Hello!

I’m Chris Wheeler, a freelance software engineer capable in many topics including fullstack web, script, system, desktop, and compiler development. I’ve always wanted to be some kind of inventor; someone that makes things that are useful and make people happy. Now I’m finally able to do that by creating software and sharing what I’ve learned.

Stardown v1.0.0

The first full version of Stardown has been released! Stardown is a free browser extension I created for copying markdown links for websites. One click on its icon copies a markdown link for the current page. A double-click copies markdown links for all tabs. Right-clicking a website gives you a markdown link for where you right-clicked. Although I have tons of bookmarks, I save even more website links into markdown files in Obsidian and notes about software I’m working on....

May 5, 2024

Don't put all your eggs in one account

Online accounts can be lost without warning, but making that loss less painful is easy. Full disclosure, there is one referral link marked with an asterisk (*) below that gives me account credit and gives a discount to anyone who signs up for a paid service with it. How much do you depend on the services of big tech companies like Google, Apple, or Microsoft? If one of your accounts was suddenly stolen or an algorithm decided to lock it, how devastating would that be?...

January 23, 2024

Tech literacy

There’s always room for improvements worth their time to make. Over years of extensively using computers, there are some tricks I’ve found that I don’t see others use as often as I expect. I’m not affiliated with any of the services, products, or companies mentioned here. learn about tech gradually and bravely Everyone becomes overwhelmed or frustrated by technology sometimes. People good with tech tend to: return to difficult challenges to try again after some rest reduce how often they become frustrated by spreading out challenges over time take notes to make it easier to continue where they left off after breaks not be afraid to guess and try things ask others for help If this page gets overwhelming, maybe bookmark it, close it, and read another section later....

January 21, 2024

Why does privacy matter?

Privacy is not about whether you have something to hide. It’s about whether bad people can do bad things to you, because security is impossible without privacy. If others can look over your shoulder any time, they can see all your passwords. If you couldn’t hide the key to your home in a pocket or purse, others could copy the key. If the walls of your home were glass, anyone could see your home defenses, where you keep valuables, when you’re sleeping or away, and how to disarm or unlock any alarm systems, safes, etc....

January 13, 2024

Which language should you learn first?

Don’t spend too much time choosing your first programming language. It can be a difficult choice to make, so here are some notes on what several languages are good for. If you will soon start a course, bootcamp, etc. that might choose a language for you, figure out which one and start learning ahead. It can be good to focus on just one language for a while when you’re learning your first language....

October 27, 2023