Extension Path: For Everyday Users¶
🚀 Everyday users can start directly at Tier 0 (web / mobile apps), without any setup. Only read
resources/setup-guide.en.mdA-C (about 30 minutes from zero) when you want to run a local LLM (Tier 3) or use CLI automation (Tier 2).← Back to main path README · You don't have to walk the full main path to start here — this branch is for people who just want to USE AI, not build agents.
Use Cases (Life Scenarios × How AI Helps)¶
The table below splits everyday AI use into 7 common scenarios. Most of them are fully covered by web apps at Tier 0:
| Scenario | Pain point | How AI helps | Recommended tools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing email / cover letters | Getting stuck on how to start | Drafting + tone edits + version comparison | Claude.ai / ChatGPT |
| Learning new skills | Materials feel formal; nobody is there to ask | Personalized tutoring, interruptible at any time | Claude.ai / ChatGPT |
| Language practice | No conversation partner; unclear grammar mistakes | Voice conversation and instant correction | ChatGPT Voice / Gemini |
| Research / comparison | Hard to know which source to trust | Multi-source search with citations | Perplexity |
| Organizing life workflows | Recipes / trips / todo lists are scattered | Consolidation + structure | Claude.ai / ChatGPT |
| Batch file cleanup | 100 PDFs / images with no clear grouping | Rename + classify + summarize | Claude Desktop / Claude Code |
| Privacy-sensitive chat | Medical / legal / financial notes should not go to the cloud | Run a local LLM | Ollama + qwen2.5 |
💡 Do not rush upgrades: the first 5 scenarios can stay at Tier 0 (web). You only need Tier 1-3 when you repeat the same flow often or data absolutely cannot leave your machine.
Where to Start: 4 Tiers by "How Hands-On Are You?"¶
Tier 0: Web / Mobile App (recommended starting point)
↓
Tier 1: Desktop App (upgrade when you need to handle local files)
↓
Tier 2: CLI Agent (willing to learn a bit of command line; automate daily flows)
↓
Tier 3: Local LLM (privacy-sensitive, cost-sensitive, want offline)
Most people stay at Tier 0 / Tier 1 — Tiers 2-3 are for special needs or learners.
🎯 Curated Projects¶
Tier 0 — Web / Mobile App ⭐ Entry-level¶
Claude.ai ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐¶
Anthropic's official interface. Best for long-form writing, in-depth discussion, complex questions — answer style is more restrained, less hallucination-prone.
ChatGPT ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐¶
OpenAI's official interface. Largest ecosystem (GPTs, Custom Instructions, Voice mode). The standard general-purpose pick.
Gemini ⭐⭐⭐⭐¶
Google's offering. Long context — enough to read very long documents, roughly a thick book — is particularly useful for dropping in a whole PDF and asking questions; still check whether citations and summaries are correct. Integrated with Google services (Gmail, Docs).
Perplexity ⭐⭐⭐⭐¶
Search engine × LLM — every answer cites sources. Better than ChatGPT for "needs current info" scenarios.
Tier 1 — Desktop App¶
Claude Desktop ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐¶
Beyond the web version: drag files in, read local files, retain long conversation context. Also the gateway to the MCP ecosystem — you can connect Slack / Gmail / Calendar servers.
ChatGPT Desktop ⭐⭐⭐⭐¶
Desktop version of ChatGPT. Ask questions about screenshots, voice conversation, integrate with other apps.
Tier 2 — CLI Agents (advanced users willing to learn the command line)¶
These tools are positioned for developers but everyday users can use them too — e.g. batch-rename files, organize the Downloads folder, auto-write weekly reviews, summarize PDFs into Markdown.
Want a detailed comparison? See
resources/cli-agents-guide.en.md— six major CLI agents side by side, recommendations by use case, common pitfalls, real-world setups.Want step-by-step onboarding? See
tracks/cli/A1-cli-intro.en.md— Track A first stop, from install to your first task.Want to wire your CLI agent to Notion / Obsidian / Excel / Google docs / etc.? See
resources/mcp-skills-catalog.en.md— 62 MCP servers / Skills grouped by use case.
anthropics/claude-code ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐¶
★ 120k+ — Anthropic's official CLI agent. Reads/writes files, runs commands, handles multi-step tasks. The most beginner-friendly CLI tool for everyday users.
openai/codex ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Stars | ★ 80k+ |
| License | Apache-2.0 |
What it teaches: OpenAI's terminal agent — it can help organize files, batch-process text, and run multi-step tasks from the command line; coding is only one use case. Same category as Claude Code, but uses OpenAI models.
Best for: People who already subscribe to ChatGPT Plus / Pro and want to use the same account in the terminal.
sst/opencode ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Stars | ★ 155k+ |
| License | MIT |
What it teaches: Open-source coding agent not tied to any specific LLM provider — use Claude, GPT, Gemini, or local Ollama, your choice. Community-maintained, fast iteration.
Best for: Self-hosters; people who don't want vendor lock-in; anyone switching between multiple LLMs.
google-gemini/gemini-cli ⭐⭐⭐⭐¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Stars | ★ 103k+ |
| License | Apache-2.0 |
What it teaches: Google's official Gemini CLI agent. Brings Gemini's long context and Google ecosystem integration to the terminal.
Best for: Heavy users of the Google ecosystem (Gmail, Drive, Docs).
Tier 3 — Local LLM (privacy / offline / cost)¶
Ollama ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐¶
★ 170k+ — One command to run a local LLM. Use this when privacy-sensitive data (medical records, contracts, family conversations) shouldn't leave your machine. See Stage 1 — Local LLM.
LM Studio¶
Closed-source but the most beginner-friendly option — drag-and-drop UI, no command line. Mac / Windows / Linux.
Prompt Library¶
f/awesome-chatgpt-prompts ⭐⭐⭐⭐¶
★ 161k+ — Community-maintained prompt megacatalog. "Act as a translator / résumé consultant / chef..." in hundreds of roles. When stuck on how to start, browse here.
Required Reading¶
- Anthropic — How to write effective prompts — readable without code
- OpenAI — Prompting Guide — the parallel official doc
If you want to go deeper, see Stage 2 — Prompt Engineering, which has a more systematic treatment.
Workflows You Can Build (by frequency)¶
Use these 5 templates as starting points and adapt them to your own context:
| Frequency | Workflow | Steps (≤3) | Recommended tools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | Email triage | (1) Paste pending emails into Claude in the morning (2) Ask it to classify "reply now / today / this week / skip" (3) Draft replies for your review |
Claude.ai / ChatGPT |
| Daily | Speaking practice | (1) Open ChatGPT Voice (2) Practice English / Japanese conversation (3) Ask it to flag grammar mistakes |
ChatGPT Voice / Gemini |
| Weekly | Weekly journal | (1) Tell Claude what you did this week (2) Ask for a journal + next week's priorities (3) Save it to Obsidian / Notion |
Claude.ai |
| Occasional | Batch file cleanup | (1) Run Claude Code in your Downloads folder (2) Rename by date + topic (3) Sort into subfolders |
Claude Code |
| Privacy scenario | Local medical / legal / financial notes | (1) Run qwen2.5:7b in Ollama (2) Organize personal notes without sending data to the cloud (3) ⚠️ It protects privacy, not correctness: specific diagnoses / legal judgments / investment decisions still require professionals |
Ollama + qwen2.5 |
💡 Starter habit: run "daily email triage" and "speaking practice" for a month first, then add other workflows.
Tier Recommendations for Everyday Users¶
Recommended progression:
| Tier | Tools | Best for | Learning cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 0 | Claude.ai / ChatGPT / Gemini / Perplexity (web) | 90% of scenarios: no install, no payment required | 0 (if you can use a browser) |
| Tier 1 | Claude Desktop / ChatGPT Desktop + MCP | Local files, retained conversation history, Gmail / Notion integrations | 30 minutes |
| Tier 2 | Claude Code / opencode (CLI) | Repeated automation needs, such as doing the same task 100 times daily | 1-2 days |
| Tier 3 | Ollama local LLM | Privacy-sensitive data that cannot go to the cloud, API-cost sensitivity, offline use | Half a day |
Do not let anyone push you to upgrade prematurely. Tier 0 is enough for most people. Tiers 2-3 are tools, not status symbols.
Community Notes¶
Contributions especially welcome:
- Domain-specific prompt templates (cooking, fitness, language learning)
- Chinese-friendly chat tools (Chinese LLMs, localized wrappers)
- Privacy / safety best practices (what data is OK to send / what isn't)
See CONTRIBUTING.md.