the log
Writing
Short, honest field notes. How I built something, where I got stuck, what I'd do differently. No newsletter funnel — just the log.
2026
- skills-test: A/B testing whether a Claude Code skill actually helps I built skills-test to settle "did that Claude Code skill help?" with an effect size and a confidence interval instead of one good diff and a vibe.
- GitHub Healthcheck: catching the clones shipping malware under your name GitHub Healthcheck scans your GitHub account and repos for the malware-clone campaign, and alerts you the moment someone clones your work.
- New site, same idea: Copy Josh Why my personal site is a stripped-down, projects-first hub — and what "Copy Josh" actually means.
- Hermes: a 24/7 AI agent on your own VPS, no middleman How I put Hermes, a 24/7 AI agent, on my own hardened VPS, reachable over Telegram. No middleman, no markup, plus the footguns I hit.
- Vibebox: a hardened, agent-ready VPS in about ten minutes Vibebox turns three tokens into a hardened ~$5/mo VPS in ~10 minutes: closed firewall, Tailscale SSH, Claude Code on the box. Why I built it.
- Drive Smart Academy: AI driver's ed that won't bluff the law Drive Smart Academy is AI driver's ed for Ohio teens, grounded in the actual Motor Vehicle Laws, with a parent dashboard. Here's why I built it.
- StreamLevels: matching mic levels before you go live StreamLevels lets co-streamers compare mic levels in a shared lobby before going live. Only the numbers travel, no audio. Here's why I built it.
- Building MidRally: one place, one day, no addresses shared MidRally turns your scattered online crew into one real meetup: one place, one day, no addresses shared. Why I built it and the wall I hit.