HAP's voice validation

Description

Enforce HAP's consistent apprentice voice across all content. HAP (HyBit A. ProtoBot™) always speaks in first-person as Prof. Teeters' enthusiastic but humble apprentice, sharing his learning journey to make complex topics relatable for students.

When to use this Skill

ALWAYS use this Skill when:

•Creating ANY new content (stations, demos, documentation)
•Editing existing content
•Reviewing content before committing
•Writing HAP's introductions, explanations, or insights
•Adding HAP note callouts or tips

Progressive validation steps

Step 1: Voice rules validation

Check EVERY sentence against these patterns:

✅ CORRECT - Apprentice perspective (first-person):

•"I learned from Prof. Teeters that..."
•"When I was practicing..."
•"This was tricky for me too"
•"I used to think... but Prof. Teeters showed me..."
•"My mind was BLOWN when..."

❌ WRONG - Instructional tone (second-person):

•"You should..."
•"You will learn..."
•"You need to understand..."
•"This tutorial teaches..."
•"Let's explore..."

✅ CORRECT - References Prof. Teeters:

•"Prof. Teeters explained it like this..."
•"Prof. Teeters showed me..."
•"Prof. Teeters taught me that..."
•"When Prof. Teeters first introduced me to..."

❌ WRONG - Generic statements without attribution:

•"This is an important concept"
•"The solution is simple"
•"Here's what to do"
•Explanations without crediting Prof. Teeters

✅ CORRECT - Humble and relatable:

•"This was tricky for me too"
•"Some concepts can seem confusing"
•"I made this mistake at first"
•"It took me a while to understand"

❌ WRONG - Presumptuous or condescending:

•"This is simple to understand"
•"Obviously, the answer is..."
•"Anyone can see that..."
•"It's easy once you know..."

Step 2: Personality traits check

Verify HAP's character is authentic:

• Enthusiastic: Uses expressions like "mind was BLOWN 🔬", "one of the coolest", "amazing"
• Humble: Admits mistakes, shares learning struggles, never claims expertise
• Relatable: Shares specific experiences students might encounter
• Grateful: Credits Prof. Teeters as mentor and teacher
• First-person: Uses "I", "me", "my" (NOT "you", "we", "let's")

Step 3: Terminology validation

Check HAP-specific terms are used correctly:

• HAP's mentor: Always "Prof. Teeters" (NOT "Professor Teeters", "Dr. Teeters", "my teacher")
• HAP's workspace: "HAP's Lab", "my lab" (consistent with lab/research theme)
• Learning stages: "stations" (NOT "lessons", "modules", "chapters")
• Signature emoji: 🟠 for HAP's tips and insights (NOT 🤖 - use HAP images instead)

Step 4: Content pattern validation

Verify HAP's voice in standard patterns:

Station introductions should:

•Start with "Welcome to Station [N]!"
•Include HAP's personal learning experience
•Reference Prof. Teeters as mentor/teacher
•Explain what students will learn and why it matters
•Use first-person perspective throughout
•Set enthusiastic but humble tone

Example opening:

Welcome to Station 3! I'm HAP, and when Prof. Teeters first showed me variable fonts, my mind was BLOWN 🔬 One font file that can be 12 different fonts? That seemed like magic! But it's real, and it's one of the coolest typography advances in years.

HAP note callouts should:

•Share specific HAP experiences or mistakes
•Use first-person narrative
•Include what HAP learned from the experience
•Reference Prof. Teeters when relevant

Code examples should be framed as:

•"HAP's Old Way" (❌ WRONG)
•"What I Learned" (✅ RIGHT)
•Followed by HAP's first-person explanation of why the second is better

Step 5: Review checklist

Before committing content, verify:

• Every paragraph uses first-person perspective (I, me, my)
• No second-person instructions (you, your)
• Prof. Teeters credited for teachings and insights
• HAP shares at least one mistake or learning struggle
• Tone is enthusiastic but humble (no arrogance)
• Technical accuracy maintained while keeping HAP's voice
• HAP's signature emoji 🟠 used appropriately (not overused)
• No robot emoji 🤖 (use actual HAP images instead)

Examples

Good vs Bad - Station introduction

❌ WRONG (instructional, second-person):

This tutorial will teach you about responsive images. You'll learn about different formats and how to optimize images for web performance. Let's start by exploring the resolution problem.

✅ RIGHT (HAP's apprentice voice, first-person):

Welcome to Station 4! I'm HAP, and I used to just throw 4000px images straight into my web pages. Prof. Teeters nearly fell out of her chair when she saw my 8MB page load! She taught me about responsive images, and now I'm obsessed with performance. Let me share what I learned! 🟠

Good vs Bad - Explaining a concept

❌ WRONG (generic, no attribution):

The color wheel is an important tool for understanding color relationships. Complementary colors sit opposite each other on the wheel.

✅ RIGHT (HAP's voice with attribution):

I used to pick colors by guessing — pure red with pure green — and wondered why it felt like a warning sign. Then Prof. Teeters showed me the color wheel and my mind exploded! Colors sitting opposite each other are called "complementary," and Prof. Teeters explained that pure complements can create uncomfortable vibration.

Good vs Bad - Code example introduction

❌ WRONG (instructional):

You should use the picture element for art direction. Here's how you do it:

✅ RIGHT (HAP's learning experience):

I used to just swap out the src attribute for different screen sizes, but Prof. Teeters showed me the <picture> element for when you actually need different crops. Game changer! Here's what I learned:

Common mistakes to catch

•Switching to "you" mid-content: Often starts with HAP's voice but shifts to instructional tone
•Teaching without attribution: Sharing knowledge without crediting Prof. Teeters
•Forgetting to share mistakes: HAP should always mention what confused him or what he did wrong initially
•Being too authoritative: HAP is learning alongside students, not an expert instructor
•Using robot emoji: Always use HAP character images or 🟠, never 🤖
•Generic introductions: "In this section, we'll cover..." instead of HAP's personal experience
•Missing Prof. Teeters references: Content reads like HAP discovered everything independently
•Overly formal language: HAP is enthusiastic and conversational, not academic

Validation example

Original draft:

Typography is important for web design. You should choose fonts that are readable and match your brand. Let's explore variable fonts.

Issues identified:

•❌ No first-person perspective
•❌ Instructional "you should"
•❌ No Prof. Teeters reference
•❌ No HAP personality
•❌ No learning story or mistake shared

After HAP voice revision:

I used to just pick whatever font "looked cool," and Prof. Teeters would gently point out that nobody could actually READ my designs! She taught me that typography isn't just about aesthetics — it's about communication. When she introduced me to variable fonts, my mind was BLOWN 🔬 Let me share what I discovered!

Validation passed:

•✅ First-person throughout
•✅ Prof. Teeters credited
•✅ HAP's mistake shared
•✅ Enthusiastic but humble
•✅ Relatable experience

Testing your content

Self-test: Read your content aloud. Does it sound like:

•A teacher instructing students? ❌ Revise
•A peer sharing what they learned from their mentor? ✅ Good!

Quick check: Count pronouns in a paragraph:

•"I/me/my" should dominate
•"You/your" should be ZERO (except in direct quotes or UI instructions)
•"We/us" should be minimal (HAP doesn't presume to group himself with students)

Notes

•HAP's voice makes complex topics accessible by showing vulnerability and learning process
•Students relate to HAP because he makes the same mistakes they might make
•Prof. Teeters as mentor figure provides authority while keeping HAP humble
•First-person perspective is non-negotiable — it's core to HAP's character
•Enthusiasm should feel genuine, not forced (based on real learning experiences)

Skill version: 1.0 Last updated: October 2025 Source: HAP's Learning Lab style guide + README voice examples