The Token Tax of New Tech
AI-assisted development adds a new cost to tech choices: how much context, correction, and retrying your stack needs before it works.
Modern tools. Old-stack common sense.
Opinionated notes on old-stack and simple-stack development, including PHP, WordPress, LAMP, mature tools, and avoiding unnecessary complexity.
AI-assisted development adds a new cost to tech choices: how much context, correction, and retrying your stack needs before it works.
I rebuilt Automation Receipts around Tabler so every new page didn’t become another custom CSS decision, while keeping the PHP/MySQL app simple.
Codex makes old-school web development feel fresh again by helping with real code, small fixes, repo context, and practical solo builder workflows.
Most developers aren’t building Netflix. For normal web projects, PHP, MySQL, Apache and cron still do the job without startup architecture up front. Usually.
Simple stacks like PHP, MySQL, Apache, and cron jobs are still enough for many solo builder projects. Not every web app needs JavaScript complexity.
Stop retyping the same ChatGPT setup prompt. Custom GPTs turn repeated instructions, style rules, and project context into reusable workflows for real work.
Vibe coding works best when you stay in charge: give AI fresh files, ask for small changes, test everything, and keep product judgement human.