Bio

I'm a former military wife and homeschooling mom. In 2001, I was diagnosed with a mild variation of a deadly genetic disorder. Getting a proper diagnosis after a lifetime of being treated like a hypochondriac was very empowering and I've grown healthier in the years since.

I run various websites. I joined Hacker News in 2009 and changed my handle to DoreenMichele in 2017. I run thirty-some-odd reddits under the same handle.

My full legal name is Doreen Michele Traylor. Here is the explanation for why I'm using Doreen Michele as my default online identity.

I am an environmental studies major with a concentration in housing with:

• AA in Humanities
• Certificate in GIS from UC-Riverside

I was Director of Community Life, lead moderator and in charge of diversity for The TAG Project during a time when they were trying to become an officially incorporated non-profit, an effort they later abandoned.

I spent a few years as a divorced single mom processing accident claims at the insurance giant Aflac where I got to soak up the award-winning design work of their wholly owned subsidiary Communicorp.

I've been interviewed via phone or email a few times over the years and quoted in a few books and articles.

I have a multi-cultural background (German/Irish/Cherokee), so I never quite fit in anywhere.

In spite of being American, I have been car free for over a decade.

December 2023.