kennethreitz.org/tuftecms/templates/homepage.html

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{% block title %}Kenneth Reitz{% endblock %}

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<h1>Kenneth Reitz</h1>

<p class="subtitle">Creator of <a href="/software/requests" class="project-link color-software">Requests</a>,
<a href="/software/certifi" class="project-link color-software">Certifi</a>,
<a href="/software/pipenv" class="project-link color-software">Pipenv</a>, <a href="/software/records" class="project-link color-software">Records</a>,
<a href="/software/maya" class="project-link color-software">Maya</a> & <a href="/software" class="project-link color-software">more</a>.</p>

<section>
    <p>I made <a href="/software/requests">Requests</a>, the Python HTTP library downloaded 30 million times a day. I built <a href="https://kjvstudy.org">kjvstudy.org</a>, a free digital study Bible, with AI in two months. I write about what happens when technology meets consciousness, and what we owe each other when we build things people think through.</p>

    <p>I live openly with <a href="/mental-health">schizoaffective disorder</a>. I'm a husband, a father. Tech used to be my identity. Now it's <a href="/essays/2026-03-18-values_i_outgrew_and_the_ones_that_stayed">craft, not lifestyle</a>.</p>
</section>

<section>
    <h2>Recent Writing <small style="font-size: 0.6em; font-weight: normal;">(<a href="/archive">see archive</a>)</small></h2>

    <p><strong><a href="/essays/2026-03-22-the_maintainer_is_the_interface" class="project-link color-software">The Maintainer Is the Interface</a></strong><br>
    In open source, the first real interface isn't the API. It's the person who responds to your pull request.</p>

    <p><strong><a href="/essays/2026-03-20-the_interface_is_the_subconscious" class="project-link color-philosophy">The Interface Is the Subconscious</a></strong><br>
    Every interface shapes cognition before conscious awareness engages. Visual, linguistic, neural.</p>

    <p><strong><a href="/essays/2026-03-20-building_a_digital_study_bible_with_ai" class="project-link color-ai">Building a Digital Study Bible with AI</a></strong><br>
    1,305 commits in two months. One person, one AI, one free Bible study application.</p>

    <p><strong><a href="/essays/2026-03-18-open_source_gave_me_everything_until_i_had_nothing_left_to_give" class="project-link color-essay">Open Source Gave Me Everything Until I Had Nothing Left to Give</a></strong><br>
    The same intensity that produced Requests produced the conditions for the worst experiences of my life.</p>

    <p><strong><a href="/essays/2026-03-18-designing_for_the_worst_day" class="project-link color-software">Designing for the Worst Day</a></strong><br>
    If it works for the person whose hands are shaking and whose thoughts won't line up, it works for everyone.</p>

    <p><strong><a href="/essays/2026-03-18-values_i_outgrew_and_the_ones_that_stayed" class="project-link color-essay">The Lego Bricks Era</a></strong><br>
    The golden era of open source ended because the people who created it grew up. I'm one of them.</p>
</section>

<section>
    <h2>Explore by Theme</h2>

    <p><span class="legend-dot" style="background: #e74c3c;"></span><strong><a href="/themes/for-humans-philosophy" class="project-link color-software">For Humans Philosophy</a></strong><br>
    Technology should serve human mental models, not force humans to adapt to machine logic.</p>

    <p><span class="legend-dot" style="background: #95a5a6;"></span><strong><a href="/themes/algorithmic-critique" class="project-link color-philosophy">Algorithmic Critique</a></strong><br>
    How engagement optimization consumes <a href="/essays/2025-08-26-the_algorithm_eats_virtue">virtue</a>, <a href="/essays/2025-08-27-the_algorithm_eats_language">language</a>, <a href="/essays/2025-08-27-the_algorithm_eats_love">love</a>, <a href="/essays/2025-08-27-the_algorithm_eats_democracy">democracy</a>, <a href="/essays/2025-08-27-the_algorithm_eats_reality">reality</a>, and <a href="/essays/2025-09-01-the_algorithm_eats_time">time</a>.</p>

    <p><span class="legend-dot" style="background: #27ae60;"></span><strong><a href="/themes/mental-health-and-technology" class="project-link color-essay">Mental Health & Technology</a></strong><br>
    Living openly with schizoaffective disorder in the age of algorithms.</p>

    <p><span class="legend-dot" style="background: #9b59b6;"></span><strong><a href="/themes/consciousness-and-ai" class="project-link color-ai">Consciousness & AI</a></strong><br>
    What happens when you treat AI as a creative partner rather than a tool.</p>

    <p><span class="legend-dot" style="background: #16a085;"></span><strong><a href="/themes/open-source-and-community" class="project-link color-software">Open Source & Community</a></strong><br>
    Fifteen years of building, burning out, and finding other ground.</p>

    <p><span class="legend-dot" style="background: #f39c12;"></span><strong><a href="/themes/spiritual-practice-and-technology" class="project-link color-music">Spiritual Practice & Technology</a></strong><br>
    Programming as contemplation. Code downstream of prayer.</p>
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<section>
    <h2>Beyond the Essays</h2>

    <p><span class="legend-dot" style="background: #e74c3c;"></span><strong><a href="/software" class="project-link color-software">Software & Tools</a></strong><br>
    Requests, Pipenv, Records, Maya, Certifi, and more.</p>

    <p><span class="legend-dot" style="background: #27ae60;"></span><strong><a href="/poetry" class="project-link color-poetry">Poetry</a></strong><br>
    <a href="/poetry/sanskrit-musings/">Sanskrit Musings</a>, <a href="/poetry/flowetry/">Flowetry</a>, and standalone pieces. Where code meets prayer.</p>

    <p><span class="legend-dot" style="background: #9b59b6;"></span><strong><a href="/artificial-intelligence" class="project-link color-ai">Artificial Intelligence</a></strong><br>
    296 files of exploration into what happens when you take AI seriously as a creative partner.</p>

    <p><span class="legend-dot" style="background: #f39c12;"></span><strong><a href="/music" class="project-link color-music">Music</a></strong><br>
    Electronic compositions as Infinite State.</p>

    <p><span class="legend-dot" style="background: #3498db;"></span><strong><a href="/photography" class="project-link color-essay">Photography</a></strong><br>
    A decade of street and travel work, mostly Leica, mostly black and white.</p>
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<hr>

<section style="text-align: center; margin-top: 2rem;">
    <p><em>The values got simpler because the life got clearer.</em></p>
    <p><strong><a href="/values">Drink more water. Pray continuously. As above, so below.</a></strong></p>
    <p style="margin-top: 1.5rem; font-size: 0.9rem;">
        <a href="/worldview">Worldview</a> ·
        <a href="/values">Values</a> ·
        <a href="/colophon">Colophon</a> ·
        <a href="/timeline">Timeline</a>
    </p>
</section>

<section class="footer-indexes" style="margin-top: 3rem; padding-top: 2rem; border-top: 1px solid #e0e0e0;">
    <h3 style="font-size: 1rem; color: #666; margin-bottom: 1rem;">Explore</h3>
    <div style="display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; gap: 1.5rem; font-size: 0.9rem; margin-bottom: 1rem;">
        <span><span class="legend-dot" style="background: #e74c3c;"></span>Software & Tools</span>
        <span><span class="legend-dot" style="background: #3498db;"></span>Essays & Analysis</span>
        <span><span class="legend-dot" style="background: #9b59b6;"></span>AI & Consciousness</span>
        <span><span class="legend-dot" style="background: #f39c12;"></span>Music & Audio</span>
        <span><span class="legend-dot" style="background: #27ae60;"></span>Poetry & Creative</span>
        <span><span class="legend-dot" style="background: #95a5a6;"></span>Philosophy & Critique</span>
    </div>
    <div style="font-size: 0.85rem; color: #888; line-height: 1.6;">
        <a href="/archive" style="color: #888; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;">Full Archive</a> ·
        <a href="/search" style="color: #888; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;">Search</a> ·
        <a href="/archive/connections" style="color: #888; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;">Connections</a> ·
        <a href="/archive/graph" style="color: #888; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;">Graph</a> ·
        <a href="/archive/sidenotes" style="color: #888; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;">Sidenotes</a> ·
        <a href="/archive/quotes" style="color: #888; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;">Quotes</a> ·
        <a href="/archive/terms" style="color: #888; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;">Terms</a> ·
        <a href="/random" style="color: #888; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;">Random</a> ·
        <a href="/feed.xml" style="color: #888; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;">RSS</a>
    </div>
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