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There is no shortage of science geeks in the Sidnet team, but when phrases such as “scientific computing”, “machine learning”, and “data science” come into play, the one who reacts most vividly may be Krzysiek Pisera. Our Senior Lead Developer overseeing work on projects for Edge NPD is a proponent of a scientific approach to software development and business management.

No wonder science is a keyword running through the open‑source and non‑profit projects we support at Krzysiek’s request. What are those projects?

SciPy

An open‑source software kit based on Python and used when solving various mathematical problems in software engineering.

The basic elements of the SciPy “ecosystem” are:

• NumPy—a program used for matrix calculations
• Matplotlib—a plot creator
• iPython—an interactive interface
• SymPy—a symbolic computing package
• pandas—a program for supporting data analysis
• SciPy library—a basic library for scientific computing

In several recent projects for Edge NPD, Krzysiek used NumPy, pandas, and iPython packages. Thanks to the SciPy library (the scipy.optimize package in particular), he solved optimization problems from the areas of linear programming.

“Solving our Client’s mathematically modeled business problem involved simultaneous operation on over 150 variables. In addition, constraints on these variables were dynamically created based on user‑provided instructions. As a result, executing just one optimization required performing up to a thousand mathematical equations and inequalities. The SciPy library allowed the finding of solutions in just a few seconds,” explains Krzysiek.

SciPy means also an engaged community of creators and bloggers as well as annual conferences held in Texas and their local versions: EuroSciPy, SciPy Japan, SciPy Latin America or SciPy India.

Paraphrasing Joey from “Friends”, our Senior Lead Developer sums up: “What’s not to like? Python? Good. Open-source? Good. Science? Gooood!”

Foundation for Polish Science

A non‑profit organization supporting scientists and research teams for the past 30 years. Apolitical and self-financing in principle, it is the largest extrabudgetary source of science funding in Poland.

“START scholarship program ensures that the brightest scientists under 30 do not give up their research careers for economic or personal reasons. The development of Polish science should not require many years of sacrifice for young scientists,” says our lead developer.

In addition to consistent funding for scientific development, the Foundation is credited with, among other things, introducing Polish Studies at the Columbia University in New York and the Cambridge University in Great Britain.

The projects we are supporting in May relate to Staszek’s past and future experiences. These include the professional experience of conducting surveys and the experience of being a parent—Staszek will become one in just a few months.

Find out why selected open‑source and non‑profit projects are so important to our Sales Specialist Michał Staszewski, who in a team full of Michałs is known as “Staszek”.

LimeSurvey

Leading open‑source statistical survey software. It has been developed since 2003 and is provided without licensing fees. The LimeSurvey web application is written in PHP and designed to run in LAMP (Linux + Apache + MySQL + PHP) or similar environments.

“I previously used paid corporate survey systems such as SurveyGizmo or SurveyMonkey. When I reviewed LimeSurvey’s capabilities, I  ound that the open-source software does not lag behind its commercial counterparts. This software also allows you to conduct large surveys using advanced survey templates and automation,” explains Staszek.

What other benefits of free LimeSurvey does Staszek recognize?

• More than 80 language versions and simplified translating of the survey into other languages.
• 28 ready‑made question types, including single‑choice and multiple‑choice questions, questions with the option to mark answers on the scale using a slider, and with date and time fields (in the selected format), etc.
• Interactivity: hints, validation, the displaying of additional questions, and the skipping of irrelevant ones depending on the answers given.
• Embedded analytics, data visualization, and export.
• Access management: invitation‑only, open, and public surveys.
• Customizable appearance, including the addition of HTML/JavaScript code with custom templates.

Gajusz Foundation

Established in 1998, the foundation has been running the first hospice in central Poland for terminally ill children. Each year it supports more than 400 families facing not only terminal illness but also childhood cancers, lethal defects diagnosed during pregnancy, as well as traumatic events.

Gajusz Foundation initiated such projects as:

• OKNO (WINDOW). Support for children who have experienced cancer. During therapeutic and integration meetings, they meet new friends, learn to cope with stress, and acquire competencies that will help them return to ordinary life.
• Inpatient hospice. “Palace” housing terminally ill children called “Princesses” and “Princes”. A place for children deprived of parental care, from families unable to care for terminally ill children or provide palliative care at home.
• Tuli Luli. A center that prepares infants abandoned by their biological parents for adoption. Toddlers grow in the company of three dedicated caregivers. They go for walks, use the room for sensory integration, and do rehabilitation exercises.
• Cukinia (Courgette). Therapy center, which gets its name from the movie “My Life as a Courgette.” It brings together psychotherapists, speech and language therapists, child psychiatrists, physical therapists, and many other professionals who help families in crisis.

“I learned about the Gajusz Foundation during my studies in Łódź. On my way to the faculty, I met distraught parents visiting the Foundation’s office. Since I learned that I am going to be a dad, the plight of the small ones has been especially dear to me,” said Staszek.

Years ago, Dawid joined Sidnet as a self‑taught developer; today, he has more experience than many Frontend Developers put together. He masters new JavaScript frameworks at an astonishing pace, and specializes in single‑page applications (SPAs) and desktop applications.

Check out the open‑source and charitable projects that we will support thanks to Dawid’s choices.

Git

An open‑source version control system created in 2005 by Linus Torvalds as an alternative to the then‑proprietary BitKeeper. It’s one of the most common tools used by developers—from freelancers to tech giants such as Google, Netflix, Twitter, or Android.

“Git is one of the first tools developers learn. We use it in almost every project—both commercial or hobbyist—whenever it requires developers to seamlessly work together. The system also works well in projects with a single developer—it allows the separation of work on individual elements of the application thanks to the so-called »branches« and, if necessary, to restore the previous version of the code,” explains Dawid.

If you want to become a Git expert and use its advanced functions like a pro, refer to the freely available book “Pro Git.”

Animal Shelter in Tczew

Animal shelter in David’s home town. In 2020, shelter volunteers helped find homes for 326 dogs and 48 cats. In the same year—with only funds from 1% tax donations—they replaced the roofs over the boxes, renovated some of the boxes, and provided their four‑legged friends with insulated kennels, specialized food, and medical treatment.

“A shelter’s expenses list never ends. That’s why I’m supporting the shelter in my city for the 5th time as part of #DarowiznySidnet”, says our programmer.

The shelter in Tczew is one of ten shelters run by the National Society for Animal Protection OTOZ Animals. Every day, the organization’s representatives rescue animals from hunger and pain, fight in courts to punish their tormentors, and prepare animals for adoption.

When they are not programming, they’re gaming, playing with electronics, or chatting on IRC. These are the only interests of programmers according to a popular stereotype, while our developers find enjoyment in running, yoga, making music, singing, watercolor painting, or spoiling their pets.

One week before the World Poetry Day, our Full-Stack Developer Emil Maruszczak is remixing technical documentation with classic Polish poetry.

What open-source and non-profit projects does Emil want us to support?

Arch Linux

This DIY Linux distribution is aimed at competent, demanding users. First released in 2002, it has seen continued development by its community.

The creators of Arch Linux profess such values as:

• Simplicity. In line with the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle, Arch Linux was designed as a simple system without unnecessary additions or embellishments.
• Being always up to date. The system uses the rolling release model which involves frequent minor updates.
• Practicality. Decisions made in relation to the system are generally based on technical analyses and discussions, not popular opinions or politics. 

“I had long been on the lookout for a system that worked how I wanted it to. Arch impressed me with how clean it was the moment I first ran a test installation. The barrier to entry was high, but so was my determination—I had to understand and configure many mechanisms which just ‘magically’ work in other systems. Now I use Arch at work, at home and on my private servers,” he said.

Polish poetry

Online audio library of Polish poetry. This project is being developed by the Maurycy Mochnacki Foundation, whose goal is to popularize the works of Poland’s most famous poets, from the Middle Ages to the present. The texts are recorded by actors and uploaded to YouTube thanks to donations.

There are more than 300 recordings currently available for listening, including samples from Master Thaddeus, Jan Kochanowski’s Laments, as well as works by Juliusz Słowacki, Maria Konopnicka, Czesław Miłosz and Wisława Szymborska. They include interpretations by PhD students of Polish literature, short biographies of the authors and descriptions of the literary periods, ideal for helping school teachers and students.

“Polish literature, and poetry in particular, is in need of digitization. This is one way of developing sensitivity in young people, who are more likely to choose their smartphone over a book. The vulgar narrative they encounter in social media every day has desensitized them to the beauty of the world around us,” said Emil in explaining his choice.

Valentine’s Day may not be a big deal to us, but we cannot ignore Congenital Heart Disease Day. Even more so because today we can actually relieve the heart of 18‑month‑old Zuzia. The recipients of donations in February have been selected by Marcin Tabaka—Lead Backend Developer, who has a heart for PHP and the Laravel framework.

Check out which open‑source and charity projects are to receive financial aid thanks to Marcin’s choices.

Laravel Actions

A tool for the logical organisation of applications that are built in Laravel. It allows developers to focus their attention on the application’s functionality under the assumption that one action performs exactly one task.

“We have recently used this package in the Fooder web and mobile app project. Together with Wojtek, we were seeking a solution to replace the now obsolete and unsupported Laravel Commander—which implements the Command Bus pattern. Laravel Actions perfectly suits our needs, as it allows us to consistently trigger an action, regardless of whether the request was triggered by the web interface, mobile app API, scheduled cron task, or queued task,” explains Marcin.

Laravel Actions implementation classes can be used as:

• object,
• controller,
• command,
• listener,
• fake instance for testing.

Zuzia Bereza (Between Heaven and Earth Foundation beneficiary)

18‑month‑old Zuzia is struggling with Williams syndrome—a genetic defect causing cardiological problems. The girl has already had two complicated procedures to widen the sections of the pulmonary arteries and the aorta, which are narrowed due to the disease. To be able to develop, she needs cardiological drugs, intensive rehabilitation, and visits to a speech therapist.

“I share a mutual friend with Zuzia’s parents. Although the girl will always suffer from the disease, I believe that the current efforts can help her become more independent and capable in the future,” said our developer.

Zuzia is under the care of the Between Heaven and Earth Foundation, which has been providing material, legal and psychological support for incurably ill children and their families since 2011.

2020 has taught us not to grow attached to New Year’s resolutions. A real change requires not only consistency but also flexibility. The open-source and charitable projects that we are supporting in these early days of 2021 form good examples of this approach.

This time it was Sebastian Stasiak making the selection, the Sales Director and coordinator of web development projects and corporate IT solutions. A dedicated Apple fan who is even able to squeeze his interest in #SidnetDonations for open-source projects 😉

Asahi Linux

A project currently being launched that will result in the distribution of Linux for Mac computers with Apple Silicon. Behind the initiative is Hector Martin, an enthusiast who, as he describes himself, “likes putting Linux on things”. So far he has created versions of Linux operating on the PS4, PS3 Slim and Nintendo Wii consoles, for example.

Creating Linux distribution on the M1 Mac Mini is a full-time job for Martin. The manufacturer does not provide documentation for Apple Silicon solutions, so it is necessary to test closed-source software through reverse engineering.

“Apple is not associated with open source, but there are programmers who appreciate the quality of Mac hardware. I respect the determination of a developer who tries to reconcile fire and water,” comments Sebastian.

The costs of work on the project are to be covered by ongoing fundraising. Martin has already reached the threshold necessary for the project to start. Each subsequent donation will help speed up the development of the software and ensure its further growth.

Korabiewice Animal Shelter

A shelter for dogs, cats and farm animals, including horses, cows, pigs and sheep. Before being taken over by the Viva! Foundation, the shelter was a place of dramatic scenes as publicized by TVN UWAGA! reporting. Since 2012 the homeless animals have been looked after by devoted volunteers (50-70 people every week!) and vets. Thanks to the foundation, a range of necessary adoption programs (physical, virtual and temporary) and animal sterilizations have been launched.

This is already the third donation made to the Korabiewice Animal Shelter by this former volunteer:

“I am attached to this place. This coming year I would like to adopt one of the shelter’s charges,” says our Sales Director.

Those who have not yet managed to organize themselves in the new year might appreciate a wall calendar featuring animals from the shelter. The funds from the calendar sales will be used to build a cat shelter.

All I want for Christmas is… fundamental human rights. Following the celebration of International Human Rights Day, we are offering financial support for projects that directly tackle issues related to the violation of human rights.

The “right” to choose open source and non‑profit projects under the #SidnetDonations initiative went for the first time to Michał Zbytniewski, Senior Full‑Stack Developer, working from Lublin on a daily basis on projects for our long‑term clients: THG & Edge NPD.

The Tor Project

An open‑source web browser for (almost) anonymous Internet browsing. It works with Linux, Windows and macOS, as well as on mobile devices. Since 2003 it has been distributed under the BSD license.

The authors of the tool are against Internet spying and censorship. The multi‑layered encryption and limited user identification capability has made Tor popular among activists, journalists and whistleblowers. It helped Edward Snowden to release information about the PRISM program.

“Tor lets users share opinions, publish content and communicate in places where these activities are impossible or difficult, such as in countries censoring the Internet. It also protects users’ privacy by blocking the tracking of their Internet activities, for marketing purposes for example,” Michał explains.

Amnesty International Poland

This branch of a global organization that combats human right violations has been operating in Poland for 30 years. The organization carries out research, publicizes instances of right violations, helps victims across the world, and lobbies for legal changes.

“My first thought was to choose a non‑governmental organization supporting development and universal education. The recent events – the Women’s Strike and the Belorussian elections along with the repercussions – have swayed me to change my attitude,” our developer said.

Amnesty International Poland is credited with starting such initiatives as:

• Write for Rights – the largest worldwide human right campaign initiated by the Warsaw local group of Amnesty International. The action is about sending a massive number of letters appealing to the authorities or expressing solidarity regarding several specific individuals whose human rights have been violated.
• My Body My Rights – a campaign against limiting sexual and reproductive rights.
• The Border of Human Rights [PL] – a campaign against limiting the rights of individuals seeking asylum in Poland.

“When things spiral out of control, it is good to know there are people in this world who can help us selflessly,” Michał added.

Amnesty International was founded in 1961 in London. In 1977 the organization received the Nobel Peace Prize for its contributions to strengthening of fundamental freedoms, justice and world peace.

Inconspicuousness may be the common denominator of the initiatives we support in November. Today we’ll talk about the inspiring power to act despite disability and about a tool that did not need a marketing package to become popular at universities and among developers.

This month’s selection of open‑source and non‑profit projects has been made by Wojtek Siewierski AKA Vifon—an experienced Full‑Stack Developer and IT Administrator, a cybersecurity expert and enthusiast of open‑source technology.

Pandoc

Versatile, open‑source document converter. Created by John MacFarlane, a professor of philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley, and released under the GNU General Public License.

It supports a number of formats, from standard .doc or .pdf to those used by developers, such as: Markdown, org-mode, LaTeX, Jupyter Notebook or HTML. The project author himself points out the tool’s multi-functionality, comparing it to  Swiss Army knife.

“At Sidnet, we use it in our SidPDF software—an internal tool to generate PDFs based on templates. The strength of Pandoc is that even if we need to convert from/to a format that is new to us, the tool probably supports it,”—says our developer.

In addition to many formats, Pandoc can perfectly handle document aspects such as:

• metadata (title, author, date);
• footers;
• tables;
• lists;
• subscripts and superscripts;
• quotations.

You can see the capabilities of Pandoc in the browser demo version.

Marcin Sztrubel (Avalon Foundation beneficiary)

Wojtek’s friend, Marcin Sztrubel, suffers from progressive muscular atrophy. Thanks to the Avalon Foundation, he collects funds for orthopedic equipment and specialist rehabilitation.

When his health and time allowed him, he used to be involved in issues close to people with disabilities. He was a member of the board of the Polish Neuromuscular Diseases Association, which has gathered over a thousand members. He is also the author of over 20(!) blogs in Polish dedicated to people with disabilities, including:

• Cars for the Disabled
• Bicycles for the Disabled
• Rehabilitation Stays by the Sea

“Last year Marcin broke both legs during rehabilitation, which made his condition much worse as he had to cease all exercise. Because of Marcin’s health, the injury required several surgeries. Right now, he must use a special elevator,”—explains Wojtek.

Marcin is looked after by the Avalon Foundation, which also helps many other people with disabilities and chronic diseases. It acquires funds, activates those under its care during rehabilitation and improves their self‑reliance. It inspires the disabled to play sports through the Avalon Extreme project.

In the Sidnet team, it is easier to find mild variations of ‘Googlephobia’ or ‘proprietaryphobia’ than discrimination based on any personal characteristics.

These attitudes are well reflected by open‑source and non‑profit projects, which we will support in October in accordance with the request of Tadeusz Sośnierz (Tadzik)—a talented Backend Developer, programming trainer and co-creator of open source software, including Perl 6 (now known as Raku).

LineageOS

Open-source operating system for smartphones and tablets. It is based on Android, but unlike Android, it does not contain proprietary software.

“The goal of LineageOS (formerly CyanogenMod) is to develop Android as free software. Although the standard version of Android is technically open, most smartphones on the market come with a version modified by the manufacturer, network operator, and Google.”—Tadzik explains.

LineageOS offers a number of features not available in the official Android Open Source Project (AOSP) software.

Examples of unique features of LineageOS:

• Advanced customization of buttons (including physical ones), lock screen or profiles (e.g. ‘Work’, ‘Home’). The latter can be customized to start automatically when connected to a specific Wi‑Fi network or Bluetooth device.
• Increased security and privacy. From full control over application authorizations through the ability to hide sensitive numbers (e.g. emergency numbers for victims of violence) in the call log, to ‘PIN scramble’—a feature related to mixing numbers on the lock screen, making it difficult to see the PIN used to unlock the phone.
• Features for developers and demanding users. Advanced features regarding recovery or recording of phone calls.

The community around LineageOS is also committed to keeping Android updates for devices made years ago, extending their life cycle.

“LineageOS gives a second life to older smartphones for which updates (including security updates) are sometimes delayed by months or even completely unavailable. With LineageOS, I continue to receive updates for my five‑year‑old phone, reducing both expenses and the production of electronic waste.”—our developer adds.

Campaign Against Homophobia (Kampania Przeciw Homofobii)

Nationwide public awareness organization campaigning against homophobia and transphobia. It was established in 2001 by Robert Biedroń. It educates, organizes social campaigns, provides free legal and psychological assistance to people experiencing discrimination based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. It organized the powerful project ‘Let them see us’ (‘Niech nas zobaczą’, 2003)—the first campaign for same‑sex couples in Poland.

“Much has changed during these 17 years, but it is still common for some people to try to dictate to others what normality is. The authorities in Poland feel entitled to compare someone’s nature to ideology or a whim. I hope that thanks to the Campaign Against Homophobia and similar initiatives, I will finally stop worrying about the health and life of my friends and will not have to lower my eyes again when telling foreigners where I am from.”—says Tadzik.

The organization also operates outside Poland, supporting the LGBT movement in Eastern Europe. It provides assistance to refugees from countries where non‑heterosexual or transgender people are threatened with the death penalty or imprisonment.

I have the impression that some September holidays, like International Charity Day and the Programmer’s Day, are celebrated at Sidnet at least 12 times a year. After all, we are always supporting the open‑source and charity projects our team members choose halfway through each month.

This time it is Jakub Opara making the selection—our Finance Director, a PRINCE2‑certified project leader and an occasional developer coding in Python, Perl and JavaScript.

The Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation is a non‑profit organization whose members include tens of thousands of programmers and over a thousand companies, such as IBM, Microsoft and Intel. It was established in 2000 to develop and protect Linux. Today it maintains numerous open-source projects. It supports them financially, provides essential services and infrastructure, and shares its expertise at events and certified training sessions.

“The Linux Foundation is responsible for the largest open-source project in history. It also skilfully capitalizes on this experience to serve as an incubator for other revolutionary technologies,” said Jakub.

The open-source projects sponsored by The Linux Foundation include:

• Kubernetes—a platform for scaling, automating and managing container-based applications and microservices
• Jenkins—CI/CD tool for building, testing, deploying and automating software.
• GraphQL—a highly efficient query language for API servers. Created by Facebook developers, it was later made publicly available and became an alternative to REST.

Apart from driving the development of open‑source projects, The Linux Foundation promotes equal access to technology, as well as encourages people to acquire programming competencies and build careers in IT.

Warsaw Hospice for Children Foundation

The foundation enables children suffering from incurable diseases to spend the final period of their lives at home. They are periodically visited by a team of nurses, doctors, psychologists and physiotherapists. The hospice staff help the children to live through their last moments with dignity, free of pain. They also prepare the families for their child’s inevitable passing and support them in mourning.

Additionally, before they start working with the foundation, the parents may ask the foundation to help them contact a family who have already dealt with a similar disease and also taken advantage of palliative home care.

This is the 3rd time that we are supporting the Warsaw Hospice for Children, according to Jakub’s wishes:

“They are my first choice. They help and comfort families who suffer, who often do not understand why this has happened to them, and to allow them to come to terms with the inevitable. A lot of us are unaware of the personal dramas happening just a step away,” Jakub explained.