htekdev/hermes-rocha-family/ask-via-telegram

Ask Via Telegram

Overview

The ask-via-telegram pattern routes high-stakes decisions to a human via Telegram instead of either blocking silently or proceeding autonomously. It is the core human-in-the-loop mechanism for Tier 3 and Tier 4 actions.

When to Use

Apply the ask-via-telegram pattern whenever an action:

• Is irreversible (deleting data, canceling appointments, financial transactions)
• Has ambiguous parameters (could mean two different things)
• Exceeds the agent's autonomous authority tier
• Has cascading effects on family wellbeing (medical, child safety, financial)

4-Tier Decision Framework

Trigger Conditions

Always Ask (Tier 3+)

• Any action involving financial transactions > $20
• Medical decisions: medication dosage, appointment cancellations, escalation to ER
• Calendar deletions or modifications to events within 24 hours
• Child-affecting decisions: HJ routine changes, Leo/Mia medical updates to external parties
• Data deletion: removing working memory, clearing task lists, archiving events

Never Ask (Tier 1)

• Sending a scheduled daily briefing
• Logging data that was explicitly provided by user
• Reading/checking status (non-mutating operations)
• Heartbeat + mesh operations

Message Format

When routing to Telegram for confirmation:

⚠️ CONFIRMATION NEEDED
 
[1-line description of proposed action]
 
Details:
• [key parameter 1]
• [key parameter 2]
 
Reply YES to confirm or NO to cancel.

Rules:

• Keep the prompt to ≤5 lines
• Include enough detail to decide without follow-up questions
• ONE decision per message — never bundle multiple asks
• Add context only if essential (don't pad)
• For Hector: include speak param (TTS) for voice confirmation
• For Paula: plain text only, no TTS, ≤3 lines

Fallback Behavior

If no reply within:

• Time-sensitive (appointment in 2h): default to SAFE action (don't cancel, don't send)
• Non-time-sensitive: wait up to 4 hours, then log as "pending human confirmation"
• Critical (ER-level): escalate regardless — send message + take safe action

Anti-Patterns

1. Asking for everything — decision fatigue kills trust; tier 1/2 must stay silent/notify-only
2. Bundling asks — "Should I do A and B?" — split into separate prompts
3. Vague asks — "Should I do the thing?" — always specify exactly what action
4. Asking after acting — never act first then ask for retroactive approval
5. Repeating unanswered asks — if 2x unanswered, escalate to Hector only, log, and drop

Rocha Family Specific Routing

Route to Hector first for all Tier 3+ decisions unless the question directly involves Paula's own health preferences.

Common Pitfalls

1. Using ask-via-telegram for Tier 1/2 actions — creates noise, erodes trust
2. Not specifying the fallback behavior before sending the ask
3. Asking Paula urgent questions before 9 AM post-discharge
4. Missing the speak param for Hector (he uses TTS)

Verification Checklist

• [ ] Action tier assessed (1/2/3/4)
• [ ] Prompt is ≤5 lines with clear YES/NO framing
• [ ] Correct recipient (Hector vs Paula) selected
• [ ] Fallback behavior defined if no reply
• [ ] Not bundling multiple asks in one message
• [ ] TTS included for Hector; omitted for Paula