Hints/Tips — imported from WordPress.https://alan.is/topics/hints-tips/https://alan.is/insights/how-to-safely-run-ai-agents-locally/https://alan.is/insights/how-to-safely-run-ai-agents-locally/Experiment with AI agents on your desktop in a sandboxed setup that keeps risk under control.Tue, 01 Sep 2026 01:26:24 GMTaivirtual-machinevmwarehttps://alan.is/insights/openclaw-up-and-running/https://alan.is/insights/openclaw-up-and-running/Walk through OpenClaw setup for a private virtual assistant that runs tasks in a controlled environment.Wed, 15 Jul 2026 16:40:33 GMTaillmlm-studioopenclawhttps://alan.is/insights/the-cloudflare-alternative/https://alan.is/insights/the-cloudflare-alternative/AWS is safe but heavy. Cloudflare trades deep layers for edge speed and simpler delivery.Fri, 03 Jul 2026 13:47:00 GMTawscdncloud-architecturecloudflarehttps://alan.is/insights/a-guide-to-llm-filenames/https://alan.is/insights/a-guide-to-llm-filenames/Decode local LLM filenames—Q4, MoE, MTP, and more—so you can pick the right model for your hardware.Wed, 01 Jul 2026 01:47:09 GMTaillmlocal-llmhttps://alan.is/insights/how-to-run-ai-locally/https://alan.is/insights/how-to-run-ai-locally/Run AI models on your own machine: which models fit your hardware and how surprisingly quick setup can be.Tue, 16 Jun 2026 23:34:14 GMTaillama-cpplm-studiolocal-modelmodelhttps://alan.is/insights/simulating-corporate-chaos-your-own-truman-show/https://alan.is/insights/simulating-corporate-chaos-your-own-truman-show/Build a Truman Show of AI personality types in a virtual Slack and watch them interact and learn.Fri, 29 May 2026 11:21:32 GMTaiartificial-intelligencemodelspromptsimulationhttps://alan.is/insights/behind-the-prompt-curtain/https://alan.is/insights/behind-the-prompt-curtain/Every prompt is a stateless HTTP request: JSON messages you build. Once you see the wire, AI feels less magic.Thu, 28 May 2026 19:19:45 GMTaiartificial-intelligencellmprompthttps://alan.is/insights/its-just-a-series-of-prompts/https://alan.is/insights/its-just-a-series-of-prompts/Agent frameworks are not magic: instructions, a script, and state storage. You are closer than you think.Wed, 13 May 2026 14:54:23 GMTagentaiartificial-intelligencechatgptclaudellmtechnologyhttps://alan.is/insights/unlocking-cursor-features-and-workflow-tips/https://alan.is/insights/unlocking-cursor-features-and-workflow-tips/Tour Cursor's major features—rules, agent modes, and tips to get more from vibe engineering.Sat, 07 Mar 2026 20:12:17 GMTaiartificial-intelligencecursorrulesvibe-codinghttps://alan.is/insights/well-pick-it-back-up/https://alan.is/insights/well-pick-it-back-up/Alert fatigue is real: monitoring needs a fall-detection necklace, not endless false positives.Wed, 11 Feb 2026 13:30:00 GMTinfrastructuresoftware-managementhttps://alan.is/insights/the-silent-decay-to-legacy/https://alan.is/insights/the-silent-decay-to-legacy/Software outlives its context. Spend ~30% on maintenance or your stack becomes a museum.Mon, 19 Jan 2026 14:55:00 GMTlegacysoftware-modernizationtechnical-debthttps://alan.is/insights/think-like-a-cto-japanese-edition/https://alan.is/insights/think-like-a-cto-japanese-edition/Think Like a CTO has been translated and published into another language, Japanese.Fri, 09 Jan 2026 03:48:27 GMTbookchief-technology-officerctohttps://alan.is/insights/double-nat-40-terabytes-and-a-christmas-miracle/https://alan.is/insights/double-nat-40-terabytes-and-a-christmas-miracle/Christmas project: replace port-forwarding with a Tailscale mesh, peer Synology sync, and fix MTU black holes.Fri, 26 Dec 2025 15:43:48 GMTnassynologytailscalehttps://alan.is/insights/morphing-into-james-mcavoy/https://alan.is/insights/morphing-into-james-mcavoy/Turn a selfie into a Pose-inspired portrait with Gemini, then animate it—a playful AI image pipeline.Mon, 08 Dec 2025 01:53:53 GMTaigeminimoviesnana-bannanahttps://alan.is/insights/change-management/https://alan.is/insights/change-management/CTOs must plan change, train stakeholders, and communicate constantly when users resist new systems.Sun, 07 Dec 2025 23:03:27 GMTbusinesschange-managementtechnologyhttps://alan.is/insights/only-takes-a-minute/https://alan.is/insights/only-takes-a-minute/Fifteen minutes a day beats cramming: steady learning without pressure beats drowning in tech churn.Sun, 07 Dec 2025 22:59:07 GMThealthlifemental-healthpersonal-developmentwritinghttps://alan.is/insights/quality/https://alan.is/insights/quality/Quality spans performance, reliability, and feel—in software it shapes safety and user trust.Sun, 07 Dec 2025 22:53:09 GMThttps://alan.is/insights/consistency/https://alan.is/insights/consistency/Like bourbon distilling, software needs consistent quality control at every stage—not luck at the end.Sun, 07 Dec 2025 22:51:10 GMTscotchsoftware-engineeringwhiskyhttps://alan.is/insights/art-of-keep-it-simple-stupid-kiss/https://alan.is/insights/art-of-keep-it-simple-stupid-kiss/We, humans that is, love to complicate things and it seems to come naturally without too much effort.Sun, 07 Dec 2025 22:40:11 GMTsoftwarehttps://alan.is/insights/simplicity-and-power-of-uuid-v7/https://alan.is/insights/simplicity-and-power-of-uuid-v7/UUIDv7 embeds timestamps for better DB sorting—worth knowing for auditing and logging tables.Mon, 09 Jun 2025 10:59:58 GMTdatabasepostgrestechnologyuuidv7https://alan.is/insights/streamline-your-workflow-with-chatgpt-and-obsidian/https://alan.is/insights/streamline-your-workflow-with-chatgpt-and-obsidian/Copy ChatGPT threads into Obsidian to organize research, answers, and ideas in Markdown.Sun, 15 Dec 2024 20:31:18 GMTaiartificial-intelligencechatgptopenaitechnologyhttps://alan.is/insights/get-movie-stills-to-your-samsung-frame/https://alan.is/insights/get-movie-stills-to-your-samsung-frame/Skip Samsung's Art store: use your Frame for open-source movie stills from favorites on your shelf.Fri, 17 May 2024 12:47:54 GMTmoviesamsung-framehttps://alan.is/insights/6-chatgpt-tips/https://alan.is/insights/6-chatgpt-tips/New to ChatGPT? Six quick tips to get started and discover what this AI tool can do.Mon, 22 Apr 2024 14:25:00 GMTaichatgpt