dr-j

New update shipped responding to requests from Show HN; restart Dlog or select "Check for Updates" in bottom toggle to get it free.

- New ANONYMIZER in Coach; toggle on to anonymize names in entries sent to coach AI API.

- Fixed Bug in Four Rings where comparisons were miscalculated when swapped.

- Fixed Dataset load failed … Dlog.(unknown context)…LoadError. The error had occurred when no entries have been scored.

- Fixed Bug where 1 million tokens were not being applied upon purchase.

- Other general improvements.

Also, dlog now has a bluesky @dlog.bsky.social where I'll be posting all updates and news. Also email me [email protected] to get the perpetual license for ShowHN users.

Thanks for all the support and energy in the comments!!

Noted. Actually mods wrote me about this, apologies, I won’t use AI in comments here. Dlog is a private journaling app with optional goals and project lists. it’s not a team PM tool. The coach is optional and journals stay on the Mac by default. Concrete product feedback is welcome. I’m tightening the site copy and will keep replies brief, but in some cases provide links for longer. To keep both people who prefer brevity and depth happy. Take care. Johan.

Fair point, AI coaches aren’t for everyone. The Coach in Dlog is optional; nothing is scored or sent unless you explicitly choose to.

Thanks for this; that parable lands. Dlog’s goal is the opposite: surface your personal patterns so you can deliberately stop, rest, and protect downtime.

Thanks for sharing that story, great cautionary tale about apps that drift from “helpful” into prescriptive/social enforcement.

Dlog takes the opposite approach: • Agency first: The Coach proposes; you decide. No phone trees, no task assignments, no social mechanics. You can ignore, not use or set a low-cadence to the guidance. • Explainability over prescriptions: Suggestions come with a brief “why” based on your SEM reports (which factors moved and by how much) plus charts so you can sanity-check against lived experience. • Local-first privacy: Journals live on-device (EventKit). Scoring + SEM run locally. By default no raw text leaves the device unless you use the coach, this is optional, but there is a bit of a leap of faith here with OpenAI; until I enable on device LLMs in due course. • No hidden incentives: No affiliate nudges, upsells, or growth hacks. It doesn’t decide what you wear/eat or route calls to you; it surfaces patterns (e.g., “energy dips after external calls”) so you can choose actions that fit your constraints.

If that story raised a specific worry: loss of autonomy, privacy creep, or community spam, then does the above address it? I’m especially interested in whether the “why” behind recommendations is clear enough or needs to be tighter.

The responses here so far have been amazing; working hard on your suggestions. I wanted to also share that Dlog received its first sales and founding supporters from Show HN in the last 24 hours; I can't thank you enough for the encouragement and motivation.

Awesome, I'll check that out! Thanks!!

Appreciate the detailed look. A few clarifications and immediate fixes: • Concepts pie: noted. It’s a minor visualizer and not a current priority; there are dozens of other charts in the Dlog Lab tab. I’ll queue a fix, but I’m focusing elsewhere first. • Privacy policy: you’re right—OpenAI is a third-party processor. I’m correcting the policy to say exactly when data is sent, what is sent, and under what controls (Enterprise API with no training/retention). I’ll also add a simple data-flow diagram. • Local vs cloud: journals live on-device; the SEM runs locally. Scoring only happens when you explicitly choose to score—there’s no background upload. I’m adding a per-journal “Include in Coach analyses” toggle, and a simple “Remove names” anonymizer (ships in the next few days) so names are stripped before any scoring call. • BYO endpoint: not on the near-term roadmap. I’m prioritizing clear privacy controls and product focus over supporting custom model URLs right now. • Copy/video: I’ll tighten the site copy to lead with privacy and analysis, and make the local vs cloud boundary crisp.

Thanks for pushing on clarity—fixes are in motion.

Fair point—my last reply was too long. Here’s the concise version: • What it is: Personal journaling + goals; not a team PM tool (no sharing yet). • Habit & wellbeing: Baseline + weekly model → small, specific nudges. Projects are optional. • Coach: Optional AI that summarizes your patterns; complements (doesn’t replace) a human mentor. • Privacy & cost: Journals stay on-device; by default no raw text leaves the Mac. AI is per-prompt/opt-in; typical use is modest. (HN readers can DM/email for a perpetual license + tokens to test.) • Action: I’m tightening the site copy and adding a clear “why” explainer.

Thanks for the nudge.