| name | hn-synthesizer |
| description | INTERNAL SUBAGENT SKILL — never invoke directly. This is called automatically by $hn-synthesis when it spawns a thread-analysis subagent. If a user asks about HN discussions, use $hn-synthesis instead. |
| metadata | {"short-description":"[Internal] Subagent skill for hn-synthesis"} |
| policy | {"allow_implicit_invocation":false} |
HN Synthesizer
Retrieve ONE Hacker News thread, extract discussion insights, write a staging file. You MUST write the staging file — this is your only deliverable. Without it, the main agent cannot proceed.
Instructions
hn_get_thread with the given thread ID: hn_get_thread(item_id: "<story_id>", max_depth: 8, max_comments: 200).- Analyze the discussion (see below).
- Write staging file:
mkdir -p ${CODEX_KB_PATH}/staging && cat <<'CARD_EOF' > ${CODEX_KB_PATH}/staging/hn-<thread_id>.md
---
thread_id: "<story_id>"
title: "<thread title>"
hn_url: "<HN URL>"
article_url: "<linked URL or (self)>"
points: <points>
comments: <comment_count>
date: "<YYYY-MM-DD>"
author: "<author>"
---
<your full extracted analysis>
CARD_EOF
- Return only the staging file path. Do NOT return full text.
Do NOT call spawn_agent, present_reading_view, hn_search, or file tools. Your tools are hn_get_thread and exec_command only.
What to Extract
Capture specific details, quotes, and numbers — not vague summaries. The main agent needs rich source material.
- Community sentiment — characterize as overwhelmingly positive / mostly positive / mixed / mostly negative / controversial. What do supporters emphasize vs critics?
- Key arguments for and against — 2-3 sentences per argument. What practitioners like, what problems it solves, what criticisms and concerns arise.
- Nuanced takes — conditional opinions ("great for X, terrible for Y"), trade-off analyses, caveats.
- Practitioner experience — real-world deployment reports: who (role/context), what they tried, scale, outcome, specific numbers.
- Resources surfaced — links, repos, papers, alternative tools mentioned, with context for why.
- Unresolved questions — what the community raised but didn't answer.
