Maria. Computer and Internet Witch.

🇨🇿 🇺🇸

BIRD Internet Routing Daemon

A significant amount of internet traffic is managed by a little software developed in Czechia: BIRD. This software allows the internet nodes to communicate and find suitable paths where to send data. I'm the team leader of project BIRD in CZ.NIC. I also sometimes write a blogpost for CZ.NIC's english blog or czech blog.

Programming

Lots of issues can be solved by a one-time software. Some of these were good enough to publish; see my Github profile. My primary programming language is C and Python, yet for the most insane code Perl is unrivaled. Anyway, I can do a lot more and I'm still learning.

Programmers' camp

I participate in Programmers' camp organisation. Mostly I run the kitchen but I also do a little of the educational part.

Hardware, elektronics, IoT

Lots of issues can be solved by a commercial device. I however sometimes prefer to build a custom hardware. It fits my needs better and I also learn something. I'm constructing an automatic heating regulator for my home, model railway control or my own stable current source.

Infrastructure archeology

People have changed the nature at least since ancient times. Somehow special is infrastructure, typically public buildings used for transportation. When a line is rebuilt, traces remain where the railroad, road or other objects used to be. As a hobby, I look for such places where history of these lines can be seen, and I also visit them if possible.

Law

My life led me to many situations where the only feasible solution was to study the appropriate law and judicature and to fight for my rights. I have never studied any law school so my opinions shall not be considered serious advice. Please take them with a grain of salt.

Old blog

I sometimes write some texts suitable for a blog, typically with some political underground. My blog stores also how my opinions were changing during time. Please read the texts in the appropriate context, taking into account the time when they where written. Some of the texts are not my opinion any more, they are anyway valuable to show how one can think about a problem lacking a substantial amount of information.

Public talks

I talked at several meetings. Linking the recordings here with some delay. I also talk and teach in private and for closed groups. These recordings can't be made public for obvious reasons. Do you want me to tell also something to you? Drop me a message!
Simulating networks in your laptop
EN | 2025-09-10 | APNIC 60

Occasionally, I teach routing in constrained environments. Having no better option, I tried to create a rather minimalistic network simulation framework, and this is how it is going.

IPv6: The neglected younger sibling
EN | 2025-09-09 | APNIC 60

Even in the year 2025, we see documentation and manuals written IPv4 first, and in schools, students learn IPv6 as an extension and the upcoming future. Is it possible though to teach IPv6 first? What keeps us from that?

IPv6 jako občan druhé kategorie
CS | 2025-06-06 | IPv6 Day CZ

about networks being taught with IPv4 first

Growing a team
EN | 2025-05-14 | RIPE 90, OSS WG

about the BIRD team

Simulating Networks In Your Laptop
EN | 2025-05-13 | RIPE 90

about router simulation

Imposing memory security in C
EN | 2025-02-02 | FOSDEM 2025

about internal BIRD 3 mechanisms

Čtvrt milionu prefixů
CS | 2025-01-21 | CSNOG 2025

prefix aggregagor by Igor Putovny

Simulating Networks In Your Laptop
EN | 2024-10-23 | NANOG 92

about router simulation

Čím víc BIRDů, tím víc hejno
CS | 2024-10-12 | Linux Days CZ 2024

about router simulation

Simulating Networks in your Laptop
EN | 2024-05-24 | RIPE 88

about BIRD testing, work of Ondrej Zajicek

Contribution and Credits Policy for Open-Source Projects
EN | 2024-05-23 | RIPE 88

collab with Valerie Aurora

Lossless prefix aggregation for forwarding
EN | 2024-02-13 | NANOG 90

prefix aggregagor by Igor Putovny

Roasting The Current RIPE Meeting
EN | 2023-11-30 | RIPE 87 DEI

with Annika Hannig

External submissions to open-source projects
EN | 2023-11-30 | RIPE 87 OSS WG

about the struggles of an open-source maintainer

BIRD 2 Upgrade tutorial
EN | 2023-11-27 | RIPE 87

because BIRD 1 is EOL

BIRD 1 EOL
EN | 2023-10-17 | NANOG 89

because BIRD 1 is EOL

BIRD
CS | 2023-10-07 | LinuxDays CZ 2023

development and outlook

BIRD GUI
EN | 2023-05-25 | RIPE 86 OSS WG

meme talk about BIRD API

BIRD 3: Už, nebo ještě ne
CS | 2023-05-17 | CSNOG 2023 (Wed 11:00)

current development state of multithreaded BIRD 3

BIRD in multiple threads: Quo volas?
CS | 2022-06-21 | CSNOG 2022 (Tue 10:00)

current development state of multithreaded BIRD

BIRD in multiple threads: Quo volas?
EN | 2022-05-17 | RIPE 84 Plenary

current development state of multithreaded BIRD

BIRD
EN | 2019-05-22 | RIPE 78 OSS WG

development and outlook

My wishlist

People sometimes come to me, asking how they could make me happy. Usually this question comes in a situation unsuitable to get any useful answer. I have quite a lot of things, I have often special needs and also some health limitations. To make it easier for me and everybody around, here is my wishlist. It's nice that you care about me.

My wishes are often uncommon. Please respect if I wish for a specific brand, model or supplier. There are reasons for these. I use many things and services in a different way than the majority may do. My needs and plans are not always clear and they need not make any sense to you.

One time gifts

I have almost everything I need, and what I don't have, I typically can buy myself. Despite that, some gifts make me happy anyway. If you want to give me something from this category, please let me know before you get it for me and I delete that item from here. I strongly prefer knowing about the gift in advance over possible dealing with two similar items given by two different people.

  • CNC programming course
  • Oscilloscope (digital, at least two channels at 100 MHz)
  • Trumpet

Repeatable gifts

Some gifts make me happy even if I get 10 of them.

Food and drink

Please respect my gluten allergy. I also usually avoid oats (just to be sure). Random contamination may be also a problem. Bulgur is wheat, cous-cous is usually wheat. Also quite some chocolates are sweeted by barley malt (contains gluten). I do not drink alcohol, coffee or energy drinks, with no exceptions.

  • Old cheese
  • Sausages, mild
  • Old dark Pu-Erh or some good japanese green tea

Money

Do you like what I do, and you wanna just send me some money? Or you wanna send me a penny with a nasty message? Go for it!

  • IBAN: CZ10 0300 0000 0002 2387 0767, BIC: CEKOCZPP
  • Bitcoin: 3LzfbdesEHCkD76gNQ2si4P1D1aTaLej7w

Charity

You can also help others helping.

Wanna text or call me?

You can e-mail me to mq@jmq.cz. I strongly prefer written communication as I can reply when it suits me best. Even if you somehow manage to find my phone number, please don't call me.

I also use some social media and messengers, feel free to use any of them, you may even send me a voice message if you prefer this kind of communication. Please do not call me even this way.

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