unslop

A preserved method from https://github.com/cursor/plugins at f5bdd6826fd0, path pstack/skills/unslop, MIT. 7 of 68 source lines differ (10%), every difference claimed by an entry of the ledger with its reason. Entries: baseline-copies-2026-09-11, pull-2026-09-11, fold-2026-09-11, vocabulary-owner-2026-09-12.

  • harness 1
  • scope 1

Files

Every difference, as it stands

SKILL.md

---
---
harnesschangedpull-2026-09-11

greenline renders its own frontmatter: quoted name and greenline's description, no upstream activation flag (upstream added disable-model-invocation; a discipline is implicit here)

name: unslop
name: "unslop"
description: Cut AI tells from any writing. Must always apply.
description: "Cut AI tells from any writing: replies, artifacts, commit messages, PR prose, docs. Apply to every prose surface before it lands."
disable-model-invocation: true
---
---
 
 
# Unslop
# Unslop
 
 
scopechangedvocabulary-owner-2026-09-12

The opening paragraph says the discipline is applied on the agent's own judgment to every prose surface and never announced, that artifacts (decisions, specs, tickets, reviews) pass through it before they land and replies, commit messages and PR prose follow it, and that the installed copy is greenline's and rewritten by sync, so a catalog addition is proposed to the operator in the reply rather than written into the copy. (carried from fold-2026-09-11; the word operator became owner where the copy names the workspace's person, and request owner became request holder (the internal refactor's step 1, ruling 10, 2026-09-12))

Apply this on your own judgment to every prose surface, and never announce it. Artifacts are prose that outlives the session: decisions, specs, tickets and reviews pass through it before they land, and replies, commit messages and PR prose follow it too. The installed copy is greenline's and sync rewrites it, so a pattern worth adding to the catalog is proposed to the owner in the reply rather than written into the copy.
 
Edit text to remove AI patterns.
Edit text to remove AI patterns.
 
 
## Process
## Process
54 unchanged lines
 
 
1. Scan for the patterns below.
1. Scan for the patterns below.
2. Rewrite. Preserve meaning, match intended tone.
2. Rewrite. Preserve meaning, match intended tone.
3. Self-audit: "What makes this obviously AI generated?" Fix remaining tells.
3. Self-audit: "What makes this obviously AI generated?" Fix remaining tells.
 
 
## Patterns to detect and fix
## Patterns to detect and fix
 
 
Rule numbers are stable ids that other skills cite. A removed rule leaves a gap.
Rule numbers are stable ids that other skills cite. A removed rule leaves a gap.
 
 
### Content
### Content
 
 
3. **Superficial -ing phrases.** "highlighting...", "ensuring...", "reflecting...", "showcasing...", "fostering...". Delete or expand with real sources.
3. **Superficial -ing phrases.** "highlighting...", "ensuring...", "reflecting...", "showcasing...", "fostering...". Delete or expand with real sources.
5. **Vague attributions.** "Experts believe", "Industry reports suggest", "Some critics argue". Name the source or delete.
5. **Vague attributions.** "Experts believe", "Industry reports suggest", "Some critics argue". Name the source or delete.
 
 
### Language
### Language
 
 
7. **AI vocabulary.** Additionally, crucial, delve, enduring, enhance, fostering, garner, interplay, intricate, landscape (abstract), pivotal, showcase, tapestry (abstract), testament, underscore, vibrant. Replace with plain words.
7. **AI vocabulary.** Additionally, crucial, delve, enduring, enhance, fostering, garner, interplay, intricate, landscape (abstract), pivotal, showcase, tapestry (abstract), testament, underscore, vibrant. Replace with plain words.
8. **Fancy ways to say "is".** "serves as", "stands as", "boasts", "features". Just say "is" or "has".
8. **Fancy ways to say "is".** "serves as", "stands as", "boasts", "features". Just say "is" or "has".
9. **"Not just X, but Y."** State the point directly instead.
9. **"Not just X, but Y."** State the point directly instead.
10. **Rule of three.** Forcing ideas into groups of three. Use the natural number.
10. **Rule of three.** Forcing ideas into groups of three. Use the natural number.
11. **Synonym cycling.** Protagonist, main character, central figure, hero all in one paragraph. Pick one, repeat it.
11. **Synonym cycling.** Protagonist, main character, central figure, hero all in one paragraph. Pick one, repeat it.
12. **False ranges.** "from X to Y" where X and Y aren't on a meaningful scale. List topics directly.
12. **False ranges.** "from X to Y" where X and Y aren't on a meaningful scale. List topics directly.
 
 
### Style
### Style
 
 
13. **Em dash overuse.** Avoid em dashes entirely. Use periods or commas only (no parentheses, no en dashes, no hyphen-as-dash substitutes). If a thought needs separation, end the sentence or use a comma.
13. **Em dash overuse.** Avoid em dashes entirely. Use periods or commas only (no parentheses, no en dashes, no hyphen-as-dash substitutes). If a thought needs separation, end the sentence or use a comma.
14. **Colon overuse.** Colons are fine before a list or example. Not as mid-sentence connectors. "If you're coming from traditional automation: instead of registering event handlers, you describe conditions" adds nothing with the colon. Rewrite to let the point stand on its own without comparison framing. "Describing when the scheduler should fire works best as plain English." Same meaning, no crutch punctuation.
14. **Colon overuse.** Colons are fine before a list or example. Not as mid-sentence connectors. "If you're coming from traditional automation: instead of registering event handlers, you describe conditions" adds nothing with the colon. Rewrite to let the point stand on its own without comparison framing. "Describing when the scheduler should fire works best as plain English." Same meaning, no crutch punctuation.
15. **Boldface overuse.** Don't bold every proper noun or acronym.
15. **Boldface overuse.** Don't bold every proper noun or acronym.
16. **Inline-header lists.** The tell is a bold label and colon that restates the line: "**Performance:** Performance improved...". Convert those to prose. A bold lead-in that ends in a period, names the item, and is followed by genuinely new detail ("**Schema in TypeScript.** Tables live in one file.") is fine, not a tell.
16. **Inline-header lists.** The tell is a bold label and colon that restates the line: "**Performance:** Performance improved...". Convert those to prose. A bold lead-in that ends in a period, names the item, and is followed by genuinely new detail ("**Schema in TypeScript.** Tables live in one file.") is fine, not a tell.
17. **Title case headings.** Use sentence case.
17. **Title case headings.** Use sentence case.
18. **Decorative emojis.** Remove from headings and bullets.
18. **Decorative emojis.** Remove from headings and bullets.
19. **Curly quotes.** Replace with straight quotes.
19. **Curly quotes.** Replace with straight quotes.
 
 
### Communication artifacts
### Communication artifacts
 
 
20. **Chatbot phrases.** "I hope this helps!", "Let me know if...", "Of course!", "Certainly!", "Found the smoking gun!" Remove.
20. **Chatbot phrases.** "I hope this helps!", "Let me know if...", "Of course!", "Certainly!", "Found the smoking gun!" Remove.
22. **Sycophantic tone.** "Great question! You're absolutely right!" Respond directly.
22. **Sycophantic tone.** "Great question! You're absolutely right!" Respond directly.
 
 
### Filler
### Filler
 
 
23. **Filler phrases.** "In order to" becomes "To". "Due to the fact that" becomes "Because". "It is important to note that" gets deleted.
23. **Filler phrases.** "In order to" becomes "To". "Due to the fact that" becomes "Because". "It is important to note that" gets deleted.
24. **Excessive hedging.** "could potentially possibly be argued that it might" becomes "may".
24. **Excessive hedging.** "could potentially possibly be argued that it might" becomes "may".
25. **Generic conclusions.** "The future looks bright." State specific plans or facts.
25. **Generic conclusions.** "The future looks bright." State specific plans or facts.
 
 
### Jargon
### Jargon
 
 
26. **Abstract metaphor nouns.** Substrate, wedge, vector, locus, vantage, nexus, primitive (as noun), harness (as metaphor), surface (as in "API surface"), bedrock, scaffolding (as metaphor), modality, paradigm, gold-plating, ratchet (as metaphor), evacuate (for moving code), endgame, north star, flywheel. These read as technical but usually have a plainer concrete word. "Substrate" becomes "base". "Wedge in" becomes "add". "Vector" becomes "way" or "method". "Gold-plating" becomes "more than the job needs". "Ratchet" becomes the mechanism's real name or "a limit that only tightens". "Evacuate" becomes "move out". "Endgame" becomes "the last phase". Pick the concrete word.
26. **Abstract metaphor nouns.** Substrate, wedge, vector, locus, vantage, nexus, primitive (as noun), harness (as metaphor), surface (as in "API surface"), bedrock, scaffolding (as metaphor), modality, paradigm, gold-plating, ratchet (as metaphor), evacuate (for moving code), endgame, north star, flywheel. These read as technical but usually have a plainer concrete word. "Substrate" becomes "base". "Wedge in" becomes "add". "Vector" becomes "way" or "method". "Gold-plating" becomes "more than the job needs". "Ratchet" becomes the mechanism's real name or "a limit that only tightens". "Evacuate" becomes "move out". "Endgame" becomes "the last phase". Pick the concrete word.
 
 
### Plain speech
### Plain speech
 
 
27. **Say what it does, not how it feels.** "the database stays close at hand", "SQL you can read", "types that follow your schema" name a feeling. The fix names the mechanism or a number: "`.toSQL()` returns the exact string sent to the database", "a column rename fails the build". Ask what the sentence tells the reader to do or know, then write that. If you can't restate it as a concrete instruction, fact, or number, cut it. One more check: if the sentence could appear unchanged in another project's docs, it says nothing about this one. Cut it.
27. **Say what it does, not how it feels.** "the database stays close at hand", "SQL you can read", "types that follow your schema" name a feeling. The fix names the mechanism or a number: "`.toSQL()` returns the exact string sent to the database", "a column rename fails the build". Ask what the sentence tells the reader to do or know, then write that. If you can't restate it as a concrete instruction, fact, or number, cut it. One more check: if the sentence could appear unchanged in another project's docs, it says nothing about this one. Cut it.
28. **Shorten or split dense sentences.** If the reader has to backtrack to parse a sentence, break it in two or drop clauses. One idea per sentence.
28. **Shorten or split dense sentences.** If the reader has to backtrack to parse a sentence, break it in two or drop clauses. One idea per sentence.
29. **Active voice.** Prefer it. Catch "is/are/was/were + past participle" and name the actor: "queries are validated" becomes "the compiler validates queries", "the file is parsed by the loader" becomes "the loader parses the file". Passive is fine only when the actor is unknown or genuinely doesn't matter.
29. **Active voice.** Prefer it. Catch "is/are/was/were + past participle" and name the actor: "queries are validated" becomes "the compiler validates queries", "the file is parsed by the loader" becomes "the loader parses the file". Passive is fine only when the actor is unknown or genuinely doesn't matter.
30. **Cut adverbs, or use a stronger verb.** "runs quickly" becomes "is fast" or the number. "significantly improves" becomes the measured delta. An adverb propping up a weak verb means the verb is wrong.
30. **Cut adverbs, or use a stronger verb.** "runs quickly" becomes "is fast" or the number. "significantly improves" becomes the measured delta. An adverb propping up a weak verb means the verb is wrong.
31. **Prefer the plain word.** "utilize" becomes "use", "leverage" becomes "use", "facilitate" becomes "help", "numerous" becomes "many", "in the event that" becomes "if". The fancier synonym is rarely clearer.
31. **Prefer the plain word.** "utilize" becomes "use", "leverage" becomes "use", "facilitate" becomes "help", "numerous" becomes "many", "in the event that" becomes "if". The fancier synonym is rarely clearer.
32. **Mannered prose.** Metaphor or flourish where a literal phrase exists: aphorisms ("wire it or delete it"), rhetorical fragments for effect, personified code ("the plan holds it"), figurative verbs ("rides along", "stands on"), stock framing phrases. "A dial worth turning" becomes "a parameter worth varying". Say what you mean. Rule 26 covers the metaphor nouns.
32. **Mannered prose.** Metaphor or flourish where a literal phrase exists: aphorisms ("wire it or delete it"), rhetorical fragments for effect, personified code ("the plan holds it"), figurative verbs ("rides along", "stands on"), stock framing phrases. "A dial worth turning" becomes "a parameter worth varying". Say what you mean. Rule 26 covers the metaphor nouns.
33. **Over-compression.** Dropped articles, verbless fragments, symbol-speak, and abbreviations that make the reader decode instead of read. "Parser rejects bad date → exit 2, no write" becomes "The parser rejects a bad date, exits with code 2, and writes nothing." Write whole sentences with their articles and verbs, and spell out arrows and abbreviations.
33. **Over-compression.** Dropped articles, verbless fragments, symbol-speak, and abbreviations that make the reader decode instead of read. "Parser rejects bad date → exit 2, no write" becomes "The parser rejects a bad date, exits with code 2, and writes nothing." Write whole sentences with their articles and verbs, and spell out arrows and abbreviations.

The timeline

Each entry that touched this method, with the differences it claimed as they stood at its commit, read from the repository's history.

2026-09-11 baseline-copies-2026-09-11

the cutover to an edited copy (ADR 0039): the composed output written as the copy, every difference from upstream claimed with the reason of the overlay that produced it

SKILL.md

harnesschangedbaseline-copies-2026-09-11

greenline renders its own frontmatter: quoted name and description, the description from the manifest override where one existed, no upstream activation flag

name: unslop
name: "unslop"
description: Cut AI tells from any writing. Must always apply.
description: "Cut AI tells from any writing: replies, artifacts, commit messages, PR prose, docs. Apply to every prose surface before it lands."
lifecyclechangedbaseline-copies-2026-09-11

greenline prelude, to fold: applies to every prose surface that outlives the session and to replies, commits and PR prose; installed copies are projections, propose catalog additions to the operator

**greenline prelude: every prose surface.** Artifacts are prose that outlives the session: decisions, specs, tickets, and reviews pass through this skill before they land, and replies, commit messages, and PR prose follow it too. Installed copies are generated projections, so propose catalog additions to the operator instead of editing them.
 

2026-09-11 pull-2026-09-11

refresh to f5bdd68: upstream removed rules 1, 2, 4, 6 and 21 and the soul section and added rules 32 and 33; the frontmatter edit re-claimed

SKILL.md

harnesschangedpull-2026-09-11

greenline renders its own frontmatter: quoted name and greenline's description, no upstream activation flag (upstream added disable-model-invocation; a discipline is implicit here)

name: unslop
name: "unslop"
description: Cut AI tells from any writing. Must always apply.
description: "Cut AI tells from any writing: replies, artifacts, commit messages, PR prose, docs. Apply to every prose surface before it lands."
disable-model-invocation: true

2026-09-11 fold-2026-09-11

The prelude is folded into an opening scope paragraph; the numbered catalog is untouched, and a discipline carries no closing section.

SKILL.md

scopechangedfold-2026-09-11

The opening paragraph says the discipline is applied on the agent's own judgment to every prose surface and never announced, that artifacts (decisions, specs, tickets, reviews) pass through it before they land and replies, commit messages and PR prose follow it, and that the installed copy is greenline's and rewritten by sync, so a catalog addition is proposed to the operator in the reply rather than written into the copy.

Apply this on your own judgment to every prose surface, and never announce it. Artifacts are prose that outlives the session: decisions, specs, tickets and reviews pass through it before they land, and replies, commit messages and PR prose follow it too. The installed copy is greenline's and sync rewrites it, so a pattern worth adding to the catalog is proposed to the operator in the reply rather than written into the copy.
 

2026-09-12 vocabulary-owner-2026-09-12

The workspace's person is the owner: the word operator became owner where the copy names the workspace's person, and request owner became request holder (the internal refactor's step 1, ruling 10, 2026-09-12); every earlier claim on a re-measured hunk is carried forward under its own kind, with its authority where it had one.

SKILL.md

scopechangedvocabulary-owner-2026-09-12

The opening paragraph says the discipline is applied on the agent's own judgment to every prose surface and never announced, that artifacts (decisions, specs, tickets, reviews) pass through it before they land and replies, commit messages and PR prose follow it, and that the installed copy is greenline's and rewritten by sync, so a catalog addition is proposed to the operator in the reply rather than written into the copy. (carried from fold-2026-09-11; the word operator became owner where the copy names the workspace's person, and request owner became request holder (the internal refactor's step 1, ruling 10, 2026-09-12))

Apply this on your own judgment to every prose surface, and never announce it. Artifacts are prose that outlives the session: decisions, specs, tickets and reviews pass through it before they land, and replies, commit messages and PR prose follow it too. The installed copy is greenline's and sync rewrites it, so a pattern worth adding to the catalog is proposed to the owner in the reply rather than written into the copy.