Today, I was thinking about all the random stuff on the internet that makes life a bit simpler. I realized there’s no post on this site about them yet, so here we go. I’ll add more as they pop in my head.

• Awesome SelfHosted
  • A collection of software that you can self-host on your own server. Also, see Awesome Privacy.
• DNS Providers
  • Public, alternative DNS servers. Please don’t use Google (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4) or your ISP’s default. There are many options out there (e.g., Quad9, Cloudflare, AdGuard) that are not only potentially faster but could also filter ads, malware, and NSFW links.
• Disk Prices
  • Hard Drive and storage price tracker if you’re looking to build a NAS.
• Excalidraw
  • I use this constantly for workflows, designs, dashboards, demonstrations, and random visualizations. Completely free, open-source, and self-hostable. My kids also love drawing in it.
• File dot Pizza
  • Send large files to others with a private, no-log service. URLs are generated that can be sent through social media or Signal messages.
• Finviz
  • A free stock market visualization tool. You’ll see their green/red performance map used in random online discussions. Otherwise, it’s a fairly decent tool to have in your investment inventory. Also see my post on scraping data there.
• Invidious and SafeTwitch
  • Alternative front-ends for YouTube and Twitch, respectively. Vanilla YouTube is the worst thing unleashed on this planet. How they manage to have users still is beyond me.
• MDB List
  • Just found this one the other day. It’s a great resource to add to your movie resource collection. I use it to find movies that fly under my radar.
• No Log Link
  • A link shortener that doesn’t keep logs.
• Open Resume
  • A free and minimal resume builder. This is what the PDF on my resume site is generated from.
• Radio Paradise
  • Free radio with great music, curated by people who care. This is usually going in the background while I’m working. Also, check out Soma FM. I enjoy Groove Salad a lot.
• RetroAchievements
  • Gain achievements while playing classic games. I’ve 100% completed Double Dragon II (NES), but am working on Tetris (GameBoy) and Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES).
• Textify It
  • Convert articles to plain text. This is similar to the Reader Mode that comes with Firefox, but it isn’t tied to a browser. It’s also incredibly helpful for bypassing paywalls.
• Ventoy
  • An open-source, bootable ISO environment for installing or fixing PCs.
• Where Goes
  • Discover where shortlinks end up to prevent security and privacy risks. I typically use it to strip tracking and referrals from links where they shouldn’t be.
• Windows Debloat
  • This was adapted from my favorite W4RH4WK debloat scripts. This is the new go-to. Do this if you have a vanilla Windows install with all that crap. Better yet, install a custom Tiny11 ISO.
• Writing
  • A self-hosted and lightweight Markdown tool used for quick notes and Markdown visualization. You can self-host it from their GitHub or use mine at files.mcwain.net. I use it all the time during meetings or phone calls to jot down quick notes. Nothing is stored on the server. Notes are only persistent per session.
• XK Password
  • A password generator based on this XKCD comic. This is my first go-to, while GRC’s password generator is a close second.