5 Cybersecurity Issues to Watch in 2024

January 28, 2024 — Jt Spratley

Between the IBM HBCU Ambassador program, cybersecurity specialists active on social media, and personal research, there are a few cybersecurity issues discussed enough that we need to keep a closer watch on daily.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

How to Convert PDF Files on Linux

August 19, 2023 — Jt Spratley

Linux users have various light-weight, terminal applications for editing portable document format (PDF) files. You need to be somewhat comfortable with the Linux command-line interface (CLI), or be careful when copying commands to ensure you're doing what you want. I'll start with the two graphical user interface (GUI) apps with PDF editing features.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Norfolk State University (NSU) IBM Partnership

August 10, 2023 — Jt Spratley

In September 2022, Norfolk State University (NSU) released a news post announcing the IBM NSU cybersecurity partnership. This is part of Biden-Harris' White House initiative to allot more resources and professional development opportunities to students within Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), specifically related to information technology (IT). Four months later, I was entrusted with the role as IBM NSU student ambassador. I've since completed many free IBM courses and released content in an effort to bring more HBCU students' attention to these resources. Course topics include cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, IBM products, and more.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

5 Black Inventors to Know

August 10, 2023 — Jt Spratley

Have you ever wondered what amazing things we have today because of the innovation of Black Americans? Are you curious about entrepreneurship but need some motivation? These short biographies might spark something.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Genealogy Research Resources for Black Americans' Reparations

August 06, 2023 — Jt Spratley

Black folks serious about reparations need to ensure your family tree is squared away, traced at least back to slavery. Below are some (mostly free) online databases for researching ancestors.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

What is an IBM HBCU Ambassador?

July 17, 2023 — Jt Spratley

Starting with the basics, what is an HBCU? "HBCU" stands for "Historically Black College and University" (in the USA). How many HBCUs are there? At least 100, mostly in the south-eastern US. You likely know of the IBM technology corporation. But what is an IBM HBCU ambassador, and why is it important for native Black Americans?

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Understand the Racist Arguments Against Reparations

June 20, 2023 — Jt Spratley

Some RallyPoint members (RP) recently praised arguments in an article titled "Ten Reasons Why Reparations for Blacks is a Bad Idea for Blacks [And racist too]." I replied to the post in detail but wanted to also write it here for a few reasons:

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

I Needed 4 Smartphone Apps in South Korea

June 14, 2023 — Jt Spratley

Traveling to South Korea and teaching English as a second language (ESL) was a great experience. When I wasn't working, I wanted to explore. I'm not recommending any specific apps, so it doesn't matter if you're using Android, iOS, or even BlackBerry for some odd reason. Here are the few smartphone applications I needed to get around the home of "Gangnam Style," which might help some aspiring "passport kings" or "passport bros."

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

How to Manage Email

June 14, 2023 — Jt Spratley

Electronic mail isn't going away anytime soon, no matter how many social media platforms and other businesses integrate private messaging systems. Below are a few tips to lessen the dread you might feel when looking at your inbox. No matter how long you wait to check, "you've got mail."

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

10 Cybersecurity Specialists to Follow

April 13, 2023 — Jt Spratley

Most of what I learn about cybersecurity comes from personal research to solve issues and the ten cybersecurity specialists listed below on Twitter.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

How Military Veterans Can Protect Themselves From Phishing and Other Online Scams

April 13, 2023 — Jt Spratley

Military veterans are prime targets for personally identifiable information (PII). Businesses seek our Post 9/11 GI Bill because it's sure money. Employers see us as tax breaks. For as many benefits as we get between Veterans Affairs (VA) and the GI Bill, plenty others get an interesting bit of benefits from our presence. This is one of many reasons as to why military service members must be careful of how we share our military info.

Don't worry, non-technical folks, as I've done my best to simplify the best security practices, these days sometimes called the "Zero Trust" mindset, that I'll recommend in the key takeaways and video below. The overall solution: verify contacts supposedly from VA medical centers and community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs).

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Security-Focused Operating Systems

April 12, 2023 — Jt Spratley

The world has reached a point where the frequency of cyber attacks is gradually influencing people to choose security over convenience and bleeding edge technology. Many are switching from Android smartphones to iPhones or basic flip phones, sometimes referred to as "feature phones." Some are replacing Windows personal computers (PCs) with Apple MacBooks. Individuals more serious about cybersecurity are migrating to Unix-based operating systems (OSes). The reason why is simple. Windows is attacked at a significantly higher rate than macOS, Linux, and other Unix-based OSes combined because it is most prominent in homes and corporate offices. According to DistroWatch.com, there are over three hundred BSD and Linux OSes, but few are built specifically with the goal of increased high security and privacy [1]. Two of the most interesting security-focused OSes in active development today: OpenBSD and Qubes OS.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

How to Protect Company Data and Why It Might Not Be Enough

April 12, 2023 — Jt Spratley

Protecting the company's data and physical assets is everyone's job, much like customer service. Laws and regulations are reactive deterrents that require user activity to take effect. Physical and information security measures also depend on users, but no one is perfect all the time. That is where information technology (IT) solutions come in. There is a plethora of IT solutions, specifically "technical controls," which "can enable and/or amplify policy enforcement where human behavior is difficult to regulate" [1].

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Internet of Things (IoT) and Digital Forensics

April 12, 2023 — Jt Spratley

Amazon Alexa devices, smart doorbells, and Wi-Fi enabled pace-makers have a few notable similarities. First, they simplify and automate redundant, necessary tasks for many Americans' lifestyle, security, and health. Second, they're all available at an affordable price, even after the COVID-19 pandemic. Most importantly, they're extremely portable wireless technologies capable of communicating with common consumer electronics including personal computers (PCs) and smartphones via wireless and cabled connections. That is the glory of “smart devices,” formally known as Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Why Create Content Targeting Black Americans, ADOS, FBA, Freedman Communities, etc.

November 15, 2022 — Jt Spratley

I've lost a lot of interest in RallyPoint.com, "RP," since writing about professional conduct on the military site five years ago. After sharing links about Black culture like "Complex Layers of Racism" on site last year, I noticed more White people sharing not so subtle pro-integration comments against Blacks supporting our own.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Black Entrepreneurs, What if Shopify Goes Down?

October 15, 2022 — Jt Spratley

This is not an inside scoop. It is a hypothetical case.

If you actively work on information security (InfoSec) at any point, you'll end up working on a disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity (BC) plan to maintain operations when the unexpected happens. You'll likely improve your system backup process or add security features. Hopefully, you at some point realize address the need for a backup plan in case your primary IT solution shuts down permanently.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Home Network Security Basics

August 25, 2022 — Jt Spratley

Whether you're starting college or working on a new business, you'll benefit from applying basic best security practices. I'm going to simplify everything you should have on your personal computer (PC), why, and with recommendations so you're not left to figure it out on your own. Follow this cybersecurity guide and become less likely to be a victim.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

2 Best Forgotten Resources for Live Linux Support

August 10, 2022 — Jt Spratley

The most legitimate complaint I've heard against using Linux and free open source software (FOSS):

"Where do I go if I need live support?"

It is a valid question since most free software don't have on-demand technical support and advisors. I learned a lot about the open source realm from the "Podnutz: LinuxForTheRestOfUs" podcast, "It's FOSS" blog, and StackExchange. But YouTube videos and "how-to" guides don't always get to the point, so you sometimes have to search through the content you receive from search engine results. That can be frustrating, no matter how knowledgeable you are in web development or system administration.

Past blogs, videos, and forums, there are two real-time FOSS support communities that never get the respect they deserve.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Why People Love Apple Products

July 20, 2022 — Jt Spratley

MacBooks and iPhones have become more common every year since the early 2000's. I went from only seeing pretty iMacs in the library to bulky iPods replacing Sony Walkmans to now some of everyone is on macOS.

Why? I can think of three simple reasons.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Music Production History-Volume 1

June 15, 2022 — Jt Spratley

I don't know as much about hip-hop music history as I believe I should. Within recent years I've actively worked to fix that. Learning about the beginning of hip-hop and rap adds context to how we got to this era where mainstream rap music is prominently Roland TR-808 drums, street life boasting, and lacking substance.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Black Owned Tech Businesses

March 17, 2022 — Jt Spratley

I've covered black owned businesses in the footwear, fitness, and underwear industries. In this blog I'll share some black owned companies in technology.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Why Web Accessibility is Important

August 21, 2021 — Jt Spratley

Web accessibility is about ensuring your content can be consumed by individuals with disabilities related to sight, hearing, speech, and motor functions. Quick examples of features that make content more accessible:

  • Subtitles and closed captioning (CC)
  • Text-to-speech apps and services
  • Color inverting (e.g dark mode)
  • Firefox Reader View

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Free cPanel Alternatives

March 04, 2021 — Jt Spratley

For those who only use website builders like Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, Shopify, and WordPress.com, cPanel is a control panel application for managing web server functions - files, DNS records, SQL databases, email, security protocols, etc. It's the most popular option for managed server hosting plans with web hosting companies - HostGator, GoDaddy, SiteGround, etc. - using the Red Hat-based CentOS Linux distribution.

cPanel changed their pricing structure to "tiers" per how many cPanel accounts you used within a single web server in 2019. This affected the costs for everyone on managed reseller and virtual private server (VPS) hosting plans with WebHost Manager (WHM) and multiple cPanel accounts (because such users will many times resell web server space to their own customers). It also reminded me that cPanel is proprietary software and I'd been working toward using mostly free open source software (FOSS) for years. This brought a few questions to mind:

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

My Favorite Falkon Web Browser Features

September 11, 2020 — Jt Spratley

Falkon, formerly known as Qupzilla, is a Chromium-based web browser for the KDE desktop environment (DE). Qupzilla was buggy and crashed at random when I tried it as a Linux newbie years ago. Falkon is a stable browser that makes compliments my needs for privacy and user experience (UX). I recommend it for anyone looking to try something new. Below are my four favorite Falkon browser features and extensions.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Matomo Analytics is Great-After I Remove Cookies

September 07, 2020 — Jt Spratley

When I started looking into ways to improve visitor's privacy on my websites, I found 2 mysterious cookies with my browser developer tools (browser tab). When I looked them up, a WordPress GDPR plugin forum stated they were from Matomo Analytics. I confirmed the names of the cookies with Matomo's FAQ page: What are the cookies created by Matomo JavaScript Tracking client?

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

My Top 5 Linux Games

September 07, 2020 — Jt Spratley
Linux isn't good for gaming.

I hear it all the time from gamers. It's good enough for me, though. Are there games I'd like to have natively available on Linux? Yes. Do I care enough about those games to dual-boot a Windows OS? No.

My top 5 Linux games.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Cybersecurity Victim Blame Game

August 07, 2020 — Jt Spratley

After reading "It's Time to Stop the Victim Blame Game" on DarkReading.com, I had to rethink some of my personal shopping rules. This part stuck out to me:

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Upgrade-Movie Review

June 14, 2020 — Jt Spratley

I watched this move twice before starting this blog. I’d watched it four times by the time I finished it.

Okay, Upgrade movie.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Don’t Spread That Hoax!

June 07, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on March 17, 2015

If you ever get bored, check out “Nonprofit.net/hoax – Don’t Spread That Hoax” for some random trivia, entertainment, myths, IT fun facts, and plenty of useless knowledge.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom

June 07, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on May 13, 2015

Thanks to the AT&T Upgrade feature, I recently purchased a Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom for $40. But for that price and the quality of photos I’m able to capture (up to 10x Zoom), the S4 Zoom is definitely worth the few weeks it took me to get used to holding it. I can make fancy GIFs, photos up to 16 megapixels, and take awesome videos without buying a DSLR camera. A great phone case also helps for protection.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Computer Hard Drives-Keep, Wipe, and/or Destroy

June 07, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on May 15, 2015

Whenever you sell a computer, don’t simply leave the hard drive with all your data easily recoverable. Ensure you keep the hard drive (HD) as a backup or external drive, wipe it properly so the data can’t be recovered, or destroy it completely with hammers, drills, and other manly stuff. I was on Craigslist earlier searching for a cheap laptop to buy so I can play with Linux. I found a guy looking to sell two laptops for ~$70 simply because his ex-girlfriend changed the log-in passwords. Hard Drives – Keep, wipe, and/or destroy it. But don’t simply give it, and all your information, away for free. Your credit score and mindset will thank you later.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Ninite Base-line

June 07, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on May 17, 2015

In the past, I would use CDs to install software on a newly base-lined personal computer or roam the web to download necessary programs. With Ninite, I don’t have to worry about having the newest versions, monitoring multiple installs to minimize downtime, or CD reader issues. I can simply acquire a network connection, tether through my phone in the worse scenario, visit Ninite.com, select from some of the best freeware and shareware applications that suits the user’s needs, click “Get Installer,” and I have an executable file I can save including all the selected programs. The available application categories include virus scanners, developer tools, CD burners, and more. Check the feature image above.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Microsoft Discounts for Service Members and Veterans

June 07, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on May 21, 2017

Though there are free alternatives for a lot of priced software the average person uses daily, many simply prefer to pay for such a product because of the brand. A house-hold brand offers security in valuable performance and customer support.

Active Duty Soldiers used to be able to purchase the latest Microsoft Office from the Slick Deals on Army Knowledge Online (AKO) website. There's still the Microsoft Military Store which offers discounts for Active Duty Service Members and Veterans. Free Libre Office or $10 for a product you know and use so much?

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

You’re Probably On CCTV Right Now

June 07, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on June 18, 2015

I’ll just leave these links here. GO and ROAM may cause paranoia.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Website Improvements-Privacy Policy

June 07, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on July 3, 2015

If I’m going to do something, I want to do it right. With the help of many domain scanners, I plan to achieve the standard of much fewer coding and regulation errors. My first step is adding a privacy policy that specifically states in a professional manner “I’m not invading your privacy.” Power Mapper pointed this out to me.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Upscale Your Pictures a Better Way With Waifu2x

June 07, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on July 20, 2015

Before I found this site, when I needed a larger resolution photo to meet a width and height, I’d simply stretch the photo in MS Paint or PicPick. Since my Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom takes large resolution photos, I only have to do this with pictures I collect from other sources.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Work Better At Night With Less Eye Strain With F.Lux

June 06, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on July 13, 2015

There are a lot of applications out there for your PC and smartphone that would make your life so much easier, but so few get the recognition they deserve. I bring you f.lux. It’s a small program that does only one thing – dims your screen as the day turns to night. But it doesn’t simply darken the screen. It changes the display color settings to the best preset for your environment. That’s great because when it’s late at night, you won’t get that bright white glare that makes you squint your eyes, lower the brightness on your screen, or distance yourself from the monitor.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Start Your Own Blog

June 06, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on July 15, 2015

I just wanted to say thanks to Christian Personal Finance and an old blog post no longer on SaveTheStudent.org for providing me the needed resources to start this site.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

What’s Your GWAM?

June 06, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on July 29, 2015

Can you type well. . . correctly? Can you type without looking at the keyboard? Can you type fast? You can improve your typing skills and speed if you practice the correct technique enough. Learning the home keys and which fingers should type each key helps you remember where every letter, number, and special character is located. I took a keyboarding class in high school, and I’ve held a WPM (correct words typed in 1 minute) over 60 and GWAM (incorrect words are also counted) over 80 ever since. You should practice. Improve your ability to do the things you do daily.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Language Translation Support

June 06, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on August 9, 2015

Thanks to GTranslate, you can read Go Live Lively in many other languages besides English. If there are any issues with the translation, please feel free to let me know. Thanks and enjoy.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

What is Your Computer telling the Internet Right Now? BrowserSpy Answers

June 05, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on September 10, 2015

If last weeks post spiked your interest in web security, privacy, and tracking, you should check out http://browserspy.dk/. Simply visit the site and the tabs (tests) on the left will educate you on what information your web browser is sharing.

I’m sure you’ll be surprised.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Unshorten that Tiny URL with UnShortening Tools

June 05, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on September 21, 2015

Have you ever been on Facebook or Twitter and seen a short website address provided by a source that’s not completely professionally verified? For example, https://bit.ly/2AvtgLn. Called shortened or tiny URLs, it can save space anywhere, but it also hides the origin of the source.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Hashima Island

June 05, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on September 28, 2015

Would you like to see Japan’s abandoned Hashima Island up close? Google Maps

Tags: asia, IT

Comments? Tweet  

Future Me

June 05, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on October 12, 2015

Would you ever want to send a message to yourself in the future? What about to others? FutureMe.org

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Handling Bad Hard Drives (HDD or SSD)

June 04, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on November 30, 2015

When you’re experiencing computer issues due to a failing hard drive, you have options:

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

5 Things I Learned from Using Google Ads

June 03, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on September 19, 2016

Adsense / Google Ads

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

4 Reasons to Use Microsoft Bing Search Engine

June 03, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on December 1, 2016

I no longer recommend Bing for anything. I recommend DuckDuckGo, Swisscows, and searching within websites you trust.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

5 Websites For IT Training

June 03, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on August 21, 2017

Here are 5 websites with great free IT training.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Why Distro Watch Rocks

June 01, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on February 15, 2016

Distro Watch is a user-friendly site where you can find info and reviews for over 100 Linux and BSD distributions. There are four reasons why this is awesome:

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Web Development Improvements in 2019

June 01, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on December 30, 2019

I’ve only written one IT blog here in 2019. But I’ve been doing a lot of work behind the scenes to improve my websites. Most of these changes don’t affect the average user experience (UX) noticeably, but they help my personal brand overall.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

User-Friendly Jitsi Meet for Mobile Video Chat

June 01, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on January 27, 2020

I covered using the Jitsi Meet web app in 2017. Recently, someone asked about an easy way to video chat on mobile. Instead of WhatsApp, LINE, Kakao, etc., I recommended Jitsi. But I haven’t used the app yet. So when I was asked how to use it, I had to learn. It’s easy to use.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Syncthing for Syncing Phones and Linux

June 01, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on March 7, 2016

When I made the transition from Windows to GNU / Linux, the one BIG issue I struggled the most with was the inability to connect my smartphone to my laptop to transfer photos and ringtones. I prefer to create my own ringtones. Since I didn’t want to use Google Drive or Dropbox (because popular apps and weird me), I had to find another alternative. Somehow, probably from Podnutz, I found out about Syncthing, and I’ve been using it ever since.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Shutter for Linux Screenshot

June 01, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on March 21, 2016

For Linux distros, XFCE4-Screenshooter (or Screenshot) seems to be the norm based off the few distros I’ve used. It does what the average user would need it to do – in the GUI or CLI.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Podcasts and Education

May 31, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on March 16, 2015

Anyone with iTunes should download podcasts – educational, recent news, reviews, comedy. Podcasts are great alternatives to music while you’re driving. However, you don’t need iTunes to listen to podcasts. If you’re going on a long drive, the FREE informational podcasts I recommend below can defeat the boredom caused by hearing the same music over and over that you’ll probably drown out while daydreaming anyway.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Linux Ubuntu Server Vs Windows Server

May 31, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on May 21, 2017

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Linux 2015

May 31, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on May 21, 2017

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Free or Open Source Software Starter Pack 2016

May 31, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on February 6, 2017

Continuing the trend from 2015, this late list is specifically for Linux users. I published the Windows list months ago.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Open Source (Read “FREE”) Software Starter Pack 2015

May 31, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on November 16, 2015

Are you hesitant about jumping into Linux but enjoy the idea of using Open Source Software? Check these apps out.

Libre Office – This software suite is capable of just as much as Microsoft Office, excluding Microsoft Outlook. I donate sometimes to show gratitude for the product. Oh. . .

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

November 2017 SITREP-Performance

May 31, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on December 4, 2017

November 2017 was an unexpected growth spurt in many areas of my life.

I’ve applied some skills learned from work including Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificates and Cloudflare Content Delivery Network (CDN) configuration for higher security and speed. My GTmetrix score still sucks, though.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

My Plans for 2017

May 31, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on January 23, 2017

I asked IT professionals from the Rallypoint community what topics I should cover in future Linux and FOSS related podcasts. I got great suggestions involving security:

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

My 5 Most Popular Blog Posts(2015-2017)

May 31, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on May 29, 2017

Its good to look back at your performance over the years and analyze how you can improve in the future. The Go Live Lively blog is just over two years old. Below are my six most popular blog posts as of today.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Music Production Lessons Learned 2019-1-Archive-1

May 31, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on May 4, 2020

I learned some really important music production lessons in 2018. I spent most of 2019 continuing to release extended plays (EPs) that show my versatility and blogging about them here:

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Linux For the Rest of Us Help

May 31, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on August 29, 2016

This tutorial will cover how to use a GNU/Linux Operating System, also known as Linux distribution or distro, for free without overwriting any data. I’ll be assuming you’re currently running Windows for this tutorial but that affect most of the steps.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Evolving with Open Source Software at Syracuse University

May 30, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on May 15, 2017

I decided to do some guest blogging for an IT blog since I’ve already done two military-related for RallyPoint. Over the last few months I’ve done two for Syracuse University iSchool (school of information studies) InfoSpace blog. My first post explained 5 applications I think everyone should use. My second InfoSpace post – Evolving with Open Source Software at the iSchool – explains how I found ways to use open source software in six IT courses.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

DuckDuckGo

May 29, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on August 27, 2015

If you’re one of those people that are against privacy intrusion and unwanted tracking of your web browsing, replace Google with DuckDuckGo as your primary Web Search Engine. Simply go to DuckDuckGo.com and select the link at the bottom of the homepage. Read more about safeguarding your online activity below.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

5 Reasons I Enjoy Linux Distro Hopping

May 29, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on November 7, 2016

DistroWatch.com lists over 200 operating systems, or distributions (distros), built on top of the Linux kernel for many different purposes – older and smaller laptops, multimedia production, data rescue, security, and more. “Distro hopping” refers to whenever a Linux user switches from one Linux distro to another – same concept as ditching Windows for an Apple computer but you don’t need to buy new hardware, you have more options, and its free. Linux users distro hop for many reasons. I have five.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

10 Things To Do After You Install Linux Deepin 2015

May 29, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on February 2, 2016

Click here for my latest review – deepin 15.9

Many deepin fans were anxious about the release of Deepin 2015. Continuing the trend from my deepin 2014.3 review, here are some recommendations for after you install Deepin 2015.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

10 Things To Do After You Install Linux Deepin 2014.3

May 29, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on August 13, 2015

Click here for my latest review – deepin 15.9

Deepin is a beautiful Ubuntu-based distro originated in China that uses HTML5. These are my “non-expert” top five recommendations for after you install Deepin 2014.3.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Links for Your Career Progression-IT, LG, HR

May 29, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on March 16, 2015

If you’re a motivated IT guru, you yearn for sites like LandWarNet, and Global Knowledge. If you’re really serious about the craft, you’ll dig into Lynda, Professor Messer, AAC, FreeComputerBooks.com, and Alison. Lynda and Alison sound so feminine, but these sites offer a lot of info for free. Soldiers, you should already know how beneficial Skillport can be when preparing for a Microsoft or CompTIA certification, especially since each course is promotion points.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

10 Things To Do After Installing deepin 15.9

May 27, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on May 6, 2019

A couple months ago I realized I’d only published one IT blog in 2018. But I posted it on Syracuse InfoSpace. Since my deepin blogs are my most popular, I decided to check out the newest version at the time – deepin 15.7 – but never published a blog.

Months after focusing on distributing music (yes, I’m on Spotify) and music blogs, I wanted to fix this ASAP. So I installed 15.9 (15.10 is available for download as of May 3, 2019) and edited this blog.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

10 Things I learned from Using Google Analytics

May 27, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on August 1, 2016

Google Analytics was the first analytics service I used on my blog. Keep in mind I’m not an experienced professional in any relative field and this is NOT meant to sway your opinion of the analytics service . . . much.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

10 Things I Learned From Using Clicky Analytics

May 27, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on September 5, 2016

While looking to switch from Google Analytics, I found Clicky from somewhere I don’t remember.

Note: I’m no experienced professional in any relative field and this is NOT meant to sway your opinion of the analytics service . . . much.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

5 Reasons to Try Project Wonderful

May 24, 2020 — Jt Spratley

First published on November 14, 2016

As stated in Music Production Lessons in 2018, Project Wonderful shut down in 2018. There are alternatives listed on SaaSHub.com. Please contact me if you find a good alternative.

I found Project Wonderful while reading the Questionable Content web-comic a few months ago. Once I learned a few valuable lessons from using Google Ads, I wanted to find something better. I had Project Wonderful ads to use in three short steps:

  1. Create a profile with what your website is about
  2. Make a few ad “boxes” with specified size options and tags you want to apply to individual boxes
  3. Copy and paste the HTML code into the site

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

5 Interesting Companies I Found while Job Hunting

May 24, 2020 — Jt Spratley

Last updated on January 1, 2020

Here are 5 really interesting companies I came across while networking and roaming career fairs.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

5 Directories Linux Users Should Back Up

May 24, 2020 — Jt Spratley

Last updated on March 28, 2017

It’s always good to know what you need to back up before wiping a hard drive, whether you’re upgrading to a newer version of a distro (generally safer) or distro hopping (which I have 5 good reasons for doing a lot of).

Here’s a cheat sheet to help ensure you don’t forget anything.

Read more...

Comments? Tweet  

Hello World, From bashblog

April 02, 2020 — Jt Spratley

I'm learning bashblog so I can migrate my blog from the WordPress content management system (CMS). WordPress is a great CMS. As I've said many times, WordPress helped me learn HTML. But it's time to evolve.

I have a few goals with bashblog:

  • Simplify my writing process
  • Better secure my website
  • Challenge myself with another less traveled path

Yes, there are more well known website builders that can do some of those things

Read more...

Comments? Tweet