Hello mates,
So this is going to be a strange post for me, you know I usually come here to talk about modules, bugs and fixes, not about myself 
But today I need your help with something, so bear with me.
I’m doing a thing called a VAE (validation des acquis de comptétences) here in France. It’s a French process, so let me explain it quickly. The French State recognises that some people don’t learn their job in school, they learn it by doing it for years. So instead of going back to school to get a diploma, you can build a big dossier that shows what you do, what you know, what you’ve built, and a jury reads it and decides if your experience is worth a real diploma. It’s pretty cool actually.
The one I’m going for is called “Expert en développement logiciel” (Expert in Software Development), it’s a Level 7, which is the equivalent of a Master’s degree here. RNCP41330 if you want to look it up.
You guys know my story. I never went to university for computer science. I came from agriculture, then electricity, then fire alarms, and at some point I started playing with SME Server at home for my mail server, and that’s how I ended up here, on this forum, more than 12 years ago. I learned to code by reading other people’s code, by asking questions, by writing my first ugly modules on stephdl_repo, by getting feedback from people. This community is literally where I became a developer. Without it I would still be installing access control systems somewhere in Rodez 
What I need from you
The jury that will read my dossier wants to hear from real people, not just look at my GitHub. They want testimonials from people I worked with, helped, or just shared the journey with. And honestly, a lot of these moments happened right here on this forum and on GitHub.
So here is my request:
If at any point I helped you with something, please just reply to this thread. That’s it.
It can be anything. A bug I helped you fix. A module I explained to you. A pull request I reviewed. A moment where I encouraged you to write your first module. A time where you asked something on the forum and I came back with an answer. Anything.
No formal letter, no PDF to scan, no signature, no fancy format. Just write a few lines as a reply to this post. The fact that this is the official NethServer forum, that you have a username, a profile, a date, and that the whole thread is public and verifiable, this is exactly what makes it count for the jury. I will print the full thread and put it in my dossier as evidence.
What helps the jury
If you want some hints: it helps if you mention how we interacted (forum, GitHub issue, PR, DM…), what I helped you with even if it was something small, whether it made a difference for you (did you learn something? did you become a contributor? did you ship a module you are proud of?), and your name and where you are based if you want to share. But really, write in your own words, that’s what counts.
If at some point I pushed you to start coding, or to write your first module, or to send your first PR, this is exactly the kind of story the jury wants to read. Don’t be shy.
Languages
Write in any language you are comfortable with. English, Italian, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, whatever. I will translate for the jury if needed.
And to finish
I rarely ask for anything here, so I hope you can tell this matters to me. This VAE is my way of saying, officially, that this community made me who I am. Whatever you write, I will keep it. And the dossier, when it’s done, will be in many ways a thank you to all of you.
So if you remember a moment where our paths crossed, even something small, please reply. It really matters.
Thank you all. You gave me a career, but more than that, you gave me a place where curiosity is enough, where weird paths are welcome, and where there is always someone ready to help. I hope I gave a bit of that back over the years, and I hope to keep doing it for many more.
Stéphane
are a reference I go back to whenever I need it: 11 years later, for the NS8 repository, I did exactly the same thing (