Welcome to Cootason
Hey there! I’m Dean Barrett, but you probably know me as Cootason. This is where I document my adventures in breaking things, building things, and occasionally getting things to work exactly how I want them to.
What This Blog Is About
I’m obsessed with pushing AI tools beyond their comfort zones. Whether it’s coaxing an AI into composing music, turboccharging my productivity workflow, or building something that probably shouldn’t exist (but does anyway), I’m here for it. This blog is my digital lab notebook—expect experiments, tutorials, unexpected discoveries, and the occasional “I can’t believe that actually worked” moment.
You’ll Find Content About:
AI Experiments & Productivity – How I’m using AI tools to work smarter, faster, and sometimes in ways the developers never intended. From workflow automation to creative AI applications, I test it all.
Music Creation with AI – Exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and audio production. Whether it’s generating melodies, processing sounds, or building entirely new instruments, this is where music meets machine learning.
Web Development & WordPress Wizardry – Custom solutions, unconventional workarounds, and tutorials on getting WordPress (and other platforms) to do things they don’t usually do. If there’s a feature I want that doesn’t exist, I’ll show you how I built it.
Building Projects from Scratch – HTML applications, browser games, self-hosted alternatives to popular services—like my ongoing quest to build a Discord alternative with integrated streaming for content creators who want complete control over their communities.
Linux & Self-Hosting – Running experiments in Docker containers, setting up self-hosted services, and documenting what works (and what spectacularly doesn’t). If it can run in a container, I’ve probably tried to break it.
Gaming on Linux – Testing Steam’s Proton compatibility across different titles, troubleshooting performance, and proving that Linux gaming is more viable than most people think. Expect benchmarks, configuration tips, and the occasional “this game has no business running this well” revelation.
Why I’m Sharing This
I learn by doing, and I believe the best way to master something is to teach it. Every article here is part experiment, part tutorial, and part “let me show you what happens when you try this.” Some posts will be polished guides. Others will be raw documentation of projects in progress. All of it is real, tested, and built from actual experience.
Whether you’re here to learn a specific technique, get inspired for your own projects, or just curious about what’s possible when you refuse to accept “that’s not how it works” as an answer—welcome. Let’s build something interesting together.
Ready to dive in? Check out my latest posts below, or use the search to find tutorials on specific tools and techniques. And if you end up trying something you find here, I’d love to hear how it goes.
— Cootason (Dean Barrett)
