Editing Beginner’s Guide to JanitorAi (section)

=== Key Concepts and Terms ===

==== Large Language Model (LLM) ====
A '''Large Language Model''' is an artificial intelligence system trained on vast amounts of text data to understand and generate human-like language. Popular LLMs used on JanitorAI include:

* '''OpenAI's GPT-4 and GPT-3.5'''
* '''Anthropic’s Claude'''
* '''Google Gemini'''
* '''DeepSeek and Mixtral''' (open-source alternatives)

LLMs are not hosted by JanitorAI. Instead, the platform allows users to connect to these models via third-party APIs or proxies.

==== Tokens ====
A '''token''' is a unit of text processed by an LLM. Tokens typically represent short word fragments, whole words, or punctuation. For example:

* "Chatbot" = 1 token
* "I love AI!" = 4 tokens

LLMs have a '''context window''' that limits how many tokens they can process at once. For instance:

* GPT-3.5 has a context window of ~4,096 tokens
* GPT-4-Turbo can handle up to ~128,000 tokens

If a conversation exceeds the token limit, older messages may be truncated, which can lead to the bot "forgetting" earlier context.

==== Context ====
'''Context''' refers to the visible and hidden chat history the model uses to generate replies. Maintaining relevant context is essential for coherent, ongoing conversations. Some bots and models support "long-term memory," but most rely on short-term context stored during a session.

==== Prompting ====
'''Prompting''' is the method of instructing an LLM by crafting the initial input text. On JanitorAI, prompts can define a bot’s:

* Personality and backstory
* Response style
* Dialogue restrictions or behaviors

Effective prompts use a combination of descriptive language and formatting. Some creators use formatting tokens like `{{char}}` and `{{user}}` to reference the bot and user, respectively.

==== API Key ====
An '''API key''' is a string of characters used to authenticate and connect to external AI services. JanitorAI does not provide its own LLMs; instead, users must supply their own API keys from services such as:

* [https://platform.openai.com OpenAI]
* [https://console.anthropic.com Anthropic Claude]
* [https://openrouter.ai OpenRouter]
* [https://deepseek.com DeepSeek]

Using unofficial or proxy-based APIs may allow access to free models, though reliability and legality can vary.

==== Proxy ====
A '''proxy''' is a service that forwards requests between JanitorAI and an LLM API. Some proxies allow users to avoid rate limits, reduce costs, or use models unavailable via official APIs.

Proxies are community-run and should be used with caution, especially when transmitting sensitive information.