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Personal data exposed via simple
curlendpoints – Users create tiny services that return personal info (music, reading lists) with a single command."
curl listening.cailinpitt.comshows what music I've been listening to recently" – classictraffic -
Playful, experimental attitude toward building web‑like tools – The projects are done for fun and to inspire similar creations.
"
I think these are very fun and I would love to see more content you can visit with curl." – zanderwohl -
Making content usable on low‑tech or “dumb” devices – Emphasis on plain‑text output so even minimal hardware can display the information.
"
I was contemplating making a plaintext version so very stupid devices could still read and display interesting data." – zanderwohl
Fancy Curl Sites
📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)
🚀 Project Ideas
Generating project ideas…
CurlBoard
Summary
- A self-hosted web service that aggregates personal data sources (music scrobbles, reading lists, weather, calendar, chores) and exposes them as simple, curl-friendly plaintext endpoints.
- Core value: gives users a private, lightweight way to view their personal info from any terminal or minimal device without needing a full web UI.
Details
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Target Audience | Developers, sysadmins, and hobbyists who run home servers and want terminal‑accessible personal dashboards |
| Core Feature | Unified API that pulls from Last.fm, Goodreads, OpenWeather, Google/iCal calendars, and Todo.txt, then serves /listening, /reading, /weather, /calendar, /chores as plaintext |
| Tech Stack | Node.js (or Python) backend, Express/FastAPI, Redis cache optional, Docker for deployment |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Monetization | Hobby |
Notes
- HN users like classictraffic enjoy
curl listening.cailinpitt.com; CurlBoard lets anyone replicate that for multiple data streams. - Enables “very stupid devices” to display useful info, matching zanderwohl’s wish for plaintext versions of chores, calendar, and weather.
PlainTextify
Summary
- A CLI tool and library that converts any JSON or RSS feed into a customizable plaintext endpoint via a simple template language.
- Core value: lets developers quickly expose their personal data (or any public API) as curl‑friendly text without building a full web app.
Details
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Target Audience | Developers and power users who want to script personal data feeds for terminal use |
| Core Feature | Define a template (Handlebars‑style) for each endpoint; the tool runs a lightweight HTTP server that renders the template with live data on request |
| Tech Stack | Go (for single‑binary distribution) or Rust, uses Cobra for CLI, templates via Go's text/template |
| Difficulty | Low |
| Monetization | Hobby |
Notes
- Commenters expressed desire for “more content you can visit with curl”; PlainTextify lets them turn a Goodreads RSS feed into
/readingwith one command. - Encourages discussion around templating and sharing of personal data widgets, fitting the HN culture of hacking personal dashboards.
CurlHub
Summary
- A hosted (SaaS) platform that provides each user a unique subdomain (e.g.,
username.curlhub.com) where they can plug in APIs (Spotify, Pocket, WeatherAPI, Google Calendar, Todoist) and instantly get plaintext views accessible viacurl. - Core value: removes the need to run your own server while preserving privacy through encrypted storage and optional self‑hosted mode.
Details
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Target Audience | Non‑technical users and enthusiasts who want a ready‑made curl‑accessible personal dashboard without managing infrastructure |
| Core Feature | UI to connect services, select data fields, choose output format (plaintext or markdown), and generate endpoints like /listening, /reading, /weather, /chores |
| Tech Stack | Frontend: React (Next.js); Backend: Node.js/NestJS; Data storage: encrypted PostgreSQL; Deployment: Docker/Kubernetes on cloud |
| Difficulty | High |
| Monetization | Revenue-ready: $5/mo per user (free tier with limited endpoints) |
Notes
- zanderwohl wanted a plaintext version for stupid devices; CurlHub gives them a hosted solution they can curl from any device, even a simple IoT screen. - The idea would spark HN discussion about trade‑offs between self‑hosted convenience and managed services, and could inspire open‑source alternatives.