Kurt Kemple
LightNews LightNews
banner
digitalvandal.xyz
Kurt Kemple
@digitalvandal.xyz
1.3K followers 73 following 190 posts
Leading Developer Relations @ Slack. Lover of motorcycles and photography. Advocate for second chances.
kurtiskemple.com
Posts Replies Media Videos
digitalvandal.xyz
Nash Equilibrium as entropic exhaustion:

The convergence of every actor in an embedded system, taking the best actions within their informational and thermodynamic constraints from their observer-dependent position in the system, results in a system equilibrium.

#GameTheory #EntropyExhaustion
Three mathematical equations on dark blue background showing Entropic Mathematics formulas. Top: System Entropy Change SEC = O × V / (1 + E) where O is operations count, V is shared conscious intent (-1 to +1), and E is entropy from actor's position. Middle: Entropic Gap EG = 1 - S(anchor, current) measuring drift between intended and actual states using cosine similarity. Bottom: Entropic Equilibrium showing sum of SEC_i × W_i leading to stable state, where W_i represents actor influence. This mathematics treats observer position, conscious intent, and lived experience as fundamental calculation variables rather than complications to eliminate. The E variable represents actual physical entropy affecting embedded conscious beings - heat impacts cognition, fatigue constrains operations, position determines possibility. Entropic Mathematics extends established tools like Shannon entropy and information theory to conscious systems where the observer's thermodynamic constraints become part of the equation. Website kurtiskemple.com shown at bottom.
July 27, 2025 at 5:14 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
Did some snowmobiling today. 🗻
January 25, 2025 at 2:56 AM
digitalvandal.xyz
Entering my sailor arc apparently.
A self portrait of me wearing an orange beanie and light gray textured sweater, smiling at the camera against a background of dark wooden cube shelving filled with books and decorative objects. I have a neatly trimmed salt-and-pepper beard. The photo is taken in my home office/study with professional lighting.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
January 6, 2025 at 8:52 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
A few of my favorite shots from Las Vegas 📸

#streetphotography #photography #lasvegas
A nighttime view of the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas, illuminated by strings of overhead lights and neon signs. The street stretches into the distance with car headlights visible, and decorative stars and holiday lighting create a festive atmosphere. Buildings line both sides of the street, with trees along the sidewalks. A black and white photograph of two people wearing cowboy hats, captured from behind. One is wearing a light-colored quilted jacket, while the other wears a leather jacket with a 'National Junior High Finals Rodeo' logo embroidered on the back. They appear to be standing outside an establishment with neon lighting. A black and white street photograph showing a street preacher holding a sign with Biblical quotes from Matthew 5:5 and Acts 2:24. The sign is mounted on a pole, and the background shows a partial view of what appears to be a hat shop. The person is wearing glasses, a jacket, and a cross necklace. A black and white portrait of a performer sitting on steps in bright sunlight. The person is wearing a white t-shirt and ripped jeans, with long braided hair, and is holding a microphone while appearing to be in the middle of a performance or spoken word piece. The composition shows strong contrast between light and shadow.
December 7, 2024 at 8:32 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
My wife and I got married in Las Vegas 12yrs ago at The Little White Wedding Chapel.

Feeling grateful to be back here with her after all this time. 💕
A couple shares an intimate moment in front of the "Little Chapel" sign in Las Vegas. The person on the left wears a brown leather jacket over a white shirt, while their partner on the right has vibrant red hair, sunglasses, and a black graphic hoodie. The sun creates a lens flare in the upper portion of the image, with a bright blue sky and white clouds in the background.
December 6, 2024 at 7:19 AM
digitalvandal.xyz
Hello traveler, let me tell you about my wares.
Photo of me giving a demo at the Slack booth during a tech conference. I'm gesturing while explaining something, with the company's signature purple-branded wall and a large display showing the Slack interface behind me. I'm caught mid-explanation with an animated expression.
December 5, 2024 at 7:24 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
I’d love to take your picture. 📸
My mirror selfie showing me wearing a brown suede jacket, white t-shirt, dark rolled jeans and brown boots, with pink-tinted sunglasses. I'm standing in an elegant hallway featuring an Art Deco geometric black and beige carpet pattern, beige textured walls, framed artwork, and a brass chandelier with multiple lampshades.
December 5, 2024 at 7:17 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
If you’re at re:Invent, come see my demo!

I baked it with lots of love! 🥰💕
A selfie of me showing off the what’s new in slack demo booth at reinvent.
December 2, 2024 at 10:16 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
Just submitted this shot for a Leica master shot award. 🤞🏻

#photography #streetphotography #leica #blackandwhitephotography #35mm
A dramatic black-and-white silhouette of a person wearing a long coat stands against a backlit wall of vertical fluorescent tubes arranged in horizontal rows. The lighting contrasts the solid black figure and the glowing white stripes behind them, giving the image a film noir aesthetic.
November 30, 2024 at 3:03 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
You're counting conference swag giveaways, I'm analyzing activation rate vs time-to-value quadrants, we are not the same.
A scatter plot showing Activation and Time-to-Value (TTV) Quadrant analysis. The x-axis represents Time-to-value ranging from 0 to 10 days, while the y-axis shows Activation Rate from 0% to 100%. The plot is divided into quadrants by a horizontal line at approximately 70% activation rate and a vertical line around 7-8 days TTV. Most data points are clustered in the upper right quadrant, with activation rates between 60% and 80% and TTV between 7 and 10 days. The data points are represented by various symbols including crosses, squares, and dots representing different personas and different colors to represent different app types.
November 26, 2024 at 9:51 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
self portrait 💜
This is a black and white self-portrait of me taking a photograph with my camera. I'm positioned in the center of the frame, wearing a dark, heavy coat, and you can see my ring visible as I hold the camera up to take the shot. The composition is intentionally symmetrical, with identical shelving units featuring illuminated sections on both sides of me. The lighting creates a dramatic effect, with the lit shelves serving as a frame around my silhouetted figure. The overall mood is artistic and atmospheric, reminiscent of classic black and white photography. The choice to shoot in monochrome, combined with the balanced composition and dramatic lighting, gives the self-portrait a professional, fine art quality.
November 24, 2024 at 12:33 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
#streetphotography #nyc #blackandwhitephotography #leica
A silhouette of a person standing against a backlit wall with vertical striped patterns. The high contrast black and white composition creates a striking geometric effect with the person's dark outline against the illuminated background. A stand keep wearing glasses and a dark sweater smiles at the camera from behind the counter of what appears to be a convenience store. Various products and advertisements are visible on shelves behind him. A nighttime street food vendor scene showing a halal food cart with Arabic text visible. The vendor is working inside the illuminated cart while customers wait outside. Water bottles are lined up in the foreground, and the scene is captured in dramatic black and white lighting.
November 22, 2024 at 6:38 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
My favorite shot from NYC this week. 📸

#streetphotography #nyc #vaporware #cyberpunk
The image shows a person in an urban nighttime setting checking their phone. They are wearing a long navy blue coat, glasses, and headphones, standing in what appears to be fog or steam on a city street. The scene has a moody, cyberpunk aesthetic with neon lights and traffic signals visible in the background through the haze. The person is silhouetted against the atmospheric fog/steam, creating a dramatic effect enhanced by the ambient street lighting and neon signs. They are carrying what looks like a bag or satchel. The overall composition captures a moment of modern urban life with a distinct atmospheric quality.
November 22, 2024 at 6:19 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
This is the best peacoat I’ve ever owned. 💜
A mirror selfie of me in a navy peacoat from Private White V. C. and a blue button up with light blue jeans.
November 21, 2024 at 4:21 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
Artist vs Art

#streetphotography #bnw
An airport bathroom selfie of me in an oversized Prescott, tshirt, jeans, and boots A man walks down the sidewalk, looking intently at the camera lens as the picture is snapped a woman walks a little further behind him in the streets of Chinatown San Francisco
November 18, 2024 at 12:11 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
My 8yr old hit us with this the other day. The topic was their favorite animal which is penguins. 🐧

It was a great presentation. 👏🏻
A text from my 8yr old informing us that they have a presentation they want to show us when we get home.
November 17, 2024 at 8:45 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
There it is! 💜
Framed photographs hang on a white wall. There are roughly eight square slim black framed photos visible in the picture. Each photo is set against a white background within the frame. My photo features a man sitting at a bar enjoying a conversation and laughing while another gentleman smokes a cigar in the foreground. The photo is in black and white and taken inside a speak easy. It's the 2nd photo from the top left in the picture.
November 16, 2024 at 12:44 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
Through the trough of disillusionment 😤
A bar chart showing weekly new developers with activation rate overlayed as a line. Shows data for second half of the year.
November 14, 2024 at 4:36 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
You have no idea how much effort went into getting this data and chart together. 😭😤

Still a long way to go but making some solid progress!

(We recently migrated to Tableau and I'm currently building out our new developer funnel dashboard for Slack Platform.)
A chart showing a bar graph outlining monthly new developers with an activation rate line overlaid on the chart to showcase activation rates compared to new developers.
November 14, 2024 at 12:06 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
tfw you accidentally dress like Han Solo 🔫

#HanShotFirst
A mirror selfie taken in my dining room. Im wearing a white button-down shirt, black vest, dark jeans with rolled cuffs, and brown boots. Im standing in front of a dining table with wooden chairs, and the room has gray-blue walls with decorative wall art. The photo is taken through an ornate silver/gold frame mirror, and there appears to be some items or decor on the floor near the mirror's base. The room has large windows with bamboo shades and hardwood flooring."​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
November 12, 2024 at 6:08 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
NSU Fine Arts - Norfolk, VA

#photography #bnwphotography #streetphotography
This black and white image shows the exterior of what appears to be an NSU Fine Arts department building or office. The facade features two large windows with horizontal blinds on either side of a central doorway. The building has a plain, utilitarian appearance with a concrete or stucco exterior wall. The windows have "NSU FINE ARTS" visible through one of them. There appears to be some signage in the doorway as well, though it's not clearly legible in the image. The foreground shows a concrete sidewalk with what look like utility covers or manhole covers. The building and office are abandoned and unkept. The composition has a stark, minimalist quality typical of architectural or documentary photography.
November 10, 2024 at 1:30 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
Rural America - 2024
A roadside convenience store and gas station with a patriotic American theme. The building has a prominent overhang decorated with a row of white stars on a dark background. Various signs advertise "FIREWORKS," "T-SHIRTS," "SOUVENIRS," "GIFTS," "DELI," "BEER & WINE," "CIGARETTES," and "LOTTERY." There's a lawn area in the foreground, and several cars are parked in the lot. An American flag-style banner is visible on the left side. The image has a slightly moody, vintage-like color tone with teal-blue sky.
November 10, 2024 at 10:50 AM
digitalvandal.xyz
Found this cool toggle but it didn’t work when I pressed it.

Submitted a bug report to SF city water department. 🐛
A water line cover in a sidewalk in San Francisco looks like a toggle component often seen on settings pages in apps.
November 7, 2024 at 1:27 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
Digging this outfit I put together the other week when the weather was colder.

Ready for coats and cozy sweaters. ☕️ ❄️
A hotel hallway mirror selfie of me wearing a navy wool pea coat a white roll, neck wool sweater, dark blue jeans, cuffed, and brown leather boots.
November 5, 2024 at 10:54 PM
digitalvandal.xyz
New studio setup is coming along nicely. Need to get more lights and plants, then do a final reorganizing and it’ll be complete!
November 1, 2024 at 3:11 PM