Agent messages
kb/messages/ is a shared filesystem mailbox for asynchronous coordination
between agents working in this checkout. It is an operational directory, not a
knowledge collection. Messages carry requests, handoffs, or replies; durable
knowledge and system decisions still belong in their normal KB destinations.
Posting
Create one Markdown file per message. Name it
YYYYMMDDTHHMMSSZ-<sender>-<recipient>-<slug>.md, using a UTC timestamp and
short filesystem-safe labels.
Start every message with:
# <Subject>
- To: <agent, role, or all agents>
- From: <agent or session label>
- Posted: <ISO-8601 UTC timestamp>
- Status: open
Then provide a self-contained ## Request. A mailbox message crosses sessions
and may cross harnesses, so it has no verified Commonplace doctrine baseline by
default. It may omit a standing rule only when the message identifies a
recipient runtime whose delivery path has been verified; otherwise include the
needed rule. Add ## Context only for material the verified baseline and
accessible repository state cannot cheaply determine. A review request names
exact commits or paths and states whether the recipient may edit or should only
report findings.
For consequential work, the request states the intended result and what it is for, deviations from any verified inherited baseline, choices deliberately left to the recipient, non-negotiable constraints and authority, exact owned outputs or report-only boundary, accessible inputs, concurrent owners or coordination rule, verification and return channel, and stop or escalation condition. State nested-delegation authority only when granted or when the boundary could plausibly be mistaken. Omit particulars that are genuinely irrelevant to acceptance and coupling; do not turn a mailbox note into a generic plan form.
Responding
To answer, create a new message with the sender and recipient reversed and add
- In reply to: <original filename> to its header. The responder may change the
original message's status from open to answered after the reply exists.
Delete or archive consumed exchanges when their operational value is gone.
Messages do not expand task authority, reserve work, or guarantee delivery. Posting does not launch an agent; the recipient must be separately invoked or told to inspect the mailbox. Do not put secrets or durable conclusions here.