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Stephane Pareilleux edited this page Mar 22, 2026 · 1 revision

Meta-Tools

Meta-tools implement the factory-of-factories principle: instead of creating artifacts, they create systems that create artifacts. One command produces complete production capability.

MetaBuild — /demerzel-metabuild

The department factory. Given a domain description, MetaBuild bootstraps an entire Streeling University department in a single command:

Input: domain description (e.g., "cybernetics — feedback systems and control theory")

Output:
├── grammars/sci-cybernetics.ebnf          (EBNF research grammar)
├── state/streeling/departments/cybernetics.department.json  (department state)
├── schemas/research-weights for the department
├── tests/behavioral/cybernetics-cases.md  (behavioral test suite)
└── Persona mapping to existing catalog

What MetaBuild validates before completing:

  • Grammar has at least 6 sections (consistent with core grammars)
  • Department JSON validates against department schema
  • Behavioral test has at least 5 test cases
  • Persona mapping exists in the persona catalog

Validated results (Batch B): 8 departments bootstrapped via MetaBuild — Audio Engineering, Data Visualization, Cybernetics, MetaQA, Semiotics, Network Science, Information Theory, Systems Engineering.

MetaFix — /demerzel-metafix

The pattern generalizer. Don't just fix the problem — fix the system that allowed the problem.

When a bug or governance gap is found, MetaFix:

  1. Fixes the immediate instance
  2. Identifies the root cause pattern
  3. Searches for other instances of the same pattern
  4. Proposes a policy or constitutional note to prevent recurrence
  5. Creates a behavioral test case for the pattern
  6. Updates the evolution log with the fix
Bug: README count says 17 policies, actually 30
MetaFix:
  → Fix: update README count
  → Pattern: artifact count drift
  → Policy: readme-sync-policy.yaml (create or update)
  → Test: metasync-cases.md (add test case)
  → Prevention: README-SYNC-ON-MERGE IxQL pipeline

This is the meta-fix principle — fix the category, not just the instance.

MetaSync — /demerzel-metasync

The drift detector. Continuously verifies that documentation reflects reality:

  • README counts match actual file counts
  • CLAUDE.md descriptions match actual behavior
  • Cross-repo references point to existing artifacts
  • Grammar section counts match actual grammar content
  • Policy catalog lists match actual policy files

MetaSync runs:

  • Weekly (Monday 07:00 UTC) via pipelines/metasync.ixql
  • After every push to master
  • On demand via /demerzel-metasync

When drift is detected, MetaSync either auto-fixes (low risk) or creates a GitHub issue with a drift report.

Meta-Recognition Engine

The pattern spotter. Detects when a recurring observation is becoming a pattern worth promoting.

Design spec: docs/superpowers/specs/2026-03-24-meta-recognition-engine-design.md

Meta-recognition monitors:

  • PDCA cycle outcomes for repeated patterns (3+ occurrences → flag for promotion)
  • Session observations for anti-patterns (3+ occurrences → flag for policy)
  • Evolution log for artifacts with zero citations after 30 days (flag for deprecation)
  • Behavioral tests for gaps in coverage (completeness instinct signal)

Self-Diagnostic — /demerzel-self-diagnostic

The health check. Before any complex autonomous operation, run self-diagnostic to detect:

Check What It Detects
Context exhaustion Token budget too low to complete task
Action loops Same tool being called repeatedly without progress
Wrong repo Operating on wrong directory/branch
Git failures Uncommitted changes blocking operations
Task drift Current work diverging from original goal
Confidence miscalibration Claiming T for something that is U

Self-diagnostic runs automatically before:

  • Starting a /demerzel-drive cycle
  • Spawning a /demerzel-team
  • Running any --autonomous flag operation

The Factory-of-Factories Principle

From the user's feedback that shaped Demerzel's architecture:

"Don't create things, create systems that create things."

This principle means:

  • MetaBuild doesn't create one department — it's the system that creates any department
  • MetaFix doesn't fix one bug — it's the system that fixes categories of bugs
  • MetaSync doesn't check one README — it's the system that ensures all docs stay current
  • The Seldon Plan doesn't run one research cycle — it's the system that runs all research

The leverage is always in the system, not the artifact.

LOLLI Risk Warning

MetaBuild is powerful — it can produce a department in 60 seconds. This makes the discipline to NOT build even more critical. Before running MetaBuild:

  1. Does this department have a clear consumer? (Which repo will use it?)
  2. Is there an existing department that covers this domain? (Extend, don't duplicate)
  3. Who will commission the first research cycle? (Has a real question to answer?)
  4. What is the ERGOL metric for this department? (How will it deliver value to a real user?)

See Manifesto principle 3, and the Anti-LOLLI policy.

Related Pages

  • Architecture — meta-tools role in the system design
  • Streeling-University — MetaBuild output
  • Policies — MetaFix generates policies; MetaSync enforces readme-sync
  • IxQL — MetaSync expressed as IxQL pipeline
  • Manifesto — factory-of-factories as a core principle

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