Welcome! Let me save you some time

Some people wonder how much companies know about them. Most people I know have experienced enough tech to have these questions:

• Why does my phone feel like it watches me?
• Why am I paying monthly fees just to keep my own photos?
• And honestly, how much time should I be spending on this?

You're not alone. And you don't need to be a techie to make things better.

I'm a mom. I can't ghost my gal pals, school apps, sports teams, doctor portals, or PTA emails. Neither can you, probably, if you have kids. But I've spent the last several years figuring out which privacy and open-source Software whose code is publicly available and modifiable. Transparency, collaboration, and often free as in free lunch are important parts of the open source model. tools actually work when you're trying to live an ordinary life and which ones fall short.

At the same time, I want to meet people where they are. I live where you have to get local news from Facebook. Some people have their whole lives on big tech platforms, like Apple's ecosystem with files in iCloud Drive, contacts in iCloud Contacts, and photos, notes, calendars, reminders, and iMessage history in iCloud.

A lot of my friends don't like giving out their info, but we're basically given no choice.

What This Blog Is About

Most privacy content is written by people who can opt out completely (be a ghost). I can't. That's my angle. I want to provide practical solutions for people who are tied to Big Tech but still want to take back some control.

What You'll Find Here:

Backups that aren't subscriptions - Learn the 3-2-1 rule and why owning your storage beats renting cloud space forever.

Linux for normal people - How to try it without installing, plus practical settings tweaks after you switch

Linux distro tour - Which Linux An alternative to Windows or MacOS on computers. should you download? Which distro Bundles the Linux kernel with other software components for a complete operating system is for you? My favorite is Zorin.

Phone privacy you can actually use - Graphene An alternative to Android or iOS on phones. OS pros, cons, and how ordinary my phone is.

When to avoid the switch to Graphene - I'm upfront about what doesn't work yet (tap to pay)

Posts about my privacy phone - Find all the posts about Graphene An alternative to Android or iOS on phones. here.

Posts about the open source office suite, LibreOffice

My Promise to You

I won't pretend everything works perfectly. This is straight talk about what saves money, reduces friction, and keeps your family safer.

Where to Start

Based on what brought you here:

A Note on Risk

Some of these tools require managing your own passwords or setup choices. If you lose access, there's not always a customer service line to call. I'll always flag those risks before you commit because losing encrypted files is real, and it shouldn't happen because something wasn't explained clearly.

Ready to Learn More?

Browse the full article list or check out my about page to see who's behind the screen.

Either way, I'm glad you're here!

Let me help you safely across The Crosswalk.

What Linux An alternative to Windows or MacOS on computers. distro Bundles the Linux kernel with other software components for a complete operating system should I choose?

It depends on what you want out of it. See what each one looks like in my distro tours.

If you want something user-friendly that looks and feels like Windows, you can go with Zorin OS.

If you want something that's typically recommended for beginners, Mint Cinnamon is a good choice. There's a version of Mint with a lightweight desktop for older hardware.

And there's one called elementary OS that looks and feels more like a mac out of the box.