I’m a software engineer-turned-manager working for a mid-size enterprise networking and storage company[1] in Silicon Valley, where I’ve provided technical leadership and oversight on several major features of their highly-successful storage product. I have written code that runs on six out of seven continents, in environments ranging from secure government installations to retail stores to mining operations.

I’m queer/bi/pan, and my pronouns are “he/him/his”. I’m generally agnostic, socially liberal and fiscally centrist. I live with my long-term partner and our cat, who actually owns the place, and only lets us live there as long as we feed him.

The Internet

I want to see a safe, open Internet that respects and protects individual privacy. I believe users should have the right to control and reverse-engineer their devices, and the right to make informed choices about how, when, and with whom they share personal information. I also believe users should have the right to pick their own winners and losers in the online marketplace—I do not believe ISPs should favor entrenched players by creating bandwidth-cap exemptions or “pay-for-speed” arrangements that favor some companies but not others.

I believe software patents stifle innovation, by artificially raising the costs and potential risks to small startups that have a fresh take on an old idea. At the same time, I believe we need more regulations about privacy and security. We should force companies to make their products private and secure by default, and to allow users to make clear, informed choices about what they want to share. I support like-minded organizations such as the ACLU and EFF.

Social Justice

Anyone can be prejudiced, no matter their background. Anyone can also be the victim of prejudice. But there are systemic, pervasive biases against anyone who is not a cis, straight, white, Christian man. I match all but two of those attributes, yet I have been a victim of these shared expectations and systemic biases in many small ways. I am grateful never to have felt their full force.

I want to live in a world where systemic bias has been eliminated. This means that on average, women are paid the same as men in similar positions. It means I have the right to marry the partner of my choice, and the same opportunities in life as my straight brothers and sisters. It means my trans friends are safe from harassment, and my Black and Latino neighbors don’t have to be afraid every time they see a police officer. It means my Muslim coworkers are treated with dignity and respect, because like everyone else, they are innocent until proven guilty.

Income Inequality

I see high levels of income inequality, paired with lax financial regulation, as a major destabilizing force in our society. When it becomes possible for high-net-worth individuals and corporate lobbyists to throw enough money at an election to significantly tilt the scales in their favor, our government stops working for everyone, and the majority become disenfranchised. When people have to worry about where their next meal is coming from, or how they are going to pay their medical bills, or whether they’ll have a roof over their head tomorrow, they have no time or energy to participate in shaping and improving our society.

In today’s “winner-take-all” environment, where the likes of Donald Trump can go bankrupt four times and still run for president while millions of Americans are permanently stuck below the poverty line, the American dream is dead.

That’s why I support abolishing most taxes and fees apart from the income tax, and why I believe the income tax should be made much more progressive. It’s why I support universal health care, free college tuition, and mandatory paid sick leave. I support these things even though I will pay higher taxes—the investment is worth it.

[1]On this site I won’t name my employer, or the product I work on, because I don’t want to give the impression that I’m speaking for anyone but myself. You can find out more about my professional credentials on my LinkedIn page.