Author: Dave Farquhar

What is a blog used for?

Dave Farquhar Journalism, Wordpress
What is a blog used for?

What is a blog used for? Well, take it from a guy who’s been blogging since 1999. It’s used for a lot of things, depending on who is running the blog. It helps to remember that ultimately, a blog is just a web site. So you can use it for anything you would use any other web page for. But let’s explore it. My motivations for blogging certainly have changed over time.

Read more

How to create a good password

Dave Farquhar security
How to create a good password

Most passwords aren’t good, because humans just aren’t very good at making good ones and computers are much better at guessing them than at telling humans whether they are good. So here’s how to create a good password.

Read more

How good is my password?

Dave Farquhar security
How good is my password?

How good is my password? Chances are, not as good as the web site’s strength-o-meter says it is. That’s assuming the site even has a strength-o-meter. Unfortunately, more goes into the quality of a password than just the things the typical web site strength-o-meter measures. Here’s what you need to know, and what you can do about it.

Read more

What is a reseller?

Dave Farquhar Saving money
What is a reseller?

When you see a for sale ad, you may see phrases like “great for resellers” or “reseller ready” or “resellers welcome.” So what is a reseller? And why does someone selling something want to attract one?

I’ll answer those questions. And if you think you might want to be a reseller but don’t know where to start, I have some tips for that too.

Read more

What is CMOS in a computer?

Dave Farquhar Hardware
What is CMOS in a computer?

From time to time, people may bring up CMOS, which can be a confusing topic because it can actually mean several things. These days it normally means one specific thing though. So let’s explore the question of what is CMOS in a computer.

It’s a tougher question than you might think. It even confuses professionals sometimes. Including published authors.

Read more

How to zip a folder in Windows 10

Dave Farquhar Windows
How to zip a folder in Windows 10

You probably know how to unzip a file in Windows 10. You double-click on it. But Windows 10 can create zip files too, not just extract them. Here’s how to zip a folder in Windows 10 without buying or installing any additional software.

This option isn’t exclusive to Windows 10. Windows 7 included this functionality too, as did some versions of Windows I wish you wouldn’t use anymore. It’s hiding in a menu that doesn’t get a lot of use these days. But back when floppy disks existed, this menu was the fastest way to copy a file to a floppy. Today it’s the fastest way to create a zip file.

Read more

Zero client vs thin client

Dave Farquhar Software
Zero client vs thin client

Zero clients and thin clients are two ways companies deal with the problem of sprawling computer infrastructure its associated costs. Instead of putting an expensive computer on every desk, you put something small and cheap on every desk and share that expensive computer. Let’s look at zero client vs thin client, and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Read more

Is HDMI better than VGA?

Dave Farquhar Hardware
Is HDMI better than VGA?

Is HDMI better than VGA? HDMI is a newer technology and it’s digital, but whether it’s better depends on your needs. Let’s take a look at both so you can decide which one to use.

Read more

1980s technology

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
1980s technology

Although 1980s technology is recognizable today, by modern standards, it had shortcomings. Yet I can’t think of another decade that was so obsessed with technology. Growing up in the 80s probably is what made me a technologist, and I know I’m not alone in that. Many of my peers went the same direction I did for the same reasons. So let’s take a look at 80s technology and how it shaped the world to come.

Subsequent decades railed against the 1980s in many ways, but you have to learn how to walk before you learn to run. It’s clear that the 1980s was, if nothing else, that turning point. While 1989 technology is rudimentary compared to 30 years later, elements of modern technology were present in 1989 that weren’t visible at all in 1980. And not all of the 1980s nostalgia is negative. The Netflix series Stranger Things is a tribute to the 80s at heart.

Read more

Workstation vs desktop

Dave Farquhar Hardware
Workstation vs desktop

The workstation vs desktop distinction can be subtle, but workstations and desktops are distinct classes of computers. Someone designing rockets needs a different type of machine than the average office worker, and that’s OK.

Read more