IT Knowledge
How Do Web Fonts Work? Why Fonts Break and Why Licensing Matters
This post explains, without any code, how fonts appear on the screen on the web, why they sometimes break, and why fonts come with licenses too. It covers how web fonts work, loading performance, and font licensing, at a non-developer's level.
How Does Email Get Delivered? SMTP, Spam Filters, and SPF/DKIM
This post explains, without any code, how email reaches the recipient and why some mail is classified as spam. It covers the relay between mail servers, the SPF and DKIM that verify the sender, and how a spam filter decides, at a non-developer's level.
How Are Domain Names Bought and Sold? Registration, WHOIS, and Renewal
This post explains, without any code, how you buy, own, and keep a domain name, from a transactional angle. It covers why a domain is closer to a lease, what a registrar and WHOIS are, and what happens when you miss a renewal, at a non-developer's level.
AI, Machine Learning, and LLMs — The Big Picture for Non-Developers
This post sorts out, without any code, how AI, machine learning, and LLMs differ and fit together. It covers what today's tools do well and poorly, and why they hallucinate, at a non-developer's level.
What Is Web Accessibility? Building Services Everyone Can Use
This post explains, without any code, that web accessibility means building services anyone can use, whether or not they have a disability. It covers screen readers and alt text, keyboard navigation, and color contrast, through to why accessibility is a matter of quality, at a non-developer's level.
MIT vs. GPL vs. Apache: Open-Source Licenses Made Simple
This post explains, without any code, that "free" in open source comes with conditions. It covers how the leading licenses — MIT, Apache, and GPL — differ on commercial use and the duty to publish your source, and what to check when you bring one into a product, at a non-developer's level.
Catching Problems Before They Ship — Testing, QA, and Staging
This post explains, without any code, what developers mean by testing, QA, and staging. It unpacks where and how a team filters out problems before sending work to users, at a non-developer's level.
How Development Teams Work — Agile, Sprints, and MVP
This post explains, without any code, what agile, sprints, and MVP mean. It unpacks why building in short, repeated cycles rather than all at once took hold, at a non-developer's level.
Why a Site Suddenly Goes Down — Domains, DNS, and Certificates
This post explains, without any code, what domains, DNS, and SSL certificates are and why a site stops when they expire. It covers how typing an address reaches a site, and what happens when you miss a renewal, at a non-developer's level.
What the Padlock in Your Address Bar Protects — HTTPS and Encryption
This post explains, without any code, what the padlock icon and HTTPS actually protect. It covers how communication is encrypted, why services do not store your password as is, and how two-factor authentication helps, all at a non-developer's level.
Why They Tell You to "Clear Your Cache" — Caching and CDNs
This post explains, without any code, what developers mean when they suggest "clearing the cache" or "a hard refresh." It unpacks how a cache, which keeps frequently used things close by, and a CDN, which scatters copies around the world, speed up the web.
How LLMs Predict the Next Word — AI Explained for Non-Engineers
Learn how large language models like ChatGPT do not understand text but instead predict the next word by probability, explained so that anyone without a technical background can follow.