Hi! I'm Merlin Schumacher, a Senior Software Developer with a passion for building software that not only works but works for people. From code to communication, I aim to make complex things simple and powerful. My unique background — ranging from a degree in Cultural Studies with a major in Popular Culture, Media, and Arts to a past career as an IT journalist at Heise and c't magazine — helps me communicate complex ideas across teams and to customers.
With years of experience in both coding and communication, I have a distinct skill set that enables me to broker between developers, managers, and clients to bring innovative ideas to life.

Currently, I work at holistic-net, where I lead teams in creating bespoke B2B software solutions as well as commercial products. We're focusing on delivering robust systems that streamline operations and meet specific business needs.

Outside of work, I'm interested in pop culture and the arts. I like experimenting with IoT and self-hosting in my free time. Whether I’m building a custom IoT project or diving into the latest trends in pop culture, I enjoy exploring how technology influences our everyday lives

• Open-Covid-Certificate-Validator
  An open-source Python validator API for EU Covid vaccination certificates, used in both commercial applications and private environments. It verified certificate authenticity using official lists, now archived as the infrastructure was decommissioned by the EU.
  Source Code

• filme-hannover.de
  A .NET and TypeScript-based web scraper that aggregates movie showtimes from cinemas in Hannover, Germany. The platform improved accessibility for small cinemas, giving moviegoers in Hannover a complete overview of showtimes. The site is completely static and uses IndexedDB (via Dexie.js) to calculate results entirely on the client.
  filme-hannover.de

• e-nr.de
  A Golang-based web service providing information on European food additive codes (E numbers) via both web and DNS queries. The application uses a static list and will return information about the requested additive number via DNS. It also offers automatic redirects from subdomains like 300.e-nr.de to the corresponding German Wikipedia article.
  e-nr.de

• esp8266-clock
  Custom C firmware for wall clocks using ESP8266 and NeoPixel/WS281x LEDs. It features a JavaScript-based web interface for easy setup and configuration. Empowering users to create custom, stylish wall clocks with flexible features and intuitive controls. Source Code

• Tasmogo
  An automatic updater for Tasmota firmware devices, designed to operate with minimal configuration and provide seamless updates. This project is now archived, as I no longer use Tasmota.
  Source Code