Life online isn’t easy.
Websites and apps can be hard to use, hackers and scammers are looking for victims, games and social networks are designed to be addictive, and corporations and developers don’t care about our privacy and security as much as they should. All this stuff makes me pretty grumpy.
The good news is that even a basic understanding of how devices and connected systems work, you can be much safer online.
I’m here to help.
As a designer, I have spent almost 20 years making websites and apps easier for people to use and easier to understand. It’s my mission to help people understand the digital world around them, to be safer, and to get the most out of their online experience. Come to this site for articles, videos, and other resources.
Assessing risk.
Much of what you will hear from me in regards to online security and privacy is not about absolutes. Many of the issues you will face in being safer online will require you to make choices about the amount of risk you’re willing to take.
We all need to regularly ask ourselves, “Is what I’m about to do worth the risk?” And, of course, how can you assess risk if you don’t the facts about how things work?
My mission is to give as many people as possible the tools they need to improve their digital critical thinking and technology risk assessment.
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General articles
Online security
Multi-factor authentication
May 21, 2019Password Security Questions
May 21, 2019Passwords Part 4: Password managers
May 8, 2019Passwords Part 3: How to use passwords securely
May 4, 2019Passwords Part 2: The problem(s) with passwords
May 3, 2019Passwords Part 1: What is a password?
May 2, 2019
About the Grumpy Designer
Rob Parker, a.k.a. the Grumpy Designer, is a designer, researcher, speaker and writer. For over twenty years, and with clients such as AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, GE Canada, TELUS, and the City of Vancouver, Rob has aspired to make websites, apps, and software usable and understandable for people. Now, he helps the public gain a deeper understanding of how the online world works and how to live in it as happily and safely as possible.
To be fair, Rob only gets truly grumpy when using a website or app that doesn’t work as well as it should, or when he’s too hungry.