5 Minutes with Kim Key, security analyst
By Glitch Team

April 28, 2023

5 Minutes with Kim Key, security analyst

Glitch is the friendly place where everyone builds the web, including writers and folks whose first exposure to coding might have been tweaking the design of their MySpace backgrounds or designing potions in the hopes of having a popular Neopets store. Such is the case for Kim Key, a writer for PC Magazine, who happened upon Glitch and returned to the journey of coding and creation all these years later. We recently had the chance to ask Kim about her experience on Glitch and what she loves about the web.

**Glitch: How did you hear about Glitch and why did you use it instead of other options out there?

Kim Key: **I’m pretty sure I first learned about Glitch from Anil Dash’s Twitter feed.

I’m an elder millennial hurtling towards middle age, so the nostalgia of using HTML and CSS to create a lo-fi online presence was appealing. I have a lot of sepia-toned memories of my earliest online experiences in the late 90’s and early 00’s.

I miss those old Geocities websites, web rings, and message boards. I found a cached version of my first website recently, and while I admire the very earnest efforts of my teenaged self, I think I could have used more restraint with sparkly GIFs, under construction signs, and MIDI music.

Thanks to Glitch, I can create and maintain a lot of different kinds of web presences: a portfolio, a Mastodon-powered social feed, and even a blog.

I’ve created various portfolio websites over the years while working as a freelance writer, but I had the most fun using Glitch to carve out my little space online.

What site or tool do you wish everybody knew about?

Ha! I’d normally reply “Glitch” to this question. I’m serious! I really did tell a lot of my friends about Glitch when I first tried it.

Otherwise, I don’t use many online apps or tools anymore because so many of them are built on a business model that requires them to collect your data and sell that information to advertisers.

I’ve always written articles, blog posts, notes, and reviews using a clunky but comforting combo of MS Word and Notepad.

What blogs/newsletters are you reading?

I recently put a 15 minute timer on the app I use to browse Reddit so that I could slow my consumption of news-related media. As a result, I spend more time clicking on links to articles, and less time getting that dopamine rush from witnessing strangers squabbling in the comment section. I quickly found a lot of cool stuff to listen to and read. I have some links for your perusal!

Newsletters:

Do you have a favorite project you’ve seen on Glitch?

This is a lovely endless scroll of smiles and I love it!

What is your favorite thing about the internet?

I mean, my career would look a lot different without it, for better or worse. I appreciate the convenience of updated maps, accurate weather reports, and telemedicine. I think all of those things have been pretty good for the world. The rest I could do without.

Where can we find you online?

*Kim Key is a security analyst writing for PC Magazine. You should follow her work to get regular reminders to keep your online hygiene minty fresh.