diff --git a/examples/chat/task_runner/tasks_playground.nim b/examples/chat/task_runner/tasks_playground.nim
deleted file mode 100644
index 1f34e9d..0000000
--- a/examples/chat/task_runner/tasks_playground.nim
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,157 +0,0 @@
-import # vendor libs
-  chronicles
-
-logScope:
-  topics = "task_runner"
-
-# This module was used to experiment with patterns for no_rts and rts tasks and
-# task contexts. At present it's kept around for reference but will eventually
-# be removed.
-
-# no_rts -----------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-type
-  HelloTaskArg = ref object of TaskArg
-    to: string
-
-const helloTaskImpl: Task = proc(argEncoded: string) {.async, gcsafe, nimcall.} =
-  let arg = decode[HelloTaskArg](argEncoded)
-  echo "!!! this is " & arg.name  & " saying 'hello' to " & arg.to & " !!!"
-
-proc helloTask*(taskRunner: TaskRunner, workerName: string, to: string) =
-  let
-    worker = taskRunner.workers[workerName].worker
-    chanSendToHost = worker.chanRecvFromWorker
-    chanSendToWorker = worker.chanSendToWorker
-    arg = HelloTaskArg(
-      chanSendToHost: cast[ByteAddress](chanSendToHost),
-      name: "helloTask",
-      running: cast[ByteAddress](addr taskRunner.running),
-      task: cast[ByteAddress](helloTaskImpl),
-      to: to
-    )
-
-  chanSendToWorker.sendSync(arg.encode.safe)
-
-# no_rts -----------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-var someName {.threadvar.}: string
-
-proc hello2Context*(arg: ContextArg) {.async, gcsafe, nimcall.} =
-  someName = "baz"
-
-type
-  Hello2TaskArg = ref object of TaskArg
-
-const hello2TaskImpl: Task = proc(argEncoded: string) {.async, gcsafe, nimcall.} =
-  let arg = decode[Hello2TaskArg](argEncoded)
-  echo "!!! this is " & arg.name  & " saying 'hello' to " & someName & " !!!"
-
-proc hello2Task*(taskRunner: TaskRunner, workerName: string) =
-  let
-    worker = taskRunner.workers[workerName].worker
-    chanSendToHost = worker.chanRecvFromWorker
-    chanSendToWorker = worker.chanSendToWorker
-    arg = Hello2TaskArg(
-      chanSendToHost: cast[ByteAddress](chanSendToHost),
-      name: "hello2Task",
-      running: cast[ByteAddress](addr taskRunner.running),
-      task: cast[ByteAddress](hello2TaskImpl)
-    )
-
-  chanSendToWorker.sendSync(arg.encode.safe)
-
-# rts --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-type
-  Hello3TaskArg = ref object of TaskArgRts
-    to: string
-
-const hello3TaskImpl: Task = proc(argEncoded: string) {.async, gcsafe, nimcall.} =
-  let
-    arg = decode[Hello3TaskArg](argEncoded)
-    chanReturnToSender = cast[WorkerChannel](arg.chanReturnToSender)
-
-  chanReturnToSender.open()
-  await chanReturnToSender.send((arg.to & " YADA YADA YADA").encode.safe)
-  chanReturnToSender.close()
-
-proc hello3Task*(taskRunner: TaskRunner, workerName: string,
-  to: string): Future[string] {.async.} =
-  let
-    worker = taskRunner.workers[workerName].worker
-    chanReturnToSender = newWorkerChannel()
-    chanSendToHost = worker.chanRecvFromWorker
-    chanSendToWorker = worker.chanSendToWorker
-    arg = Hello3TaskArg(
-      chanSendToHost: cast[ByteAddress](chanSendToHost),
-      name: "hello3Task",
-      running: cast[ByteAddress](addr taskRunner.running),
-      task: cast[ByteAddress](hello3TaskImpl),
-      chanReturnToSender: cast[ByteAddress](chanReturnToSender),
-      to: to
-    )
-
-  chanReturnToSender.open()
-  await chanSendToWorker.send(arg.encode.safe)
-  let res = decode[string]($(await chanReturnToSender.recv()))
-  chanReturnToSender.close()
-  return res
-
-proc hello3TaskSync*(taskRunner: TaskRunner, workerName: string,
-  to: string): string =
-  let
-    worker = taskRunner.workers[workerName].worker
-    chanReturnToSender = newWorkerChannel()
-    chanSendToHost = worker.chanRecvFromWorker
-    chanSendToWorker = worker.chanSendToWorker
-    arg = Hello3TaskArg(
-      chanSendToHost: cast[ByteAddress](chanSendToHost),
-      name: "hello3Task",
-      running: cast[ByteAddress](addr taskRunner.running),
-      task: cast[ByteAddress](hello3TaskImpl),
-      chanReturnToSender: cast[ByteAddress](chanReturnToSender),
-      to: to
-    )
-
-  chanReturnToSender.open()
-  chanSendToWorker.sendSync(arg.encode.safe)
-  let res = decode[string]($chanReturnToSender.recvSync())
-  chanReturnToSender.close()
-  return res
-
-# no_rts -----------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-var counter {.threadvar.}: int
-
-proc hello4Context*(arg: ContextArg) {.async, gcsafe, nimcall.} =
-  counter = 0
-
-type
-  Hello4TaskArg = ref object of TaskArg
-
-const hello4TaskImpl: Task = proc(argEncoded: string) {.async, gcsafe, nimcall.} =
-  let
-    arg = decode[Hello4TaskArg](argEncoded)
-    chanSendToHost = cast[WorkerChannel](arg.chanSendToHost)
-
-  var running = cast[ptr Atomic[bool]](arg.running)
-
-  while running[].load():
-    counter = counter + 1
-    await chanSendToHost.send(counter.encode.safe)
-    await sleepAsync 1.milliseconds
-
-proc hello4Task*(taskRunner: TaskRunner, workerName: string) =
-  let
-    worker = taskRunner.workers[workerName].worker
-    chanSendToHost = worker.chanRecvFromWorker
-    chanSendToWorker = worker.chanSendToWorker
-    arg = Hello4TaskArg(
-      chanSendToHost: cast[ByteAddress](chanSendToHost),
-      name: "hello4Task",
-      running: cast[ByteAddress](addr taskRunner.running),
-      task: cast[ByteAddress](hello4TaskImpl)
-    )
-
-  chanSendToWorker.sendSync(arg.encode.safe)