The Latest From Kevin The Tech Guy for May 23 2025
Unexpected downtime, switching to DuckDuckGo, blocking cookie popups, and helping you get more out of Firefox. Plus, my thoughts on Twitter alternatives, and bookmarking alternatives.
Intro
First off, I want to sincerely apologize for the unexpected downtime this past week. If you tried visiting KevinTheTechGuy.ca and ran into issues, you weren’t alone. The good news is that my Substack site was still fully accessible using the regular Substack address, but I get that most people just type in the main website address.
I also want to reiterate my reasons for switching to Substack. Simply put, I was spending too much time working on my Wordpress site itself, and putting together blog posts, rather than focusing on what really matters - content, and making money from it.
I also appreciate that Substack is comfortable with users having a website on their service for free upfront, only expecting a 10% cut when money is made. Although I appreciate and will be forever grateful for my previous website host (Web Savers), too much money was spent on designing and customizing the website vs content.
I certainly don’t agree with every decision Substack has made, but based on what they offer, they are the right service for what I need right now. I can say that with confidence, having tried the alternatives for my free newsletter.
To read my full blog post about this, please check that out.
What’s on Tap
🛠️ Site Downtime Resolved
KevinTheTechGuy.ca is working again after some DNS issues. Here’s what happened.🔄 Why I Switched to Substack
Less time spent on the website itself, more time creating content. Substack lets me focus on the content I’m making for you.🔍 Kevin’s Pick: Switched to DuckDuckGo
Startpage has become less reliable, so I switched to DuckDuckGo. It’s fast, private, and plays nice with my browser extensions.🍪 Quick Tip: Block Cookie Banners
Sick of popups asking about cookies? I walk you through how to hide them using uBlock Origin and other tools.🐦 Twitter vs. Bluesky vs. Mastodon (Paid Subscribers)
I’ve used all three and break down what each platform does best, and who each one is for.📌 Firefox Bookmarks Toolbar Setup (Paid Subscribers)
Learn how to show your bookmarks front and center with the Firefox Bookmarks Toolbar.
Kevin's Picks: DuckDuckGo
➡️ The Short Version:
Startpage used to be my go-to search engine for years. I loved that it gave me clean Google results without all the tracking, ads, and clutter. But over the past few weeks, it kept breaking. Random outages, slow response, and other issues.
After trying to wait it out, I finally switched to DuckDuckGo. In this post, I’ll explain why I made the change and what I’ve learned from using both.
🔍 Know More:
After weeks of frustration and head-scratching, I finally switched to DuckDuckGo as my default search engine. For a long time, I was a die-hard fan of Startpage.com. It gave me the clean, ad-free Google results I wanted without all the tracking and clutter. But lately, something changed—and not in a good way.
If Startpage gets its act together, I’d consider switching back. I have no loyalty to these products. I use the tools that work and do the job well. Stripped of all the garbage, Google's search results are still hard to beat. But for now, I need reliability more than perfection. DuckDuckGo is fast, private, compatible with all my tools, and most importantly, it just works.
Quick Tip: How To Get Rid of Annoying Cookie Banners
➡️ The Short Version:
Fed up with cookie banners on every site you visit? I’ll walk you through the tools I use to hide them and keep things distraction-free online.
🔍 Know More:
Cookie banners popups asking you to accept or reject cookies every time you visit a website have become a constant interruption online. In reality, they’re mostly just there to meet legal requirements under GDPR, and a lazy response to it. They don’t offer meaningful protection, and they don’t stop bad tracking practices. What they do is get in the way.
In this post, I’ll explain why these banners are mostly pointless, what cookies actually do, and how you can block the majority of these popups using tools like UBlock Origin, Ghostery, and a few helpful browser extensions.
Which One’s for You? Comparing Twitter (X), Bluesky, and Mastodon [Paid Subs]
➡️ The Short Version:
Not sure whether to stick with Twitter, jump to Bluesky, or give Mastodon a shot? I’ve spent time on all three and found each one has something unique to offer.
🔍 Know More:
In this post, I walk through the key differences of each platform, from timelines and moderation, to community culture and search features. I explain why I still use all three for different reasons. Whether you’re after a familiar experience, a smaller respectful community, or just want to avoid the chaos, this guide can help you figure out where to land.
How to Add and Use the Bookmarks Toolbar in Firefox [Paid Subs]
➡️ The Short Version:
If your bookmarks keep disappearing into menus, you’re not alone. Here’s how to make Firefox show your most-used sites right up front with the Bookmarks Toolbar.
🔍 Know More:
Ever wonder why your Firefox bookmarks don’t show up where you expect them? You click “Bookmark This Page,” but then you can’t find it later, or it’s buried deep in a menu you rarely use. That’s because Firefox doesn’t show the Bookmarks Toolbar by default, and most people don’t realize they have to enable it and choose the right location for each bookmark.
In this post, I’ll walk you through how to turn on the toolbar, how to add bookmarks so they actually show up where you need them, and why this little change can save you time every day. Whether you’re just getting started with Firefox or you’ve been using it for years, this quick setup will make your most-used websites easier to access with a single click.
Tech News You Might Have Missed
📸 Here's how to join Flashes — Bluesky's answer to Instagram (Tom’s Guide]
🕵️♂️ Should You Cover Your Laptop Camera When It’s Not in Use? [Consumer Reports]
🪟 10 ways to turn off Windows’ worst ads [Computer World]
💾 Still booting after all these years: The people stuck using ancient Windows computers [BBC]
📚 Pocket alternatives for bookmarking your content [The Verge]
Final Thoughts
Thanks again for reading and for sticking with me through the recent site hiccups.
I’m always trying to make this newsletter and my content better, more useful, and easier to access. Whether that means pointing out alternative and effective search engines to try, blocking cookie banners, giving you a better sense of the Social Media networks that might be a better fit for you, or just helping you get the most out of your browser using the Firefox Bookmarks Toolbar.
If something I’ve shared here saves you time, helps you troubleshoot, or just makes tech a little less annoying, then I’m doing what I set out to do. As always, feel free to hit reply if you’ve got a question, suggestion, or topic you want me to cover. I read every message.
Until next time,
Kevin
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