b2b2e80f0a
- Add blog posts in Markdown (_posts/) - Build script converts MD to HTML at container build time - First posts: building with AI lessons, quick start guide - AGENTS.md documents blog writing style (unixsheikh-inspired)
3.4 KiB
3.4 KiB
DearDiary Website & Blog - Agent Instructions
Overview
The DearDiary website is a static HTML site generated from Markdown blog posts. No frameworks, no build complexity.
Structure
www/
├── _posts/ # Blog posts in Markdown (source)
│ └── YYYY-MM-DD-slug.md
├── blog/ # Generated HTML (don't edit manually)
│ ├── index.html
│ └── YYYY-MM-DD-slug/
│ └── index.html
├── css/
│ └── styles.css
├── docs/ # Documentation (also static HTML)
├── js/
│ └── main.js
├── index.html # Main website (uses envsubst for templating)
├── build-blog.js # Blog generator script
└── package.json # npm deps (gray-matter for parsing)
Building
cd www
npm install
node build-blog.js
This converts _posts/*.md → blog/*.html.
Blog Post Format
Frontmatter:
---
title: Your Post Title
date: 2026-03-27
author: Konrad Lother
excerpt: One sentence summary for the blog index
---
Tone & Style Guide
Read unixsheikh.com for inspiration. Key characteristics:
Voice
- Direct and authoritative - Say what you mean, don't hedge unnecessarily
- Personal opinion is welcome - Write from a first-person perspective
- Technical but accessible - Explain complex topics simply
- Not afraid to be contrarian - Challenge conventional wisdom when you disagree with it
Structure
- Strong opening - Hook the reader immediately
- Clear sections - Use headers to organize thoughts
- Concrete examples - Illustrate abstract concepts
- Practical takeaways - End with actionable advice
What to Avoid
- Corporate/tech-blog speak ("leverage", "synergy", "cutting-edge")
- Unnecessary hedging ("might", "could potentially", "in some cases")
- Padding or fluff - every sentence should add value
- Being mean-spirited - critique ideas, not people
Example Openers
Bad:
"In today's fast-paced digital world, journaling has evolved..."
Good:
"Traditional journaling apps ask you to write long entries at the end of the day. But let's be honest - who has time for that?"
Length
- 500-1500 words is ideal
- If you're writing more, consider splitting into multiple posts
- Short posts can be 200-300 words if the idea is complete
Topics to Cover
DearDiary-Specific
- How to use features effectively
- Tips and tricks for better journaling
- Behind-the-scenes development stories
- Why AI-assisted journaling makes sense
- Privacy and self-hosting benefits
General Tech Thoughts
- Software craftsmanship
- Human-AI collaboration
- Simplicity in development
- Critical thinking about tech trends
- The value of boring technology
Personal/Philosophy
- Productivity and reflection
- Memory and identity
- The importance of记录 (record-keeping)
- Learning from daily life
Post Ideas
- Why capture events, not essays (the thesis behind DearDiary)
- My journaling experiment - 30 days of DearDiary
- What I learned building an app with AI
- The case for boring technology in side projects
- How to remember your life better
- Self-hosting isn't hard, it's just unfamiliar
Technical Notes
- The
build-blog.jsuses a simple regex-based Markdown converter - For full Markdown support (tables, footnotes), consider using a proper parser
- Images should be hosted externally or added to the repo
- Code blocks work but syntax highlighting is limited