Blog

Source-checked guides on engineering standards, accessibility, security, and everyday decisions. 8 articles.

Finance & Money

The 28/36 Rule: A Lender Screen, Not a Home Budget

Use mortgage DTI ratios as underwriting reference points, then compare written estimates with take-home cash flow, reserves, and real costs.

24 min read
Developer Utilities

Password Defaults: NIST, Entropy & Passkeys

Use a password manager's generator, choose a longer random password where it fits, and understand where passkeys and breach checks help.

24 min read
Finance & Money

The Real Math of Credit Card Debt

Minimum payments keep an account current, but they are not a payoff plan. Learn how to compare realistic payment scenarios safely.

22 min read
Developer Utilities

When Regex Is the Wrong Tool

Learn when JavaScript regex is appropriate, how to avoid catastrophic backtracking, and when to use a parser instead.

27 min read
Color Tools

What WCAG Contrast Ratios Do — and Miss

Understand WCAG contrast ratios, their limits, and practical checks for text, components, dark mode, and color-only cues.

22 min read
Encoders & Decoders

Why Emoji Breaks String Length

Learn why emoji can count as multiple UTF-16 code units, and how bytes, code points, and grapheme clusters differ in JavaScript.

26 min read
Generators

UUID v4 vs v7: Choosing Database IDs Without Guesswork

A practical guide to UUIDv4 and UUIDv7: timestamps, ordering, database tradeoffs, collision basics, and when a different ID format fits better.

22 min read
Crypto & Security

How to Decode a JWT Token Safely

Decode JWT tokens safely: inspect Base64URL claims, read exp, iat, and nbf, and understand why decoding never proves a signature is valid.

17 min read