FAQs About Myself

Time: 2026-08-26T18:54:57+08:00
Category: Notice
Tags: Profile, Freedom, Proprietary, Debian, Setup, QubesOS, FreeCulture, FreeSoftware, Security, Privacy, LGBTQ+, Love, Friendship, Politics, OpenPGP

This is a series of FAQs about myself.

Who are you?

I am a free software advocate and enthusiast from China who also pays attention to issues concerning security, privacy, and other digital rights.

Why Rebel?

As a personal name, 'Rebel' is often associated with qualities such as independence, nonconformity, and a spirit of defiance. It symbolises a person who is 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 being influenced by the viewpoints and statements from gnu.org and fsf.org in summer 2022. I uninstalled Microsoft Windows from my computer on 16 July 2022 and started replacing proprietary applications on my computers and phones one by one; by the end of April 2023, I had 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?

All proprietary software is unethical and unjust, without exception, trampling on both the four essential software freedoms of computer users and the fundamental principles of human morality, and should never exist.

Aside from the ethical issues, proprietary software is usually malware and spyware, which also leads to practical issues concerning privacy and security, and thus should be avoided.

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

I do support free cultural works, and I often use them as my ringtone, wallpaper, 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 with software, I find it unacceptable, because they will render the software proprietary.

What is your setup?

I have many devices and have given each of them a name. Detailed information about some of them as of 2026-08-25 is below:

Name	Model	OS
Warden	GL.iNet Flint 2	OpenWrt
Alaric	Lenovo ThinkPad X200	Trisquel GNU/Linux
Bryna	Xiaomi Redmi G Pro 2024	Qubes OS
Ami	HP EliteBook 820 G2	Qubes OS
Leo	OnePlus 11	LineageOS
William	Google Pixel 6	GrapheneOS
Gemini	TicWatch Pro 2018	AsteroidOS

What software do you use every day?

A non-exhaustive list of the software I use every day is below:

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

What is your current software freedom status?

I now use absolutely no proprietary software in userspace on any of 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 free of non-free binaries beyond firmware and microcode. My phones all run libre software operating systems such as LineageOS, GrapheneOS, or postmarketOS; on Android systems, I only use pre-installed apps or apps from F-Droid, and on postmarketOS, I only use apps from official repositories or apps I build myself.

What about your tech stack?

I have very basic programming skills, and they can still be considered quite poor. As of 25 August 2026, I have grasped the basics of C/C++, Python, Shell, etc. I can develop some applications to some extent using C++ and Qt Widgets, and recently I have been learning Qt Quick. I have also tried to learn Rust, but I have given up for now.

I am focusing on learning reverse engineering, for which I have learned AArch64 assembly and x86_64 assembly. However, my RE skills are still limited to simple crackmes for now. But I am trying to learn more, and my goal is to produce a postmarketOS port.

What are your main communication tools?

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

Overall, the communication tool I use most is XMPP.

What do 'Private', 'Express' and 'Public' mean?

Those are three privacy levels for 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 should 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 reduced 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.

Sometimes I will use an outproxy inside I2P to access the Internet when my Tor daemon is having trouble.

How can I access your retro-style website?

I have two versions of retro-style websites. One is a regular HTTP/HTTPS website, while the other is a Gemini capsule (Gemsite). They are two different sites. If I say 'my retro-style website' without specifying which one, I mean the HTTP/HTTPS one by default.

I host my retro-style websites (both HTTP/HTTPS and Gemini) on all the servers from the Tilde communities that I have joined, and theoretically you can access them on any of them. However, since these communities are mostly fan-made, they have periods of downtime. Therefore, I recommend accessing the website hosted by Tilde.club (HTTPS, Gemini) since it is the most stable and receives the most attention from me, and I will try to ensure that the information on it is up-to-date. The contents of other Tilde pubnixes are theoretically identical to those of Tilde.club, but are not guaranteed to be up-to-date.

Additionally, the retro-style website (HTTP version) is also hosted as an eepsite on the I2P network. It is hosted with love by Catto Garden, and is accessible at rebel1725.i2p (Address Helper). In the past, this was not the recommended way to access the website because clearnet assets would fail to load without an outproxy configured, but this is no longer the case because I have changed the way the images and other assets are hosted.

How can I access your modern-style website?

Click here.

Do you play games?

In the past, I used to play SuperTuxKart and other free games. However, I now seldom play games because Qubes OS makes gaming fragile. And I am always opposed to proprietary games and Digital Restrictions Management.

How do you listen to music?

I download music from various sources, mainly YouTube, and yt-dlp is very helpful. If I want to support the artists, I will purchase a CD.

I scrobble my listens on ListenBrainz and get personalised recommendations from the platform. My ListenBrainz profile is here.

Why don't you use a quantum-resistant algorithm for your OpenPGP key (or at least one of its subkeys)?

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

What are your political views?

My political views can be summarised as follows:

1. Freedom matters, including but not limited to software, culture, speech, assembly, association, press, etc. Software freedom especially matters, and no kind of technology that limits that freedom, including but not limited to Digital Restrictions Management, SaaSS, etc., should exist.
2. I am opposed to capitalism, imperialism, racism, fascism, Nazism, militarism, authoritarianism, totalitarianism, dictatorship, censorship, torture, xenophobia, war, and discrimination based on any characteristic, including but not limited to nationality, religion, disability, age, class, sexual orientation, gender/gender identity, etc.
3. Privacy is one of the fundamental human rights, and mass surveillance should be abolished.
4. There is only one Earth, and humanity should strive to protect our only home.

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 Chinese-speaking. I have also written a poem to portray my ideal of love.

What is your MBTI?

I am ESTJ.

What is your gender identity and your sexual orientation?

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

To learn more about this matter, please read this article.

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.