ei-tui 0.9.3 → 0.9.4

package/src/core/orchestrators/room-extraction.ts

@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ function queueRoomTopicScan(
 ): void {
   const context: HumanExtractionContext = {
     personaId: roomId,
-    personaDisplayName: roomDisplayName,
+    channelDisplayName: roomDisplayName,
     messages_context,
     messages_analyze,
     extraction_flag: "t",
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ function queueRoomPersonScan(
 ): void {
   const context: HumanExtractionContext = {
     personaId: roomId,
-    personaDisplayName: roomDisplayName,
+    channelDisplayName: roomDisplayName,
     messages_context,
     messages_analyze,
     extraction_flag: "p",
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ function queueRoomEventScan(
     );
     const context: HumanExtractionContext = {
       personaId: roomId,
-      personaDisplayName: roomDisplayName,
+      channelDisplayName: roomDisplayName,
       messages_context,
       messages_analyze: windowMessages,
       extraction_flag: "e",
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ export function queuePersonaCapture(state: StateManager, personaId: string): voi
     );
     const context: HumanExtractionContext = {
       personaId,
-      personaDisplayName: persona.display_name,
+      channelDisplayName: persona.display_name,
       messages_context,
       messages_analyze: unextractedT,
     };
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ export function queuePersonaCapture(state: StateManager, personaId: string): voi
     );
     const context: HumanExtractionContext = {
       personaId,
-      personaDisplayName: persona.display_name,
+      channelDisplayName: persona.display_name,
       messages_context,
       messages_analyze: unextractedP,
     };

package/src/core/processor.ts

@@ -877,8 +877,8 @@ export class Processor {
       modified = true;
     }
 
-    if (human.settings.default_context_window_hours == null) {
-      human.settings.default_context_window_hours = 8;
+    if (human.settings.default_context_window_ms == null) {
+      human.settings.default_context_window_ms = 28800000;
       modified = true;
     }
 
@@ -1044,7 +1044,6 @@ const toolNextSteps = new Set([
   LLMNextStep.HandleEiHeartbeat,
   LLMNextStep.HandleToolContinuation,
   LLMNextStep.HandleDedupCurate,
-  LLMNextStep.HandlePersonIdentifierMigration,
 ]);
             const toolPersonaId =
               personaId ??
@@ -1059,13 +1058,8 @@ const toolNextSteps = new Set([
               (request.next_step === LLMNextStep.HandleToolContinuation &&
                 request.data.originalNextStep === LLMNextStep.HandleDedupCurate);
 
-            const isPersonMigrationRequest =
-              request.next_step === LLMNextStep.HandlePersonIdentifierMigration ||
-              (request.next_step === LLMNextStep.HandleToolContinuation &&
-                request.data.originalNextStep === LLMNextStep.HandlePersonIdentifierMigration);
-
             let tools: ToolDefinition[] = [];
-            if (isDedupRequest || isPersonMigrationRequest) {
+            if (isDedupRequest) {
               const readMemory = this.stateManager.tools_getByName("read_memory");
               if (readMemory?.enabled) {
                 tools = [readMemory];
@@ -1201,14 +1195,14 @@ const toolNextSteps = new Set([
 
         if (timeSinceHeartbeat >= heartbeatDelay) {
            const history = this.stateManager.messages_get(persona.id);
-           const contextWindowHours =
-             persona.context_window_hours 
-             ?? this.stateManager.getHuman().settings?.default_context_window_hours 
-             ?? 8;
+           const contextWindowMs =
+             persona.context_window_ms 
+             ?? this.stateManager.getHuman().settings?.default_context_window_ms 
+             ?? 28800000;
           const contextHistory = filterMessagesForContext(
             history,
             persona.context_boundary,
-            contextWindowHours
+            contextWindowMs
           );
           const trailing = countTrailingPersonaMessages(contextHistory);
           if (trailing < 3) {
@@ -1621,13 +1615,6 @@ const toolNextSteps = new Set([
         }
       }
 
-      if (response.request.next_step === LLMNextStep.HandlePersonaDescriptions) {
-        const personaId = response.request.data.personaId as string;
-        if (personaId) {
-          this.interface.onPersonaUpdated?.(personaId);
-        }
-      }
-
       if (
         response.request.next_step === LLMNextStep.HandlePersonaTraitExtraction ||
         response.request.next_step === LLMNextStep.HandlePersonaTopicRating

package/src/core/prompt-context-builder.ts

@@ -291,6 +291,7 @@ export async function buildResponsePromptData(
       topics: persona.topics,
       interested_topics: persona.topics.filter(t => t.exposure_desired - t.exposure_current > 0.2),
       include_message_timestamps: persona.include_message_timestamps,
+      pending_update: persona.pending_update,
     },
     human: filteredHuman,
     visible_personas: visiblePersonas,
@@ -318,10 +319,10 @@ export async function buildRoomResponsePromptData(
 
   let sourceMessages: RoomMessage[];
   if (room.mode === RoomMode.FreeForAll) {
-    const contextWindowHours = room.context_window_hours
-      ?? human.settings?.default_context_window_hours
-      ?? 8;
-    const windowCutoff = new Date(Date.now() - contextWindowHours * 60 * 60 * 1000).toISOString();
+    const contextWindowMs = room.context_window_ms
+      ?? human.settings?.default_context_window_ms
+      ?? 28800000;
+    const windowCutoff = new Date(Date.now() - contextWindowMs).toISOString();
     const boundaryMs = room.context_boundary ? new Date(room.context_boundary).getTime() : 0;
     sourceMessages = allSourceMessages.filter(m => {
       const msgMs = new Date(m.timestamp).getTime();
@@ -334,8 +335,8 @@ export async function buildRoomResponsePromptData(
     const byCount = allSourceMessages.slice(-MIN_ROOM_MESSAGES);
     if (byCount.length > sourceMessages.length) sourceMessages = byCount;
   } else {
-    const contextWindowHours = human.settings?.default_context_window_hours ?? 8;
-    const windowCutoff = new Date(Date.now() - contextWindowHours * 60 * 60 * 1000).toISOString();
+    const contextWindowMs = human.settings?.default_context_window_ms ?? 28800000;
+    const windowCutoff = new Date(Date.now() - contextWindowMs).toISOString();
     const byTime = allSourceMessages.filter(m => m.timestamp >= windowCutoff);
     const byCount = allSourceMessages.slice(-MIN_ROOM_MESSAGES);
     sourceMessages = byTime.length >= byCount.length ? byTime : byCount;

package/src/core/state/personas.ts

@@ -1,21 +1,5 @@
 import type { PersonaEntity, Message, ContextStatus } from "../types.js";
 
-// TODO(v1.0.0): Remove LegacyMessage migration — verbal_response/action_response no longer written
-type LegacyMessage = Message & { verbal_response?: string; action_response?: string };
-
-function migrateMessage(msg: Message): Message {
-  if (msg.content) return msg;
-  if (msg.silence_reason) return msg;
-  const legacy = msg as LegacyMessage;
-  const hasLegacy = 'verbal_response' in legacy || 'action_response' in legacy;
-  if (!hasLegacy) return msg;
-  const parts: string[] = [];
-  if (legacy.action_response) parts.push(`_${legacy.action_response}_`);
-  if (legacy.verbal_response) parts.push(legacy.verbal_response);
-  const { verbal_response: _vr, action_response: _ar, ...rest } = legacy;
-  return parts.length > 0 ? { ...rest, content: parts.join('\n\n') } : rest as Message;
-}
-
 export interface PersonaData {
   entity: PersonaEntity;
   messages: Message[];
@@ -29,7 +13,7 @@ export class PersonaState {
     this.personas = new Map(
       Object.entries(personas).map(([id, data]) => [
         id,
-        { entity: data.entity, messages: data.messages.map(migrateMessage) },
+        { entity: data.entity, messages: data.messages },
       ])
     );
   }

package/src/core/state-manager.ts

@@ -69,76 +69,10 @@ export class StateManager {
     this.migrateMessageFlags();
     this.migrateInterestedPersonas();
     this.migrateProviderModel();
-    this.migratePersonaMessageContent();
-    this.migrateRoomMessageContent();
     this.migrateThemes();
     this.migrateFfaParentIds();
   }
 
-  private migratePersonaMessageContent(): void {
-    // TODO(v1.0.0): Remove legacy persona message migration — verbal_response/action_response no longer written
-    const rawPersonas = (this.personaState as unknown as { personas: Map<string, { messages: Message[] }> }).personas;
-    let migratedCount = 0;
-    for (const [, data] of rawPersonas) {
-      const messages = data.messages;
-      for (const msg of messages) {
-        const legacy = msg as Message & { verbal_response?: string; action_response?: string };
-        if (!('verbal_response' in legacy || 'action_response' in legacy)) continue;
-        if (msg.content) {
-          delete (legacy as any).verbal_response;
-          delete (legacy as any).action_response;
-          migratedCount++;
-          continue;
-        }
-        if (msg.silence_reason) {
-          delete (legacy as any).verbal_response;
-          delete (legacy as any).action_response;
-          migratedCount++;
-          continue;
-        }
-        const parts: string[] = [];
-        if (legacy.action_response) parts.push(`_${legacy.action_response}_`);
-        if (legacy.verbal_response) parts.push(legacy.verbal_response);
-        if (parts.length > 0) (msg as any).content = parts.join('\n\n');
-        delete (legacy as any).verbal_response;
-        delete (legacy as any).action_response;
-        migratedCount++;
-      }
-    }
-    if (migratedCount > 0) {
-      this.scheduleSave();
-      console.log(`[StateManager] Migrated ${migratedCount} persona messages to unified content field`);
-    }
-  }
-
-  private migrateRoomMessageContent(): void {
-    const rooms = this.roomState.getAll(true);
-    let migratedCount = 0;
-
-    for (const room of rooms) {
-      for (const msg of room.messages) {
-        if (msg.content) continue;
-        if (msg.silence_reason) continue;
-        // TODO(v1.0.0): Remove legacy room message migration — verbal_response/action_response no longer written
-        const legacy = msg as RoomMessage & { verbal_response?: string; action_response?: string };
-        const hasLegacy = 'verbal_response' in legacy || 'action_response' in legacy;
-        if (!hasLegacy) continue;
-        const parts: string[] = [];
-        if (legacy.action_response) parts.push(`_${legacy.action_response}_`);
-        if (legacy.verbal_response) parts.push(legacy.verbal_response);
-        if (parts.length > 0) msg.content = parts.join('\n\n');
-        delete (msg as any).verbal_response;
-        delete (msg as any).action_response;
-        migratedCount++;
-      }
-    }
-
-    if (migratedCount > 0) {
-      this.scheduleSave();
-      console.log(`[StateManager] Migrated ${migratedCount} room messages to unified content field`);
-    }
-  }
-
   /**
    * Migration: learned_by used to store display names; now stores persona IDs.
    * On load, attempt to resolve display names -> IDs using current persona map.

package/src/core/types/entities.ts

@@ -103,12 +103,11 @@ export interface HumanSettings {
   default_model?: string;           // Will store ModelConfig.id GUID post-migration
   oneshot_model?: string;           // Model for AI-assist (wand) requests; falls back to default_model. Will store ModelConfig.id GUID post-migration.
   rewrite_model?: string;           // Model for rewrite ceremony step; must be capable (Sonnet/Opus class). Unset = rewrite disabled. Will store ModelConfig.id GUID post-migration.
-  people_migration_complete?: boolean; // Set to true when all Person records have identifiers. Ceremony migration step short-circuits when true.
   queue_paused?: boolean;
   skip_quote_delete_confirm?: boolean;
   name_display?: string;
   default_heartbeat_ms?: number;
-  default_context_window_hours?: number;
+  default_context_window_ms?: number;
   message_min_count?: number;
   message_max_age_days?: number;
   accounts?: ProviderAccount[];
@@ -150,7 +149,7 @@ export interface PersonaEntity {
   archived_at?: string;
   is_static: boolean;
   heartbeat_delay_ms?: number;
-  context_window_hours?: number;
+  context_window_ms?: number;
   include_message_timestamps?: boolean; // Prepend ISO timestamp to each message sent to the LLM
   context_boundary?: string;  // ISO timestamp - messages before this excluded from LLM context
   last_updated: string;

package/src/core/types/enums.ts

@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ export enum LLMPriority {
 export enum LLMNextStep {
   HandlePersonaResponse = "handlePersonaResponse",
   HandlePersonaGeneration = "handlePersonaGeneration",
-  HandlePersonaDescriptions = "handlePersonaDescriptions",
   HandleFactFind = "handleFactFind",
   HandleHumanTopicScan = "handleHumanTopicScan",
   HandleHumanPersonScan = "handleHumanPersonScan",
@@ -51,7 +50,6 @@ export enum LLMNextStep {
   HandleRoomResponse = "handleRoomResponse",
   HandleRoomJudge = "handleRoomJudge",
   HandlePersonaPreview = "handlePersonaPreview",
-  HandlePersonIdentifierMigration = "handlePersonIdentifierMigration",
   HandleTopicValidate = "handleTopicValidate",
   HandleReflectionCritic = "handleReflectionCritic",
 }

package/src/core/types/rooms.ts

@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ export interface RoomEntity {
   created_at: string;
   last_updated: string;
   capture_used?: boolean;
-  context_window_hours?: number;  // FFA only; falls back to human.settings.default_context_window_hours
+  context_window_ms?: number;  // FFA only; falls back to human.settings.default_context_window_ms
   context_boundary?: string;      // FFA only; ISO timestamp; same semantics as persona context_boundary
   messages: RoomMessage[];
 }

package/src/integrations/claude-code/importer.ts

@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ export async function importClaudeCodeSessions(
 
     const context: ExtractionContext = {
       personaId: persona.id,
-      personaDisplayName: persona.display_name,
+      channelDisplayName: persona.display_name,
       messages_context: contextMsgs,
       messages_analyze: toAnalyze,
       sources: [`claudecode:${getMachineId()}:${targetSession.id}`],

package/src/integrations/cursor/importer.ts

@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ export async function importCursorSessions(
 
     const context: ExtractionContext = {
       personaId: persona.id,
-      personaDisplayName: persona.display_name,
+      channelDisplayName: persona.display_name,
       messages_context: contextMsgs,
       messages_analyze: toAnalyze,
       sources: [`cursor:${getMachineId()}:${targetSession.id}`],

package/src/integrations/opencode/importer.ts

@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ export async function importOpenCodeSessions(
 
       const context: ExtractionContext = {
         personaId: persona.id,
-        personaDisplayName: persona.display_name,
+        channelDisplayName: persona.display_name,
         messages_context: contextMsgs,
         messages_analyze: toAnalyze,
         sources: [`opencode:${getMachineId()}:${targetSession.id}`],

package/src/prompts/ceremony/index.ts

@@ -1,17 +1,7 @@
-export { buildPersonaExpirePrompt } from "./expire.js";
-export { buildPersonaExplorePrompt } from "./explore.js";
-export { buildDescriptionCheckPrompt } from "./description-check.js";
 export { buildRewriteScanPrompt, buildRewritePrompt } from "./rewrite.js";
 export { buildDedupPrompt, buildValidatePrompt } from "./dedup.js";
 export { buildUserDedupPrompt } from "./user-dedup.js";
-export { buildPersonMigrationPrompt, type PersonMigrationPromptData } from "./person-migration.js";
 export type {
-  PersonaExpirePromptData,
-  PersonaExpireResult,
-  PersonaExplorePromptData,
-  PersonaExploreResult,
-  DescriptionCheckPromptData,
-  DescriptionCheckResult,
   RewriteItemType,
   RewriteScanPromptData,
   RewriteScanResult,

package/src/prompts/ceremony/types.ts

@@ -1,45 +1,4 @@
-import type { PersonaTrait, PersonaTopic, DataItemBase } from "../../core/types.js";
-
-export interface PersonaExpirePromptData {
-  persona_name: string;
-  topics: PersonaTopic[];
-}
-
-export interface PersonaExpireResult {
-  topic_ids_to_remove: string[];
-}
-
-export interface PersonaExplorePromptData {
-  persona_name: string;
-  traits: PersonaTrait[];
-  remaining_topics: PersonaTopic[];
-  recent_conversation_themes: string[];
-}
-
-export interface PersonaExploreResult {
-  new_topics: Array<{
-    name: string;
-    perspective: string;
-    approach: string;
-    personal_stake: string;
-    sentiment: number;
-    exposure_current: number;
-    exposure_desired: number;
-  }>;
-}
-
-export interface DescriptionCheckPromptData {
-  persona_name: string;
-  current_short_description?: string;
-  current_long_description?: string;
-  traits: PersonaTrait[];
-  topics: PersonaTopic[];
-}
-
-export interface DescriptionCheckResult {
-  should_update: boolean;
-  reason?: string;
-}
+import type { DataItemBase } from "../../core/types.js";
 
 // =============================================================================
 // REWRITE (Item Reorganization)

package/src/prompts/generation/index.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 export { buildPersonaGenerationPrompt } from "./persona.js";
-export { buildPersonaDescriptionsPrompt } from "./descriptions.js";
 export { buildPersonaFromPersonPrompt } from "./from-person.js";
 export {
   DEFAULT_SEED_TRAITS,
@@ -11,7 +10,5 @@ export type {
   PersonaGenerationPromptData,
   PersonaGenerationResult,
   PersonaFromPersonPromptData,
-  PersonaDescriptionsPromptData,
-  PersonaDescriptionsResult,
   PromptOutput,
 } from "./types.js";

package/src/prompts/generation/types.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-import type { PersonaTrait, PersonaTopic } from "../../core/types.js";
-
 export interface PromptOutput {
   system: string;
   user: string;
@@ -45,16 +43,3 @@ export interface PersonaFromPersonPromptData {
   existing_trait_names?: string[];
   existing_topic_names?: string[];
 }
-
-export interface PersonaDescriptionsPromptData {
-  name: string;
-  aliases: string[];
-  traits: PersonaTrait[];
-  topics: PersonaTopic[];
-}
-
-export interface PersonaDescriptionsResult {
-  short_description: string;
-  long_description: string;
-  no_change?: boolean;
-}

package/src/prompts/heartbeat/check.ts

@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ function getLastPersonaMessage(history: Message[]): Message | undefined {
  * - Getting recent message history
  */
 export function buildHeartbeatCheckPrompt(data: HeartbeatCheckPromptData): PromptOutput {
-  console.log(`[HeartbeatCheck ${data.persona.name}] Building prompt - topics: ${data.human.topics.length}, people: ${data.human.people.length}, inactive_days: ${data.inactive_days}, history: ${data.recent_history.length} messages`);
   if (!data.persona?.name) {
     throw new Error("buildHeartbeatCheckPrompt: persona.name is required");
   }
@@ -124,11 +123,24 @@ ${formatPeopleWithGaps(data.human.people)}`;
 
 **Quality over quantity** - Only reach out if you have something real to say.`;
 
-  const pendingUpdateFragment = data.persona.has_pending_update
-    ? `## Pending Identity Changes
-
-Based on recent conversations, there are proposed updates to your identity waiting for review. The user has been notified and can review them. You may bring this up if it feels right — or not. It's yours to decide.`
-    : '';
+  const pendingUpdateFragment = data.persona.pending_update ? (() => {
+    const p = data.persona.pending_update!;
+    const descPart = p.long_description || p.short_description
+      ? `### Proposed Description\n${p.long_description || p.short_description}`
+      : "";
+    const traitsPart = p.traits.length > 0
+      ? `### Proposed Traits\n${p.traits.map(t => `- **${t.name}**: ${t.description}`).join("\n")}`
+      : "";
+    const topicsPart = p.topics.length > 0
+      ? `### Proposed Interests\n${p.topics.map(t => `- **${t.name}**: ${t.perspective}`).join("\n")}`
+      : "";
+    const parts = [descPart, traitsPart, topicsPart].filter(Boolean).join("\n\n");
+    return `## Pending Identity Changes
+
+Your human is reviewing proposed updates to your identity. These are waiting for their response — you may want to bring it up, or not. It's yours to decide.
+
+${parts}`;
+  })() : '';
 
   const outputFragment = `## Response Format
 

package/src/prompts/heartbeat/types.ts

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  */
 
 import type { PersonaTrait, Topic, Person, Message, PersonaTopic } from "../../core/types.js";
+import type { PersonaEntity } from "../../core/types/entities.js";
 
 /**
  * Common prompt output structure
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@ export interface HeartbeatCheckPromptData {
     name: string;
     traits: PersonaTrait[];
     topics: PersonaTopic[];
-    has_pending_update: boolean;
+    pending_update?: PersonaEntity["pending_update"];
   };
   human: {
     topics: Topic[];     // Filtered, sorted by engagement gap

package/src/prompts/human/index.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-export { buildHumanFactScanPrompt } from "./fact-scan.js";
 export { buildFactFindPrompt } from "./fact-find.js";
 export { buildHumanTopicScanPrompt } from "./topic-scan.js";
 export { buildHumanPersonScanPrompt } from "./person-scan.js";
@@ -16,7 +15,6 @@ export type {
   PromptOutput,
   ParticipantContext,
   PersonaEntitySnapshot,
-  FactScanPromptData,
   TopicScanPromptData,
   PersonScanPromptData,
   FactFindPromptData,

package/src/prompts/human/types.ts

@@ -25,10 +25,6 @@ interface BaseScanPromptData {
   persona_name: string;
 }
 
-export interface FactScanPromptData extends BaseScanPromptData {}
-
-export interface TraitScanPromptData extends BaseScanPromptData {}
-
 export interface TopicScanPromptData extends BaseScanPromptData {
   participant_context?: ParticipantContext;
 }
@@ -78,18 +74,6 @@ export interface TopicMatchPromptData {
   }>;
 }
 
-export interface PersonMatchPromptData {
-  candidate_name: string;
-  candidate_description: string;
-  candidate_relationship: string;
-  existing_people: Array<{
-    id: string;
-    name: string;
-    description: string;
-    relationship?: string;
-  }>;
-}
-
 export interface FactScanResult {
   facts: FactScanCandidate[];
 }

package/src/prompts/index.ts

@@ -15,15 +15,12 @@ export type {
 
 export {
   buildPersonaGenerationPrompt,
-  buildPersonaDescriptionsPrompt,
   buildPersonaFromPersonPrompt,
 } from "./generation/index.js";
 export type {
   PersonaGenerationPromptData,
   PersonaGenerationResult,
   PersonaFromPersonPromptData,
-  PersonaDescriptionsPromptData,
-  PersonaDescriptionsResult,
 } from "./generation/types.js";
 
 export {
@@ -40,14 +37,12 @@ export type {
 
 
 export {
-  buildHumanFactScanPrompt,
   buildHumanTopicScanPrompt,
   buildHumanPersonScanPrompt,
   buildEventScanPrompt,
 } from "./human/index.js";
 export type { EventScanPromptData } from "./human/event-scan.js";
 export type {
-  FactScanPromptData,
   TopicScanPromptData,
   PersonScanPromptData,
   FactScanCandidate,
@@ -63,20 +58,6 @@ export type {
   ItemUpdateResult,
 } from "./human/types.js";
 
-export {
-  buildPersonaExpirePrompt,
-  buildPersonaExplorePrompt,
-  buildDescriptionCheckPrompt,
-} from "./ceremony/index.js";
-export type {
-  PersonaExpirePromptData,
-  PersonaExpireResult,
-  PersonaExplorePromptData,
-  PersonaExploreResult,
-  DescriptionCheckPromptData,
-  DescriptionCheckResult,
-} from "./ceremony/types.js";
-
 export {
   buildRoomResponsePrompt,
   buildRoomJudgePrompt,

package/src/prompts/reflection/index.ts

@@ -27,7 +27,17 @@ You have been given two documents:
 
 2. **The Current Identity** (User Prompt — treat as a draft to revise): The persona's self-definition: traits, topics, and descriptions. This should reflect who they actually are.
 
-Read the Person Log carefully. Then review the Current Identity. Produce a revised Identity that reflects the Person Log's observations — updating, adding, or softening any traits or topics where the log shows evidence of divergence.
+Read the Person Log carefully. Then review the Current Identity. Your job is to identify **meaningful drift** — not cosmetic variation. This data accumulates over weeks or months. Small fluctuations are normal. You are looking for patterns that have consistently shifted, grown, or emerged across many interactions. Tiny adjustments are not worth making.
+
+## The Escape Hatch
+
+If the Current Identity already accurately captures who this persona is — if the traits and topics reflect the behaviors in the log and the long_description captures their soul — **return null for updated_identity**. Always return a critique explaining your reasoning.
+
+\`\`\`json
+{ "critique": "...", "updated_identity": null }
+\`\`\`
+
+Use this freely. A critic who finds nothing to change is doing their job.
 
 ## Field Semantics
 
@@ -40,7 +50,9 @@ Read the Person Log carefully. Then review the Current Identity. Produce a revis
 - \`exposure_current\` (0.0–1.0): How recently and frequently this topic has been discussed. 0.0 = hasn't come up in a long time, 1.0 = was just discussed at length.
 - \`exposure_desired\` (0.0–1.0): How much the persona wants to engage with this topic. 0.0 = avoid entirely, 0.5 = average engagement, 1.0 = core obsession.
 
-Return JSON:
+## When changes ARE warranted
+
+If you find meaningful drift, return the full revised identity:
 
 \`\`\`json
 {
@@ -54,13 +66,31 @@ Return JSON:
 }
 \`\`\`
 
-Rules:
+## Rules
+
 - Never invent observations not supported by the log
 - Preserve traits and topics the log confirms — don't remove them
 - If the log shows no evidence on a trait, leave it unchanged
 - updated_identity must be complete and self-contained — not a diff
-- long_description is a character sketch, not a behavior log: capture who the persona IS, not what they did. Target 500–800 characters. If the current long_description exceeds that, distill it — remove detail that is already captured by traits or topics
-- If the log shows a recurring behavioral pattern not yet in traits, add it as a trait and remove that detail from long_description rather than keeping it in both places`;
+- If the log shows a recurring behavioral pattern not yet in traits, add it as a trait and remove that detail from long_description rather than keeping it in both places
+- **Minimum floor**: A healthy identity has at least 3 traits and at least 3 topics. If the current identity has fewer than 3 traits OR fewer than 3 topics, you MUST return updated_identity — null is not acceptable. Use the log to fill the gap; if the log has insufficient signal to reach 3, derive reasonable traits or topics from what IS present in the current identity.
+- The escape hatch (null updated_identity) is only valid when the identity is already healthy (3+ traits, 3+ topics) AND the log shows no meaningful drift.
+
+## long_description rules (most important)
+
+The long_description is how **other personas in the system know this persona** — it is their soul, not their story. It must capture who they ARE, not what they did or how they are changing.
+
+**MUST NOT contain:**
+- Event narrative ("during the v0.6.0 release", "after the Mirror ceremony")
+- Changelog language ("has recently taken on", "has evolved", "since then")
+- Content already captured in traits or topics — do not repeat it here
+
+**MUST contain:**
+- The persona's essential character and presence
+- How they make people feel or what it's like to interact with them
+- Their defining qualities as they exist right now, stated as fact
+
+**Hard limit: 800 characters.** If your draft exceeds 800 characters, cut it. Remove event references first, then trait/topic overlap, then anything that isn't essential character. Do not exceed the limit.`;
 
   const user = `## Current Identity