---
title: "About me"
date: 2026-10-08T19:18:00+04:00
---

## Who I am

My name is Alexander Sokolov, online I go by s0k0l. I'm a generalist IT specialist: user behavior emulation, data extraction and information security. I write scrapers and bots that get past anti-bot protection, build websites and network services, and secure infrastructure and development.

I prefer to work from a spec and take a project from idea to MVP or release. If there is no spec, I'll write it myself: do the research, pick the technologies, estimate complexity and timelines. I work by my own [Software Development Standards](/code-style.md) and always start with requirements and architecture, not with code.

My result is a solved problem. Source code is the proof that the solution works. If we agreed on something, I will do everything to keep my promise.

## What I do

I create software and hardware products for people and businesses that help them live better and work more comfortably.

### Software: bots, services, automation

I'm drawn to tasks around the web and Linux:

- website scraping and anti-bot bypass
- website bots and chatbots
- high-load systems built on queues and microservices
- websites, web applications and services
- accepting crypto payments directly, on-chain, with no intermediaries
- information security for servers and development

My detailed track record is in the [CV](/cv/index.md).

### Hardware: devices, electronics, prototypes

I learned microcontroller programming because I dream of building robots. In the meantime I built a hardware password manager, ProtoKey. I plan to keep growing in this direction, I have plenty of ideas for useful devices.

## Where to find me

Everything alive is here now:

- [Blog](/blog/) - articles on development, servers and automation
- [git.sokolab.xyz](https://git.sokolab.xyz/s0k0l) - my code and examples

I used to be active on other platforms too. I barely visit them now, but I keep the links, they show where I started.

**[Stack Overflow](https://ru.stackoverflow.com/users/362019/alex)** (in Russian). For many years I answered questions there and asked colleagues myself. The site is almost empty now, AI answers these questions instead.

**[Medium](https://alexandrsokolov-41020.medium.com/)**. My first blog. I wrote about development there, but someone else's platform got old fast, so now I write here.

**[GitHub](https://github.com/alexsok-bit/)**. Code for the Medium articles and old projects. New code lives on my own git.

**[Mozilla Add-ons](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/user/16605688/)**. When I was building data collection tools, I needed to adapt Firefox to my tasks. I wrote a couple of add-ons for that and published them in the public catalog. I made them for myself, but other people started using them, and they still leave comments.