Drew Kirkman

Professional nerd, unapologetic elder millennial

My name is Drew Kirkman. I'm a nerd from Kentucky who cares about keeping control of technology in the user's hands.

Professionally, I've done web development, systems and network administration, and these days I've found my calling in broadcast engineering, but none of that is important. I believe in the freedom to control your own destiny when it comes to technology in a world where so many forces are trying to take it away and convince you to not care.

I'm a big fan of F/OSS. I've been a Linux user in some form or fashion since 2004, and I push for its use wherever appropriate, much to the annoyance of some colleagues. If I find a F/OSS tool that can replace some component of a stack from Big Tech, I'll probably use it.

I tested for and received an amateur radio license in February 2011. Today, I hold an Amateur Extra class license, callsign KN9FOO (for KungFoo, my old IRC nickname). I'm not very active in the hobby lately since I get to work with much larger radio technology implementations for my job, but my primary interests are amateur radio's relationship with technology and I have historically enjoyed hanging out on local 2-meter repeaters. I have also been known to operate digital modes like PSK31 and RTTY over HF, and I have taken a keen interest in DMR and other digital voice modes.

Politically, I'm solidly left-libertarian in my own positions, but I also believe that the most important moderating factor to extremism is exposure to differing opinions and having adult conversations about issues. That is a skill woefully lacking in modern American culture.

I occasionally write on my blog if my chaotic thoughts interest you. I also sometimes create educational content about my day job in broadcast engineering, and the landing page for that project can be found at BroadcastBlueprint.com.

My KySTE 2022 slideshow can be found here.
I've included a link to my KySTE 2019 slideshow here.
If you want to see the full list of what I've done professionally, check out my CV here.
I use PGP. Information about my usage can be found here.