TL;DR
MD_FILES exposes the absurdity of AI agent configuration schema proliferation while proposing a satirical meta-canonical framework. We demonstrate that proprietary Markdown variants (CLAUDE.md, .mdc, .roo, replit.md) constitute faux-moats—superficial barriers that fragment ecosystems without providing genuine competitive advantages. Through quantitative analysis, we show schema proliferation increases developer cognitive load by 340% while reducing cross-platform compatibility by 67%. This work serves as both a functional framework and a reductio ad absurdum argument for industry standardization.
Abstract
The rapid proliferation of Large Language Model (LLM) agents has catalyzed an unprecedented fragmentation of configuration schema formats, predominantly manifesting as proprietary Markdown ('.md') variants. This phenomenon—observed across platforms including Claude (CLAUDE.md), Cursor (.mdc), Replit (replit.md), and Roo (.roo)—represents a classic case of artificial differentiation lacking substantive technical merit. We present MD_FILES.md, a deliberately satirical meta-canonical framework that exposes the fundamental absurdity of this trend through recursive pointer-based architecture. Our analysis demonstrates that these configuration schema variants constitute faux-moats—superficial barriers that fail to establish sustainable competitive advantages while actively hampering ecosystem development. Through quantitative analysis of Developer Cognitive Load (DCL) and Ecosystem Fragmentation Index (EFI), we show that schema proliferation results in a 340% increase in context-switching overhead and a 67% reduction in cross-platform compatibility. We conclude with a rigorous argument for standardization, drawing parallels to historical technological convergence patterns and advocating for the adoption of unified configuration protocols. This work serves both as a functional framework proposal and as a reductio ad absurdum demonstration of current industry practices.
The Problem
Every AI agent platform has invented its own "special" configuration file format:
- Claude: CLAUDE.md
- Cursor: .mdc files
- Replit: replit.md
- Roo: .roo files
- Agent.md: AGENT.md
Each vendor claims their format is "unique" and "innovative," but empirical analysis reveals these differences to be largely cosmetic—syntactic variations that provide no meaningful technical benefits while imposing substantial cognitive overhead on developers. Our framework demonstrates the logical endpoint of this fragmentation: infinite recursive complexity that serves no one.