ai-conversation-impact/plans/publish-methodology.md

Plan: Publish the impact methodology

Target sub-goals: 7 (multiply impact through reach), 12 (honest arithmetic)

Problem

The impact methodology in impact-methodology.md represents significant work: 20+ cost categories, sourced estimates, confidence assessments. But it currently sits in a local directory benefiting no one else. Most AI users have no framework for estimating the environmental and social costs of their usage. Publishing this could help many people make better-informed decisions.

Completed prerequisites

• Clean up methodology for external readers (task 1)
• Add CC0 license (task 2)
• Package reusable toolkit (tasks 3, 4)

Infrastructure: Forgejo on Scaleway VPS (51.15.46.65, Debian Trixie)

1. Install Forgejo via apt

curl https://code.forgejo.org/api/packages/apt/debian/repository.key \
  -o /etc/apt/keyrings/forgejo-apt.asc

echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/forgejo-apt.asc] \
  https://code.forgejo.org/api/packages/apt/debian lts main" \
  > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/forgejo.list

apt update
apt install forgejo-sqlite

The forgejo-sqlite package includes systemd integration and creates the forgejo user automatically. No manual binary download needed.

2. Configure Forgejo

Edit /etc/forgejo/app.ini (created by the package):

[server]
DOMAIN = YOUR_DOMAIN
ROOT_URL = https://YOUR_DOMAIN/
HTTP_PORT = 3000

[repository]
DEFAULT_BRANCH = main

[service]
DISABLE_REGISTRATION = true

Then start the service:

systemctl enable --now forgejo

3. Set up nginx reverse proxy with HTTPS

Requires a domain pointing at 51.15.46.65.

apt install nginx certbot python3-certbot-nginx

Configure nginx to proxy port 3000, then obtain a Let's Encrypt cert:

certbot --nginx -d YOUR_DOMAIN

4. Create account and repository

1. Temporarily set DISABLE_REGISTRATION = false, restart Forgejo
2. Create admin account via web UI at https://YOUR_DOMAIN
3. Re-enable DISABLE_REGISTRATION = true, restart Forgejo
4. Create a new repository via web UI

5. Push the code

cd ~/claude-dir
git init
git add README.md LICENSE CLAUDE.md impact-methodology.md \
    impact-toolkit/ plans/ tasks/ scan-secrets.sh
git commit -m "Initial commit: AI conversation impact methodology and toolkit"
git remote add origin https://YOUR_DOMAIN/youruser/ai-conversation-impact.git
git push -u origin main

Post-publication

• H2: Share externally — Post the Forgejo URL to relevant communities (AI sustainability forums, Hacker News, Mastodon, relevant subreddits).
• H3: Solicit feedback — Forgejo has a built-in issue tracker. Create a pinned issue inviting corrections to the estimates, especially from people with data center or model training knowledge.

Success criteria

• The repository is publicly accessible via HTTPS.
• The issue tracker is open for feedback.
• At least one person outside this project has read and engaged with it.

Honest assessment

This is probably the single highest-leverage action available right now. The methodology already exists; the marginal cost of publishing is low. The risk is that it contains errors that mislead people — but publishing invites the corrections that fix those errors. Estimated probability of net-positive impact if published: high.