JSON in PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL’s JSONB type is fast, indexable, and incredibly flexible for semi-structured data. But it’s not a silver bullet, sometimes a traditional normalized table is still the better choice.Since I have PostgreSQL running on my laptop, I’ll show you real examples you can copy-paste and run yourself, complete with actual psql screenshots. When to use JSONB…

Read More

Frankenstein tables

The horror of bloated schemas and premature partitioningAlso known as monster tables, out-of-control tables, or God tables (the ones that try to hold everything because it’s easier and joins are for the weak). I prefer frankenstein tables. These beasts start innocently enough, a few extra columns here, some quick fixes there, but before you know…

Read More

Start Menu full of ads?

Imagine this: you’re in the middle of a high-stakes trading session at a bank. The clock’s ticking, your screen is a sea of spreadsheets and market feeds, and you hit the Windows key for a quick app launch. Boom, your Start Menu is full of ads . It’s a digital flea market: prompts for Microsoft…

Read More

Windows 11 Task Manager trick

Banks use this Windows 11 Task Manager trick to find viruses manually. I work at an investment bank, part-time at the IT helpdesk. Most people rely solely on antivirus software and think they’re fully protected. In reality? Antivirus misses things, especially sneaky, low-profile threats that don’t trigger alerts. At the investment bank where I work,…

Read More

Upgrade HDD to SSD

If your laptop feels like it’s stuck in the stone age, slow boots, endless loading wheels, apps crawling, there’s a simple fix that feels like magic, upgrade the old hard disk drive (HDD) for a solid-state drive (SSD). It’s one of the best performance upgrades you can do, especially on older machines. Boot times drop…

Read More

Disable forced Windows 11 restarts

Picture this: It’s 3:45 PM on a Friday. You’ve been knee-deep in a 50-slide PowerPoint presentation for that big client pitch next week. Your coffee’s gone cold, but the flow is golden. Then, bam. A little Windows notification pops up: Configuring updates. 30% complete. Do not turn off your PC. You ignore it, thinking it’ll…

Read More