Set Your Reading Rules Before You Ask for Anything

If you use a screen reader, you can set your muse's output rules before you hand it any work, so every answer arrives in a shape you can navigate: headings in order, lists instead of tables, and the main point first.

What it does

An answer you cannot navigate is not an answer. Walls of text, tables a screen reader reads out of order, and controls that only work by sight cost time on every task. Fix that once, at the start. Tell the muse your rules in plain words and it holds them across later conversations. A workable set: every answer starts with a top-level heading and works down in order, so you can jump section to section. Lists replace tables, always. No filler. Comparisons give the bottom line first, then the detail. When you ask for options, you get at least five, and ten when that many exist. Sources appear only when you ask, or when you need one to act. Two safety rules belong in the same set: nothing is sent, posted, or bought without the exact text in front of you and your approval, and a failed lookup gets a second try before the muse reports it blocked.

How to use it

1. Start with shape, not tasks: "I use a screen reader. Start every answer with a top-level heading, use headings in order, and use lists, never tables."
2. Add the order rules: "No filler. Bottom line first, then the detail. At least five options when options exist."
3. Add the approval rule: "Show me the exact text before you send, post, or buy anything, and wait for my approval."
4. Test the rules on one small job, such as a summary, and correct any drift in plain words.

What you need

• A muse account, with memory turned on
• Ten minutes to state your rules before the first task
• One small test job to check the rules hold

What to watch for

• The first answers will still need corrections. Correct drift early, and the corrected rule usually sticks.
• Rules shape answers. They do not fix a badly built app or website the muse must work through. An unlabeled button elsewhere is still unlabeled.
• Taking over the muse's browser yourself can be the one step with no screen reader access. Treat sign-ins as setup you arrange once.
• It is normal if a helper that remembers your rules feels strange at first. The rules are yours, stored where you can see them, and you can change or delete them.