antislop

What this skill does

# The AntiSlop

A comprehensive AI writing pattern detector and fixer. Combines patterns from [Wikipedia's Signs of AI Writing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Signs_of_AI_writing) with advanced structural detection and an editor mode that actually fixes problems.

## The 30-Second Test

**The Horoscope Test:**

> "Could anyone have written this, for anyone?"

If yes, it's slop. Like a horoscope — technically applicable to everyone, resonant with no one.

**What fails:**
- Vague claims without specific examples
- Advice that applies universally without context
- Content missing the author's distinct perspective
- Writing that could have any byline

**What passes:**
- Specific tools, dates, outcomes mentioned
- Personal observations grounded in experience
- Opinions that not everyone would agree with
- Details only this author would know

---

## Usage

```
/antislop

[paste your text here]
```

Or ask Claude to check text directly:

```
Please run antislop on this: [your text]
```

---

## How It Works

1. **Run the Horoscope Test** - Could anyone have written this for anyone?
2. **Scan for patterns** - 45+ known AI tells across 6 categories
3. **Calculate slop score** - Tiered severity with quantifiable scoring
4. **Apply fixes** - Editor mode rewrites problems, not just flags them
5. **Report changes** - Before/after for every fix applied

---

## Detection Patterns (35+)

### Tier 1: Almost Always AI (Remove Immediately)

These phrases are so strongly associated with AI that their presence alone suggests unedited output.

| Pattern | Example | Fix |
|---------|---------|-----|
| Delve | "Let's delve into..." | Remove or replace with direct statement |
| Game-changer | "This game-changing approach..." | Describe the actual impact |
| Revolutionary | "A revolutionary new method..." | State what it actually does |
| Unlock potential | "Unlock your potential..." | Remove entirely |
| Leverage (as verb) | "Leverage these insights..." | "Use" |
| It's worth noting | "It's worth noting that..." | Just state the thing |
| Moreover/Furthermore | "Moreover, this approach..." | Remove or use "Also" |
| Today's digital landscape | "In today's digital landscape..." | Remove |
| Cutting-edge | "Cutting-edge solutions..." | Remove |
| Pivotal moment | "Marking a pivotal moment in..." | State what happened |
| Tapestry (abstract) | "A rich tapestry of influences..." | Remove or be specific |
| Intricate/intricacies | "The intricacies of..." | "Details of" or remove |
| Showcase (as verb) | "Showcasing their commitment..." | "Shows" or describe what happened |
| Vibrant | "A vibrant community of..." | Remove or use specific detail |
| Interplay | "The interplay between X and Y..." | "How X and Y affect each other" |
| Garner | "Garnering attention from..." | "Got attention from" or be specific |
| Align with | "Aligning with broader trends..." | State the actual relationship |

**Research evidence:**
- Finnish study (56,878 essays): "delve" usage increased 10.45× post-ChatGPT
- Georgia Tech (168.3M articles): "delve" went from 0.31 to 7.9 per 1,000 papers in Q1 2024
- Biomedical study: co-usage of "delve," "realm," "underscore" increased up to 85× in 2023-2024

### Tier 2: Suspicious When Repeated

Problematic when overused or clustered.

| Pattern | Example | Fix |
|---------|---------|-----|
| Here's the thing | Used repeatedly | Keep first, vary subsequent |
| At the end of the day | "At the end of the day..." | Remove |
| The bottom line | "The bottom line is..." | Just state it |
| Let's dive in | "Without further ado, let's dive in" | Remove |
| Comprehensive and thorough | Paired adjectives | Pick one |
| Simple and straightforward | Paired adjectives | Pick one |
| In this post, we'll cover | Template opening | Remove |
| By the end of this article | Promise opener | Remove |

### Tier 3: Watch for Clusters

Fine individually, problematic together.

| Pattern | Example | Fix |
|---------|---------|-----|
| However/But | Every paragraph starts this way | Vary transitions |
| Firstly/Secondly/Thirdly | Enumerated points | Use natural flow |
| Moving forward | "Moving forward, we'll..." | Remove |
| Robust/Seamless/Scalable | Corporate buzzwords | Use specific terms |
| Stakeholder | "Key stakeholders..." | Name them or say "people" |

---

## Content Patterns

| # | Pattern | Before | After |
|---|---------|--------|-------|
| 1 | **Significance inflation** | "marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of..." | "was established in 1989 to collect statistics" |
| 2 | **Notability name-dropping** | "cited in NYT, BBC, FT, and The Hindu" | "In a 2024 NYT interview, she argued..." |
| 3 | **Superficial -ing analyses** | "symbolizing... reflecting... showcasing..." | Remove or expand with actual sources |
| 4 | **Promotional language** | "nestled within the breathtaking region" | "is a town in the Gonder region" |
| 5 | **Vague attributions** | "Experts believe it plays a crucial role" | "according to a 2019 survey by..." |
| 6 | **Formulaic challenges** | "Despite challenges... continues to thrive" | Specific facts about actual challenges |
| 7 | **Outline-like conclusions** | "Challenges" section ending with optimistic outlook | Remove or replace with actual analysis |

---

## Language Patterns

| # | Pattern | Before | After |
|---|---------|--------|-------|
| 7 | **Copula avoidance** | "serves as... features... boasts..." | "is... has..." |
| 8 | **Negative parallelisms** | "It's not just X, it's Y" | State the point directly |
| 9 | **Rule of three** | "innovation, inspiration, and insights" | Use natural number of items |
| 10 | **Synonym cycling** | "protagonist... main character... central figure..." | "protagonist" (repeat when clearest) |
| 11 | **False ranges** | "from the Big Bang to dark matter" | List topics directly |
| 12 | **Clinical formality** | "individuals" / "utilize" / "implement" | "people" / "use" / "do" |

---

## Style Patterns

| # | Pattern | Before | After |
|---|---------|--------|-------|
| 13 | **Em dash overuse** | "institutions—not the people—yet this continues—" | Use commas or periods |
| 14 | **Boldface overuse** | "**OKRs**, **KPIs**, **BMC**" | "OKRs, KPIs, BMC" |
| 15 | **Emoji headers** | "🎯 Goal / 💡 Key Insight / ✅ Action Item" | Remove emojis |
| 16 | **Title Case Headings** | "Strategic Negotiations And Partnerships" | "Strategic negotiations and partnerships" |
| 17 | **List addiction** | Everything becomes bullets | Convert to prose where appropriate |
| 18 | **Curly quotes** | "like this" instead of "like this" | Use straight quotes consistently |
| 19 | **Unnecessary tables** | 3-row table that should be a sentence | Convert to prose |

---

## Structural Patterns (Critical)

These bypass phrase-based detection but are major tells.

### Staccato Fragment Spam

Three or more consecutive short declarative sentences stating facts in parallel structure. AI's version of bullets pretending to be prose.

**Before:**
> The model is impressive. Complex code ships fast. Documentation writes itself. Problems get solved quickly.

**After:**
> The model is impressive — complex code ships in a single session, documentation practically writes itself, and problems that would have taken a weekend now take an afternoon.

**Detection rule:** 3+ consecutive sentences that are all under 10 words, all declarative, following parallel structure, and could be bullet points.

### Sentence Uniformity

Every sentence 10-15 words. Short. Punchy. Exhausting.

Real writing has rhythm — mix 5-word sentences for impact with 25-word sentences that explore implications.

### Comparator Sentences

**Before:**
> This isn't theoretical. It's practical.
> This isn't a feature. It's a philosophy.
> It's not about X. It's about Y.

**After:**
> Here's how it works in practice:
> [Just state what it is]

AI loves this rhetorical pattern. It sounds punchy but wastes words telling you what something isn't.

### Over-Balanced Sections

Every sec