431 lines
15 KiB
Plaintext
431 lines
15 KiB
Plaintext
---
|
|
import BaseLayout from "../layouts/BaseLayout.astro";
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
<BaseLayout
|
|
title="About — Hidden Den Cafe"
|
|
description="About Latte and Hidden Den: a personal introduction, the values behind the site, and why this quiet corner of the internet exists."
|
|
>
|
|
<div class="matrix-bg" aria-hidden="true"></div>
|
|
|
|
<main class="main">
|
|
<div class="container">
|
|
<header class="header fade-in">
|
|
<p class="eyebrow">Latte / Hidden Den</p>
|
|
<h1 class="title">About</h1>
|
|
<div class="divider">══════════════════════════════</div>
|
|
<p class="lead">
|
|
Hi, I'm Latte. Hidden Den exists because I wanted a personal place on
|
|
the internet that feels the way I want technology to feel: calm,
|
|
understandable, warm, and fully mine.
|
|
</p>
|
|
</header>
|
|
|
|
<section class="section fade-in">
|
|
<h2>Who I Am</h2>
|
|
<p class="desc">
|
|
I'm <span class="highlight">Latte</span> - an IT professional, a
|
|
developer, and someone who spends a lot of time close to systems. A
|
|
lot of my day-to-day thinking is shaped by infrastructure, maintenance,
|
|
deployment, networking, and the quiet work required to keep things
|
|
reliable. I like understanding how things fit together, not just using
|
|
them from a distance.
|
|
</p>
|
|
<p class="desc">
|
|
I run a homelab because I enjoy learning by building, breaking,
|
|
fixing, and gradually improving the systems I rely on. I tend to
|
|
prefer tools I can audit, services I can migrate, setups I can back
|
|
up, and infrastructure I can replace without begging a platform to keep
|
|
my life intact.
|
|
</p>
|
|
</section>
|
|
|
|
<section class="section fade-in">
|
|
<h2>The Person Behind The Stack</h2>
|
|
<p class="desc">
|
|
The technical side is real, but it is not the whole story. I'm also a
|
|
gay furry developer with a soft spot for cozy cafe aesthetics, warm
|
|
tones, coffee culture, quiet spaces, and slow building. I am much less
|
|
interested in performing some polished hacker persona than I am in
|
|
making a space that feels thoughtful, lived in, and unmistakably human.
|
|
</p>
|
|
<p class="desc">
|
|
Hidden Den reflects that mix. It is technical, but not sterile. It is
|
|
personal, but not performative. It is a place where infrastructure,
|
|
writing, projects, experiments, and internet philosophy can sit next to
|
|
warmth, identity, and the kinds of details that make a site feel like
|
|
someone actually lives there.
|
|
</p>
|
|
<div class="callout">
|
|
<p>
|
|
More cozy tech wizard than cyberpunk hacker.
|
|
</p>
|
|
</div>
|
|
</section>
|
|
|
|
<section class="section fade-in">
|
|
<h2>How I Tend To Build</h2>
|
|
<div class="value-grid">
|
|
<article class="value-card">
|
|
<h3>Understand It</h3>
|
|
<p>
|
|
I am most comfortable with systems I can inspect and reason
|
|
about. If I do not understand the tradeoffs, the failure modes,
|
|
or the path out, I do not feel like I really own the tool.
|
|
</p>
|
|
</article>
|
|
<article class="value-card">
|
|
<h3>Keep It Durable</h3>
|
|
<p>
|
|
I prefer setups that can be backed up, migrated, repaired, and
|
|
replaced. Durable systems are not always flashy, but they age
|
|
better and make better foundations for real life.
|
|
</p>
|
|
</article>
|
|
<article class="value-card">
|
|
<h3>Leave Room For Care</h3>
|
|
<p>
|
|
I care about interfaces and environments that feel intentional.
|
|
Warmth matters to me. I do not think technical spaces need to be
|
|
cold to be serious.
|
|
</p>
|
|
</article>
|
|
<article class="value-card">
|
|
<h3>Stay Practical</h3>
|
|
<p>
|
|
I do not treat purity as a goal. I self-host a lot because it
|
|
teaches me things and gives me control, but I still care about
|
|
workable systems more than ideological posturing.
|
|
</p>
|
|
</article>
|
|
</div>
|
|
</section>
|
|
|
|
<section class="section fade-in">
|
|
<h2>Why Hidden Den Exists</h2>
|
|
<p class="desc">
|
|
This site is not a portfolio, a startup brand, or a personal marketing
|
|
project. It exists because I wanted a real personal website again: a
|
|
place for writing, projects, experiments, infrastructure notes, and the
|
|
kinds of ideas that do not fit neatly into social platforms.
|
|
</p>
|
|
<p class="desc">
|
|
I wanted something quieter than a feed and more honest than a polished
|
|
personal brand. Hidden Den gives me room to publish on my own terms and
|
|
let the site grow slowly, in the shape that actually suits me.
|
|
</p>
|
|
</section>
|
|
|
|
<section class="section fade-in">
|
|
<h2>Why This Matters To Me</h2>
|
|
<p class="desc">
|
|
Working with infrastructure changes how you see the internet. It reveals
|
|
the parts most people never notice: who owns the platform, where the data
|
|
goes, what happens when the service changes, and how little control people
|
|
often have over the spaces they depend on. That matters to me both
|
|
technically and personally.
|
|
</p>
|
|
<p class="desc">
|
|
I care about technology that feels intentional instead of engineered for
|
|
surveillance, lock-in, or endless engagement. I want the tools around me
|
|
to be legible. I want the places I spend time in to respect the people
|
|
using them. Hidden Den is one small attempt to build that kind of space.
|
|
</p>
|
|
</section>
|
|
|
|
<section class="section fade-in">
|
|
<h2>On The Internet I Want</h2>
|
|
<p class="desc">
|
|
Too much of the modern web is optimized for extraction: attention,
|
|
behavior, identity, and dependence. I prefer a smaller internet made of
|
|
personal sites, weird projects, community infrastructure, and spaces
|
|
that are allowed to be specific. Not everything needs to become a
|
|
platform, and not every page needs to be a funnel.
|
|
</p>
|
|
<p class="desc">
|
|
I still believe the web is better when more people make places that feel
|
|
like their own. Places with taste. Places with personality. Places that
|
|
are maintained because someone cares about them, not because they have
|
|
been optimized against a dashboard.
|
|
</p>
|
|
</section>
|
|
|
|
<section class="section fade-in">
|
|
<h2>Privacy-First, In Practice</h2>
|
|
<p class="desc">
|
|
Privacy is part of the philosophy here, but it is also part of the
|
|
implementation. Hidden Den avoids trackers, ads, invasive analytics, and
|
|
unnecessary third-party dependencies. Static pages are not a compromise
|
|
for me. They are often the cleaner solution.
|
|
</p>
|
|
<p class="desc">
|
|
The same goes for the infrastructure behind the site. I prefer systems I
|
|
can audit, migrate, back up, and replace. People should be able to visit
|
|
a personal website without quietly being turned into a behavioral profile.
|
|
</p>
|
|
<ul class="values compact">
|
|
<li><span class="value-key">no trackers:</span> Visitors are guests, not telemetry.</li>
|
|
<li><span class="value-key">minimal dependencies:</span> Fewer external systems means fewer leaks.</li>
|
|
<li><span class="value-key">self-hosting bias:</span> Control matters when the tradeoff is reasonable.</li>
|
|
<li><span class="value-key">human scale:</span> The site is built to feel inhabited, not optimized.</li>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
</section>
|
|
|
|
<section class="section fade-in">
|
|
<h2>What I Want This Place To Be</h2>
|
|
<p class="desc">
|
|
Hidden Den is meant to feel like a quiet corner of the internet: warm,
|
|
thoughtful, technical, and personal. A place where I can share what I am
|
|
building and thinking about without flattening myself into a bio, a
|
|
brand, or a feed.
|
|
</p>
|
|
<p class="desc">
|
|
If this page does its job, it should feel clear that there is a real
|
|
person behind the site. Someone who likes systems and infrastructure,
|
|
cares about privacy, prefers warm light over neon, and still thinks the
|
|
internet is worth building on carefully.
|
|
</p>
|
|
</section>
|
|
|
|
<footer class="footer fade-in">
|
|
<p>Made with love by Latte</p>
|
|
</footer>
|
|
</div>
|
|
</main>
|
|
</BaseLayout>
|
|
|
|
<style>
|
|
.matrix-bg {
|
|
position: fixed;
|
|
top: 0;
|
|
left: 0;
|
|
width: 100%;
|
|
height: 100%;
|
|
z-index: -1;
|
|
opacity: 0.03;
|
|
background:
|
|
linear-gradient(var(--color-accent) 1px, transparent 1px),
|
|
linear-gradient(90deg, var(--color-accent) 1px, transparent 1px);
|
|
background-size: 50px 50px;
|
|
animation: grid-move 20s linear infinite;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
@keyframes grid-move {
|
|
0% { transform: translate(0, 0); }
|
|
100% { transform: translate(50px, 50px); }
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.main {
|
|
min-height: 100vh;
|
|
display: flex;
|
|
align-items: center;
|
|
justify-content: center;
|
|
padding: var(--space-lg) var(--space-md);
|
|
padding-top: calc(var(--space-lg) + 3rem);
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.container {
|
|
max-width: 700px;
|
|
width: 100%;
|
|
background: var(--color-glass);
|
|
backdrop-filter: blur(10px);
|
|
border: 1px solid var(--color-surface);
|
|
border-radius: 8px;
|
|
padding: var(--space-xl);
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.header {
|
|
text-align: center;
|
|
margin-bottom: var(--space-lg);
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.eyebrow {
|
|
color: var(--color-text-dim);
|
|
text-transform: uppercase;
|
|
letter-spacing: 0.24em;
|
|
font-size: 0.75rem;
|
|
margin-bottom: var(--space-sm);
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.title {
|
|
font-size: 2rem;
|
|
font-weight: 700;
|
|
letter-spacing: 2px;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.divider {
|
|
color: var(--color-surface);
|
|
text-align: center;
|
|
font-size: 0.75rem;
|
|
margin: var(--space-md) 0;
|
|
user-select: none;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.lead {
|
|
color: var(--color-text);
|
|
line-height: 1.8;
|
|
max-width: 36rem;
|
|
margin: 0 auto;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.section {
|
|
margin: var(--space-lg) 0;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.section h2 {
|
|
font-size: 1rem;
|
|
text-transform: uppercase;
|
|
letter-spacing: 2px;
|
|
margin-bottom: var(--space-sm);
|
|
color: var(--color-accent);
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.desc {
|
|
color: var(--color-text-dim);
|
|
line-height: 1.7;
|
|
margin-bottom: var(--space-sm);
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.desc:last-child {
|
|
margin-bottom: 0;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.callout {
|
|
margin-top: var(--space-md);
|
|
padding: var(--space-md);
|
|
border: 1px solid color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-accent) 30%, transparent);
|
|
background:
|
|
linear-gradient(
|
|
135deg,
|
|
color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-accent) 10%, transparent),
|
|
transparent 70%
|
|
),
|
|
color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-bg-light) 84%, transparent);
|
|
border-radius: 8px;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.callout p {
|
|
color: var(--color-text);
|
|
line-height: 1.7;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.highlight {
|
|
color: var(--color-accent-bright);
|
|
font-weight: 700;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.value-grid {
|
|
display: grid;
|
|
grid-template-columns: repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr));
|
|
gap: var(--space-md);
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.value-card {
|
|
padding: var(--space-md);
|
|
border-radius: 8px;
|
|
background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-bg-light) 88%, transparent);
|
|
border: 1px solid color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-surface) 70%, transparent);
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.value-card h3 {
|
|
color: var(--color-accent-bright);
|
|
font-size: 0.95rem;
|
|
text-transform: uppercase;
|
|
letter-spacing: 0.12em;
|
|
margin-bottom: var(--space-xs);
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.value-card p {
|
|
color: var(--color-text-dim);
|
|
line-height: 1.7;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.values {
|
|
list-style: none;
|
|
display: flex;
|
|
flex-direction: column;
|
|
gap: var(--space-xs);
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.values li {
|
|
color: var(--color-text-dim);
|
|
line-height: 1.6;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.value-key {
|
|
color: var(--color-accent);
|
|
font-weight: 600;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.compact {
|
|
margin-top: var(--space-md);
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.footer {
|
|
margin-top: var(--space-xl);
|
|
text-align: center;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.footer p {
|
|
color: var(--color-text-dim);
|
|
font-size: 0.85rem;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.fade-in {
|
|
animation: fadeIn 0.6s ease-out forwards;
|
|
opacity: 0;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.fade-in:nth-child(1) { animation-delay: 0.1s; }
|
|
.fade-in:nth-child(2) { animation-delay: 0.2s; }
|
|
.fade-in:nth-child(3) { animation-delay: 0.3s; }
|
|
.fade-in:nth-child(4) { animation-delay: 0.4s; }
|
|
.fade-in:nth-child(5) { animation-delay: 0.5s; }
|
|
.fade-in:nth-child(6) { animation-delay: 0.6s; }
|
|
.fade-in:nth-child(7) { animation-delay: 0.7s; }
|
|
|
|
@keyframes fadeIn {
|
|
from {
|
|
opacity: 0;
|
|
transform: translateY(10px);
|
|
}
|
|
to {
|
|
opacity: 1;
|
|
transform: translateY(0);
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
@media (max-width: 600px) {
|
|
.container {
|
|
padding: var(--space-md);
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.title {
|
|
font-size: 1.5rem;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.divider {
|
|
font-size: 0.6rem;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.lead {
|
|
font-size: 0.95rem;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.value-grid {
|
|
grid-template-columns: 1fr;
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
|
|
.matrix-bg {
|
|
animation: none;
|
|
}
|
|
|
|
.fade-in {
|
|
animation: none;
|
|
opacity: 1;
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
</style>
|