feat: add 2026-01-28 weekly meeting notes (#10)

add 2026-01-28 weekly meeting notes

meetings/2026-01-28_weekly.md

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+# 2026-01-28 Transports WG (Weekly)
+
+## TL;DR
+The group discussed updates on the Python SDK refactoring, noting a "holding
+pattern" while waiting for a PR from Google's Powan. Shaun Smith confirmed the
+submission of a Specification Enhancement Proposal (SEP) to formally deprecate
+unsolicited sampling and elicitation on the background channel. The primary
+focus was reconciling the Multi-Round Trip Request (MRTR) proposal with the
+"Tasks" mechanism. The group agreed that the "get stream" (SSE) must be optional
+for core functionality like elicitation. A technical debate regarding data
+structures (Map vs. Array) for server-initiated requests led to a decision to
+split the work into two parallel, consistent proposals—one for the ephemeral
+case (led by Mark Roth) and one for the persistent case (led by Caitie
+McCaffrey)—to be reviewed after an offline sync.
+
+## Detailed Summary
+
+### SDKs and Process
+* **Python SDK Refactoring:** Kryspin Ziemski and Mark Roth discussed the status
+  of the Python SDK. The group is waiting for a Pull Request from Powan
+  regarding the separation of server and runner before pushing further changes.
+* **Verscell Integration:** Kryspin Ziemski asked about contacts at Verscell
+  regarding their custom MCP implementation. Shaun Smith confirmed he is in
+  touch with Matt Lenhard and offered to connect them offline.
+* **Unsolicited Requests SEP:** Shaun Smith submitted the SEP discussed the
+  previous week to formally deprecate unsolicited sampling and elicitation on
+  the background "get stream."
+* **Data Usage:** Shaun Smith offered to share data from "several million
+  sessions" of MCP usage scraped from his server to assist with decision-making.
+
+### Technical Decisions: MRTR and Tasks
+* **Optionality of SSE Streams:** Caitie McCaffrey argued that to ensure the
+  protocol works in stateless environments like Cloud Run, the "get stream"
+  (SSE) must not be required for core functionality like elicitation and
+  sampling. The group agreed to scope this change to elicitation/sampling first,
+  deferring progress notifications.
+* **Ephemeral vs. Persistent Flows:**
+    * **Tool Calls (Ephemeral):** Defined as short-running, synchronous, and
+      stateless. Mark Roth proposed a flow where the server returns an
+      incomplete response, and the client retries with the original info plus
+      the response.
+    * **Tasks (Persistent):** Defined as long-running, asynchronous, and
+      stateful. Caitie McCaffrey and Luca Chang clarified the "Input Required"
+      state, where the client polls for a result and receives an elicitation
+      request.
+* **Message Structure Alignment:**
+    * Mark Roth argued for using consistent message types for the "elicitation
+      response" in both ephemeral and persistent cases.
+    * **Map vs. Array:** A debate arose regarding the container for
+      server-initiated requests. Mark Roth proposed a Map structure (key-value)
+      to handle multiple parallel requests and ensure association if server
+      logic changes. Caitie McCaffrey and Luca Chang pushed back, suggesting
+      this introduces ambiguity and complexity, preferring arrays or reusing
+      existing `ToolResult` structures.
+* **Unique Keys:** The group debated the necessity of unique keys for server
+  requests within a single tool call context. Mark Roth argued they are needed
+  for association; Caitie McCaffrey suggested parameter names might be
+  sufficient.
+
+### Path Forward
+* **Dual Proposals:** To resolve the complexity, the group decided to split the
+  work into two parallel proposals that will be kept consistent:
+    1.  **Ephemeral Case:** Led by Mark Roth, focusing on the stateless
+        request/response flow without tasks.
+    2.  **Persistent Case:** Led by Caitie McCaffrey, focusing on how Tasks
+        utilize the request/response flow for stateful operations.
+* **Synchronization:** Mark Roth, Caitie McCaffrey, and Luca Chang will meet
+  offline to align on data structures before the next meeting.
+
+## Action Items
+- [ ] **Shaun Smith** to connect with Kryspin Ziemski offline regarding Matt
+  Lenhard and Verscell.
+- [ ] **Mark Roth** to update the track brief to explicitly call out the agreed
+  goals (making SSE optional).
+- [ ] **Mark Roth** to schedule an offline sync with Caitie McCaffrey and Luca
+  Chang for Friday to resolve data structure nuances (Map vs. Array).
+- [ ] **Mark Roth** to update the Ephemeral MRTR proposal to explicitly cover
+  single back-and-forth, multiple back-and-forth, and multiple requests in a
+  single response.
+- [ ] **Caitie McCaffrey** to update the Persistent/Tasks proposal to align with
+  the ephemeral definitions.