Shared Guidance Neutrality

Shared-Guidance Neutrality

Reviewer checklist for changes to package-shipped or shared guidance surfaces in this self-hosting repository. Enforces semantic project-neutrality and ensures any Kynetic-only instruction removed from shared text has a project-local home.

When This Skill Applies

Apply this checklist whenever a task or plan changes any of these shared/package guidance surfaces:

• templates/skills/ — package core skill sources
• templates/skills/manifest.yaml — package skill manifest
• templates/agents-sections/ — static agent-instruction sections shipped with the package
• plugin/plugins/kspec/skills/ — package plugin skill copies shipped to consumers
• Rendered package/core skill outputs under .agents/skills/ when their source is a package core skill (the kspec- prefixed entries), NOT a project-local .kspec/skills/ skill
• Rendered package/core skill outputs under .factory/skills/ when they are generated from package core skill sources
• Generated kspec-agents.md sections that come from package templates (the templates/agents-sections/ outputs)

It does NOT apply to project-local skills (.kspec/skills/), project meta conventions, AGENTS.md, or other project-local context — those surfaces are expected to carry Kynetic self-hosting policy.

Why This Exists

This repository is self-hosting: it both ships the kspec package and uses kspec to manage its own work. Shared guidance surfaces are consumed by every kspec project, not just Kynetic. When Kynetic self-hosting policy leaks into shared text, every consumer is taught Kynetic's branch names, source paths, toolchain, and review policy as if they were universal kspec mechanics.

This neutrality is a semantic property of prose. String scanners can be evaded by paraphrasing and produce false positives on legitimate uses (e.g., kspec docs naturally mention kspec commands). Reviewer judgment is the durable enforcement mechanism; this skill encodes the judgment criteria.

The Semantic Review Rule

Package-shipped guidance describes universal kspec mechanics only.

The following classes of instruction belong in project-local context (AGENTS.md, project-local .kspec/skills/, or project meta conventions), not in shared/package guidance:

Universal kspec mechanics (always allowed in shared text):

• Commands a consumer always has after kspec init: kspec task submit, kspec review get, kspec validate, kspec agent dispatch status, etc.
• The lifecycle and review-record model itself
• AC annotation syntax and trait coverage semantics
• Spec/task/plan/inbox concepts and CLI mechanics
• Shadow branch behavior as a kspec feature
• Generic project guidance that points to project config, project meta, or dynamic data sections instead of hard-coding values

Reviewer Checklist

When a change touches any shared/package guidance surface, review both directions below. A change that passes one direction but fails the other is still a request_changes.

Direction 1 — Shared text must not hard-code Kynetic-only policy as universal

For every edited line or new line in shared guidance:

• Branch names (main, dev, etc.) are not presented as required defaults. If a branch is named, it is framed as an example controlled by project configuration, or replaced with "the project's integration branch" / "the project-defined target branch".
• External review process (GitHub PRs, gh commands, PR #...) is not presented as universal kspec policy. Dispatched-work review is described via kspec review records and the supported merge helper; external PR policy is acknowledged as project/human policy when mentioned at all.
• Repository paths used as package-maintainer instructions (e.g., "edit templates/skills/<id>/SKILL.md") do not appear in consumer-facing workflow text. Consumer text should direct the reader to project-local sources (.kspec/skills/) or the matching kspec command.
• Quality gates are described as "the project-defined format/lint/type/test gates" or pointed at project context, not hard-coded to npm, oxlint, Vitest, or sharded test scripts.
• Generated-artifact maintenance instructions (regenerate plugin copies, refresh .factory/skills/, regenerate kspec-agents.md after template edits) appear only when the audience is the package maintainer, and are framed accordingly — not as universal kspec consumer workflow.
• Agent ids (task-worker, pr-reviewer, etc.) and meta filenames (kynetic.meta.yaml) are not presented as guaranteed. Use "configured worker/reviewer agents" or point readers to kspec agent list.
• Runtime-specific tool names (e.g., AskUserQuestion) are not presented as universal. If used, frame as one possible adapter or rewrite to generic kspec mechanics.
• Concrete workflow refs or trait refs in shared text are guaranteed by kspec init / kspec setup for every consumer. If not, the reference is replaced with "if this workflow exists in your project" or a discovery command (kspec item list --type trait).

Direction 2 — Removed Kynetic-only instructions still have a project-local home

For every Kynetic-only instruction removed from or weakened in shared text:

• The instruction is preserved in AGENTS.md, a project-local .kspec/skills/ skill attached to the relevant Kynetic agents, or a project meta convention — whichever is the right durable home.
• The local home is reachable by future Kynetic worker/reviewer agents without chat history (e.g., attached as a skill to the appropriate agent, or part of the always-rendered project context).
• If the instruction was a procedural checklist too large for AGENTS.md, a project-local skill exists and is registered through kspec meta / kspec skill commands.
• Generated artifacts are regenerated (kspec skill render, kspec agents generate) if local context or shared sources changed in the same task.

Examples of Kynetic-Only Material

Use these as concrete anchors when judging neutrality. They are illustrative, not exhaustive — apply the rule semantically, not as a string match.

• Universal-sounding text that says "before committing, run npm run format:check, npm run lint -- --quiet, npm run typecheck" — Kynetic toolchain; describe as "the project-defined quality gates" in shared text and keep the concrete commands in AGENTS.md or $work-gates.
• Universal-sounding text that says "rebase onto dev" or "open a PR against main" — Kynetic branch/review policy; describe as "the project-defined integration branch" / "the project's review process" in shared text.
• Universal-sounding text that says "edit templates/skills/<name>/SKILL.md to change a skill" — Kynetic package-maintainer instruction; consumers should be directed to project-local skill sources and the supported kspec skill commands.
• Universal-sounding text that names task-worker, pr-reviewer, or kynetic.meta.yaml — Kynetic-specific identifiers; describe as "the configured worker/reviewer agents" and point at kspec agent list.
• Universal-sounding text that uses AskUserQuestion, gh pr create, or PR #1234 — runtime-specific or external-system-specific; rewrite to neutral kspec mechanics.
• Universal-sounding text that references @workflow-... or @trait-... refs that are not seeded by every kspec setup — replace with discovery commands or "if this workflow/trait exists in your project".

Why Prose-Neutrality Tests Are Insufficient

Do not accept "the markdown scanner passes" as evidence of neutrality, and do not request that the worker add such a scanner unless the work was specifically scoped to add one. Reasons:

• Wording changes frequently; string lists rot.
• Semantically equivalent leaks can evade a denylist (e.g., "the typical integration branch" still implies a Kynetic-shaped default).
• False positives on legitimate kspec mechanics produce churn and erode trust.
• Mechanical render/install/update tests cover artifact consistency, not prose neutrality. They are still required for that purpose; they are not a substitute for semantic review.

Apply this skill semantically. If a future hardening plan introduces a narrow lint for obvious forbidden tokens, that is supplementary, not a replacement for reviewer judgment.

Verdict Guidance

Apply existing severity classes from $review-gates:

• MUST-FIX — shared text hard-codes Kynetic-only policy as universal, OR a Kynetic-only instruction was removed without a project-local home. Either failure breaks the contract this skill protects.
• SHOULD-FIX — wording is neutral but a discovery command, dynamic-data pointer, or local-home pointer would make the guidance noticeably clearer for consumers or future Kynetic agents.
• SUGGESTION — pure style/phrasing improvement with no neutrality implication.

When a change is mixed (some neutral edits, some leaks), submit request_changes and identify each direction-1 / direction-2 finding in its own thread so the worker can address them in one pass.

Evidence Log Addition

For changes touching shared/package guidance surfaces, the review evidence log (required by $review-gates) must additionally record:

• Which shared/package surfaces were touched.
• Which direction-1 / direction-2 checks were applied.
• Where any preserved Kynetic-only instruction now lives (file or meta ref).
• Confirmation that generated artifacts (kspec skill render, kspec agents generate) were refreshed if local or shared sources changed.