plain english // zero prerequisites

The tech, minus the gatekeeping.

Short introductions for curious people who do not spend their evenings arguing about frameworks.

3 field guides · about 4 minutes each

beginner field guide

AI, without the fog machine

What models, prompts, tokens, and hallucinations mean in ordinary language.

A model predicts what comes next

A modern AI has studied patterns in huge amounts of material. When you ask it something, it builds a reply one small piece at a time. It can sound thoughtful without thinking or knowing things the way a person does.

A prompt is your brief

The prompt is simply what you ask for. Good prompts give useful context: who the answer is for, what result you want, and any limits. You do not need magic words or technical jargon.

Tokens are pieces of language

AI services count text in chunks called tokens. A short word may be one token; a long word may be several. More tokens usually mean a longer conversation and a little more cost.

Confidence is not proof

An AI can invent a convincing but false detail. This is often called a hallucination. Check important names, numbers, medical guidance, legal claims, and sources before relying on them.

Keep this: Use AI as a quick collaborator, not as an unquestionable authority.

beginner field guide

What Lovable actually does

How a written idea becomes a website you can see, test, and publish.

You describe the outcome

Instead of starting with code, you explain what you want people to do, what the page should contain, and how it should feel. Lovable turns that brief into a working web project.

It builds real software

The result is not just a picture. It has pages, buttons, layouts, and—when needed—secure storage and server-side functions. You can test each change in a live preview.

Conversation replaces busywork, not judgment

You still decide what is useful, accurate, and appropriate for your audience. Clear feedback such as ‘make this easier to scan’ works better than trying to sound technical.

Publishing makes it public

When the result is ready, publishing places it on managed hosting and can connect it to a domain such as jonnycashen.com.

Keep this: Lovable is a workshop where plain-language direction becomes a working web product.

beginner field guide

Claude or ChatGPT?

A neutral way to choose between two popular AI assistants.

They are products, not single brains

ChatGPT is made by OpenAI and usually uses GPT models. Claude is made by Anthropic and uses Claude models. Both products change regularly and may offer several model choices.

Both handle everyday work

Either can explain a topic, draft a message, summarize text, brainstorm, and help with code. The quality often depends more on your context and instructions than on the logo you chose.

Their strengths can feel different

People often like Claude for careful long-form reading and writing, while ChatGPT is known for a broad collection of tools and integrations. These are tendencies, not permanent rules.

Choose with a small real test

Give both the same task you actually care about. Compare accuracy, tone, ease of use, privacy settings, and price. Keep the one that creates less checking and rewriting for you.

Keep this: There is no universal winner; use the assistant that works best for your real task today.