About
My work, background, and family.
I’m George D. Plymale II, a software developer and independent researcher in southern Ohio.
My development work spans full-stack web applications and open-source projects. I work most often in Ruby and Rails, though my public contributions also reach into C, Python, JavaScript, Emacs Lisp, and native application development. My private experience has spanned across even more languages and technologies, such as Assembly, Lua, Forth, Racket, Scheme, Common Lisp, C#, Unity, and many more. I care about software that is understandable, durable, and genuinely useful to the people who have to live with it.
Alongside my work, I write Restoration Studies, an independent blog on Latter-day Saint history and doctrine. I work through primary sources, doctrinal questions, and the genuinely complicated history of the Restoration inaugurated through Joseph Smith Jr. I will announce the progress and availability of my works on that blog, alongside my regular posts there.
My given name runs in my family. I’m named after my great-grandfather, Dr. George D. Hayes, D.O., who practiced as an osteopathic physician in my hometown community. People who knew him have told me throughout my life that he was a loving, kind, and caring man who tried to help everyone he could, and was more concerned about his patients’ well-being than about money. I’m deeply honored to carry his name. My father, George D. Plymale, was named after him as well and passed that name on to me — which is why I’m a II rather than a Junior. My father has run Southern Ohio Computer Services in Jackson for decades. My exposure to computers at an early age helped shape my career path.
Elsewhere
- GitHub — @ylluminariousOpen-source code
- ylluminarious.github.ioEarlier technology blog, no longer updated
- Restoration StudiesResearch and writing
- ORCID — 0009-0009-2460-0872Research identifier
- LinkedIn — George D. Plymale IIProfessional profile
- X — @ylluminariousPublic profile
- Instagram — @georgeplymale2Personal profile
- Facebook — George D. Plymale IIPersonal profile
A note about my name
I’m not the only George Plymale II, and mistaken identity can be easy with a relatively uncommon name like this one. If you need to be sure you’ve found the right person, see “Which George Plymale.”
Curious about the surname itself? There’s a short, sourced note on the Plymale name.