I've been into open source since the early 2000s. It all started with phpBB and a text-based RPG called Legend of the Green Dragon. Those got me into web hosting and eventually into coding. I was mostly just learning basic HTML, CSS, and a bit of JavaScript and PHP back then, but it was a lot of fun. Most of those projects have been abandoned for over 10 years now, but they played a huge part in getting me hooked.

Back then, it was all about messing around. Setting up my own forums, hosting my own game servers, and customizing everything I could. I spent time in communities with people who were doing the same thing. We’d share scripts, tweak mods, and hang out in IRC chats. It wasn't about money or building a career. It was just about figuring stuff out and making things work.

Over time, I started playing with more stuff. I got into WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. I’d mess around with custom PHP scripts, trying to push them to do more than they were meant to. I’d spend weekends buried in code, trying to make some stubborn module finally work. And when it did, it felt pretty damn good.

Eventually, I picked up more skills. I started learning Python, Node.js, and newer backend stuff. I built small bots and tried automating whatever I could. I switched to Linux and spent time setting up my own servers, messing with the command line, and getting everything to run just the way I wanted it.

Open source got me started, and it’s still a huge part of what I do. I love the idea that anyone can take something, improve it, and share it back. I’ve put some of my own projects out there, helped out on a few others, and met a bunch of cool people along the way.

A lot of the old projects I used to work on are long gone, but that drive to build and explore hasn’t gone away. It’s why I keep doing what I do. It’s not just a hobby. It’s a part of me. I like figuring out how things work, messing with them, making them better, and sharing that with others. No matter how much things change, that’s always going to be the same for me.

These days, I’m working on more complex stuff. Things I couldn’t have imagined when I was starting out. But I still think back to those early days, messing around with phpBB and running my own little RPG. It reminds me why I got into all this in the first place. Those memories still mean a lot to me, and I wouldn't trade them for anything.