The Plain Language Series exists because most guides are written by people who looked something up. These are not.
There is a particular kind of frustration that comes from following a guide written by someone who already knew the subject. The steps are there but the reasoning is missing. Something goes slightly differently than described and there is no way to adapt because the underlying logic was never explained.
Every guide in the Plain Language Series is written to solve this problem. The goal is not just to explain what to do but to build enough understanding that the reader can think through unexpected situations on their own. That is the difference between following instructions and actually knowing something.
The subjects covered span the full stack of digital privacy and computing — from foundational privacy concepts and everyday security habits all the way to advanced operational practice and self-hosted infrastructure. What they have in common is that they are all written by someone with direct, hands-on experience in the subject matter.
Plain language does not mean simplified. It means that every term is defined when it first appears, every step includes the reason behind it, and the reader is never expected to already know something in order to understand the next thing.
This approach takes longer to write. It produces guides that are longer than most. And it results in readers who actually understand what they are doing rather than readers who followed steps and hope nothing ever goes differently.
The catalogue covers the full stack of digital privacy and computing — foundational privacy, escaping surveillance ecosystems, Linux and Unix, operational security, advanced privacy stack architecture, self-hosting, financial and cryptocurrency privacy, and more. Additional guides are added as they meet the publication standard.