DEV Community: Were Elliot

Artemis II Hoax Command Center: A Tabbed Dashboard Full of Trump Truth Posts and Moon Landing Debunking Chaos

Were Elliot — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 15:26:08 +0000

This is a submission for the DEV April Fools Challenge

What I Built

I built the Artemis II Hoax Command Center — the world's most professional-looking yet completely useless NASA dashboard.

While real Artemis II is (probably) preparing for the Moon, my version tracks the Orion capsule as it:

Joyfully orbits the Strait of Hormuz while dodging oil tankers and international incidents
Gets repeatedly "shot down" over Tehran (search & rescue is "on the way… maybe")
Triggers the most unhinged conspiracy theories known to humanity

The star of the show is the SOCIALS tab, where you can enjoy:

Fake Trump Truth Social posts losing their mind about the mission
A section called "Fools Debunking the Moon Landing" that creatively blames Iranian air defense for why there were no stars in Apollo photos

This dashboard doesn't help anyone go to space. It just makes you question reality… and laugh while doing it.

Demo

Live Demo: Just open https://artemis-ii-hoax-command-center.vercel.app/ in your browser (no server, no install, no hope of reaching the Moon).

Pro tip: Spend extra time in the SOCIALS tab. The conspiracy theories get better with every tab switch.

Code

The entire app is one gloriously chaotic single HTML file (~600 lines) containing:

Pure vanilla HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Zero dependencies
Maximum satire per kilobyte

Full code available here:

https://github.com/WereElliot/artemis-ii-hoax-command-center

Feel free to fork it and make the hoax even worse.

How I Built It

HTML + CSS + Vanilla JS — Because why add complexity when the mission is already fake?
Beautiful modern blue NASA command dashboard aesthetic (until you read the text)
Tab system so you can seamlessly switch between different flavors of disaster
Carefully crafted fake Trump posts and moon landing "debunks" that somehow connect Tehran with the waving flag on the Moon

I aimed for something that looks like it belongs in actual Mission Control… until you realize it belongs in the trash fire of April Fools jokes.

Prize Category

Submitting for Community Favorite because nothing says "I love this community" like a dashboard that mocks space exploration, conspiracy theorists, current events, and itself all in one glorious blue mess.

No AI was harmed in the making of this hoax.
Its purely a hoax.

Open at your own risk. The capsule is never reaching the Moon, but your laughter just might. 😂🌕

A Hack, Reflection & A Look Forward: Google Gemini — My AI Pair Programmer Through Every Line of Code

Were Elliot — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 16:34:51 +0000

This is a submission for the Built with Google Gemini: Writing Challenge

What I Built with Google Gemini

Google Gemini didn’t help me ship one shiny submission for this challenge — it powered the understanding and development every single repository in my GitHub portfolio (github.com/WereElliot) and every major classwork assignment as a Computer Science student in University.

Hotel Booking Application

A production-grade, role-based full-stack web app.

Frontend: ReactJS + Redux + Axios
Backend: Spring Boot + Spring Security + JPA/Hibernate
Database: MySQL

Admins can fully CRUD rooms and manage bookings (including cancellations). Regular users can browse available rooms, make reservations, and view their history. It’s exactly the kind of real-world CRUD system every aspiring full-stack developer needs on their resume.

I also used Gemini to build and polish my Spring Boot CRUD Bookstore Web App and a CLI automation tool — including refining CommandCraft, a Python tool that turns plain English into executable terminal commands.

The problem these solved: As a student in Kenya juggling lectures and modern stacks, I was constantly hitting walls. Gemini became my always-available senior dev who never sleeps.

Gemini’s exact role:

Scaffolded Spring Boot projects from zero.
Generated bulk realistic data (JSON arrays of hotel rooms, books, prices).
Debugged tricky errors in real time.
Fixed and optimized templates (React components, entity relationships).
Explained concepts until I truly understood them.

Demo

Full Portfolio: https://github.com/WereElliot
Hotel Booking Application: View Repository
CommandCraft CLI Tool: View Repository

Screenshots

(Bookstore-style Spring Boot CRUD interface)
Bookstore UI
"Home page with lists of books"

"A page to add and edit a book to the database"

"A snip of the terminal showing the running Spring application "it runs thanks to Gemini IYKYK""

(Natural-language CLI in action)
CommandCraft Demo
"Show me my memory usage"

"Show me my git history"

What I Learned

Technical Leaps

Mastered the Spring Boot ecosystem (Security, JPA, REST best practices) faster than any lecture could teach.
Learned proper Redux patterns and Axios interceptors.
Discovered the power of structured prompting: "Act as a senior Spring Boot engineer. Give me only the corrected file with comments explaining the fix."

Soft Skills & Mindset Shifts

Iteration over perfection: Gemini lets you fail fast and fix faster.
Confidence: I now have the framework to tackle any new technology because I know how to learn with AI.
Critical Review: The real skill isn't writing code—it’s knowing what to ask for and reviewing it critically.

Google Gemini Feedback

What worked amazingly well:

Lightning-fast, context-aware help with Java/Spring Boot.
Outstanding at generating realistic test data.
Long-context memory: I could paste entire error logs and get precise fixes.
The free tier was robust enough for heavy semester use.

Where I hit friction:

Verbosity: I now add "be concise" to my prompts to avoid long explanations.
Legacy Code: It occasionally suggested deprecated Spring Boot patterns; I learned to cross-verify with official docs.
Execution: I'd love a native way to run Java snippets directly in the chat.

Overall Rating: 9.4/10

Looking Forward

This reflection isn’t the end — it’s the launchpad.

Next 30 days: Deploy the Hotel Booking app live on Google Cloud Run.
Open Source: Release my Bookstore CRUD with Gemini-generated documentation.
The Vision: Build an AI study buddy for Kisii University students. I want to create accessible AI-powered learning tools for students across Africa.

Google Gemini didn’t just help me ship code. It helped me ship myself — from a nervous student to a confident full-stack builder.

CommandCraft: Everyday Utility Hub Powered by Github Copilot CLI

Were Elliot — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 10:42:12 +0000

This is a submission for the GitHub Copilot CLI Challenge

What I Built

I built CommandCraft: Everyday Utility Hub Powered by GitHub Copilot CLI a terminal-based assistant that transforms natural language into working commands and scripts.

The idea came from the frustration developers face when trying to recall complex shell commands for everyday tasks like file organization, system monitoring, or Git operations. CommandCraft acts as an intelligent layer between the user and their shell, allowing them to express intent in plain English and instantly receive the correct command.

For me, this project represents more than just automation it’s about accessibility. Beginners can learn by seeing the commands Copilot generates, while experienced developers save time and reduce cognitive load.

Demo

Its a very easier plug and play terminal cli
Quick Start

git clone https://github.com/WereElliot/commandcraft.git
cd commandcraft
python commandcraft.py

Example Commands

"Show me disk usage"

"Show me my git history"

My Experience with GitHub Copilot CLI

Working with GitHub Copilot CLI was eye-opening. Instead of manually writing shell commands, I could describe my intent in natural language and let Copilot generate the correct syntax.
-It accelerated my workflow by reducing time spent searching for command snippets.
-It lowered the mental burden of remembering complex commands.
-It made the command line more approachable, especially for tasks like Git history or backup utilities.
-Most importantly, it turned the project into a learning tool — I discovered new commands and shell features by seeing Copilot’s suggestions in action.

Overall, Copilot CLI felt like having a mentor in the terminal, guiding me through both routine and advanced tasks.

CommandCraft is my step toward making the command line smarter, friendlier, and more productive. I’m excited to keep extending it with custom workflows and utilities.