Backleaf

I, the composer of these ramblings.

I am Andreas Tolf Tolfsen, and this is my personal leaf of the internet. I study music, as a bachelor student of musicology at the University of Oslo. I compose, listen, teach and analyse music1.

I enjoy creating nice things, history, aesthetics, games, science, and to go exploring. Also, I have an INFJ INTJ-personality, according to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

What do I do?

On the net

I am the systems architect of the standards-compliant groupware and content management system talko (meaning cooperation or dugnad in Scandinavian). We like to think of it as a digital tool for communities. I am a board member of E-tjenesten SA, a cooperative supporting the development of talko and furthering free software.

I hold a great interest in free software, and I am involved with translations and maintenance of both the Free Software Foundation Europe’s and the GNU-project’s websites. I am also interested in open standards, and in particular the developments within web-related technologies, such as HTML 5 and CSS 3. Recently, I have also developed an interest to the importance of privacy, especially related to new technologies, to which we are gradually made more and more dependent upon.

Notably, I am a fierce opposer of the data retention directive, digital rights management and the FRA law, authorizing the state to wire-tap all telephone- and internet traffic that crosses Swedish borders without a warrant.

You can also follow me on Twitter.

Off the net

As well as being an active pianist, I enjoy composing and I have written a few minor pieces for piano, a wind quintet and a few transcriptions of orchestral works. I used to conduct a small ensamble, but these days I am mostly active in political matters, which leaves little time for anything else. Currently I am working on several arrangements for a concert in the autumn/winter of 2008, as well as new wind quintet.

Besides this, I am politically active, being a member of Rød Ungdom and Rødt. These days, my only responsibilities within the party consists maintaining its website, of course running the talko cooperative software.

I am meant to be studying as well. Although I have an awful tendency to forget.

  1. In the meaning of all relevant musical disciplines in various musical cultures, as well as the phenomenon of music itself.