Proposal to Contribute to the Open-Source Social Media Data Donation Tool #1
Description
Respected Mentor Dhara Mungra and the SimPPL Team,
I ,Sneha Ghosh, express my interest in contributing to the Open-Source Social Media Data Donation Tool as part of SimPPL’s ongoing initiatives in social media intelligence and open-source research. With a background in full-stack development, AI , cybersecurity, and ethical technology, I am enthusiastic about supporting this impactful project that bridges user engagement analytics with privacy-respecting data collection methods.
This initiative resonates strongly with my values, particularly in its focus on transparency, voluntary participation, and responsible data practices. Understanding how users interact with social media content—including AI-generated material—is increasingly vital for researchers, educators, and policymakers. I am excited to contribute to a solution that enables this insight while upholding strong privacy and ethical standards.
As a contributor, I propose to support the development of a browser extension using WebExtension APIs (Manifest V3), initially targeting Google Chrome and later expanding to compatible platforms. The extension will capture user engagement data such as time spent on posts, scroll depth, interaction patterns, and basic metadata—strictly after obtaining explicit user consent. All collected data will be anonymized using secure methods such as hashed identifiers and randomized tokens to ensure no personally identifiable information is retained.
To support backend infrastructure and data logging, I plan to develop a lightweight, secure service using Python with AWS services for secure storage and scalable deployment. The backend will be structured to align with SimPPL’s existing architecture, emphasizing modularity, privacy compliance, and long-term maintainability.
Additionally, if time and scope permit, I will incorporate optional gamification elements such as anonymized leaderboards and contribution milestones to encourage user participation. These features will be implemented in a non-intrusive, opt-in manner and will never compromise the core functionality or user privacy.
I will also contribute to the open-source aspects of the project, including comprehensive documentation, contribution guidelines, and onboarding instructions for developers. My focus will be to make the codebase accessible, maintainable, and community-friendly.
My technical skills include Python , AWS , HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Git , Next.js , Node.js + Express.js , GenAI. I have experience in developing secure, user-focused applications and have worked on both frontend and backend components in past projects. Additionally, I have a foundational understanding of data privacy regulations and a strong commitment to ethical software practices.
Beyond coding, I am eager to support project promotion, user onboarding, and community engagement. I can assist in preparing multilingual content (e.g., Bengali or Hindi), video walkthroughs, and localized user guides to increase accessibility and reach.
I appreciate your consideration of my proposal and would welcome the opportunity to contribute to this innovative, socially meaningful initiative. I look forward to your feedback and the possibility of collaborating with the SimPPL team.
Sincerely,
Sneha Ghosh
Resume: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tLJuSW4vH5ckZEsosBPPmre3BpSW2jSw/view?usp=sharing
GitHub: https://github.com/SnehaghoshBarsha444
Medium: https://medium.com/@technical_isopod_075
Email: snehaghosh.arcadefacilitator@gmail.com
Location: West Bengal, India