Memory Defrag

Reorganize memory files for clarity, efficiency, and relevance. Like filesystem defragmentation but for knowledge.

When to Run

• - Periodic: Weekly or biweekly via cron (recommended)
• On demand: User asks to clean up, reorganize, or defrag memory
• Threshold: When MEMORY.md exceeds ~500 lines or daily notes accumulate without consolidation

Process

1. Audit Current State

Inventory all memory files:
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For each file, note: line count, last modified, topic coverage, staleness.

2. Identify Problems

Look for these common issues:

3. Plan Changes

Before making edits, write a brief plan:
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4. Execute

Apply changes one at a time:

• - Split: Extract sections from large files into focused topical files
• Merge: Combine related small files into coherent documents
• Prune: Remove information that is no longer relevant or accurate
• Restructure: Move files to appropriate directories, rename for clarity
• Update: Fix outdated facts, dates, statuses

5. Verify & Log

After changes:

• - Verify no information was lost (compare before/after)
• Update any cross-references between files
• Log what was done in today's daily note:

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Guidelines

• - Preserve raw daily notes. Don't delete or modify memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md files — they're the audit trail.
• Target 15-25 focused files. Too few means bloated files; too many means fragmentation. Aim for the sweet spot.
• File names should be scannable. Use descriptive names: people.md, project-status.md, competitive-landscape.md — not notes-2.md.
• Don't over-organize. One level of directories is usually enough. memory/tasks/ and memory/competitive/ are fine; memory/work/projects/active/basic-memory/notes/ is not.
• Completed tasks: Tasks with status: done older than 14 days can be removed. Their insights should already be in MEMORY.md via reflection.
• Ask before destructive changes. If uncertain whether information is still relevant, keep it with a (review needed) tag rather than deleting.