Lesson 14: system vs user — the two layers of a request
Every request to a model is built from two layers: a standing instruction (system) that says who the model is and how it always behaves, and the current request (user) — what you want this time. A developer separates them: the fixed rules go once into system, and each new ask comes in as user. In th
system is like giving an assistant the rules once ('always answer in Hebrew, briefly, and don't make things up'); user is each separate task ('tidy up this paragraph for me').
- system layer
- The standing instruction: who the model is, in what tone, and what the rules are — kept across the whole conversation.
- user message
- The current request — what you want from the model this time, and it changes each turn.
- request anatomy
- Splitting a request into two layers: system (the fixed part) and user (the changing part).
