Joel/Introduction
Basically this article from The Onion in human form (thanks to WhoopingCrane), Joel is a Virtual Adept. He's a cyberpunk, but you can probably tell the mundane part of that just from looking at him or from talking to him for two seconds. Brash to the point of self-parody, he sticks out in a crowd -- but at least he's aware of it.
He showed up in town a while ago, with a strong Bostonian accent to match his personality. His past is rather hazy, but his present is well-advertised: the guy is everywhere on social media if anyone plugs in his name, and the deeper layers of the digital world might well reveal more. So far, California doesn't quite suit him, but it's possible very few places in the offline world would.
Geek Code (IC): GCS/IT/MC/SS d--- s:- a- C++++$ K++++>++++++ PS+++>$ !PE Y++$>+++ PGP+++$ tv-- b+++ G+++>$ e+++ h r- y+
"I'm playing go; [non-Technomancers are] playing chess; [Sorcerers are] playing checkers; the Sleepers are still stuck figuring out the rules for Candyland."
Someone to Joel: You get a lot of mileage out of your personality, don't you?"
Joel: "You can't imagine the mileage. From here to LA in seconds flat."
"I just want to not... wait and be static. I didn't join the club to just sit around with my thumb up my ass. Give me a job and I'll do it. But I need to be doing something useful, not just sitting around and chitchatting over Guinness. My Tradition? Our side of the coin is always going to be on the side of getting shit done. There's no value in looking back nor in contemplating alternatives that may never happen. The trick is using the tools and info I've got to push for progress and Reality 2.0."