Developer

I create applications that solve problems simply and unexpectedly effectively.

Most of my clients are returning customers. My clean and minimalistic designs have helped them and they come back. This problem-solving oriented quality result is my main strength.

Technologies

It is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.

Abraham Maslow, The Psychology of Science

I try to use the tool which suits the problem the best. In certain cases this means that I have to find other people to help me or learn a completely new technology by myself.

Most of the problems are best countered with a traditional HTML, CSS and Javascript approach. Absolute majority of tasks can be thrown at these technologies today and the result will usually be better than that of any other approach. One downside of this approach is the constant need to stay up to date and follow the everchanging technology everyday. Luckily, it’s a pleasure for me to do so.

To be able to use the web technologies the most effectively, I have a deep understanding of underlying protocols and processes as well as lots of experience. That includes good HTTP protocol knowledge, HTML intricacies, adherence to progressive enhancement, understanding of usability and accessibility importance.

Server-side language of choice is more or less irrelevant to the end user, but I do have a bias towards Python. It is beautiful, clean and minimalistic and there’s a very friendly and reliable hosting available world-wide—Google App Engine.

Naturally, I am also highly experienced in PHP—the most popular language for the web. To prove it for myself, I have passed the Zend certification. Zend Technologies is the company, which essentially created PHP that we know, thus there can hardly be any more “official” certificate.

Kawaii cat

What’s kawaii?

Literally translated from Japanese, kawaii means “cute”. However, the true meaning of this word if far beyond this. This cuteness in Japanese culture has a significant meaning, representing a certain positive attitude to life, which I can relate to.

It’s about being nice and friendly, doing what you want despite baseless criticism, staying cheerful in most unfriendly situations.

Life goal

Be happy with the people I love without disturbing the happiness of other people.

Magical Monika and her set of beautiful objects help me achieve the aforementioned goal.

In addition, there is a set of guidelines, which I have evolved for myself to also help me. They are as follow: “assume good faith”, “ignore baseless criticism”, and “have no principles”.

Assume good faith

Always assume good faith in words or actions of other people. However unlikely it might look, I try to think that a person meant no offence—that either he made an honest mistake either I did not understand his or her real intentions. There’s a reason why this is one of Wikipedia guidelines.

The majority of quarrels happen because of ignoring this particular rule. How often does one really mean harm? How often does one attack another due to the perceived harm intented?

Ignore baseless criticism

“Faggot!”, “Asshole!”, “This won’t work!”, “You look silly!”... Yeah, whatever.

A surprising majority of criticism can be safely ignored if one tries to evaluate it from the academic perspective. If it would carry no weight in the academic world, why should it carry any in the social world? Just because it was told really loud?

Have no principles

Being stubborn in any principle is very unflexible. I can do whatever is useful at the moment, if that does not hurt me, my future, or anyone else.

Social attributes

Politics

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend
to the death your right to say it.

Evelyn Beatrice Hall, The friends of Voltaire

My political views can be described as civil libertarian. In particular, I value the freedom of speech above all and highly condemn the existence of most victimless crimes.

Religion

I am to be considered ignostic (not to be confused with agnostic). In short—in order to have a firm belief on the topic of deity existence, I need to have a definition of what a deity is. So far, nobody has managed to give me a valid one.

Music

I’ve got quite an eclectic music taste. For instance, my favourite artists are CocoRosie, Jean Michel Jarre, and Yuki Kajiura. All three are very different.

CocoRosie is a pair of two sweet freak folk girls, who have touching voices and very unusual instruments and instrument combinations. Among the similar artists, whom I listen to are Björk and Joanna Newsom.

On the other end of the spectrum is Jean-Michel Jarre, the pioneer of electronic music. Even though I do not like electronic music in by itself, his creations are what drives me especially well.

Finally, I like the background music of anime soundtracks, led by the inspiring and magical Yuki Kajiura. Other great creators include The Pillows, Jinn, soundTemp.

My music taste, however, does not stop here. I like jazz, I most certainly love rock. Although it would be hard to discern any particularly favourite artists, there are many names worth remembering (in no particular order): Ray Charles, Melody Gardot, Petra Magoni, Jethro Tull, The Offspring, Andrius Mamontovas, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Pink Floyd, Paprika Korps, INXS, Blue Man Group, AC/DC, Blur, Guns N’ Roses, Franz Ferdinand and many others.

Board game geek

I love board games. Although my board game collection at home ain’t that big, I have other achievements in this regard, such as judging the most popular geeky board game ever—Magic.

Magic: the Gathering

I love a great collectible game “Magic”. I play it casually and I am a certified level 2 judge.

Role playing games

I’ve played both DnD and GURPS, I like roleplaying, I like game-mastering, but for now I have hobbies, which take just a bit less time.

No matter, RPG games help me in every day life. It is normal for me to try to interpret certain challenges as if they were certain skill checks in GURPS or describe myself or others easier using DnD alignments. For example, I am definetely lawful neutral.

Elsewhere on the web

I am a geek and you can find me all over the internet. Take a look at my business profile, public social profile, my bookmarks list (many developer-related), or just check out what anime have I watched recently.

Recommended

I love and strongly recommend these readings: The Rational Optimist, Seth’s Blog, You Are Not So Smart.

Also, of course, I want to recommend the feed of beautiful images from Monika—Collecting beautiful objects.