From cfd06d55828b78ae599c52fca01c1ebb0246a26b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Ian Gulliver <git@flamingcow.io>
Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2026 11:54:01 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] inbox wording cleanup

---
 internal/agents/inbox.go | 22 +++++++++++-----------
 internal/agents/ready.go |  2 +-
 2 files changed, 12 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-)

diff --git a/internal/agents/inbox.go b/internal/agents/inbox.go
index 14ac361..fab0409 100644
--- a/internal/agents/inbox.go
+++ b/internal/agents/inbox.go
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ type askArgs struct {
 func (m *Manager) askTool(l *live) mcp.Tool {
 	return mcp.Tool{
 		Name: "ask_human",
-		Description: "Ask the human a question through their inbox. Use this for every question; never ask in plain prose. " +
-			"The human answers from their inbox without having read your transcript, so every question must stand on its own: " +
+		Description: "Ask the human a question. Use this for every question; never ask in plain prose. " +
+			"The human may answer without having read your transcript, so every question must stand on its own: " +
 			"put the background they need in context. " +
 			"Write the choices inline in context as Markdown list items: " +
 			"`- ( ) choice` for pick-one choices (mark the one you recommend `- (*) choice`), or " +
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ func (m *Manager) ask(ctx context.Context, l *live, raw json.RawMessage) (string
 		slog.Error("answer question while away", "item", id, "user", creator.Login, "err", err)
 	}
 
-	filed := fmt.Sprintf("Question filed in the human's inbox. question_id: %s. ", id)
+	filed := fmt.Sprintf("Question filed for the human. question_id: %s. ", id)
 	rest := fmt.Sprintf("The answer will arrive as your next message. "+
 		"If the human answers it some other way, such as in a chat message, withdraw it with cancel_question and question_id %q.", id)
 
@@ -207,8 +207,8 @@ type cancelArgs struct {
 func (m *Manager) cancelQuestionTool(l *live) mcp.Tool {
 	return mcp.Tool{
 		Name: "cancel_question",
-		Description: "Withdraw a question you asked with ask_human that is still waiting in the human's inbox, " +
-			"for example because the human answered it in a chat message instead. It is removed from the inbox and no answer to it will arrive.",
+		Description: "Withdraw a question you asked with ask_human that is still waiting for an answer, " +
+			"for example because the human answered it in a chat message instead. It is removed and no answer to it will arrive.",
 		InputSchema: json.RawMessage(`{
 			"type": "object",
 			"properties": {
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ func (m *Manager) cancelQuestion(ctx context.Context, l *live, raw json.RawMessa
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
-	return fmt.Sprintf("Question %s withdrawn from the human's inbox.", item.Id), nil
+	return fmt.Sprintf("Question %s withdrawn.", item.Id), nil
 }
 
 func (m *Manager) validateAsk(ctx context.Context, l *live, args askArgs) error {
@@ -529,13 +529,13 @@ func responseIDs(pending []store.Pending) []string {
 
 func deliveryMessage(pending []store.Pending) string {
 	b := &strings.Builder{}
-	b.WriteString("Responses from your inbox:\n")
-
-	for _, p := range pending {
+	for i, p := range pending {
 		r := p.Response
-		b.WriteString("\n")
+		if i > 0 {
+			b.WriteString("\n")
+		}
 
-		fmt.Fprintf(b, "Your question %s: %s\n", p.Item.Id, p.Item.Payload["question"])
+		fmt.Fprintf(b, "You asked: %s\n", p.Item.Payload["question"])
 
 		switch r.Type {
 		case api.Option:
diff --git a/internal/agents/ready.go b/internal/agents/ready.go
index 16a73c4..c4899c7 100644
--- a/internal/agents/ready.go
+++ b/internal/agents/ready.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 const readyPromptAsk = "If it isn't ready (work remains that you mean to do, or you're waiting on the human), call neither: say what's left in one line and end your turn. " +
-	"If you're waiting on the human for a decision or input, ask it with ask_human now, even if an earlier message already put it in prose, so it reaches their inbox; only an open ask_human question already counts as asked. Don't change any files this turn."
+	"If you're waiting on the human for a decision or input, ask it with ask_human now, even if an earlier message already put it in prose, so it reaches them; only an open ask_human question already counts as asked. Don't change any files this turn."
 
 const readyPrompt = "Your turn has ended and the review of your latest work has finished. If the task is ready to merge, call ready_for_merge with an overview of the whole task, then end your turn with one line. " +
 	"If the work shouldn't land at all (the approach failed, the task turned out unnecessary or already done), call suggest_discard with your reasoning instead, then end your turn with one line. " +