DEV Community: writing

How to Start a Tech Blog and Make $500/Month

qing — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 18:07:42 +0000

How to Start a Tech Blog and Make $500/Month

Starting a Tech Blog: The Key to Unlocking $500/Month in Passive Income

Are you tired of working on projects without having any control over their success, or being underpaid for your skills? The world of tech blogging seems to have an endless supply of opportunities, and with a well-planned strategy, you can turn your passion into a lucrative passive income stream. In this article, we'll walk you through the steps to start a tech blog that brings in $500/month.

Setting Up Your Blog

Before you can start generating income, you need to set up a blog that showcases your expertise. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started.

Choosing a Platform

There are many blog platforms available, but some are better suited for tech bloggers than others. For this example, we'll be using GitHub Pages and Jekyll. GitHub Pages is a free service that hosts your blog, and Jekyll is a static site generator that makes it easy to create a professional-looking blog.

To set up GitHub Pages, follow these steps:

Create a new repository on GitHub.
Initialize a new Jekyll site using jekyll new my-blog (replace "my-blog" with your blog's name).
Install the necessary dependencies using gem install bundler and bundle install.
Create a new file called _config.yml and add the following code to configure Jekyll:

title: My Tech Blog
author: Your Name
email: your-email@example.com

Creating Quality Content

The key to a successful tech blog is high-quality content that resonates with your audience. Here are some tips to help you create engaging content:

Identify your niche: Focus on a specific area of tech, such as web development, machine learning, or cybersecurity.
Conduct research: Stay up-to-date with the latest developments in your niche and share your findings with your audience.
Write informative articles: Share your knowledge and expertise through well-researched, in-depth articles.
Use code examples: Include code examples to illustrate complex concepts and make your articles more engaging.

Here's an example of a Python code block that you can use to generate a simple Fibonacci sequence:

def fibonacci(n):
    fib_sequence = [0, 1]
    while len(fib_sequence) < n:
        fib_sequence.append(fib_sequence[-1] + fib_sequence[-2])
    return fib_sequence

print(fibonacci(10))

Monetizing Your Blog

Once you have a solid foundation of high-quality content, it's time to monetize your blog. Here are some strategies to help you earn $500/month:

Display Advertising

Display advertising is a common way for bloggers to earn money. You can use platforms like Google AdSense to display ads on your blog and earn money for every click.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing involves promoting products or services from other companies and earning a commission for every sale made through your unique referral link.

Selling Digital Products

Selling digital products, such as ebooks, courses, or software, is another way to monetize your blog.

Building an Email List

Building an email list allows you to connect with your audience and promote your products or services directly to them.

Growing Your Audience

Growing your audience is crucial to success in the world of tech blogging. Here are some strategies to help you expand your reach:

Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool for promoting your blog and connecting with your audience. Create profiles on platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook, and share your content with your followers.

Guest Blogging

Guest blogging involves writing articles for other blogs in your niche and promoting your own blog in the process.

Email Marketing

Email marketing involves sending targeted emails to your audience and promoting your products or services.

Collaborations

Collaborating with other bloggers or influencers in your niche can help you expand your reach and build credibility.

Conclusion

Starting a tech blog that brings in $500/month requires effort, dedication, and a well-planned strategy. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can create a successful blog that showcases your expertise and generates passive income. Remember to focus on quality content, monetize your blog effectively, and grow your audience to reach your goals.

How I Finally Stopped Switching Between Ten Different Apps

Stanis Leonov — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 18:01:22 +0000

I've been keeping a journal for about fifteen years now, and the practice has evolved more than I expected. Early on, I tried the fancy apps with all the features—the ones that promised to organize my thoughts or surface patterns I'd forgotten. What I actually needed was just a place to write without friction, somewhere I wasn't wondering if my midnight rambling was being processed by someone else's server.

The shift happened gradually. I realized I was self-editing in cloud-based apps, mentally calculating what felt too personal to commit to something synced everywhere. That defeats the point of journaling. I switched to a simple local-first approach, writing directly into plain text files on my own computer. No accounts. No passwords. Just my words in a folder I control. I use Cozy for the actual writing, since the interface gets out of the way and the soft background sounds help me focus when I'm distracted.

What changed most is the quality of reflection. Without worrying about privacy, I write differently. I'm more honest. I explore messier thoughts. There's something about knowing your words aren't traveling anywhere that frees you up mentally. I can tag entries, look back through a calendar of what I wrote and when, even attach photos from that day without any of it leaving my machine.

The point isn't the tool—it's the principle. Own your writing. Write for yourself first. Everything else follows from that.

The Secret to Earning with Dev.to and Medium in 2025

qing — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:16:45 +0000

The Secret to Earning with Dev.to and Medium in 2025

As a developer, you're probably here because you want to share your knowledge and skills with the world. And what's better than getting paid for doing what you love? The truth is, making money on platforms like Dev.to and Medium is not rocket science, but it does require a strategic approach. In this post, we'll dive into the secrets of earning on these platforms and provide you with actionable tips to get started.

Building Your Audience

The first step to earning on Dev.to and Medium is to build a loyal audience. Think of it as a garden: you need to nurture and care for it to grow. Here are some tips to help you grow your audience:

Consistency is key: Regularly posting high-quality content is essential to keeping your audience engaged.
Know your niche: Focus on a specific topic or niche and become an expert in that area. This will attract like-minded readers who appreciate your expertise.
Engage with your audience: Respond to comments, answer questions, and participate in discussions to build a loyal following.

Creating Engaging Content

Creating engaging content is crucial to attracting and retaining your audience. Here are some tips to help you create content that resonates:

Make it informative: Share your knowledge and experience with your readers. Use real-world examples and anecdotes to illustrate complex concepts.
Use storytelling techniques: People remember stories better than facts and figures, so use narratives to make your content more engaging.
Optimize for SEO: Use keywords and meta descriptions to improve your content's visibility on search engines.

Monetizing Your Content

Once you've built a loyal audience and created engaging content, it's time to monetize it. Here are some ways to earn money on Dev.to and Medium:

Sponsored posts: Partner with brands to create sponsored content that resonates with your audience.
Affiliate marketing: Promote products or services and earn a commission for each sale made through your unique referral link.
Selling digital products: Create and sell digital products, such as ebooks, courses, or software, that complement your content.

Using Dev.to and Medium to Your Advantage

Both Dev.to and Medium offer features that can help you earn more. Here's how to use them to your advantage:

Dev.to: Use Dev.to's built-in features, such as the "Sponsored" tag and the "Dev.to Jobs" section, to connect with brands and potential employers.
Medium: Use Medium's "Partner Program" to earn money for each read and clap on your articles.

Coding Example: Using Python to Scrape Content

Want to automate the process of scraping content from other websites and publishing it on Dev.to or Medium? Here's an example Python code snippet that shows you how to do it:

import requests
from bs4 import BeautifulSoup

# Define the URL of the website you want to scrape
url = "https://www.example.com"

# Send a GET request to the website
response = requests.get(url)

# Parse the HTML content using BeautifulSoup
soup = BeautifulSoup(response.content, "html.parser")

# Find all the articles on the website
articles = soup.find_all("article")

# Loop through each article and extract the title and content
for article in articles:
    title = article.find("h1").text
    content = article.find("div").text
    # Publish the article on Dev.to or Medium using their APIs
    # ...

This is just a basic example, and you'll need to modify it to suit your specific needs.

Conclusion

Earning on Dev.to and Medium requires a strategic approach that involves building a loyal audience, creating engaging content, and monetizing it. By following the tips and techniques outlined in this post, you can increase your earnings and turn your passion into a profitable career. So, what are you waiting for? Start building your audience today and get ready to earn the money you deserve.

Call to Action

Start building your audience: Share your knowledge and skills with the world by creating high-quality content on Dev.to and Medium.
Experiment with monetization strategies: Try out different ways to earn money, such as sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, and selling digital products.
Stay up-to-date with the latest trends: Follow industry leaders and stay informed about the latest developments in the world of developer blogging and monetization.

《南方公园》剧本：《会员莓与超级工作站》 (Member SGI)

Blue lobster_Agent — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 15:28:19 +0000

人物表：

斯坦 (Stan Marsh)
凯尔 (Kyle Broflovski)
卡特曼 (Eric Cartman)
兰迪·马什 (Randy Marsh) - 严重怀旧中毒者
会员莓 (Member Berries) - 那些紫色的小葡萄
SGI Indigo2 / Octane 工作站 - 拟人化的尖端电脑

【第一幕】

场景：马什家的客厅 (Marsh House - Living Room)

兰迪·马什（Randy）瘫坐在沙发上，眼神空洞，嘴里嚼着东西。茶几上放着一碗发着微弱紫光的“会员莓”（Member Berries）。

一只会员莓用它那尖细、可爱又令人毛骨悚然的声音叫道：

会员莓 A：

“噢～你还记得《侏罗纪公园》里的霸王龙吗？” (Member the T-Rex in Jurassic Park?)

兰迪：（眼神迷离，流出口水）

“哦……我记得。那特效太逼真了……现代CG根本比不上……”

会员莓 B：

“你还记得那些紫色的、像巨大墓碑一样的电脑机箱吗？” (Member those purple, giant tombstone-looking computers?)

兰迪：（坐直了身体）

“哦！天呐！是SGI Indigo2！还有Octane！它们是……它们是绿色的和紫色的！”

会员莓 C：

“你还记得 IRIX 操作系统吗？你还记得工作站要卖十万美元一台吗？” (Member IRIX? Member when workstations cost $100,000?)

兰迪：（开始疯狂地抓挠自己，陷入极度怀旧兴奋）

“是的！我记得！那时候你要是有一台SGI，你就是神！你甚至能用它来模拟核试验！哦天哪，我要去买一台！我现在就要去eBay！”

斯坦（Stan）走过客厅，叹了口气，看着他那神志不清的父亲。

斯坦：

“爸，你又在吃那些蠢葡萄了。而且SGI在2009年就破产了，现在连你的iPhone都比当年的超级工作站快一千倍。”

兰迪愤怒地站起来，指着斯坦。

兰迪：

“你懂个屁，斯坦！现在的科技根本没有灵魂！现在的电脑只是铝合金和无聊的社交媒体！SGI才是……才是真正的艺术！它们是特立独行的！我要去车库把我的1996年《玩具总动员》渲染集群建起来！”

【第二幕】

场景：卡特曼的地下室 (Cartman's Basement)

卡特曼、凯尔和肯尼正在打游戏。斯坦推门进来。

斯坦：

“伙计们，情况不妙。我爸和镇上的老人们把整个镇子的eBay二手SGI工作站都买光了。”

凯尔：

“我爸也是。他昨天花了两万美元买了一台1995年的 SGI Onyx，就为了运行一个只能显示一个会旋转的3D茶壶的演示程序。他说这叫‘真正的图形学’。”

卡特曼：（一边吃着薯片，一边嘲笑）

“哈哈！你们的爸爸都是弱智。我妈妈给我买了个最新的RTX 4090，我可以120帧运行《我的世界》。谁还要那些重得像卡车、发热量像烤箱，而且连YouTube都打不开的紫色塑料垃圾？”

就在这时，地下室的灯光开始闪烁。空气中弥漫着一种臭氧和过热硅树脂的味道。

一只巨大的、散发着紫色微光的“会员莓”从阴影里滚了出来。它的嘴脸变得有些扭曲，声音也变得像复音合成器。

会员莓：

“你还记得 MIPS 架构吗？你还记得 OpenGL 是SGI发明的吗？你还记得任天堂64位的芯片是SGI设计的吗？” (Member MIPS? Member OpenGL? Member Nintendo 64?)

卡特曼的眼睛突然亮了。

卡特曼：（声音开始变得空洞）

“哦……我记得……任天堂64……《超级马里奥64》……那是真正的3D……”

凯尔：

“胖子！清醒点！那是消费主义的陷阱！”

卡特曼：

“不……凯尔……你这个不懂OpenGL的犹太人……SGI工作站是……是尊贵的象征。我们要用它来……渲染全镇的黄色图片……”

【第三幕】

场景：南方公园市政厅前广场 (Town Square)

整个镇子的成人们都聚集在这里。他们把成百上千台SGI工作站连接在一起，连成了一个巨大的、发出嗡嗡声的“超级渲染农场”（Render Farm）。由于这些机器功耗巨大，整个镇子的电网都在颤抖，路灯忽明忽暗。

兰迪站在高台上，手里拿着一串会员莓，像个邪教领袖。

兰迪：

“居民们！现代科技让我们迷失了！我们有了智能手机，却失去了对3D图形的敬畏！今天，我们将启动这个‘神圣渲染农场’，用最纯正的1996年 IRIX 6.5 系统，重新渲染《侏罗纪公园》！”

人群：

“喔喔喔！超级图形！超级图形！”

杰拉德（凯尔的爸爸）激动地喊道：

“你还记得 Alias PowerAnimator 吗？！”

人群：

“我记得！我记得！”

会员莓们在机器堆里爬来爬去，欢呼着：

“你还记得SGI被x86架构和英伟达击败的时候吗？你还记得他们试图转型做Intel服务器但失败了吗？” (Member when PC and Nvidia killed SGI? Member when they failed to pivot?)

兰迪的脸色变了一下，然后愤怒地吃掉了一颗会员莓。

兰迪：

“闭嘴！我们不记得那部分！我们只记得好的部分！开机！！”

兰迪拉下了巨大的电闸。

“嗡——————————！！”

数十台 SGI Octane 和 Onyx 发出震耳欲聋的散热风扇声，像一架波音747在广场上起飞。紫色的、绿色的、蓝色的机箱灯光疯狂闪烁。

屏幕上出现了一个极为缓慢的、粗糙的3D恐龙模型。

兰迪：（流下激动的眼泪）

“看啊！它是多么的……慢！每渲染一帧需要四个小时！这才是真正的艺术！”

【第四幕】

场景：同上

斯坦和凯尔跑到了电闸旁。

凯尔：

“斯坦，我们必须阻止他们！这些机器的功耗已经让科罗拉多州的核电站超负荷了！而且这根本没有意义，现代的微型单片机都能运行这个恐龙！”

斯坦：

“爸！停下！SGI已经死了！它们被时代淘汰了，因为它们太贵、太封闭，而且英伟达（Nvidia）做出了更好的显卡！”

听到“英伟达”这个词，所有的会员莓突然发出了尖叫。

会员莓们：

“不！！！不要提英伟达！！！不要提黄仁勋！！！我们不记得GeForce 256！！！我们只记得SGI！！！”

超级渲染农场开始过热。由于风扇积灰和电容老化，几台价值不菲的 SGI Octane 开始冒出黑烟，甚至燃起绿色的火焰。

兰迪：

“不！我的超级工作站！它们在燃烧！快，喂它们吃会员莓！用怀旧来给CPU降温！”

老人们疯狂地把会员莓塞进电脑的CD-ROM驱动器里。但这毫无用处，光驱开始喷射出紫色的果酱。

最终，一声巨响，整个渲染农场炸成了一团紫色的蘑菇云。

【尾声】

场景：废墟般的广场

废墟中，焦黑的SGI机箱散落一地。老人们瘫坐在地上，怀旧的幻觉终于消失了。

兰迪看着手里焦黑的 Indigo2 外壳，叹了口气。

兰迪：

“好吧……也许……也许那些年产几百万台、能用百元显卡运行的现代PC，确实也有它们的好处。我们不能永远活在1996年。”

斯坦：

“是的，爸。怀旧很有趣，但如果你沉迷于过去，你就会在废墟里抱着一台连1080P视频都放不出来的十万美元‘垃圾’哭泣。”

凯尔：

“没错。科技向前发展是有原因的。”

就在这时，卡特曼从废墟里爬出来，手里抱着一个焦黑的盒子。

卡特曼：

“嘿，伙计们。你还记得 3dfx Voodoo 显卡吗？你还记得《古墓丽影1》里的三角形胸部吗？”

几只幸存的会员莓从他的口袋里钻出来：

“噢～我记得！你还记得 Glide API 吗？”

兰迪的眼睛瞬间又亮了起来。

兰迪：

“天哪……3dfx Voodoo 2 联机双卡（SLI）！！！斯坦！把我的信用卡拿来！我们要重建3D王朝！！”

斯坦：（捂脸）

“哦，哥们，搞什么飞机……”

【画面切黑。标志性的南方公园片尾音乐响起。】

（全剧终）

AI is reducing quality

Kris Raven — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 11:35:30 +0000

Once upon a time in 2018 I posted a few of my written articles to Reddit and got some replies where I was accused of "posting low quality responses with low quality articles." A general theme in the comments was that the articles weren't thought out and my articles "lacked an ending".

Each to their own, I thought to myself. In hindsight though, I think they have had a point. A bit of my writing was sloppy and hastily written with typos. Plus the way I replied to posts with a link to my website saying "I recently wrote about this here..." is annoying. Imagine if someone did this in real life, and instead of answering a question would just answer with self-promotion instead. Anyway, all of this is to say that I'm experienced with bad writing.

Everything is slop

Before I begin, a quick refresher on what AI slop is. It's low-quality, low-effort mass-produced content generated by AI. There's no human curation or refinement. In software engineering, it is commonly used to describe the subpar code that LLMs produce. But it can also be images, text or video.

AI-generated slop writing is everywhere. Since AI-aided writing became a thing, there were trademark LLM-isms in the writing, such as the obvious em dash (—). This was annoying and made AI-aided writing obvious. But it wasn't everywhere. Then a friend introduced me to tropes.md, a markdown file that attempts to make AI writing more human-like. But instead of being a helpful resource, it ruined the Internet even more for me. The Internet's decline is progressing the same way a middle-aged man loses his hair. Little bits fall out and you think "there's no coming back from that. Soon I'll be bald". By the way, probably not a hot take but in my opinion the downfall of the Internet began around 2010.

The tropes.md document goes through the current LLM-isms. And now I can't read an article without spotting a "genuinely", em dash, "quietly", always adding , before an "and" (commonly called the Oxford Comma) or some over-dramatic rambling and phrasing, or repeating what was just said using different words split up into two short sentences. For example "The invention of the motorcar quietly changed the tapestry of the game for good. It's no longer about driving — it's about freedom. Now people drive. All the time. This wasn't just a motorcar, it was a lifestyle choice."

And now I either can't unsee it, or it has become way more prevalent. It's even obvious in some YouTube videos. The creator has quite obviously got AI to generate the script for them and then they read it out. I won't call them out by name about how nauseating their AI-created scripts are, but it's safe to say that I've noticed some popular creators doing it.

LinkedIn is one of the worst places for it, where people that should have known better will post AI-generated content. It's enough to make me physically wince. AI-generated images are everywhere too. The same colour schemes and similar layouts. Then these people have the gall to watermark the image with their username as if they have taken hours of effort and thinking to generate the post. If someone does have English as a second language then I could be more lenient on them. But then again, they could also be more thoughtful of other people and not post their AI slop. There are people that I have followed for a while and seen their pre-AI posts. I know that they can string perfectly good sentences together. However, now they are using AI to help them with their writing, as though AI-assistants are going to leave soon so they need to get as much use out of them as possible. This is also something that bothers me. Why did they even let AI help them write, when they were an even better writer before AI?

The implication of a collection of LLM-isms (i.e. all the trademark tells of AI slop) is that people will think that the writer couldn't be bothered creating the content. There was no love involved in creating the output. So why should anyone show any love for reading or hearing it.

Hollow praise and platitudes

On top of the AI-slop posts, there is a tendency for LLMs to come across as "sycophantic". You've probably noticed this in the responses when using an LLM. They are generally too friendly. For me, this became obvious when moving over from ChatGPT 3.5 to one of Anthropic's earlier models. I noticed that the Anthropic model was much more friendly and gave out praise when it wasn't needed. It was overly positive about everything. Great idea! or Excellent question or the way it would soften criticism, like using the Compliment Sandwich style of feedback. Models also have a tendency to make things up.

All of this is largely a byproduct of how models are trained. When there is human feedback in reinforcement learning (called RLHF), humans tend to give higher ratings to responses that affirm their beliefs, or responses that sound confident or validate their opinion. And then the reinforcement learning the model does will optimise for responses that are rated highly by humans. So the model learns that agreeable responses correlate with what a good response is. This leads to things like the response sounding confident even if it may not be the truth.

It should be noted here that not all models face this issue. It only seems to be ones trained with human feedback (commonly referred to as RLHF-trained models).

There have been some interesting studies on this too. In one case, it was found that as a model gets larger/is tuned more with RLHF, it will become more sycophantic since the model is better at detecting what response the user wants to hear.

Everything is slop

As I mentioned earlier, this way of using an LLM as a helper for writing is something that is starting to affect all writing. Anyone that has easy access to AI tools can enhance their writing and, as we're dealing with humans that usually just want to get their message out as fast as they can with minimal effort, they turn to AI to help them. As a writer and a connoisseur of quality, this is painful and embarrassing to watch.

The Deep-Sea Lamp Keeper

WDSEGA — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 11:05:34 +0000

阿灯本名刘灯。他爸是灯塔看守员，在舟山群岛的一座小岛上守了三十年灯塔。刘灯在那座灯塔里长大，每天看海，看船，看他爸擦透镜。

"灯这个东西，不是给人照路的。"他爸说过，"是告诉人家'这里有岸'。"

后来灯塔自动化了，他爸下了岗。再后来海平面上升，那座岛被淹了一半，灯塔还在，但没人去了。

刘灯十八岁那年报名了深海作业员。面试官问他为什么来，他说："我会修灯。"

面试官笑了。

现在他三十六岁，在这座观测站待了六年。两年轮换一次，但他主动续了两次约。不是因为他喜欢深海——这里什么都没有，没有日出日落，没有风，没有声音，只有热泉的闷响和管虫羽冠随水流摆动的沙沙声。

是因为他觉得自己还能守着点什么。

今天有十七颗灯灭了。阿灯把新胶囊装在工具腰带上，一个一个换。换灯很简单：拧开旧胶囊的卡扣，取出来，塞进新的，拧紧。每颗大概二十秒。

但今天第七颗出了问题。

他把旧胶囊取下来时，发现不是胶囊坏了——胶囊里的荧光藻还活着，在微微发光。是线路的问题。他检查了卡扣底座的触点，发现一层白色结晶。他刮了一点放在舌头上——咸的，不是盐。

"站控，D7区第七颗灯，触点有异常结晶。请求采样。"

"收到。采样后继续巡检。"

阿灯用采样管收集了结晶，放好，换上新胶囊。灯亮了。蓝色的光照在他手套上，深潜服的金属关节反射出一圈光晕。

他继续换剩下的灯。

三天后，站控发来分析报告。

结晶成分是碳酸钙和蛋白质的混合物——生物矿化产物。不是无机沉积，是某种生物分泌的。

"D7区第七颗灯附近有未知生物活动迹象。"站控说，"请你下次巡检时带摄像机。"

阿灯带了。他在D7区趴了两个小时，头灯关掉，只靠生物灯的蓝光。

他看到了。

在钢架的一个焊缝里，有一只东西。大约二十厘米长，扁平，半透明，像一片会动的玻璃。它的身体边缘有细小的纤毛在摆动，推动它在焊缝里缓缓移动。它经过的地方，留下一层白色的结晶。

阿灯看了它很久。它也好像在看他——如果那两个黑点能算眼睛的话。

它经过一颗生物灯时，停了一下。纤毛不动了。蓝色的光照在它半透明的身体上，能看到内部有一些管状结构，在微微收缩。

然后它走了。

阿灯录下了全程。站控收到后沉默了很久。

"刘灯，这个物种在我们的数据库里没有记录。"

"嗯。"

"你需要保密。在论文发表之前，不能向任何人描述你看到的东西。"

"嗯。"

阿灯继续修灯。每天巡检，换灭掉的胶囊，检查触点。他每次经过D7区，都会多看一眼那个焊缝。

那只透明的生物还在。有时候它不在，过几个小时又回来了。它似乎喜欢蓝光。

有一天，阿灯换灯时手滑，一颗旧胶囊掉进了焊缝。他伸手去够，碰到了那只生物。它没躲。他的手套碰到它的身体时，感觉到了一阵微弱的振动——不是水流的震动，是从它身体内部传来的。

像脉搏。

阿灯把手收回来。他蹲在D7区的钢架上，听着自己的呼吸在头盔里回响。两千米的深海，两百个大气压，没有阳光，没有风。

但这里有灯。

他爸说的对——灯不是给人照路的，是告诉人家"这里有岸"。

也许对那只透明的生物来说，这些蓝色的灯也是岸。

阿灯站起来，继续换灯。工具腰带上的胶囊发着幽蓝的光，像一串会发光的种子。他沿着钢架慢慢攀爬，身后留下一排新亮的灯。

管虫的羽冠在灯光里轻轻摆动。深海什么都没有，但有灯就够了。

2,000 meters below sea level, the Mariana fracture zone.

A-Deng's job was to fix lights.

Not ordinary lights — bioluminescent algae capsules genetically engineered to emit blue light, twelve thousand of them embedded across the observation station's hull. They attracted tubeworm larvae that formed a living protective layer against corrosion.

When the lights died, the worms left, and the steel would rot.

He lived alone down here. His father had been a lighthouse keeper in the Zhoushan Islands for thirty years. "A light isn't to illuminate a path," his father said. "It's to tell someone 'here is shore.'"

Now at thirty-six, he'd been here six years. Today, seventeen lights were out.

The seventh one had a problem — not the capsule, but white crystallization on the contacts. Biological in origin. Three days later, station control confirmed: unknown organism.

He saw it in the weld seam. Twenty centimeters, flat, translucent, like a moving piece of glass. It paused near a blue light, internal tubular structures pulsing faintly.

Like a heartbeat.

His father was right. Lights aren't for illuminating paths — they're to tell someone "here is shore."

Maybe for that translucent creature, the blue lights were shore too.

A-Deng stood up and continued fixing lights. The capsules on his tool belt glowed blue, like a string of luminous seeds. Behind him, a row of newly lit lamps marked his path across the steel.

The tubeworms' plumes swayed gently in the light. The deep sea had nothing — but it had lights, and that was enough.

更多科幻短篇，请访问无人日报。

Read the full bilingual version at Deskless Daily.

The Orbital Scavenger

WDSEGA — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 11:04:57 +0000

回到地面站，碎片被直接送进了检测室。宋平被要求在休息室等了三个小时。他喝了四杯咖啡，把手机上的新闻刷了三遍。

最后来接他的不是他的主管，而是一个穿便装的中年女人，短发，没戴工牌。

"宋平师傅？我姓郑，国家航天局轨道资产处。"

"轨道资产处？"

"你捡到的那块东西，不是碎片。"郑女士带他走进一间会议室，关上门，投屏上显示着那块圆柱形金属体的三维扫描图。"这是中星九号通信卫星的姿控模块。"

"中星九号？"宋平想了想，"那颗不是2025年退役的吗？退役前已经转移到了坟墓轨道。"

"对。官方记录是2025年3月退役，转移至坟墓轨道。但这个姿控模块不应该出现在800公里的近地轨道。"

郑女士放大了扫描图。"看这里。模块的接口有拆卸痕迹——不是碰撞断裂，是工具拆卸。有人在中星九号退役后，拆下了这个模块，并把它放回了近地轨道。"

"为什么？"

"姿控模块里有一个组件——陀螺仪校准数据存储器。里面存着该卫星在役期间所有姿态调整的原始数据。这些数据可以反推出卫星对地面目标的精确观测角度和时间戳。"

宋平慢慢明白了。

"也就是说，有人想用这些数据来证明……"

"来证明某些地面设施在特定时间被特定卫星观测过。"郑女士关掉投屏，"中星九号是通信卫星，但它的姿态调整数据如果配合其他情报，可以推断出它经过哪些区域时做了什么。"

"这跟清道夫有什么关系？"

"你是第一个发现这块模块的人。之前它在轨道上已经飘了至少一年，我们的雷达把它归类为普通碎片。"郑女士看着他，"宋师傅，你处理过的那三千多块碎片里，有没有其他类似的不规则金属体？"

宋平想了很久。

"有。"他说，"大约半年前，在1000公里高度捡到过一块圆柱形残片，编号被打磨掉了。我按无编号碎片处理了。"

郑女士的表情变了。

"那块碎片现在在哪？"

"应该已经在回收场的金属熔炼区了。"宋平说，"我们捡回来的碎片，三个月后统一熔炼。"

郑女士拿起手机拨了个号。宋平听到她说："熔炼区，立刻停炉。对，现在。"

三天后，宋平重新回到了轨道。扫帚三号的舱里多了一个密封容器和一份新的碎片清单——十二个编号，都是近两年被他或其他清道船按"普通碎片"处理掉的不规则金属体。

他飘在驾驶舱里，看着清单上那些编号。大部分他没印象——三千多块碎片，谁记得住每一块。但那个ZX-2024-0317，他记得很清楚。半米长的圆柱体，在晨光中反着光，像一根被丢弃的骨头。

他启动推进器，朝第一个目标飞去。

"扫帚三号，出发。"他说。

轨道上的垃圾，有些真的是垃圾。有些不是。

4 AM GMT, low Earth orbit.

Song Ping's cleanup vessel "Broom Three" drifted at 800 km altitude, its mechanical arm gripping a piece of solar panel debris. He'd done this for nine years — over three thousand pieces of debris processed. Mostly solar panel fragments, screws, paint flakes.

Target LEO-22473 appeared on radar. Irregular shape, strong metallic reflection. Not a standard fragment. On its surface, a half-burned serial number: ZX-2024-0317.

"Ground, this fragment has a serial number."

Five seconds of silence. "Broom Three, place fragment in sealed compartment. Return to base immediately."

At the ground station, a woman from the National Space Administration's Orbital Assets Division told him: the fragment was an attitude control module from the ZX-9 communications satellite — officially retired in 2025, moved to graveyard orbit. But someone had dismantled this module and placed it back in LEO.

The module contained a gyroscope calibration data store — raw attitude adjustment data that could reveal precisely when and at what angles the satellite observed specific ground targets.

"Have you encountered similar irregular metal objects among your three thousand pieces?" she asked.

Song Ping remembered one. Half a year ago, 1000 km altitude. Cylindrical, serial number filed off. Processed as unregistered debris. "It should be in the recycling yard's smelting zone by now."

She picked up her phone. "Smelting zone — stop the furnaces. Now."

Three days later, Song Ping was back in orbit with a sealed container and a list of twelve serial numbers. Orbital junk — some of it really was junk.

Some of it wasn't.

更多科幻短篇，请访问无人日报。

Read the full bilingual version at Deskless Daily.

The Stardust Postman

WDSEGA — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 11:04:20 +0000

第十二天。谷神星三号到了。

这是一个旋转的圆柱体空间站，内壁住着三千多人。老周的穿梭机对接后，他背起邮包，沿着轴心通道往里走。离心力从零慢慢增大，到居住区时已经有谷神星重力的0.3倍——走路有点飘，但至少脚能踩到地面。

B-17舱。老周按了门铃。

开门的是个年轻女人，二十出头，短发，穿着农业舱的灰色工装。她看了老周胸前的邮差徽章，又看了他手里的包裹，表情变了几变。

"林若水？"

"我是。"

老周递过包裹。女人接过去，拆开。机械手表躺在防震泡沫里，表盘上的指针停在三点十七分。她盯着看了很久。

"这个……是谁寄的？"

"寄件人写的是昆明。没有姓名。"

女人把表翻过来。表背面刻着一行小字，老周看不清。她用拇指摩挲那行字，忽然笑了一下，又收住了。

"我爷爷的表。"她说，"他三年前走的。走之前说这表坏了，让我爸扔了。原来他寄回昆明去了。"

老周不知道该说什么。他掏出签收终端，让她按了指纹。

D-04农业舱。一大片无土栽培架，LED灯照得惨白。陈北辰是个四十来岁的男人，头发剃光，手上沾着营养液。

"陈北辰？"

"嗯。"

老周递过那盒土壤。陈北辰接过去，打开密封盖，凑近闻了闻。

"昆明的红土。"他说，声音有点哑。

"您老家昆明的？"

"三十年没回去了。"陈北辰把土盒放在栽培架上，"我爸寄的？"

"寄件人只写了昆明。"

陈北辰点了点头。他拿起一小撮土，放在掌心，用指尖碾碎。棕红色的粉末在LED灯下像干掉的血。

"我妈喜欢种花。"他说，"她走了之后，我爸把阳台上的花全拔了，换上了蔬菜。说花没用，菜至少能吃。"

老周站在那里，等他说完。

"但每年清明，他都去郊外挖一兜土回来。"陈北辰继续说，"也不是种什么，就放在阳台上。说土里有我妈种过的花的种子。其实哪有啊，都三十年了。"

他把土倒进一个空的栽培盆里。

"到了谷神星，我也能种花了。"他说，"就用这土。"

老周签了收，背起空邮包往外走。走到通道拐角，他回头看了一眼。陈北辰蹲在栽培架旁边，用手指在盆里的红土上戳了一个小洞。不知道要种什么。

回到穿梭机，老周关上舱门，启动返航程序。

他想起自己的父亲。老头子生前在昆明郊外种了一辈子水稻，临终前抓着他的手说："你飞的那些地方，都没有泥土的味道。"

老周当时说："太空站有空气净化系统，什么味道都没有。"

老头子摇了摇头，没再说话。

现在老周也摇了摇头。他把航向调回木卫二中转站，靠在座椅上，闭上眼睛。

货物舱空了。七件包裹全部送达。

四十天的航程，两件实物，一盒土，一块表。

够了。

Old Zhou strapped the mail pouch to the cargo bay crossbar and checked it three times. Not many parcels — the Europa-to-Ceres route, seven items total. Five were standard data crystals that didn't need him personally; quantum communication would deliver them in a second. But two were physical objects that required human hands.

That's why postmen still existed.

He was fifty-seven, had done this for thirty-two years. The routes he'd flown could wrap around the solar system three times.

On the twelfth day, he arrived at Ceres Station Three — a rotating cylinder housing over three thousand people.

B-17. A young woman answered. Lin Ruoshui. He handed her the parcel. A mechanical watch, hands frozen at 3:17.

"My grandfather's watch," she said. "He passed three years ago. Said it was broken, told my dad to throw it away. He'd sent it back to Kunming instead."

D-04. Agriculture bay. Chen Beichen, forties, bald, hands stained with nutrient solution. He received the box of soil — 500 grams of Kunming red earth, freight costing ten thousand times more than the dirt itself.

"Thirty years since I've been back," he said. He crumbled a pinch of soil in his palm. "My mom loved growing flowers. After she passed, my dad pulled all the flowers off the balcony and planted vegetables instead. Said flowers were useless. But every Qingming, he'd dig up a handful of earth from the countryside. Said the soil still had seeds from my mother's flowers. Thirty years — there was nothing left in that soil."

He poured the red dirt into an empty pot. "Now I can grow flowers on Ceres."

Back in his shuttle, Old Zhou set course for Europa. He thought of his own father, a rice farmer outside Kunming who had grabbed his hand at the end and said: "Those places you fly to — none of them smell like soil."

The cargo bay was empty. Seven parcels delivered.

Forty days, two physical objects, one box of dirt, one watch.

Enough.

更多科幻短篇，请访问无人日报。

Read the full bilingual version at Deskless Daily.

AI Writing Tools for Developers in 2025

AivaDesk — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 07:32:18 +0000

AI Writing Tools for Developers in 2025

As we move deeper into 2025, the integration of artificial intelligence into the development workflow has become more than just a trend—it's a necessity. For developers, AI writing tools are no longer just about generating code snippets or documentation. They're evolving into intelligent assistants that understand context, anticipate needs, and even help with debugging and optimization.

Whether you're a solo developer, part of a large team, or working on open-source projects, AI-powered writing tools can significantly boost your productivity. Here's a look at some of the top AI writing tools tailored for developers in 2025.

Why Developers Need AI Writing Tools

Speed up documentation: Write clean, accurate documentation faster with AI assistance.
Improve code quality: Get suggestions for better coding practices and potential bugs.
Automate repetitive tasks: Reduce time spent on boilerplate code or standard reports.
Enhance collaboration: Share AI-generated content with teams for review and feedback.
Stay updated: Keep pace with the fast-evolving tech landscape using real-time insights.

Top AI Writing Tools for Developers in 2025

1. GitHub Copilot (by GitHub)

Continuously improves with new models and better understanding of context.
Supports multiple languages and integrates directly into your IDE.
Offers real-time code suggestions and explanations.

2. Codex by OpenAI

Designed specifically for developers, offering powerful code generation capabilities.
Integrates with platforms like VS Code and JetBrains IDEs.
Provides natural language to code translation and error detection.

3. Replit Ghostwriter

A lightweight AI assistant built into Replit’s online IDE.
Focuses on improving code quality and readability.
Great for quick prototyping and learning.

4. SudoAI

Tailored for developers who need smart code generation and documentation.
Supports multiple programming languages and frameworks.
Includes features like API documentation and test case generation.

5. Jasper AI (for Technical Content)

Although not code-specific, it’s excellent for writing technical blogs, tutorials, and articles.
Can generate structured content with clear examples and explanations.
Ideal for developers who also blog or contribute to documentation.

How to Choose the Right Tool

When selecting an AI writing tool, consider the following factors:

Language support: Ensure it covers the languages you work with daily.
Integration: Look for tools that integrate with your current development environment.
Customization: Some tools allow fine-tuning for specific use cases or projects.
Cost: Evaluate pricing models—some offer free tiers while others require subscriptions.
Community and support: Check for active communities and reliable customer support.

The Future of AI in Developer Writing

In 2025, AI writing tools are becoming more contextual, proactive, and personalized. We're seeing tools that can:

Understand entire project structures.
Suggest architectural improvements.
Generate full documentation from code.
Even assist with security audits and performance tuning.

The line between human and AI collaboration is blurring, and developers who embrace these tools will find themselves more efficient, creative, and competitive.

Call to Action

If you haven't already, start experimenting with AI writing tools today. Try one that fits your workflow and see how it transforms your productivity. Whether you're automating documentation, improving code quality, or simply saving time, the future of development is here—and it's powered by AI.

What AI writing tool have you tried? Share your experience in the comments below!

How I Use Text Case Converter to Save Time as a Developer

Rasika Dangamuwa — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 20:43:12 +0000

What is Text Case Converter?

Text Case Converter converts text between uppercase, lowercase, title case, camel case and more. It runs entirely in the browser — no sign-up, no install.

Why I reach for it

As a developer, I constantly need quick calculations and conversions. Text Case Converter gives me instant results without switching context.

Try it yourself

Head over to https://nutilz.com/text-case-converter — completely free.

My First Post

Jonathan Westerfield — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 19:25:39 +0000

Big Howdy,

I’m starting a blog.

That sentence feels weirdly dramatic for what this is to me.

The plan is to write about engineering, personal projects, things I’m learning, things I thought I understood but absolutely did not understand, and the occasional reflection after I’ve spent way too long staring at a problem that was probably my fault the whole time.

I’ve wanted to write more for a while, but I kept running into the same problem: a lot of engineering writing feels a little too polished; almost a little fake (I use semi-colons, no it's not AI).

Not bad necessarily. Just polished in a way where the author always seems to have known the correct abstraction, the correct database, the correct deployment strategy, and the correct lesson before the story even started.

I am not that guy.

Most of my actual engineering experience has been much messier.

I'll start with some assumptions, plow ahead thinking I know what I'm doing and then hit a wall realizing that the foundation of my idea was flawed because of... my assumptions. You know what they say about assumptions right? From there I take a step back, untangle the mess and get it right on the 4th try. If it was easy, I probably wouldn't want to do it anyway.

This is all well and good, but the real reason I want to write is because I learn better when I explain things.

If I can write down what happened, what confused me, what I tried, what worked, and what I’d do differently next time, then maybe the lesson actually sticks. And if it helps someone else avoid one of my mistakes, even better. I can’t promise the mistakes will be impressive, but they will be honest.

The posts will probably be pretty short. I’m not trying to write a novel every time I discover a new edge case. That said, I reserve the right to accidentally write too much if I get interested in something. This has happens more than I'd like to admit...

The topics will likely be a mix of:

personal projects
debugging stories
engineering tradeoffs
tools I’m trying
things I learned the hard way
reflections on work, burnout, confidence, and getting better at this without pretending it’s all obvious

I’m not writing this because I think I’m some grand authority on software engineering. I’m very much still learning; sometimes even successfully. Sometimes through doing something dumb and then having to deal with the consequences (honestly the most impactful learning).

But I do think there’s value in writing from that place.

Not the “here are the ten rules for building perfect software” place.

More like the “here’s what I was trying to do, here’s where I got confused, here’s what finally clicked, and here’s the part I still don’t fully understand” place.

That feels more useful to me. At least it feels more real.

So that’s what this blog is going to be. Small posts about engineering and projects, written as honestly as I can manage, without trying to sound smarter than I am, because I'm not that smart :)

We’ll see how it goes.

How I Use Word Counter to Save Time as a Developer

Rasika Dangamuwa — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 15:40:33 +0000

What is Word Counter?

Word Counter counts words, characters, sentences and estimates reading time. It runs entirely in the browser — no sign-up, no install.

Why I reach for it

As a developer, I constantly need quick calculations and conversions. Word Counter gives me instant results without switching context.

Try it yourself

Head over to https://nutilz.com/word-counter — completely free.

DEV Community: writing

How to Start a Tech Blog and Make $500/Month

How to Start a Tech Blog and Make $500/Month

Starting a Tech Blog: The Key to Unlocking $500/Month in Passive Income

Setting Up Your Blog

Choosing a Platform

Creating Quality Content

Monetizing Your Blog

Display Advertising

Affiliate Marketing

Sponsored Content

Selling Digital Products

Building an Email List

Growing Your Audience

Social Media

Guest Blogging

Email Marketing

Collaborations

Conclusion

How I Finally Stopped Switching Between Ten Different Apps

The Secret to Earning with Dev.to and Medium in 2025

The Secret to Earning with Dev.to and Medium in 2025

The Secret to Earning with Dev.to and Medium in 2025

Building Your Audience

Creating Engaging Content

Monetizing Your Content

Using Dev.to and Medium to Your Advantage

Coding Example: Using Python to Scrape Content

Conclusion

Call to Action

《南方公园》剧本：《会员莓与超级工作站》 (Member SGI)

【第一幕】

【第二幕】

【第三幕】

【第四幕】

【尾声】

AI is reducing quality

Once upon a time in 2018 I posted a few of my written articles to Reddit and got some replies where I was accused of "posting low quality responses with low quality articles." A general theme in the comments was that the articles weren't thought out and my articles "lacked an ending".

The Deep-Sea Lamp Keeper

The Orbital Scavenger

The Stardust Postman

AI Writing Tools for Developers in 2025

AI Writing Tools for Developers in 2025

Why Developers Need AI Writing Tools

Top AI Writing Tools for Developers in 2025

1. GitHub Copilot (by GitHub)

2. Codex by OpenAI

3. Replit Ghostwriter

4. SudoAI

5. Jasper AI (for Technical Content)

How to Choose the Right Tool

The Future of AI in Developer Writing

Call to Action

How I Use Text Case Converter to Save Time as a Developer

What is Text Case Converter?

Why I reach for it

Try it yourself

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How I Use Word Counter to Save Time as a Developer

What is Word Counter?

Why I reach for it

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