A living for open source

30+ years ago I learned how to program, and since then I am a code addict. While being a day-time Java developer, I do spend my full spare time and a reasonable share of my money into producing and supporting open source since more than two decades.

I was part of the JCP Expert Groups (JSR 339, JSR 370) that standardized Java's official REST API, JAX-RS, and still I am the top committer to its successor, Jakarta REST (part of Jakarta EE). Besides that, I frequently contribute(d) to a lot of open other open source projects, like Eclipse Jersey (top 7 contributor), Apache Johnzon (top 6 contributor), Eclipse TopLink (original author of its support for SAP SQL Anywhere and SAP MaxDB), several Maven plugins (e. g. improvements to Dependency Plugin, Shade Plugin, Assembly Plugin, Exec Plugin, Plexus performance improvements, ...), GlassFish / Payara, JOnAS, just to name of few of the more well-known ones.

Besides coding, triaging and project management, I actively recruite more people to contribute, and coach them with their paperwork and initial contributions. Also I am a know volunteer conference speaker (JavaLand, Java Forum Stuttgart, EclipseCon Europe, ...) and author (Java aktuell, iX, heise.de, JavaMagazin,...) in Germany and frequently help organizing the community-powered conference JavaLand. Since some months I am running a weekly Youtube show for coders.

Application for sponsorship

All that I am doing in my sparetime as a volunteer, and it produces costs: Hardware, Internet, Travel. I am spending several hundreds to thousands € per year into my community actions, so the intention of my application for sponsorship is to compensate at least part of that, so I can continue to do that in the future. I know that several thousands of companies do use my open source contributions in their commercially supported products, and it would be great if each of them donates just one dollar per month to indicate their appreciation of my work. Also I would be happy if everybody who likes my video tutorials on Youtube could donate just one dollar per year so I can further afford producing them in the same high quality.

Part of my sponsoring will be forwarded to other frequent contributors which have not applied for Github sponsoring so far, to support their great work!