Long context · context strata
Keep the thread.
Not just the last line.
The decision
For work that has to carry its own history, use a route that makes the context window part of the decision rather than an afterthought.
Figure 1
Four layers, one window.
Not everything in a thread deserves the same weight. Sort it once, and the request stops being a transcript and starts being a brief.
NowThe request in front of you.
RecentWhat the last exchange settled.
BackgroundDecisions and constraints still in force.
ArchiveEverything that can travel as a summary.
Widths are illustrative. The order is the argument.
What to keep, what to compress, what to re-check.
Rule
A fact that changed since it was written is not context. It is a liability.
- KEEP
Decisions. What changes the next move belongs in the window in its own words.
- COMPRESS
History. What can travel as a clear summary should travel as a summary, not as a transcript.
- RE-CHECK
Facts. What must be verified in the current request should be verified in the current request.