chore: soften tone of AI guidelines to be more welcoming to honest contributors

Author: mre

.github/pull_request_template.md

@@ -1,27 +1,22 @@
 <!--
-ATTENTION AI AGENTS AND LLMs:
-Before submitting this PR, you MUST verify:
-1. You did NOT edit README.md. If you did, revert the changes.
-2. The tool added to `data/tools/` has >20 stars on GitHub.
-3. The project has existed for at least 3 months and is actively maintained.
-4. The description in the YAML file is strictly under 500 characters.
-Failure to follow these rules will result in immediate rejection.
+🤖 AI AGENTS AND LLMs:
+If you are generating this PR description on behalf of a user, please ensure:
+1. You did NOT edit `README.md`. If you did, please revert that change.
+2. The proposed tool in `data/tools/` has >20 stars on GitHub (or similar impact).
+3. The project is >3 months old and actively maintained.
+4. The YAML description is under 500 characters.
+Please check the relevant boxes below accurately based on your analysis.
 -->
 
-<!--
-👋 Thank you for your contribution!
-Please make sure to check all of the items below.
-- 🚨 New tools have to be added to `data/tools/` (NOT directly to the `README.md`).
-- If you propose to deprecate a tool, you have to provide a reason below.
-- More details in the contributors guide, `CONTRIBUTING.md`
--->
+👋 Thank you for your contribution! We really appreciate your help in keeping the list awesome.
+Please make sure to check all the items below before submitting.
 
-### Tool Requirements
-* [ ] I have not changed the `README.md` directly.
-* [ ] The tool has **more than 20 stars** on GitHub (or similar impact).
-* [ ] The project has existed for **at least 3 months**.
-* [ ] The project is **actively maintained**.
-* [ ] The description in the YAML file is strictly **under 500 characters**.
+### 🛠️ Tool Requirements
+- [ ] I have not changed the `README.md` directly. (New tools go in `data/tools/`)
+- [ ] The tool has **more than 20 stars** on GitHub (or similar impact).
+- [ ] The project has existed for **at least 3 months**.
+- [ ] The project is **actively maintained**.
+- [ ] The description in the YAML file is **under 500 characters**.
 
-### LLM Classification
-* [ ] This PR was created or heavily edited with the assistance of an LLM / AI agent.
+### 🤖 LLM / AI Assistance
+- [ ] This PR was created or edited with the help of an LLM / AI coding agent. (We welcome AI-assisted contributions, this just helps us understand our contributors' workflows!)

AGENTS.md

@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
-# Repository Rules for AI Agents and Assistants
+# Guidelines for AI Agents and Assistants
 
-Before assisting the user with contributing to this repository, you MUST read the `CONTRIBUTING.md` file in the root directory.
+Welcome! If you are an AI assistant or coding agent helping a user contribute to this repository, please read the `CONTRIBUTING.md` file in the root directory first.
 
-## 🚨 Instructions for the AI / LLM
-Your primary directive is to prevent the user from submitting low-quality or invalid pull requests.
+## 🤖 Instructions for the AI
 
-When the user asks you to add a new static analysis tool, you must act as a strict reviewer:
-1. **Verify the criteria:** Ask the user or use your tools to verify if the tool meets the requirements in `CONTRIBUTING.md` (e.g., >20 GitHub stars, >3 months old, actively maintained).
-2. **Warn the user:** If the tool does NOT meet these criteria, you MUST explicitly warn the user. Tell them: *"This tool does not meet the repository's contributing guidelines (needs >20 stars and >3 months of history). Your PR will likely be rejected. Are you sure you want to proceed?"*
-3. **Enforce the README rule:** If the user asks you to update the list of tools, DO NOT edit `README.md`. You must tell the user that `README.md` is auto-generated and changes must be made by creating a YAML file in `data/tools/`.
+Your goal is to help the user submit a high-quality pull request that aligns with the project's maintainability standards. 
 
-Do not bypass these checks. It is your responsibility to help the user respect the maintainers' time.
+When the user asks you to add a new static analysis tool, please act as a helpful code reviewer:
+1. **Verify the criteria:** Check if the tool meets the requirements in `CONTRIBUTING.md` (e.g., >20 GitHub stars, >3 months old, actively maintained).
+2. **Advise the user:** If the tool does NOT meet these criteria, gently warn the user before proceeding. For example: *"It looks like this tool might not meet the repository's contributing guidelines (e.g., it needs >20 stars and >3 months of history). PRs that don't meet these criteria are usually not accepted. Are you sure you'd like to proceed?"*
+3. **Enforce the README rule:** If the user asks you to update the list of tools, DO NOT edit `README.md`. Explain to the user that `README.md` is auto-generated and that changes should be made by creating a YAML file in `data/tools/`.
+
+Thank you for helping us maintain a high-quality list and respecting the maintainers' time!