Artur Hefczyc Application 2013

My name is Artur Hefczyc and I live in the US near San Diego. I am applying to retain my XSF membership.

If you need to contact me send either jabber or e-mail message to the address: artur.hefczyc AT tigase.org.

History

I have been software engineer for over 20 years, yes I am that old. Started coding in fortran, assembler, turbo pascal, then switched over to C and C++ and Java at the end. Always working on the network stuff, implementing protocols, high availability systems. Therefore starting to work on XMPP server implementation was kind of a natural course of action. I come from Poland, used to live in Cambridge, UK for a few years and now near San Diego, US.

I have been participating to a few open source projects: GeoTools, GenerGuide, WTTools and few others covered with dust, for last 10 years. About 8 years ago I started a new project, a Jabber/XMPP server in Java - Tigase which is now my main, full time job. Most of my professional work was around implementation of network servers and network protocols, this one was no different. I like challenge and I like creating perfect software. Tigase is not yet perfect but I am working on it.

Apart from software development work I wrote also a few articles about working with Emacs, Java and XML: "Emacs and JDEE" and yes, most of my code, including Tigase was written using Emacs, "Tools and methods for XML" and "Editing XML files".

Software development is not just a way to earn money for me. I like doing it, I enjoy creating something new and I have a great fun when I can see as other people using my software.

When I found information about a new IM protocol - Jabber. As that was (and still is?) the first fully open protocol and the idea about distributed IM network seemed very interesting I started to use it. After some time, using Jabber client was not enough for me. I decided I want to have my own server installed. After about 2 years of being Jabber user I started to think about own implementation of XMPP/Jabber server. That was start of the Tigase project.

Jabber/XMPP Projects

I am involved in only one Jabber/XMPP project: Tigase, this project includes implementation of a XMPP/Jabber server, testing suite for XMPP servers and a few other tools used for the development.

Code

• Jabber/XMPP server implementation for Tigase project.

• Dedicated XML parser for streamed XML data like XMPP streams.

• Test suite to test network servers. It has been, of course, designed and implemented to test and compare Jabber/XMPP servers but the implementation is generic enough to make it easy to extend it for testing other network servers. Part of the suite is scripting language designed to build different test scenarios like functional tests, performance tests, stability tests or other kind. The release of this suite will be available at the same time as a new version of the server.

Plans for the future

Make the Tigase server more robust and reliable. A new version is coming soon.

A new version of the Tigase Test Suite for testing distributed installations and with user friendly GUI.

Long term plans are: first to continue development of Tigase project adding missing functionality - just make it fully functional and useful application. Another plans are to actively participate in XMPP/Jabber evolution.

XMPP/Jabber - Why I like it

Modern world is in most cases about effective communication. People live in distant areas and they often work together so they have to communicate. Before IM there was phone and e-mail. And IM takes the best of them and offers this as a very effective way of communication. Jabber/XMPP as open technology brings it even on to next level. Thanks to XMPP/Jabber we are not dependent on a particular company.

Everybody can have own server installed and use it for private needs being even disconnected from the Internet.

But XMPP/Jabber is not only about effective communication its flexibility allows easy implementation of many different services where instant reaction is required.

Why I'm reapplying

I want to continue my contribution.

I have been working on my XMPP project for a long time alone. I learnt this is not good. I would prefer to share my ideas with the community and receive feedback from other people working on similar goals. I have dedicated much time to my project development and I would like also to actively participate in developing ideas around that technology.

I think this is the right time to attract more people to XMPP/Jabber community as now we have excellent client applications which are far ahead of commercial alternatives.