aiskillstore/de-slopify

De-Slopify — Remove AI Writing Artifacts

Purpose: Make your documentation sound like it was written by a human, not an LLM.

Key Insight: You can't do this with regex or a script—it requires manual, systematic review of each line.

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What is "AI Slop"?

AI slop refers to writing patterns that LLMs produce disproportionately more commonly than human writers. These patterns make text sound inauthentic and "cringe."

Common Tells

| Pattern | Problem | |---------|---------| | Emdash overuse | LLMs love emdashes—they use them constantly—even when other punctuation works better | | "It's not X, it's Y" | Formulaic contrast structure | | "Here's why" | Clickbait-style lead-in | | "Here's why it matters:" | Same energy | | "Let's dive in" | Forced enthusiasm | | "In this guide, we'll..." | Overly formal setup | | "It's worth noting that..." | Unnecessary hedge | | "At its core..." | Pseudo-profound opener |

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THE EXACT PROMPT — De-Slopify Documentation

I want you to read through the complete text carefully and look for any telltale signs of "AI slop" style writing; one big tell is the use of emdash. You should try to replace this with a semicolon, a comma, or just recast the sentence accordingly so it sounds good while avoiding emdash.

Also, you want to avoid certain telltale writing tropes, like sentences of the form "It's not [just] XYZ, it's ABC" or "Here's why" or "Here's why it matters:".  Basically, anything that sounds like the kind of thing an LLM would write disproportionately more commonly that a human writer and which sounds inauthentic/cringe.

And you can't do this sort of thing using regex or a script, you MUST manually read each line of the text and revise it manually in a systematic, methodical, diligent way. Use ultrathink.

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Why Manual Review is Required

The prompt explicitly states:

"And you can't do this sort of thing using regex or a script, you MUST manually read each line of the text and revise it manually in a systematic, methodical, diligent way."

Reasons:

1. Context matters — Sometimes an emdash is actually the right choice
2. Recasting sentences — Often the fix isn't substitution but rewriting
3. Tone consistency — Need to maintain voice throughout
4. Judgment calls — Some patterns are fine in moderation

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Emdash Alternatives

When you encounter an emdash (—), consider:

| Original | Alternative | |----------|-------------| | X—Y—Z | X; Y; Z or X, Y, Z | | The tool—which is powerful—works well | The tool, which is powerful, works well | | We built this—and it works | We built this, and it works | | Here's the thing—it matters | Here's the thing: it matters or recast entirely |

Sometimes the best fix is to split into two sentences or restructure entirely.

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Phrases to Eliminate or Rewrite

"Here's why" family

• "Here's why" → Just explain why directly
• "Here's why it matters" → Explain the importance inline
• "Here's the thing" → Usually can be deleted entirely

Contrast formulas

• "It's not X, it's Y" → "This is Y" or explain the distinction differently
• "It's not just X, it's also Y" → "This does X and Y" or similar

Forced enthusiasm

• "Let's dive in!" → Just start
• "Let's get started!" → Just start
• "Excited to share..." → Just share it

Pseudo-profound openers

• "At its core..." → Usually can be deleted
• "Fundamentally..." → Often unnecessary
• "In essence..." → Just say the essence

Unnecessary hedges

• "It's worth noting that..." → Just note it
• "It's important to remember..." → Just state the fact
• "Keep in mind that..." → Often deletable

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Before and After Examples

Example 1: Emdash Overuse

Before (sloppy):

This tool—which we built from scratch—handles everything automatically—from parsing to output.

After (clean):

This tool handles everything automatically, from parsing to output. We built it from scratch.

Example 2: "Here's why" Pattern

Before (sloppy):

We chose Rust for this component. Here's why: performance matters, and Rust delivers.

After (clean):

We chose Rust for this component because performance matters.

Example 3: Contrast Formula

Before (sloppy):

It's not just a linter—it's a complete code quality system.

After (clean):

This is a complete code quality system, not just a linter.

Or even better:

This complete code quality system goes beyond basic linting.

Example 4: Forced Enthusiasm

Before (sloppy):

# Getting Started

Let's dive in! We're excited to help you get up and running with our amazing tool.

After (clean):

# Getting Started

Install the tool and run your first command in under a minute.

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When to De-Slopify

Best Times

• Before publishing a README
• Before releasing documentation
• After AI-assisted writing sessions
• During documentation reviews

Files to Check

• README.md
• CONTRIBUTING.md
• API documentation
• Blog posts
• Any public-facing text

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Integration with Workflow

As Part of Bead Workflow

bd create "De-slopify README.md" -t docs -p 3
bd create "De-slopify API documentation" -t docs -p 3

As Final Pass Before Commit

Now, before we commit, please read through README.md and look for any telltale signs of "AI slop" style writing...

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What NOT to Fix

Some things are fine even if they seem "AI-like":

• Technical accuracy — Don't sacrifice correctness for style
• Necessary structure — Headers, lists, etc. are fine
• Clear explanations — Being thorough isn't slop
• Code examples — Focus on prose, not code

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Complete Prompt Reference

Main De-Slopify Prompt

I want you to read through the complete text carefully and look for any telltale signs of "AI slop" style writing; one big tell is the use of emdash. You should try to replace this with a semicolon, a comma, or just recast the sentence accordingly so it sounds good while avoiding emdash.

Also, you want to avoid certain telltale writing tropes, like sentences of the form "It's not [just] XYZ, it's ABC" or "Here's why" or "Here's why it matters:".  Basically, anything that sounds like the kind of thing an LLM would write disproportionately more commonly that a human writer and which sounds inauthentic/cringe.

And you can't do this sort of thing using regex or a script, you MUST manually read each line of the text and revise it manually in a systematic, methodical, diligent way. Use ultrathink.

Quick Version (for minor touch-ups)

Review this text and remove any AI slop patterns: excessive emdashes, "Here's why" constructions, "It's not X, it's Y" formulas, and other LLM writing tells. Recast sentences to sound more naturally human. Use ultrathink.