Hi, I'm Nóirín (sounds like [n̪ˠõːɾʲiːɲ]). In Ireland, I have a pretty common name: I share it with professors, politicians, and even our police commissioner! Elsewhere, however, it's less simple. I've had conference badges in the names of "N√≥ir√≠n" and "NÛirÌn", online services often call me "Nóirín" or "N��ir��n", and I've even gotten mail for "N├âãÆ├é┬│ir├âãÆ├é┬¡n"!

So at Simply Secure, I go by a name I picked up on the Appalachian Trail, that's found in most spell-checkers, and is a bit simpler to pronounce: Trouble.

According to the IRS, my job title is Operations Manager. Much like my name though, the reality is more nuanced, and always evolving. I think of myself as Simply Secure’s Steersman¹. I travel alongside our collaborators, through their varied communities, always collecting knowledge, connecting ideas, and helping to preserve and share what we see. I come from the Open Source world, and, with Scout and Ame, will be working hard to make sure that the things we learn, create, and do, are done as transparently as possible.

Our shared vision at Simply Secure is that people shouldn’t have to choose between tools they like and tools that are secure. We know where we want to be: in a world where secure and private communication tools are available to everyone. We know the direction we need to go to get there: human-centered design is our guide star, open-source tools are the paths we walk along, verifiable and auditable cryptography is the shelter we depend on. But in the words of the Irish proverb, “it’d be a long road that didn’t have turns in it”². So, bringing together the finest traditions both ancient and modern, I’m here to record what we’re doing, map out where we’ve been, and glean what I can about where we’re going.

I hope you'll join me along the way!

^{1. I prefer gender-neutral titles and pronouns where possible. ↩}

^{2. Is fada an bóthar nach mbíonn casadh ann.↩}