Who are they, the best contributors of 2023?

One of the most rewarding parts of our job is saying thank you to our dedicated contributors each year. AdGuard may not be Santa Claus with his magical gifts, but we do like to spread holiday cheer and send little souvenirs to the people who have helped us throughout the year.

New stars are born

This year, our galaxy of translation talent has seen the birth of shining new stars whose radiance we simply cannot ignore.

Macedonian wonder

@dontrajkov, the most eager and enthusiastic contributor AdGuard has ever seen. Shooting both barrels Macedonian style, as a translator and a proofreader, he single-handedly translated several apps and extensions into Macedonian, becoming one of the top five most active AdGuard translators (including our in‑house team!).

Twinkle twinkle northern star

@masterdigger is another shining light in our team, committed to making AdGuard accessible to Swedish users. This dedicated contributor not only translates extensively, but also diligently corrects errors in previous translations and reminds managers to keep translations nice and tidy.

Timeless legends

In the AdGuard Hall of Fame, we find these remarkable people. Year after year, they translate our products, allowing users worldwide to enjoy the benefits of AdGuard in their own language. We asked them, “Why, Mr. Anderson? Why do you persist?” why they choose to stay with AdGuard, and if they had any words of wisdom. Here’s what they had to say:

• Alfred Spijker, the trusted and reliable Dutch translator and proofreader

I started working as a translator of the apps I used myself years ago, because I was often annoyed by the complete lack of a Dutch translation or its poor quality. Personally, I believe that an app should also be offered in the language of the countries in which the app is released.
Since I started using AdGuard products years ago, I have started contributing to its Dutch translation. After the sudden departure of the then proofreader a few years ago, I took over that role. There is always some form of satisfaction when you use the end product with your translation in it.
Tip for Proofreaders in other languages: embrace the input of new translators, but make sure they are aware of any agreements regarding the correct use of spelling and grammar in your language.

• Lukas Novotny, the guardian of Czech translations

I can assure you of one thing — I will continue to work responsibly as a translator and proofreader for AdGuard, especially for Czech users of your products.

• Jadran Rudec — thanks to him Slovenian users have no problems using AdGuard

I started translating this big project bit by bit. With each passing day, I learned more about the specifics of the translation environment as well as the specifics of applications for different environments. After some time, I got into the habit of first reading the notifications from Crowdin after turning on the computer and, depending on the available time, translating a few lines at a time. Transparency has improved over time, and I’m completely convinced that AdGuard has an advantage over other projects.

• NCAA, the unstoppable power of Danish translation, always ready to lend a hand

This year, NCAA chose to stay humble, but you can easily find his thoughts on the matter in blog posts from last year or the year before. Thank you once again for the amazing help!

• Görkem Emrah Güler, Turkish translator and proofreader, filter maintainer, meticulous bug reporter, a legend if there ever was one

I’ve been a volunteer translator at AdGuard for almost 4 years, it’s been a long time. During this time, AdGuard products are always evolving, new features keep adding and there are always texts to translate. Devs are always solution-oriented and good at solving problems, and the same is true for filter devs. They’re great at solving ads and other annoying things as soon as possible. This year I also translated the AdGuard VPN and AdGuard DNS Knowledge Bases. Besides translating, together with other translators we also notice and report typos. Thanks for making things easier for translators, AdGuard!
Besides, I am reporting bugs that I find in AdGuard products. Of course, there were times when I was busy, but that didn’t stop me from translating, because translating in AdGuard is really enjoyable. I’m proud, happy and peaceful to be in this beautiful place. We’d love to have you on board. If you want to achieve something, get moving!

• Oskari “Why would I stop when I’m at the top?” Lavinto, a warm-hearted translator and proofreader from the chilly lands of Finland

I enjoy making great products available for those who need Finnish to use them. Seeing a clean localized end product is also always rewarding.
Besides myself, Finnish currently has only one active translator and anyone is very welcome to join, regardless of experience. It is a good way to maintain and even improve one’s language skill and it can also offer insight into technology, UI and website design, etc.

These incredible guys have proven many times that they’re an integral part of AdGuard’s magic. Some of them have received traditional gifts from AdGuard before, and now it’s our turn to be inventive and sprinkle some extra enchantment into their lives with new presents.

The jute bags come with a trick: there's an AdGuard print on each side, so you can choose which side you want to show the world today.

Choosing among these worthy candidates is no easy feat, and we also want to thank @GiorgioHerbie for taking care of the Italian Knowledge base, @Asmo for providing Polish translations, @Abc0922001 for translating AdGuard into Traditional Chinese, and @Andypsl8 for helping with Simplified Chinese.

Not by translation alone

AdGuard’s success is the result of cooperation with professionals from various fields, those who manage filters, test beta versions, discover and report bugs, and much more. So let’s shine a light on our other contributors:

• @Yuki2718 is the go-to person for maintaining the filters so that AdGuard can be more effective in blocking ads

• Imre Kristoffer Eilertsen (DandelionSprout) is a filter maintainer, bug reporter, and Norwegian translator who lends their expertise to various AdGuard projects

• peace2000 offers assistance with Scriptlets and the Finnish Easylist filter, bringing innovation and efficiency to AdGuard

I contribute to the adblocking community because I want to get rid off ads, tracking and annoyances, for myself and for other people as well. I also try to figure out ways how filter list maintainers can do their job easier, e.g. by minding filter syntax cross-compatibility issues between blockers and try to influence blocker devs so that filter syntax cross-compatibility would be improved.

• @Kia maintains the Persian filter and assists with VscodeAdblockSyntax and Scriptlets, helping AdGuard become better every day

Every user should have the freedom to control what enters and doesn’t enter their browser. So, I made this list to empower Persian users, and I believe AdGuard puts my list to good use by having an app for every platform out there (Windows, macOS, Android, iOS).

• superlex contributes to our Scriptlets and adds a touch of magic to AdGuard

I’ve learned about AdGuard several years ago by means of the filter lists that they generously make available for uBlock Origin. I have since discovered their products. I was happy that many of them are open source, so I decided to start contributing by reporting bugs and offering suggestions. Many of them were accepted and I also had the opportunity to confront most of the AdGuard developers and team leaders who proved to be very open to new ideas and very affable people. So when I have time I try to continue giving small helps.
Thanks to the entire AdGuard team, developers, contributors, for making the internet a cleaner and safer place!

You’re helping AdGuard improve and grow. We couldn’t have done it without your constant support.

Wanna join?

If, after reading this, you like the idea of joining us, there are four paths you can choose from:

• Contribute code to AdGuard’s open-source products (there are many to explore)
• Embark on a journey to translate AdGuard products
• Assist in creating and improving content-blocking filters
• Dive in the world of beta testing

We welcome any option and appreciate help with translations in any language. If you have an idea for a new filter or want to test our products, we would be happy if you contact us and become part of a magical world where ads disappear!

We will contact the winners to arrange the delivery and we’ll write to you as soon as the gift bags are shipped. If you're on the list but haven’t heard from us, please email us at translate@adguard.com.