About
Bug Plowman
I am a systems-oriented builder and technical writer drawn to networking, infrastructure, troubleshooting, and the Unix command line. I want to understand the systems modern computing depends on, from a single service process to the networks connecting data centers.
Path
Resourcefulness came before specialization
Growing up with limited hardware taught me to stretch the machines I had, work through obscure configuration problems, and recover when something broke. Linux became practical before it became a professional interest: first as a way to make constrained hardware do more, then as the environment where I felt most capable of seeing and controlling the whole system.
I hold an A.A. in Communications and have completed roughly half of CSU Monterey Bay's online B.S. in Computer Science. I am currently on a planned leave, expect to return in Summer 2027, and expect to graduate in Spring 2028. The communications background still matters: good operations work depends on precise questions, useful documentation, and explanations that help a team act.
Direction
Where I am heading
My long-term goal is data center network engineering. I am particularly interested in the infrastructure behind AI, GPU, and high-performance computing workloads, along with carrier networks, internet exchanges, and the subsea systems that connect regions. In the near term, I am building a broad base in systems support, hardware operations, Linux and BSD administration, networking, scripting, and operational documentation.
Working style
Direct, curious, and useful to the team
I want teammates to be able to bring me a difficult question and trust that I will help find an answer. I value agency, respectful disagreement, clear ownership, and people who keep one another informed. I am also working on stating uncertainty more plainly: what I know, what I do not know, and how I would verify the next step.
Most of my current work is independently maintained. My team experience includes school software projects, Pocket Grimoire, and the 2024 MultiOn Hackathon. I am comfortable contributing without leading, and when I do coordinate work I care about honest status, dependable follow-through, and crediting people for strong contributions.
Current and next
Projects in view
- Nova
- Deploy my own federation and continue strengthening placement, recovery, and operating evidence.
- CoACodex
- Continue the provenance-aware data and analysis pipeline while its upstream game environment remains available.
- PocketTensor Android
- Return to the mobile inference project after acquiring compatible test hardware.
- The Bug Report
- Build the privacy-conscious telemetry, graph analysis, recommendation, admin, and comment-notification systems described in the project roadmap.
- Infrastructure Lab
- Build the physical Nova donor and Jellyfin roles, migrate the Orange Pi RV2 to Armbian before PBX work, and develop the first VLAN and QoS experiments on the Cisco switch.
- GBS-Control
- Assemble the GBS-8200 v4.0 upscaler, learn soldering through the build, and put it to use with my Wii and future retro hardware.
Tools and responsibility
AI-assisted development
I am the primary human maintainer and technical decision-maker. I use Claude Code and Codex as development tools for implementation, review, and documentation; I remain responsible for requirements, architecture, verification, deployment, and published claims.
Independent web
Why this site remains personal
I advocate for Linux, BSD, free and open-source software, independent publishing, and the ability to choose control over convenience. Those values shape this site's low-JavaScript design and self-operated infrastructure without requiring every visitor to encounter an argument about them on the front page. The Links page and my longer essays hold the deeper context.