Hello, World!

Nov 14, 2024

Hello! It’s been a while since I’ve shared updates with the vast Internet. I’ve recently done a major overhaul of my personal website, implementing a new framework to keep up with current trends. I’ve also updated my profile picture (though it’s still from my high school days!) and added a new projects section that showcases some of the bigger projects I’ve worked on so far, with plans to add more soon. I’m excited to share my interests and past work here, and I plan to keep posting about the latest happenings in computer science.

To start, let me walk you through some of the updates to this redesigned site. My original website was a straightforward HTML, CSS, and JavaScript setup based on a $20 template that I customized and hosted on GitHub Pages. It didn’t take much to get it going—I bought the domain for around $10 on NameCheap (a fantastic choice for domains, by the way) and had my first website up and running. That was back in high school, about five years ago. Since then, I’ve done a lot of research on web development and realized my old site had plenty of room for improvement. Although I had thought about making updates before, I never quite got around to it—until now! I’m glad to say the site has not only a fresh design but some functional upgrades as well.

The biggest change I made was moving from a simple HTML, CSS, and JavaScript setup to a more advanced framework—Next.js. React is one of the most popular front-end libraries in the industry, and Vercel has done an impressive job building a convenient and visually polished framework around it. While some people aren’t fans of big-tech frameworks, I find them incredibly useful for creating a straightforward website like this, as they offer ready-to-use tools and components. Initially, I considered using Django due to the nature of the site, but I found Python to be a bit cumbersome for web development, and JavaScript (or TypeScript) just made more sense here.

I’ll likely continue making updates to the site over time. My next goal is to self-host the files. For now, I’m using Vercel’s hosting services because of their excellent compatibility with Next.js. However, if I decide to experiment with other frameworks or libraries, I’d likely switch to self-hosting, as I prefer not to rely on cloud services for my personal data—one reason I avoid options like AWS. Currently, I’m leaning towards trying out Ruby on Rails, which I’ve heard is well-suited to self-hosted setups. Of course, there’s a learning curve since I’m new to Ruby, so it’ll take some time. Self-hosting also brings scalability challenges, so I’ll need to develop a solution for that as well.

Let’s shift gears from the website updates and dive into what you can expect from this space moving forward. I’ll primarily be discussing my personal interests, which currently revolve around Artificial Intelligence. I plan to share the latest news in the field and provide my thoughts—without wading into anything too political or controversial. My main focus is on large language models (LLMs). I enjoy experimenting with fine-tuned models shared by the community, and I’ll be posting some intriguing results from my explorations on platforms like Hugging Face. I’ll also revisit my earlier interests in image classification and generation, which have evolved dramatically since the introduction of models like Stable Diffusion—so keep an eye out for that as well.

I’ll also touch on some more traditional areas of development, particularly web development. While I’m not an expert, I enjoy exploring different frameworks (like the one I used for this website) and experimenting with new programming languages. It’s a great excuse to try modern tools and share my impressions. A popular YouTuber and former FAANG engineer, ThePrimeagen, once shared an excellent approach to learning new languages: building a simple WebSocket server and client to create a multi-chatroom app with real-time updates. I plan to try this out with a few new languages and document my experience here.

Another area I’m excited to explore is Linux and its various distributions. I’m relatively new to Linux, having spent most of my life using Windows and macOS, but I’ve always been fascinated by the diversity of operating systems. My interest peaked when I discovered “ricing,” or customizing every aspect of the OS. I started with Arch Linux, btw, and quickly realized how much effort goes into setting everything up. For instance, after what I thought was a complete setup, I discovered my YouTube videos had no audio—only to realize I hadn’t installed the necessary audio drivers. It was a humbling moment, like moving out of your parents’ house and having to fend for yourself. In this space, I’ll share insights on new Linux distros, major updates to popular ones like Ubuntu and Arch, and even some ricing tips for anyone curious about this DIY experience.

Beyond tech, I’ll also occasionally write about my personal interests. For instance, I enjoy music—especially Japanese rock—so I might review some albums or songs when the mood strikes. I also love anime (a staple for many CS students), particularly analyzing characters and screenplays to understand the creative intentions behind them. I’m planning to start with a review of Neon Genesis Evangelion (probably End of Evangelion). Stay tuned for that!

I’m also passionate about traveling. Most of my trips so far have been with family, but I’ve started venturing out on my own. My solo trip to Japan was one of the best experiences of my life, and I’m planning to visit western Japan soon. I’ll share photos and travel logs here as well.

Speaking of Japan, I enjoy learning languages—not just programming ones! I’m fluent in Korean (my native tongue), English, and Japanese. I can speak and read Mandarin but am gradually forgetting it. I also know a little German, though I lost motivation to continue due to its challenging grammar and vocabulary (maybe I need a German-speaking friend to inspire me again!). Spanish and Indonesian are also on my list of languages to explore, and I’ll share updates on my progress.

Currently, I’m serving in the Korean Navy, with my duty ending in May 2025. With about six months to go, I’ll be more active in updating this site once I’m back. Military life is understandably confidential, so I can’t share much about it, but I might have some funny stories to tell when my service is over. After my time in the Navy, I’ll return to Champaign, Illinois, to continue college as a junior. The coursework will undoubtedly get tougher, but this blog will keep going strong because I genuinely enjoy sharing these stories and ideas with all of you.

Thanks for reading to the end! I hope you enjoy your time here and have a great rest of your day (or night). Don’t forget to check out my GitHub repo, where I’ll be uploading some exciting projects, and feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. Thanks again!

Yunsu Han