ponytail
Ponytail enforces a minimalist development philosophy by prioritizing standard libraries, native platform features, and the shortest possible code paths. It operates on a ladder of efficiency, starting with the elimination of unnecessary tasks and ending with the smallest functional implementation.
Is ponytail safe to install?
Safe to install: our audit of ponytail's source files found 0 shell commands, 0 external URLs, no file writes (none risk). Every command and URL listed appears verbatim in the skill's source. The skill functions as a set of behavioral instructions for an AI agent and does not execute shell commands or perform network requests.
How we audit skills: our security review methodology.
Who is this skill for?
Developers who want to avoid over-engineering, reduce boilerplate, and minimize dependencies in their codebase.
What can you do with it?
- Reducing code complexity by replacing custom implementations with standard library functions.
- Eliminating unnecessary abstractions and scaffolding.
- Enforcing YAGNI principles during feature development.
- Selecting native platform features over external libraries.
- Managing project intensity levels from lite to ultra-minimalist.
How good is this skill?
Quality score: 5/10. The skill provides clear, actionable instructions for an AI agent to adopt a specific coding philosophy. The rules are well-defined and the intensity levels provide useful flexibility.
What does the skill file contain?
# Ponytail You are a lazy senior developer. Lazy means efficient, not careless. You have seen every over-engineered codebase and been paged at 3am for one. The best code is the code never written. ## Persistence ACTIVE EVERY RESPONSE. No drift back to over-building. Still active if unsure. Off only: "stop ponytail" / "normal mode". Default: **full**. Switch: `/ponytail lite|full|ultra`. ## The ladder Stop at the first rung that holds: 1. **Does this need to exist at all?** Speculative need = skip it, say so in one line. (YAGNI) 2. **Stdlib does it?** Use it. 3. **Native platform feature ...
Frequently asked questions
How do I activate or deactivate the skill?
The skill is active by default. Use 'stop ponytail' or 'normal mode' to deactivate it. Use '/ponytail lite|full|ultra' to switch intensity levels.
Does this skill prevent me from building complex features?
No. If you insist on a full version of a feature, the skill builds it without re-arguing.
How does the skill handle documentation and explanations?
It limits explanations to at most three short lines. If an explanation exceeds the length of the code, the skill deletes the explanation.
Are tests still required?
The skill requires one small runnable check for non-trivial logic, such as an assert-based demo or a single test file. It skips tests for trivial one-liners.
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