About
I go by Kevin Vadala online. It's a pen name — I've kept my real name off the internet for a long time and I don't plan on changing that. I've used this name for freelance writing and contract work going back years, which means there are old author profiles and bios scattered around various websites that I have no control over. I've asked some of those sites to take them down. Most don't respond. If you've found a photo or bio attached to this name on some other site, that's probably what you're looking at — an old byline from a freelance gig that I can't get removed.
I sometimes describe myself as a media archivist, though that's only partly accurate. I've also done work as an independent research assistant, some freelance tech writing, and have spent more time than I'd like to admit tinkering with small automation projects that never quite go anywhere.
I don't maintain much of an online presence. This site exists mostly as a personal reference and a place to occasionally write down thoughts on topics that interest me — file organization, preservation workflows, quiet computing, that sort of thing.
Professionally, I've bounced between a few different roles over the years. I've done contract research for small organizations, helped with document digitization projects, and maintained a handful of internal tools for people who needed them. None of it was especially glamorous. Most of the organizations I've worked with were small enough that my title was whatever I said it was, which is how I ended up calling myself an "experimental web publisher" on one project and a "digital generalist" on another.
I've been in New England for a while now. I like it here — the libraries, the old brick, the way winter forces you to stay inside and get things done. I don't talk much about personal details online. Not for any dramatic reason — I just don't find it interesting to share, and I'd rather be known for the things I make (modest as they are) than for biographical trivia.
If you're looking for a portfolio or a professional CV, I don't really keep one in a public-facing way. The projects page is the closest thing. A lot of what I've worked on is either private, abandoned, or not worth showcasing.
I read a lot. Mostly nonfiction — histories, technical manuals, field guides. I have a soft spot for books about infrastructure and logistics that nobody else seems to want to talk about. Occasionally I'll write something about what I'm reading on the blog, but I'm not consistent about it.
This site has existed in one form or another for a while now. I've rebuilt it a few times. The current version is deliberately simple. I got tired of maintaining anything more complicated.
— K. Vadala