milamberspace commented on PR #6709: URL: https://github.com/apache/jmeter/pull/6709#issuecomment-4607266010
**On ASF license headers in AI agent-facing files** Following up on @vlsi's comment about token waste in `AGENTS.md`: the PR already handles this correctly (headers removed, `.ratignore` updated), but it is worth stating the rationale explicitly for future reference. **Why license headers should be omitted from AI-facing files:** Files such as `AGENTS.md`, `CLAUDE.md`, `COPILOT-INSTRUCTIONS.md`, or any file whose primary purpose is to be loaded as instructions by an AI agent should *not* carry ASF license headers. The reasons: 1. **Every token has a cost.** These files are loaded into the AI model's context window at the start of every session. A standard Apache license header is ~80–100 tokens. For a file like `AGENTS.md` (currently 9 lines of actual content), the header would exceed the useful payload. At scale — many contributors using AI tooling daily — this is a measurable and entirely avoidable waste. 2. **Zero informational value for the consumer.** An AI agent reading `AGENTS.md` needs instructions, not license metadata. The header adds noise that dilutes the signal-to-noise ratio of the file and may marginally affect how the model prioritises the actual instructions. 3. **`.ratignore` is the right mechanism.** ASF RAT exists to ensure source files carry attribution. Files designed for machine consumption are not "source files" in that sense — excluding them from RAT via `.ratignore` is exactly the intended use of that escape hatch. **Recommendation for future files of this type:** any file whose primary consumer is an AI agent (not a human reader or a build tool) should be added to `.ratignore` from the start and kept as concise as possible. This applies to `AGENTS.md`, `SECURITY.md` and `THREAT_MODEL.md` as added in this PR, and to any similar files added in the future. The current PR's approach — removing the headers and updating `.ratignore` — is the correct one. -- This is an automated message from the Apache Git Service. To respond to the message, please log on to GitHub and use the URL above to go to the specific comment. To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For queries about this service, please contact Infrastructure at: [email protected]
