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Colin
Colin

Hi, I'm Colin.

I'm a homeschooling parent. I built database engines; now I build small .fyi web apps and write about technology and life.

See what I'm making ↓quietcolin ↗@quietcolin ↗

Building

These are the small web apps I currently keep online. Each started with a problem I wanted to understand well enough to make easier for someone else.

  1. 01

    Anecdote FYI

    anecdote.fyi

    Tell it. Write it. Keep it. A private, kid-led studio for turning family memories, voices, and real handwriting into lasting keepsakes.

  2. 02

    Bookmarked FYI

    bookmarked.fyi

    A better way to organize and curate public X posts into thoughtful collections, with your own context and a shareable profile.

  3. 03

    Cents FYI

    cents.fyi

    A shared family ledger for allowance, spending, and the balance that remains. It does not move real money.

  4. 04

    Highlighted FYI

    highlighted.fyi

    A public portfolio for turning your own X posts into deliberate folders for guides, styles, artworks, and more.

  5. 05

    Makefile FYI

    makefile.fyi

    A practical way to learn Make by following a production Makefile from its first target to a managed toolchain.

  6. 06

    Passport Photo Maker

    privacy.photos

    A private, in-browser tool for making compliant passport photos. Your images stay on your device.

  7. 07

    Paused FYI

    paused.fyi

    A private podcast archive for saving exact moments from audio and video episodes, together with timestamps, notes, quotes, and collections.

  8. 08

    Taxing FYI

    taxing.fyi

    An interactive federal tax course and transparent calculator that makes income, deductions, brackets, and withholding easier to understand.

Writing

Notes on technology and life, from building software and small web apps to homeschooling and the systems behind everyday decisions.

  1. Tech

    A Place for Writing

    A placeholder for the essays, notes, and explanations that will live here.

View all writing →

About

I spent years building database engines at technology companies before choosing to work independently. That background still shapes how I work: understand the system from first principles, then make it useful and explainable.

Homeschooling is now a large part of my life alongside building software. Both keep me close to practical questions about learning, family, money, and the tools we depend on.

The .fyi names are a small clue to what I value. I like products that help you finish the task and leave knowing a little more than when you started.

Say hello

If you're making something thoughtful, have a question about one of my projects, or simply want to compare notes, I'd be glad to hear from you.

Email me ↗