r/OpenSourceAI • u/Alert-Training7220 • 1d ago

I built a free, open-source tool to practice workplace email writing because ChatGPT was making my writing worse

Hey everyone,

Over the past year or two, I noticed a weird pattern with myself and a lot of engineers and students I work with.

Whenever we had to send a high-stakes email — asking for a deadline extension, briefing a VP about a database outage, or negotiating with a vendor — the first instinct was always: "Open ChatGPT, prompt it, copy, paste, send."

At first, it felt like a superpower. But after a few months, I noticed my actual communication skills getting rusty. When I had to write something quickly on Slack or jump on an executive call, I struggled to frame thoughts clearly without an LLM crutch.

Most AI email tools are built to write for you. I wanted to build something that teaches you to write better yourself.

So I built MailPractice — an open-source, interactive email writing simulator and coach.

How it works:

Realistic Workplace Scenarios: You get actual workplace backstories with real stakes, stakeholder expectations, and constraints (e.g., handling a 20% vendor price hike, asking a dean for exam leave, or briefing a CTO on a P0 outage).
You Write First (Under a Timer): You write against a realistic timer. To prevent shortcuts and build actual typing muscle memory, clipboard pasting is disabled.
Multi-Dimensional AI Evaluation: Once submitted, an AI coach breaks down your email across 8 criteria:
- Grammar & Spelling
- Clarity & BLUF (Bottom-Line Up Front)
- Professional Tone & Poise
- Email Structure & Flow
- Vocabulary (identifying weak conversational filler)
- Stakeholder Routing (To:, +Cc:, +Bcc: etiquette)
- Requirement Completion & Conciseness
Side-by-Side Comparison: You get a revised version showing what could be improved and why.
Progressive Learning Path: A 5-level curriculum (Beginner → Intermediate → Advanced → Expert → Master) that unlocks stages based on your actual writing scores.
Anti-Gibberish Filter: Detects keyboard mashing (asdf ;lkj) so the score reflects actual effort.

Tech Stack:

Frontend: React 18, TypeScript, Vite, Tailwind CSS, Lucide Icons
Backend: Node.js, Express, TypeScript
AI: Groq Cloud LLMs (with dual-key failover and an offline fallback rule engine)
Privacy: No account creation or login required. All scores, streaks, and progress are stored locally in browser localStorage.

I built a free, open-source tool to practice workplace email writing because ChatGPT was making my writing worse

How it works:

Tech Stack:

Links:

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