Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is this?

This is a consultancy specialising in solutions built using Python and Django. It is the brain-child of Alaa Salman who is the founder and lead developer with contractors hired when needed. The focus is on competence, honesty and helping customers with solving their technical problems.

2. What makes you special?

Well, that’s a good question. Here’s what I think.

Depending on how you look at it, nothing and everything. My previous clients have repeatedly complimented me for my “hard work”, “strong work ethics” and “quality of work” so that could be it. But this should really be the norm and not the exception. The one thing I’ve heard over and over again throughout the years, however, is that people prefer talking directly with the person doing the work and the one who tells them exactly what’s going on. So this might be it.

Smoke and mirrors, focus on image at all costs, obsessive focus on personal branding, spin and other deceitful practices are also all things I find distasteful and consider to be a step back for humanity.

A few more things:

  • We don’t like using the word “we” if that matters
  • We believe that exclamation marks are greatly overused

3. What’s with the name?

It’s word play on the words open source. The permissive licenses of open source and free software encourages collaboration and contribution resulting in superior software.

4. Do you only take on Python projects?

No but for the past 10 years my focus has mostly been the Python ecosystem. Customers who have worked with me before have on occasion requested that I take on their (usually struggling) other projects and I do not turn them down but I do explain that there’s going to be a ramp up phase as I get familiar with the technology.

5. Why so little content on this site?

This site is meant as a web presence for the business. Most of my work is confidential in nature and so what little I can talk about, I keep over at my personal website at the Code Vault.