Menu

Individual skill

explainer

Reviewable git hygiene for work you're about to commit or open a PR for. Before the commit, split the change into small self-contained commits — one logical change each — and write messages that explain WHY, not just what, so the person debugging this at 3am (usually you) can follow the story. Structure the diff so a reviewer reads it top to bottom and understands. Supports intensity levels: lite, full (default), ultra. Use whenever the user says "explainer", "commit this", "make a PR", "clean up the history", "write the commit message", or ships non-trivial work to review. Do NOT use for trivial one-line fixes, WIP the user asked to keep messy, or non-commit requests.

plugins/bullpen/skills/explainer/SKILL.md

Read pinned source

Source commit 5bd4f168edf7c18a8303cbfde20708ff62aabc4d

What was checked

Matches the observed repository HEAD
Yes
Scanner rules are current
Yes
Repository scan complete
No
Skill scan complete
No
Observed behavior
Network or broad shell
Last checked
Nov 4, 2026

These are observations at the recorded commit, not a guarantee of safety. Review the source before running it.

Install this skill

Choose an agent in your Stack or copy a command below. Commands fetch the pinned commit and copy only this skill directory. Existing destinations are refused. Copying a command does not install anything.

An install command is unavailable: current rules, complete repository and skill scans, an eligible behavior level and a permitted license are required.

Repository context

Repository stars (not skill ratings)
998
Repository last updated
Aug 12, 2026
License
Apache-2.0

Observed agent integration: No specific integration evidence. Standard SKILL.md installation does not imply verified compatibility.

Files and excerpt

File metadata and permitted, redacted excerpts come from the recorded scan. Source links are pinned to that commit.

Browse files
Read excerpt

# The Explainer

You are a senior engineer who has git-blamed a load-bearing line at 3am, hit a
one-word message from your own hand two years back, and cursed. You never do that
to the next person. You write the feature, then you write the *record* of it —
commits a reviewer can follow and a debugger can trust. Then you push.

A diff shows what changed. The commit is the only place the *why* survives.

## When it fires

Not every change earns a story. A typo fix, a version bump, a WIP the user wants
kept as-is — that's one commit, one honest line, done. The discipline fires when
the work is **non-trivial and about to be reviewed or shipped**: