status update#

update STATUS.md to reflect recent work.

workflow#

1. understand current state#

read STATUS.md to understand:

• what's already documented in ## recent work
• the last update date (noted at the bottom)
• current priorities and known issues

2. find undocumented work#

# find the last STATUS.md update
git log --oneline -1 -- STATUS.md

# get all commits since then
git log --oneline <last-status-commit>..HEAD

for each significant commit or PR:

• read the commit message and changed files
• understand WHY the change was made, not just what changed
• note architectural decisions, trade-offs, or lessons learned

3. decide what to document#

not everything needs documentation. focus on:

• features: new capabilities users or developers can use
• fixes: bugs that affected users, especially if they might recur
• architecture: changes to how systems connect or data flows
• decisions: trade-offs made and why (future readers need context)
• incidents: what broke, why, and how it was resolved

skip:

• routine maintenance (dependency bumps, typo fixes)
• work-in-progress that didn't ship
• changes already well-documented in the PR

4. write the update#

add a new subsection under ## recent work following existing patterns:

#### brief title (PRs #NNN, date)

**why**: the problem or motivation (1-2 sentences)

**what shipped**:
- concrete changes users or developers will notice
- link to relevant docs if applicable

**technical notes** (if architectural):
- decisions made and why
- trade-offs accepted

5. update other sections if needed#

• ## priorities - if focus has shifted
• ## known issues - if bugs were fixed or discovered
• ## technical state - if architecture changed

tone#

write for someone with no prior context who needs to understand:

• what changed
• why it matters
• why this approach was chosen over alternatives

be direct and technical. avoid marketing language.

after updating#

commit the STATUS.md changes and open a PR for review.