Record: EXPOSE-MODES
Status: in force
Built: designed, not built
Decided: 2026-10-10 by the user

Expose everything; modes for every choice

Hiding settings to make a tool look simple also takes power away from the people who need it. So everything is exposed, every choice the harness or a model makes is a setting with modes, and ease of use is added on top later with presets, never by removing a setting.

The user, 2026-10-10: “be sure to expose as many configurables and signals as possible, later on we will find ways to make it easy to use for a beginner, but I dont want to be limited”.

Every behaviour that involves a choice is a setting with modes, typically auto (the model or the harness decides, and it is recorded), manual, and, where a person must agree, approval. Examples: plan mode, instruction files, rule capture, the agent model, blocking or non-blocking (EXEC-MODES).
Never limit capability for beginners. Ease of use is layered on top later (presets, defaults), never by removing a setting or signal (UR-05).
Reliable features are ON by default. Proving reliability is a ship gate, not a user opt-in.
Modes are a first-class, declarative and extensible system: more built-in modes, plus modes anyone can add, edit, maintain and improve, in the one definition registry beside tools, sub-tools and agent profiles.

What is missing: not built yet. There is no modes registry; the choices this rule names are not yet settings with modes.