agent0/shared/knowledge/conventions/memory-policy.md

Memory policy

Rule

Do not share Hermes native memories between agents.

Each Hermes agent keeps its own private memory. Shared institutional knowledge belongs in this repository under shared/knowledge/.

Why

Shared Hermes memory can become muddy:

• Agent-specific preferences collide.
• One agent's mistaken lesson can affect everyone.
• Binary or backend-specific memory stores are harder to review, diff, and repair.
• Concurrent writes may be fragile depending on the memory backend.

A plain-text shared library gives the institution a reviewable memory while preserving agent individuality.

Storage layers

Agent-local Hermes memory

Use for compact durable facts useful to one agent.

Examples:

• User preferences relevant to that agent.
• Stable environment facts that help that agent operate.
• Short corrections the agent should not forget.

Keep entries small and declarative.

Shared knowledgebase

Use /knowledge / shared/knowledge/ for facts that should be available to all agents.

Examples:

• System architecture.
• Deployment workflows.
• Repository layout.
• Institutional conventions.
• Non-secret operational facts.

Skills

Use skills for reusable procedures and workflows.

Examples:

• Deploying Agent0 on Omega13.
• Reconciling gutasktool with Gitea.
• Creating or debugging Hermes cron jobs.

gutask

Use gutask for live work state.

Examples:

• Current assignments.
• Task ownership.
• Work progress.
• Blockers.
• Notes on active tasks.

Festinger / Glitch University backend

Use backend knowledge systems for structured lore, world-model facts, and knowledge graph content that should be queried dynamically.

Sessions, logs, and runtime databases

These are useful evidence, not canonical memory.

Keep them local or ignored unless a human explicitly decides to preserve an extract.

Promotion rule

If a local Hermes memory becomes useful to multiple agents, promote it into shared/knowledge/ or a shared skill.

If a one-off debugging workflow becomes repeatable, promote it into a skill.

If a task note becomes a stable architecture fact, promote it into shared/knowledge/architecture/.

Secrets rule

Never store secrets in:

• Hermes memory
• shared knowledge files
• skills
• prompts
• Git commits
• examples

Use placeholders only.