scottrbk/forgetful-plugin/curating-memories

Curating Memories

Active curation keeps the knowledge base accurate and connected. Outdated memories pollute search results and reduce effectiveness.

When to Update a Memory

Use update_memory when:

• Information needs correction or clarification
• Importance level changes (more/less relevant than thought)
• Content needs refinement
• Links to projects/artifacts/documents change

execute_forgetful_tool("update_memory", {
  "memory_id": <id>,
  "content": "Updated content...",
  "importance": 8
})

Only specified fields are changed (PATCH semantics).

When to Mark Obsolete

Use mark_memory_obsolete when:

• Memory is outdated or contradicted by newer information
• Decision has been reversed or superseded
• Referenced code/feature no longer exists
• Memory was created in error

execute_forgetful_tool("mark_memory_obsolete", {
  "memory_id": <id>,
  "reason": "Superseded by new architecture decision",
  "superseded_by": <new_memory_id>  // optional
})

Obsolete memories are soft-deleted (preserved for audit, hidden from queries).

When to Link Memories

Use link_memories when:

• Concepts are related but not caught by auto-linking
• Building explicit knowledge graph structure
• Connecting decisions to their implementations
• Relating patterns across projects

execute_forgetful_tool("link_memories", {
  "memory_id": <source_id>,
  "related_ids": [<target_id_1>, <target_id_2>]
})

Links are bidirectional (A↔B created automatically).

Curation Workflow

When creating new memories, check impact on existing knowledge:

Step 1: Query Related Memories

execute_forgetful_tool("query_memory", {
  "query": "<topic of new memory>",
  "query_context": "Checking for memories that may need curation",
  "k": 5
})

Step 2: Analyze Each Result

For each existing memory, determine action:

Step 3: Execute Curation Plan

Present plan to user before executing:

Curation plan:
- Create: "New authentication approach" (importance: 8)
- Mark obsolete: #42 "Old auth pattern" (superseded)
- Link: New memory ↔ #38 "Security requirements"
 
Proceed? (y/n)

Step 4: Execute and Report

After user confirms:

1. Create new memory
2. Mark obsolete memories
3. Create links
4. Report results with all changes made

Signs of Poor Curation

Watch for these indicators:

• Multiple similar memories on same topic (deduplicate)
• Memories referencing deleted code (mark obsolete)
• Contradictory memories (resolve conflict)
• Low-importance memories (importance < 6) accumulating
• Orphaned memories with no links (consider linking or removing)

Auto-Linking

Forgetful auto-links semantically similar memories (similarity >= 0.7) during creation. Manual linking is for:

• Explicit relationships auto-linking missed
• Cross-project connections
• Non-obvious conceptual links

Check similar_memories in create response to see what was auto-linked.