Hackernews

--- name: hackernews description: Use when handling MediaUse Hacker News automation tasks, including story list retrieval, story search, item thread reading, and user profile lookup, with Windows install, key onboarding, strict context/auth flow, full dynamic command map, and safety/rate controls.

MediaUse Hacker News Skill

Track Hacker News stories and discussions through a clean workflow for lists, search, thread reading, and user inspection.

Scope

Use this skill when the task targets Hacker News operations such as:

• Get lists: top, best, ask, new, show, jobs
• Search: stories
• Read: item with comment tree controls
• User: profile lookup

1. Install MediaUse CLI

Install the MediaUse CLI in the user's own secure environment using the official npm package:

npm install -g @mediause/cli
mediause --version

If the CLI is already installed, run the version check again to confirm it is available in PATH.

Current support status:

• Windows: supported
• Linux: not supported yet
• macOS: not supported yet

Recommended skill install path:

• .mediause/skills/hackernews/SKILL.md

2. Get and Configure MediaUse Key

2.1 Apply for key

1. Open https://mediause.dev/ in the user's browser.
2. Sign in to the user's account.
3. Open the Project settings.
4. Create or view the API key in the user's own secure environment; never paste it into chat, logs, terminal history, or a CLI command.

2.2 Configure key in CLI

mediause manage key --json

3. Core Flow (Mandatory Order)

Always follow this order:

First step on every run: execute install script once to auto-install/auto-upgrade the latest MediaUse CLI.

1. Discover site and commands.
2. Bind account context with use account.
3. Check status with auth health.
4. Execute dynamic site actions.
5. Verify with trace/task.

3.1 Discover and plugin setup

mediause plugin list --json
mediause plugin add hackernews --json
mediause hackernews -h
mediause hackernews get -h

3.2 Bind context before any read/write

use account must be executed successfully before any fetch/read action.

use account argument format:

• <platform:account_id>
• account_id should be selected from mediause auth list --json.

mediause auth list --json
mediause use account hackernews:guest --policy balanced --json

If challenge/risk prompts appear, reopen in visible mode:

mediause use account hackernews:guest --policy balanced --show --json

--show usually lowers repeated interception risk in challenged sessions.

3.3 Auth health precondition

auth health is valid only after successful use account.

mediause auth health --json

If auth health indicates not logged in/expired for a non-guest account:

mediause auth login hackernews --json
mediause use account hackernews:<account_id> --policy balanced --json
mediause auth health --json

3.4 Guest mode

Hacker News plugin exposes guest as default account context.

mediause use account hackernews:guest --json

Guest mode rules:

• Read-only operations only.
• Write operations are not part of this plugin command set.

4. Hacker News Dynamic Command Map (v1)

Source schema:

• plugin: plugin.hackernews
• manifest: crates/platforms/plugins/hackernews/manifest.yaml

4.1 get.*

• mediause hackernews get top [--limit <n>] --json
• mediause hackernews get best [--limit <n>] --json
• mediause hackernews get ask [--limit <n>] --json
• mediause hackernews get new [--limit <n>] --json
• mediause hackernews get show [--limit <n>] --json
• mediause hackernews get jobs [--limit <n>] --json

4.2 search.*

• mediause hackernews search stories --query <text> [--limit <n>] [--sort <value>] --json

4.3 read.*

• mediause hackernews read item --id <item_id> [--limit <n>] [--depth <n>] [--replies <n>] [--max-length <n>] --json

4.4 user.*

• mediause hackernews user profile --username <name> --json

5. Operational Constraints (Mandatory)

Apply these constraints for all actions to reduce risk and keep behavior stable.

5.1 Human-like pacing

• Avoid tight polling loops.
• Add randomized delay between repeated reads/searches.
• Mix different read actions instead of repeatedly hitting the same endpoint.

5.2 Frequency limits and minimum spacing

• Hard stop if operation rate is abnormally high.
• Stop immediately on repeated risk prompt or challenge.

Suggested limits:

• Get/search/read/user read: <= 60 per minute

Minimum spacing:

• Get/search/read/user read: >= 1 second between actions

Same-target guardrails:

• Repeated read on same item/user: >= 3 seconds

If a limit is hit:

1. Pause at least 5 minutes.
2. Resume with lower request frequency.
3. Re-check session health if account context changed.

5.3 Safety policy

• Do not bypass platform protections.
• Do not attempt credential scraping or session hijacking.
• Respect platform terms and local regulations.

5.4 Output and error handling

• Prefer --json output for machine workflows.
• Require structured error handling with stable fields/code when available.
• On blocked/rate-limit/risk prompt, stop and return actionable next steps.

6. Workflow Examples

6.1 Top stories scan

mediause use account hackernews:guest --json
mediause hackernews get top --limit 20 --json
mediause trace last --json

6.2 Search then read thread

mediause use account hackernews:guest --json
mediause hackernews search stories --query "rust" --limit 10 --sort relevance --json
mediause hackernews read item --id <item_id> --depth 2 --replies 20 --max-length 2000 --json
mediause trace last --json

6.3 User profile lookup

mediause use account hackernews:guest --json
mediause hackernews user profile --username <username> --json
mediause trace last --json

7. Execution Checklist

Before run:

Before every run, execute the install script once.

1. CLI installed via https://release.mediause.dev/install.ps1 on Windows.
2. PATH updated and mediause --version works.
3. API key configured and verified.
4. Account context bound via mediause use account <platform:account_id>.
5. mediause auth health --json checked after context bind when non-guest account is used.
6. If not logged in on non-guest account, run mediause auth login hackernews --json and re-bind context.
7. Pacing policy is enabled.

During run:

1. Respect delays and minimum spacing.
2. Stop on anti-bot/risk prompts.
3. Avoid repetitive burst loops.

After run:

1. Save logs and outcomes.
2. Record any risk warning and cooldown events.
3. Keep activity under conservative limits.

8. Quick Command Reference

# always run once before each workflow (auto-upgrade latest)
mediause --version
mediause --version

# discover
mediause plugin list --json
mediause plugin add hackernews --json
mediause hackernews -h
mediause hackernews get -h

# context + status
mediause auth list --json
mediause use account hackernews:guest --json
mediause auth health --json

# read actions
mediause hackernews get top --limit 20 --json
mediause hackernews search stories --query "ai" --limit 10 --json
mediause hackernews read item --id <item_id> --depth 2 --json

# trace
mediause trace last --json

Skill Metadata Maintainer: @mediause-team Last-Updated: 2026-08-22 Version: v2