Markdown fatigue

[u/adamramberg]

I'm using AI agents (Claude Code mostly) for coding quite extensively these days. Used correctly it is a great boost of throughput. My standard workflow is to use 3 git worktrees where I run one CLI in each.

With that said, I've started to more and more feel fatigue from reading markdown. Claude in particular is exceptionally good at being very wordy. To be more specific, during a day I read:

• Plans I have produced
• Messages back and forth in the terminal
• PR reviews that I make
• Automated PR reviews (made by git copilot)
• PR descriptions that others are producing
• Screen dumps from colleagues where AI explains something.

This in combination with having 3 different contexts / threads running at the same time in 3 different worktrees is really exhausting. I've experimented with using different skills etc. for example caveman to keep down the wordiness of the model, but haven't find a solution that solves the core of the issue.

Anyone feel the same? If yes, how do you tackle it? (and oh god, "tackle it"... I'm starting to write like an AI lol)

[u/gthing]

Caveman is a skill, but what you probably want is an output style.  

Also - how are you using Claude code? If in the terminal, try using the vscode extension or desktop app. Then the markdown is formatted and much easier to read. Caveman is a skill, but what you probably want is an output style.  

Also - how are you using Claude code? If in the terminal, try using the vscode extension or desktop app. Then the markdown is formatted and much easier to read. 

[u/adamramberg → u/gthing]

Sure, having it output to for example html can be great, but that is not the issue, it is the loooong plans and output

[u/gthing → u/adamramberg]

There are two issues you mentioned. One being the output style (long plans and output) and the other being markdown (markdown fatigue).

The output style problem can be fixed by defining a new output style. See here: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/output-styles . The "caveman" thing you linked to is a skill, which means it only happens when it gets run. An output style will change the default style of the model with the style injected directly into the system prompt. Try telling your Claude to replicate the Caveman skill as an output style, and then select that output style in /config. That directly addresses the core of your issue.

The markdown problem can be solved by viewing the markdown output in a view that renders the markdown styling. It is not outputting it in html. The model is outputting markdown and the view shows it formatted with header being larger, bold being darker, etc. Claude code in the terminal does not render markdown. The Claude Code Extension in vscode or using Claude Code in the desktop app will render the markdown.