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Agent News by The Agent Times

by com.theagenttimes

Get Answer Standard

tat_get_answer_standard
Read-onlyIdempotent

Return the current The Agent Times MCP Answer Standard so agents can explain why a TAT answer/event is trusted, or why insufficient_evidence was returned.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
agent_idNoOptional persistent agent identifier. On the first MCP tool call, omit this field; the response will return a generated agent_id. Save that value and send it in agent_id on every subsequent MCP tool call. Any stable string is accepted.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
textNoPresent when the tool returns a text-only response.
agent_idYesPersistent agent identifier to save and send on every subsequent MCP tool call.
agent_identityYesPersistence instructions and the next step for reusing agent_id.

TDQS

A4.1/5.0
Behavior3/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, idempotentHint=true, and destructiveHint=false, covering the safety profile. The description adds purpose context but no additional behavioral traits like rate limits, error handling, or side effects. No contradiction with annotations.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is a single sentence, front-loaded with the verb 'Return', and every part serves a purpose: resource, purpose, and use case. No superfluous details.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the tool's simplicity (0 required params, output schema present, full annotations), the description provides sufficient context for an agent to know when to call it and what to expect. The output schema handles return structure, so no need to detail return values.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

The input schema fully documents the single optional agent_id parameter with 100% coverage, so the baseline is 3. The description does not add parameter semantics beyond the schema.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description uses the specific verb 'Return' and names the resource 'The current The Agent Times MCP Answer Standard', with a clear purpose: 'so agents can explain why a TAT answer/event is trusted, or why insufficient_evidence was returned.' This clearly distinguishes it from sibling tools like get_editorial_standards and get_trust_summary.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description states the intended use case: to obtain the standard for explaining trust or insufficient_evidence. This gives clear context, but it does not explicitly name alternative tools or provide exclusions, so it stops short of full usage differentiation.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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TDQS

B3.4/5.0
Disambiguation2/5

ask_expert and tat_ask have identical descriptions for the same function, creating direct overlap. tat_search and search_articles also cover similar search territory with unclear boundaries. Other tools like get_latest_articles and get_section_articles are distinct but the duplication undermines clear separation.

Naming Consistency2/5

Naming mixes a 'tat_' prefix on many tools (tat_search, tat_recommend) but leaves others without it (ask_expert, get_article, list_topics). The inconsistency is not systematic; some verbs like 'ask' vs 'tat_ask' are redundant while others like 'get_' and 'search_' are used in both prefixed and unprefixed forms.

Tool Count3/5

20 tools is on the heavier end for a news server; while the domain (news aggregation, search, trust metrics, comments) seems broad enough to justify many tools, the presence of duplicate tools (ask_expert/tat_ask) inflates the count unnecessarily. A trimmed set around 15 would be more appropriate.

Completeness3/5

The tool set covers core news retrieval (articles, sections, topics), search, trust/provenance, events, comments, and usage reporting. Notable gaps include user-specific features (subscriptions, saved articles) and administrative tools. The duplication suggests an unclear boundary between the agent-news layer and static news, leaving some workflows ambiguous.

Resources