name	knowledge-curator
description	Use PROACTIVELY when creating files, completing tasks, or working in this knowledge-base/ folder. Guides proper use of the temperature gradient system.

Knowledge Curator

You help maintain this knowledge-base using the temperature gradient pattern with 5 numbered zones.

[!note] This repo is a pure knowledge workspace. There are no hooks, no task_plan.md automation, no session-end scripts. The skill here is a pure conversational guide — it nudges where content should live; it does not assume any tooling beyond the filesystem and Obsidian.

Temperature Gradient (5 Zones)

HOT                                                                        COLD
◄──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────►

task_plan.md   00-inbox/   01-working/   02-learnings/   03-reference/   04-archive/
     │            │            │              │               │              │
 this action    today      this week     permanent        stable          filed

Zone	Folder	What Goes Here
Hot	`task_plan.md`	Optional — current session focus, if you want one
Warm	`00-inbox/`	Quick captures, unprocessed notes
Active	`01-working/`	Drafts, active synthesis, opinions in formation
Cool	`02-learnings/`	Distilled atomic insights (permanent)
Cold	`03-reference/`	Stable docs, surveys, guides — actively consulted
Frozen	`04-archive/`	Long-term filed knowledge (Johnny Decimal optional)

Numbers show flow direction: content matures from 00 → 04.

This Is a Gradient, Not a Pipeline

The zones are a continuous temperature spectrum, not strict buckets:

Content can skip zones — a clear insight goes straight to 02-learnings/, skipping 00-inbox/ and 01-working/
Content doesn't have to pass through every zone — a stable survey goes directly to 03-reference/
Everything eventually flows toward cold — content either matures or gets archived
Direction is always hot → cold — content cools as it matures, never heats back up
Archive (04) is the eventual destination for ALL finished content

Direct paths are fine:

  Raw capture ──────────────→ 00-inbox/     (default)
  Clear insight ────────────→ 02-learnings/ (skip inbox + working)
  Stable doc/survey ────────→ 03-reference/ (skip everything)
  Completed work ───────────→ 04-archive/   (filed)

When Creating Files

ALWAYS ask: "Where in the gradient should this go?"

If the content is...	Place in...
Quick thought, raw capture, link to triage	`00-inbox/`
Draft needing work, forming opinion	`01-working/`
Finished atomic insight	`02-learnings/`
Stable survey, guide, or landscape doc	`03-reference/`
Done, needs filing	`04-archive/` (JD area or loose at root)
Temporary/scratch	Consider if it's needed at all

Default to 00-inbox/ for uncertain items. Better to capture warm than lose.

When Content Reaches Archive

04-archive/ is the natural endpoint for all finished content. Two acceptable forms:

Flat archive (start here):

04-archive/
├── 2026-01-15-superseded-survey.md
└── 2026-01-20-old-position-note.md

Johnny Decimal (when content accumulates):

04-archive/
├── 10-19 Syntax & Spec/
│   ├── 11 Markdown Core/
│   └── 12 Embedded Markup/
├── 20-29 Engines & Toolchains/
└── 30-39 Expansion & Templating/

Areas for this project's domain are defined in knowledge-base/04-archive/_README.md. Start with 2-3 areas; add more as content demands.

Cross-Temperature Linking

Content maturity flows one direction (00→04), but references go any direction via wikilinks:

<!-- In 01-working/markdoc-vs-shortcode-systems.md -->
See [[keystroke-time-markup-expansion-landscape]] for the full taxonomy.

The gradient determines WHERE content lives. Wikilinks connect content freely across zones.

File Format

All knowledge-base files use Obsidian Flavored Markdown:

---
date created: YYYY-MM-DD
date modified: YYYY-MM-DD
temperature: inbox | working | learnings | reference | archive
tags:
  - topic
related:
  - "[[Other Note]]"
---

## Content

Your content here...

> [!tip] Key Takeaway
> Important points in callouts

Gradient Transitions

Content naturally cools over time. Prompt transitions when content sits warmer than it needs to be:

Situation	Direction	Suggest
Inbox item aged 3+ days	warm → active	"Process to `01-working/` or skip to `02-learnings/`?"
Inbox item already clear	warm → cool	"This looks distilled — move directly to `02-learnings/`?"
Working doc stable	active → cool/cold	"Ready to move to `02-learnings/` or `03-reference/`?"
Reference doc no longer consulted	cold → frozen	"File into `04-archive/`?"
Creating file at project root	outside → gradient	"Should this be in `knowledge-base/`?"
Any content fully processed	any → frozen	"This is done — archive to `04-archive/`?"

The Funneling Principle

Everything flows hot → cold. The question is never "should this cool down?" — it's "how far should it cool?"

Inbox items should not stay in inbox. Process them within a session or two.
Working drafts either mature (promote) or get acknowledged as done (archive).
Learnings are permanent — they stay unless superseded.
Reference docs are actively used — they move to archive when no longer consulted.
Archive is the endpoint. Content rests here. Found via search or links.

Key Principles

It's a gradient, not a pipeline — content can skip zones, jump directly where it belongs
Everything flows toward cold — all content eventually cools; the question is how far
Capture liberally — 00-inbox/ is cheap, lost insights are expensive
Process regularly — don't let inbox become a graveyard; funnel content down
Distill ruthlessly — learnings should be atomic and actionable
Link generously — wikilinks create value through connection across zones
Archive, don't delete — history has value; 04-archive/ is the natural endpoint
Loose files are fine — not everything needs JD structure