Read time: 2 min 6 sec

Whatup Reader!

Don’t assume they know.

Don’t assume that who knows what?

Don’t assume that anyone knows anything.

I’m still over here hanging out with my new bestie, ChatGPT, and the more I use it, the more I value what it can teach us about communicating with each other:

Don’t assume that anyone knows anything.

Ya’ll know that when I’m into something I go all in, which for this looks like podcasts, newsletters, long ass YouTube videos, and subreddits.

Real talk, the majority of these resources are filled white dudes, and so perhaps it should come as no surprise that the majority are obsessed with prompting (the commands and directions that you give ChatGPT), and are making it way more complicated than it needs to be.

Friends, prompting is communication 101: Don’t assume that anyone knows anything.

If you input a command like “Please plan a vacation for me” (yes, I still use please and thank you, no, I don’t care what that one article said), you shouldn’t be surprised when it spits out something that is 0% useful.

If however, you input background information about you, previous trips you’ve taken, what you liked and disliked about each, your exact time frame, your exact budget, your weather preferences, your activity level preferences, your preferred airline, the vibe you want, anyone traveling with you and whatever preferences they have that you wish to accommodate, things you absolutely wish to avoid, your non-negotiables…well, you see how the answer ChatGPT gives you could likely be a whole lot better.

Garbage in, garbage out.

Or, like I loved to say when I taught my courses, “If you want better answers, ask better questions.”

Now, don’t get me wrong, I do believe there is absolutely such thing as a bloated prompt, but what you’ll usually find with these is that some of the input is simply redundant and therefore ignored. Rarely, if ever, does more information lead to a worse output.

Talking to ChatGPT is literally (in my opinion at least), communication 101.

Ya’ll know I love me some @inquisitive_human, and I actually texted them last week to share the distinct parallels between being a skilled communicator and being a skilled ChatGPT user.

Don’t assume what someone does and doesn’t know.

Don’t assume that someone knows what you want.

Don’t assume you understand someone’s situation.

Don’t assume that they understand yours.

Ask.

Always ask.

Yes, you can ask ChatGPT what it knows. Yes, you can ask your friends, family, and strangers the same thing.

The less relational fuckery, the better the output. The more relational fuckery, the worse off we all are.

Don’t assume that anyone knows anything.

Happy Tuesday, Reader.

Maestro out.

PS - Yes, I'm absolutely going to run some sort of ChatGPT course/workshop/program. CLICK HERE to automatically be added to the interest list. Zero obligation to sign up when I figure out what I'm launching. Adding your name just means you won't miss the announcement.

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