feat: make loop-engineering super useful (#16)

- loop-audit v1.4: dynamic 'loopActivity' signal (git history, 'Last run' timestamps in STATE, scheduled workflows, run logs). L3 now requires real usage evidence (not just files). Stronger --suggest output and recommendations. Updated tests + README.

- GitHub Pages showcase: Interactive Pattern Picker (click symptom pills → exact npx + first /loop command + links). Live Readiness Simulator (checkboxes for all signals → live score + level + next action, mirrors computeScore + new L3 rules). Hero now has prominent one-click copy npx CTAs for loop-init and loop-audit.

- New low-risk pattern: Issue Triage (perfect companion to Daily Triage for noisy GitHub/Linear issues). 7 patterns total. Updated registry.yaml (validated), patterns/README, pattern-picker.md decision flow + table.

- Polish: loop-init bumped to 1.2.0. Main + tool READMEs, badges, and quickstart language updated to emphasize 'npx works today' and the new interactive tools + activity proof requirement. Builds and validation green.

All changes dogfood the philosophy: structure + actual runs = high L3 score.

Co-authored-by: Cobus Greyling <cobusgreyling@Cobuss-MacBook-Pro-2.local>

Author: cobusgreyling

.github/workflows/daily-triage.yml

@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ jobs:
           ## High Priority (loop is acting or waiting on human)
 
           - Maintain loop readiness score ≥ 58 (current: **${SCORE}**, level **${LEVEL}**).
-          - Publish \`@cobusgreyling/loop-audit\` and \`@cobusgreyling/loop-init\` to npm when \`NPM_TOKEN\` is configured (see docs/RELEASE.md).
+          - Keep npm packages current after tool changes (tag \`loop-audit-v*\`, \`loop-init-v*\`, \`loop-cost-v*\` — see docs/RELEASE.md).
           $([ "$FAILING" -gt 0 ] && echo "- **${FAILING}** dogfood workflow(s) failing — investigate CI.")
 
           ## Watch List

.github/workflows/release-loop-cost.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+name: Release loop-cost
+
+on:
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - 'loop-cost-v*'
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+  id-token: write
+
+jobs:
+  test-and-publish:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v6
+        with:
+          node-version: '22'
+          registry-url: 'https://registry.npmjs.org'
+          cache: 'npm'
+          cache-dependency-path: tools/loop-cost/package-lock.json
+
+      - name: Ensure npm supports trusted publishing (OIDC)
+        run: npm install -g npm@latest
+
+      - name: Install, build, test
+        working-directory: tools/loop-cost
+        run: |
+          npm ci
+          npm run build
+          npm test
+
+      - name: Publish to npm
+        working-directory: tools/loop-cost
+        run: npm publish --access public --provenance
+        env:
+          NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -52,8 +52,9 @@ Also add an entry to `patterns/registry.yaml`.
 
 ## Community
 
-- **Questions**: open an issue with label `question` or `pattern-request`
-- **Discussions**: enable GitHub Discussions on the repo for pattern Q&A (recommended for maintainers)
+- **Questions**: [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/cobusgreyling/loop-engineering/discussions) (preferred) or issue with label `question`
+- **Show your loop**: post in Discussions or add a row to [docs/adopters.md](./docs/adopters.md)
+- **Good first issues**: look for label [`good first issue`](https://github.com/cobusgreyling/loop-engineering/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3A%22good+first+issue%22)
 - **Security**: see [SECURITY.md](./SECURITY.md) — do not file public issues for exploitable vulnerabilities
 
 Thank you for helping make this the go-to reference for loop engineering.

README.md

@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@
 </p>
 
 <p align="center">
+  <a href="https://github.com/cobusgreyling/loop-engineering/stargazers"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/stars/cobusgreyling/loop-engineering?style=social" alt="GitHub stars"></a>
   <a href="https://github.com/cobusgreyling/loop-engineering/actions/workflows/audit.yml"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/cobusgreyling/loop-engineering/audit.yml?label=loop-audit%20dogfood" alt="loop-audit dogfood"></a>
+  <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/@cobusgreyling/loop-audit"><img src="https://img.shields.io/npm/v/@cobusgreyling/loop-audit?label=loop-audit" alt="loop-audit npm"></a>
   <a href="https://github.com/cobusgreyling/loop-engineering/blob/main/LICENSE"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue.svg" alt="MIT"></a>
-  <a href="https://cobusgreyling.github.io/loop-engineering/"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/GitHub_Pages-live-3ee8c5" alt="Pages"></a>
+  <a href="https://cobusgreyling.github.io/loop-engineering/"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/GitHub_Pages-live%20%7C%20interactive-3ee8c5" alt="Pages"></a>
 </p>
 
 
@@ -42,10 +44,10 @@ A loop is a recursive goal: you define a purpose and the AI iterates (often with
 | [Pattern Picker](docs/pattern-picker.md) | Which loop to run first — **start here if unsure** |
 | [Primitives Matrix](docs/primitives-matrix.md) | Grok vs Claude Code vs Codex — bookmark this |
 | [Loop Design Checklist](docs/loop-design-checklist.md) | Ship readiness rubric |
-| [Patterns](patterns/README.md) | 6 production patterns including the new low-risk Changelog Drafter |
+| [Patterns](patterns/README.md) | 7 production patterns + [interactive picker](https://cobusgreyling.github.io/loop-engineering/#interactive) |
 | [Starters](starters/) | Clone-and-run kits (Grok, Claude Code, Codex) |
-| [loop-audit](tools/loop-audit/) | Loop Readiness Score CLI — `npx @cobusgreyling/loop-audit` |
-| [loop-init](tools/loop-init/) | Scaffold starters + budget/run-log — `npx @cobusgreyling/loop-init` |
+| [loop-audit](tools/loop-audit/) | Loop Readiness Score CLI (v1.4 + activity detection) — `npx @cobusgreyling/loop-audit . --suggest` |
+| [loop-init](tools/loop-init/) | Scaffold starters + budget/run-log (v1.2) — `npx @cobusgreyling/loop-init . --pattern daily-triage --tool grok` |
 | [loop-cost](tools/loop-cost/) | Token spend estimator — `npx @cobusgreyling/loop-cost` |
 | [Stories](stories/) | Real wins and honest failures |
 
@@ -107,10 +109,11 @@ flowchart LR
 | [Dependency Sweeper](patterns/dependency-sweeper.md) | 6h–1d | [dependency-sweeper](starters/dependency-sweeper/) | L2 patch-only | Medium |
 | [Changelog Drafter](patterns/changelog-drafter.md) | 1d or tag | [changelog-drafter](starters/changelog-drafter/) | **L1** draft | Low |
 | [Post-Merge Cleanup](patterns/post-merge-cleanup.md) | 1d–6h | [post-merge-cleanup](starters/post-merge-cleanup/) | **L1** off-peak | Low |
+| [Issue Triage](patterns/issue-triage.md) | 2h–1d | [minimal-loop](starters/minimal-loop/) | **L1** propose-only | Low |
 
-Not sure which to pick? See [pattern-picker](docs/pattern-picker.md).
+Not sure which to pick? Try the [interactive picker](https://cobusgreyling.github.io/loop-engineering/#interactive) or [pattern-picker](docs/pattern-picker.md).
 
-Machine-readable index: [patterns/registry.yaml](patterns/registry.yaml) (now 6 patterns)
+Machine-readable index: [patterns/registry.yaml](patterns/registry.yaml) (7 patterns)
 
 ## Getting Started (5 minutes)
 
@@ -131,7 +134,9 @@ bash scripts/before-after-demo.sh
 /loop 1d Run loop-triage. Update STATE.md. No auto-fix in week one.
 ```
 
-Packages publish from tagged releases — see [docs/RELEASE.md](docs/RELEASE.md). Until npm is live, run from this repo:
+All three CLIs publish to npm from tagged releases — see [docs/RELEASE.md](docs/RELEASE.md). No clone required.
+
+**Develop from source** (monorepo contributors):
 
 ```bash
 cd tools/loop-init && npm ci && npm test && node dist/cli.js /path/to/project --pattern daily-triage --tool grok
@@ -173,7 +178,7 @@ Addy Osmani:
 
 ## Contributing
 
-Share production patterns, tool mappings, and failure stories. See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) and [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/cobusgreyling/loop-engineering/discussions).
+Share production patterns, tool mappings, and failure stories. See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md), [adopters](docs/adopters.md), and [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/cobusgreyling/loop-engineering/discussions).
 
 ## Sources
 

docs/RELEASE.md

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ This repo ships two public npm packages from `tools/`:
 |---------|-----------|-------------|
 | `@cobusgreyling/loop-audit` | `tools/loop-audit` | `loop-audit-v*` |
 | `@cobusgreyling/loop-init` | `tools/loop-init` | `loop-init-v*` |
-| `@cobusgreyling/loop-cost` | `tools/loop-cost` | `loop-cost-v*` (add workflow when publishing) |
+| `@cobusgreyling/loop-cost` | `tools/loop-cost` | `loop-cost-v*` |
 
 ## One-time setup (trusted publishing — recommended)
 
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ Link npm to GitHub, then for **each package** on [npmjs.com](https://www.npmjs.c
 |---------|--------------|-------------------|
 | `@cobusgreyling/loop-audit` | `cobusgreyling/loop-engineering` | `release-loop-audit.yml` |
 | `@cobusgreyling/loop-init` | `cobusgreyling/loop-engineering` | `release-loop-init.yml` |
+| `@cobusgreyling/loop-cost` | `cobusgreyling/loop-engineering` | `release-loop-cost.yml` |
 
 Names must match **exactly** (case-sensitive). No `NPM_TOKEN` secret is required when trusted publishing is configured.
 
@@ -35,17 +36,22 @@ git tag loop-audit-v1.3.0
 git push origin loop-audit-v1.3.0
 
 # loop-init (bundles starters/templates, runs smoke tests)
-git tag loop-init-v1.1.0
-git push origin loop-init-v1.1.0
+git tag loop-init-v1.2.0
+git push origin loop-init-v1.2.0
+
+# loop-cost (bundles patterns/registry.yaml)
+git tag loop-cost-v1.0.0
+git push origin loop-cost-v1.0.0
 ```
 
-Workflows: `.github/workflows/release-loop-audit.yml`, `.github/workflows/release-loop-init.yml`.
+Workflows: `.github/workflows/release-loop-audit.yml`, `.github/workflows/release-loop-init.yml`, `.github/workflows/release-loop-cost.yml`.
 
 ## Verify after publish
 
 ```bash
 npx @cobusgreyling/loop-audit --help
 npx @cobusgreyling/loop-init --help
+npx @cobusgreyling/loop-cost --help
 
 mkdir /tmp/loop-init-test && cd /tmp/loop-init-test
 npx @cobusgreyling/loop-init . --pattern daily-triage --tool grok --dry-run

docs/adopters.md

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+# Adopters & community setups
+
+Forks and stars mean people are trying this in their own stacks. If you run a loop from this repo (or adapted from it), add yourself here via PR.
+
+## How to list your project
+
+Open a PR that adds a row to the table below:
+
+| Field | What to include |
+|-------|-----------------|
+| **Project** | Repo link or product name |
+| **Pattern(s)** | e.g. Daily Triage + Issue Triage |
+| **Tool** | Grok, Claude Code, Codex, GitHub Actions, mixed |
+| **Level** | L1 / L2 / L3 (honest) |
+| **Notes** | One line — what worked or what broke |
+
+## Adopters
+
+| Project | Pattern(s) | Tool | Level | Notes |
+|---------|------------|------|-------|-------|
+| [loop-engineering](https://github.com/cobusgreyling/loop-engineering) (this repo) | Daily Triage, Changelog Drafter, audit dogfood | GitHub Actions + Grok | L3 | Reference implementation — dogfoods `loop-audit` on every PR |
+
+*Your project here — see [CONTRIBUTING.md](../CONTRIBUTING.md).*
+
+## Show & tell
+
+Prefer chat over a PR? Post in [GitHub Discussions → Show your loop](https://github.com/cobusgreyling/loop-engineering/discussions/categories/show-your-loop) with:
+
+1. Which pattern you picked and why
+2. Your first `/loop` or scheduler command
+3. One surprise (good or bad)
+
+Failure reports are first-class — see [stories/](../stories/).

docs/assets/css/showcase.css

@@ -506,4 +506,106 @@ section {
   .nav-links { display: none; }
   .hero { padding: 48px 0 40px; }
   .flow-arrow { display: none; }
-}
+}
+
+/* === Interactive widgets (v1.4 site upgrade) === */
+.interactive {
+  background: var(--bg-elevated);
+  border: 1px solid var(--border);
+  border-radius: var(--radius);
+  padding: 28px;
+  margin: 24px 0;
+}
+
+.symptom-pills {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-wrap: wrap;
+  gap: 8px;
+  margin: 16px 0;
+}
+
+.symptom-pill {
+  padding: 8px 14px;
+  background: var(--bg-card);
+  border: 1px solid var(--border);
+  border-radius: 999px;
+  font-size: 0.82rem;
+  color: var(--text-muted);
+  cursor: pointer;
+  user-select: none;
+  transition: all 0.15s;
+}
+
+.symptom-pill:hover { border-color: var(--accent); color: var(--text); }
+.symptom-pill.active {
+  background: rgba(62, 232, 197, 0.15);
+  border-color: var(--accent);
+  color: var(--accent);
+  font-weight: 600;
+}
+
+.reco-card {
+  margin-top: 16px;
+  padding: 16px 18px;
+  background: #050810;
+  border: 1px solid var(--accent);
+  border-radius: 10px;
+  font-size: 0.9rem;
+}
+
+.reco-card .cmd {
+  font-family: var(--font-mono);
+  background: rgba(255,255,255,0.04);
+  padding: 2px 6px;
+  border-radius: 4px;
+}
+
+.check-grid {
+  display: grid;
+  grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(180px, 1fr));
+  gap: 8px 16px;
+  margin: 16px 0;
+}
+
+.check-item {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 8px;
+  font-size: 0.85rem;
+  color: var(--text-muted);
+  cursor: pointer;
+}
+
+.check-item input { accent-color: var(--accent); }
+
+.live-score {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 16px;
+  margin: 12px 0;
+  padding: 12px 16px;
+  background: var(--bg-card);
+  border-radius: 10px;
+}
+
+.live-score .big {
+  font-size: 2.1rem;
+  font-weight: 800;
+  color: var(--accent);
+  line-height: 1;
+}
+
+.live-score .meta { font-size: 0.85rem; }
+
+.copy-btn {
+  font-size: 0.7rem;
+  padding: 2px 8px;
+  border-radius: 4px;
+  background: rgba(62,232,197,0.1);
+  color: var(--accent);
+  border: 1px solid rgba(62,232,197,0.3);
+  cursor: pointer;
+  margin-left: 8px;
+}
+
+.copy-btn:hover { background: rgba(62,232,197,0.2); }