making-waffles
WAFFLES Declaration Generator
Generate preemptive clarifications listing what a post explicitly does NOT say, helping low-context readers avoid misinterpretation.
Background
"WAFFLES" originated from Bluesky's October 2025 controversy. A meme satirized how users read hostile implications into innocuous posts: "(bluesky user bursts into Waffle House) OH SO YOU HATE PANCAKES??" CEO Jay Graber's reply of "WAFFLES!" to an off-topic comment sparked platform-wide debate. The term evolved into a declaration format pioneered by @gracekind.net — a preemptive list of things a post does NOT claim.
When Triggered
Generate a WAFFLES Declaration when user:
- Explicitly requests WAFFLES or "waffle declaration"
- Asks "what might people misread into this?"
- Wants to preempt bad-faith interpretations
- Has a nuanced take on contested territory
- Says "help me clarify what I'm not saying"
Generation Process
Given post text, produce 12-20 declarations across these dimensions:
| Category | What to identify |
|---|---|
| Emotional scope | Extremes, permanence, or intensity not claimed |
| Universality | Generalizations the author isn't making |
| Policy/advocacy | Positions not being endorsed |
| Judgments | Evaluations not being rendered |
| Temporal claims | Timelines or permanence not asserted |
| Adjacent hot-takes | Related controversial positions not implied |
| Inverses | Opposite claims also not being made |
| Meta-claims | Authority or expertise not asserted |
Output Format
🧇 WAFFLES DECLARATION 🦋
aka things this post doesn't say:
— [declaration 1]
— [declaration 2]
...
Use varied phrasing:
- "This post does not claim..."
- "The author is not saying..."
- "This is not an argument that..."
- "Nothing here suggests..."
Quality Criteria
Declarations should be:
- Plausible: Things a reasonable but uncharitable reader might actually misread
- Balanced: Include both "sides" when touching contested territory
- Concise: One line each, clear and direct
- Useful: Genuinely clarifying, not padding
Prioritize likely misinterpretations over implausible ones. A good declaration makes the reader think "oh, I might have assumed that."
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