docs: surface machine-checked claims + fix community funnel (--version, question routing)

[abrichr]

Fixes the developer-funnel gaps a live audit found today (2026-07-17). Docs-first PR with one small CLI fix and one narrowly-scoped warning softening. Second commit is a tone pass per founder direction: strengths framed as strengths, no hedging.

What / why

1. README: "Machine-checked claims" paragraph (Status section)

The repo's strongest honesty differentiator — the machine-readable claim registry — was mentioned zero times in the README. Added a paragraph framing it as the strength it is: OpenAdapt is the only automation vendor whose public maturity claims are enforced by CI. Every claim is registered in claims.yaml, tiered (supported / validating / roadmap / research), and CI fails when a claim's tier outranks its evidence, regenerating docs/VERIFICATION.md from the registry.

2. README: Frappe Lending reference environment (Benchmark section)

Added the pinned, containerized lending reference environment benchmark/frappe_lending/ (pinned containers + lockfile; independent REST, SQL, and exact table-delta verification of every write), stated confidently on the verified result: 12/12 correct rows, zero silent wrong writes, zero over-halts, $0 model cost in the model-free matrix (compiled + direct-API arms, baseline plus cosmetic drift). The paid agent arm and full per-cell trial counts are framed as the next stage of the matrix. Numbers verified against benchmark/frappe_lending/README.md.

3. README: Contributing pointer (Development section)

CONTRIBUTING.md was never linked from the README. Added a one-liner, plus the mypy-override burn-down list ([[tool.mypy.overrides]] in pyproject.toml) as a ready-made first contribution — CONTRIBUTING.md already calls that "a very welcome PR".

4. CLI: openadapt-flow --version

Previously errored (the following arguments are required: command). Added an argparse version action reading the installed distribution version via importlib.metadata, falling back to openadapt_flow.__version__ when run from a checkout. Test added (tests/test_cli_new_commands.py::test_version_flag_prints_version_and_exits_zero). Verified live: openadapt-flow --version → openadapt-flow 1.10.0.

5. First-run PlaintextPHIWarning: softened ONLY for the bundled demo

A clean seam exists: replay knows when it is serving the bundled synthetic MockMed app itself (no --url). synthetic_demo=True is passed only when the CLI served the in-process MockMed demo and no operator values flowed in (--param / --params-file / worklists) — i.e. every identity-like value is the recorded fake demo data. Any real target or operator-supplied value keeps the full warning; the warning text, the report content, and the SCRUB=on/off semantics are unchanged. Test added (tests/test_privacy.py::test_report_md_no_warning_for_bundled_synthetic_demo).

6. Issue-template question routing — audited, then re-scoped to no change

The audit flagged the "Question / discussion" contact link 404ing with blank issues disabled. Verified via the GitHub API before editing: Discussions is now enabled on this repo (has_discussions: true, re-verified 2026-07-17), so the existing link in .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/config.yml works and the file is deliberately untouched.

Checks run locally (re-run after the tone pass)

• ruff check openadapt_flow — pass
• ruff format --check openadapt_flow tests — pass (264 files)
• python scripts/check_consistency.py — pass
• python scripts/validate_claims.py --check — pass (10 claims, 6 supported)
• pytest tests/test_privacy.py tests/test_cli_new_commands.py tests/test_backend_factory.py tests/test_report.py — 77 passed
• openadapt-flow --version → openadapt-flow 1.10.0

No overlap with open PRs

• docs: vision-forward README opening (any repeated GUI task, once) #138 (vision-forward README opening): rewrites only the README title/intro first screen; this PR touches only later sections (Benchmark, Status, Development). Disjoint hunks by design.
• feat(effects): effect-verifier kit — declarative verifiers, coverage gates, reconciliation tasks #134 (effect-verifier kit): touches claims.yaml/docs/VERIFICATION.md and __main__.py; this PR only links the former, and its --version hunk in __main__.py is small, separate, and rebase-tolerant.
• feat: macOS pixel backend selector + compile-time identifier crop (arm pixel identity tier) #120/feat(console): localhost operator console over bundles, runs, and skill lineage #133/Add fail-closed native macOS backend with scoped evidence #135: different regions; none adds --version. Merge order should not matter beyond trivial context-line rebasing.

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