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Refusing to sufficiently specify a task and hoping the model guesses correctly is not being productive. Again, these models still don't really ask questions when they should. You have to explicitly tell them to.

Specifying the problem is not extra work separate from solving it. If you skip that step, the ambiguity gets pushed into the model’s assumptions. Then you get a plausible looking answer to the wrong problem and have to waste time backing out of it.

LLMs are not magic machines that can read your mind.

by iLoveOncall10 hours ago|

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My point is that it is much faster for me to solve the problem by writing the code than to write specifications detailed enough for the model to do the right thing in the right way.

by nsingh210 hours ago|

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A highly detailed specification is not what I mean here. It's closer to plugging in a few sentence descriptions (or a totally cluttered brain dump) and having the model interview you to help pin down critical details before continuing.

In my own work, it's usually been a few critical assumptions the model made silently (and I never even though of initially) that end up being the difference between passable results the first try, and me having to go back and fix things. Occasionally some questions force me to rethink the problem entirely.

I basically always begin any long-running session with this kind of brainstorming. I don't find the existing plan modes in Claude Code/Codex to be critical enough.

by reactordev9 hours ago|

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You should try transcribing while you speak. Then you can explain and articulate the task sufficiently that the model should have enough context to complete the task to your satisfaction. Since you won’t write it.

by mejutoco7 hours ago|

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This assumes someone not articulate in writing will be articulate in talking. The most likely outcome is there will be more text with the same information. One can do a little interpretative dance as well but the clearer the requirements the better the result.

by iLoveOncall8 hours ago|

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My colleagues will thank me for speaking non-stop right next to them surely.