https://devmtkl.com mtkl — I build things, mostly machine learning, systems, and online software. en https://devmtkl.com/writing/training-a-german-gpt-from-scratch https://devmtkl.com/writing/training-a-german-gpt-from-scratch Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT A small language model trained from zero on the German classics — a custom tokenizer, two-stage training, and an honest look at what 42M parameters can and can't do. https://devmtkl.com/writing/mining-dialogue-from-old-plays https://devmtkl.com/writing/mining-dialogue-from-old-plays Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT To make a chat model out of classic German literature, I needed conversations. Here's how I turned centuries-old dramas into question-and-answer pairs — and where the heuristics broke.