We believe that the power of web data should be available for the public good. That’s why we initiated Project 4β, giving various researchers and non-profit organizations our resources and knowledge for free.
Simona Rus, our Junior Product Owner, volunteered in a project with the Environmental Protection Department, and shares how it all went. Spoiler alert: it had a huge impact on Simona’s professional journey.
Inspectors from the Environmental Protection Department were searching ad portals for offenders selling illegal fishing and hunting equipment, endangered and invasive animals and plants, and illicit waste disposal services. They had to check thousands of ads on different websites, which takes hours upon hours when done manually.
When I was still collecting information and requirements for this project, I decided to try the daily work of inspectors with my own hands. I took a list of keywords that the inspectors checked and started the search. It took me a few hours just to complete the list, without analyzing any data.
But since web scraping technology exists, there’s no need to do all of this data-collecting work manually — and we came in to share our expertise. We decided to develop a web crawler that gathered information about illegal ads on the web in an automated way and generated data that could then be used for further investigation.
The web crawler is a fully automated tool that periodically, on pre-set times, forms URLs to search ad portals for selected keywords that are grouped into categories.
Then, all ads matching the search are collected, and results are saved into a database. These results are as detailed as possible so that the inspectors can decide which categories to check.
In a nutshell, the web crawler helps inspectors find illegal ads much more effectively, saving them manual work so they can focus on case investigation.
When I heard about Project 4β, it resonated with me on two levels. First, I wanted to give my time to build something not for profit but for public good.
Then, from a professional point of view, this project intrigued me as a new challenge. I was a Quality Assurance Specialist for almost 10 years, but I had a dream of becoming a Product Owner. My manager trusted me with this project, so I took this opportunity.
I gave my time and skills to something meaningful — helping the Environmental Protection Department protect the nature of our beautiful Lithuania.
There was also what I would call a ‘defining moment.’ When I was still collecting information and requirements for this project, I decided to try the daily work of inspectors with my own hands.
I took a list of keywords that the inspectors checked and started the search. It took me a few hours just to complete the list, without analyzing any data. At that moment, it became clear what the problem was and that I really wanted to solve it.
I’d say there were two main ones. The first one — to manage a team of volunteers from different departments to communicate and collaborate effectively. The second one — finding the time for this project alongside our daily responsibilities.
But we found a solution — a hackathon! We sat aside a couple of days without any other interruption, gathered together, and put the individual parts of the system into one. During the hackathon, various issues with the web crawler came to light, but we fixed them and finished the project.
First, a rewarding feeling of contributing to a good cause. I gave my time and skills to something meaningful — helping the Environmental Protection Department protect the nature of our beautiful Lithuania.
But then, this project brought a major shift into my professional life. I’ve challenged myself and learned new skills, and my wish to become a Product Owner has come true!
So, I’m really happy I’ve had this opportunity. And this experience proved to me that if you’re sincerely contributing to something good, you’ll get rewarded.
Companies have great resources they could share with non-profit organizations — so why not do this for a good cause? Even a little goes a long way.
From the employee perspective, it’s a great opportunity to ignite excitement to work on something great, learn new skills, and develop as a professional. Take it from me — Project 4β had a huge impact on my career.
But what’s even more important — I know I’ve contributed to preserving Lithuanian nature and making life in our country a little bit better for all of us.
Want to work somewhere where you can work on projects for the public good? You’d fit in with us perfectly well — so check out our open positions and apply.
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