Internet
How spam filtering and moderation systems work
An explanation of how spam filters and content moderation systems combine automated rules, learned patterns, and human review to ke…
Mara Devlin9 min read
Internet
How the web works underneath: tracking, recommendation systems, performance measurement, platform mechanics and the quiet rules that shape what you see online.
11 articles
Internet
How an Online Payment Actually Clears
An online card payment looks like a single transaction between a shopper and a shop, but it actually passes through a chain of dist…
Helena Vos10 min read
Internet
What happens when you type a URL and press enter
A step-by-step walkthrough of the technical process that happens between typing a web address and seeing a page appear on your scre…
Helena Vos9 min read
Internet
What a VPN Actually Hides, and What It Does Not
A VPN reroutes and encrypts your internet traffic through a server you choose, which hides your activity from your local network an…
Mara Devlin10 min read
Internet
How websites measure performance and why it matters
An overview of how web performance is measured in practice, what the common metrics actually mean, and why speed has such a noticea…
Mara Devlin9 min read
Internet
Understanding cookies and web tracking
A plain explanation of what cookies actually are, the difference between first-party and third-party cookies, and how that distinct…
Mara Devlin9 min read
Internet
How Video Streaming Quietly Adapts to Your Connection
Streaming video rarely arrives as one fixed file; instead it is chopped into short segments and delivered at a quality level chosen…
Idris Oyelaran10 min read
Internet
How recommendation systems decide what you see
A clear explanation of how recommendation systems use your behaviour and the behaviour of similar users to decide what content, pro…
Mara Devlin9 min read
Internet
The Economics of Free Websites: Who Actually Pays?
Free search, free social media, free maps and free email all rely on business models that are easy to overlook because no money vis…
Helena Vos10 min read
Internet
Why Memes Spread: The Mechanics of Online Humour
The images and phrases that spread across the internet in a matter of hours are not random accidents; they follow patterns of struc…
Mara Devlin9 min read
Internet
How Search Engines Crawl and Rank the Web
Search engines do not search the live web when you press enter; they consult a map built in advance by armies of automated crawlers…
Idris Oyelaran10 min read
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