add blog

content/blog/_index.md

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+---
+title: "Blog"
+paginate_by: 5
+# paginate_reversed: false
+sort_by: "date"
+insert_anchor_links: "left"
+#base_url: "posts"
+#first: "first"
+#last: "last"
+template: "layouts/blog.html"
+page_template: "blogPage.html"
+#transparent: true
+extra:
+  imgPath: /images/threefold_img2.png
+---

content/blog/cyberwall/index.md

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+---
+id: cyberwall
+title: "An Antidote for the Cyber Pandemic"
+image_caption: "An Antidote to the Cyber Pandemic"
+description: In today's interconnected world, the rise of cyber threats presents a significant challenge... 
+date: 2024-03-20
+taxonomies:
+  tags: []
+  categories: []
+extra:
+  imgPath: cyberwall.png
+---
+**An Antidote for the Cyber Pandemic**
+
+<br>
+
+In today's interconnected world, the rise of cyber threats presents a significant challenge to global security and stability. Much like the world has faced virus-based pandemics, the emergence of a cyber pandemic poses a serious risk to our digital infrastructure and societal well-being. At TF9, we recognize the gravity of these threats and are committed to providing robust solutions to protect against them.
+
+<br>
+
+**Understanding the Cyber Landscape**
+
+<br>
+
+Cybersecurity experts universally agree that the potential for a cyber pandemic is not a presumption but a looming reality. With numerous systems already compromised and vulnerabilities deeply embedded, the possibility of large-scale exploitation is a growing concern. The accessibility of sensitive information at relatively low costs underscores the urgent need for proactive measures.
+
+<br>
+
+**Vulnerabilities in Africa**
+
+<br>
+
+Africa, despite its abundant natural resources, faces significant challenges due to exploitation. 
+
+<br>
+
+Instances such as Tanzania's economic struggles highlight the complexities of investment deals which often lead to debt, mass-scale internet manipulation, and corruption. Despite being among the richest countries globally in terms of natural resources, it has one of the lowest GDP per capita figures. This discrepancy raises the question: is Tanzania being exploited? These vulnerabilities underscore the need for comprehensive strategies to ensure economic resilience and sovereignty.
+
+<br>
+
+**Navigating the Digital Battlefield**
+
+<br>
+
+In the modern era, data has emerged as a critical asset, and nations vie for supremacy in this domain. Recent conflicts, such as those witnessed between Ukraine and Russia, underscore the strategic significance of digital infrastructure. For example, Russia took out 5 data centers as their first targets in Ukraine to destabilize the country and destroy important data for the country (e.g. birth certificates and land ownership data are now gone). The reality remains that only a select few nations possess the requisite resources to navigate this new frontier, leaving others vulnerable to manipulation and attacks.
+
+<br>
+
+**Internet Infrastructure Vulnerabilities**
+
+<br>
+
+The centralization of internet infrastructure poses significant risks, as demonstrated by the potential impact of denial of service attacks or routing manipulation. Such vulnerabilities highlight the fragility of our digital ecosystem and the importance of strengthening resilience measures.
+
+<br>
+
+**Information Manipulation**
+
+<br>
+
+The manipulation of information presents a formidable challenge to democracy and societal stability. Instances such as the events in Egypt, during the revolution some years ago, serve as stark reminders of the power wielded by those who seek to exploit public opinion. Effective safeguards and transparency measures are essential to mitigate the risks associated with information manipulation.
+
+<br>
+
+**Advocating for a Secure Digital Future:**
+
+<br>
+
+As we confront these challenges, it is imperative to adopt a proactive and collaborative approach to cybersecurity. Rather than succumbing to fear or resorting to isolationist measures, we must strive for a more inclusive and secure digital ecosystem. At TF9, we are committed to pioneering innovative solutions that prioritize security, resilience, and global cooperation.
+
+<br>
+
+The threat of a cyber pandemic looms large, but it is not insurmountable. Through strategic investments in cybersecurity, enhanced collaboration among stakeholders, and a commitment to transparency, we can build a safer digital future for all. Join us in our mission to safeguard against cyber threats and foster a more secure and resilient global digital infrastructure with TF9. 
+
+<br>
+<br>

content/blog/empowering_india/index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+---
+id: empowering_india
+title: "Empowering India: The promise of Decentralization"
+image_caption: "Empowering India: The promise of Decentralization"
+description: While Indian internet usage ranks second in the world today behind China, with 43% of its total...
+date: 2023-01-03
+taxonomies:
+  tags: []
+  categories: []
+extra:
+  imgPath: empowering_india.png
+---
+## How would Decentralisation of the Internet help India?
+
+*"This article was originally published by Ashish Bansal, a former member of ThreeFold Foundation."*
+
+*Ashish Bansal has been a member of the ThreeFold support team since October 2021. He was born in India. Ashish believes that we all deserve a better internet which is free, decentralized and equal for all.*
+
+<br>
+
+The Internet has become one of the most important aspects of human life. Our everyday lives are impacted by social media and other online platforms on a very minute level. Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and others have become the most convenient way to stay in touch with friends and family. WhiteHart, Udemy and others have made quality education accessible to all. Swiggy, Zomato and others have made our favourite cuisine accessible at home. Amazon, Flipkart and others have grown the shopping experience for Indians with a variety of choices. Netflix, Hotstar, Youtube and others have made entertainment on demand easy for us.
+
+<br>
+
+Over the past decade, we have all gotten addicted to the comforts that the internet has brought to us, and it wouldn't be wrong for us to say that we cannot imagine our lives without the internet.
+
+<br>
+
+While Indian internet usage ranks second in the world today behind China, with 43% of its total population online, this also means that there is still a lot of untapped potential in India.
+
+## Issues with current Internet
+
+Although the internet has helped us in making our lives comfortable, there are several issues with the current Internet services we use. Some of them are mentioned below:
+
+### Cyber security
+
+The cyber security infrastructure in India today is not well equipped to tackle increasing cyber-crimes. You may not have the resolution to your complaints filed with Cyber Cell Portals on time. Hence there is an increasing number of fraudsters and hackers in India.
+
+### Data ownership
+
+Personal details shared by you on the internet are used by big companies to influence your decision-making process strategically.
+
+### Higher cost to customers
+
+Since internet infrastructure is owned and controlled by a few big companies, there is an irregular price increase which makes the internet unaffordable to many parts of rural India.
+
+## Decentralised Internet is the solution
+
+Decentralisation of the internet refers to the arrangement of the internet or its components such that no single entity or organization has control or authority over the network. It  holds the potential to revolutionize the way every nation accesses and utilizes the world wide web. India, one of the biggest players in the digital world, can greatly benefit from Internet decentralization. It would open up many new opportunities for both the country and its citizens.
+
+<br>
+
+To start, decentralization of the internet would give India more control over its digital landscape. Instead of relying on a single, centralized entity to power its network, India could decentralize its internet and make the administration of the network much more efficient. With this additional control and efficiency, India could develop a more secure and reliable infrastructure, while also controlling the delivery of services. This could lead to faster, more reliable connection speeds, along with increased safety and security.
+
+<br>
+
+Additionally, decentralization of the internet would allow India to establish itself as a technological leader. By decentralizing the internet, India could shift its focus from the existing internet infrastructure to developing innovative technology and applications. This could include the development of decentralized artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and much more. Potential applications of these technologies could drastically improve the education, healthcare, and transportation sectors of India.
+
+<br>
+
+Finally, decentralization of the internet could help with digital media access and distribution. This could open up new opportunities for providing access to digital media in rural areas, allowing for more effective access to education and entertainment. Furthermore, it could also provide access to more reliable payment services, as well as better consumer protection policies.
+
+<br>
+
+In conclusion, decentralization of the internet holds the potential to greatly benefit India and its citizens. It would give India control over its internet infrastructure, opening the door for development of innovative technologies and applications. Additionally, it could provide more effective access to digital media, along with more reliable payment services and consumer protection policies. In order for India to take full advantage of the potential of decentralization of the internet, it must take decisive steps towards implementing the necessary reforms and investments to ensure its success.
+
+## How TF9 can contribute
+
+TF9 technology runs on the concept of a grid formed by farmers who are independent people, unlike big corporations, that connect their nodes anywhere network and electricity is present to create a global distributed internet infrastructure. This resolves the problem of monopoly and price of big internet companies.

content/blog/ensuring_reliability/index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+---
+id: ensuring_reliability
+title: "Ensuring Reliability: Strategies for Decentralized Internet Infrastructure"
+image_caption: "Ensuring Reliability: Strategies for Decentralized Internet Infrastructure"
+description: Through a combination of technical and strategic advancements, our journey towards a dependable...
+date: 2023-12-06
+taxonomies:
+  tags: []
+  categories: []
+extra:
+  imgPath: ensuring_reliability.png
+  isFeatured: true
+---
+In today's digital landscape, the development of a decentralized open-source Internet infrastructure marks a significant leap forward. However, while the foundational structure of this innovation brings promise, its inherent reliability isn't guaranteed. After more than five years of building and expanding TF9's open-source technologies, it's now time we pivot towards commercialization. Ensuring a robust, dependable, and trustworthy offering becomes paramount. In this post, we'll share the various ways that reliability is being integrated with TF9 technology. 
+
+### **Technical Redundancy**
+
+Our quantum safe storage system, coupled with replication, and web gateways, presents a pathway to achieve technical redundancy already. While these capabilities exist, we admit that at this time it is too complex for a starting user. Making this easier through refined tooling and a strong user experience will be imperative in order to allow a wide audience to take advantage here.
+
+### **TF9 Cloud**
+
+Our upcoming commercial offering, TF9 Cloud, will bolster reliability and trustworthiness. Through TF Cloud, we will need to provide comprehensive service, robust support, service level agreements (SLAs), and streamlined payment methods, including credit card options. The development of user-friendly tooling will significantly simplify and easen the process as well, enabling users to deploy and maintain reliable workloads effortlessly.
+
+### **Farming Pools**
+
+The introduction of farming pools in TF Grid 4.x will play an important role in fostering reliability as well. These pools not only contribute to resource pooling but also offer visibility into the network's participants. This transparency enhances trust and aids in identifying reliable contributors within a decentralized framework.
+
+### **Establishing Reputation and Transparency**
+
+Building a system that emphasizes reputation and complete visibility regarding service levels and uptimes is pivotal. By offering insights into each participant's performance metrics, Grid users will be able to more effectively choose a trusted provider.
+
+<br>
+
+In essence, through a combination of technical and strategic advancements, our journey towards a dependable and trustworthy decentralized Internet infrastructure is underway, setting the stage for the [next phase](/next) of ThreeFold.

content/blog/mycelium/index.md

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+---
+id: introducing_mycelium
+title: "Introducing Mycelium"
+image_caption: "Introducing Mycelium"
+description: TF9 is implementing a planetary network, aiming to allow efficient, end-to-end encrypted...
+date: 2023-09-19
+taxonomies:
+  tags: []
+  categories: []
+extra:
+  imgPath: introducing_mycelium.png
+---
+*Lee is working on a very exciting new project called Mycelium, our own Ipv6 overlay network. Thanks to him for taking the time to create this short write-up on what it is and why it is needed.*
+
+<br>
+
+As part of the grid, ThreeFold is also implementing a planetary network. This peer 2 peer network implementation aims to allow efficient, end-to-end encrypted communication with other participants on the network. Currently, we are using Yggdrasil as the core technology for this network. This is an open source implementation, and we have been using this since of grid v2.
+
+<br>
+
+Over time, some problems have been noticed. We have since spent time looking into these issues, and performed an analysis of the root cause(s).
+
+### Yggdrasil’s Limitations
+
+To start, it should be noted that Yggdrasil is an experimental routing protocol (based on DHT’s), which is currently still in an alpha stage. We very much admire the fact that they have been able to create a standalone network with worldwide participants from scratch. Over time, the network has grown, in part due to the grid, but also because a lot of individual participants joined and started running a node.
+
+<br>
+
+After investigating, we reached the conclusion that the current architecture has some scalability issues. While we have no doubt that these will eventually be solved, the importance of the planetary network in the grid is unfortunately too big to be able to wait for this. Additionally, Yggdrasil uses a technique called crypto key routing, and uses a tree structure for its routing info. This means data follows the “shortest path” in the tree, rather than the physical shortest path, which might deviate from this. As such, we have decided to implement our own Ipv6 overlay network, Mycelium.
+
+### Implementing Mycelium
+
+As previously pointed out, the main goal of our network is to be efficient, and end-to-end encrypted. Every node in the network is identified by a key pair. The address of a node is derived from this key pair, and data traffic between 2 nodes is encrypted using a secret derived from the key pair of both these nodes. As a result, every 2 nodes in the system use a different secret for encryption, and we can verify that the address used by a node is indeed owned by it (i.e. it has the corresponding private key). We have based our initial implementation (loosely) on the babel routing protocol.
+
+<br>
+
+Therefore, sending data to a remote node will follow the shortest path in terms of latency (i.e. the fastest route). The network adjusts itself in case nodes disappear or join, and multiple paths to a given destination are possible.
+
+<br>
+
+We are also considering implementing more advanced use cases in the future, though this remains to be seen at this stage. We are gearing up for some larger scale testing on the grid in the near future (after all, we do have multiple thousand nodes at our disposal to verify scalability), and will adjust as needed once these are done.
+
+<br>
+
+*If you'd like to dive deeper, take a look at the Mycelium manual [here](https://threefoldfoundation.github.io/info_cloud_production/tfcloud/mycelium/mycelium.html).

content/blog/resolving_global_tech/index.md

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+---
+id: resolving_global_tech
+title: "Decentralized Internet: Resolving Global Tech Challenges"
+image_caption: "Decentralized Internet: Resolving Global Tech Challenges"
+description: By constructing a decentralized, autonomous internet infrastructure from scratch, we're tackling...
+date: 2023-11-12
+taxonomies:
+  tags: []
+  categories: []
+extra:
+  imgPath: resolving_global_tech.png
+---
+Imagine this: two friends in East Africa trying to connect via a video call. Instead of a direct link, their data embarks on a round trip to far-off data centers, consuming resources and adding costs. It's a snippet of a larger issue—how centralized infrastructure is holding back progress in connectivity.
+
+### **Breaking the Distance Barrier**
+
+In many regions, the internet economy remains anchored in distant lands due to reliance on long cables to Europe, North America, or China, where colossal data centers reside. This scenario keeps data, jobs, and economic benefits outside developing regions. But what if connectivity was local, decentralized, and efficient?
+
+### **The East Africa Example**
+
+Picture our technology in action. Instead of relying on data centers thousands of miles away, our decentralized infrastructure brings the connection closer. Those friends in East Africa can communicate peer-to-peer, reducing bandwidth needs by up to 10 times while boosting security. This isn't just about video calls; it's about revolutionizing every digital interaction.
+
+### **Streamlining Complexity**
+
+The tech world often gets tangled in layers of abstraction, favoring integration over innovation. While layers aid compatibility and incremental progress, they hinder true change. Excessive abstraction results in inefficiencies, performance lags, increased costs, and scalability woes.
+
+### **The Education Gap**
+
+Innovation takes a back seat when education leans heavily on commercial technologies. The push for quick-fix solutions neglects long-term innovation. It's like opting for a painkiller instead of addressing the root cause of the problem.
+
+### **Local, Secure, Reliable**
+
+Our vision? A decentralized internet where compute, storage, and network are local, sovereign, and secure. Storage becomes more reliable with less overhead, doubling up as a global content delivery network. The network stays resilient, routes around issues, encrypts end-to-end, and knows precisely where data originates and ends.
+
+### **Tackling the Root Issues**
+
+By constructing a decentralized, autonomous internet infrastructure from scratch, we're tackling these issues head-on. Minimizing complexity while solving problems at their core is our mantra. It's not just about a tech revolution; it's about reshaping connectivity to be inclusive, efficient, and empowering for everyone, everywhere.
+
+The digital world stands at a crossroads. We can either perpetuate the status quo, or we can pave a new path—one that's decentralized, efficient, and equitable. The time for a decentralized internet that solves problems at their roots is now. It's time for connectivity that knows no boundaries.
+
+The power to transform connectivity is in our hands. Let's reimagine the internet not as a distant entity but as a network that thrives locally, serves globally, and empowers universally. Together, let's build a decentralized internet that propels us into a future where connectivity is a right, not a privilege.

content/blog/revolutionizing_data_center/index.md

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+---
+id: revolutionizing_data_center
+title: "Revolutionizing Data Center Design: Exploring Tier S"
+image_caption: "Revolutionizing Data Center Design: Exploring Tier S"
+description: The Tier S model is designed to exceed the capabilities of traditional data centers...
+date: 2024-02-10
+taxonomies:
+  tags: []
+  categories: []
+extra:
+  imgPath: revolutionizing_data_center.png
+---
+In an era where artificial intelligence is reshaping our technological landscape, it is imperative to reconsider how we design and operate data centers. With decades of experience in the Internet and Cloud space and in response to technological evolutions, ThreeFold is proposing a new approach.
+
+<br>
+
+Over the last 30 years, data center construction has largely remained static. Contemporary data centers risk becoming obsolete if they continue to neglect evolving needs. As we stand at this technological crossroads, the urgency to adapt is clear: unless we pay close attention, new data centers risk repeating the inefficiencies of their predecessors, leading to a poor utilization of investments and a significant mismatch with current and future requirements.
+
+## The Two Main Flaws of Existing Data Centers
+
+### Inadequate Power Provision
+
+The advent of AI has dramatically escalated power needs. An AI-centric rack can consume up to 200 kW – a staggering 15 times more than the capacity of data centers built in the conventional model. This exponential increase poses significant challenges, particularly when dissipation exceeds 50 kW per rack. Traditional designs fall short in crucial aspects like cooling and power distribution, with conventional air cooling methods becoming increasingly unviable.
+
+### The Shift in Market Needs: Beyond Co-location
+
+The market dynamics have evolved; selling space in a data center, akin to ‘advanced real estate’, is a model that is rapidly losing relevance. The traditional co-location framework, which expects customers to manage their hardware and infrastructure within leased rack space, is becoming antiquated.
+
+<br>
+
+In the modern landscape, the role of a data center should transcend mere space rental. The emphasis should be on providing integrated solutions – selling compute, storage, and network capacity, not just rackspace and power. It’s about delivering a comprehensive service that aligns with the complex, ever-evolving needs of businesses immersed in the digital and AI revolution.
+
+## The Data Center Landscape Today
+
+Tier 3 and Tier 4 Data Centers are classifications outlined by the Uptime Institute, which provide standards for the design, construction, and operation of data centers. The Institute defines four tiers (1, 2, 3, & 4) to categorize data centers according to their design and infrastructure capabilities. For the purposes of this article, we will focus on the top two tiers.
+
+### Tier 3
+
+A Tier 3 Data Center is a type of data center facility that is designed to provide a high level of availability and redundancy for IT infrastructure and data storage.
+
+<br>
+
+#### Key Characteristics
+
+- Availability: Tier 3 Data Centers typically offer 99.982% availability, translating to around 1.6 hours of downtime per year.
+- Redundancy: They feature N+1 redundancy for power and cooling systems, providing backup components to ensure continuous operation in case of failure.
+- Concurrent Maintenance: Tier 3 Data Centers allow for maintenance and repairs to be performed on systems without disrupting operations.
+- Cost: Tier 3 Data Centers are less expensive to build and operate compared to Tier 4 due to lower redundancy requirements.
+
+It's important to note that while Tier 3 Data Centers provide a high level of availability and redundancy, they are not as robust as Tier 4 Data Centers, which are designed to provide even higher levels of fault tolerance and uptime. The choice of data center tier depends on the specific needs and risk tolerance of the organization using the facility.
+
+#### Key Challenges
+
+- Limited Uptime: Despite high reliability, Tier 3 Data Centers may still experience noticeable downtime, which could impact critical operations.
+- Single Points of Failure: While designed for redundancy, Tier 3 Data Centers may still have single points of failure, potentially leading to downtime during component failures.
+- Scalability: They may have limitations in scalability compared to higher tier data centers, potentially requiring more significant upgrades for expansion.
+
+<br>
+
+When a business is considering colocation or hosting in a Tier 3 Data Center, it's important to assess its power requirements carefully. For operations with high power demands, it might be necessary to discuss with the data center provider the possibilities of allocating additional power resources or choosing a high-density zone within the data center. Data center providers typically measure power in kilowatts (kW) per rack and will have different pricing models based on the power and cooling requirements of the equipment hosted.
+
+### Tier 4
+
+A Tier 4 Data Center is the most advanced type of data center tier, as classified by the Uptime Institute. The Tier 4 Data Center is the most robust and less prone to failures. Its design ensures redundancy and reliability.
+
+#### Key Characteristics
+
+- Availability: Tier 4 Data Centers offer the highest level of availability, typically guaranteeing 99.995% uptime or just around 26.3 minutes of downtime per year.
+- Fault Tolerance: They feature a fault-tolerant design with 2N+1 redundancy for critical systems, ensuring uninterrupted operation even during component failures.
+- Redundancy: Tier 4 Data Centers have redundant power and cooling distribution paths, eliminating single points of failure.
+- Security: They often have advanced security measures in place, including biometric access controls and surveillance systems.
+
+#### Key Challenges
+
+- Complexity: Tier 4 Data Centers are more complex and expensive to design, build, and maintain due to their fault-tolerant architecture.
+- High Cost: The increased redundancy and fault tolerance come with higher costs, making Tier 4 Data Centers more expensive to operate compared to lower tiers.
+- Overkill for Some Applications: For organizations with less critical operations or smaller budgets, Tier 4 Data Centers may be overkill and not cost-effective.
+
+### Choosing Between Tier 3 and Tier 4
+
+- Cost vs. Need: Tier 4 Data Centers are significantly more expensive to build and operate. Organizations should assess whether they need the highest level of uptime and fault tolerance that Tier 4 provides.
+- Business Requirements: Businesses that can afford occasional downtimes for maintenance or those that don't have extremely critical data operations may find Tier 3 facilities adequately sufficient.
+- Industry Compliance: Certain industries may require or favor Tier 4 facilities due to regulatory requirements.
+
+<br>
+
+In summary, while both Tier 3 and Tier 4 Data Centers are designed to ensure high levels of uptime and reliability, Tier 4 takes this a step further with increased redundancy, fault tolerance, and a correspondingly higher price point.
+
+## Introducing the Tier S Data Center
+
+The Tier S model is designed to exceed the capabilities of traditional Tier 3 and 4 Data Centers, addressing the increasing demand for infrastructure that can support emerging IT workloads with greater efficiency and resilience. Where "S" stands for "Self-Healing," Tier S Data Centers present a new way forward, while remaining backwards compatible.
+
+<br>
+
+The Tier S "circular approach" allows us to build the most reliable and redundant data centers in the world. A larger data center (typically 2-10 mW capacity) is extended with at least nine edge data centers. Key features include advanced liquid cooling technology and cybersecurity mechanisms, enhancing the center's ability to handle complex IT workloads like AI and ML.
+
+<br>
+
+Flexibility is central to the design, with each edge data center capable of housing 3-30 pods (subsections), and a versatile main data center. The innovative self-healing technology ensures continuous, secure operations, reducing downtime and maintenance needs. The infrastructure, integrating state-of-the-art hydro coolant distribution units, is designed for high-performance computing, meeting emerging technological demands.
+
+### Key Benefits
+
+- Superior Reliability: Data storage is highly secure and can't be lost, would even be safe if quantum computing would be used for hacking.
+- 100% Redundancy: Fully redundant power and network paths. All hardware is equipped with liquid cooling for enhanced reliability and energy-efficiency..
+- Capacity and Expansion: A main data center with a 2-10 MW capacity, supplemented by at least 9 edge data centers.
+- Flexible Configuration: Each edge data center can include 3 to 30 pods (more information below), with the main data centers configurable as pod, rack, or container-based.
+- Disaster Resilience: The circular design, with a main data center and edge data centers, offers robust protection against natural disasters, war, or unrest.
+- Self-Healing: Equipped with self-healing properties, Tier S Data Centers ensure that workloads can operate safely with minimal need for human intervention.
+
+## In Conclusion
+
+The existing data center model is simply insufficient for emerging demands of the IT world. Billions of dollars will be mis-spent if we continue down the existing path. This is why ThreeFold is presenting a new approach. While the Tier S Data Center is still in its conceptual phase, we are actively working with partners on implementing the first of its kind in the near future.

content/blog/shifting_to_the_edge/index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+---
+id: shifting_to_the_edge
+title: "Shifting to the Edge: The Internet's Evolution"
+image_caption: "Shifting to the Edge: The Internet's Evolution"
+description: With emerging technologies like IoT, Web 3 and more, computing needs to be pushed from centralized...
+date: 2022-05-10
+taxonomies:
+  tags: []
+  categories: []
+extra:
+  imgPath: shifting_to_the_edge.png
+---
+With new devices being connected every day and emerging technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), the metaverse and Web 3 gaining popularity, the [demand](https://www.cbre.com/en/insights/reports/north-america-data-center-trends-h2-2021) for Internet capacity is booming. Already, these developments are shifting the [Internet’s “center of gravity”](https://www.securityinfowatch.com/perimeter-security/physical-hardening/article/21263002/real-words-or-buzzwords-edge-cloud-and-the-evolving-internet) from its core to the edges in order to keep up with the growing demand. In an increasingly interconnected world, centralized cloud architectures are proving to be [bottlenecks](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/03/25/demystifying-edge-technology/) hindering future growth.
+
+<br/>
+
+Here are some interesting numbers to emphasize the explosive growth of connected devices and the impending data explosion:
+
+<br/>
+
+* Back in 2018, [90% of global data creation](https://www.securityinfowatch.com/perimeter-security/physical-hardening/article/21263002/real-words-or-buzzwords-edge-cloud-and-the-evolving-internet) took place within the two previous years.
+* In 2022, [4.95 billion people](https://www.securityinfowatch.com/perimeter-security/physical-hardening/article/21263002/real-words-or-buzzwords-edge-cloud-and-the-evolving-internet) are using the Internet and about [2.5 quintillion bytes](https://www.securityinfowatch.com/perimeter-security/physical-hardening/article/21263002/real-words-or-buzzwords-edge-cloud-and-the-evolving-internet) of data are created on a daily basis.
+* About 2 billion computers, 15 billion mobile devices and more than 22 billion IoT devices are [active worldwide](https://www.securityinfowatch.com/perimeter-security/physical-hardening/article/21263002/real-words-or-buzzwords-edge-cloud-and-the-evolving-internet) on a daily basis.
+* By 2025, more than [1 billion people](https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/executive-perspectives/annual-internet-report/index.html) and [75 billion IoT devices](https://www.statista.com/statistics/471264/iot-number-of-connected-devices-worldwide/#:~:text=Internet%20of%20Things%20%2D%20number%20of%20connected%20devices%20worldwide%202015%2D2025&text=By%202025%2C%20forecasts%20suggest%20that,IoT%20installed%20base%20in%202019.) are expected to join the Internet.
+
+<br/>
+
+And yet, the expansion of Internet capacity still largely occurs in the same centralized and inefficient way. The client-server model of hyperscale data centers is unable to meet this rapidly growing demand due to high building and operational costs to fulfill bandwidth, performance and cybersecurity requirements. As data centers are primarily built in the US, China and Europe, emerging countries have to be connected via sea cables which makes the model’s limitations particularly severe for these countries. And even in countries where many data centers are located, they are built in regions where land and electricity are as cheap as possible. Consequently, the bulk of data centers is still [far away](https://www.securityinfowatch.com/perimeter-security/physical-hardening/article/21263002/real-words-or-buzzwords-edge-cloud-and-the-evolving-internet) from where the majority of users and connected devices reside, and where huge amounts of data are generated that require processing – resulting in a [weak distribution](https://library.threefold.me/info/threefold#/tfgrid/threefold__grid_valuation?id=what39s-the-potential-of-the-threefold-grid) of Internet capacity.
+
+<br/>
+
+About [175 Zettabytes](https://www.seagate.com/files/www-content/our-story/rethink-data/files/Rethink_Data_Report_2020.pdf) of data will be created by 2025, as our economy becomes increasingly digital and data driven. And this amount of data needs to be captured, stored and activated in a secure, efficient and high-performing way. So, the aforementioned technological use cases will not only [accelerate the demand](https://www.cbre.com/en/insights/reports/north-america-data-center-trends-h2-2021) for Internet capacity but also require edge capabilities, such as low latencies, in order to run and scale successfully. In fact, the centralized data center model poses one of the biggest obstacles to the success and spread of the Internet of Things and related applications. This will have to change. Actually, industry experts [expect 75%](https://www.i-scoop.eu/edge-computing-explained/) of data to be processed outside of the traditional data center or cloud model by 2025.
+
+## The rise of edge computing
+
+Computing needs to be pushed from centralized data centers to the edge to support the massive data consumption coupled to the rise of connected devices and emerging technologies. For instance, as more and more home appliances and devices are getting interconnected through the IoT economy, the amount of real-time data generated within our homes on a daily basis is rapidly expanding. Edge computing [tackles the shortcomings](https://www.i-scoop.eu/edge-computing-explained/) of the centralized model in terms of bandwidth, latency and autonomy. It enables applications and solutions to be hosted closer to where their data is being produced and consumed, thereby allowing for low latencies, rapid data processing and real-time decisions. 
+
+<br/>
+
+The industry analyst company [IDC estimates](https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS48772522) the global spending on edge computing to increase by 14.8% compared to 2021 – amounting to roughly $176 billion in 2022. By 2025, this number is predicted to reach about $274 billion.
+
+<br/>
+
+The idea of edge computing’s ability to process data on-site is simple enough. Nevertheless, edge computing fails to deliver on its promise as it still remains somewhat centralized today. Granted, so-called edge data centers are [closer](https://stlpartners.com/articles/edge-computing/edge-data-centres/) to where the data is being consumed than hyperscale data centers. But while they do provide an improvement from traditional data centers, they are not able to provide [far-edge](https://www.thefastmode.com/expert-opinion/23002-what-are-various-types-of-edge-computing-that-exist-today) capabilities, i.e. moving as close to the user and point of data creation as possible. They are simply smaller types of data centers that are still operated in a centralized manner, require the [same infrastructure elements](https://connectorsupplier.com/how-the-rise-of-edge-computing-will-reshape-the-data-center-landscape/) as centralized data centers, and usually [rely](https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/edge-data-center) on bigger, central data centers. Quite edgy isn’t it?
+
+<br/>
+
+As the need for Internet capacity – specifically at the edge – is rapidly intensifying, a new approach to Internet infrastructure is clearly needed. The Web 3 movement created a spur of interest across industries due to its promise to decentralize the Internet and cloud as we know it. Future data will be generated at the edge of the network and Internet which certainly requires an [architectural shift](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/03/25/demystifying-edge-technology/) away from the current model.
+
+## Realizing an interconnected future
+
+Ironically, decades after the spark of the open-source peer-to-peer Internet movement was steamrolled by large tech companies and governments eager to centralize the global Internet, we seem to enter an era of decentralization again. There’s no doubt that large tech companies did bring a lot of innovation to our global Internet and cloud stack. Technically though, [peer-to-peer](https://threefold.io/blog/p2p_web3/) systems have always been the most scalable option. Moreover, open-source architectures have built a strong reputation for providing high levels of security and flexibility. 
+
+<br/>
+
+In a peer-to-peer model, people and devices are able to exchange directly, without intermediaries or servers in the middle – leading to a more energy-efficient, scalable and flexible paradigm that can expand on-demand. And undoubtedly, open-source will play a [key role](https://news.crunchbase.com/news/edge-computing-said-quissal-zededa/) in edge computing by simplifying and enhancing the building and deployment of software at the edge.
+
+<br/>
+
+By leveraging open-source and peer-to-peer technologies, TF9 has come up with an Internet infrastructure that is capable of far-edge computing. TF9 offers a powerful set of [compute primitives](https://threefold.io/blog/building_a_new_internet_from_the_ground_up_3/) that provide the agility to create and deploy containers, Virtual Machines (VMs) and [Kubernetes](https://library.threefold.me/info/threefold#/technology/threefold__zkube?id=zkube) environments at the edge. Having integrated all leading industry-standard tools, ThreeFold’s solution allows for a seamless migration of any digital workload, making TF9 the ideal infrastructure for edge workloads. And all data produced by these workloads can be stored in a way that is ultra safe, highly reliable and [unbreakable](https://library.threefold.me/info/threefold#/technology/qsss/threefold__qsss_home?id=quantum-safe-storage-system). Combined with end-to-end encrypted peer-to-peer [networking](https://library.threefold.me/info/threefold#/technology/threefold__planetary_network?id=planetary-network), applications can be hosted closer to where the data is being consumed – representing the ideal underlying layer for IoT networks, blockchain-based workloads and more to run and scale at the edge seamlessly, efficiently and privately.
+
+<br/>
+
+The shift towards the edge is inevitable. TF9 is the first full-stack, [decentralized](https://coincheckup.com/blog/threefold-is-the-decentralized-web-the-future-of-the-internet/), peer-to-peer Internet infrastructure in the world that combines compute in the form of highly-optimized containers, storage and network capacity in an all-in-one solution. With  more than [81 Petabytes](https://threefold.io/) of capacity distributed across thousands of 3Nodes and 76 countries as well as [plans](https://threefold.io/blog/connecting_the_dots/) to sponsor the expansion of the Internet to developing regions, TF9 is the foundation for a thriving interconnected future that is secure, borderless and at the edge.

content/blog/towards_sustainable_it/index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+---
+id: towards_sustainable_it
+title: "Towards Sustainable IT: A Better Solution for Our Planet"
+image_caption: "Towards Sustainable IT: A Better Solution for Our Planet"
+description: We believe IT can be sustainable. Actually, it should be! That's why energy efficiency has...
+date: 2020-12-02
+taxonomies:
+  tags: []
+  categories: []
+extra:
+  imgPath: towards_sustainable_it.png
+---
+Today, the global Internet and IT infrastructure requires enormous amounts of energy, responsible for about 10% of annual global energy consumption. This makes the IT industry amongst the most pollutive industries in the world (along with the often-discussed airline industry, for comparison).
+<br/>
+<br/>
+We believe IT can be sustainable. Actually, it should be! That's why energy efficiency has always been a key focus of ours. With climate change and sustainability as some of the most pressing issues of our times, new green solutions need to be our priority. It has been key to ThreeFold since the very beginning of its story to enable a technological infrastructure that can reduce the Internet’s carbon footprint drastically. 
+
+## Simplicity is the key to unlock a better future
+
+Over time, integration suites, middleware solutions, and enterprise service busses have been invented and implemented to cover integration challenges within the current internet. This has further complicated IT architectures, resulting in a loss of actual end user workload performance.
+<br/>
+<br/>
+ThreeFold reworked the whole approach to IT architectures and eliminated the layers of complexity. The result is a cloud stack that presents minimal overhead and that requires less hardware – reducing heat generation and eventually cooling requirements. By reducing the need for power, the net result is an energy-efficient Internet grid.
+
+## Improving resilience and efficiency through Self-Healing IT
+
+Keeping systems up and running is a major requirement in modern day IT. Leading vendors earn most of their margin by selling maintenance contracts, performance guarantees, and professional services. Their business models bring no incentive to make things simple and efficient for consumers.
+<br/>
+<br/>
+Creating a self-healing environment requires only minimal manual intervention to replace broken hardware components. Broken hardware components are inevitable, and the Zero-OS distributed node architecture deals with such failures by turning off broken components and provisioning unused capacity. By removing the need to ship broken parts back and forth, and linking to the corresponding installation knowledge (engineers), a lower carbon footprint can be achieved.
+
+## “No painkiller” approach. We tackle the root issue
+
+If a specific piece of software or hardware is not delivering the required performance or reliability, we should analyze the core design/algorithm and its usage of soft/hard components to determine the root causes of persistent issues to be solved.
+<br/>
+<br/>
+Currently, most storage vendors follow the path of least resistance when trying to improve on performance. Their solution for meeting performance targets is to use faster components (CPU, memory, network card, proprietary acceleration) rather than looking at the core algorithms that drive the utilization of those components. Swapping components for faster ones perpetuates a cycle of cutting corners and focuses reliance on innovation from hardware component providers rather than solving the more fundamental and underlying issues. That's a "painkiller" approach.
+<br/>
+<br/>
+Zero-OS was designed to solve root problem issues by design. While still using high-performance hardware components on the ThreeFold Grid, the algorithm of Zero-OS maximizes utilization possibilities. This enables greater performance and sustainability. Some key examples how this is achieved:
+
+## Eliminating unnecessary elements from standard architectures
+
+Virtualization adds a layer of software between the actual end-user workload and physical hardware. It also allows for multiple workloads to run on the same hardware by using excess capacity. There is definitely merit in building a virtualization solution. Building an effective virtualization solution that does not require abundant context switching is key and this is why Zero-OS has been developed. Zero-OS uses a minimal Linux kernel that allows for a number of user spaces to co-exist. In these user spaces, containerized versions of software can be run, eliminating the need for hypervisors, virtual OS to fuel the virtual machines, and guest operating systems. This also minimizes the required overhead for the host OS.
+
+## Minimizing network connections usage
+
+Supercomputing delivered many new technologies. But, not all of them are usable solutions for everyday workloads. One technology invented to make supercomputers performant is the use of Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA). RDMA allowed physical CPU boards (containing both CPUs and memory) to access other CPU boards in memory stored data over a dedicated channel. This eliminated the need to transport data between CPU nodes over network connections (or other mainstream means to exchange data). The result was a considerable reduction in overhead created when allowing distributed end user workloads to operate over multiple physical cores. The leading server and storage solutions brands have never considered nor implemented such mechanisms. This resulted in an increased need for faster networks - increasing complexity, costs, efforts and resources needed to operate solutions.
+<br/>
+<br/>
+RDMA is only used in certified farms and requires involvement of TFTech.
+
+## Minimizing disk usage 
+
+The storage solution uses slow and big (the bigger the better) HDD disks which drive in rack density. As they spin slower they consume less power and need less cooling. But then, how can you deal with read/write intensive workloads? The storage algorithm uses a SSD cache to acknowledge Inputs/Outputs coming from the applications, fills the erasure coded data blocks in large (up to 64MB) storage containers and writes the big chunks of data on the big and slow HHDs. If you are familiar with HDD disks, you know they like to be streamed on instead of having a lot of small bits written in a scratchy way.
+<br/>
+<br/>
+**Continuous innovation in all of these areas are leading to an efficient technology stack.**

content/header/_index.md

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ extra:
 - [About]("/about")
 - [Technology]("/technology")
 - [Use Cases]("/usecases")
+- [Blog]("/blog")
 - [Contact]("/contact")
 
 

templates/partials/blogPosts.html

@@ -1,25 +1,25 @@
-{% block content %}
+use{% block content %}
 
-<div class="text-center main-title px-0 md:w-2/3 lg:w-2/3 mx-8 md:mx-12">
-  <h1
-    class="tracking-tight text-left text-2xl md:text-4xl lg:text-5xl fw-500 leading-snug font-normal mb-10"
+<div class="text-center main-title px-0 lg:w-2/3 mx-8 pt-6 lg:mx-12">
+  <h2
+    class="tracking-tight text-left text-2xl lg:text-3xl fw-500 leading-snug font-semibold mb-10"
   >
   {% set path_array = current_path | split(pat="/") %}
   {% set taxonomy = path_array[1] %}
   {% set category = path_array[2] %}
-    The Latest from Ourworld Free Zone  
+    TF9 Stories and Project Updates    
     {% if taxonomy == "categories" %} - 
         {{category | replace(from='-', to=' ' ) | title}}
     {% endif %}
-  </h1>
+  </h2>
   <div>
-    <div class="mt-12 grid gap-5 max-w-lg mx-auto lg:grid-cols-2 xl:grid-cols-3 lg:max-w-none">
+    <div class="mt-3 grid gap-5 max-w-lg mx-auto md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 lg:max-w-none">
       {%- for post in paginator.pages %} 
           {% if not post.extra.hidden %}
             {% include "partials/postCard.html" %} 
          {%endif%} {%- endfor %}
     </div>
-    <hr class="mt-6" />
+    <hr class="my-10" />
     <p class="text-center text-sm mt-2 mb-16">
       {% if paginator.previous %}
       <a
@@ -67,4 +67,4 @@
   </div>
 </div>
 
-{% endblock content %}
+{% endblock content %}

templates/partials/blogSidebar.html

@@ -1,25 +1,25 @@
 
-<div class="mx-8 md:mx-4 flex flex-col">
-    <div class="flex flex-col mb-12 mr-8 lg:mr-24">
-        <h4 class="text-base not-italic font-medium leading-6 text-gray-600 mb-6"> FILTER POSTS BY</h4>
-        <a id="all" class="mb-3 text-black font-normal" href="/blog">All</a>
+<div class="mx-8 lg:mx-4 flex flex-col mt-2 pt-6 md:mt-8">
+    <div class="flex flex-col mb-12">
+        <h4 class="text-base not-italic font-medium leading-6 text- mb-4"> FILTER POSTS BY</h4>
+        <a id="all" class="mb-2 text-white font-normal" href="/blog">All</a>
         {% set taxonomy = get_taxonomy(kind="categories") %}
         {% set categories = taxonomy.items %}
         {% for category in categories %}
             {% set path = category.name | slugify %}
             {% set fullpath = "/categories/" ~ path %}
-            <a id="{{path}}" class="mb-3 text-black font-normal" href={{fullpath}}> {{category.name}} </a>
+            <a id="{{path}}" class="mb-2 text-white font-normal" href={{fullpath}}> {{category.name}} </a>
         {% endfor %}
     </div>
 
 {% set section = get_section(path="blog/_index.md")%}
 
     <div class="lg:pt-6 flex flex-col mb-12 w-64 mr-8 lg:mr-24">
-        <h4 class="text-base not-italic font-medium leading-6 text-gray-600 mb-6"> FEATURED POSTS</h4>
+        <h4 class="text-base not-italic font-medium leading-6 text-white mb-6"> FEATURED POSTS</h4>
 
         {% for page in section.pages %}
         {% if page.extra.isFeatured %}
-            <a class="mb-3 text-blue-700" href={{page.permalink}}>{{ page.title }}</a>
+            <a class="mb-3 text-gray-50" href={{page.permalink}}>{{ page.title }}</a>
         {% endif %}
         {% endfor %}
         

templates/partials/blogs.html

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-<div class="pt-6">
-  <div class="mx-auto max-w-7xl px-6 lg:px-8">
+<div class="">
+  <div class="mx-auto max-w-7xl px-6 lg:px-8 py-10">
     <div class="mx-auto max-w-2xl lg:mx-0">
       <h2 class="text-base font-semibold leading-7 text-indigo-400 mb-4">BLOG</h2>
       <h2 class="tracking-tight">What's New</h2>

templates/partials/featuredBlog.html

@@ -8,29 +8,30 @@
 {% endif %}
 
 <body>
-
-  <div class="md:grid md:grid-cols-2 md:gap-8 relative mt-4 lg:mt-16 items-center container mx-auto pt-0 lg:pt-16">
-    <div class="relative lg:ml-8 my-8 w-full md:w-auto">
-      <h3 class="text-base not-italic leading-6 text-gray-600">FEATURED POST</h3>
-      <a href={{featured.permalink}} class="">
-        <h2
-          class="mt-8 text-2xl main-title sm:text-3xl md:text-4xl lg:text-5xl fw-500 leading-snug font-normal mb-4 md:mb-10 ">
+  <div class="lg:grid lg:grid-cols-2 lg:gap-8 relative mt-12 pt-6 lg:pt-16 px-6 lg:px-0 lg:mt-10 items-center py-10 container mx-auto flex flex-col-reverse lg:flex-row">
+    <!-- Image Section (Will be displayed first on small screens) -->
+    <div class="relative lg:mt-0 max-w-full order-1 lg:order-2">
+      <img class="relative mx-auto mt-10 lg:mt-16 rounded-lg max-h-64 py-0" src="{{featured.permalink}}{{featured.extra.imgPath}}" alt="" />
+    </div>
+    <!-- Text Content Section (Will be displayed first on larger screens) -->
+    <div class="relative w-full md:w-auto mx-3 lg:mx-12 order-2 lg:order-1">
+      <h3 class="text-base not-italic font-medium leading-6 text-indigo-400 mb-4">FEATURED POST</h3>
+      <a href="{{featured.permalink}}">
+        <h2 class="text-2xl main-title lg:text-3xl fw-500 leading-snug font-semibold">
           {{ featured.title }}
         </h2>
+        <p class="mt-4 text-base font-light text-gray-50 text-left">
+          {{ featured.description }}
+        </p>
       </a>
-      <h4 class="text-sm not-italic font-light leading-6 text-gray-600">
-        {{ featured.date | date(format="%B %e, %Y", timezone="America/Chicago")}} -
+      <h4 class="mt-2 mb-6 lg:mb-10 text-sm not-italic font-light leading-6 text-gray-200">
+        {{ featured.date | date(format="%B %e, %Y", timezone="America/Chicago")}} 
       </h4>
-
-    </div>
-
-    <div class="mx-4 relative lg:mt-0 max-w-full">
-      <img class="relative mx-auto md:w-auto rounded md:max-w-full max-h-80" src={{featured.permalink}}{{featured.extra.imgPath}} alt="" />
+      <a href="#" class="rounded-md mt-6 lg:mt-12 bg-indigo-500 px-3.5 py-2.5 font-semibold text-white shadow-sm text-sm hover:bg-indigo-400 focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:outline-indigo-400">Read More</a>
     </div>
   </div>
 
-  <hr class="mt-6">
-
-  </div>
-  </div>
-</body>
+  <hr class="mt-6 container mx-auto">
+  <br>
+  <br>
+</body>

templates/partials/header_custom.html

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 {% set header_items = section.content | safe | split(pat="<li>") %}
 
 <header id="header-container">
-    <div class="z-10 bg-gray-900 fixed w-screen">
+    <div class="z-10 bg-custom-dark-blue fixed w-screen">
         <div class="relative z-50 shadow">
         <div class="mx-auto flex z-50 shadow justify-between items-center pl-6 pr-2 md:pl-0 md:pr-0 lg:py-1 sm:px-8 md:px-12 py-2 lg:px-28 lg:justify-start lg:space-x-20">
             <div>
@@ -16,13 +16,13 @@
                 </a>
             </div>
             <div class="mr-2 -my-2 lg:hidden">
-                <button id="hamburger-btn" type="button" class="inline-flex items-center justify-center p-2 rounded-md text-gray-400 hover:text-gray-500 hover:bg-gray-100 focus:outline-none focus:bg-gray-100 focus:text-gray-500 transition duration-150 ease-in-out my-2">
+                <button id="hamburger-btn" type="button" class="inline-flex items-center justify-center p-2 rounded-md text-gray-400 hover:text-gray-50 hover:bg-gray-100 focus:outline-none focus:bg-gray-100 focus:text-gray-500 transition duration-150 ease-in-out my-2">
                     <!-- Heroicon name: menu -->
                     <svg class="h-6 w-6" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke="currentColor">
                     <path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="M4 6h16M4 12h16M4 18h16" />
                     </svg>
                 </button>
-            <button id="close-hamburger-btn" type="button" class="hidden lg:hidden inline-flex items-center justify-center p-2 rounded-md text-gray-400 hover:text-gray-500 hover:bg-gray-100 focus:outline-none focus:bg-gray-100 focus:text-gray-500 transition duration-150 ease-in-out my-2">
+            <button id="close-hamburger-btn" type="button" class="hidden lg:hidden inline-flex items-center justify-center p-2 rounded-md text-gray-400 hover:text-gray-50 hover:bg-gray-100 focus:outline-none focus:bg-gray-100 focus:text-gray-500 transition duration-150 ease-in-out my-2">
                 <!-- Heroicon name: x -->
                 <svg class="h-6 w-6" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke="currentColor">
                     <path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="M6 18L18 6M6 6l12 12" />
@@ -98,12 +98,12 @@
             From: "opacity-100 scale-100"
             To: "opacity-0 scale-95"
         -->
-    <div id="hamburger" class="hidden fixed mt-16 z-20 inset-x-0 transition transform origin-top-right lg:hidden">
+    <div id="hamburger" class="hidden fixed mt-16 z-20 top-16 right-0 inset-x-0 transition transform origin-top-right lg:hidden">
         <div>
-            <div class="shadow-xs h-screen bg-white divide-y-2 divide-gray-50">
-                <div class="pb-6 sm:px-12 md:px-16 lg:px-20 space-y-6 sm:space-y-8 sm:pb-8 max-h-screen overflow-y-auto">
+            <div class="shadow-xs h-screen bg-custom-dark-blue divide-y-2 divide-gray-500">
+                <div class="pb-6 px-6 lg:px-20 lg:space-y-6 pb-8 max-h-screen overflow-y-auto">
 
-                    <nav class="flex flex-col justify-around pb-12">
+                    <nav class="flex flex-col justify-around pb-12 pt-16">
                     {% for header_item in header_items %}
 
                         {% if not loop.first %}
@@ -160,4 +160,5 @@
     .bg-black {
         color: #010a2d;
     }
+    
   </style>

templates/partials/icons/svgNextPageIcon.html

@@ -1 +1 @@
-<svg width="12px" height="12px" class="inline" viewBox="0 0 48 48" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xml:space="preserve" xmlns:serif="http://www.serif.com/" style="fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;stroke-linejoin:round;stroke-miterlimit:2;"><g transform="matrix(-1.22465e-16,-2,-2,1.22465e-16,48,48)"><path d="M12,0L24,24L0,24L12,0Z" style="fill:rgb(0,170,255);"/></g></svg>
+<svg width="12px" height="12px" class="inline" viewBox="0 0 48 48" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xml:space="preserve" xmlns:serif="http://www.serif.com/" style="fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;stroke-linejoin:round;stroke-miterlimit:2;"><g transform="matrix(-1.22465e-16,-2,-2,1.22465e-16,48,48)"><path d="M12,0L24,24L0,24L12,0Z" style="fill:rgb(98,102,241);"/></g></svg>

templates/partials/icons/svgPrevPageIcon.html

@@ -1 +1 @@
-<svg width="12px" height="12px" class="inline" viewBox="0 0 48 48" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xml:space="preserve" xmlns:serif="http://www.serif.com/" style="fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;stroke-linejoin:round;stroke-miterlimit:2;"><g transform="matrix(1.22465e-16,-2,2,1.22465e-16,0,48)"><path d="M12,0L24,24L0,24L12,0Z" style="fill:rgb(0,170,255);"/></g></svg>
+<svg width="12px" height="12px" class="inline" viewBox="0 0 48 48" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xml:space="preserve" xmlns:serif="http://www.serif.com/" style="fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;stroke-linejoin:round;stroke-miterlimit:2;"><g transform="matrix(1.22465e-16,-2,2,1.22465e-16,0,48)"><path d="M12,0L24,24L0,24L12,0Z" style="fill:rgb(98,102,241);"/></g></svg>

templates/partials/postCard.html

@@ -1,75 +1,57 @@
 {% if post.date %}
-{% if post.taxonomies.people %}
-{% set people = get_section(path="people/_index.md") %}
-{% set pages_str = people.pages | json_encode() | as_str %}
-{% if pages_str is containing(post.taxonomies.people[0]) %}
-{% set author_path = 'people/' ~ post.taxonomies.people[0] ~ '/index.md' %}
-{% set author = get_page(path=author_path) %}
-{% set content = get_page(path=author_path) %}
-{% endif %}
-{% endif %}
+  {% if post.taxonomies.people %}
+    {% set people = get_section(path="people/_index.md") %}
+    {% set pages_str = people.pages | json_encode() | as_str %}
+    {% if pages_str is containing(post.taxonomies.people[0]) %}
+      {% set author_path = 'people/' ~ post.taxonomies.people[0] ~ '/index.md' %}
+      {% set author = get_page(path=author_path) %}
+    {% endif %}
+  {% endif %}
 
-<div class="flex flex-col rounded-lg shadow-lg overflow-hidden">
-  <div class="flex-1 border-b">
-    <a href="{{ post.permalink }}" class="block">
-        {% if post.extra.imgPath %}
-      {% set img_url = get_url(path='/' ~ post.relative_path | replace(from='_', to='-') | replace(from='index.md',
-      to=post.extra.imgPath)) %}
+  <div class="flex flex-col rounded-lg shadow-lg overflow-hidden bg-white">
+    {% if post.extra.imgPath %}
+      {% set img_url = get_url(path='/' ~ post.relative_path | replace(from='_', to='-') | replace(from='index.md', to=post.extra.imgPath)) %}
       <div class="flex-shrink-0">
-        <img class="h-48 w-full mx-auto object-cover" src={{img_url}} alt="{{post.title ~ ' Picture'}}" />
+        <img class="h-24 w-full object-cover" src="{{ img_url }}" alt="{{ post.title ~ ' Picture' }}" />
       </div>
-      {%endif%}
-      <div class="flex-1 bg-white p-6 flex flex-col justify-between">
+    {% endif %}
 
-        <h3 class="mt-2 text-xl leading-6 font-medium text-gray-900 text-left not-italic">
-          {{ post.title }}
-        </h3>
-        {% if post.description %}
-        <p class="mt-3 text-sm font-normal text-gray-500 text-left">
+    <div class="flex-1 p-6 flex flex-col">
+      <h3 class="text-base text-left font-medium text-gray-900 mb-2">
+        {{ post.title }}
+      </h3>
+
+      {% if post.description %}
+        <p class="text-sm text-left text-gray-500 mb-3">
           {{ post.description }}
         </p>
-        {% endif %}
-        <div class="article hidden">{{ post.content | safe }}</div>
+      {% endif %}
 
-        <div class="w-full post-card-meta py-3">
-          <div class="avatars">
-            <div class="flex">
-              <div class="flex">
-                <ul class="list-none flex author-list mr-2 pl-0">
-                  {% if author %}
-                  {% set author_img = get_url(path='/' ~ author.relative_path | replace(from='_', to='-') |
-                  replace(from='index.md', to=author.extra.imgPath)) %}
-                  <li class="author-list-item"><img alt="{{author.title}}" src="{{author_img}}"
-                      class="w-8 h-8 rounded-full bg-gray-200 border-2 border-white"></li>
-                  {% endif %}
-                </ul>
-              </div>
-              <div class="flex flex-col text-left leading-none uppercase">
-                {% if author %}
-                <p class="text-gray-700 text-xs">{{ author.title }}</p>
-                {% endif %}
-                <p class="text-gray-700 text-xs">
-                  <time datetime="{{post.date}}">
-                    {{ post.date | date(format="%B %e, %Y", timezone="America/Chicago") }}
-                  </time>
-                </p>
-                <p class="flex justify-between lowercase my-2 items-center text-gray-700 text-xs"><span id="time"
-                    class="time"></span>
-                </p>
-              </div>
-              <br />
-            </div>
+      <div class="article hidden">
+        {{ post.content | safe }}
+      </div>
+
+      <div class="mt-auto py-3">
+        <div class="flex items-center">
+          <div class="flex-shrink-0">
+            {% if author %}
+              {% set author_img = get_url(path='/' ~ author.relative_path | replace(from='_', to='-') | replace(from='index.md', to=author.extra.imgPath)) %}
+              <img alt="{{ author.title }}" src="{{ author_img }}" class="w-8 h-8 rounded-full border-2 border-white bg-gray-200" />
+            {% endif %}
+          </div>
+          <div class="ml-3 text-gray-700 text-xs flex flex-col">
+            {% if author %}
+              <p class="uppercase">{{ author.title }}</p>
+            {% endif %}
+            <p>
+              <time class="text-xs" datetime="{{ post.date }}">
+                {{ post.date | date(format="%B %e, %Y", timezone="America/Chicago") }}
+              </time>
+            </p>
           </div>
         </div>
-    </a>
+      </div>
+    </div>
   </div>
 
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<style>
-  .border-b {
-    border-bottom-width: 1px !important;
-  }
-</style>
-{% endif %}
+{% endif %}