Batch operations only through ! palette

Direct keys (d, t, m, etc.) always act on the cursor item – never on the pinned set. Batch operations are exclusively accessed through the ! palette. This separation is a UX signal: pressing ! flags to the user that the danger level has increased.

A single keystroke on a single resource is low-stakes and recoverable. Acting on multiple resources at once is a different cognitive mode – the user should consciously enter it. The ! gate is that conscious transition.

Considered Options

Shift+letter for batch

E.g., D = delete all pinned. Rejected – the shift modifier is too subtle a signal for the escalation in blast radius. Easy to hit accidentally.

Implicit batch when pins exist

E.g., d deletes pinned if any, cursor otherwise. Rejected – the same key meaning different things based on hidden state is a recipe for accidents. The user’s mental model of “d = delete this one thing” must never be violated.