Welcome to ELI5 to 101

What the heck is ELI5 to 101?

"ELI5 to 101" is a website dedicated to simplifying complex technology concepts and making them accessible to everyone, from kindergarteners to college students. At work, I often find myself whiteboarding something and enjoying explaining things to my colleagues in a way that is digestable by a total novice. By publishing these explanations, I am challinging myself to deepen my own understanding of these concepts and grow as a writer, if others can learn from this resource it's a bonus.

What is ELI5?

"ELI5" stands for "Explain Like I'm 5."

It's a popular concept on the internet where complex topics are broken down into simple, easy-to-understand explanations that even a five-year-old could grasp. Often times the results of an ELI5 are closer to the 101 level readings I'm working on, thus I have made an effort to write a true ELI5.

In the "ELI5" sections of each post, I provide genuine, kindergarten-level explanations of technology concepts, sometimes accompanied by simple diagrams. The goal is to lay a solid foundation for understanding by using analogies, everyday examples, and plain language. By starting with the basics, readers can build their knowledge gradually and confidently.

Why are you explaining [DNS,Git,Cloud,Containers...] to five year olds?

To be clear, I'm not actually targeting five-year-olds with this website. The goal is to make complex technology concepts accessible and understandable to a wide audience, regardless of their technical background. By simplifying something like VLANs to "putting a sticker on toys, and only toys with the same color sticker can talk, even if they're all in the same room," I'm creating an extremely relatable and easy-to-grasp explanation.

By using analogies, everyday examples, and plain language, I aim to create a resource that makes learning about technology engaging, accessible, and approachable to even the most novice among us. Whether you're a student, a professional looking to expand your knowledge, or simply someone curious about how things work, the "ELI5" approach can help you build a solid foundation of understanding and confidence.