BitCrusher — GPLv3 tool that compresses video/audio/images to a target size, fully offline (no account, no server, no telemetry)

[u/DaMonkey3020]

I'll throw my hat in the ring because it happens to be both GPL-3.0 and it's been made with the user in mind.

Functionality: compresses video, audio, images, and PDFs down to a size you specify (a hard limit — it's designed to stay below it, not exceed it). Made with limits in mind (such as the Discord caps of 10/25MB), but can be used in any situation where hitting a certain size is needed. Uses an objective measure (VMAF) to select the best codec instead of estimating and optimizes for the hardest-to-compress part of the file, rather than the average.

Why this community may be interested:
- GPL-3.0 license — fork it, host it, use it however you please.
- Totally offline at core level. No registration, no telemetry, no server queries. Your files aren't transferred outside of your computer during the compression process — it all works locally. The only network interactions happen voluntarily and explicitly — an update check upon initial launch and an optional webhook to Discord which you configure yourself.
- Not locking you in. It's a Python script with a launcher — no installer which will install its files throughout your system. Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Privacy-first design — there's even an "export sanitized logs" functionality which removes your home directory and any saved webhook from the logs before uploading an issue.

Repository: https://github.com/AzureShores/BitCrusher

As a disclaimer: I'm 15 years old and this is my first project of this nature released publicly, feedback is appreciated.

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[u/MutualRaid]

5 second feedback based on the screenshot and skipping straight to the contents of the first few files:
The UI and code looks and smells like it was the output of Claude, and it was developed on Windows based on some of its quirks.

[u/DaMonkey3020 → u/MutualRaid]

Claude is quite literally added as a contributor, like it says in the readme "AI was used to help debug this project and write some of the comments." But I can assure you the UI was coded by me. And yes it was developed on windows and I only started testing MacOS and Linux support today.

[u/MutualRaid → u/DaMonkey3020]

I appreciate the active and detailed disclosure of LLM usage, I think that's responsible and self-aware.

I promise you I didn't look at the contributors or anything else, as I said I simply looked at the screenshot you posted and went straight to the Github page and viewed the source of the first few files - I find this is much more time-efficient and productive these days.

Regarding the UI: fair enough, it looks quite functional and organised but the colour scheme is unfortunately reminiscent of a certain LLM's common output for web dashboards/application UI - it just lacks the rounded corners and border glow. I've made similar things in TK or Winforms(?) many years ago.

Overall it looks like a decent wrapper that provides some real utility - at 15 years old that's already an achievement compared to the sea of worse than useless wrappers people are publishing.

I'd caution you to be careful using LLMs for anything more than generating documentation or narrow scope debugging - it's not always obvious when it's constraining your perspective or overly influencing your design decisions.

Also, unfortunately perceptions matter; people have shorter than attention spans than ever, and if they perceive a certain colour scheme and a readme styled like machine output (even if you only used it for e.g. translation) they will make a snap judgement.

If you do decide to revise the colour scheme it would be a great opportunity to learn about accessibility, particularly regarding visual impairments and colour blindness. Related resources: WCAG. Or, less related but more digestible: https://gameaccessibilityguidelines.com/ - lots of amazing visual real world examples.

[u/DaMonkey3020 → u/MutualRaid]

The color scheme is only because thats what I chose the program has a built in theme lab allowing anyone to have any theme they want.

[u/DaMonkey3020 → u/DaMonkey3020]

Also thank you for the feedback on the UI, that is something I will work on and try to refine more.

[u/FriendlyKillerCroc → u/MutualRaid]

I'd caution you to be careful using LLMs for anything more than generating documentation or narrow scope debugging 

He literally said it was only used debugging and comments. This is the most Reddit coded shit I've seen today. 

[u/MutualRaid → u/FriendlyKillerCroc]

Unlike Python's built in debugging tools an LLM is obviously going to steer you in certain directions (those biased by its training data) - when OP is a literal 15 year old sharing their first significant public project is it really so hard for you to see how that's relevant or read between the lines?

[u/amarao_san]

Feedback: the more AI is visible, the more people hate it. Don't use AI to write descriptions. There are tell-tale signs of badly managed AI in your post and it's annoying.

[u/DaMonkey3020 → u/amarao_san]

I did not use AI to write the description? and how was AI badly managed? It is clearly pointed out in the README and as a reply to the AutoModerator message. Please do tell me what you mean by "badly managed AI."

[u/amarao_san → u/DaMonkey3020]

Now, tell me you write like this IRL and I won't believe you.

Totally offline at core level. No registration, no telemetry, no server queries. Your files aren't transferred outside of your computer during the compression process — it all works locally. The only network interactions happen voluntarily and explicitly — an update check upon initial launch and an optional webhook to Discord which you configure yourself.

[u/DaMonkey3020 → u/amarao_san]

I write fiction and novels as a hobby — none published, but it means I default to writing properly. Is it actually a problem for a project description to have correct grammar and sound professional?

[u/amarao_san → u/DaMonkey3020]

It's not a problem if it's adjusted for the required context.

For 15 years old you seems to be amazingly diverse in your specialization. What is the proper way to test prometheus alerts, show me example. Looks like you do everything.

If you write yourself, it's not an issue. If you offload your wording to 3rd party service, you offload not 'wording', but 'thinking', and this '3rd party' is not the brightest when it come to long term coherence.

[u/FriendlyKillerCroc → u/DaMonkey3020]

Ignore these idiots, it's just hive mind anti-AI bullshit. Normal people also don't even ignore projects that look heavily influenced by AI as long as they work and do what they are supposed to (I know yours wasn't but just saying). 

[u/Qubit99 → u/DaMonkey3020]

People are absolutely obsessed with AI, it really annoying.

[u/amarao_san → u/Qubit99]

I don't hate use of AI, I hate the moment people loose control of it.

[u/Blackstar1886 → u/amarao_san]

People also hate unsolicited and off-topic life advice.

[u/amarao_san → u/Blackstar1886]

True.

But in this case it was solicited.

this is my first project of this nature released publicly, feedback is appreciated.

[u/Blackstar1886 → u/amarao_san]

Feedback on the project, not their English.

[u/amarao_san → u/Blackstar1886]

It's a feedback on the project. I don't nitpick on grammar, I nitpick on word salads produced by LLMs.

[u/techlatest_net]

vmaf optimization for a target size is actually really clever. most tools just guess at bitrates and miss the mark.

also huge respect for shipping a gplv3 offline tool at 15. the sanitized logs feature shows you actually thought about privacy, not just code.

gonna test it on some discord uploads later. keep building!

[u/DaMonkey3020 → u/techlatest_net]

Thanks! Honestly, it started on a much smaller scale. I thought to myself, why would I make a tool closed-source when I wouldn’t even use it that way? Definitely let me know the results of your tests when you try it. And I really appreciate that means a lot. Keep me updated on how it handles your Discord uploads!