# DEFERRED ITEMS -- Human-in-the-Loop Tracking

## META
- created: 2026-02-14
- updated: 2026-02-17 (Session 027 — mass resolution after GitHub unflag + Pro upgrade)
- purpose: Track items that are blocked on human action, external dependency, or missing information
- audience: AI agents (primary -- read this EVERY session), human project owner
- protocol: See below for lifecycle and format
- see-also: `../AGENTS.md`, `../CONTEXT.md`, prompt ecosystem at `/home/dev/projects/IdeaFactory.DEV/prompts/`

## WHAT THIS IS

A structured backlog of **deferred work** -- things that cannot proceed without human input, an external event, or information not yet available. Unlike issues (which track planned work), deferred items track **blocked gates** that, once resolved, unlock further automation.

## WHY IT EXISTS

AI agents lose context between sessions. Humans forget what was discussed. This folder is the **shared memory** between human and AI for:
- Items waiting on external services (GitHub Support, DNS propagation, API approvals)
- Items waiting on human decisions (plan upgrades, credential creation, architecture choices)
- Items waiting on information the AI doesn't have yet (API keys, account credentials, domain registrar access)
- Items that were intentionally postponed (scope-deferred, budget-deferred, dependency-deferred)

## AGENT PROTOCOL

### On Session Start
1. Read `deferred/README.md` (this file)
2. Read every `.md` file in `deferred/`
3. Check if any item's `unblock-trigger` has been met
4. If yes: inform human, propose integration plan, execute upon approval
5. If no: acknowledge awareness, continue with other work

### On Encountering a Block
1. Determine if the block is human-dependent, external-dependent, or information-dependent
2. Create a new `.md` file in `deferred/` using the template below
3. Inform human: "I've deferred [item] -- here's what I need from you to unblock it"
4. Continue with non-blocked work

### On Resolution
1. Execute the integration steps defined in the deferred item
2. Move the file to `deferred/resolved/` with a resolution summary appended
3. Update any cross-referenced files (AGENTS.md, CONTEXT.md, .cursor/rules/)

## FILE FORMAT

Each deferred item is a separate `.md` file named: `[PRIORITY]-[SHORT-ID].md`

Priority prefixes: `P0` (critical path), `P1` (high value), `P2` (nice-to-have), `P3` (future)

```markdown
# DEFERRED: [Short Title]

## STATUS
- state: blocked | partially-resolved | ready-to-integrate
- created: [date]
- last-checked: [date]
- priority: P0 | P1 | P2 | P3
- blocked-by: human-action | external-service | missing-info | budget | dependency
- estimated-effort-once-unblocked: [time estimate]

## WHAT
[1-3 sentences: what needs to happen]

## WHY BLOCKED
[Specific reason this can't proceed right now]

## UNBLOCK TRIGGER
[Exact condition that resolves the block -- be specific enough that an AI agent can check]

## WHAT HUMAN NEEDS TO DO
[Step-by-step actions for the human, if applicable]

## WHAT AI DOES ONCE UNBLOCKED
[Exact steps the AI agent will execute -- commands, files to create/modify, integrations]

## CROSS-REFERENCES
- prompt: [which prompt layer this relates to]
- files: [which project files will be affected]
- issues: [GitHub issue numbers, if any]
- depends-on: [other deferred items that must resolve first]
- unlocks: [what becomes possible after this resolves]
```

## CURRENT DEFERRED ITEMS

| File | Priority | Title | Blocked By | Unlocks |
|------|----------|-------|------------|---------|
| P0-p5-external-connectivity.md | P0 | P5 External connectivity (master guide: site + Alienware battery) | human-action | P5 POC complete; soft launch confidence |
| P0-soft-launch-human.md | P0 | Soft launch announcement and beta invite | human-action | Production launch timing (#135); feedback |

## RESOLVED ITEMS (Session 027, 2026-02-17)

Resolved items in `deferred/resolved/`:

| File | Priority | Title | Resolution |
|------|----------|-------|------------|
| P0-github-account-flag.md | P0 | GitHub account unflagging | Account unflagged. Rate limit = 5000, GraphQL enabled. |
| P0-github-pro-upgrade.md | P0 | GitHub Pro plan upgrade | Pro plan active ($4/mo). `gh api user --jq ".plan.name"` = "pro". |
| P0-github-token-revoked.md | P0 | GitHub token revocation | New PATs created and configured. All API operations working. |
| P1-branch-protection.md | P1 | Branch protection rulesets | main-protection ruleset created (PR + CI + no force push). |
| P1-github-project-board.md | P1 | GitHub Project board | Projects V2 "LLMHosts.com Roadmap" created with custom fields. |
