---
title: Hello, World!
location: Moscow, Russia
excerpt: How many years of programming experience is needed to be qualified to start a tech blog? Time for an introductory post!
cover: /public/img/me.jpg
ogType: article
---

How many years of programming experience is needed to be qualified to start a tech blog?
Ten, fifteen?
I see much blogging even with [zero](https://dev.to/), so I decided to give it a try as well.

Time for an introductory post!

## I

I is Vlad Faust.

I started programming when I was 15, and now [I'm 24](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO3YmT2d-8k){.secret-link}.

I've gone through many programming environments, from triggers/vJass/cJass in Warcraft® III  [custom](https://xgm.guru/p/wc3/headhunter), [maps](https://xgm.guru/p/ufs), to developing and [implementing](https://github.com/fancysofthq/nxc) a [currently-being-standardized](https://nxsf.org/) programming language.

I've programmed in Pascal, [~~php~~](https://bitbucket.org/vladfaust/anogram-api/src/master){.secret-link style="opacity: 50%;"}, [Java](https://bitbucket.org/vladfaust/jumpinsweeties/src/master/){.secret-link}, Ruby, Javascript, C, C++, C#, C`!@#$%`, C`( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)` and many, many more.

I've created a [game](https://www.moddb.com/games/jumpin-sweeties/videos/trailer) in [LibGDX](https://libgdx.badlogicgames.com/), launched a number of Telegram bots, some of which [did](/public/img/posts/2020-08-07-hello-world/bot-a-users-graph.jpg), [become](/public/img/posts/2020-08-07-hello-world/bot-b-reviews.jpg), [popular](https://t.me/soundmemes/61).

I've also designed some [other](https://4pda.ru/forum/index.php?showtopic=571231), [games](https://apkpure.com/ruble-fate-raise-the-rouble/com.faustapps.rublefate) and [projects](https://www.dropbox.com/s/xc8kjswj4fb0m0z/presentation.pdf?dl=0).

<div id="my-open-source"></div>

In 2016, I fell in love with Ruby with the help of the famous the Michael the Hartl's the [Ruby on Rails Tutorial](https://www.railstutorial.org/), and then even open-sourced some <s>very useful</s> gems:

  * [Jbuilder::JsonApi](https://github.com/vladfaust/jbuilder-json_api)
  * [AssetPipeline](https://github.com/vladfaust/asset_pipeline)
  * [SmsActivate](https://github.com/vladfaust/sms_activate)
  * [Bitcoinpay](https://github.com/vladfaust/bitcoinpay-client)
  * [Blockchain::Api](https://github.com/vladfaust/blockchain-api)

I did truly enjoy Ruby on Rails, but after some time, I began wondering if there were more performant alternatives.
So I went from Rails to Hanami, and then to Roda and Sequel, and then occasionally run into <s>Assembler</s> [Crystal](https://crystal-lang.org/).

I instantly got _addicted to Crystal_.
Throughout the next two years, I've developed a number of very useful shards:

  * [TimeFormat](https://github.com/vladfaust/time_format.cr)
  * [I18n](https://github.com/vladfaust/i18n.cr)
  * [HTTP::Multiserver](https://github.com/vladfaust/http-multiserver.cr)
  * [Tarantool](https://github.com/vladfaust/tarantool.cr)
  * [Cake-Bake](https://github.com/vladfaust/cake-bake)
  * [Callbacks](https://github.com/vladfaust/callbacks.cr)
  * [Validations](https://github.com/vladfaust/validations.cr)
  * [MiniRedis](https://github.com/vladfaust/mini_redis)
  * [HTTP::Params::Serializable](https://github.com/vladfaust/http-params-serializable)
  * [Migrate](https://github.com/vladfaust/migrate.cr)
  * [Stripe](https://github.com/vladfaust/stripe.cr)

I even managed to build my [own web framework](https://onyxframework.org/) featuring a [REST server](https://onyxframework.org/http), a database-agnostic [SQL ORM](https://onyxframework.org/sql) and even an [EDA platform](https://onyxframework.org/eda)!
I've also built a (now defunct) [Crystal Jobs](https://github.com/crystaljobs) website and the [RealWorld implementation](https://github.com/vladfaust/crystalworld) in Crystal.

Unfortunately <s>for Crystal</s>, I've left the Crystal ecosystem, because this is not the language I've always dreamt of.
And because of [some](https://github.com/asterite){.secret-link} [other](https://github.com/RX14){.secret-link} reasons, but more on that later.

In June 2019, I began working on my own programming language, [Onyx](/posts/2020-08-20-the-onyx-programming-language).
As of August 2020, it's been more than a year of <s>fighting dragons</s> new knowledge and experiences.

I invite you all to follow me on this journey.

![This journey...](../../../public/img/posts/2020-08-07-hello-world/iceberg.png =100%x)

## Am Only Human

Apart from programming, I used to enjoy heavy-lifting in a local gym.
It is not possible now do to [Carpal tunnel syndrome](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpal_tunnel_syndrome) I've got the last year.
Please do not let that happen to you!

Me love playing computer and board games with my imaginary friends.
My favourite PC games include C&C series, TES series, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, Bulletstorm, Carmageddon and [many more](https://store.steampowered.com/app/331470/Everlasting_Summer/){.secret-link}.
I'm always happy to play some [Project Winter](https://store.steampowered.com/app/774861/Project_Winter/) with you guys, PM me for a Discord invite!
Anyone?

Human creation is what I enjoy a lot.
I love listening to good music and examine great drawings.
I can play ukulele and willing to learn the piano and singing.
I'm also experimenting with 3D modelling and digital art.

> [I'll try anything once.](https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com/overwatch_gamepedia/8/81/Echo_-_I%27ll_try_anything_once.ogg){.secret-link}

Sometime in the future, I plan to work on a strong AI implementation, which you can share music and watch movies together with.
This is where [Onyx](/posts/2020-08-20-the-onyx-programming-language) comes into play!

As a pragmatic person, I wrote some seemingly depressive articles "revealing the truth":

  * [Твой Дзен: Я](https://telegra.ph/Tvoj-Dzen-YA-07-04)
  * [Твой Дзен: Они](https://telegra.ph/Tvoj-Dzen-Oni-07-04)
  * [И целого мира не надо](https://telegra.ph/%D0%98-%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE-%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B0-%D0%BD%D0%B5-%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%BE-12-16)

On my 24^th^ birthday, I've recorded a [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCdGP15vGEc) (in English) accumulating my thoughts on the world and my place in it.

----

I think that's enough for an introductory post.
Now you know a little bit more about yourself.

See you around,<br>
Vlad.
