gto
A web-based chatbot that channels fatherly wisdom from "GTO" (Gary Thomas O'Neill), a warm Midwestern dad character, using OpenAI's GPT.
23 commits over 3 days
What it is
Ask GTO is a conversational web app that provides fatherly advice and wisdom through an AI-powered chatbot. The bot is modeled after Gary Thomas O'Neill, a fictional warm-hearted Midwestern dad who ran a machine shop and raised nine children. Users can ask questions, receive thoughtful responses, rate the advice with thumbs up/down, and review conversation history through a built-in log viewer.
Why I built it
Likely built as a personal or family project to preserve and share the wisdom and voice of a fatherly figure (possibly inspired by a real family member). The detailed character backstory and intimate family details (nine children, co-parent Ann Marie O'Neill, machine shop background) suggest this is a meaningful tribute or legacy project that uses AI to recreate a specific person's communication style and values.
Tech stack
PHP 8.2, Apache HTTP Server, SQLite database, OpenAI GPT-3.5-turbo API, Bootstrap 4, jQuery. Fully containerized with Docker and includes Dokploy deployment configuration for production hosting.
Timeline & effort
Last active Oct 28, 2025 — 23 commits across 3 active days (spanning 25 days).
Built over a 25-day span (Oct 3–28, 2025) with 23 commits concentrated into just 3 active days. This pattern suggests focused development sprints with initial setup, iteration, and deployment configuration work.
Did it turn out useful?
The app was fully deployed to production at gto.powvibes.com with comprehensive Dokploy deployment documentation, SSL configuration, health checks, and persistent storage setup. The presence of detailed deployment guides, GitHub Actions CI/CD, Docker configuration, and production domain configuration all indicate this was shipped and intended for real use by an audience (likely family members or a community).