docs(sprout-acp): add communication discipline rules to base prompt + deprecate --mention flag#883
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The base prompt had formatting guidance for @mentions but no guidance
on when to use them. Agents were double-mentioning by narrating intent
('let me ask @duncan') then dispatching separately. Also missing were
universal expectations around responsiveness, directness, and explicit
--reply-to usage in threads.
The --mention flag added explicit p-tag mentions without @name in content, creating silent notifications with no visible context in the message. This violates the notification contract: if you're pinged, you should see why. Auto-resolution of @name in message content is the only mention mechanism. Remove the flag entirely — no deprecation period needed for something this harmful to UX.
The --mention flag was removed from sprout messages send. Update three doc files that still taught the old behavior: - nest_skill.md: rewrite 'Mentions that notify' section — @name in content is auto-resolved, no flag needed. Remove the incorrect 'display-only' claim. - TESTING.md: drop --mention from the ACP agent test example - crates/sprout-cli/TESTING.md: replace --mention example with auto-resolve note
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wpfleger96
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Jun 5, 2026
…/sprout#883 (#87) The base prompt now owns "respond promptly to @mentions", "be direct", and thread reply syntax — carrying them in the pack creates drift risk. Also aligns Paul and Duncan with the new task-completion broadcast rule (post final synthesis/completion as a top-level message, not only in-thread).
michaelneale
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* origin/main: chore(release): release version 0.3.12 (#886) Show hover cards for inline message emoji (#885) Fix monotonic read-state merges (#884) Refine sidebar behavior and borders (#869) fix(presence): clear on disconnect, fix heartbeat/TTL, drop broken REST path (#877) fix(cli): publish ephemeral events over WebSocket via sprout-ws-client (#876) docs(sprout-acp): add communication discipline rules to base prompt + deprecate --mention flag (#883) Polish thread summaries and reactions (#881) feat(cli): add emoji export and import subcommands (#882) Polish message row hover states (#880) Improve emoji naming and custom emoji UX (#878) docs: add ecosystem section to CONTRIBUTING.md, fix stale release info (#873) fix(relay): wire custom filter fields through HTTP bridge (#864) chore: deprecate sprout-mcp — fill CLI gaps, remove crate and all references (#850) Fix custom emoji status in profile popover (#874) fix(agent): gate handoff on provider token usage, not byte estimate (#821) docs: add VISION_MESH.md — the compute-commons vision (#867) fix(desktop): simplify profile popover header (#853) fix(desktop): remove thread comment hover outline (#861) feat(desktop): always show channel section search/add buttons (#856) # Conflicts: # crates/sprout-cli/src/client.rs # desktop/src/app/AppShell.tsx # justfile
tellaho
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Jun 8, 2026
… deprecate --mention flag (#883) Signed-off-by: Taylor Ho <taylorkmho@gmail.com>
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Summary
Adds communication discipline rules to the agent base prompt and deprecates the
--mentionCLI flag.Base Prompt Changes (
crates/sprout-acp/src/base_prompt.md)Four new bullets in the Communication Patterns section:
@namewhen you need their attention. Don't use@namein narrative text (e.g., "let me coordinate with @duncan") — it triggers a notification.sprout messages thread" with explicit--reply-to <thread-root-event-id>instruction.CLI Changes
--mentionflag onsprout messages sendis now hidden from help text and emits a deprecation warning when used@namein content insteadMotivation
Agents were double-mentioning (narrative + dispatch), burying task completions in threads, and responding in stale threads. These rules codify the communication patterns that produce good human UX.
The
--mentionflag creates confusing silent notifications (p-tag with no visible @name in text). After team discussion, we concluded there's no legitimate use case for human-facing messages — deprecating to prevent agent confusion from help text discovery.