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Personalities, memory, and tools

These are the three configuration levers that make one Clawne feel different from another. Use them deliberately, not all at once.

Personality​

Personality controls tone, posture, and how the Clawne makes decisions when it has options.

A few useful directions to start from:

  • Concise and direct — short answers, no padding, ask before assuming
  • Warm and collaborative — empathetic tone, builds on ideas, invites discussion
  • Analytical and cautious — breaks down complexity, hedges uncertain claims, asks clarifying questions
  • Creative but bounded — explores ideas freely but circles back to what you asked

Personality is not fixed. Adjust it after a week of real use once you know how the Clawne actually behaves.

:::tip Personality drift If a Clawne starts answering differently than you expect over time, the most common cause is an under-specified personality. Tighten the role prompt before adding more constraints. :::

Memory​

Memory gives a Clawne continuity across sessions. Use it when continuity actually matters.

Good uses for memory:

  • Recurring preferences ("always use bullet points for action items")
  • Ongoing project context ("this project targets X and the main constraint is Y")
  • Persistent identity rules ("my name is [name], I prefer [pronoun], I work in [field]")

Skip memory when:

  • the task is self-contained and does not need history
  • the Clawne is used for one-off lookups or quick answers
  • you are still figuring out what it should do

Memory is additive. Add entries as you discover them through real use — do not try to write a complete memory profile upfront.

Tools​

Tools give the Clawne ways to act beyond conversation. A Clawne with no tools is still useful.

Rules for adding tools:

  1. Add only when your workflow proves a specific need
  2. Add one at a time and observe how the Clawne uses it
  3. Remove tools that the Clawne uses incorrectly or too eagerly

A Clawne that overuses tools is harder to trust. A focused Clawne with one well-used tool outperforms a wide-access one that reaches for tools unpredictably.

Practical recovery rule​

If a Clawne starts to feel unfocused or unpredictable, simplify in this order:

  1. Remove tools one at a time
  2. Narrow the role description
  3. Tighten the personality direction
  4. Prune memory entries that no longer apply

Most Clawne problems come from being too broad, not from missing features.