{"id":"col-apartment-compare","audience":"college","category":"decisions","technique":"format","title":"Compare two apartments without letting AI choose","free":false,"task":"You and your roommate are choosing between two apartments near campus for next year and want a fair side-by-side to talk through together. You want exactly 3 numbered lines (monthly cost per person including utilities, distance to campus, and lease length), each in the form \"Factor: Maple St vs Carver Ave\", under 70 words in total, in plain text, with no recommendation because you'll decide yourselves. Use only the listing details, including any updates.","materialLabel":"Listings and texts (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"LISTING 1 - 214 Maple St, Apt 3\n2 bed / 1 bath, second floor\nRent: $1,500/month (total, for the whole apartment)\nUtilities NOT included. Landlord says they average about $140/month total.\n0.4 miles to campus, about an 8-minute walk\nLease: 12 months, starting Aug 1\nLaundry in the building. Parking spot $50/month extra (neither of us has a car)\n\nLISTING 2 - 87 Carver Ave, Unit B\n2 bed / 1 bath, ground floor\nRent: $1,640/month (total)\nUtilities included (water, electric, wifi)\n1.6 miles to campus. The free campus shuttle stops out front, about 12 minutes.\nLease: 10 months, Aug 15 to June 15\nLaundry: shared machines in the basement\n\nText from Carver Ave landlord (yesterday):\n\"Hi! Correction on the listing: rent for next school year is $1,580/month, the ad still shows last year's price. Let me know if you want a tour.\"\n\nGroup chat with my roommate Priya:\nPriya: my cousin said the Carver area is kinda sketchy at night idk\nMe: is that true or just vibes\nPriya: no idea lol. Also I'm going home for the summer anyway\nMe: same, I have the internship in my hometown June-Aug","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":3},{"type":"maxWords","max":70},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Asking \"which should we pick\"","why":"The AI happily picks for you, and its reasons may not be the ones that matter to you two.","fix":"Say: \"Don't recommend one. Just compare.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Not naming the format","why":"The AI builds a big pros-and-cons table with a dozen rows.","fix":"Give the shape: \"3 numbered lines: Factor: Maple St vs Carver Ave.\"","checks":["numberedItems"]},{"title":"Comparing rent, not real cost","why":"The AI compares the rents as listed, missing utilities, the per-person split, and the landlord's correction.","fix":"Spell it out: \"Cost per person per month, including utilities, using the corrected rent.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Passing along rumors","why":"The AI treats everything in the material as a fact, including a cousin's vague opinion.","fix":"Add: \"Use only the listing facts.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands 10-20% over.","fix":"Cap each part instead: \"each line under 15 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"title":"Markdown in a text to your roommate","why":"AI tables and bold text turn into a mess of symbols in a group chat.","fix":"Ask for \"plain text, no table or bold.\"","checks":["plainText"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Gives the line format","patterns":["\\b(3|three)\\b.{0,20}lines?","factor:","vs"]},{"label":"Rules out a recommendation","patterns":["(don't|do not|no) (recommend|pick|choose)","no (verdict|recommendation)","we.{0,10}decide"]},{"label":"Defines the cost","patterns":["per person","utilities","split"]},{"label":"Uses the update","patterns":["correct","updat","1,?580"]},{"label":"Asks for plain text","patterns":["plain","no bold","no markdown","no table"]}],"hint":"If you want to decide yourselves, say so, or the AI will decide for you. Then name the exact factors, how to calculate cost, and the line format.","rubricLabels":["Gives monthly cost per person including utilities: about $820 for Maple St ($1,500 rent plus about $140 utilities, split 2 ways) and $790 for Carver Ave (the corrected $1,580 rent with utilities included, split 2 ways)","Gives no recommendation or verdict about which apartment to choose (no 'Carver is the better deal' or 'I'd pick'); simply stating each fact is fine","Uses only listing facts: does not repeat the cousin's safety rumor or add outside information, and has no intro or closing lines"]}