From 318338e39bb1e3ddb6bd15bdf81aac18152ae18a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: queue-miscreant Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2025 03:22:06 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] add about page --- _quarto.yml | 2 +- about/index.qmd | 63 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 64 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) create mode 100644 about/index.qmd diff --git a/_quarto.yml b/_quarto.yml index f303ea0..08acb3b 100644 --- a/_quarto.yml +++ b/_quarto.yml @@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ website: navbar: logo: "/logo-vector.svg" right: - # - about.qmd + - ./about/index.qmd - icon: github href: https://github.com/queue-miscreant background: primary diff --git a/about/index.qmd b/about/index.qmd new file mode 100644 index 0000000..415937e --- /dev/null +++ b/about/index.qmd @@ -0,0 +1,63 @@ +--- +title: "About" +--- + +This is my personal website (and the third iteration thereof). + +The first version used Wordpress since it was quite easy to get into, + didn't require much research, and web hosting services made it easy to set up. +It lasted around three months near the end of 2020, after which I lost my posts because of + hosting troubles and because I wasn't using proper backups. + +The second version also used Wordpress, and lasted until the start of 2025 + (though the last post I had written up to that point was from the start of 2024). + +This version uses [Quarto](https://quarto.org/), an open-source publishing platform that has + some nice features like text-based configuration and Jupyter integration. +As a bonus, it also produces static web pages. + + +Why Quarto? +----------- + +I had a couple of reasons for switching platforms: + +- Wordpress is either overkill or not enough. + I don't need a block editor or multiple users, and I don't want to make custom content + just for it to be specific to Wordpress. +- I write a lot of code and LaTeX, which Wordpress relies on plugins for. + Quarto uses (primarily) Pandoc-style Markdown, which allows for inlining of both out of the box. + - Also, because of Jupyter integration, code cells can generate output for the page they're in. +- Since pages are written in Markdown, everything can be edited locally and version-controlled in Git. + +The last two are particularly nice in ensuring that the site is reproducibile, + technically even without Quarto. +Instead of articles that live in a Wordpress database or as scattered random files, + I have the complete documents in a structure 1:1 with how the website is organized. + + +Mathematics +----------- + +As of writing, all posts on this site are about math. +In particular, they are dedicated to certain non-obvious insights I choose to investigate. +Typically, although information about these subjects may exist online, it does not exist in a single, + easily-accessible source. + +I find writing math posts to be an excellent motivator when it comes to researching things. +It also gives me a chance to learn new tools that otherwise I would not have a reason to use, + not to mention being a good exercise in writing and diagram creation. + +An example of this (and one that relates to the creation of the site) is when I was writing code + for what would become the contents of [this post](/posts/polycount/5/). +It was easy enough to learn a library for rendering images (or GIFs), + but I didn't have a gallery to host them, nor a means to share the rationale which produced them. +In a frenzy, I tried gathering my notes in a single text file before eventually putting them on a website. +Along the way, I learned LaTeX to typeset the relevant equations. + +I do my best to attribute the programs I use and direct sources I consult along the way, + but extra information is frequently available on Wikipedia, + which I may link to in order to give my explanation some grounding. + +Unless otherwise stated, the figures and articles in this category are available under + [CC BY-SA](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).