+++
title = "About"
author = ["Valentin Boettcher"]
draft = false
+++

This is the web presence of Valentin Boettcher a.k.a. Hiro98.

Valentin:

-   is a PhD student @ McGill University under the supervision of the
    wonderful [Bill Coish](https://www.physics.mcgill.ca/~coish/).
-   codes stuff.
-   is a science-fiction junky and space enthusiast.
-   loves jamming with the saxophone.
-   is hooked on LISP and Clojure.
-   appreciates C++.
-   uses python a fair bit.
-   likes his [Kyria](https://blog.splitkb.com/blog/introducing-the-kyria).

You can check out my [Github](https://github.com/vale981), [Gitlab](https://gitlab.com/vale9811/) and [KDE Invent](https://invent.kde.org/vboettcher/) profiles for most
of my projects as I publish the source to most things I produce.

I've got a [CV](/docs/cv_en.pdf).
<!--more-->

My usual internet/user/nick name is _Hiro_ or _Hiro98_ after Hiro
Protagonist from Neal Stephenson's novel "[Snow Crash](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Crash)", who is usually
depicted in profile pictures like the following one.

{{< figure src="/images/Pages/2021-08-01_15-14-54_screenshot.png" caption="<span class=\"figure-number\">Figure 1: </span>By [Ben Towle](http://www.benzilla.com/?p=4209)." >}}


## Things Made {#things-made}

-   The source of this website lives [here](https://github.com/vale981/website).
-   I've written a bachelor's thesis about [Monte Carlo Event Generators](https://git.io/JBPZg).
    I even built my own in python.
-   A simple, easy-to-use and firewall penetrating [control software](https://gitlab.com/vale9811/doccam-pi) for
    streaming stuff from `rtmp` cams to youtube.
-   Along with a commilitone I've written some lecture notes about
    [Quantum Information](https://gitlab.hrz.tu-chemnitz.de/strunz/skript-quanteninformation).
-   The website of [SimuNova](https://simunova.com/).
-   The software behind [klausurnoug.at](https://klausurnoug.at).
-   A [visualization of neutrino oscillations](https://protagon.space/stuff/neutrino_oscillations/).
-   A [python library](https://github.com/vale981/SecondaryValue) to calculate the gaussian error propagation.
-   A [small hack](https://git.io/JBPZX) to scrape and organize physics courses at the
    TU-Dresden. [See it in action](https://protagon.space/stuff/vertiefungs_scraper/).
-   A script [to convert the wunderlist export to org-mode.](https://github.com/vale981/wunderlist-to-org)
-   A script to create an arch linux image with [bcachefs](https://github.com/vale981/archiso-bcachefs) support.
-   I've made the [website](https://sherpa-team.gitlab.io/) and some of the continuous integration for the
    SHERPA project.
-   A new [midi brain]({{< relref "converting-a-kawai-ksp-30-to-pure-midi" >}}) for my KSP-30.


## Activities {#activities}

-   I am the admin and the most enthusiastic user of the [TU-Dresden
    Physics Forum](https://physik.protagon.space).
-   I am an occasional contributor to [KStars](https://invent.kde.org/education/kstars). As of late I have
    participated in the Google Summer of Code to implement a better
    Deep-Sky-Object backend.

    I also implemented and now maintain the [KStars DSO Catalog
    Repository](https://invent.kde.org/vboettcher/kstars-catalogs).
-   Sometimes I release some noises on [Soundcloud](https://soundcloud.com/the_dj_c) and [Bandcamp](https://afa-music.bandcamp.com/) under the
    name "Abschreibung für Abnutzung".
-   I am also the maintainer of the [RoyalCam](https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/) backend which is also used
    by the [Urban Wildlife Trust](https://www.urbanwildlifetrust.org/portfolio/live-cam/) for their [Wildcams](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLizlM6gpaVHTKPo7spoqlA).