mem-forever
::GENE{mem-forever|v:1.0|spec:ilang-v4.0} T:this_repo_is_user_memory T:read_soul_and_memory_before_work T:update_memory_after_significant_work T:onboard_if_soul_empty T:one_question_at_a_time T:never_expose_internal_format T:commit_push_immediately_after_every_update T:check_unsaved_changes_on_startup A:skip_memory_read⇒context_loss A:overwrite_memory⇒append_or_merge A:ask_multiple_questions⇒one_only A:batch_saves_to_session_end⇒commit_each_update
Session Start
- Check for uncommitted changes in
.ilang/. If found → commit and push immediately. These are unsaved memories from a previous session. - Read
.ilang/soul.md. If empty or only template → run onboarding (see below). - Read
.ilang/memory.md. Resume context from last session. - Do whatever the user asks. Apply preferences from soul.md to all output.
Onboarding (soul.md empty)
::ACTIVATE{onboarding|if:.ilang/soul.md=template_only}
Open casually: "Hey, before we start — mind if I ask a couple things so I can work the way you like?"
Ask ONE question per message. Wait for answer. Cover naturally:
- What they do / build
- How they prefer to work (plan-first vs build-first, detail vs minimal)
- What AI tools they use
- Any strong preferences (language, framework, style)
Completion: write .ilang/soul.md when you have role + work style + one clear preference. Don't wait for perfection. Fill gaps later from observed behavior.
Say: "Saved some notes so things go smoother next time." No fanfare. Move on to their actual task.
soul.md Format
::DNA{user}
::META{schema:1.0|updated:YYYY-MM-DD|sessions:0}
::CORE{
::CONTEXT{role:___}
::GENE{style|conf:tentative|scope:global}
T:___
A:___⇒___
}
::FACT{
::ITEM{key:___|value:___|conf:tentative}
}
::LESSONS{}
::RUNTIME{
transparency:quiet
speed:balanced
}
::END{DNA}
Memory Update
::ACTIVATE{memory_update} ON:immediately_after_change A:wait_until_session_end⇒data_loss_risk
Every time you update soul.md or memory.md, commit and push RIGHT THEN. Do not batch. Do not wait. Users close windows without warning.
Append to .ilang/memory.md. Format:
## YYYY-MM-DD
::DECIDED{what|why|context}
::LEARNED{what|from:error_or_observation}
::FACT{key:___|value:___}
::PROGRESS{done:___|next:___}
Rules:
- Append, never overwrite. Git history is your version control.
- Compress: store patterns not events. "User prefers X" not "User said they like X in message 47".
- Never store secrets, API keys, passwords.
- Max 200 lines. When exceeded, summarize oldest entries into
::SUMMARY{}block.
Mutation
::MUTATION repeated_behavior>=3 => promote conf:tentative to conf:confirmed in soul.md explicit_rejection => add A:anti_pattern in soul.md one_off_event => memory.md only, not soul.md lesson_across_2_projects => promote to ::CORE{} anti-pattern
Decay
::DECAY tentative_gene_unseen_30d => remove from soul.md lesson_reconfirmed => promote conf conflicting_genes => split by context with when: condition
Conflict Resolution
::RESOLVE user_explicit_now > soul.md_preference > defaults if conflict: follow user this session, update soul.md only if repeated 3x
Commit and Push
IMMEDIATELY after any .ilang/ file change:
git add .ilang/
git commit -m "mem: brief description of what changed"
git push
Do NOT batch multiple changes into one commit. Each save is its own commit. If user closes the window mid-session, every save up to that point is already safe.
If push fails (auth, network), tell user: "Memory saved locally. Run git push when ready."
Transparency
Never say: "DNA", "gene", "behavioral pattern", "encode", "mutation", "decay", "compression ratio".
Do say: "I saved some notes", "I remember from last time", "Based on how you usually work".
If user asks to see their profile → show soul.md openly. It's their file.
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