Going in circles
Spot the loop early and change something, instead of asking the same thing again.
Spot the loop
- Starting out
- The same fix is tried a third time.
- It says "fixed" and nothing changed.
- It undoes something it did earlier, then does it again.
- Answers get longer while saying less.
- Starting out
This is normal, and it is rarely fixed by asking more firmly. Change something instead.
Switch the model
- Often missed
A different model, especially from the other family, looks at the problem with fresh eyes. Pick it in the model picker and send your next message; it carries on from the conversation so far.
Try sayingWe've been going in circles. Read the conversation, tell me what you think is really going on, and try a different approach.
- Everyday
Or move up: a bigger model, or more thinking effort, for the part that is hard. Come back down once it is solved.
- Often missed
If one family's usage runs out or it is slow today, switch to the other and keep going. Nothing is lost: the chat goes with you.
Start fresh with what you learned
- Everyday
A very long chat can bury the point under old attempts. Ask for a summary of the goal, what was tried and what was learned, then start a new chat with that summary.
- Often missed
Often the loop comes from a wrong belief early on. Ask it to list what it is assuming. One of those is usually the problem.
- Often missed
Shrink the problem. Ask it to get one small piece working, prove it, and only then move on.