---
id: T-1546
name: "Pickup: Add GET /api/_identity to Watchtower — closes T-141 (silent-degrade
  discovery) (from 003-NTB-ATC-Plugin)"
description: >
  Auto-created from pickup envelope. Source: 003-NTB-ATC-Plugin, task T-200. Type:
  feature-proposal.

status: work-completed
workflow_type: inception
owner: agent
horizon:
tags: [pickup, feature-proposal]
components: [web/blueprints/approvals.py]
related_tasks: []
created: 2026-04-27T15:10:01Z
last_update: '2026-06-11T22:23:51Z'
date_finished: 2026-04-28T11:56:33Z
source_task_id_in_origin: T-200
source_project_in_origin: "003-NTB-ATC-Plugin"
target_blast_radius: 3   # T-2193 migration default (M=small-subsystem floor)
voi_score: 0.5            # T-2193 migration default (medium)
bvp_scores_proposed:
  - ts: '2026-06-11T22:23:51Z'
    estimator: bvp-estimator-v1-heuristic
    scores:
      D1: 2
      D2: 2
      D3: 2
      D4: 2
      F-RECALL: 2
      F-ORCH: 2
      F3: 2
      F1: 2
      F2: 2
    rationale: D1=2 (no-signal); D2=2 (no-signal); D3=2 (no-signal); D4=2 
      (no-signal); F-RECALL=2 (no-signal); F-ORCH=2 (no-signal); F3=2 
      (no-signal); F1=2 (no-signal); F2=2 (no-signal)
    rubric_sha: e4a00f38e801
---

# T-1546: Pickup: Add GET /api/_identity to Watchtower — closes T-141 (silent-degrade discovery) (from 003-NTB-ATC-Plugin)

## Problem Statement

<!-- What problem are we exploring? For whom? Why now? -->

## Assumptions

<!-- Key assumptions to test. Register with: fw assumption add "Statement" --task T-XXX -->

## Exploration Plan

<!-- How will we validate assumptions? Spikes, prototypes, research? Time-box each. -->

## Technical Constraints

<!-- What platform, browser, network, or hardware constraints apply?
     For web apps: HTTPS requirements, browser API restrictions, CORS, device support.
     For hardware APIs (mic, camera, GPS, Bluetooth): access requirements, permissions model.
     For infrastructure: network topology, firewall rules, latency bounds.
     Fill this BEFORE building. Discovering constraints after implementation wastes sessions. -->

## Scope Fence

<!-- What's IN scope for this exploration? What's explicitly OUT? -->

## Acceptance Criteria

### Agent
<!-- @auto-tick-on-decide -->
- [x] Problem statement validated
<!-- @auto-tick-on-decide -->
- [x] Assumptions tested
<!-- @auto-tick-on-decide -->
- [x] Recommendation written with rationale

### Human
<!-- @auto-tick-on-decide -->
- [x] [REVIEW] Review exploration findings and approve go/no-go decision
  **Steps:**
  1. Run: `fw task review T-XXX` (opens Watchtower with recommendation, assumptions, research artifacts)
  2. Review the Agent Recommendation section and go/no-go criteria evaluation
  3. Record decision via the Watchtower form or the command shown alongside the QR code
  **Expected:** Decision recorded, task completed
  **If not:** Ask agent for clarification on specific findings

## Go/No-Go Criteria

<!-- Fill these BEFORE writing the recommendation. The placeholder detector will block review/decide if left empty. -->
**GO if:**
- Root cause identified with bounded fix path
- Fix is scoped, testable, and reversible

**NO-GO if:**
- Problem requires fundamental redesign or unbounded scope
- Fix cost exceeds benefit given current evidence

## Verification

# Shell commands that MUST pass before work-completed. One per line.
# Lines starting with # are comments (skipped). Empty lines ignored.
# For inception tasks, verification is often not needed (decisions, not code).
#
# Toolchain hint (L-291): if a GO decision will mean editing *.vbproj/*.csproj/*.xaml,
# *.go, Cargo.toml, tsconfig.json, or pom.xml in the build task, plan to add the
# matching build command (dotnet build / go build / cargo check / tsc --noEmit /
# mvn compile) to that build task's ## Verification — P-011 only runs what you write.

## Recommendation

**Recommendation:** NO-GO

**Rationale:** Pickup is obsolete — the proposed `GET /api/_identity` endpoint **already exists** in this Watchtower. Shipped via T-1286 (referenced in commit `5c6b4b8d T-1286: Close (B1 identity endpoint)`). The pickup envelope was created on 2026-04-27 from 003-NTB-ATC-Plugin's T-200; this Watchtower had already shipped the endpoint by then. Recommendation: NO-GO (already done) — close as "implemented earlier" rather than rebuild. Verify the consumer (003-NTB-ATC-Plugin) is hitting the real endpoint and not silently degrading; if so, the silent-degrade gap T-141 referenced is also closed.

**Evidence:**
- `web/app.py:326 — @app.route("/api/_identity")` exists.
- `curl -sf http://localhost:3000/api/_identity` → 200 with `{"project_root":"/opt/999-Agentic-Engineering-Framework","service":"watchtower","started_at":"2026-04-28T11:32:12.806053+00:00","version":"v1.5.746-96-g0a9f27d2a"}`.
- Git log: `5c6b4b8d T-1286: Close (B1 identity endpoint) + update T-1287 verification commands for sandbox compatibility`.
- The pickup envelope was generated from a stale assumption that the endpoint was missing — not a failure of the feature itself.

**Alternative:** If the human wants the framework to actively notify consumers that the endpoint shipped (so cross-project pickups don't propose already-built work), that's a separate inception task on the pickup-staleness mechanism (G-020-class concern about pickup-as-instruction). Not in scope here.

## Decisions

<!-- Record decisions ONLY when choosing between alternatives.
     Skip for tasks with no meaningful choices.
     Format:
     ### [date] — [topic]
     - **Chose:** [what was decided]
     - **Why:** [rationale]
     - **Rejected:** [alternatives and why not]
-->

## Decision

**Decision**: NO-GO

**Rationale**: Recommendation: NO-GO

Rationale: Pickup is obsolete — the proposed `GET /api/_identity` endpoint already exists in this Watchtower. Shipped via T-1286 (referenced in commit `5c6b4b8d T-1286: Close (B1 identity endpoint)`). The pickup envelope was created on 2026-04-27 from 003-NTB-ATC-Plugin's T-200; this Watchtower had already shipped the endpoint by then. Recommendation: NO-GO (already done) — close as "implemented earlier" rather than rebuild. Verify the consumer (003-NTB-ATC-Plugin) is hitting the real endpoint and not silently degrading; if so, the silent-degrade gap T-141 referenced is also closed.

Evidence:
- `web/app.py:326 — @app.route("/api/_identity")` exists.
- `curl -sf http://localhost:3000/api/_identity` → 200 with `{"project_root":"/opt/999-Agentic-Engineering-Framework","service":"watchtower","started_at":"2026-04-28T11:32:12.806053+00:00","version":"v1.5.746-96-g0a9f27d2a"}`.
- Git log: `5c6b4b8d T-1286: Close (B1 identity endpoint) + update T-1287 verification commands for sandbox compatibility`.
- The pickup envelope was generated from a stale assumption that the endpoint was missing — not a failure of the feature itself.

Alternative: If the human wants the framework to actively notify consumers that the endpoint shipped (so cross-project pickups don't propose already-built work), that's a separate inception task on the pickup-staleness mechanism (G-020-class concern about pickup-as-instruction). Not in scope here.

**Date**: 2026-04-28T11:56:32Z

## Updates

<!-- Auto-populated by git mining at task completion.
     Manual entries optional during execution. -->

### 2026-04-28T11:37:18Z — status-update [task-update-agent]
- **Change:** status: captured → started-work
- **Change:** horizon: next → now (auto-sync)

### 2026-04-28T11:56:32Z — inception-decision [inception-workflow]
- **Action:** Recorded inception decision
- **Decision:** NO-GO
- **Rationale:** Recommendation: NO-GO

Rationale: Pickup is obsolete — the proposed `GET /api/_identity` endpoint already exists in this Watchtower. Shipped via T-1286 (referenced in commit `5c6b4b8d T-1286: Close (B1 identity endpoint)`). The pickup envelope was created on 2026-04-27 from 003-NTB-ATC-Plugin's T-200; this Watchtower had already shipped the endpoint by then. Recommendation: NO-GO (already done) — close as "implemented earlier" rather than rebuild. Verify the consumer (003-NTB-ATC-Plugin) is hitting the real endpoint and not silently degrading; if so, the silent-degrade gap T-141 referenced is also closed.

Evidence:
- `web/app.py:326 — @app.route("/api/_identity")` exists.
- `curl -sf http://localhost:3000/api/_identity` → 200 with `{"project_root":"/opt/999-Agentic-Engineering-Framework","service":"watchtower","started_at":"2026-04-28T11:32:12.806053+00:00","version":"v1.5.746-96-g0a9f27d2a"}`.
- Git log: `5c6b4b8d T-1286: Close (B1 identity endpoint) + update T-1287 verification commands for sandbox compatibility`.
- The pickup envelope was generated from a stale assumption that the endpoint was missing — not a failure of the feature itself.

Alternative: If the human wants the framework to actively notify consumers that the endpoint shipped (so cross-project pickups don't propose already-built work), that's a separate inception task on the pickup-staleness mechanism (G-020-class concern about pickup-as-instruction). Not in scope here.

## Reviewer Verdict (v1.5)

- **Scan ID:** R-270653d1
- **Timestamp:** 2026-06-02T14:58:12Z
- **Catalogue:** v1.3-seed
- **Overall:** PASS
- **Needs Human:** no
- **Findings:** none
### 2026-04-28T11:56:33Z — status-update [task-update-agent]
- **Change:** status: started-work → work-completed
- **Reason:** Inception decision: NO-GO
