Prompt file imported from RCSnyder/educational-study-ghcp-harness (.github/prompts/es-goal.prompt.md). Copyright stays with the author.

Operating contract

Per AGENTS.md: "Canonical query as gospel." The user's stated goal is persisted verbatim to a markdown file and re-read on every subsequent step. Drift away from the goal is the single most common failure mode of long agentic sessions.

EDUCATIONAL STUDY — GOAL

Name: es-goal
Author: RCSnyder

Step 1 — Capture verbatim

Write the user's goal to notes/<slug>-query.md exactly as stated. No paraphrase, no "improvement."
Slug = first 40 chars of goal, kebab-cased.

Step 2 — Frontmatter

---
type: canonical-query
status: active # active | achieved | abandoned | morphed | superseded
opened: YYYY-MM-DD
last-checked: YYYY-MM-DD
closed: "" # YYYY-MM-DD when status leaves `active`
supersedes: ""
superseded-by: ""
morphed-into: "" # link to new goal file if status: morphed
tags:
  - goal
---

> **Status lifecycle.** `active` → exactly one of:
> - `achieved` — the "done" criteria below were met. Append a one-line evidence link.
> - `abandoned` — the goal was dropped. Append a one-line reason. **Do not delete the file.**
> - `morphed` — the goal evolved into a different question. Set `morphed-into:` to the new goal file.
> - `superseded` — replaced by a clarified goal that is *the same intent, restated*. Set `superseded-by:`.
>
> A goal that is no longer worked on but has no closing status is **drift**. `/es-state` will surface this.

Step 3 — Body sections (skeleton, user fills as work proceeds)

# <verbatim goal text>

## What "done" looks like

<concrete, falsifiable criteria — fill at start>

## What I have right now

<starting state>

## Out of scope

<things this goal is **not** about; bound the rabbit hole>

## Anti-goals

<failure modes to avoid; e.g. "do not just collect papers; produce working understanding">

## Drift log

- [YYYY-MM-DD] <when later steps drifted; what realignment was made>

Step 4 — Register in index

Add a one-liner to wiki/index.md under a ## Active goals section.

Step 5 — Re-read protocol

Print: "On every subsequent /es-* step in this session, re-read notes/<slug>-query.md first. If the next requested action does not advance the goal, surface that and stop."

Step 6 — Next action

Usually /es-domain (if the goal is greenfield) or /es-prereqs (if it sits on top of known material).

Guardrail

A goal that cannot be falsified is not a goal; it is a vibe. Insist the user produce concrete "done" criteria before proceeding.

## Operating contract Per [AGENTS.md](../../AGENTS.md): "Canonical query as gospel." The user's stated goal is persisted **verbatim** to a markdown file and re-read on every subsequent step. Drift away from the goal is the single most common failure mode of long agentic sessions. # EDUCATIONAL STUDY — GOAL ## Step 1 — Capture verbatim - Write the user's goal to `notes/<slug>-query.md` exactly as stated. No paraphrase, no "improvement." - Slug = first 40 chars of goal, kebab-cased. ## Step 2 — Frontmatter ```yaml --- type: canonical-query status: active # active | achieved | abandoned | morphed | superseded opened: YYYY-MM-DD last-checked: YYYY-MM-DD closed: "" # YYYY-MM-DD when status leaves `active` supersedes: "" superseded-by: "" morphed-into: "" # link to new goal file if status: morphed tags: - goal --- > **Status lifecycle.** `active` → exactly one of: > - `achieved` — the "done" criteria below were met. Append a one-line evidence link. > - `abandoned` — the goal was dropped. Append a one-line reason. **Do not delete the file.** > - `morphed` — the goal evolved into a different question. Set `morphed-into:` to the new goal file. > - `superseded` — replaced by a clarified goal that is *the same intent, restated*. Set `superseded-by:`. > > A goal that is no longer worked on but has no closing status is **drift**. `/es-state` will surface this. ``` ## Step 3 — Body sections (skeleton, user fills as work proceeds) ```markdown # <verbatim goal text> ## What "done" looks like <concrete, falsifiable criteria — fill at start> ## What I have right now <starting state> ## Out of scope <things this goal is **not** about; bound the rabbit hole> ## Anti-goals <failure modes to avoid; e.g. "do not just collect papers; produce working understanding"> ## Drift log - [YYYY-MM-DD] <when later steps drifted; what realignment was made> ``` ## Step 4 — Register in index Add a one-liner to `wiki/index.md` under a `## Active goals` section. ## Step 5 — Re-read protocol Print: "On every subsequent `/es-*` step in this session, re-read `notes/<slug>-query.md` first. If the next requested action does not advance the goal, surface that and stop." ## Step 6 — Next action Usually `/es-domain` (if the goal is greenfield) or `/es-prereqs` (if it sits on top of known material). ## Guardrail A goal that cannot be falsified is not a goal; it is a vibe. Insist the user produce concrete "done" criteria before proceeding.

{ "prompt": "## Operating contract\n\nPer [AGENTS.md](../../AGENTS.md): \"Canonical query as gospel.\" The user's stated goal is persisted **verbatim** to a markdown file and re-read on every subsequent step. Drift away from the goal is the single most common failure mode of long agentic sessions.\n\n# EDUCATIONAL STUDY — GOAL\n\n## Step 1 — Capture verbatim\n\n- Write the user's goal to `notes/<slug>-query.md` exactly as stated. No paraphrase, no \"improvement.\"\n- Slug = first 40 chars of goal, kebab-cased.\n\n## Step 2 — Frontmatter\n\n```yaml\n---\ntype: canonical-query\nstatus: active # active | achieved | abandoned | morphed | superseded\nopened: YYYY-MM-DD\nlast-checked: YYYY-MM-DD\nclosed: \"\" # YYYY-MM-DD when status leaves `active`\nsupersedes: \"\"\nsuperseded-by: \"\"\nmorphed-into: \"\" # link to new goal file if status: morphed\ntags:\n - goal\n---\n\n> **Status lifecycle.** `active` → exactly one of:\n> - `achieved` — the \"done\" criteria below were met. Append a one-line evidence link.\n> - `abandoned` — the goal was dropped. Append a one-line reason. **Do not delete the file.**\n> - `morphed` — the goal evolved into a different question. Set `morphed-into:` to the new goal file.\n> - `superseded` — replaced by a clarified goal that is *the same intent, restated*. Set `superseded-by:`.\n>\n> A goal that is no longer worked on but has no closing status is **drift**. `/es-state` will surface this.\n```\n\n## Step 3 — Body sections (skeleton, user fills as work proceeds)\n\n```markdown\n# <verbatim goal text>\n\n## What \"done\" looks like\n\n<concrete, falsifiable criteria — fill at start>\n\n## What I have right now\n\n<starting state>\n\n## Out of scope\n\n<things this goal is **not** about; bound the rabbit hole>\n\n## Anti-goals\n\n<failure modes to avoid; e.g. \"do not just collect papers; produce working understanding\">\n\n## Drift log\n\n- [YYYY-MM-DD] <when later steps drifted; what realignment was made>\n```\n\n## Step 4 — Register in index\n\nAdd a one-liner to `wiki/index.md` under a `## Active goals` section.\n\n## Step 5 — Re-read protocol\n\nPrint: \"On every subsequent `/es-*` step in this session, re-read `notes/<slug>-query.md` first. If the next requested action does not advance the goal, surface that and stop.\"\n\n## Step 6 — Next action\n\nUsually `/es-domain` (if the goal is greenfield) or `/es-prereqs` (if it sits on top of known material).\n\n## Guardrail\n\nA goal that cannot be falsified is not a goal; it is a vibe. Insist the user produce concrete \"done\" criteria before proceeding.", "variables": [], "notes": "Pin the user's verbatim research goal as canonical query (gospel) so all later steps re-read it Arguments: <verbatim goal as user phrased it>.", "metadata": { "source": { "provider": "github-prompts", "repository": "https://github.com/RCSnyder/educational-study-ghcp-harness", "path": ".github/prompts/es-goal.prompt.md", "ref": "419e386366da94a32c2741b754362ac6fec4c6c3", "url": "https://github.com/RCSnyder/educational-study-ghcp-harness/blob/419e386366da94a32c2741b754362ac6fec4c6c3/.github/prompts/es-goal.prompt.md", "key": "RCSnyder/educational-study-ghcp-harness/.github/prompts/es-goal.prompt.md" } } }

es-goal

About

Operating contract

EDUCATIONAL STUDY — GOAL

Step 1 — Capture verbatim

Step 2 — Frontmatter

Step 3 — Body sections (skeleton, user fills as work proceeds)

Step 4 — Register in index

Step 5 — Re-read protocol

Step 6 — Next action

Guardrail

Use it

Manifest

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