Guide index # Guides Plainspoken how-to material for people who want to understand and use their technology. [Guides RSS](https://switchboardtechservices.com/feeds/guides.xml "Subscribe using an RSS reader") [![Is Yelp Bad for Small Businesses? The Case Against Yelp Ads and Billing](https://switchboardtechservices.com/media/assets/2026/10/f357a806fca3400bb26bc9c54eb0f862.webp)](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/is-yelp-bad-for-small-businesses/) ## [Is Yelp Bad for Small Businesses? The Case Against Yelp Ads and Billing](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/is-yelp-bad-for-small-businesses/) October 4, 2026 Yelp gives small businesses little control over their listing, reviews, advertising environment, or billing exposure. This sourced guide explains why many owners should avoid paying Yelp. [Read more →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/is-yelp-bad-for-small-businesses/) [![From Underdog to World Standard: How Linux Earned Its Place on the Desktop](https://switchboardtechservices.com/media/assets/2026/10/d33b13d4d5164c62a08112e373677aca.webp)](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/from-underdog-to-world-standard-linux-desktop/) ## [From Underdog to World Standard: How Linux Earned Its Place on the Desktop](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/from-underdog-to-world-standard-linux-desktop/) October 2, 2026 From GNU's beginnings and the 1991 Linux kernel to servers, phones, games, and today's desktop, a sourced history of how free software became a practical choice for personal computers. [Read more →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/from-underdog-to-world-standard-linux-desktop/) ## [100 Reasons to Switch to Linux](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/100-reasons-to-switch-to-linux/) October 2, 2026 One hundred reasons to switch to Linux, linked to guides on privacy and control. [Read more →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/100-reasons-to-switch-to-linux/) ## [50 Reasons to Switch to Proton Mail](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/50-reasons-to-switch-to-proton-mail/) October 2, 2026 Fifty reasons to switch to Proton Mail, each linked to an email privacy guide. [Read more →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/50-reasons-to-switch-to-proton-mail/) [![50 Reasons to Switch to Brave Browser](https://switchboardtechservices.com/media/assets/2026/10/d600b32d3e4048cbb022df40998554da.webp)](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/50-reasons-to-switch-to-brave-browser/) ## [50 Reasons to Switch to Brave Browser](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/50-reasons-to-switch-to-brave-browser/) October 2, 2026 Fifty reasons to switch to Brave Browser, each linked to a privacy guide. [Read more →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/50-reasons-to-switch-to-brave-browser/) ## [50 Nostr Questions](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/50-nostr-questions/) October 1, 2026 Fifty Nostr questions linked to guides on identities, relays, security, and use. [Read more →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/50-nostr-questions/) ## [50 Tor Questions](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/50-tor-questions/) October 1, 2026 Fifty Tor questions linked to practical guides about privacy, setup, and limitations. [Read more →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/50-tor-questions/) ## [100 WordPress Security Alerts](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/100-wordpress-security-alerts/) October 1, 2026 A numbered index of 100 WordPress security alerts with links to the individual guides. [Read more →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/100-wordpress-security-alerts/) ## [100 Omarchy OS Questions](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/100-omarchy-os-questions/) October 1, 2026 A numbered index of 100 Omarchy OS questions, each linked to its full guide. [Read more →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/100-omarchy-os-questions/) [![The Windows 10 Deadline Moved. Your Decision Shouldn’t.](https://switchboardtechservices.com/media/assets/2026/10/39c8c8a4566643e0b6779d479615de94.webp)](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/windows-10-deadline-moved-your-decision-shouldnt/) ## [The Windows 10 Deadline Moved. Your Decision Shouldn’t.](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/windows-10-deadline-moved-your-decision-shouldnt/) October 1, 2026 Microsoft extended consumer Windows 10 security-update coverage to October 2027. Use the time to decide whether a working PC should move to Linux. [Read more →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/windows-10-deadline-moved-your-decision-shouldnt/) [![When the Start Menu Becomes a Storefront: Who Controls Your Windows Desktop?](https://switchboardtechservices.com/media/assets/2026/10/59fc08758ef9497184ab497cc1a99800.webp)](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/when-start-menu-becomes-a-storefront/) ## [When the Start Menu Becomes a Storefront: Who Controls Your Windows Desktop?](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/when-start-menu-becomes-a-storefront/) September 30, 2026 A July 2026 Windows 11 change puts subscription status in Start. What does that reveal about commercial prompts and desktop control? [Read more →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/when-start-menu-becomes-a-storefront/) ## [Switch to Linux Reason #100: Make your next computer answer to you](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/switch-to-linux-reason-100/) September 30, 2026 The operating system sits between you and everything the machine can do. [Read more →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/switch-to-linux-reason-100/) ## [Switch to Linux Reason #99: Turn your refusal of invasive defaults into a practical choice](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/switch-to-linux-reason-99/) September 30, 2026 Disabling a toggle is useful, but it leaves the same vendor deciding which new features and data flows arrive next. [Read more →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/switch-to-linux-reason-99/) ## [Switch to Linux Reason #98: Reduce dependence on one company's permission to keep working](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/switch-to-linux-reason-98/) September 30, 2026 An account decision, service outage, price increase, or unsupported device can interrupt basic work when everything is tied together. [Read more →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/switch-to-linux-reason-98/) ## [Switch to Linux Reason #97: Give small organizations a path away from forced subscriptions](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/switch-to-linux-reason-97/) September 30, 2026 A small organization can lose bargaining power when documents, identity, storage, and collaboration all depend on one recurring contract. [Read more →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/switch-to-linux-reason-97/) ## [Switch to Linux Reason #96: Give schools tools they can study, share, and maintain](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/switch-to-linux-reason-96/) September 30, 2026 A school that teaches only one vendor's buttons teaches dependence along with computing. [Read more →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/switch-to-linux-reason-96/) ## [Switch to Linux Reason #95: Support public knowledge instead of permanent vendor secrecy](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/switch-to-linux-reason-95/) September 29, 2026 When fixes and design decisions stay private, each customer repeats the same dependency and mistakes. [Read more →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/switch-to-linux-reason-95/) ## [Switch to Linux Reason #94: Keep the ability to inspect and modify the software you rely on](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/switch-to-linux-reason-94/) September 29, 2026 A hidden implementation forces users to trust assurances about behavior they cannot verify. [Read more →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/switch-to-linux-reason-94/) ## [Switch to Linux Reason #93: Leave a distribution if it stops earning your trust](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/switch-to-linux-reason-93/) September 29, 2026 A distribution can change its defaults or partnerships. [Read more →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/switch-to-linux-reason-93/) ## [Switch to Linux Reason #92: Choose a distribution whose stated priorities match yours](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/switch-to-linux-reason-92/) September 29, 2026 The word Linux does not promise privacy, support, or a particular update style. [Read more →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/switch-to-linux-reason-92/) Page 1 of 28 [Next →](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/?page=2) --- Canonical URL: https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/ Language: en-us