a thought-experiment by zack.cx
intentwhat kind of work is this — write, debug, explain, analyze, create. sets the cognitive mode Claude enters.
formathow you want it back. inline edits vs. prose vs. a diff are three completely different responses to the same question.
constraintwhat Claude can't touch. the guardrail that lives in your head and never makes it into the prompt — until now.
audiencewho's actually reading. changes register, density, assumed knowledge.
declare means commit. closing without declaring means you considered it and chose not to constrain. both are valid. the difference matters.