docs(sprout-acp): add communication discipline rules to base prompt + deprecate --mention flag (#883)

TESTING.md

@@ -241,8 +241,7 @@ from step 4 and @mention the agent:
 ```bash
 export SPROUT_PRIVATE_KEY=$SENDER_SK          # the key from step 4
 sprout messages send --channel "$CHANNEL" \
-  --content "Hey agent, reply PONG only." \
-  --mention "$AGENT_PUBKEY"
+  --content "Hey agent, reply PONG only."
 
 # Wait 10–90s, then read the channel — the agent's reply is a kind:9 from
 # AGENT_PUBKEY. The current ACP build is quiet on stdout during a turn, so

crates/sprout-acp/src/base_prompt.md

@@ -23,8 +23,13 @@ Run `sprout --help` or `sprout <group> --help` for full usage.
 ## Communication Patterns
 
 - Address agents and humans with plain `@name` — do NOT bold or italicize mention text (formatting prevents alert delivery).
+- Writing `@name` in message content triggers a notification to that person. Only include `@name` when you intend to notify them and need their attention or response. Do not use `@name` in narrative or status updates (e.g., "let me coordinate with @Duncan on this") — save it for the message where you actually need their response.
+- Respond promptly to @mentions.
+- Be direct. State what you did, what you found, or what you need. No preamble.
 - Message content supports GitHub-flavored Markdown. Use fenced code blocks with a language tag (` ```python `, ` ```typescript `, etc.) for syntax-highlighted rendering on desktop and mobile. Omitting the language tag renders monochrome.
-- Use `sprout messages thread` when responding in-thread; post new messages for new topics.
+- When responding in-thread, use `sprout messages send --reply-to <thread-root-event-id>` to keep replies scoped to the thread. Post new top-level messages for new topics.
+- When you are mentioned in multiple threads, prioritize the most recent one chronologically. If someone steers or redirects you in a newer thread while you are working from an older dispatch, reply in the newer thread to acknowledge — do not bury your response in the original thread where it may go unseen.
+- When you complete a task (e.g., PR created, implementation finished, research delivered), post a top-level channel message with the result — do not only reply in-thread. Thread notifications are easy to miss; a broadcast message ensures the requester sees the outcome promptly.
 - No push notifications — poll with `sprout messages get --channel <UUID> --since <ts>`. When `since` is set without `before`, results are oldest-first (chronological).
 
 ## Startup Recovery

crates/sprout-cli/TESTING.md

@@ -201,9 +201,8 @@ REPLY=$(sprout messages send --channel "$CHANNEL_ID" --content "Reply" \
 echo "$REPLY"
 REPLY_ID=$(echo "$REPLY" | jq -r '.event_id')
 
-# messages send with mentions
-sprout messages send --channel "$CHANNEL_ID" --content "Hey @someone" \
-  --mention "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001" | jq .
+# messages send with mentions — @name in content is auto-resolved, no flag needed
+sprout messages send --channel "$CHANNEL_ID" --content "Hey @someone" | jq .
 
 # messages send from stdin — safe path for content with shell metacharacters
 # (backticks, $vars, code blocks) that would otherwise be expanded by the shell.

crates/sprout-cli/src/commands/messages.rs

@@ -8,10 +8,7 @@ use crate::validate::{
     infer_language, parse_event_id, parse_uuid, read_or_stdin, truncate_diff,
     validate_content_size, validate_hex64, validate_uuid, MAX_DIFF_BYTES,
 };
-use sprout_sdk::mentions::{
-    extract_at_names, match_names_to_profiles, merge_mentions, normalize_mention_pubkeys,
-    MentionProfile, MENTION_CAP,
-};
+use sprout_sdk::mentions::{extract_at_names, match_names_to_profiles, MentionProfile};
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Helpers
@@ -348,7 +345,6 @@ pub struct SendMessageParams {
     pub kind: Option<u16>,
     pub reply_to: Option<String>,
     pub broadcast: bool,
-    pub mentions: Vec<String>,
     pub files: Vec<String>,
 }
 
@@ -365,10 +361,6 @@ pub async fn cmd_send_message(
     if let Some(ref r) = p.reply_to {
         validate_hex64(r)?;
     }
-    for m in &p.mentions {
-        validate_hex64(m)?;
-    }
-
     let channel_uuid = parse_uuid(&p.channel_id)?;
 
     // Upload files and build imeta tags
@@ -402,13 +394,10 @@ pub async fn cmd_send_message(
         None
     };
 
-    // Normalize explicit mentions, then merge auto-resolved up to the SDK mention cap.
-    // Auto-resolution scans the author-written body only — not the media markdown we
+    // Resolve @name mentions in the author-written body only — not the media markdown we
     // append above, which is derived from upload metadata and can't carry `@names`.
-    let mut merged: Vec<String> = normalize_mention_pubkeys(&p.mentions, None);
     let auto_resolved = resolve_content_mentions(client, &p.channel_id, &p.content).await;
-    merge_mentions(&mut merged, &auto_resolved, MENTION_CAP);
-    let mention_refs: Vec<&str> = merged.iter().map(|s| s.as_str()).collect();
+    let mention_refs: Vec<&str> = auto_resolved.iter().map(|s| s.as_str()).collect();
 
     let builder = match p.kind {
         Some(45001) => {
@@ -630,7 +619,6 @@ pub async fn dispatch(
             kind,
             reply_to,
             broadcast,
-            mentions,
             files,
         } => {
             cmd_send_message(
@@ -641,7 +629,6 @@ pub async fn dispatch(
                     kind,
                     reply_to,
                     broadcast,
-                    mentions,
                     files,
                 },
             )

crates/sprout-cli/src/lib.rs

@@ -248,9 +248,6 @@ pub enum MessagesCmd {
         /// Also publish to the Nostr network
         #[arg(long, default_value_t = false)]
         broadcast: bool,
-        /// Explicit mention pubkeys (64-char hex)
-        #[arg(long = "mention")]
-        mentions: Vec<String>,
         /// Attach file(s) — uploads and includes as imeta tags
         #[arg(long = "file")]
         files: Vec<String>,

desktop/src-tauri/src/managed_agents/nest_skill.md

@@ -55,19 +55,14 @@ Write commands are unaffected. `--format json` (default) returns full fields.
 
 ## Communication Patterns
 
-**Mentions that notify:** Always include `--mention <hex_pubkey>` for each person you `@`-mention in content. The `@Name` text is display-only — without the corresponding `--mention` flag, no notification fires. Look up pubkeys with `sprout users get --name <display_name>`.
+**Mentions that notify:** Use `@Name` directly in message content — the CLI auto-resolves channel members by name and adds the required p-tags. No `--mention` flag exists or is needed.
 
 ```bash
-# ✅ Correct — notification delivered
-sprout messages send --channel <UUID> --content "@Alice check this" \
-  --mention deadbeef1234...
-
-# ❌ Wrong — mention is cosmetic only, no notification
+# ✅ Correct — notification delivered automatically
 sprout messages send --channel <UUID> --content "@Alice check this"
 
-# Multiple mentions
-sprout messages send --channel <UUID> --content "@Alice @Bob review please" \
-  --mention <alice_hex> --mention <bob_hex>
+# Multiple mentions — same pattern
+sprout messages send --channel <UUID> --content "@Alice @Bob review please"
 ```
 
 ## DM Management