Hitchhikers Guide to Free and Open Source Participation by Elena Williams

HITCHHIKERS GUIDE
TO
FREE AND OPEN
SOURCE
PARTICIPATION

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@
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e
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s
o
n o
f M
y
s
t
e
r
y
N
o t
i
m
e
!

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ANDREW
TRIDGELL
r
s
y
n
c
"TRIDGE"
Author of and
T
h
a
n
k y
o
u
!

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COMP8440
ANU
Australian National
University
COMP8440
YOUTUBE
Lectures

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WHAT IS
"OPEN SOURCE",
ANYWAY?

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LIBRE GRATUIT
"FREE" SOFTWARE
#
e
n
g
l
i
s
h
f
a
i
l

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friː/
Able to act or be done as one wishes;
not under the control of another
“ ”

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"INVENTED" IN A
BOARDROOM
IN 1998
Term "Free" implicitly threatening to them.
"OPEN SOURCE"
P
u
b
l
i
c
, "
o
p
e
n
" s
o
u
r
c
e
, s
u
c
h a
s a n
e
w
s
p
a
p
e
r
/
p
h
o
n
e b
o
o
k

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FREE
LIBRE
OPEN
SOURCE
SOFTWARE
DEVELOPMENT
F
r
e
e S
o
f
t
w
a
r
e
, O
p
e
n S
o
u
r
c
e
, F
O
S
S
, F
L
O
S
S

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Copy or Transmit
Display or Perform
Sell
Change!
(Remix/make Derivative works)
COPY "RIGHTS"
A
s
s
u
m
e
d t
o a
p
p
l
y a
u
t
o
m
a
t
i
c
a
l
l
y
.

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fixed
in any
tangible medium
“
”
creator of a
creative
expression
“
”
J
u
r
i
s
d
i
c
t
i
o
n
s
: r
u
l
e
s s
a
m
e
, e
n
f
o
r
c
e
m
e
n
t v
a
r
i
e
s
.
1
7 U
S
C §
1
0
2 F
r
a
n
k S
i
l
e
r "
C
o
p
y
r
i
g
h
t a
n
d Y
o
u
" P
y
C
o
n 2
0
1
3

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COPYRIGHT EXCEPTIONS

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In the beginning there was the
command line.
BEGINNING OF SOFTWARE
> _

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Richard Stallman
FATHER OF FREE SOFTWARE
F
r
e
a
k g
e
n
i
u
s
, M
I
T A
I l
a
b
s

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FOSS Licensing is a Hack on Copyright
Copyleft doesn't exist without Copyright.
"PROMISE" NOT TO SUE

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Offsets Copy"rights" as "Freedoms
(and other stuff)
63 Recognised Licenses
GPL and LGPL; Apache License; BSD;
MIT License; Mozilla Public License 2.0;
OPEN SOFTWARE INITIATIVE
+
2
8 r
e
j
e
c
t
e
d l
i
c
e
n
s
e
s
.

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Do you understand the difference?
FREE SOFTWARE
V.
OPEN SOURCE

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kernel source "open"
.. but don't copy, change, derive, resell, etc

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Wait: Am I the Copyright Holder?
At what point could you re-license Windows?
Your own script?: Yes!
A framework specific plugin?: .. maybe
DERIVED WORKS
"
C
O
M
P
8
4
4
0
: F
O
S
S a
n
d t
h
e L
a
w
"

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15% of all repositories had license files
(ie: 85% are not FOSS)
GITHUB PROJECTS
WITH LICENSES
"
a
l
l t
h
e f
r
u
i
t
s i
n t
h
e f
o
r
e
s
t a
r
e p
o
i
s
o
n
o
u
s
"

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Would you remember to consider everything?
Limitation of Liability
Disclaim Warranty
(or you can still be sued)
USE AN OSI LICENSE
C
a
r
l w
i
l
l b
e t
a
l
k
i
n
g w
h
i
c
h l
i
c
e
n
c
e t
o c
h
o
o
s
e a
f
t
e
r m
e
.

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Copyright (C) Andrew Tridgell 1992.
“
Permission to use, copy and distribute
this software is given to anyone who
wants to, for NON-PROFIT only. You
may not charge for this software or any
derivatives of it without first contacting
the Author.
D
o
n
'
t w
r
i
t
e y
o
u
r o
w
n
:
"
C
O
M
P
8
4
4
0
: L
i
c
e
n
s
i
n
g
" (
3
m
i
n
) 1
8 y
e
a
r
s l
a
t
e
r
.

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Software Freedom Law Centre
Software Freedom Conservancy
Free Software Foundation (FSF)
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
Creative Commons, QuestionCopyright, GrokLaw
MODERN HEROES
W
e n
e
e
d m
o
r
e t
e
c
h
n
i
c
a
l l
a
w
y
e
r
s
.

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//WHY
CONTRIBUTE?

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YOU!

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AUTONOMY
MASTERY
PURPOSE
WHAT WE REALLY WANT
(
n
o
t m
o
n
e
y
)

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Pretty much anything
anyone ever does is for this,
our brains are wired this way.
Recognition
TO FEEL A SENSE OF
CONNECTION
M
e
e
t l
i
k
e
-
m
i
n
d
e
d p
e
o
p
l
e
.

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"SKILL UP"
HOW TO BE THE "BEST"
Try things don't do "during the day"
Pursue Perfection
BEST SCHOOL
D
o c
o
o
l t
h
i
n
g
s w
i
t
h p
e
o
p
l
e b
e
t
t
e
r t
h
a
n y
o
u
.

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Exposure for Your Projects/Work
Exposure for You
Employers want:
Proof of your Capability
BEST CV
W
a
n
t j
o
b
s
?

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"Make the
world a better place."
Moral values
Democracy/Meritocracy
But not everyone!
ETHICS AND ALTRUISM
N
o
t c
o
o
l t
o t
a
l
k a
b
o
u
t i
n o
l
d
-
s
k
o
o
l p
r
o
j
e
c
t
s
.

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Compelling and challenging
Chaotic, Anarchic
and Opinionated
Serendipitous:
Don't know where it will go.
We'd do it anyway.
(probably)
FUN

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ALL PROJECTS
ARE DIFFERENT

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How big is the project?
How technical and serious is the project?
What is its scope?
KINDS OF PROJECTS
C
a
n
'
t i
n
d
e
p
e
n
d
e
n
t
l
y d
e
r
i
v
e t
h
i
s s
t
u
f
f
.

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How old is the project?
Where in its lifecycle is it?
~ New project
~ Active progression
~ Mature, maintenance phase
~ Dead
KINDS OF PROJECTS

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How many people are involved?
What clear roles are defined?
~ BDFL/s
~ Release Manager
~ Core Developers
~ Governance Structure/Software Foundation
KINDS OF PROJECTS

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Cathedral v. Bazaar
Recent research:
~ Foundation
~ Community driven
~ Monarchy
KINDS OF PROJECTS

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2%
~335K projects
(maybe) 1500 active
WE ARE
PYTHON

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For the Purpose of Contribution
2 TYPES
OF PROJECT
WE ARE PYTHON

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MEDIAN: 1 CONTRIBUTOR
"
W
h
e
n F
r
e
e S
o
f
t
w
a
r
e I
s
n
'
t B
e
t
t
e
r
" B
e
n
j
a
m
i
n M
a
k
o H
i
l
l

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Very tiny number of famous projects need:
highly skilled, specific help.
Vast majority of projects need:
all the help in the world.
VERY BIG AND VERY SMALL

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HAVE A BASIC IDEA
OF THE PROJECT
BEFORE DIVING IN.
For your own sake.
C
a
n h
a
v
e d
i
a
m
e
t
r
i
c
a
l
l
y o
p
p
o
s
i
n
g e
x
p
e
r
i
e
n
c
e
s
.

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TREAD CAREFULLY
Some projects
have very high
expectations.
SOME PROJECTS ARE FUNNY
L
i
n
u
x k
e
r
n
e
l I
'
m l
o
o
k
i
n
g a
t y
o
u
.

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Start where you are
Use what you've got
Do what you can
“
”
A
l
e
x "
S
k
u
d
" B
a
y
l
e
y

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//WHERE DO I
FIND PROJECTS?
I
'
m r
e
a
d
y
.

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https://open .org
https://github.com/explore
http://sourceforge.net/p/forge/helpwanted/
http://teachingopensource.org/
https://opensource.com/ (redhat)
http://community.ubuntu.com/contribute/
http://contribute.jquery.org/
hatch

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DOMAIN KNOWLEDGE
J
u
s
t b
e
c
a
u
s
e .
.
.

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What's your interest?
What's your strength?
What skill do you currently want to work on?
What problem to you want to solve?
What do you do in your spare time?
weird form of teamwork
P
e
r
s
o
n
a
l n
e
e
d
/
"
S
c
r
a
t
c
h
i
n
g y
o
u
r o
w
n i
t
c
h
"

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HAVE A GOOD
INTERNAL SENSE
OF WHEN YOU'RE
USING FREE SOFTWARE
LEARN TO LOOK
(
w
h
i
c
h I t
r
u
s
t e
v
e
r
y
o
n
e h
e
r
e d
o
e
s .
.
.
)

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Learn to Look
for ways you can help.
If you have the right attitude interesting
problems will find you.
THINK LIKE A CONTRIBUTOR
“
Lesson #4 The Cathedral and the Bazaar
G
o b
e
y
o
n
d b
e
i
n
g a P
a
s
s
i
v
e U
s
e
r

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Details, details, details
Isolate, replicate and report bugs properly.
Read and understand documentation
THINK LIKE A CONTRIBUTOR
(spelling, cruft, etc).
When you find bugs:
(for clarity and coherence).
R
e
m
e
m
b
e
r
: Y
o
u
'
r
e c
o
n
t
r
i
b
u
t
i
n
g e
f
f
o
r
t
, i
t t
a
k
e
s e
n
e
r
g
y
.

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START SMALL
This is not the last time I'm going to say this.

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#1 Seek/Find/Reach out
notice itch
find code (eyeball community)
#2 Do your thing
fork, clone
poke around code (grep, code, etc)
commit, push (to your version)
#3 Send back your work
pull-request (comment/email)

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#1 Notice Itch, Find Source
Seek/Find/Reach out.
#2 Work on your Contribution
#3 Return your Contributions
Notify project, get feedback.

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For your first commit:
Punch your weight
Play to your strengths
Have realistic expectations
Talk to the project!
MY FIRST CONTRIBUTION
F
i
r
s
t t
i
m
e
: L
i
k
e d
i
n
n
e
r p
a
r
t
i
e
s a
n
d m
a
r
a
t
h
o
n
s
d
o
n
'
t a
t
t
e
m
p
t s
o
m
e
t
h
i
n
g y
o
u
'
v
e n
e
v
e
r d
o
n
e b
e
f
o
r
e
.

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Well known projects have:
serious,
dedicated,
committed,
professional
people working on them.
T
h
e
s
e p
e
o
p
l
e h
a
v
e t
a
k
e
n s
e
r
i
o
u
s t
i
m
e a
n
d e
f
f
o
r
t
.

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"Ecosystem" around big projects
~ Work up ranks (hard work over long time).
~ Make plugins.
~ Be a good "Cultural fit".
CONCEPT OF "CORE"
T
r
u
s
t
w
o
r
t
h
y c
o
m
m
i
t
t
e
r
s a
r
e a v
e
r
y l
i
m
i
t
e
d r
e
s
o
u
r
c
e

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CONFERENCE SPRINTS!
Tools/projects you use.
Projects people you know are working on.
Projects within your "domain".
"Learn to look" redux
FINDING PROJECTS
A
f
t
e
r t
h
e c
l
o
s
i
n
g a
d
d
r
e
s
s i
n a
b
o
u
t 3 h
o
u
r
s
.

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//AS A
CODER

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Spend most your time:
Reading Code
Fixing
Testing
Maintaining
Documenting
AS A CODER
I
t
'
s n
o
t a
l
l a
b
o
u
t t
h
e u
b
e
r
-
e
g
o c
o
m
m
i
t
s
.

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Code Review
Ticket Triage
Help out on the Users list/IRC
(fielding questions)
AS A CODER

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The software development
methodologies adopted
are not the same as those found
in closed source development projects.
“
”

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(Stable/Working) > (your Ego)
Expect to get Rejection
but playful, friendly, caring rejection.
Aspiring to Concensus-Based Perfection
(rather than minimum viable product)
HOW FOSS IS DIFFERENT
P
a
r
t
i
c
u
l
a
r
l
y i
n f
a
m
o
u
s p
r
o
j
e
c
t
s
: f
r
e
e ⊄ i
d
e
a
l

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Learn to take "feedback"
(ie criticism)
Accepting criticism is actually a skill.
YOU ARE NOT YOUR CODE.
Development is a continuum.
G
i
v
i
n
g g
o
o
d c
o
n
s
t
r
u
c
t
i
v
e c
r
i
t
i
c
i
s
m
i
s a r
e
a
l
l
y h
a
r
d s
k
i
l
l
.

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My patch is amazing
accept it now.
✗
Who is this guy?
Do you think this
patch is OK?
✓
OMG, God wrote this patch.
BE OVERLY MODEST
"
c
o
m
p
l
e
t
e
l
y a
n
d s
e
l
f
-
d
e
p
r
e
c
a
t
i
n
g
l
y t
r
u
t
h
f
u
l
"

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DROP YOUR EGO
It's just not cool here.

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You are Here by Choice
Engage Socially
You are statistically more likely to stay involved
with the project for longer.
I
R
C
, E
m
a
i
l
, S
p
r
i
n
t
s
, U
s
e
r G
r
o
u
p
s
, C
o
n
f
e
r
e
n
c
e

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DURATION
OF PARTICIPATION IS
FUNCTION OF
SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

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Ask your employer!
Give back donate some of your time to the
projects you use at work.
Openly License your internal packages/projects.
THINGS YOU CAN DO
S
o
m
e o
f t
h
e
s
e k
i
n
d
s o
f p
r
o
j
e
c
t
s c
a
n b
e s
u
c
c
e
s
s
f
u
l
.

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//AS A
NON-CODER

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50%-50%
FOSS needs non-Coders.
FOSS needs to
involve non-Coders
effectively.
NON-CODERS
M
S
F
, E
W
B
, P
r
o
-
B
o
n
o L
a
w
y
e
r
s

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Code Review (learning)
Every project needs:
Designers, Content makers, Writers
Translations!
Many kinds of unusual task!
AS A NON-CODER
A
l
l t
h
e
s
e t
h
i
n
g
s t
a
k
e t
r
e
m
e
n
d
o
u
s t
a
l
e
n
t a
n
d e
f
f
o
r
t
.

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Be Modest and be OK with Yourself
Be confident you can do something they can't.
Beware of the gaping holes in their knowledge
outside code and be gentle about this.
AS A NON-CODER
P
r
o
g
r
a
m
m
e
r
s a
r
e
n
'
t v
e
r
y s
m
a
r
t
,
t
h
e
y w
i
l
l m
i
r
r
o
r
: i
f y
o
u
'
r
e c
o
m
f
o
r
t
a
b
l
e t
h
e
y w
i
l
l b
e
.

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LEARN TO USE GITHUB
Be comfortable with
how to make contributions
and everything else will follow.
IF YOU ARE NOT A CODER
T
h
i
s i
s t
h
e 2
0
1
4 a
d
v
i
c
e
.

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USE A GIT GUI

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CONCENTRATE
Version Control
(particularly git)
has a reputation for being complicated.

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//HOW TO
PROJECT OWNER
Don't ask me.
Ask Carl, he's talking about this next.

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ALSO ASK THESE PEOPLE

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For the love of humanity ...
Ensure It’s Possible to Run/Install!
INSTALLATION AND
DEPENDENCIES
F
o
r
t
u
n
a
t
e
l
y w
e a
l
l u
s
e v
i
r
t
u
a
l e
n
v
i
r
o
n
m
e
n
t
s
.

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"Advertising" helps.
Maintenance and care helps.
Enough code to convince
potential co-developers.
FIRST TIME?:
DON'T EXPECT CONTRIBUTORS
"
p
l
a
u
s
i
b
l
e p
r
o
m
i
s
e
"

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Phrase your problem in a way that's
easily accessible to the
person with the right skills.
Offer Recognition
GETTING OTHER PEOPLE
TO HELP

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This is one of the
main motivations
for people to contribute.
They're not doing it for the money, after all.
GIVE RECOGNITION!

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Don't Automatically Reject/Revert
Don't let people find out through an
automated system.
Drop a quick note,
there's usually a reason.
H
u
m
a
n
s h
a
t
e r
e
j
e
c
t
i
o
n
, c
h
i
p
s a
w
a
y a
t y
o
u
r s
o
u
l
.

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Never Know Who's Watching
You probably have quality sleepers/lurkers.
You will never see contribution from people
you (or your community's) behavior turns away.
ALWAYS BE CORDIAL

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According to the research:
Average involvement is between:
3 months and 2 years.
People Change!
EMBRACE YOUR CHURN
.
.
. a
n
d t
h
e
y s
h
o
u
l
d
!

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Occasionally ignore everything
(except security).
Project Leader Churn
is also a Thing
BURN OUT: TAKE BREAKS

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SOMEONE NEW
COME UP NOW!

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... and are solved by.
Communicate! Communicate!
95% human problems are caused by ...
COMMUNICATE!
S
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.

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State It Up front
State as Simply as Possible
brief, short, to the point, concise, succint
summary, pithy, crisp, incisive
ASK/EXPLAIN: BE TERSE
“ ”
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.

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Do What You Say You're Going to Do
If you can’t: Communicate!
FOSS people are spectacularly understanding.
DON'T SPEAK UP, if you're not "already there".
SET EXPECTATIONS
1
8
%

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Don’t agonise (spare yourself pain!)
Experienced people often can see/feel
you struggling .
ASK!
(but will be polite)
In short term: it may be intimidating to ask
In medium term: you're learning faster
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.

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Everyone does.
Everyone is about most things.
The "best" leverage
On feeling stupid:
(and are usually very humble).
SAYING: I DON’T KNOW
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Rule of Thumb:
If you're stuck for 1⁄2 hour
go to: IRC, mailing lists, IM, etc
ASK!
"
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Decisions are made by
the people who show up.
User Groups, Hackerspaces, Conferences
IRC, Email Lists
TURN UP
“ ”
B
o
t
h O
n
l
i
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e a
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i
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e

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CONGRATULATIONS!
You are already here.
Thank you!
Share and enjoy.

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Don't Criticise People's Life Decisions
It's a surprisingly small community.
ON EACH OTHER'S TEAM
S
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.

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Don't Criticise Technical
Fixes/Solutions that are
Currently Working
Rough concensus, running code.
“ ”
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.

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Don't Criticise other FOSS Projects
... without contacting the project first.
Send an email or submit a ticket.
Pull up anyone else you see doing this.
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.

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All mistakes will eventually be
washed clean by time and entropy.
Communities are very robust.
DON’T GET DISHEARTENED
N
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.

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All too much:
THANKS
Send an email, tweet
say thanks to people for all their hard work.
SAY

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PYTHON
DIVERSITY GRANT
THANK YOU

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THE PSF
PYCON AUSTRALIA
LINUX AUSTRALIA
PYLADIES
ALL THE THANKS

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Hitchhikers Guide to Free and Open Source Participation by Elena Williams

Hitchhikers Guide to Free and Open Source Participation by Elena Williams

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