diff --git a/src/content/docs/beginners/reference/index.mdx b/src/content/docs/beginners/reference/index.mdx index 987713f..fcc896a 100644 --- a/src/content/docs/beginners/reference/index.mdx +++ b/src/content/docs/beginners/reference/index.mdx @@ -3,62 +3,252 @@ title: "Quick Reference Guide" description: "Bookmark this: Everything you need for better AI conversations" --- +import { Card, CardGrid, LinkCard, Aside, Badge, Steps, Tabs, TabItem, Code } from '@astrojs/starlight/components'; + *Bookmark this: Everything you need for better AI conversations* ## Navigation Shortcuts -### 🗂️ Topic Clusters -- **[Communication & Style](#communication--style)** - Getting Claude to sound like you -- **[Information & Research](#information--research)** - Better answers and sources -- **[Creative & Personal](#creative--personal)** - Brainstorming, feedback, decisions -- **[Advanced Techniques](#advanced-techniques)** - Sophisticated collaboration methods + + +Getting Claude to sound like you, match your tone, and fix misunderstandings -### 🚨 Quick Fixes -- **[Problem Finder](#problem-finder-claude-isnt-giving-me-what-i-want)** - "Claude isn't giving me what I want" -- **[Emergency Fixes](#emergency-fixes)** - Common problems, instant solutions -- **[Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting-flowchart)** - Step-by-step conversation repair +[Jump to section ↓](#communication--style) + + + +Better answers, useful sources, fact-checking, and avoiding information overload + +[Jump to section ↓](#information--research) + + + +Brainstorming, feedback, personal decisions, and maintaining your voice + +[Jump to section ↓](#creative--personal) + + + +Sophisticated collaboration methods and persona prompts + +[Jump to section ↓](#advanced-techniques) + + + + --- ## Conversation Starters Cheat Sheet -### When You Don't Know What You Want -- "I've been thinking about [topic] and I can't figure out what's bugging me about it..." -- "I'm feeling [emotion] about [situation] and I can't put my finger on why..." -- "I have this problem but I think I'm approaching it wrong..." -- "I want to understand [situation] better before I decide what to do..." + + +Perfect for when you know you need help but can't articulate what kind: -### Communication & Style -- "Can we talk about [topic] like we're [specific context]? I want your take on..." -- "I write pretty [casually/formally/conversationally] - can you match that energy when we discuss..." -- "Pretend we're having coffee and I just said: [your real thoughts about the topic]" -- "I'm not looking for generic advice here - what would you actually think about..." + -### Information & Research -- "I'm researching [topic] but I keep finding the same basic stuff. What angles am I missing?" -- "Can you help me fact-check this? Here's what I found: [info], but I'm skeptical about..." -- "I need sources that aren't just the first Google results everyone uses..." -- "What questions should I be asking about [topic] that I probably haven't thought of?" + -### Creative & Personal -- "I'm working on [project] and my brain is stuck. Can we just throw ideas around?" -- "Here's my terrible first draft of [thing]. What if we made it completely different?" -- "I have this weird idea about [concept]. Want to explore where it could go?" -- "What would happen if we took [existing thing] and completely flipped [aspect]?" + -### When You Need Feedback -- "I just finished [thing]. Can you tell me what's working and what's not?" -- "This feels off to me but I can't figure out why: [your work]" -- "What would make this [writing/idea/project] actually stand out?" -- "I'm trying to [goal]. Does this approach make sense, or am I missing something obvious?" +[Full guide →](/beginners/how-to/ask-when-uncertain/) + -### When You Want Simple Answers -- "Quick question: [your question]" -- "Give me the most important thing to know about [topic]" -- "What's the one thing I should focus on for [situation]?" -- "Bottom line: should I [specific choice A] or [specific choice B]?" + +Use these when you know exactly what you want to accomplish: -### When You're Making Personal Decisions + + + + + + + + +For when Claude's responses aren't hitting the mark: + + + + + + + + +--- + +## Communication & Style + + + +Get Claude to match your natural speaking style: + + + + + +[Full guide →](/beginners/how-to/match-tone-style/) + + + +Get past generic advice to real insights: + + + + + + + +## Information & Research + + + +Go beyond basic Google results: + + + + + +[Full guide →](/beginners/how-to/research-unfamiliar-topics/) + + + +Validate information effectively: + + + + + +[Full guide →](/beginners/how-to/fact-check/) + + + +## Creative & Personal + + + +Break through creative blocks: + + + + + +[Full guide →](/beginners/how-to/brainstorm-comfortably/) + + + +Improve your work with constructive input: + + + + + +[Full guide →](/beginners/how-to/get-helpful-feedback/) + + + +Think through life choices more clearly: + + + + + +[Full guide →](/beginners/how-to/personal-decisions/) + + - "I'm trying to decide between [options] and my usual decision-making process isn't working..." - "What questions should I be asking myself about [life situation]?" - "I keep going back and forth on [decision]. Can you help me think through what's really driving this?" @@ -66,29 +256,73 @@ description: "Bookmark this: Everything you need for better AI conversations" ## Advanced Techniques -### Persona Prompts -- "Can you respond as someone who [specific expertise/perspective] would approach this?" -- "What would a [specific type of expert] say about [topic] that the usual advice misses?" -- "Imagine you're [specific role/background] looking at [situation]. What stands out to you?" -- "From the perspective of someone who [specific experience], how would you think about [problem]?" + + +Get specialized perspectives: -### Conversation Control -- **Steering technique**: "Actually, what I'm really trying to figure out is..." -- **Perspective shift**: "Let me try this a different way..." -- **Specificity ladder**: Start broad, get more specific with follow-ups -- **Context anchoring**: Reference previous parts of conversation to maintain continuity + -### Response Shaping -- **Length control**: "Quick take:" for short answers, "Let's dive deep into..." for comprehensive responses -- **Style matching**: Explicitly request tone/style in your opening message -- **Format requests**: "Can you break this down into..." / "Give me this as..." / "Structure this like..." -- **Perspective control**: Use persona prompts for specialized viewpoints + -### Information Quality -- **Source validation**: Ask for specific types of sources, not just "sources" -- **Bias checking**: "What perspective might this be missing?" -- **Depth control**: "What am I not thinking about?" for broader context -- **Practical focus**: "What can I actually do with this information?" +[Full guide →](/beginners/how-to/persona-prompts/) + + + +Steer conversations effectively: + + + + + + + +Get exactly the format you want: + + + + + + + +Ensure accuracy and depth: + + + + + + ### Creative Collaboration - **Idea volleyball**: Build on each other's suggestions rather than just generating lists @@ -106,23 +340,77 @@ description: "Bookmark this: Everything you need for better AI conversations" ## Problem Finder: "Claude Isn't Giving Me What I Want" -**Claude's responses feel robotic/generic** -→ [How to Get Claude to Match Your Tone and Style](/how-to/match-tone-style/) + -**Claude completely missed what I was asking** -→ [How to Fix It When Claude Completely Misses the Point](/how-to/fix-misunderstandings/) + + +Claude sounds formal, generic, like a manual -**I get walls of text when I want simple answers** -→ [How to Avoid Getting Walls of Text When You Want Something Simple](/how-to/avoid-walls-of-text/) + + -**I don't know how to start the conversation** -→ [How to Ask When You Don't Know What You Want](/how-to/ask-when-uncertain/) + +Claude answered the wrong question entirely -**I can't tell if Claude's information is reliable** -→ [How to Fact-Check Claude's Answers](/how-to/fact-check/) + + -**Claude gives me obvious/surface-level sources** -→ [How to Get Sources You Can Actually Use](/how-to/get-useful-sources/) + +Too much information when you want simple answers + + + + + +Don't know how to begin the conversation + + + + + +Unsure if Claude's answers are reliable + + + + + +Getting obvious results instead of useful sources + + + + **I feel awkward brainstorming with AI** → [How to Brainstorm Without Feeling Silly](/how-to/brainstorm-comfortably/)