diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 57db87f..5741ce5 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 debug.log
 .vscode/
 .idea/
+dump.rdb
diff --git a/backend/README.md b/backend/README.md
index b6a4bdb..62e2fa7 100644
--- a/backend/README.md
+++ b/backend/README.md
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
 # Backend
 
-TODO
+## What is this?
+
+This is just an orginizational way of keeping the backend services together (so I don't lose my mind).
+
+## Projects
+
+- [`public`](./public/README.md) - a RESTful API service
+- [`task`](./task/README.md) - a task scheduler service
diff --git a/backend/public/README.md b/backend/public/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4aa3b72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/public/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# Backend API
+
+also known as `public`
+
+## What is this?
+
+This is a RESTful API service. Most of the data retrival, requesting, and processing happens here.
+
+## Things you should know
+
+### Environment variables
+
+`public` uses a `.env` file at the root of the project. The file takes standard environment variables (like enviroment variables you would put into a `.bashrc` or ad-hoc into your shell).
+
+For `public` to work properly, please make sure to first create the `.env` file, then fill out the following environment variables:
+
+- `RUST_ENV` - needed for letting the service that we are working in either `development` or `production`
+- `DATABASE_URL` - needed for connecting to Postgres
+- `REDIS_URL` - needed for connecting to the cache (Redis or Valkey)
+- `BASE_URI_WEB` - needed for connecting to the frontend user interface of the system to this service
diff --git a/backend/public/src/routes/posts.rs b/backend/public/src/routes/posts.rs
index 5dbb94f..987bf7b 100644
--- a/backend/public/src/routes/posts.rs
+++ b/backend/public/src/routes/posts.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use std::collections::HashMap;
+use std::fmt;
 
 use crate::utils::rss;
 use crate::{datasources::posts::PostsDatasource, state::AppState};
@@ -13,7 +14,6 @@ use axum::{
 use chrono::Utc;
 use fred::types::Expiration;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Deserializer, Serialize, Serializer};
-use std::fmt;
 
 #[derive(sqlx::FromRow, Deserialize, Serialize, Debug, Clone)]
 pub struct Post {
diff --git a/backend/public/src/state.rs b/backend/public/src/state.rs
index cb8140e..9f7d25d 100644
--- a/backend/public/src/state.rs
+++ b/backend/public/src/state.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 use fred::interfaces::KeysInterface;
 use fred::{clients::Pool, prelude::*};
-use serde_json::Value;
 use sqlx::PgPool;
 
 pub type AppState = std::sync::Arc<tokio::sync::Mutex<AppInternalState>>;
diff --git a/backend/task/README.md b/backend/task/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8e215c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/task/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# Task scheduler
+
+also known as `task`
+
+## What is this?
+
+I don't know yet - hopefully this will be filled out soon.
diff --git a/database/README.md b/database/README.md
index 052ddde..3c994ab 100644
--- a/database/README.md
+++ b/database/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 # Database
 
-You can set environment variables either through the command line, the Nix flake (if you are running nix/NixOS), _or_ the `.env` file
+You can set environment variables either through the command line, the Nix flake (if you are running nix/NixOS), _or_ the `.env` file.
+
+Uses the following data storing services:
+
+- PostgreSQL 16
+- Valkey 8.0.2 (or Redis, haven't tested)
 
 ## Create migration database