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By Ryan, 9 April, 2025
Freedom is an open road.

The Moral Imperative to Compensate Free Software Authors

Doesn't exist.

I don't know if this was ever common knowledge, but it's certainly not a new idea. Free software, per the Free Software Foundation, is only free if people are free to redistribute it commercially without having to pay the author. In a sense, every time you build a Drupal site for someone else for a fee, you are charging to distribute free software to them that was authored by other people while providing additional services to tailor it to their needs.

By Ryan, 4 February, 2025

Share What You Enjoy

I love the Memories feature of Facebook. It's a major part of the platform's stickiness, and I also appreciate that iOS incorporated a similar feature now for Photos. I often regret that so much of what I write is shared just to a social media platform, though. Today Memories reminded of this lovely day from one year ago, so I decided to free it from the walled garden.

By Ryan, 27 May, 2024
Open Bible on a table

The Rich Young Ruler

I was greatly encouraged at church this past Sunday morning. We recited the Nicene Creed together, which has instructed the church on the mystery of the Incarnation for 1,700 years. We sang familiar hymns, similarly laden with rich doctrine, and we were delivered an encouraging sermon from Mark 10:17-31 on the story of the rich young ruler. Multiple points of the service were particularly moving, but before I reflect on those, I offer a more general reflection on the nature of the Bible itself.

By Ryan, 7 October, 2023
Creating my first experience in Roblox

Learning to create games with Roblox

I'm a lifelong video game enthusiast. My brother and I cut our teeth on Atari 2600, Commodore 64/128, and NES games, eventually learning to develop our own in BASIC, QBasic, C (long live MUDs!), and FreeBASIC (a modernized, open source QuickBASIC derivative).

For all that I enjoyed games, including many plays through Super Mario 3 or youth group battles in Starcraft and Descent, I never got too sucked into any one game. I own hundreds, but I've actually completed very few. (And despite playing dozens of roguelikes, Brogue is the only one I've beaten.) Instead, I always tended to prefer the experience of making them - learning to reproduce certain mechanics, trying new concepts, riffing on themes, and working within constraints. 

In short, the best "game" to me was the experience of making a game, and sharing my works in progress with friends was as fun to me as actually completing a game.

All that leads to the point of this post: I recently decided to learn how to make games in Roblox, the global gaming phenomenon that I've heard about over the years but somehow never even looked at until last week. A friend from the QB / FB forums had recently published one there and I wanted to check it out, and then of course, having experienced his, I then had to try my hand at making my own.

By Ryan, 28 July, 2023
Neon purple lights illuminate a complex structure

Innovating within Drupal’s Core Competency

The dominant theme of DrupalCon Pittsburgh was innovation. It featured heavily in our Drupal Association Board retreat as we considered how the non-profit might better support and contribute to continuous innovation in Drupal. Project lead Dries Buytaert discussed the topic at length in his keynote presentation, which ended with the audience selection of proposals that would receive “Pitch-Burgh” innovation grants.

By Ryan, 13 July, 2023

How to disable ads in the Planet Craft Minecraft clone

Generally speaking, I prefer my children play the "real deal" when it comes to games like Minecraft. Cloning and remixing is fine as far as it goes, but most clones end up as cheap attempts to copy an original for free for the sake of generating ad revenue. The price of the game is lower than the price of the privacy you're forfeiting and the control you have over the experience for your kids.

Simply put: I don't want my children's free time monetized by these companies, nor do I want them exposed to the content of certain advertisements.

By Ryan, 22 May, 2023
Pittsburgh skyline at night

Deadline drawing near for Pitch-burgh entries

You have a little more than two days to submit a proposal for DrupalCon Pittsburgh's innovation grant contest dubbed "Pitch-burgh." The Drupal Association has raised $75,000+ to allocate to the most compelling proposals received by May 25th. There is no lower limit on proposal size. A $1,000 "quick fix" is just as valid as a $20,000 proposal. Additionally, entrants can be individuals or companies. The only criteria is that pitches contribute to Drupal's continued innovation, whether through code, design, documentation, or even contribution process improvements.
By Ryan, 16 May, 2023
Pittsburgh skyline at night

How to learn more about Drupal Commerce at DrupalCon Pittsburgh

For the first time in over a decade, Centarro will not have a booth at DrupalCon North America. In this post I explain why and share how to find Drupal Commerce content at the event or to plan personal connections in Pittsburgh instead.

By Ryan, 8 April, 2023
The Paschal Lamb

The Paschal Lamb

I am the chosen lamb, no other can compare
To the beauty of my face or the brightness of my hair.
My bones are firm and strong, my every part well-formed.
With purity and spotlessness by God I've been adorned.
My master's tender voice has declared I am the best!
His gentle hand and loving staff have led me from the rest,
Away from fence and field to sleep beside him through the night
And help the kids complete their chores by early morning light.
My master, how he loves me, and I love him dearly, too.

By Ryan, 11 October, 2022
It tolls for thee.

For Whom the Bell Tolls, Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls is fantastic.

The main character, Robert Jordan, returns from scouting a bridge he is to demolish only to discover Pablo, his erstwhile local support, is set against him doing the deed. There is no profit to him in it, only swift retribution.

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Teddy Tank x ATL by Robert Douglass

I lead Centarro, love my wife and four children, and seek to honor God in my work and relationships.

Director of the Drupal Association (2017-2023). Follow @ryanszrama on X.

Ryan Szrama

© 2023 Ryan Szrama. Site developed by wombats. Contact me.
Glamour shot by Robert Douglass. Blog headers via Unsplash.

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