discussion-continuity

Skill: Discussion Continuity

Discussions have no formal lifecycle. This skill gives them one — a save point before interruption and a defined retrieval on return.

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Operation A — PAUSE (save before switching)

Trigger: Agent has an open unanswered gate question AND the user redirects to a different task or workflow.

Execute as the first action before switching — before any file edits, before any workflow steps.

1. Write a structured entry to .memory/RESUME.md Session Notes:

   DISCUSSION PAUSED: [topic]
   Agreed: [bullet — one line per agreed decision, or "none yet"]
   Open: [bullet — each pending decision with its options]
   Gate: [exact unanswered question the agent was waiting on]
   

2. Confirm to the user: "Discussion state saved. Switching to [task]."

3. Then execute the interrupting task.

Important: The gate field is what prevents treating the return phrase as implementation approval. If the gate is recorded, the agent re-asks it on resume instead of assuming approval.

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Operation B — RESUME (resurface on return)

Trigger: Any of:

• User says "present the discussion," "where were we," "show me the discussion," "back to [topic]," or "resume"
• task-completion Step 6c detects a DISCUSSION PAUSED: entry in Session Notes

Steps:

1. Read .memory/RESUME.md Session Notes.
2. Find any entries prefixed DISCUSSION PAUSED:.
3. Re-present with full structure — topic, agreed decisions, open decisions with options, and the gate question.
4. Re-ask the gate question explicitly. Do NOT treat the return phrase as an answer to the gate.
5. Remove the DISCUSSION PAUSED: entry from Session Notes only after the gate is answered and discussion is resolved or explicitly parked.

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Format example

DISCUSSION PAUSED: BACKLOG.md design
Agreed: single flat table with Priority column; ID format BL-NNN; Done capped at 5
Open: (1) Backlog Mode field for Jira? options: column vs config field vs none
      (2) Name — BACKLOG vs TODO?
      (3) Capture convention — how "add to todo" maps to a file
Gate: "Want to proceed with implementation, or adjust the design first?"

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What this does NOT solve

• Agent failing to detect the interruption moment — the PAUSE operation still relies on the agent recognizing an open gate + redirect. This is the weakest link. task-completion Step 6c provides the safety net for missed saves.
• Multiple simultaneous paused discussions — if two discussions are paused, resurface both and ask the user which to resolve first.