Microblog

Excited to share my new Services page! It outlines collaboration opportunities, rates, and contract models for my services. Interested in retainer, fixed project, or hourly consultancy? Find all the details you need to get started. Check it out at https://piasecki.no/services and let's talk about how we can work together!

On November 1st, I started my own consulting company. This is a big step for me because I've always enjoyed helping others with their ideas. Now, I get to speak for myself and offer my services.

Because of this change, I've made some updates to my website. I'll keep posting short updates and might also start sharing longer pieces like tutorials or case studies. I also want to show you who I am as a brand. So, I've made a logo, picked some colors, and changed my homepage to reflect this.

Remember, nothing is final. The website will change over time. But I want to be open about what's happening with me and what's next for the website. Thanks for your support, and I'm excited to share more with you.

Wrapping up an amazing websummit experience!

This was my first time attending, and I didn't know what to expect. But let me tell you, it exceeded all my expectations. The 4-day conference, including an opening night show, was jam-packed with fascinating sessions, panels, and Q&As. And if you prefer interactive learning, the expo area had 5 spacious pavilions filled with intriguing startups, scale-ups, unicorns, and regional booths. Plus, the delicious food trucks and sunny Portuguese weather made everything even better.

Coming in with some prejudices from past experiences in the tech industry, I thought I'd have to dig deep to find interesting content beyond the business metrics. Boy, was I wrong! The main focus, aside from the dominant theme of AI, revolved around privacy, sustainability, governance, security, and the human side of tech - topics close to my heart. It was inspiring to see discussions tackling poverty, inequality, health, accessibility, and internet access disparities.

Attending a conference solo for the first time since starting my consulting business this month, I wasn't sure how I'd fit into the crowd of 70k+ people, many of whom came with their work buddies. But from day 1, I felt a strong connection with this diverse crowd. Networking was a breeze, and I made valuable contacts through LinkedIn and the conference app.

Speaking of the app, I had read blog posts from previous editions of Websummit and knew that recordings from the central stage would be accessible even after the conference. So, I planned to attend smaller lectures in person and catch up on the central stage sessions later. However, I often found myself torn between multiple interesting sessions happening simultaneously. Luckily, most of them are available on the app, and I've already started watching the ones I missed live. The professionalism of the production team in organizing the conference was top-notch.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have secured a conference ticket through Websummit's developer program and my open-source contributions. Thank you, Websummit! 🙌 If you're like me, I highly recommend trying to get a ticket through the developer program next year (here's the info: https://lnkd.in/dKrtSEwh) and experiencing it for yourself. In the coming days, I'll share more detailed insights on trends and market predictions based on the lectures I watched. In the meantime, have a fantastic Sunday!

Excited to join Websummit this year with over 70k people passionate about tech! I am thrilled about how diverse the speaker lineup is. I am looking forward to meeting new people and old friends and learning about new technologies and perspectives. I am thrilled that drupal, with whom I feel connected the most throughout my professional career, is also joining and will have a booth in the expo area.

I am excited that DrupalGovCon is sold out with a stunning 600 attendees.

I wish we had an event of a similar scope here in Europe. While every governmental project is unique there's always room for the transfer of knowledge, ideas, or wishes.

As Joey Tribbiani once said 😉
"(...) through this having and giving and sharing and receiving, we too can share and love and have and receive."

In each of the European states, we have tons of projects that we as tax-payers have founded over decades. Looking at many projects I personally participated in we can greatly improve how we collaborate.

1. Rather than starting each project with a blank page we could start to accept the knowledge others already gathered. opensource can be a fantastic start for most projects. As a Drupal community, we already have plenty of talks, case studies, or even code distributions you can learn from - either from your local market or other European states.

2. Provide small but meaningful improvements. Maybe an inherited project doesn't fit the bill straight away and approaches things differently than what your project requires. Rather than complaining about that try to understand what was the reason someone approached it differently than you. Ask questions, and provide feedback. Finally, treat what you've received with tender loving care.

3. Share your incremental improvements with others. This is perhaps the most important step of the cycle as it enables one to keep iterating over and over. You will be surprised how often your past work not only impacts your future projects but can also positively impact the projects of others.

Meanwhile, I wish a fantastic conference to everyone coming to Bethesda this year.

A recent shift in Klarna's protocol since July, confirmed by a company representative, has led to significant discrepancies in the payment process. When customers choose the unbranded Klarna option (marked with a generic credit card icon), the company executes Authorization Holds for each payment attempt, regardless of whether the merchant approves or denies the order.

Furthermore, Klarna immediately completes charges for these Authorization Holds, which makes it possible for customers to initiate a Chargeback against merchants, even in cases where goods are not delivered or still in transit.

These actions challenge the guidelines established by Forbrukertilsynet, Norway's Consumer Authority*. Klarna, operating on behalf of merchants, concludes the charge and settles customers' funds in their own accounts, even when an order isn't approved by the merchant nor can be controlled by the merchant.

This new policy could introduce several complications for merchants:

• Limited Sales Opportunities: Customers may need to wait for as long as five business days to receive a refund for funds reserved by Klarna, inhibiting further purchases.
• Compliance with Consumer Authority Guidelines: Merchants must fulfill specific conditions to be allowed to take advanced payments.
• Potential Complications with Card Issuers: A higher frequency of chargebacks could result in additional chargeback fees and increased card fees for merchants.

• https://lnkd.in/d6ajspEH

This is quite an interesting discovery so I am raising it here for your awareness.

Customers paying with hashtag#Klarna are charged even when the merchant denied the purchase using Klarna's own validation callback, leading to a charge with no order being created. Moreover, each payment attempt results in a charge and the merchant has no means to void/refund them.

Has anyone ever felt that huge sense of accomplishment when a trivial yet tricky project starts to take shape? That's me right now!

So, here's the latest. I've managed to create a new theme based on the 'starterkit' to finally wave goodbye to our dependency on that 'classy' theme, which is not compatible with Drupal 10.x. One task off the list, eh?

But hey, that prompted an overhaul of the layout as well. I've moved from a single-column structure to a snazzier sidebar layout. While doing so I stumbled across this gem -- https://every-layout.dev/layouts/sidebar/ -- and it was a total game-changer for this makeover. Pass this on, it's a great find!

Last but not least, I've added support for. This will help structure the content of this microblog in a streamlined way, which is perfect since I am planning to cover such a wide range of topics.

Slowly but steadily, the puzzle pieces are coming together. Below snapshot of the current state of things.

In my exciting journey with Ny Media AS, I've been the architect behind cutting-edge e-commerce platforms, tailored for ambitious Nordic businesses. But change is a part of life, and now I'm on the lookout for a fresh challenge where I can put my expertise and enthusiasm to work.

I am deeply committed to nurturing long-term projects, savoring the growth and progress achieved over time. As a dedicated advocate of Free and Open Source Software, I firmly believe in its sustainability and transformative power to drive innovation. My aspiration is to help forward-thinking companies see the potential in FOSS and to assist them in cultivating and integrating this culture into their organizations.

Equipped with a passion for hashtag#Drupal, a scale-up mindset, and an in-depth understanding of the ecommerce sector, I'm eager to find a place where my contributions make a significant impact. If my skills align with what you're seeking or you know of opportunities that would be a good fit, please feel free to connect. I'm ready for the next exciting chapter!

Cross-posted from https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:709652078679396352…

To further enhance this micro-blog platform's appeal for both you, the reader, and myself, the writer, I intend to undertake a significant redesign. This will encompass certain features, about which I will share more details soon. In order to thoroughly document this mini project's stages, I find it necessary to include images in some of the entries, including this one, to better illustrate the progress.

The following phase involves introducing a new theme (learn more at https://www.drupal.org/about/core/blog/new-starterkit-will-change-how-y…). The updated look and feel will not only elevate user experience but also represent growth and innovation in my content creation journey. Your understanding and patience during this transition are greatly appreciated.