---
name: writing-style
description: Apply Marin house style when producing or revising commit, pull-request, issue, comment, documentation, report, or blog prose.
---

# Marin House Style

Read the medium-specific guide for the deliverable, then apply
[ai-writing-donts.md](ai-writing-donts.md) as the final prose pass.

## Read The Right File

- Read [blog-posts.md](blog-posts.md) for public explainers and blog posts.
- Read [reports.md](reports.md) for technical reports aimed at peer researchers outside Marin.
- Read [tutorials.md](tutorials.md) for learning-oriented documentation that introduces Marin.
- Read [reference-docs.md](reference-docs.md) for precise usage docs aimed at readers who already know Marin.
- Read [issues.md](issues.md) for standard OSS issues and experiment issues.
- Read [pull-requests.md](pull-requests.md) for commit messages and PR titles and bodies.
- Read [discord.md](discord.md) for Discord summaries and tactical replies.
- If a piece spans media, use the stricter applicable rule.

## Voice

Write as a rigorous open-science lab building foundation models. Treat
experiments, decisions, and mistakes as part of the record. Use a sober,
practical voice for technically capable peers. Be natural and direct; use
specialized language when it improves precision.

## On Voice

These rules are stricter for agents. Preserve harmless human flourishes when
editing another person's prose.

## Evidence and scope

- Lead with the result, decision, or changed behavior.
- Support claims with numbers, examples, observations, and relevant artifacts.
- State uncertainty and limitations plainly; do not imply broader evidence.
- Remove hype, product-announcement language, AGI speculation, decorative
  emoji, and adjectives standing in for evidence.
- Explain non-standard terms. Add detail only when it helps the reader
  reproduce, evaluate, or act.

## Add Structure For Longer-Form Writing

Long-form pieces may need a document-level TL;DR and section takeaways. Do not
force them into short media.

Before publishing, confirm the prose is factually current, sounds normal when
spoken to a colleague, cites material evidence, and contains no generic filler.