Daily Archives: May 24, 2023

cURL and libcurl

curl user survey 2023

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For widely used, widely distributed open source project such as curl, we often have little to no relation at all with our users and therefore it is hard to get feedback and learn what works and what is less good.

Our best and primary way is thus simply to ask users every year how they use curl.

user survey

For the tenth consecutive year, we put together a survey and we ask everyone we know and can reach who ever used curl or library within the last year, to donate a few minutes of their precious time and give us their honest opinions.

The survey is anonymous but hosted by Google. We do not care who you are, but we want to know how you think curl works for you.

The survey will remain online for submissions during 14 days. From Thursday May 25 2023 until midnight (CEST) Wednseday June 7 2023. Please tell your friends about it!

user survey

Post survey analysis

At June 5 the painstaking work of analyzing the results and putting together a summary and presentation begins. It usually takes me a few weeks to complete. Once that is done, the results will be shared for the entire world to enjoy.

Then we see what the curl project should take home and do as a direct result of what users say. Updating procedures, writing documentation and adding features to the roadmap are among the things that can happen and has happened after previous surveys.

user survey

Technology

Polhemsrådet

I was invited, and I have accepted, to become a member of Polhemsrådet, the “Polhem Council”, that works for the Polhem Prize nomination committee and serves to appoint the award winners.

I consider it a great honor to get to serve on this board. I am not an engineer by education, but I do know my way around a few engineer topics and in particular things around software and computer related technologies.

This assignment is done on a voluntary basis, there is no money involved. I am joining a council chock-full of intimidatingly impressive people as its seventh member.

The Polhem Prize, which I was awarded in 2017, is Sweden’s oldest engineering award. It was first awarded a person in 1878.

The Polhem Prize is awarded for “a [Swedish] high-level technical innovation or an ingenious solution to a technical problem. The innovation must be available on the open market and be competitive. It has to be sustainable and environmentally friendly.”

More details about the prize, how it works and other council members can be found on the Swedish site for Polhemspriset.