I go by <spanitemprop="name"class="p-name fn n"><spanitemprop="givenName"class="p-given-name given-name">Rohan</span> <spanitemprop="familyName"class="p-family-name family-name">Kumar</span></span> in "real life" (work, school, family, etc).
<dd><spanitemprop="homeLocation"itemscope=""itemtype="https://schema.org/State"class="p-region">California</span>, <abbritemprop="nationality"itemscope=""itemtype="https://schema.org/Country"class="p-country-name"title="United States of America">USA</abbr></dd>
My preferred forge for personal projects is Sourcehut, but my repositories have remotes for GitHub, GitLab, and Codeberg too. I accept contributions from any of these platforms; use whichever you prefer.
I go by <spanclass="p-nickname nickname"itemprop="alternateName">Seirdy</span> online. I have multiple online personas, but Seirdy is my main one and the only one I feel comfortable associating with my meatspace persona. Seirdy is a bit of an abstract character, a bit less "professional" than Rohan.
<dd><ahref="../publickey.asc"class="u-key"rel="pgpkey authn"type="application/pgp-keys"><code>1E892DB2A5F84479</code></a> (also available via Web Key Directory)</dd>
<dt>Chat</dt>
<dd>IRC: “Seirdy” on many networks (Liberachat, Snoonet, OFTC, Tilde.Chat, apionet, some others)</dd>
I've published a version of my OpenPGP key via Web Key Directory; this version has notations containing Ariadne identity proofs for a few more accounts of mine. You can [verify those accounts on any Keyoxide instance](https://keyoxide.org/wkd/seirdy%40seirdy.one) (requires JavaScript).
At least two platforms listed in the "Social (centralized)" category are not endorsed, and I'm trying to wind down my use of them. If you find a "Seirdy" somewhere else and don't know whether or not it's me, please contact me and ask instead of assuming that it must be me.
I used to have the Matrix ID `@seirdy:envs.net`. I sometimes use `@seirdy:fairydust.space` for technical reasons (seirdy.one runs a Conduit server but certain features only work in Synapse rooms).
: Generate passwords and analyze password strength given physical limits to computing. Based on a weblog/gemlog entry: [Becoming physically immune to brute-force attacks](../posts/2021/01/12/password-strength/). Written in Go.
I care a lot about <spanclass="p-category category">accessibility</span>, resource usage, and compatibility. My Web site may seem simple, but I put [almost 20 thousand words of thought into its design](../posts/2020/11/23/website-best-practices/) in an effort to maximize its inclusivity. This site should work well whether you're using Lynx, NetSurf, the Tor Browser with a screen reader, or a printout.
Many people frame accessibility and compatibility in terms of "percentage of users impacted" to justify ignoring certain demographics. I find that this mindset somewhat discriminatory. I prefer framing concerns in terms of "populations excluded".
I have some skin in the game: I rely on forced colors and use often use screen readers for web browsing. This is a really helpful measure to reduce overstimulation, given my anxiety and ADHD. I encourage others in similar situations to try these measures.
While I care very much about "<spanclass="p-category category">free software</span>" (the name is confusing, it refers to freedom rather than price), I don't share the same perspective as most "fossbros" and organizations like the FSF. Software freedom is important because it gives people agency instead of delegating control to an authority; it's not valuable in and of itself, and promoting a "FOSS" alternative that has vulnerabilities and accessibility issues is sometimes counterproductive.
I think that simply meeting GNU's definition of free software isn't enough: it's one of multiple requirements for software to avoid the possibility of [user domestication](../posts/2021/01/27/whatsapp-and-the-domestication-of-users/).
Other technology-related interests include <spanclass="p-category category">security</span>, <spanclass="p-category category">privacy</span>, and <spanclass="p-category category">open platforms</span>.
I lean towards simplicity; I usually prefer line-mode <spanclass="p-category category">command-line interfaces</span> that follow the <spanclass="p-category category">UNIX</span> philosophy. If a piece of software is complex enough to require a funding round, I would rather avoid it. My reasons for preferring simplicity also relate to user autonomy: extremely complex software can't be forked easily, creating dependence on the vendor. It's also because I'm a bit paranoid and want to know everything that happens on my system.
There are exceptions, of course: I use a Linux distro with Systemd (Fedora), after all. When I use a graphical program, it's typically for things for which graphics are an inherent requirement or for accessibility reasons (most textual user interfaces don't play well with screen readers).
I think that at least one entry in that list has some problematic messages, but my personal interpretation was a bit unorthodox and it felt wrong to exclude it.
I've put together a periodically-updated [list of tracks](../music.txt) that I've rated 8/10 or higher in my mpd stickers database, auto-generated by some of my [mpd-scripts](https://git.sr.ht/~seirdy/mpd-scripts/tree/master/smart-playlists). I'm a fan of glitch, trailer music, and symphonic and power metal; I've also recently been getting into Japanese rock thanks to a few anime openings. Some of my favorite artists are The Glitch Mob, Pretty Lights, Beats Antique, Hammerfall, Badflower, Celldweller and Scandroid, Helloween, Two Steps from Hell, Nightwish, Mili, and MYTH & ROID.
