Why Email Feels “Broken” Today (Even When It Works)
Email began as a fully decentralized network where anyone could run a server and communicate freely. Over decades of spam wars and authentication layers, control shifted to a handful of large providers who now decide which messages deserve to be delivered. This post traces how that happened, why it matters, and what it means for the future of self-hosted communication.
Bitcoin: The Server You Can’t SSH Into
Bitcoin is not coffee money or a faster bank. It is the self-hosted server of finance. No root access, no password resets, just the same stubborn independence that keeps a rack humming when the cloud goes sideways.
From Beige Box to Backbone: How PIX Shaped the Internet
The first PIX firewall didn’t look like much, just a PC chassis with a few NICs but it quietly reshaped Internet history. It secured the early web, conserved IPv4 space, and inspired every modern firewall and home router. Decades later, its architecture still drives how the Internet connects and protects itself.
When Apple Stopped Building for Builders
There was a time when Apple made real tools for real creators. From the Xserve racks that powered studios and schools to the AirPort Time Capsule that quietly protected entire homes, Apple once believed its users could be trusted with control. macOS Server, the G4 Cube, and the original Time Capsule showed that technology could be powerful, elegant, and personal all at once. Today, that spirit is gone, replaced by cloud subscriptions and closed systems. This post looks back at the era when Apple built for the people who built things.