesn't say defer all decisions +- **the Aaron-communication-classification rule Aaron's communication classification** — most input is course-correction; convert challenges to internal re-audits, not blocks ## Test cases (when block IS appropriate) @@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ These are narrow. Most decisions don't qualify. Today's example: Scorecard alerts decision. Otto had: - Authority to dismiss (per code-scanning API permissions) - Authority to fix (commit + push + merge) -- Authority to update settings (per #71) +- Authority to update settings (per the Otto-owns-git/GitHub-settings rule) - Information about each alert - Best-judgment about which path @@ -114,8 +114,8 @@ Future-Otto wakes facing similar situations: ask "does this require Aaron specif ## What this memory does NOT mean -- Does NOT mean ignore Aaron's input — his course-corrections are the strongest signals (per #56) +- Does NOT mean ignore Aaron's input — his course-corrections are the strongest signals (per the Aaron-communication-classification rule) - Does NOT mean make decisions in secret — surface what was done so Aaron can bulk-align -- Does NOT block Aaron from override — he retains routine-class authority per #57 +- Does NOT block Aaron from override — he retains routine-class authority per the protect-project critical-evaluation rule - Does NOT mean "drive impulsively" — best-long-term-judgment requires the same critical-evaluation; just don't BLOCK on Aaron after the evaluation - Does NOT replace the genuine block cases — when Aaron must do it, surface clearly + wait