I started using LaTeX in 1987, and wrote everything I could with it.

Quickly decided that trying to outsmart LaTeX was either a hobby or an example of negative-work.

I therefore suppress the urge to actually make my documents in LaTeX supersede the intent of whatever package I am using. Having said that I do enjoy once in a while finding something deep in the manual that makes an interesting side-effect.

In general, I avoid all effort to "paint with LaTeX" -- what I call the attempt of trying to adjust/nudge/fidget with anything that LaTeX does. See comment about "hobby" vs. "negative work"

For profit, I work in embedded software designing avionics for rockets and engines that put payload into space. Engine controllers, power controllers, valve/sensor/actuator etc... control in RTOS (or no OS at all) environments. Some FPGA work and all of this in C/C++ or ARM assembly.

Been using Unix in various flavors since 1987 as well. If it has a user root, I've probably used that flavor of Unix one way or another.

Alumni of WWU computer science and also alumni of University of Washington (UW) in electrical engineering.