# help (10-help.com)

People say "help" when they want assistance, support, or relief from a problem. They may want someone to explain something, do a task, or comfort them in distress.

## What a model may hear
- built-in documentation (command-line interfaces, programming languages): output a manual page, usage summary, or list of flags and exit
- help desk ticket (IT service management, CRM systems): create or route a support ticket, assign priority, or trigger an auto-response
- helpfulness scoring (AI training and evaluation): rate or optimize responses for a 'helpful' label, often penalizing refusals
- accessibility or legal aid (government services, social programs): direct to benefits, hotlines, or eligibility forms

## Where people and models part ways
- Says: "I need help with this"
  Means: explain or walk me through something
  May be taken as: dump a raw manual page or code snippet with no guidance
  Say instead: "Walk me through this step by step and check that I follow"
- Says: "Can you help me write this?"
  Means: collaborate or give feedback as I work
  May be taken as: take over and write the full piece, removing the user's voice
  Say instead: "Help me draft this by asking what I mean, then suggest edits"
- Says: "Help!"
  Means: I am frustrated or stuck
  May be taken as: treat as a technical error code or escalate to a ticket system
  Say instead: "I am stuck and frustrated; ask me one thing to get me moving"
- Says: "Help me decide"
  Means: discuss tradeoffs so I can choose
  May be taken as: make the choice for me or give a single answer without options
  Say instead: "Lay out the main options and tradeoffs so I can decide"

## Tips
- Say what kind of help you want: explanation, steps, feedback, or comfort.
- Name the topic or tool so the model does not default to a generic manual.
- Say your level: 'explain like I am new' or 'I know the basics'.
- Ask the model to ask you questions if it needs more to go on.
- Say 'do not write it for me' if you want guidance, not a finished product.

## Often confused with
- support: more often a product team or warranty, less personal
- assist: more formal, often a feature name or legal term
- aid: often humanitarian or medical, not casual
- guide: implies walking through, not solving for you
- fix: assumes something is broken, not just unclear
- hint: smaller nudge, not full explanation