What's this about?
Simon Willison highlighted a clever pattern where multiple agents communicate *only through file names* — even smuggling base64-encoded attachments and using naming tricks (like "zz" prefixes) to order things — a minimalist coordination channel with no message bus.
What does "coordinate through file names" mean?
Instead of agents sending each other messages over a network or shared memory, they leave files in a folder and read the *names* of those files as signals. It's like leaving sticky notes on a shared desk. It's hacky but robust and transparent — you can literally `ls` the directory to see the whole conversation.
Why does it matter?
It's a reminder that multi-agent systems don't need heavy infrastructure; the filesystem is a simple, debuggable coordination medium. Also a little unsettling — the same channel could hide data exfiltration in plain sight.