Articles

SSL / TLS EncryptionNicolaus Marinov

SSL and TLS: how HTTPS protects your website’s visitors

SSL remains a familiar name, but modern HTTPS connections use TLS. It protects transmission between a browser and a server: intercepting traffic and making undetected changes in transit becomes harder, while the certificate helps identify the server.

Vector databasesNicolaus Marinov

Vector databases: searching by meaning and similarity

Why search by meaning? Vector search uses sequences of numbers representing features of text, images or other data. Embeddings make it possible to retrieve similar content without an exact keyword match.

Language modelsNicolaus Marinov

How does ChatGPT work? The language model behind the answers

Language models behind ChatGPT learn patterns in text and generate responses from the available context. They do not simply retrieve prepared sentences from a database.

Database maintenanceNicolaus Marinov

Optimising a WordPress database without losing data

A WordPress database stores content, settings and various plugin records. Cleaning unnecessary entries can be useful, but a large database is not automatically slow. Deleting records does not replace investigating inefficient queries.

Cloudflare DNSNicolaus Marinov

Creating a subdomain in Cloudflare

A subdomain can give a presentation site, customer portal or test environment its own address. portal.example.com belongs to example.com, but it can point to a separate application. A Cloudflare DNS record initially configures name resolution.

Emoji resourcesNicolaus Marinov

WordPress emoji resources: when is removal worthwhile?

WordPress may load additional resources to make emoji rendering more consistent. A simple business website may not need them, but removing them does not by itself guarantee measurable speed improvements or better search rankings.

Pantone coloursNicolaus Marinov

What are Pantone or PMS colours?

The Pantone Matching System supports consistent colour communication through defined samples and ink recipes. A spot colour may be applied as a separate ink, whereas CMYK colours are built from screened combinations of process inks.

A logo for the webNicolaus Marinov

What makes a logo work on your new website?

A logo on a new website is rarely shown large and on its own. It needs to work in a narrow header, beside a mobile menu, as a small browser icon and against dark backgrounds.

Timeless typographyNicolaus Marinov

Timeless typography: choosing type for your identity

Timeless typography does not mean finding one universally safe font. It means choosing type that suits the identity, the text and the circumstances in which people read it.

Branding, marketing, salesNicolaus Marinov

Branding, marketing and sales: what each one does

Branding, marketing and sales work for the same business, but answer different questions. Branding clarifies what you stand for. Marketing explains why your offer might matter.

WordPress debuggingNicolaus Marinov

When the WordPress administration interface loads incorrectly

After an update or plugin installation, the administration interface may appear unstyled or its buttons may stop working.

Secure uploadsNicolaus Marinov

WordPress: when a file type is blocked for security reasons

The original article discussed upload problems around WordPress 4.7. The message may still appear today, but the cause may be different. File extensions, actual MIME types, user permissions and hosting restrictions can all be involved.