Sections
Who is Tav?
A physicist by training. I both document and develop for Inkscape, an Open Source Vector drawing program that uses SVG as its native file format. I also represents Inkscape in the W3C SVG working group.
I've worked on four continents as a teacher and researcher. Working with Inkscape combines my love for technology and culture. The “nom-de-plume” is the title granted to me by the paramount chief of the Nso, a Cameroonian people. I live outside of Paris.
What's with the feather?
I've been using a red and black feather on my site. You probably think it is a quill, after all a quill is an appropriate symbol for a writer. But it is not a quill (the feather would be too small!). It is the symbol for the title Tavmjong as well as for similar titles such as Mformi or Lav in the traditional army of the Nso people of Cameroon. The feather comes from a rare bird known as the Bannerman's Turaco found on Mount Oku and a few other places in the Bamenda highlands. The striking crimson feathers are only visible in flight. The feather is normally worn on a black raffia hat. Being granted the title is literally a feather in one's cap!