action-converter

<!-- autoresearch: variation B — sharper output via specificity gates, leverage scoring, banned-phrase lint, open-loop anchoring, empty-state taxonomy -->

> **${var}** — Optional focus area (e.g. `health`, `networking`, `learning`, `shipping`, `crypto`, `repo`). If empty, covers all areas. Treated as a tiebreaker, not a hard filter.

Read `memory/MEMORY.md` for stated goals, "Next Priorities", tracked items, and current topics.
Read the last 7 days of `memory/logs/` for recent activity, patterns, and what's already been suggested or done.
Read `memory/topics/` (every file) for active threads.
Read `memory/cron-state.json` for failing or stuck skills.
Read `memory/watched-repos.md` for repos under attention.
Read `output/articles/` (last 7 days, filenames only — peek at the 2 most recent for theme).
If `soul/SOUL.md` exists, read it for identity, voice, focus areas.
Run `gh pr list --state open --limit 20 --json number,title,createdAt,isDraft,reviewDecision,headRefName 2>/dev/null` to get open PRs (used to anchor "ship" / "review" / "merge" loops).

**Graceful bootstrap** — each of the reads above may be missing on cold starts. For every source, if the file/directory is missing or empty (including `memory/topics/*.md`, `memory/cron-state.json`, and `gh pr list` returning empty or erroring), skip it and record `BOOTSTRAP: <resource> not yet populated` in the run's working notes. Continue with whatever signals are available — the skill must degrade gracefully, never fail. If every single source is empty, fall through to the `ACTION_CONVERTER_NO_CONTEXT` mode below.

## Steps

### 1. Detect mode

Decide which exit mode this run will produce based on context volume:

- **ACTION_CONVERTER_NO_CONTEXT** — if BOTH `memory/logs/` has 0 entries AND `memory/MEMORY.md` is the unmodified template (matches "*Last consolidated: never*" AND "Configure notification channels"). Notify the operator and stop — do not invent actions out of thin air.
- **ACTION_CONVERTER_BOOTSTRAP** — if `memory/logs/` has <3 distinct dates in the last 14 days OR `memory/MEMORY.md` "Next Priorities" still contains template entries ("Configure notification channels", "Run first digest"). Switch the action pool to setup-completion actions: enable specific skills in `aeon.yml`, configure missing notification secrets, run the first digest, populate `memory/topics/` for the first tracked thread, etc. These are still real, named, completable actions — not generic onboarding advice.
- **ACTION_CONVERTER_OK** — otherwise. Use the full leverage-scored loop pipeline below.

### 2. Extract open loops

Build a single deduped list of named open loops from every source above. A loop is a specific in-flight thing, not an area. Each loop captures at minimum: `id` (short slug), `text` (one phrase), `source` (where it came from), `age_days`, `urgency_signal` (deadline / blocker / stalled / fresh).

Sources to mine:
- **Open PRs** — every entry from `gh pr list`. Loop text: `PR #N: <title>` with urgency = `stalled` if >3 days old or review_decision is REQUEST_CHANGES.
- **MEMORY.md "Next Priorities"** — each bullet becomes a loop. Skip template lines.
- **`memory/topics/*.md`** — for each topic file, scan for headings or bullets that look like ongoing work (TODO, WIP, "In progress", "Tracking", trailing question marks, dated items in the last 30 days).
- **`memory/cron-state.json`** — every skill with `consecutive_failures > 0` OR `last_status != success` becomes a loop: `fix <skill>`. Urgency = `blocker` if consecutive_failures ≥ 3.
- **Recent logs (last 7 days)** — any line ending in `?`, containing "blocked", "next:", "todo", "follow-up", "unfinished", or naming a deferred decision.
- **Recent articles (last 7 days)** — each new article opens a distribution/syndication loop ("syndicate <slug>") if `syndicate-article` is enabled, and a feedback loop ("respond to comments on <slug>") if traffic is plausible.
- **${var}** — if set, add a synthetic loop "advance ${var}" so at least one action ties to the requested focus area.

Deduplicate by similarity in `text`. Cap the loop list at 25.

### 3. Score loops

Score every loop on three 1–5 axes. Total = leverage × urgency × concreteness.

| Axis | 1 | 3 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| **leverage** | personal hygiene | useful but local | unblocks others, shippable artifact, or compounds |
| **urgency** | nice-to-have | this week | today (deadline / blocker / >5 day stall on hot loop) |
| **concreteness** | "think about X" | known shape, no draft | next step is one named action |

Drop any loop scoring <8 from the candidate pool. If `${var}` is set, give a +0.5 leverage bump to loops touching that area.

### 4. Convert loops to actions

Convert the top loops into actions until you have 5 distinct ones. Constraints on every action:

1. **Specificity gate** — must name at least one of: a file path, a PR number, a person/handle, a project/repo, a tool/CLI command, a URL, a tracked entity from MEMORY.md. Generic "reach out to people" / "review your goals" / "explore opportunities" fails this gate.
2. **Banned-phrase lint** — reject any action whose `action` text contains: `go for a walk`, `drink water`, `take a break`, `reflect`, `journal`, `meditate`, `brainstorm`, `review your`, `think about`, `consider`, `look into`, `explore opportunities`, `reach out to people`, `network with`, `clean up your inbox`, `organize your`, `plan tomorrow`, `do some reading`, `check social media`. These are filler, not actions.
3. **Time estimate** — must fit in ≤2 hours; bias toward 30–60 min slots.
4. **Definition of done** — one observable check. "PR opened" / "commit pushed" / "message sent to <handle>" / "doc has section X with ≥3 items". Not "feel better" or "have more clarity".
5. **Anti-template (14-day novelty check)** — for each candidate action, extract the verb + main noun. Reject if the same verb+noun appears in any `memory/logs/*.md` from the last 14 days. (Different verb+same noun is fine — only the bigram blocks