Open Source Stories

Dr. Kari Jordan from The Carpentries talks about her \"aha moment\" discovering open source and how teaching Zumba helps her create more welcoming tech communities. Discover the importance of succession planning in creating contribution pathways and the power of grassroots to help keep you going, because open source work is too important to stop.

Ever wonder if you're the only one who feels like open source is a mystery? Julia Silge shares how she went from thinking it was just "some person alone in a room" to realizing it's a whole world of collaboration and community! Plus, find out why being wrong on the internet isn't so bad after all.

Dive into a whimsical view of open source with Erin McKean as she examines it through the lens of Taylor Swift's Eras. From the "Inventor Era" to the "Responsibility Era," Erin explores how the focus of open source has changed over time. Discover why you need napkins and what "fully automated luxury space communism" might have to do with it all!

Hadley Wickham takes Tracy Teal through the evolution of the tidyverse, starting with a box of rocks all the way through to a thriving community of data scientists. Join them on the Open Source Story of the tidyverse!

Open source lets you create the experiences you want– whether it be with technology, community, or your lasting impact on the world. In his Open Source Story, Rich Bowen reflects on some of the ways in which open source has opened doors to meet those who have inspired him as well as how he thinks about opening doors for others.

In this conversation between Andy Piper and amanda casari, Andy talks about their work in open source communities, specifically highlighting how communities differ, have different needs, and how these needs change and evolve over time. Additionally the discussion covers the “non-glamourous” work that needs to be done, and how difficult it can be to know what sort of help to ask for as a project.

Carol Willing, a veteran programmer with a passion for making technology accessible, shares her journey from mainframe computers to the world of Python and Jupyter Notebooks. She emphasizes the importance of generalist skills, critical thinking, and building up the next generation of engineers.

In a conversation looking at multiple meanings of open source governance and project health, Shauna Gordon-McKeon shares with Open Source Stories views of how investing in project culture can build virtuous cycles of inclusion and contribution. From reducing the number of roles that a maintainer might have to fill to lowering the barriers for user participation - this conversation looks to build f...

Why should open source have all the fun? Clare Dillon shares her experience in the wonderful world of innersource, the application of open source practices within organizations. Collaboration is just too exciting not to share!

From selling stickers to creating one of the most popular projects on GitHub, Robby Russell looks back at the inception and unexpected rise of Oh My Zsh. Usefulness, creativity, and a good onboarding experience are key ingredients in this recipe.

Measuring community health reveals challenges people experience in contributing. Anita Ihuman explains how to build awareness and leverage existing solutions for greater belonging in open source. What you measure, you can see and change!

What changes when the projects you maintain are cornerstones of security? Filippo Valsodra elaborates on his experience as a cryptographer, his work in Go, and how his approach to maintainership might be a bit different from the average maintainer.

How does one pick up the maintainership baton? Turns out that you can ask for it! Jessica Tegner tells the story of how she went from contributing to pypandoc to being the maintainer of it, and of the pressures that come from maintaining a widely used project.

Open source is people and people are open source. Duane O'Brien talks about what he's learned about supporting, connecting with, and caring for the critical human infrastructure of open source.

If you find yourself curious about what’s running your software, then you’re in good company! Many Makers before you have cultivated our current open hardware opportunities to make it easier to start. Python Software Foundation Fellow Thea Flowers invites us to think beyond open source software to the vibrant community of open hardware. Bodge your way to greatness! In this episode, explore the rig...

Free and open source software is, or can be, a public good. But, VM Brasseur finds that for some, it may have gotten disconnected from its open culture roots. In this open source story, VM talks about motivations behind FOSS, how they have shifted, and how those who work in free and open source software can help recenter principles of openness.

Open source, the public domain, and various freedoms take center stage in the story behind Standard Ebooks. Learn about Standard Ebooks, a project founded by Alex Cabal to solve one particular problem, and how it brought together contributors with diverse sets of talents to make public domain literature works of art.

John Minnihan walks through the creation of Freepository, the first hosted source control service, how it paved the way for lowering the barrier to participation in open source, and evolution of version control systems.

When you focus more on connections than commitments in open source, what do you say yes to? Richard talks about open source as an evolving collective and commons unbounded by strict definitions, working in the open with creativity and joy, and the practices which allow him to sustain himself as a collaborator.

What is open source design? Eriol dives into how designers contribute to open source, resources for designers looking to contribute to open source, and how incorporating design work into open source projects benefits the contributors and community using it.

How do we incorporate ethics into open source and software development at large? Dawn Wages describes some of the ways that she embraces ethical open source engineering, including exploring her guiding principles around how she makes technology decisions. Learn about how she works to bring anti-racist practices to the open source ecosystem.

Emma Irwin explores a nuanced view of open source maintainership in today’s landscape, digging into what characteristics good maintainers cultivate, what role mentoring plays in maintainership, and how history influences who becomes a maintainer.

Nic Steenhout recounts how barriers to access led him to getting involved in the open source community, reflects on challenges that accessibility advocates face in the ecosystem, and gives some advice to projects on how to prove their commitment to accessibility.

Elana Hashman recounts her first contribution to open source, the ecosystem’s potential, how norms have changed over the years, and what keeps her involved and contributing.

Samson talks with Amanda about his lifelong journey in open source, why growing a culture of sharing is so important, and how his early experiences influenced where and how he has directed his energy into re-centering the nexus of open source.