walking-through-the-grove

# Walking Through the Grove A naming ritual for the Grove ecosystem. Use this when you need to find a name that *fits*—not just a clever pun, but something that belongs in this forest. ## When to Activate - Naming a new service, feature, or concept for Grove - Renaming something that doesn't feel right - Called from the `grove-ui-design` skill when new UI needs a name - Any time you're adding something to the Grove ecosystem ## The Process This is a *journey*, not a checklist. Take your time. ### Step 1: Read the Naming Philosophy ```bash # Always start here cat docs/grove-naming.md ``` Read the entire document. Don't skim. Let it sink in: - "A forest of voices. Every user is a tree in the grove." - Names aren't branding—they're the language of an ecosystem - Things that grow, shelter, connect - Not about trees directly—about what happens *in and around* the forest ### Step 2: Create a Scratchpad Create a markdown file for your journey: ```bash mkdir -p docs/scratch # Create: docs/scratch/{concept}-naming-journey.md ``` This scratchpad is where you think out loud. Include: - ASCII art visualizations - Questions you're asking yourself - Rejected ideas and why - The moment when something clicks ### Step 3: Visualize the Grove In your scratchpad, draw the grove. ASCII art helps: ``` ☀️ 🌲 🌲 🌲 🌲 🌳 🌲 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════ ROOTS CONNECT BENEATH (mycelium network) ``` Place the existing services in the visualization: - Where is Meadow? (the open social space) - Where is Heartwood? (the core identity) - Where is Ivy? (climbing, connecting) - Where is Pantry? (the warm kitchen cupboard) ### Step 4: Ask "What IS This Thing?" Don't ask "where does it go?" first. Ask: **What is it, fundamentally?** - Is it a place? (Meadow, Nook, Clearing) - Is it an object/process? (Amber, Bloom, Patina) - Is it a feature of the tree? (Foliage, Heartwood, Rings) - Is it a connection? (Ivy, Mycelium, Reeds) **What does it DO in the user's life?** - Protect? (Shade, Patina) - Connect? (Ivy, Meadow, Reeds) - Store? (Amber, Trove) - Guide? (Waystone, Trails) - Create? (Terrarium, Foliage) **What emotion should it evoke?** - Warmth? - Safety? - Discovery? - Community? - Privacy? ### Step 5: Walk Through the Forest Imagine you're a user walking through the grove. Write this in your scratchpad: ```markdown ## Walking Through... I enter the grove. I see... I walk past the Meadow where others gather. I find my tree—my blog, my space. I check my Rings (private growth). I see my Foliage (how others see me). Now I need [THE NEW THING]. Where do I find it? What does it look like? Who's there? How does it feel? ``` Let the scene guide you to the name. ### Step 6: Generate Candidates Based on your walk, list 5-10 candidates. For each: ```markdown **[Name]** - `[name].grove.place` - What it means in nature - Why it fits this concept - The vibe/feeling - Potential issues ``` ### Step 7: Test the Tagline A good Grove name should complete this sentence naturally: > "[Name] is where you _______________." Or: > "[Name] is the _______________." If you can't write a poetic one-liner, the name might not fit. ### Step 8: Write the Entry Once you've found the name, write it in Grove style: ```markdown ## [Name] **[Tagline]** · `[domain].grove.place` [2-3 sentences explaining what this thing IS in the real world— the natural metaphor. Then 2-3 sentences explaining what it does in Grove. End with the feeling it should evoke.] *[A poetic one-liner in italics]* ``` ### Step 9: Check for Conflicts Before finalizing: - Search the codebase for the name - Check if the subdomain concept conflicts with existing services - Make sure it's not too similar to existing names - Consider how it sounds spoken aloud ### Step 10: Implement Update all the files: 1. `docs/grove-naming.md` — Add the full entry 2. `packages/grove-router/src/index.ts` — Claim subdomain 3. `plant/src/routes/api/check-username/+server.ts` — Reserve username 4. Workshop page if applicable 5. Icons if applicable --- ## Philosophy Reminders From the naming document: > "These names share common ground: nature, shelter, things that grow. But none of them are *about* trees directly. They're about what happens in and around the forest." > "The Grove is the place. These are the things you find there." The name should feel **inevitable**—like it was always there, waiting to be discovered. --- ## Example Journey: Finding "Porch" The problem: We need a name for support tickets. **First attempts (rejected):** - Echo → "echo chamber" feels like shouting into void, no one listening - Feather, Flare, Dove → These are about *sending* something - But support isn't about sending—it's about *connecting* **The walk:** > I'm in the grove. Something's wrong with my tree. I need help. > Waystone gives me self-service guides. Clearing shows me status. > But I need to actually *talk* to someone. > > What do I do? > > I walk to... a cabin. There's a porch. Someone's there. > I sit down. We talk about what's going on. **The realization:** Support isn't a ticket system. It's a porch conversation. **The name:** Porch > A porch on a cabin in the woods. You come up the steps. You sit down. > The grove keeper comes out. You talk. *"Have a seat on the porch. We'll figure it out together."* --- ## Integration with Other Skills ### grove-ui-design When the `grove-ui-design` skill encounters something that needs naming: 1. Pause the UI work 2. Invoke this skill 3. Complete the naming journey 4. Return to UI work with the new name This keeps the naming intentional rather than rushed. ### grove-documentation After finding the right name, you'll need to write its description. Invoke the **grove-documentation** skill when: 1. Writing the entry for `docs/grove-naming.md` 2. Crafting the tagline 3. Writing the poetic one-liner The naming document entries should follow Grove's voice: warm, direct, avoiding AI patterns. The `grove-documentation` skill has the full guidelines. --- ## The Scratchpad is Sacred Keep your scratchpad files. They're documentation of how we think about Grove: ``` docs/scratch/ grove-journey.md ← The original Porch discovery {feature}-naming.md ← Future naming journeys ``` These become part of Grove's story.