Topic Tracker

Why it exists

I wanted a better way to notice what is gaining traction without scrolling aimlessly or guessing off vibes alone.

Current focus

Testing sources, filtering noise, and deciding which signals actually deserve follow-up.

Build log

Short updates that keep the project page tied to ongoing work.

April 16, 2026

Separating signal from noise

The early work is mostly about source quality and deciding which patterns are useful enough to deserve action.

Case study

The fuller writeup: decisions, tradeoffs, and what the build clarified.

Topic Tracker is built around a quieter problem: most trend awareness is still too manual, too noisy, and too dependent on whatever happens to be visible in the moment.

The Actual Goal

The point is not endless monitoring. It is noticing recurring themes early enough to make better decisions. That only matters if the signals are good enough to trust and specific enough to act on.

Why It Is Still Early

This kind of tool gets weak quickly if the inputs are sloppy. A system that captures everything only turns noise into a bigger noise problem. The real design work is deciding what deserves weight in the first place.

What The Current Pass Is Testing

Right now the project is about source quality, filtering, and calibration. The next step is figuring out which signals are genuinely useful instead of just interesting for five minutes.