4 ms·

I'm still shocked that there isn't basic functionality in chatgpt that allows you to fork conversations to have subtopical conversational threads off of a main

I'm still shocked that there isn't basic functionality in chatgpt that allows you to fork conversations to have subtopical conversational threads off of a main one. For example, I'm asking deep philosophical questions, or maybe reaching for a STEM concept slightly beyond my understanding, and that inevitably requires me to ask subquestions (eg "okay wait, what are Conformal Fields?"). Doing so still forces me to do a linear conversational format, and it just isn't functional. Blows my mind that with all the great big AI minds at OpenAI they still can't do basic functionality. -- edit -- Like seriously, for some of us old heads, imagine having this in undergrad: a professor in your pocket that can handle your arbitrarily stupid recitation questions, one on one, with infinite patience. I think I could have aced electrodynamics and Calc III instead of just pulling Bs.

rlander 1y ago
Maybe you haven’t seen this yet, but there is a (recent) option to fork a conversation when you click on the thee dots of a reply.
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
- davorak 1y ago
  I think I have always been able to have branching conversations via editing a comment. The interface remembers both the old and new conversation thread and you can switch between them. It seems like the new "Branch in new chat" feature mostly creates a new chat at the top level rather then the existing functionality of editing a comment and branching in the same chat.
ahdada8 1y ago
There is! If you click on the three dots menu of a response, there is a “Branch in new chat” option. I just discovered it today and feel like it’s new.
- yosito 1y ago
  My ChatGPT doesn't have a three dots menu on iOS or macOS.
- cleak 1y ago
  It isn’t present on mobile (at least on iOS) unfortunately. I use it all the time on the web though, and it’s very useful.
  - cleak 1y ago
    And now it's gone on web this morning. I'm not sure if something in the conversation blocks it or if it's part of some A/B test.
- gnarlouse 1y ago
  Oof. I won't be using this. The implementation is terrible: just forks a new tab in my browser (at least on Firefox). I want a horizontally scrolling view, clickable highlights that specify my subconversational contextual focus.
axiom92 1y ago
You can do this at grok.com. There is a "start thread" option below every conversation. You can also read the responses aloud (helpful if you want to do something async).
- gnarlouse 1y ago
  Oh cool! Finally!!! Unfortunately, it looks to only support single subthreads. But my questions have questions sometimes. I want to subthread conversations to arbitrary depth. If they can subconvo once, they can do it arbitrarily. Thanks for pointing this out.
antegamisou 1y ago
Doing so still forces me to do a linear conversational format, and it just isn't functional. So A"I" isn't I... huh, who would've thought.
deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
rolls-reus 1y ago
I came across this that seems to do exactly that https://addons.mozilla.org/en-CA/firefox/addon/chatgpt-side-threads/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-CA/firefox/addon/chatgpt-side-... It’s closed source though, I haven’t tried it.
- gnarlouse 1y ago
  Thanks for sharing. I unzipped the .xpi file and threw it through a couple of static malware analyzers. Not seeing anything. Doesn't mean it's safe, but means I might be dumb enough to try it. Looks pretty cool.

rlander 1y ago

Maybe you haven’t seen this yet, but there is a (recent) option to fork a conversation when you click on the thee dots of a reply.

deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
davorak 1y ago
I think I have always been able to have branching conversations via editing a comment. The interface remembers both the old and new conversation thread and you can switch between them. It seems like the new "Branch in new chat" feature mostly creates a new chat at the top level rather then the existing functionality of editing a comment and branching in the same chat.

ahdada8 1y ago

There is! If you click on the three dots menu of a response, there is a “Branch in new chat” option. I just discovered it today and feel like it’s new.

yosito 1y ago
My ChatGPT doesn't have a three dots menu on iOS or macOS.
cleak 1y ago
It isn’t present on mobile (at least on iOS) unfortunately. I use it all the time on the web though, and it’s very useful.
- cleak 1y ago
  And now it's gone on web this morning. I'm not sure if something in the conversation blocks it or if it's part of some A/B test.
gnarlouse 1y ago
Oof. I won't be using this. The implementation is terrible: just forks a new tab in my browser (at least on Firefox). I want a horizontally scrolling view, clickable highlights that specify my subconversational contextual focus.

axiom92 1y ago

You can do this at grok.com. There is a "start thread" option below every conversation. You can also read the responses aloud (helpful if you want to do something async).

gnarlouse 1y ago
Oh cool! Finally!!! Unfortunately, it looks to only support single subthreads. But my questions have questions sometimes. I want to subthread conversations to arbitrary depth. If they can subconvo once, they can do it arbitrarily. Thanks for pointing this out.

antegamisou 1y ago

Doing so still forces me to do a linear conversational format, and it just isn't functional. So A"I" isn't I... huh, who would've thought.

deleted 1y ago

[deleted]

rolls-reus 1y ago

I came across this that seems to do exactly that https://addons.mozilla.org/en-CA/firefox/addon/chatgpt-side-threads/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-CA/firefox/addon/chatgpt-side-... It’s closed source though, I haven’t tried it.

gnarlouse 1y ago
Thanks for sharing. I unzipped the .xpi file and threw it through a couple of static malware analyzers. Not seeing anything. Doesn't mean it's safe, but means I might be dumb enough to try it. Looks pretty cool.