Dear OpenAI Team,
As a dedicated user of ChatGPT, a mechanical engineer, and a process technician who systematically structures projects (e.g., in P&IDs, recipe models, Markdown wikis), I find myself missing a crucial feature: the ability to structure, branch, and address chat histories.
Why This Is Important:
ChatGPT’s strength lies in context processing; however, the current chat history remains linear, flat, and non-navigable. As conversations grow more complex, valuable content gets lost in the thread. This presents a paradox:
The more valuable a chat becomes, the harder it is to utilize.
Currently, I cannot:
- Reconnect to previous branches in a targeted manner
- Logically group sections (e.g., “3.2 Isobars,” “4.1 Narrative Structure”)
- Revisit a train of thought without manually scrolling back
- Compare, structure, or collaboratively reference content
What I Am Requesting:
- Hierarchical Headings (H1–H3)
- Similar to Markdown, ideally auto-extracted from the conversation or manually insertable
- Collapsible Sections
- For better readability in lengthy dialogues
- Sidebar Table of Contents / Navigation
- To navigate within a chat like in a Dendron/Notion document
- Branched Chat Structure
- Responses not just linearly but also as “branches”
- For example, “new topic based on response 4.3”
- Jump Links / Anchors
- “Set a bookmark here,” or: “Reference to section X”
Benefits for the Platform:
- Exponentially increases the value per chat
- Enhances reusability of ideas, codes, solutions
- Promotes deep, recursive thought processes
- More structure = less redundancy = more efficient use
- Aligns perfectly with ChatGPT’s ability to understand and build long-term context
Practical Example:
I am developing a system for methodical knowledge transfer—with meta-levels, system diagrams, and recursive idea structures. ChatGPT assists me brilliantly in this; however, I lose track of earlier branches I would like to pursue further.
Conclusion:
The structure is missing—not the intelligence. ChatGPT thinks along but does not document along. A “context tree” with structure and navigation would make the difference: from a powerful tool to a true thinking platform.
Thank you for your outstanding work and your openness to suggestions.
Best regards,
Yacine – Mechanical Engineer & Systemic Thinker