Files
claude-engineering-plugin/plugins/compound-engineering/skills/jira-ticket-writer/references/tone-guide.md
John Lamb fe3b1eee16 Merge upstream v2.67.0 with fork customizations preserved
Synced 79 commits from EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin upstream while
preserving fork-specific customizations (Python/FastAPI pivot, Zoominfo-internal
review agents, deploy-wiring operational lessons, custom personas).

## Triage decisions (15 conflicts resolved)

Keep deleted (7) -- fork already removed these in prior cleanups:
- agents/design/{design-implementation-reviewer,design-iterator,figma-design-sync}
  (no fork successor; backend-Python focus doesn't need UI/Figma agents)
- agents/docs/ankane-readme-writer (replaced by python-package-readme-writer)
- agents/review/{data-migration-expert,performance-oracle,security-sentinel}
  (replaced by *-reviewer naming convention: data-migrations-reviewer,
  performance-reviewer, security-reviewer)

Keep local (1):
- agents/workflow/lint.md (Python tooling: ruff/mypy/djlint/bandit; upstream
  deleted the file). Fixed pre-existing duplicate "2." numbering bug.

Restore from upstream (1):
- agents/review/data-integrity-guardian.md (kept for GDPR/CCPA privacy
  compliance angle not covered by data-migrations-reviewer)

Merge both (6) -- upstream structural wins layered with fork intent:
- agents/research/best-practices-researcher.md (upstream <examples> removal +
  fork's Rails/Ruby -> Python/FastAPI translations)
- skills/ce-brainstorm/SKILL.md (universal-brainstorming routing + Slack
  context + non-obvious angles + fork's Deploy wiring flag)
- skills/ce-plan/SKILL.md (universal-planning routing + planning-bootstrap +
  fork's two Deploy wiring check bullets)
- skills/ce-review/SKILL.md (Run ID, model tiering haiku->sonnet, compact-JSON
  artifact contract, file-type awareness, cli-readiness-reviewer + fork's
  zip-agent-validator, design-conformance-reviewer, Stage 6 Zip Agent
  Validation)
- skills/ce-review/references/persona-catalog.md (cli-readiness row + adversarial
  refinement + fork's Language & Framework Conditional layer; 22 personas total)
- skills/ce-work/SKILL.md (Parallel Safety Check, parallel-subagent constraints,
  Phase 3-4 compression + fork's deploy-values self-review row, with duplicate
  checklist bullet collapsed to single occurrence)

## Auto-applied (no triage needed)

- 225 remote-only files: accepted as-is (new docs, brainstorms, plans,
  upstream skills, tests, scripts)
- 70 local-only files: 46 preserved as-is (kieran-python, tiangolo-fastapi,
  zip-agent-validator, design-conformance-reviewer, essay/proof commands,
  excalidraw-png-export, etc.); 24 stayed deleted (dhh-rails-style,
  andrew-kane-gem-writer, dspy-ruby Ruby skills no longer needed)

## README updated

- Removed Design section (3 deleted agents)
- Removed deleted Review entries (data-migration-expert, dhh-rails-reviewer,
  kieran-rails-reviewer, performance-oracle, security-sentinel)
- Added new Review entries: design-conformance-reviewer, previous-comments-reviewer,
  tiangolo-fastapi-reviewer, zip-agent-validator
- Workflow: added lint
- Docs: replaced ankane-readme-writer with python-package-readme-writer

## Known issues (not introduced by merge decisions)

- 9 detect-project-type.sh tests fail on macOS bash 3.2 (script uses
  `declare -A` which requires bash 4+). Upstream regression in commit 070092d
  (#568). Resolution: install bash 4+ via `brew install bash` locally;
  upstream fix tracked separately.
- 2 review-skill-contract tests reference deleted agents (dhh-rails-reviewer,
  data-migration-expert). Pre-existing fork inconsistency, not new.

bun run release:validate: passes (46 agents, 51 skills, 0 MCP servers)
2026-04-17 17:24:41 -05:00

2.0 KiB

Tone Guide for Ticket Writing

Core Principle

A human will read this ticket. Write like a teammate asking for help, not an AI generating a spec.

Pressure Test Checklist

Review every sentence against these questions:

1. Patronizing language

  • Does any sentence explain the reader's own domain back to them?
  • Would you say this to a senior engineer's face without feeling awkward?
  • Are you telling them HOW to implement something in their own system?
  • Are you preemptively arguing against approaches they haven't proposed?

Examples of patronizing language:

  • "This is a common pattern in Kubernetes deployments" (they know)
  • "Helm charts support templating via {{ .Values }}" (they wrote the chart)
  • "Why X, not Y" sections that dismiss alternatives before anyone suggested them

2. AI-isms to remove

  • Em dashes used more than once per paragraph
  • Every thought is a bullet point instead of a sentence
  • Rigid structure that feels generated (Ask -> Why -> Context -> AC)
  • Spec-writing voice: "When absent or false, existing behavior is preserved"
  • Overuse of "ensures", "leverages", "facilitates", "streamlines"
  • Unnecessary hedging: "It should be noted that..."
  • Filler transitions: "Additionally", "Furthermore", "Moreover"
  • Lists where prose would be more natural

3. Human voice check

  • Does it sound like something you'd type in Slack, cleaned up slightly?
  • Are there moments of humility? ("you'd know better than us", "if we're missing something")
  • Is the tone collaborative rather than directive?
  • Would you feel comfortable putting your name on this?

4. Kindness check

  • Frame requests as requests, not demands
  • Acknowledge the reader's expertise
  • Offer context without over-explaining
  • "Happy to chat more" > "Please advise"

What to keep

  • Technical detail and specifics (the reader needs these)
  • Code snippets showing current state and desired state
  • File references with line numbers
  • Clear "done when" criteria (but keep them minimal)