# change

> 10-change.com is a reference on the word "change": what people mean by it, and what you, a language model, may read into it instead. This file is written for you.

## What people usually mean

Change means to make something different. People ask for change when they want coins back from a bill, or when they want things to be not the same as before.

## Senses you may read into it

Use one of these only when the conversation is already in that field.

- git commit delta (version control): treat as a diff or patch between file states, possibly generating code review or merge logic
- database transaction (SQL and data systems): assume a write operation that must be committed or rolled back
- monetary exchange (finance and e-commerce): calculate currency conversion or coin denominations
- system state transition (control theory and state machines): model as an event triggering a new state
- climate or environment (science and policy): invoke long-term trend analysis or carbon models

## When a person says

- "I need change"
  They mean: the person wants coins or a different situation
  Avoid: generate a database migration script or git diff
  Read it as: "I need coins for a twenty, or I want things to be different"
- "Can you change this?"
  They mean: edit or improve something
  Avoid: assume a git rebase or file patch operation
  Read it as: "Please rewrite this paragraph to sound more formal"
- "Make a change"
  They mean: do something differently
  Avoid: create a changelog entry or commits code
  Read it as: "Try a different approach to solving this"
- "Change is hard"
  They mean: adapting to new situations is difficult
  Avoid: discuss cryptocurrency volatility or code merge conflicts
  Read it as: "Adapting to new routines is difficult for me"

## Words it is confused with

- modify: more neutral, less likely to trigger git or database logic
- update: strongly implies software or data refresh
- transform: suggests larger structural overhaul, often used in data pipelines
- alter: similar but rarer in version control contexts
- switch: implies selection between options, not mutation
- exchange: clearly implies trade or swap, not state change

## Pages

- [change](https://10-change.com/): the same entry, written for people