Handbook for successful online Open source sprints

We have organized many mentored sprints, but being in lockdown meant we had to run our first online mentored sprints. Moving such events from in-person to an online setting was a challenging yet quite enlightening experience. To start with, there are many things that work in traditional sprints but does not work in an online format. Learnt from our experience, so that you do not have to start from scratch. In this talk, we are going to tell you what challenges you will face organizing an online event, and how to overcome them, from making the right technical choices to supporting sprinters and open-source mentors.

Transcript

1. Handbook for successful online Open source sprints DevRelCon Earth - 2020/07/09 Cheuk Ting Ho @cheukting_ho Tania Allard @ixek
2. Tania Allard Sr. Developer Advocate @Microsoft PSF Fellow Pyladies Organiser JOSS editor UK RSE / UKPA trustee
3. Cheuk Ting Ho Developer Relations Lead @TerminusDB EuroPython Organiser Ex-Data Scientist Streamer on Twitch
4. We love sprints • We bring the community together • We encourage contributions • We empower users • We welcome diversity in leadership • We celebrate inclusivity • Inclusion + inclusiveness @cheukting_ho @ixek
5. Come 2020
6. Move everything online! Easy right? Everyone is connected
7. Including... • Time zones • Interpersonal interactions • Support participants • Support mentors • Keep people engaged • Enforce code of conduct • Tools / tech / WiFi @cheukting_ho @ixek
8. Roll with it Well kinda...
9. Dealing with timezones Challenges • Global participation • Increased access (folks who would otherwise not attend the conference/event) • Mentors & organisers distributed across: Australia, Europe, America Solutions • 24 hour long event to cover timezones • Not 1 but 3 events across 3 major time zones • Ongoing rotation for mentors, organisers and CoC enforcement committee @cheukting_ho @ixek
10. Online interpersonal interactions Challenges • Distributed folks (lack of centralised physical space) • Make it a safe space • Connect folks to each other: ◦ Mentor & mentees ◦ Organisers & mentors & mentees Solutions • Workshops & debrief: Zoom (chat disabled) • Main sprint: Discord (platform for gamers) • Mentors & mentees: voice & text channels @cheukting_ho @ixek
11. Supporting participants Challenges • Provide mentorship • Easy to get help (not project specific) • Support those that are not as familiar with git or OSS Solutions • Beginners’ help desk • Contributing to OSS and intro to GitHub workshop • Git helpdesk @cheukting_ho @ixek
12. Keeping folks engaged WITH NO SWAG!!!
13. Keeping folks engaged Challenges • No swag (well we did not manage to get any) • Many distractions when at home Solutions • Regular check-ins • Openly celebrate wins! (create a bot + specific channel for this) • Indicate when timezone rotation happens @cheukting_ho @ixek
14. Providing a safe environment Challenges • Having a Code of Conduct is not enough • Need to moderate online interactions and enforce the Code of Conduct • Too many chats? Too many tools? How to keep track and respond to incidents efficiently Solutions • Bot + human moderated • Centralised communication - Zoom chat disabled • Build Code of Conduct reporting on the Discord server • Have one trained CoC responsible at all times (yes 24hrs, so need to rotate) @cheukting_ho @ixek
15. • A series of coding sprints • A community • A global collaboration • A community handbook https://mentored-sprints.dev
16. How do I run a mentored sprint? CAN YOU RUN A MENTORED SPRINT AT X, Y, Z ?
17. Mentored sprints community handbook
18. https://mentored-sprints.dev
19. Who is it for? Organisers How to run an online sprint from A to Z? Participants What to expect and how to prepare? Mentors How to prepare to mentor on the day? How to prepare to bring my project? @cheukting_ho @ixek
20. One stop handbook • Why reinvent the wheel every time? • An open source resource for sprints organisers (big or small) • Build a Mentored sprints community (online and in person - if ever again) @cheukting_ho @ixek
21. Get involved • Share your experiences • Contribute to the handbook: • Run your mentored sprint at your online conference, online community or else • Share the resource with other organisers • pycon-mentored-sprints/community-handbook @cheukting_ho @ixek https://mentored-sprints.dev
22. Thanks & Get in touch https://mentored-sprints.dev https://github.com/pycon-mentored-sprints/community-handbook Cheuk Ting Ho @cheukting_ho Tania Allard @ixek
23. Acknowledgements - Images from Unsplash