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Badges & More

Published by Benjamin Marwell on

This page showcases my professional certifications, technical achievements, and community recognitions. From industry awards to technical certifications and community badges, these credentials reflect my ongoing commitment to excellence in software development and open source contributions.

Professional Certifications & Achievements

Throughout my career, I have pursued various certifications and earned recognition from industry leaders. These achievements demonstrate my expertise in enterprise Java development, cloud technologies, and commitment to the open source community.

IBM Champion 2022

I am honored to have been recognized as an IBM Champion for 2022. This prestigious award acknowledges significant contributions to the IBM Developer and Open Source community.

My contributions have focused primarily on:

  • Jakarta EE and MicroProfile — Advancing enterprise Java standards and cloud-native development

  • Open Liberty — Contributing to IBM’s open source application server

  • Community Engagement — Writing technical articles, speaking at conferences, and mentoring developers

  • Open Source Development — Active participation in Apache projects and Java ecosystem improvements

The IBM Champion program recognizes individuals who share their expertise, advocate for IBM technologies, and help shape the future of enterprise software development.

Hurricane Electric IPv6 Certification

Hurricane Electric’s IPv6 Certification Program provides comprehensive training and validation of IPv6 networking knowledge.

I achieved the highest level: IPv6 Sage, which requires:

  • Demonstrating practical IPv6 knowledge across multiple categories

  • Successfully deploying IPv6-enabled services (web, email, DNS)

  • Passing advanced technical examinations

  • Understanding IPv6 routing, addressing, and security concepts

This certification validates hands-on experience with next-generation internet protocols and modern networking infrastructure.

IPv6 Sage certificate bmarwell

Complete Professional Profile

For a comprehensive list of my professional certifications, digital badges, and technical achievements, visit my Credly profile.

Community Recognition & Badges

Beyond formal certifications, I actively participate in the developer community and support open source initiatives. These badges and emblems represent my values and contributions to the broader tech ecosystem.

Hacker Emblem

The Hacker Emblem is more than just a symbol—it’s a statement of values and community identity.

What It Represents:

The emblem depicts a "Glider" from Conway’s Game of Life, a simple pattern that moves across the grid generation after generation. This represents:

  • Innovation and Persistence — Like the glider, hackers find elegant solutions that endure

  • Open Source Philosophy — Commitment to collaborative development and knowledge sharing

  • Technical Excellence — Appreciation for clever, efficient, and beautiful code

  • Hacker Culture — Embracing curiosity, creativity, and the joy of problem-solving

Understanding "Hacker":

In this context, "hacker" refers to passionate technologists who:

  • Build and create rather than break and destroy

  • Value technical elegance and ingenuity

  • Share knowledge freely with the community

  • Explore systems deeply to understand how they work

  • Contribute to open source projects and collaborative development

The Hacker Emblem is platform-agnostic—whether you use Linux, BSD, macOS, or even Windows, it signifies membership in a global community united by curiosity, creativity, and a love of technology.

hacker emblem glider

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Linking to This Blog

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Using the Blog Button

Ben’s IT-Comments Micro button

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Why Micro-Buttons?

Micro-buttons (88×31 pixels) are a nostalgic throwback to the early web, when websites commonly exchanged links using these small badges. They represent a more collaborative, community-focused internet where creators supported each other through mutual linking and shared audiences.

While modern SEO practices have largely replaced this approach, micro-buttons remain a charming way to celebrate web nostalgia and show support for independent creators.