About Arija A. (aka. Ari Archer)

Hello, visitor 2296734!!

I am Arija A., also known as Ari Archer (she/her) - minimalist open-source developer focused on systems, ethics, privacy, and hackable software. I am an 18-year-old neurodivergent, transgender, vegan individual passionate about technology, open source development, and Gentoo Linux. I enjoy thinking as a thoughtful hobbyist, along with tinkering, and I explore my interests as a wannabe cook, (im)practical writer, and researcher. I come from Lithuania and I am currently engaged in education (gymnasium/high school (12th grade)).

My programming journey began in childhood, initially experimenting with Python and JavaScript on whatever devices I could get my hands on - phones, library computers, anything that would let me write code. Those early experiences of tinkering and exploring sparked my passion for technology and open-source philosophy, eventually leading me to completely migrate to Linux, gain knowledge in C, and never look back to more restrictive systems.

The badges above describe my identity/likes/etc. They are public domain and created by fluffmoth on Flightrising - more on idbuttons.neocities.org.

# Skills

Over the years, I've developed skills across multiple programming languages and technologies. Some of my core areas include:

• Programming (Python): 10 years
• Programming (C and C++): 6 years
• Software and library development
• Linux and systems administration
• Backend development (Flask and low-level using sockets)
• Front-end development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, SCSS)
• Writing technical specifications
• Git VCS
• Security and cryptographic principles
• Databases (SQLite, PostgreSQL, MariaDB/MySQL, custom)
• Containerisation and virtualisation
• CI/CD
• Automation and scripting

Of course, I've had my fair share of detours, but I'm not bothering to list all the minor things :)

I'm generally a quick learner and adapt well to new technologies, though the areas above are where I've spent considerable time getting properly familiar with things. I like to refer to myself as technology agnostic, since what I truly need is only a code editor, an operating system, and a terminal emulator.

However, I do prefer a more tailored set of technologies where I can feel fully comfortable: Linux (precisely, Gentoo Linux), Vim, C or Python, Git, Bash, suckless (for the record, I don't stand by their policial ideals, rather I appreciate their software simplicity) software (like DWM), and generally minimal, hackable tools that allow me to get stuff done with no BS. In fact, a lot of my userspace is my own software :D

When it comes to natural languages, I speak 4 at least a little bit:

• Lithuanian: 18 years
• English: 10 years
• German: 4 years
• Latin: 1 year

My German's gotten a bit rusty from lack of use (and for the fact that I'm no longer taking German since high school), but I've been trying to work on that!

# Motivation

What drives me is a philosophy rooted in democracy, freedom, shareability, and hackability (no, not the Hollywood term).

I'm motivated to understand "how things work" rather than just accepting abstractions. I was always a curious kid who wanted to dig into problems and understand their core mechanisms, not just in technology but in everything.

I value intellectual honesty. This mindset shapes how I approach problems: I'd rather "reinvent the wheel" or explore a couple of "impractical" paths if it means truly understanding what's going on. I value the learning process, and I push for clarity over obscurity. If push comes to shove where I need something that "just works", I simply go for it and improve the product with time.

I guess another factor may also be the fact that my projects span quite a range; from the custom static site generator that powers my blog, to practical tools for shell workflows, novelty experimental pieces, systems-level work with languages that compile down to assembly, and that I'm also a big fan of automation. Without such diverse set of things I work on, I might not be as motivated to explore so much.

# Philosophy

Honestly, I'm still figuring out how to label my belief system. At its core, though, is a commitment to self-learning and not being afraid of uncertainty, mistakes, imperfection, or alike. This section is bound to change as I grow and self-study Philosophy.

Philosophically, I strive to be Human and I'm passionate about exploring and advocating for social issues. I believe in acting against these problems where I can, even in small ways :)

My religion is Pastafarianism, and I believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM) and its divine mission in the world, meaning I also strongly support the holiness and righteousness of Pirates.

My philosophical worldview is fundamentally grounded in anti-authoritarianism and a strong scepticism toward systems of power that seek to (overly) control or manipulate individuals. I believe in personal autonomy, the importance of critical thinking in resisting propaganda and totalitarian tendencies, anti-patriotic ideals.

In a similar note, I would consider myself particularly critical of militarism and the ways societies indoctrinate young people into accepting authoritarian structures as normal or even necessary.

Moveover, I advocate for individual, decentralised freedoms while collectively supporting social justice and LGBTQ+ rights.

I choose to advocate for minimalism and pragmatism over superficial complexity when it comes to computing or even lifestyle, and I strongly believe in the principles of open-source software.

Furthremore, I value intellectual honesty and I'm committed to creating genuine work that is raw, honest, opinionated, rather than submitting to corporate interests or social expectations.

I am trying my best to be proud of who I am without hiding it to stay authentic, and to encourage openness, acceptance, and the understanding that confrontation is a natural part of life, not something to fear. I have no interest in the ever-so-popular "cringe culture" which goes against these ideals by advertising confirmist culture over authenticity.

# Beyond Code

Beyond mere lines of code, I enjoy other things as well, including but not limited to:

• Philosophy and thinking
• Volunteering (particularly related to animals)
• Cooking
• Obsessing over a very specific fascination with prime numbers that meet all the following criteria simultaneously: they are cryptographically secure, large, uniform in bit distribution, exhibit a 50% bit-flip rate, and are both Sophie Germain primes (where 2p + 1 is prime and p is prime) and safe primes (where (p - 1)/2 is prime and p is prime)
• Reading (sometimes)
• Generally trying new things whenever I get the chance to
• Blogging and writing
• Gardening (sadly, can't do it as much anymore due to city conditions :/)

If you're interested to learn more, see my blog!