Q&As About Myself

This is a series of Q&As about myself.

Who are you?

I am a free software advocate and enthusiast from China, favouring Debian, KDE, LineageOS, Tor, I2P, etc.

Why Rebel?

As a given name, ‘Rebel’ is often associated with qualities such as independence, nonconformity, and a spirit of defiance. It symbolises a person unafraid to challenge societal norms or expectations.

I think this name suits me as a free software advocate who resolutely resists proprietary software.

Why rebel1725?

The reason for rebel is obvious, see the last question. The reason for 1725 is that 1725 is 1/7/25, the day this identity came into being.

What is your personal brand system?

Please refer to this page.

When did you come across all those free-software-related things?

I started to be influenced by the viewpoints and statements from gnu.org and fsf.org since summer 2022. I uninstalled Microsoft Windows from my computer on 16 July 2022 and started to replace proprietary applications on my computers and phones one by one; by the end of April 2023 I started using LineageOS; in July 2024 I replaced my identity and achieved 100% free software in my userspace.

What is your attitude towards proprietary software?

Proprietary software is entirely malware and spyware, with no exception, all unethical and unjust, trampling both the four essential software freedoms of computer users and the fundamental principles of human morality, and should never exist.

What is your attitude towards free and non-free cultural works (e.g. music, movies, etc.)?

I indeed support free cultural works, and I often use them as my ringtone, wallpapers, etc. But unlike software, I am not against non-free cultural works, and I often listen to songs performed by Alan Walker, Taylor Swift, Sia, TheFatRat, etc. Those who dedicate their works to the free culture community should indeed be honoured, but (at least I think) those who reserve all rights to their works do nothing wrong.

However, if non-free cultural works are bundled into software, I find it unacceptable, because it will render the software proprietary.

What is your setup?

I have many devices and have given a name to each of them. Detailed info of some of them as of 2025-08-15 is below:

What software do you use every day?

My non-exhaustive list of everyday-used software is below:

1. Browsers: LibreWolf, Fennec F-Droid;
2. Office: LibreOffice, Okular, MuPDF;
3. Development: Kate, Geany;
4. Mail: Thunderbird;
5. Graphics: GIMP, Krita;
6. Multimedia: VLC, Kdenlive, Audacity, Auxio;
7. Security: KeePassXC, Kleopatra, OpenKeychain.

What is your current software freedom status?

I now use definitely no proprietary software in userspace on all my everyday devices. Both Alaric and Ami are equipped with Libreboot, while Bryna still runs a non-free UEFI, but at least its hard disks are freed of non-free binaries. My phones all run libre software OS like LineageOS, GrapheneOS or postmarketOS; on Android systems I only use apps pre-installed or from F-Droid, and on postmarketOS I only use apps from official repositories or self-built.

What about your tech stack?

As of 2025-08-15 I don’t think I have mastered anything, but I have grasped the basics of Python and C/C++. I have also learned some HTML and CSS, and have used them to build my retro-style website. Anyway, I am anxious because my programming skills are so poor…

What are your mainly used communication tools?

I mainly use XMPP for friends and acquaintances, Matrix for global communities, Telegram for domestic communities, and SimpleX for anonymity-focused users (mainly from I2P).

Overall, the communication tool I use most is XMPP.

What do ‘Private’, ‘Express’ and ‘Public’ mean?

Those are three privacy levels of my instant messaging accounts:

1. Private: These accounts are used for direct messages. You can talk to me about almost anything via these accounts; however, you may not expect a quick response, as these accounts are only accessible to me when I am at home.
2. Express: These accounts are also for direct messages, and are accessible on my devices that I take out of the house. However, due to widespread surveillance in public areas and my weakened security from an unlocked bootloader, please avoid discussing sensitive information when chatting.
3. Public: These accounts are only for public chats and sometimes unencrypted direct messages. Avoid discussing sensitive information when chatting.

How do you surf the Internet?

I use Tor 24/7. On computers, I use the Tor daemon, and on phones I use InviZible Pro.

I also have access to a regular proxy service providing proxy servers globally, usually referred to as ‘机场’ in China, which can be accessed using a free software client Clash Meta.

How to access your retro-style website?

I host my retro-style website on all the servers from the Tilde communities I have joined, and you can access it on any of them. I recommend accessing Tilde.club since it has the best stability and receives the most attention from me, and I will try to ensure the information on it is up-to-date. The contents from other Tilde pubnixes are identical to those from Tilde.club but are not guaranteed to be up-to-date.

Additionally, the retro-style website is also hosted as an eepsite on the I2P network and is accessible at rebel.i2p (Address Helper). However, this is not the recommended way to access my retro-style website, as many images in my blog posts will fail to load if they are from the clearnet (unless you have an outproxy configured).

How to access your modern-style website?

Click here.

Do you play games?

Yes, I play SuperTuxKart and other free games. However, I am against proprietary games and Digital Restrictions Management.

Why don’t you use a quantum-resistant algorithm for my OpenPGP key (or at least one of its sub-keys)?

I would like to, but my hardware token does not support it.

What are your political views?

I think I am a Marxist, and I look forward to a society where everyone contributes according to their ability and receives according to their needs.

Why do you use British English instead of American English?

Because I dislike the USA, as its government uses PRISM to conduct massive surveillance on computer users globally. Furthermore, most proprietary software is developed in the USA.

Do you think you are outgoing and easy-going?

It depends.

If you are a free software advocate, a free software enthusiast, or a GNU/Linux enthusiast, you may indeed find me an outgoing and easy-going person. If you are a stranger, you may find me a bit socially passive or introverted. But if you support proprietary software, I think you should go fuck yourself.

I have set very high standards for my close friends, but once you meet those standards, I will be wholeheartedly devoted to our friendship.

How do you view love?

In my view, love is not much different from friendship, but it inherently carries higher expectations. Genuine love should be built upon shared aspirations and shared beliefs; in my case, that means a shared commitment to free software.

My ideal partner should be a free software advocate, preferably female and Chinese-speaking. I have also written a poem to depict my ideal love.

What is your gender identity and your sexual orientation?

My pronouns are he/him, and I am currently heterosexual.

What is your attitude towards LGBTQ+?

I am not LGBTQ+ myself, but I strive to be more respectful and inclusive.

What is your timezone?

Asia/Shanghai, which means UTC+08:00 without daylight saving time.