Hello! I am a writer and admittedly self-proclaimed thinker with a liking to cross boundaries cultural, intellectual, and technological. My background is a blend of elements Western and Iranian. My interests range from political history to digital communities and everything in between. 

On the internet, I value friendliness, wit, and authenticity over trends or noise.

My online persona, softploy, reflects the kind of person I consider myself. That is, I wish to influence by example, not force. 

The things I do are thus shaped by candor and quiet ambition. 

I like making things. I try to moderate and nurture spaces for thoughtful cross-cultural dialogue, including but not limited to to enhancing open communications between Iranian people and Western culture. My approach involves careful moderation, strategic communication, and a decent understanding of history and identity.

Much of my work involves guiding online conversations to encourage veracity and mutual respect. I enjoy forums designed to bridge divides, challenge "established practice", and permit genuine dialogue. I insist on historical accuracy and cultural sensitivity.

I moreover enjoy engaging in strategic writing to convey complex ideas clearly and accessibly. My goal is not simply to inform, but to help others understand why these conversations matter. I want to foster meaningful friendship and learning rather than comparably superficial debates.

At the core of everything I do is one belief: the most valuable outcomes arise arise from thoughtful reflection.

• The Risk of Victory
  "When victory feels close and unity seems paramount, we are often told to silence our doubt and shut down dissent. But history teaches that real strength lies not in unwavering certainty, but in holding space for uncomfortable questions and the unique voices complicating our established narratives. My essay below reflects on why enduring progress and genuine reconciliation require us to honor hesitation, understand regret, and ask whether things could have been otherwise."

• Was There Ever a "True America"?
  "I have over time noticed a particular form of 'mourning' among people of my generation. It occurs across political divides, and centers on the notion that America once bore a superior, coherent civic identity. Interestingly enough, this nostalgia for the past is one which isn’t rooted in even the slightest of personal experiences."

• The misportrayal of the Iranian people by the Islamic Republic regime
  "One of the biggest problems with authoritarian governments is the misportrayal of the people they rule given to the rest of the world. One such example is the extent of religiosity suggested of the Iranian people by the repressive Islamic Republic regime in Iran."

• Dreaming Beyond Ruins
  "There’s one scene I sometimes imagine. Not because it’s all that likely, but because it keeps me going. It’s a future where Iran is free. Where the regime that has imprisoned a whole nation under the name of faith, compelled by a fist, has finally collapsed, replaced by a secular democracy. Where Iranians both in and outside Iran can live, learn, and speak fearlessly. A country that remembers its past but is no longer a hostage thereto."

• Reddit. u/king_of_chocolate, u/roleester, u/softploy; u/rroollee (defunct); other aliases

  • I formulated and continue to manage r/OldIran, an English-language Iranian history forum, since 2023.

  • I helped moderate for the community of r/NewIran, an English-language Iranian (anti-regime) politics forum, for a year (2024-2025).

• Discord. @softploy

  • I manage the Bridging Discord server, a whitelisted, international and cross-cultural "bridging" effort, since 2023. You may learn more here.

• Interlocut. @softploy

  • A professionalized, forum-esque evolution of the aforementioned cross-cultural "bridging" effort, created 2025. You may learn more here.

If you need me for any reason or just wish to chat, the quickest way to reach me is via softploy@outlook.com.
Emails to that address will forward to my personal inbox, and I'm always checking it.