I’ve always liked sharing what I know. I first got online in the mid-’90s, and back then the internet was just people helping people. There weren’t many ads and nobody was trying to sell you something. It was pure information, sometimes presented in a fun way, and nobody was looking to get paid. We just wanted to share.
These days the internet is so cluttered it’s almost unusable at times. So I’m putting some things here to help. That’s all this is: free advice from someone who knows a little bit about a lot of things. Jack of all trades, master of none.
There’s a whole generation of young men who grew up on devices and never got the hands-on, real-life experience they need as adults. If this helps fix that in some small way, great. And honestly, I’m getting older and don’t remember the details like I used to, so a backup of what’s in my head isn’t a bad idea either.
I’m not looking to get anything out of this except helping people and having a creative outlet. djgaston.com has always been about whatever I’m into at the time, and in my 40s that’s dad stuff. If you have a question you’d like me to cover, leave a comment on any guide. Thanks for visiting!
— Danny
- Home Fix-It (7)
Toilets, faucets, drains, drywall, appliances. - Property & Real Estate (2)
Buying, maintaining and improving a home and land. - Build It (2)
Sheds, decks, workbenches and woodworking basics. - Vehicles (6)
Tires, batteries, fluids and roadside basics. - Outdoors (3)
Camping, fire, trails, yard and woods. - Comfort Food (8)
Printable classics, kitchen basics and cast iron. - Animals & Pets (3)
Pet emergencies, pests and backyard critters. - Tech Help (3)
Phones, computers, passwords and backups. - History & Nostalgia (5)
How things used to work, and keeping old things going.
Newest guides
- Before the iPhone: Chat Rooms, Napster, Burned CDs and Nokia Bricks
Before AIM and MSN, we were on CompuServe, AOL chat rooms, ICQ and PowWow. Then came MySpace (way better than Facebook, I still say), Napster, Kazaa and LimeWire, a lot of burned CDs, custom ringtones my buddy and I made for people, and a pocket full of phones, from Nokia bricks (I still have a […] - The Early Web: Dial-Up, Local ISPs, Search Engines and the Browser Wars
I started out on a 28.8k modem back when everybody else had 14.4k, and my friends thought I had alien technology. Then 56k came out and blew my mind, lol. Here’s what getting online was like before broadband, from the dial-up screech to the search engines, browsers and websites we all grew up on. Quick […] - 90s PC Games That Changed Everything (and Why Red Alert Is Still the Best)
I grew up on Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM, Rise of the Triad and Duke Nukem 3D, but Command & Conquer: Red Alert is the best game ever made, and I still play it today. Here’s why the ’90s were the greatest decade PC gaming ever had. Quick answer In the 1990s the PC went from beige […] - Basic Knots Everyone Should Know
Five knots that handle most of life: square knot, two half hitches, clove hitch, taut-line hitch and bowline. - How to Set Up Parental Controls on an iPhone
Use Family Sharing and Screen Time to approve apps and websites, set schedules and time limits, and control who your kid can talk to. - How to Winterize Outdoor Faucets and Pipes
Disconnect the hoses, shut off and drain the outside spigots, insulate exposed pipes, and know what to do when a hard freeze hits. - How to Reset a Tripped Breaker or GFCI Outlet
Lights out in one room? Unplug the load, push the breaker fully OFF and then ON, and check for a tripped GFCI outlet. - Arkansas and Ozarks History Worth Knowing
Statehood, the Trail of Tears, Pea Ridge, the fight to save the Buffalo River, and the biggest diamond ever found in America. - Crispy Oven Fries
Soak, dry, oil and roast hot. Crispy fries without a deep fryer. Serves 4. - Buttermilk Pancakes from Scratch
Light, fluffy pancakes from pantry staples. Makes about 16.