fab.industries

What It Is

FAB INDUSTRIES is the personal website of German freelance journalist and writer Fabian A. Scherschel, not a SaaS product or commercial platform. The site showcases his blog, photography, fiction writing, programming experiments, and writing/reporting/hosting services for hire. According to the site, he began podcasting in 2006 and became a full-time journalist in 2012, focusing mainly on the intersection of digital technology and politics, especially IT security, data privacy, and computer operating systems.

Core Features

At its core, the site is a personal news and commentary blog covering technology, politics, video games, combat sports, and related topics, with bilingual switching between English and German. On the commercial side, it offers commissioned journalism, long-form writing, editing, podcast hosting, event moderation, and licensing for written and photographic work. One notable feature is the availability of a PGP Key and an end-to-end encrypted secure contact form for whistleblowers, reflecting the author’s emphasis on source protection and operational security.

Pricing

Public content is generally free to read, and the author also provides ways to financially support the blog. There are no standard packages or public prices for commercial work; reporting, writing, hosting, and photography licensing all require email contact and individual negotiation. The copyright policy is relatively strict: site content may not be republished or reused without permission.

Pros and Cons

The strengths are that the author’s identity, professional background, and editorial stance are very clear. The site emphasizes journalistic independence and rejects sponsored posts, hidden advertising, and indiscriminate PR pitches. Its privacy information is also fairly transparent, explaining the use of GitHub Discussions comments, giscus cookies, third-party embeds, and Netlify logs. The downside is that this is still a personal site, so update frequency, topic breadth, and response speed all depend on one individual. The main languages are English and German, which may not be convenient for Chinese readers. Some embedded services, such as YouTube, X, and Spotify, may also affect access from within China.

Who It’s For

It is suitable for readers interested in European perspectives on technology policy, information security, privacy, and operating systems. It is also relevant for media organizations and institutions looking for an English/German technology journalist, long-form reporter, podcast host, or conference moderator. For whistleblowers or sources, the secure contact form and PGP information have practical value.

Access from China

The main site is hosted on Netlify and may theoretically be directly accessible, but the comment system depends on GitHub/giscus, and some embedded content involves services such as YouTube, X, and Spotify, which are unstable or restricted in mainland China. Overall, access should be considered “partially restricted.”