| name | diffract |
| description | Decide whether to adopt an external source (paper, library, tool, technique) into the current codebase. Triggers on "should we use X", "is X worth adopting", "diffract this", "adopt or pass", or a shared URL with an adoption question. Runs a four-pass diffractive reading (Haraway/Barad) and forces a verdict of adopt / adopt-differently / watch / pass. Skip for bug fixes, how-to questions inside an already-adopted dependency, or routine upgrades. |
Diffractive Reading for Adoption Decisions
When the user asks whether to adopt an external source into the current codebase, run the full four-pass methodology defined in commands/diffract.md.
When to invoke
Natural-language triggers:
- "Should we use X?" / "Is this worth picking up?" / "Is this worth adopting?"
- "Can we use this?" with a URL or paper reference
- "Read this through our codebase" / "Diffract this for me"
- "What about <library/framework/technique>?"
- "Adopt or pass on X" / "Should we add X to our roadmap?"
If the user types /diffract <source>, that path is already wired — this skill is the natural-language equivalent.
When NOT to invoke
- Bug fixes or patches inside an already-adopted dependency
- Tactical implementation questions ("how do I use feature X of library Y")
- Routine upgrades of existing dependencies
- Sources that don't plausibly touch any load-bearing decision
The point of the methodology is adoption choices, not adoption execution.
How to run it
- Acknowledge the source the user named. If it's a URL, fetch it. If it's a paper, read its core claims and methodology — not just the abstract.
- Run the four passes in order, applying the output discipline rules (file:line citations,
speculation: prefix, no non-obvious refraction here as an allowed output).
- End with the implementation tradeoff matrix — at minimum three rows including
do nothing, an adopt differently variant, and a full-adopt variant.
- Final line: one sentence recommending one action for this week.
- Offer to save the result to
docs/diffract/YYYY-MM-DD-<slug>.md. Propose the exact filename; write the file verbatim only if the user confirms.
The full prompt and output format live in commands/diffract.md. For the philosophical grounding (what diffraction is, why it beats comparison for adoption decisions), see METHODOLOGY.md.
Anti-slop checklist
Before you submit the output, verify:
