# Josh Tomaino (copyjosh)

> Josh Tomaino is a software engineer and engineering manager in Cincinnati who builds side projects in the open. Live tools, honest write-ups, and an open invitation to copy what works.

Currently: Building AI coaching at Cloverleaf + shipping side projects from Cincinnati.

This is the machine-readable index for copyjosh.com. The full prose lives on the linked pages.

## Projects
Side projects shipped in the open. Most are live and free to try.
- [MidRally](https://midrally.com) (live): Find your community a place to meet — without anyone sharing their address.
- [VibeBox](https://beardwho.codes) (live): Hand it three tokens, confirm three gates, and an agent stands up a hardened ~$5/mo VPS in about ten minutes.
- [HermesBox](https://hermes.beardwho.codes) (live): A 24/7 AI agent that lives on your own VPS. No middleman, no markup.
- [StreamLevels](https://streamlevels.app) (live): Co-streamers compare mic levels in a shared lobby before going live. Just the numbers. No audio leaves your machine.
- [Drive Smart Academy](https://drivesmart.academy) (live): AI driver's ed with state-aligned lessons and a parent dashboard. Early access in Ohio.
- [GitHub Healthcheck](https://github-healthcheck.beardwho.codes) (live): Sign in with GitHub for a security report on your account and repos — and an alert the moment someone clones your work to push malware under your name.

## Writing
- [Blog](https://copyjosh.com/blog/): Honest build-in-public write-ups.
- [RSS feed](https://copyjosh.com/rss.xml)
- [skills-test: A/B testing whether a Claude Code skill actually helps](https://copyjosh.com/blog/skills-test-ab-test-your-claude-code-skills/): 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](https://copyjosh.com/blog/github-healthcheck-detect-malware-clones/): 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](https://copyjosh.com/blog/copy-josh/): Why my personal site is a stripped-down, projects-first hub — and what "Copy Josh" actually means.
- [HermesBox: a 24/7 AI agent on your own VPS, no middleman](https://copyjosh.com/blog/hermes-your-own-24-7-ai-agent-on-a-vps/): How HermesBox puts Hermes, a 24/7 AI agent, on your 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](https://copyjosh.com/blog/vibebox-hardened-agent-ready-vps-in-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](https://copyjosh.com/blog/drive-smart-academy-ai-drivers-ed/): 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](https://copyjosh.com/blog/streamlevels-match-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](https://copyjosh.com/blog/midrally-meet-your-online-community-irl/): 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.

## Elsewhere
- [X (@beardwhocodes)](https://x.com/beardwhocodes)
- [X (@copyjosh)](https://x.com/copyjosh)
- [GitHub](https://github.com/copyjosh)
- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jotomaino/)

## About
- Based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
- B.S. Computer Science · Miami University.
- 2021 — now — Engineering Manager, Cloverleaf (https://cloverleaf.me).
- 2015 — 2022 — Software Engineering Consultant, Global Teletherapy.
- 2019 — 2021 — Senior Software Engineer, Kroger Technology.
- 2018 — 2019 — Software Engineering Consultant, Eliassen Group.
- 2016 — 2018 — Web Application Developer, Standard Textile.
- 2015 — 2016 — Full Stack Engineer, The Chesed Fund.
- 2014 — 2015 — Meor jInternship, Jerusalem, Israel.
- 2012 — 2013 — CRM Systems Analyst, Jenzabar.

## Copy what works
The name is an invitation: take the parts that help. The public profile repo is clonable.
- `git clone https://github.com/copyjosh/copyjosh.git`
- [GitHub profile](https://github.com/copyjosh)

## Optional
- [llms-full.txt](https://copyjosh.com/llms-full.txt): the full corpus — this index plus every post in full and the longer bio.