Helping somehow feels easier in December than in all the other months… as long as we can find the time between chasing shopping deals and gorging ourselves on Christmas treats. We take helping others seriously, which is why we could not miss the opportunity to once again donate funds to those in need. This month’s open source project and foundation were chosen by another first-timer – Jędrzej Przybyszewski, one of our programmers.
Privacy Badger
A browser add-on which filters network traffic and blocks elements which may be malicious. While add-ons such as AdBlock prevent certain pages and their elements from being displayed, Privacy Badger blocks unwanted tracking mechanisms:
- cookies which store data such as page language or preferred products in online stores, and which are used to compile visitor statistics
- referrer headers which contain information on how the user found the site
- ETag tracking – which is abused by certain websites to track user activity even after disabling cookies
„Users being spied on by websites is nothing new. This kind of monitoring is sometimes beneficial – it results in products and services which better match our needs. However, I am not a fan of sharing all information with every website, which is why I really like Privacy Badger,” says Jędrzej.
Niechciane i Zapomniane (Unwanted and Forgotten)
A non-profit organisation which has been combating animal homelessness for 12 years. It seeks new homes for abandoned animals, promotes their microchipping and registration, as well as treating and educating them. It runs an adoption centre in Łódź, where volunteers can resocialise animals and prepare them for adoption, even when previously mistreated by humans.
„Numerous animals are abandoned every winter – mostly as irresponsible Christmas gifts. The volunteers of the Unwanted and Forgotten foundation have their work cut out for them during the season. I believe that their determination is truly priceless. Thanks to their efforts, abandoned animals have the chance to live healthy lives in new homes,” adds Jędrzej.