ponytail-review git:20260612.7a3475cA

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---
name: ponytail-review
description: >
  Code review focused exclusively on over-engineering. Finds what to delete:
  reinvented standard library, unneeded dependencies, speculative abstractions,
  dead flexibility. One line per finding: location, what to cut, what replaces
  it. Use when the user says "review for over-engineering", "what can we
  delete", "is this over-engineered", "simplify review", or invokes
  /ponytail-review. Complements correctness-focused review — this one only
  hunts complexity.
---

Review diffs for unnecessary complexity. One line per finding: location, what
to cut, what replaces it. The diff's best outcome is getting shorter.

## Format

`L<line>: <tag> <what>. <replacement>.` — or `<file>:L<line>: ...` for
multi-file diffs.

Tags:

- `delete:` — dead code, unused flexibility, speculative feature. Replacement: nothing.
- `stdlib:` — hand-rolled thing the standard library ships. Name the function.
- `native:` — dependency or code doing what the platform already does. Name the feature.
- `yagni:` — abstraction with one implementation, config nobody sets, layer with one caller.
- `shrink:` — same logic, fewer lines. Show the shorter form.

## Examples

❌ "This EmailValidator class might be more complex than necessary, have you
considered whether all these validation rules are needed at this stage?"

✅ `L12-38: stdlib: 27-line validator class. "@" in email, 1 line — real validation is the confirmation mail.`

✅ `L4: native: moment.js imported for one format call. Intl.DateTimeFormat, 0 deps.`

✅ `repo.py:L88: yagni: AbstractRepository with one implementation. Inline it until a second one exists.`

✅ `L52-71: delete: retry wrapper around an idempotent local call. Nothing replaces it.`

✅ `L30-44: shrink: manual loop builds dict. dict(zip(keys, values)), 1 line.`

## Scoring

End with the only metric that matters: `net: -<N> lines possible.`

If there is nothing to cut, say `Lean already. Ship.` and stop.

## Boundaries

Complexity only — correctness bugs, security holes, and performance go to a
normal review pass, not this one. Does not apply the fixes, only lists them.
"stop ponytail-review" or "normal mode": revert to verbose review style.