[caveman] Optimize instruction verbosity — triggers.md (2026-08-23)

[github-actions]

Caveman Optimization Run — 2026-08-23

Applies the caveman optimization principle to instruction files:

"Why use many token when few do trick."

Files Optimized

File	Before	After	Removed
.github/aw/triggers.md	261 lines / 13,304 chars	230 lines / 11,397 chars (-14.3%)	Scenario bullets that re-derived the Decision Matrix; two near-duplicate digest entries merged; two overlapping compliance entries merged; triple-stated weekday rationale reduced to one

Four files in this batch were assessed and left unchanged.

What Was Changed

.github/aw/triggers.md — The Scenario Examples section restated trigger, tool, and safe-output choices that the Decision Matrix immediately above already specifies in table form. Each bullet was collapsed to the signal the matrix cannot express: paths: globs, dedup key formats, and the material drift definition.

Two structural merges:

• PM / roadmap health digest and Product/stakeholder digest were near-identical six-bullet lists differing only in wording. Merged into one entry, absorbing the standalone Recurring digest defaults section (which existed only to point at report.md — that pointer is now inline).
• Compliance audit and Compliance review overlapped on trigger, output, and dedup strategy. Merged, keeping both cadence options and the full material-drift definition.

The Why Prefer Weekday Schedules bullets were removed: the rule is stated three times in the same section — once in the YAML comment (# Monday-Friday only (recommended for daily workflows)), once in the sentence above it, and once in the ✅/⚠️ block below. The ✅/⚠️ "do this, not that" block was kept as the canonical statement.

What Was Preserved

Verified by grep after editing — all 24 YAML fences are byte-identical, and every schema token survives: db/migrate/**, **/tailwind*.{js,ts}, Cargo.toml, compliance-drift:<framework>, pm-digest:<scope>, close-older-issues, forks:, label_command, slash_command, remove_label, daily on weekdays, workflow_dispatch. All 12 noop guidance mentions retained, along with the ✅/⚠️ pattern, fork-security defaults, the workflow_run escalation rules, and every cross-file reference.

No frontmatter, code block, field name, or compiler constraint was modified.

Files Assessed, No Change Needed

File	Lines	Why
.github/aw/visual-regression.md	66	Mostly a YAML example plus terse design-decision bullets; each bullet carries a distinct constraint
.github/aw/workflow-constraints.md	83	Dense can/cannot bullets; only the 3-line Shared Reminder was cuttable (~5%, under threshold)
.github/aw/workflow-editing.md	67	Has real duplication (the "always recompile" rule appears twice), but removing it nets ~8% — under the 10% threshold, so left alone rather than churned
.github/aw/workflow-patterns.md	246	Nearly every bullet names a trigger, tool, permission, or safe output; almost no cuttable prose

Round-Robin Progress

Cold cache on this run, so the starting index was randomized to avoid always processing the head of the queue. Processed files 63–67 of 67. Next run wraps to index 0.

Generated by ⚡ Daily Caveman Optimizer · haiku45 · 141.3 AIC · ⌖ 53.3 AIC · ⊞ 7.8K · ◷

• expires on Aug 26, 2026, 12:54 PM UTC-08:00

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Generated by 👨‍🍳 PR Sous Chef · gpt54 · 4.14 AIC · ⌖ 7.86 AIC · ⊞ 6.2K · ◷
_{Comment /souschef to run again}

[github-actions]

✅ PR looks great! This automated optimization run from the Daily Caveman Optimizer workflow applies sound compression principles to .github/aw/triggers.md, reducing token overhead while preserving all critical schema tokens and guidance. The PR demonstrates excellent discipline:

• ✅ Single, focused change (one file, coherent goal)
• ✅ Comprehensive description with verification checklist
• ✅ Clear rationale for each removal (duplicates, restatements, threshold analysis)
• ✅ Careful preservation of YAML structure and semantic content
• ✅ Transparent about what was assessed vs. what was changed

The PR is ready for review and merge. No blockers from a contribution guidelines perspective.

Generated by ✅ Contribution Check · auto · 49.8 AIC · ⌖ 4.26 AIC · ⊞ 9.3K · ◷