This documents various projects of mine over the last years – note that I focus now on Open Systems Engineering, but can do programming, websites and any other IT task on request still.
Open Systems Engineering
EarthOS. My huge collection and integration of free and open solutions for plain everything in life, essentially establishing a way to create a “free and open” society. The document nicely illustrates my general engineering, organization and problem solving approach in Open Systems Engineering. EarthOS is currently a 970 pp. document in semi-draft state, and I’m looking for collaborators or funding to finish it faster. See also the EarthOS category in my blog. (1998-10 to present)
Programming and Websites
Edgeryders. A large European forum website for social innovators and changemakers. Uses Discourse, “the best open source forum software”. We made multiple extensions that allow us to provide a hosting offer for federated Discourse platforms.
Mintybox. An own Internet startup project together with a small team. This is a recommerce software and portal, enabling small businesses to easily buy back unused goods like mobile phones, computers, books and DVDs from end customers, to sell them again after refurbishing / repair. The platform is no longer online, but of course we still have the software (if anyone is interested).
jurruum Visualizer 1.0. A really nice project about real-time 3D graphics in Flash. It’s built for this innovative web shop for configurable furniture, and will show you what you are going to order. (2009-09 to 2010-08)
Onlinediscountmarkt. A larger webstore that I built with the great yet complex open source software Magento. It features several technical goodies, including a well-working, automated integration with eBay via M2E Pro and multi-store inventory management.
BWS V Driver for Sword. An Eclipse RCP plugin in Java for BibleWorkshop V, providing access to the SWORD study library via open source JSword. (2008-04 to 2009-01).
BWS annotation system. Two Eclipse RCP plugins in Java for BibleWorkshop V, allowing to annotate texts with user-defined annotation types. An innovative system for showing overlapping annotations is used. (2009-04 to -12)
Pferd und Hund website. A small NPO website based on the Joomla CMS, employing a custom-built pet agency Joomla component and some advanced templating tricks. (2009-05 to -08)
CV Dillenburg website. Company website based on the Joomla CMS, with custom Joomla webshop component adapting to a given custom backend. Realized together with media C as a web agency, which provided the design. (2004-10 to 2005-02)
Missionswerk Heukelbach website. NGO website based on the Joomla CMS. I did parts of the technical implementation. Realized together with media C as a web agency. (2005-01 to -03)
MSOE website. NGO website based on the Joomla CMS. I did parts of the technical implementation, esp. the custom Joomla webshop component, which is updated from Microsoft Access via an XML file, because that was how the data was stored. Realized together with media C as a web agency. (2005-05 to -07)
Other projects
OpenOffice.org thesis template. A scientific thesis template originally developed during my diploma thesis. I submitted it also to the 2006 OpenOffice.org Template contest, and was surprised by this judgment: “The first prize of $750 went to a scientific thesis template for Writer designed by Matthias Ansorg. Ossendryver cites its “overall detail, comprehensiveness, complexity, presentation, [and] use of different elements and functions.” The entry not only included drawing elements and hyperlink organization, but also a CD, and a use of lists and colors that Ossendryver describes as “exceptional.” “This is an excellent example for folk wanting to write a comprehensive thesis/research paper to use as a starting point for customization,” he says.” [linux.com News]. (2006-02 to -08)
Design for mobile and agile groupware. My diploma thesis in Computer Science, written at the University of Applied Sciences Gießen-Friedberg and in cooperation with the company Promido from Butzbach, Germany. The exact title is “Designing mobile and agile groupware for delightful integration into community life”, and the exact outcome is a prototype for a voice messaging groupware that could eventually run on many mobile phones. (2006-04 to 2006-08)
Freakstock network administration. Freakstock 2009 was a five day long Christian music festival with approx. 3500 visitors, organized by members of the Jesus Freaks movement. Somehow I ended up setting up maintaining the computer and phone system during the festival (as a Festival staff member, not as a company). We set up a network in the administrative building, connected it to the Internet and used two VDSL modem bridges to connect remote buildings to it. In all, there were 10-15 desktop PCs and 60-80 notebooks (via WLAN) connected. The network used Windows File Sharing (Samba) on a central file server for data storage, being accesses by Windows and Linux clients. We also had a webcam, and high-volume color laser copiers configured as network printers for Windows, Mac and Linux clients. The most interesting part was reactivating the phone system of the forsaken Bundeswehr barracks area where the festival was held, in the end having 10-15 phones all across the area. I organized the same thing for Freakstock 2011 again. (2009-08, 2011-08)
Various graphics projects. On special request, I also do print design, pre-press preparation, project management for graphics projects, digital image processing, document processing and vector graphics. I’m skilled in the technology needed for that, and for the highly creative parts I use the service of some talented graphics designers I know. Projects include flyers, photos, entrance signs and advertisement signs. By principle, I use only free software for graphics processing, and hand all assets to the customer. Together, this empowers the customer to adapt and change the data latr by himself, should he wish so. (2007-07 to present)
Support and Repair. Sometimes akin to Search and Rescue, this is about keeping individual computers running, from Antivirus to ZIP, for Windows, Linux and Mac. My 1200+ posts computing blog documents many of the problems I had to face. I served many friends and acquaintances and some customers with this, but do not offer it explicitly in my portfolio. My specialties include notebook hardware, mainly Lenovo T series ThinkPads, and also like data rescue projects because people can be so grateful afterwards 🙂 (2001-09 to present)