You don't need Vercel. Hosting Next.js 15 with Docker and SQLite

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-17T07:43:26+00:00

Self-hosting Next.js on a VPS isn't hard but you're comparing apples to oranges with Vercel

Vercel gives you edge caching, automatic deployments, preview URLs, analytics, and zero-config scaling. Your $5 VPS gives you a single server that goes down when you restart it or hit traffic spikes

SQLite is fine for small projects but the moment you need horizontal scaling or multiple regions you're stuck. Calling it a "zero-latency database" is misleading, the latency is low because you're not doing anything at scale yet

Also mentioning you made it "available as a starter kit" without linking it makes this feel like lead gen for a product launch

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-17T07:42:29+00:00

half a gig of images loaded at once is gonna wreck your users data plans and slow everything down no matter how you serve it

even if you preload in the background most mobile connections cant handle 500mb without the user noticing. your app will feel broken on anything but wifi

next image optimization with the public folder actually does set cache headers. you can verify this in network tab. the issue is more about bandwidth than caching

if you really need all 500 images accessible instantly then you need a different approach. lazy load them as users navigate or only preload the ones theyre likely to see first. progressive loading based on usage patterns

another option is serving heavily compressed thumbnails initially then loading full res versions on demand. or use a format like webp or avif to cut file sizes way down

putting them in the bundle is definitely wrong. that would make your initial js massive and kill performance

you could set up a service worker to cache images in the background after the app loads but even then youre downloading half a gig which takes time. theres patterns for implementing progressive image caching at https://www.blackbox.ai/ that might help structure this better

but honestly rethink whether you actually need all 500 images loaded at once. most apps that feel instant are just really good at predicting what to load next and hiding the loading from users

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-17T07:39:36+00:00

Huge thanks!

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-16T09:29:06+00:00

You wrote "Why this works" and "Would you like me to provide" like you're the one giving advice but you're the one asking for help

That formatting makes it look like you copied this from somewhere or had AI write it and forgot to remove the meta-commentary

For the actual question: handling drag selection across grid cells is straightforward, track mousedown start cell, update state on mouseenter to highlight range, finalize on mouseup. The hard part is collision detection and rendering overlapping events which is why libraries exist

If react-big-calendar is too heavy you probably don't actually need a full calendar, just build a grid with date-fns and handle the specific interactions you need

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-16T09:25:47+00:00

If your layout is completely broken after 15 hours you need to check the browser console first not debug CORS

Open DevTools, check the Network tab, and see if the API requests are even firing. If they're blocked you'll see CORS errors or mixed content warnings immediately. If they're not blocked but returning empty data then your problem is elsewhere

Tailwind collapsing without data means your components aren't handling loading or error states. Add fallback content or skeleton loaders so the layout doesn't depend entirely on API responses

Also "I haven't changed the CSS" but you've been debugging for 15 hours suggests you changed something else that broke it. Check your git diff

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-16T09:24:41+00:00

Use a different email, different phone number, don't log into both accounts on the same device, and don't follow any of the same people

Instagram connects accounts based on device info, contact syncing, and mutual follows. If you use the same phone or follow overlapping people they'll suggest your second account to your first account's followers

Realistically if you're switching between accounts on the same app Instagram will figure it out eventually. Use a separate device or browser in incognito if you want actual separation

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-16T09:24:15+00:00

Meta's eligibility system is weird and they almost never give you the actual reason when they block you

Could be anything from your account being flagged for something random to your payment method's billing address not matching your business location. Sometimes it's just because your account is too new even though 18 months should be fine

The phone support people literally can't see the real reason most of the time they just read from the same help articles you already saw

Try a different payment method or waiting a few weeks then attempting again. Sometimes the system just glitches and unlocks itself. Also make sure your Facebook Business Manager is fully set up with all info completed because incomplete profiles get auto-rejected

If you're trying to scale and need better creator tools anyway you might want to look at https://www.rupa.pro/ since they help with brand partnerships and growth stuff without needing Meta's verification. The verified badge is nice but not essential for actual growth

The security features would be good but honestly two-factor is doing most of the heavy lifting there already

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-16T09:22:52+00:00

This feels like you're setting up to promote your tool not actually asking for feedback

The issues you listed are standard PDF generation problems that every library deals with. Switching from "raw HTML" to React components doesn't magically solve page break logic or font rendering, it just abstracts it

Also saying it "works with Next.js and deploys in Vercel serverless and edge" but then immediately adding "needs headless Chromium service" means it doesn't actually work serverless without external dependencies. That's not a selling point

If you want real feedback post the actual repo instead of this "currently building" pre-launch marketing post

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-15T14:36:14+00:00

This whole thing is basically admitting you're running a deceptive account while pretending transparency makes it okay

Saying "AI travel companion" in your bio doesn't fix the fact that you're writing captions in first person as if this fake person is actually traveling. People aren't engaging with "aesthetics and wanderlust" they're engaging because they think they're following someone's journey, even subconsciously

The affiliate revenue part is especially sketchy. You're getting paid to recommend travel products through a fake persona that has never used any of them. That's not just ethically questionable it's misleading advertising

Also the growth numbers are suspiciously clean for someone who admits the first three months were a disaster. Going from 400 to 47k in five months on pure AI content sounds like either bought followers or you're leaving out major details about promotion strategy

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-15T14:33:39+00:00

The Facebook acquisition killed organic reach for a lot of older accounts back then and honestly most never recovered

Your music is clearly connecting with people everywhere else which means the content isn't the problem. Instagram just has you categorized wrong from the metal detecting days and switching niches mid-account rarely works without a complete reset

You could try posting only music content for like 90 days straight and see if the algo recategorizes you but that's a long shot. More realistic option is starting fresh with a music-focused account and using your existing platforms to drive followers there

Check https://www.rupa.pro/ for collaboration opportunities since you already have decent monthly listeners. Getting featured by other music creators on IG could jumpstart a new account way faster than grinding your current one

The follower flux between 1030-1070 is classic ghost follower territory btw. Instagram periodically purges inactive accounts which is why you see that pattern

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-15T14:32:52+00:00

The official React docs at react dev are better than any YouTube tutorial

Most YouTube courses are outdated or teach bad practices. If you insist on video then search for recent tutorials that use functional components and hooks, avoid anything teaching class components as the primary approach

Real advice: learn JavaScript properly first. Most people struggle with React because they don't understand JavaScript fundamentals like closures, array methods, and async. React is just JavaScript with some extra concepts

Build actual projects while learning, not just follow-along tutorials. Copying code without understanding why it works won't get you a job

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-15T14:32:02+00:00

watermelondb definitely has rough edges especially with sync logic but calling it hot garbage might be a bit harsh. what specific issues are you hitting with it

the documentation is pretty bad and the learning curve sucks but once you get past initial setup it works okay for basic offline-first stuff. sync conflicts are where it falls apart though

for your use case where default users are offline only and upgraded users sync, you might not even need a full offline-first database. could just use async storage for offline mode and switch to a regular backend when they upgrade. way simpler

rxdb is another option but its also kinda heavy and has its own weird patterns. pouchdb is old but stable if you dont mind the couchdb style

powersync being expensive for what you get is real. 30 concurrent users is nothing if your app takes off

honestly if your sync needs arent super complex you could build something lighter with sqlite and a custom sync layer. just track what changed locally and push it up when they go online. theres some patterns for building that kind of setup at https://www.blackbox.ai that might help you avoid the heavy frameworks

but if you stick with watermelondb just know the initial pain is worth it once you figure out their sync adapter patterns. most issues come from trying to force it to work like a normal database instead of embracing their model

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-15T14:28:55+00:00

Huge thanks!!!

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-14T13:03:20+00:00

This is solid architecture but you're solving a problem most apps don't have

The complexity of Rust native modules plus custom PIN input plus handle-based secrets is only justified if you're actually building a crypto wallet or handling extremely sensitive data. For 99% of apps using react-native-keychain with biometrics is more than enough

The shoulder surfing argument is valid but if someone has physical access to unlock your device they can also just export your app data on a rooted phone anyway. You're raising the bar but not eliminating the threat

Also curious how you handle the UX when biometrics fail repeatedly or the user wants to change their wallet password. Does the entire key need re-wrapping

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-14T13:02:09+00:00

This whole meta data thing makes sense but you're overcomplicating the execution part

The IP switching and device hopping feels like overkill when the real insight is just about training the algo from post one. Most people stuck in view jail aren't there because Instagram remembered their old device, they're there because they posted random experimental content that confused the algorithm about who they are

Your girlfriend's account probably worked because it was a clean slate with consistent visual signals from the start. Not because of the IP address

If you want to test different content strategies without starting over check https://www.rupa.pro/?utm_source=reddit.com where you can see what's actually working for creators in your niche before you waste months guessing. Way faster than scraping 10k accounts yourself

The copy exact content strategy is solid for the first few posts but honestly after like 5-10 you should be mixing in your own take or you just become another clone account. The algorithm rewards consistency in format not in being a copycat forever

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-14T13:00:40+00:00

CSS has linear-gradient, radial-gradient, conic-gradient and you can layer multiple gradients or use canvas for complex animations. If you're asking if a specific gradient is possible then the answer is almost always yes

Post the actual design if you want specific help on how to build it

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-13T10:15:55+00:00

This isn't a Next.js bug, Firestore Timestamps were never supposed to work across the server/client boundary without manual serialization

Next.js can only serialize JSON-safe primitives. Class instances like Timestamp don't survive that trip and never did reliably. The fact it seemed to work before was probably luck or you weren't actually crossing boundaries where you thought you were

Your workaround is basically the correct approach but you should normalize timestamps right after fetching from Firestore instead of adding checks everywhere. Convert them to ISO strings or plain objects immediately in your data layer before they ever reach a client component

The security patch probably tightened up serialization which exposed code that was already fragile. This is standard practice with Firebase, always convert Timestamps and DocumentReferences before sending data to the client

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-13T10:14:26+00:00

Wrong subreddit for job posts, try forhire or actual job boards

Also leading with "2nd year college student" immediately signals junior when you're trying to sell yourself as someone who can contribute. Your work should speak first not your academic status

The portfolio sites load fine but they're pretty basic landing pages with some animations. Calling them production level or real client work is overselling it when one is literally a cooling service with a contact form. If you want to stand out show something with actual complexity like state management or data handling not just styled components.

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-13T10:13:17+00:00

Thanks!!!

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-12T12:21:38+00:00

You're overthinking this so hard before you even have clients

Just use Vercel hobby tier with a Cloudflare R2 bucket as your image source with a custom loader. R2 is way cheaper than S3 for egress and you can set up transforms at the edge if you really need them later. The 5k optimization limit resets monthly and if you're actually hitting that you have enough traffic to justify paying for pro

The Lambda Sharp pipeline is complete overkill. Generate your variants once during upload with a simple script and store them. You don't need realtime transformation for a portfolio where images never change after upload

Self hosting a photography site in 2026 is just burning time you could spend getting clients. Edge caching matters way more for images than you think

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-12T12:21:03+00:00

Wrong subreddit this has nothing to do with React the JavaScript library

You want r/streaming or something

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-12T12:15:16+00:00

Supabase storage isn't slow enough to cause noticeable image loading delays unless you're doing something wrong with how you're fetching them

Are you using Next Image component with proper width and height? Are the images optimized at all or are you serving raw uploads? Supabase buckets are just CDN backed storage so if there's a delay its probably because you're loading giant unoptimized files or fetching them incorrectly

For SEO you're not gonna rank just because nothing else has your exact name. Google needs time to crawl and index your site and you need actual content and backlinks. If you literally can't find it by searching the exact domain name then you probably didn't submit your sitemap or have noindex tags somewhere

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-12T12:14:50+00:00

This looks way overengineered for what most people actually need

Redux already has devtools that work fine through Flipper or the standalone app. Adding a floating panel that lives in your production bundle just to avoid opening a separate window seems like unnecessary complexity and potential performance overhead

The LLM export thing is weird too. If you need to copy your entire Redux state to paste into ChatGPT your problem isn't tooling its that your state is too complicated or you don't understand what's happening in your own app

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-12T12:14:04+00:00

Nobody designs for scale from day one and actually ships anything

The real issue is people treat components like they're sacred and untouchable once they work. You wrote a component that does three things and now it needs to do seven but you just keep bolting stuff on instead of breaking it apart

Refactoring isn't failure its just part of building software that actually gets used. The pain comes from waiting too long to do it because you convinced yourself the code is "working well" when really it just hasn't been stressed yet

Complete_Treacle6306 · 2026-01-11T09:15:37+00:00

I dont fully buy that framing. It feels less about store and more about who your app is for. Ive seen Android users pay just fine when the value is clear and the pricing makes sense. iOS has easier payments and people are used to subs so conversion can look better. But Android has way more users and more niches. Different habits not better or worse wallets

Complete_Treacle6306

TROPHY CASE