Chat

Chat is the tool class for timely discussion and coordination, and for notifications from software.

Role in TFW

Chat is conversation. It is not the source of truth for anything that must last. A decision, a requirement, a commitment, or a procedure that starts in chat is written to the source of truth: a task or decision in task management, or a page in the knowledge base. Then you post the link back in the chat thread.

Chat is the exception to the rule of one surface per tool class. Each topic has two channels:

• The chat channel, for conversation between people.
• The automated channel, for messages from software, such as notifications, alerts, and integration posts.

Keeping them apart means people can read the conversation without scrolling past automated messages, and automated messages are still in one known place.

One topic’s surface

The example topic Example Co Operations (topic code EXOP) has two channels:

The naming pattern is: topic code, venture name, unit name, purpose. All parts are lowercase and separated by hyphens. Keep a compound name as one word: “Example Co” becomes exampleco, not example-co. Only the separators change; the canonical names are not rewritten or shortened.

A second topic follows the same pattern, for example exfi-exampleco-finance-chat for Example Co Finance.

• Description and topic. Each channel states its purpose, its audience, and links to the topic’s sources of truth. The automated channel also states which systems post to it.
• Navigation. If the product supports a pinned page or canvas in the channel, use it for a short list of links: the topic profile, the project, the space, and the shared drive.
• Permissions. Both channels have the same members, the participants inside the topic’s access boundary.
• Maintainer. One named maintainer keeps both channels’ names, descriptions, and members correct.

Rules

• Each topic has exactly two channels: one chat channel and one automated channel.
• Channel names follow the pattern above. If a channel has a different name, record it as an alias or rename it.
• Conversation between people happens in the chat channel. Software posts to the automated channel.
• Keep one subject per thread.
• When a thread produces a result that must last, write it to the source of truth first. Then post the link in the thread.
• Post a link with a short summary instead of pasting a long document.
• A reaction or a casual agreement in chat is not formal approval. Approval is recorded in the decision record with the name of the person who approved.
• Do not post passwords, access tokens, or private data that the channel’s members are not allowed to see.

Common mistakes

• Decisions that exist only in chat. Chat history is hard to search and may be deleted by a retention rule. Record the decision and link to it.
• One channel for everything. Mixing alerts with conversation makes both hard to follow.
• Extra channels per subproject. Many small channels split a topic’s conversation. Use threads in the chat channel. If a second channel already exists, it is a provisioning gap.
• Splitting compound names. example-co-operations and exampleco-operations look like two different topics to a search or an agent. Use one form.
• Guessing the topic from a channel name. A similar name is not proof. Confirm the channel in the topic profile.
• Mass mentions for routine updates. Mention the people who need to act.

Tools

• Slack: How to set up and maintain one topic's chat channel and automated channel in Slack.

Other products in this class follow the same rules.