Episode 235: The State of Open Infrastructure 2024, from IOI with Emmy Tsang

Sustain

#Tech #SustainOSS #Open Source #Open Source Software #Open Source Community #Open Source Community Growth #Open Source Development #Software Development #Programming Software #Open Source Contributor

1:36:55

What’s up, Tribe, and welcome back to Good Moms Bad Choices! January was amazing, but its time to turn the page on the calendar and embrace beautiful new energy as we enter ‘The Journey of Love February.’ This month is all about the heart - join Erica and Milah to catch up and discuss what’s new in the world of motherhood, marriage, and amor! In this week’s episode, the ladies offer witty and sharp perspectives about personal growth in love, supporting your kids through their friend drama, and how to honor your true needs in a partnership. Mama Bear to the Rescue! The Good Moms discuss protective parenting and helping your kids fight their battles (8:00) Bad Choice of the Week: Help! My kids saw me in my lingerie! (20:00) My Happily Ever After: Erica and Milah discuss the prospect of marriage, dreams of becoming a housewife, and the top 5 ways to be confident in love (32:00) Yoni Mapping: Releasing Trauma and Increasing Pleasure (57:00) Its OK to fuck up, but also, what do you (really) bring to the table: The Good Moms have an honest discussion about finding accountability and growth before love (1:03:00) Watch This episode & more on YouTube! Catch up with us over at Patreon and get all our Full visual episodes, bonus content & early episode releases. Join our private Facebook group! Let us help you! Submit your advice questions, anonymous secrets or vent about motherhood anonymously! Submit your questions Connect With Us: @GoodMoms_BadChoices @TheGoodVibeRetreat @Good.GoodMedia @WatchErica @Milah_Mapp Official GMBC Music: So good feat Renee, Trip and http://www.anthemmusicenterprises.com Join us this summer in paradise at the Good Vibe Rest+Vibe Retreat in Costa Rica July 31- August 5 August 8 - August 13 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

about a year ago 37:26

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Guest

Emmy Tsang

Panelist

Richard Littauer

Show Notes

In this episode of Sustain, host Richard Littauer welcomes Emmy Tsang, the Engagement Lead at Invest in Open Infrastructure (IOI). Emmy introduces the mission of IOI, which focuses on increasing investment in and adoption of open infrastructure to promote equitable access and participation in research. The discussion delves into what constitutes 'open infrastructure,' the need for nuanced definitions, and IOI's efforts in providing evidence-based tools, strategic support, and funding pilots within the space. Emmy also highlights IOI's inaugural 'State of Open Infrastructure 2024' report, set to serve as an annual resource for understanding the open infrastructure landscape. They discuss the report's contents, including analysis of funding, governance trends, and policies affecting open infrastructure, and Emmy invites feedback from the community to improve future iterations of the report. Press download to hear more!

[00:01:04] Emmy explains IOI and how it provides tools and recommendations, strategic support, and runs funding pilots.

[00:02:14] There’s a discussion on the growth of the IOI team and the importance of a global perspective, as well as an explanation of IOI’s funding and fiscal sponsorship by Code for Science and Society.

[00:03:47] Emmy explains open infrastructure as a spectrum and the importance of context and mentions the five criteria for defining open infrastructure.

[00:07:37] Richard asks Emmy for clarification on the definition of infrastructure on the context of open infrastructure. She tells us a broader definition as services and technologies relied upon by researchers and scholars and gives an example.

[00:10:34] Richard questions how IOI integrates community feedback into their work. Emmy explains IOI’s privileged position to consider open infrastructure at an ecosystem level, mentions the Infra Finder tool for open infrastructure discovery, and her role as an engagement person. She also mentions shifting power in funding decisions and increasing accessibility of funding to low and middle-income economies.

[00:15:32] The “State of Open Infrastructure 2024” report will launch on May 28^th. Emmy discusses the topics covered in the report, explains how they used their Infra Finder tool, and the data from the report will be shared openly via Zenodo.

[00:19:38] Richard appreciates the scope and ambition of the report and wonders about the primary audience of the report and its relevance to open source maintainers. We learn the report is targeted at funders, but also relevant to maintainers and developers of open infrastructures.

[00:25:16] Emmy responds on how they reach out to potential infrastructures and encourage storytelling through their work and engagement. She explains the unique perspective IOI brings to the concept of infrastructure and emphasizes the importance of defining success and sustainability for open infrastructure. Also, she mentions the “Graceful Transitions” section in the report, highlighting organizational changes in infrastructures.

[00:30:18] Richard agrees on the need for personal and emotional discussions about transitions in open source projects. Emmy invites listeners to participate in community conversations about the report’s chapters and shares details on the upcoming community conversations and how to join the mailing list for updates.

[00:32:40] Find out where you can read the report and follow Emmy on the interwebs.

Quotes

[00:04:14 ] “We find it easy to put open into really clear binaries, you’re open or not open, etc, etc.”

[00:04:43] “Most of the time these binaries don’t really make sense.”

[00:06:29] “We’re viewing open infrastructure more as a spectrum.”

[00:26:42] “What does success and sustainability mean for open infrastructure?”

Spotlight

[00:34:24] Richard’s spotlight is the book, The (Big)Year That Flew By by Arjan Dwarshuis
[00:35:10] Emmy’s spotlight is the Digital Infrastructure Insights Fund.

Credits

Produced by Richard Littauer
Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound
Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound

Special Guest: Emmy Tsang.

Support Sustain

274 episodes

Sustain

Episode 235: The State of Open Infrastructure 2024, from IOI with Emmy Tsang

Sustain

11 subscribers

published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

Guest

Emmy Tsang

Panelist

Richard Littauer

Show Notes

[00:01:04] Emmy explains IOI and how it provides tools and recommendations, strategic support, and runs funding pilots.

[00:03:47] Emmy explains open infrastructure as a spectrum and the importance of context and mentions the five criteria for defining open infrastructure.

[00:32:40] Find out where you can read the report and follow Emmy on the interwebs.

Quotes

[00:04:14 ] “We find it easy to put open into really clear binaries, you’re open or not open, etc, etc.”

[00:04:43] “Most of the time these binaries don’t really make sense.”

[00:06:29] “We’re viewing open infrastructure more as a spectrum.”

[00:26:42] “What does success and sustainability mean for open infrastructure?”

Spotlight

[00:34:24] Richard’s spotlight is the book, The (Big)Year That Flew By by Arjan Dwarshuis
[00:35:10] Emmy’s spotlight is the Digital Infrastructure Insights Fund.

Credits

Produced by Richard Littauer
Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound
Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound

Special Guest: Emmy Tsang.

Support Sustain

274 episodes

#Tech #SustainOSS #Open Source #Open Source Software #Open Source Community #Open Source Community Growth #Open Source Development #Software Development #Programming Software #Open Source Contributor

All episodes

Sustain

1
Episode 273: Maintainer Month 2025 with Federico Mena Quintero on GNOME 46:11

1 day ago46:11

46:11

Guest Federico Mena Quintero Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this special Maintainer Month episode of Sustain, host Richard Littauer chats with Federico Mena Quintero, a foundational GNOME hacker and board member. Federico shares his journey from learning image processing in high school, becoming a key contributor to the GIMP project, and founding the GNOME desktop environment. He discusses the historical context, challenges, and achievements of GNOME and open source development. The conversation delves into the importance of maintaining infrastructural software, adapting to new technologies like the Rust programming language, and the socio-economic factors influencing the open source community's demographics. Press download now to hear more! [00:01:29] Federico describes GNOME as the “surface of your desk”- the visual and interactive layer of the Linux desktop. [00:02:16] Federico started writing image processing programs in high school and discovered GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) and began contributing plugins. Encouraged by positive feedback, he continued developing filters and building community resources. [00:10:20] The proprietary Motif GUI toolkit used by GIMP prompted the creation of GTK (GIMP Toolkit), a free alternative. GTK was split from GIMP and became a foundation for GNOME. Miguel de Icaza learned about modular component design from Microsoft and brought those ideas to the GNOME team. [00:14:48] Federico explains KDE was already launched but used the non-free Qt toolkit and GNOME was created as a fully free alternative using GTK. [00:17:58] They discuss GNOME’s long-term success which has thousands of contributors and institutional backing from its foundation. [00:21:06] Federico reflects on his privilege. He never had to apply for his first job because he was recruited and recognizes the barriers to entry for underrepresented communities. [00:24:32] The conversation turns to global south and diversity. Federico discusses the limitations on who can participate in open source due to time, money, and societal roles, and notes that women and people outside the Global North often face greater barriers. [00:30:37] Richard inquires what Federico means by “maintaining infrastructure.” He explains that open source today is less about new features and more about keeping infrastructure working. [00:32:59] Federico talks about a recent project to replace a vital but abandoned infrastructure component and emphasizes the need for sustainable maintenance strategies. [00:36:25] Federico became maintainer of Librsvg image rendering library from C to Rust. [00:40:00] Find out where you can follow Federico on the web. Quotes [00:31:10] “Software doesn’t rot, but the environment around it changes.” Spotlight [00:40:57] Richard’s spotlight is the book, 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus. [00:41:49] Federico’s spotlight is two books: Malintzin’s Choices and James. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Federico Mena Quintero Blog Federico Mena Quintero Mastodon GNOME GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) GTK Librsvg 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann La Malinche Malintzin’s Choices by Camila Townsend James by Percival Everett Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Federico Mena Quintero. Support Sustain…

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Episode 272: Maintainer Month 2025 with Sarah Rainsberger of Astro 39:46

8 days ago39:46

39:46

Guest Sarah Rainsberger Panelists Richard Littauer | Abby Mayes | Eriol Fox Show Notes In this special Maintainer Month episode of Sustain, hosts Richard, Abby, and Eriol talk with guest, Sarah Rainsberger, a documentation lead at Astro, who shares her journey from teaching high school mathematics to becoming an open source contributor. Sarah elaborates on her approach to documentation, emphasizing the importance of clear, supportive, and inclusive communication to onboard new contributors effectively. She also discusses using low-tech tools like Chromebooks and cloud-based editors for open source contributions. The episode highlights the strategies employed by the Astro Docs team to recognize and value contributions. Press download now to hear more! [00:02:30] Sarah shares her background, role at Astro, how she got involved in documentation that started by fixing a bad choir website, and why she chose Astro over Gatsby and quickly became a key contributor. [00:06:49] She reflects on the moment she connected her work with the concept of “open source.” [00:07:54] Sarah talks about becoming a leader using Chromebook, taking lessons on Scrimba, and using cloud tools like CodeSandbox and Gitpod, the Astro community embracing her methods, and how she built a reputation as someone making meaningful contributions regardless of hardware. [00:14:24] Sarah explains how docs are “self-serve support” and essential to project success. [00:16:28] The conversation turns to combatting the stigma that docs are low value and Sarah addresses the false perception that documentation isn’t real development. [00:18:28] Sarah shares that Astro has over 1,000 docs contributors and details their intentional process of welcoming, crediting, and celebrating new contributors. [00:24:37] How does Astro handle lower-quality contributions? Astro uses the motto: “Not worse than what we had before.” They edit or mentor rather than reject, to build confidence and retain contributors. [00:29:12] Astro maintains a separate documentation site (“D Squared”) that outlines its processes for contributing to documentation. [00:33:25] Sarah shares where to find her work at the Astro Docs and where to find her. Quotes [00:05:26] “If I’m going in, let’s go all in.” [00:12:50] “I have chosen to maintain low tech.” [00:12:59] “I am known for my evil devices.” [00:14:36] “Docs are so important to a project that you want someone else to use or contribute to.” [00:15:28] “Docs is the most scalable type of support that you can have.” [00:16:37] “Everyone complains about docs until it’s someone else’s project.” [00:26:51] “PRs don’t just fall out of the sky; they are effort, and they are work.” [00:27:05] “There is some motivation behind this PR.” [00:31:41] “Several of our maintainers started by translating the docs.” [00:31:49] “If you want to find mistakes in your English docs, you want translators.” Spotlight [00:34:40] Abby’s’ spotlight is CommunityRule. [00:35:04] Eriol’s spotlight is State of Docs. [00:35:19] Richard’s spotlight is Nathan Schneider and the Protocol Oral History Project. [00:36:08] Sarah’s spotlight is Better GitHub Co-Authors. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Abby Cabunoc Mayes GitHub Eriol Fox GitHub Sarah Rainsberger Website Sarah Rainsberger Mastodon Non-code contributions are the secret to open source success (The ReadME Project) Astro Astro Docs Contribute to Astro Gitpod Scrimba Hugo Server CommunityRule State of Docs Better GitHub Co-Authors Sustain Podcast-Episode 85: Geoffrey Huntley and Sustaining OSS with Gitpod Sustain Podcast- 2 episodes featuring Nathan Schneider Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Sarah Rainsberger. Support Sustain…

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Episode 271: Maintainer Month 2025 with Kade Morton on Cybersecurity 37:47

15 days ago37:47

37:47

Guest Kade Morton Panelists Richard Littauer | Eriol Fox Show Notes In this Maintainers Month episode of Sustain, host Richard Littauer and co-host Eriol Fox talk with cybersecurity expert Kade Morton from Arachne Digital. The conversation dives into how Kade’s unconventional path through criminology and international relations led him into cybersecurity and open source. They explore the unique challenges of sustaining open source security tools, particularly for human rights activists and under-resourced groups, the tension between proprietary and open solutions, and how geopolitical contexts and human motivations influence modern digital threat landscapes. Hit download now to hear more! [00:01:41] Kade explains his work is split between a day job working security operations and a startup he runs called Arachne Digital. [00:02:51] Kade tells us about his background, how he got into cybersecurity through self-teaching and open source, and how his criminology and international relations studies informed his interest in cyber threats. [00:05:17] Kade discusses the open source projects he maintains, specifically ‘Thread.’ [00:06:50] We learn about the difficulty of getting others invested in better tools and Kade discusses challenges explaining open source values to corporate environments. [00:12:26] Richard asks whether closed-source software is more secure and Kade highlights how most real world exploits target proprietary software. [00:14:57] Eriol brings up security perceptions in non-tech orgs using digital tools. Kade shares how Arachne Digital offers free services to vetted human rights orgs and he they discuss challenges balancing funding and access in human rights cybersecurity. [00:19:17] Richard reflects on monetization models for sustaining open source cybersecurity. Kade explains his company avoids fear-based marketing and promotes awareness instead. [00:22:40] Kade outlines how their threat-informed defense model works. [00:25:42] Eriol asks what changes could help improve open source sustainability. Kade discusses feeling out of place in both government and open source spaces and emphasizes cross-pollination between sectors to reduce polarity. [00:28:29] Richard introduces the concept of “digital sovereignty.” Kade warns of the risks of splintering the internet through nationalism and advocates for a balanced middle ground between centralization and fragmentation. [00:31:41] Kade shares where you can find his work on the web. Quotes [00:13:44] “It’s mostly proprietary software that’s being hacked.” [00:29:40] “The internet is the world’s largest shared resource.” Spotlight [00:32:56] Eriol’s spotlight is a repository called: The Design We Open. [00:33:49] Richard’s spotlight is 1Password and Robin Riley. [00:34:31 Kade’s spotlight is a shoutout to Mitre for TRAM and Justin Seitz who wrote a blog post on a project called, Searx. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Eriol Fox GitHub Kade Morton LinkedIn Arachne Digital Arachne Digital LinkedIn Arachne Digital (Medium) Arachne Digital (YouTube) Arachne Digital (Bluesky) Arachne Digital (GitHub) Thread-GitHub The National Digital Forum (NDF) The New Design Congress Open Technology Fund -Security Lab The Design We Open (GitHub) 1Password TRAM Searx Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Kade Morton. Support Sustain…

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Episode 270: Ben Nickolls & Andrew Nesbitt on Ecosyste.ms 44:26

22 days ago44:26

44:26

Guests Ben Nickolls | Andrew Nesbitt Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Richard is joined by guests Ben Nickolls and Andrew Nesbitt to discuss the ecosyste.ms project. They explore how ecosyste.ms collects and analyzes metadata from various open-source projects to create a comprehensive database that can help improve funding allocation. The discussion covers the importance of funding the most critical open-source projects, the existing gaps in funding, and the partnership between ecosyste.ms and Open Source Collective to create funding algorithms that support entire ecosystems. They also talk about the challenges of maintaining data, reaching out to project maintainers, and the broader implications for the open-source community. Hit the download button now! [00:01:58] Andrew and Ben explain ecosyste.ms, what it does, and how it compares to Libraries.io. [00:04:59] Ecosyste.ms tracks metadata, not the packages themselves, and enriches data via dependency graphs, committers, issues, SBOMs, and more. [00:06:54] Andrew talks about finding 1,890 Git hosts and how many critical projects live outside GitHub. [00:08:37] There’s a conversation on metadata uses and SBOM parsing. [00:12:49] Richard inquires about the ecosystem.ms funds on their website which Andrew explains it’s a collaboration between Open Collective and ecosyste.ms. that algorithmically distributes funds to the most used, not most popular packages. [00:15:45] Ben shares how this is different from previous projects and brings up a past project, “Back Your Stack” and explains how ecosyste.ms is doing two things differently. [00:18:59] Ben explains how it supports payouts to other platforms and encourages maintainers to adopt funding YAML files for automation. Andrew touches on efficient outreach, payout management, and API usage (GraphQL). [00:25:36] Ben elaborates on how companies can fund ecosyste.ms (like Django) instead of curating their own lists and being inspired by Sentry’s work with the Open Source Pledge. [00:29:32] Andrew speaks about scaling and developer engagement and emphasizes their focus is on high-impact sustainability. [00:32:48] Richard asks, “Why does it matter?” Ben explains that most current funding goes to popular, not most used projects and ecosyste.ms aims to fix the gap with data backed funding, and he suggests use of open standards like 360Giving and Open Contracting Data. [00:35:46] Andrew shares his thoughts on funding the right projects by improving 1% of OSS, you uplift the quality of millions of dependent projects with healthier infrastructure, faster security updates, and more resilient software. [00:38:35] Find out where you can follow ecosyste.ms and the blog on the web. Quotes [00:11:18] “I call them interesting forks. If a fork is referenced by a package, it’ll get indexed.” [00:22:07] We’ve built a service that now moves like $25 million a year between OSS maintainers on OSC.” [00:33:23] “We don’t have enough information to make collective decisions about which projects, communities, maintainers, should receive more funding.” [00:34:23] “The NSF POSE Program has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars of funding to open source communities alone.” [00:35:47] “If you have ten, twenty thousand really critical open source projects, that actually isn’t unachievable to make those projects sustainable.” Spotlight [00:39:35] Ben’s spotlight is Jellyfin. [00:40:20] Andrew’s spotlight is zizmor. [00:42:21] Richard’s spotlight is The LaTeX Project. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Ben Nickolls LinkedIn Andrew Nesbitt Website Andrew Nesbitt Mastodon Octobox ecosyste.ms ecosyste.ms Blog Open Source Collective Open Source Collective Updates Open Source Collective Contributions Open Source Collective Contributors Open Collective 24 Pull Requests Libraries.io The penumbra of open source (EPJ Data Science) FOSDEM ’25- Open source funding: you’re doing it wrong (Andrew and Ben) Vue.js thanks.dev StackAid Back Your Stack NSF POSE Django GitHub Sponsors Sustain Podcast-Episode 80: Emma Irwin and the Foss Fund Program Sustain Podcast- 3 Episodes featuring Chad Whitacre Sustain Podcast- Episode 218: Karthik Ram & James Howison on Research Software Visibility Infrastructure Priorities Sustain Podcast-Episode 247: Chad Whitacre on the Open Source Pledge Invest in Open Infrastructure 360Giving Open Contracting Data Standard Jellyfin zizmor The LaTeX Project Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guests: Andrew Nesbitt and Benjamin Nickolls. Support Sustain…

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Episode 269: Marianne Bellotti & Greg Wilson on 10 quick tips for making your software outlive your job 44:16

29 days ago44:16

44:16

Guests Marianne Bellotti | Greg Wilson Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Richard Littauer talks with Marianne Bellotti, author of *Kill It with Fire, *and Greg Wilson, co-founder of the Carpentries, about what happens to your code when you leave your job and how to make sure it survives. They discuss their new paper, " 10 quick tips for making your software outlive your job ," and share practical strategies for protecting, documenting, and sustaining code in open source, research, and civil service environments. Whether you're preparing for a job change or want to future-proof your work, this conversation offers real-world advice for developers and researchers alike. Hit the download button now! [00:03:04] Greg and Marianne talk about challenges in code sustainability. [00:05:46] Greg speaks about how scientists often prototype rather than build production quality code. [00:09:48] We start with Step 1 in the paper: “Consider your threat mode.” Greg explains the different plans needed for individual vs. systematic departures, Marianne speaks about the importance of understanding code lifecycle-some code has a “fruit fly” lifespan others a “tortoise” one, and Richard adds to think about reframe threat modeling around future usefulness. [00:15:53] There’s a discussion on Step 2: “Get sign-off on releasing it publicly.” [00:21:30] Greg discusses Step 3: “Choose an open license” and emphasizes to stick to well-known licenses (MIT, BSD), don’t write your own, and he shares a funny story. [00:25:29] Richard talks about Step 4: “Put your code somewhere safe” and shares to upload code to GitHub, Codeberg, OSF, Zenodo, etc. Greg suggest peer-to-peer methods like torrents could help long-term preservation and Marianne emphasizes the importance of verified identities when sharing. [00:29:21] Marianne introduces Step 5: “Document your code.” Greg shares that most documentation goes unread and LLMs could help mine useful documentation from conversation records and Marianne emphasizes to focus on “how to run it” first and tests are a part of your documentation. [00:35:17] Step 6: “Make your code reproducible.” Greg and Marianne discuss using tools like Docker, uv for Python lockfiles, etc., for dependency management. [00:36:23] Step 7: “Make your code citable” and Step 8: “Encourage community adoption.” Richard mentions to add a CITATION.cff file so others can cite your code and Greg mentions a great book he read that changed the way he viewed this called, Marketing for Scientists , by Marc Kuchner. [00:38:49] Step 9: “Write a succession or sunsetting plan.” Marianne shares to define success and failure criteria for projects explicitly. [00:40:36] Step 10: “Talk about what you’re doing.” Greg emphasizes to celebrate and grieve project endings properly and Richard encourages listeners to check out the paper, read it, and if you see something missing you can contribute back. [00:43:12] Fnal thoughts from Greg and Marianne: Organize collectively to protect science and code sustainability and find your team. Quotes [00:12:10] “Weapons begin as toys.” [00:14:09] “All code is throwaway code.” [00:27:34] “Sooner or later every library burns.” [00:29:44] “Most documentation is never read by anybody because it’s not answering the questions that you actually have.” [00:41:05] “Take some time to celebrate and to grieve.” Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Marianne Bellotti (Medium) Marianne Bellotti LinkedIn Greg Wilson GitHub Greg Wilson LinkedIn “10 Quick tips for making your code last beyond your current job” (draft) Kill It With Fire by Marianne Bellotti Marketing for Scientists: How to Shine in Tough Times by Marc J. Kuchner Codeberg Zenodo OSF Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guests: Greg Wilson and Marianne Bellotti. Support Sustain…

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Episode 268: Maintainer Month 2025 with Dirkjan Ochtman on Sustaining Critical Rust Libraries 34:18

5 weeks ago34:18

34:18

Guest Dirkjan Ochtman Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this special Maintainer Month episode of Sustain, host Richard speaks with Dirkjan Ochtman, a long-time open source contributor and Rust advocate. They dive deep into what it's like maintaining critical infrastructure libraries, the motivations behind taking over "abandonware," and how funding ecosystems like GitHub Sponsors and thanks.dev help sustain low-level dependencies. Dirkjan also reflects on how Rust’s design lends itself well to long-term maintainability and shares thoughts on the challenges of burnout, context switching, and ensuring project continuity. Hit the download button now! [00:01:33] Dirkjan explains how he chooses which projects he’s maintaining, being passionate about memory safety via Rust, and maintaining tools like Rustls, Hickory DNS, and Quinn. [00:03:14] Dirkjan describes his motivation for maintaining abandonware and sees it as providing value to the community. [00:04:23] ISRG funds Dirkjan’s work on memory-safe DNS and TLS libraires, and they are replacing C-based libraires with Rust equivalents. [00:05:33] Dirkjan uses thanks.dev to help fund maintainers through the full dependency graph and revenue is limited but promising. [00:08:06] Richard brings up Tidelift and Dirkjan mentions it’s not yielding results for Rust projects yet because the Rust ecosystem is smaller. [00:09:30] We hear Dirkjan’s journey into Rust, starting in Python but frustrated by lack of type safety and performance, and creating his own compiler before appreciating Rust’s complexity. [00:12:20] Dirkjan talks about his transition from Python to Rust. [00:13:39] Dirkjan uses PyO3 to create Python bindings for Rust libraries. [00:15:31] Richard wonders why projects become unmaintained and Dirkjan responds that people have life events, job changes, or shifting interests. [00:17:11] How are unmaintained projects flagged? Dirkjan uses the RustSec Advisory DB to detect projects with no active maintainers. [00:18:47] Dirkjan avoids burnout as a maintainer by keeping the scope narrow, only responds to PRs, doesn’t overcommit, and focuses on high-efficiency, low-effort maintenance. [00:19:51] Rust has a strong system, built-in unit tests, great CI support, and Dirkjan encourages atomic commits to simplify code review. [00:21:28] Dirkjan speaks about languages that are more maintainer safe. [00:22:18] Richard brings up attack vectors and the ‘left-pad incident.’ Dirkjan shares how he builds trust via his public GitHub record. [00:24:17] We hear Dirkjan’s offboarding and succession planning as he explains handing off projects like Askama and promoting multiple maintainers to reduce bus factor. [00:26:08] Dirkjan’s long-term vision for OSS sustainability is he hopes to move higher in the stack and wants to make high-quality software easier to build. [00:27:38] Dirkjan explains why he prefers to do asynchronous collaboration over pair programming. [00:28:52] Dirkjan discusses Rust’s long-term ecosystem stability. [00:31:09] Find out where you can follow Dirkjan on the web. Quotes [00:03:23] “You call it abandonware and I call it a dependency that has a million users.” [00:19:02] “[When I take on a project], I don’t take on the burden of proactively improving the project.” [00:19:11] “I will be there when someone submits a PR." [00:20:37] “I ask folks to make small changes: atomic commits.” Spotlight [00:31:37] Richard’s spotlight is Allan Day. [00:32:20] Dirkjan’s spotlight is Xilem. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Dirkjan Ochtman LinkedIn Dirkjan Ochtman Blog Dirkjan Ochtman Mastodon Dirkjan Ochtman GitHub Dirkjan Ochtman Bluesky Rust Rustls Hickory DNS Quinn Internet Security Research Group (ISRG) Let’s Encrypt Automatic Certificate Management Environment PyO3 user guide Sustain Podcast-Episode 108: Sarah Gran and Josh Aas: Sustainable Digital Infrastructure with Memory Safe Code Sustain Podcast-Episode 148: Ali Nehzat of thanks.dev and OSS Funding Tidelift RustSec Advisory Database-GitHub Askama Allan Day’s GNOME Blog Xilem Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Dirkjan Ochtman. Support Sustain…

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Episode 267: Michelle Barker on the Research Software Alliance (ReSA) 34:47

6 weeks ago34:47

34:47

Guest Michelle Barker Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Richard Littauer welcomes Michelle Barker, Director of the Research Software Alliance (ReSA), for an in-depth conversation about the critical yet often overlooked role of research software in open science. Michelle shares her journey from sociologist to open science advocate, unpacking how ReSA fosters global collaboration to support software developed for research. Together, they explore what it means to build “social infrastructure” in the open source ecosystem, the challenges of aligning international stakeholders, and how ReSA is shaping the future of research through strategy, connection, and community-driven solutions. Press the download button now to hear more! [00:01:58] Michelle explains how she got involved in open science and open source software. [00:04:35] Why Research Software? Michelle shares that ReSA was founded to coordinate globally on research software, which lacked unified international representation unlike open data. [00:07:21] We hear about ReSA’s engagement strategy and the three main strategies: knowledge sharing, stakeholder collaboration, and governance evolution. [00:09:37] ReSA includes RSEs as one of many stakeholders and works broadly across funders, policymakers, infrastructure providers, and more. [00:10:26] Research software is defined as software developed within a research context to solve a research problem and most is open source but not all. [00:13:12] Richard asks about tracking engagement, and Michelle shares it’s hard to quantify outcomes, but standard metrics include newsletter subs, citations, and forum attendance. [00:15:08] Michelle explains the role of social infrastructure. [00:17:37] What’s hard about being a social infrastructure? Michelle talks about the challenge of how to motivate groups of people to work together. [00:19:52] Michelle shares her personal approach to networking: research, targeting key individuals, emotional engagement, and strategic planning for conferences. [00:24:35] A new strategy plan is rolling out and Michelle shares what’s different. [00:27:32] ReSA is working to establish research software as its own recognized field. [00:29:57] Michelle recognizes shared challenges of both open source and research sectors. The keys to success are spotlight wins and demonstrate value through supported infrastructure and recognized contributions. [00:30:40] Find out where you can find out more about ReSA. Spotlight [00:31:11] Richard’s spotlight is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). [00:31:48] Michelle’s spotlight is Softcite. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Michelle Barker LinkedIn Research Software Alliance (ReSA) ReSA LinkedIn ReSA Mastodon ReSA Bluesky Sustain Podcast-Episode 264: Neil Chue Hong on the Software Sustainability Institute USRSE’25: Philadelphia, PA Oct 6-8, 2025 US-RSE NOAA Softcite Strategic Report Overview Full Strategic Report Defining Research Software: a controversial discussion Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Michelle Barker. Support Sustain…

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Episode 266: Sustain OSS Virtual Event: Recap! 22:11

8 weeks ago22:11

22:11

Guests Eriol Fox | Allen “Gunner” Gunn | Leslie Hawthorn | Abby Cabunoc Mayes Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this special episode of Sustain, Richard has a discussion with guests and fellow hosts Eriol Fox, Abby Cabunoc Mayes, Leslie Hawthorne, and Gunner, about the recent virtual Sustain event discussing the current state and future of sustaining open source software. The conversation covers a broad range of topics, from the impact of AI on open source and the complexity of corporate funding, to the importance of succession planning and the need for a continued focus on equity and inclusion. The group also express gratitude to the community and highlight the necessity of creating safe spaces for deep and meaningful discussions about the human aspects of open source. Future events and potential topics are also teased. Hit the download button now! [00:01:45] Gunner shares an event summary starting on the evolution of SustainOSS, and talks about the topics ranging from usage metrics, donor programs, geopolitical barriers in FOSS, and details the working sessions. [00:03:34] Everyone shares their personal takeaway from the event. [00:09:57] We hear about the conversations that were missed at the event and what everyone would like to talk about in the future about sustaining open source. [00:17:56] Gunner briefs us on the next event with a possibility of another forum focused entirely on AI, and Richard proposes exploring digital sovereignty and how it intersects with open source principles. [00:19:39] We end with final thoughts from everyone: Gunner expresses gratitude for the community, Abby is grateful for the space and conversations, Leslie gives a shoutout to UN Open Source Week for fostering global cooperation, Eriol praises Jonah Duckles for putting out “Ten Simple Rules for Academic Open Source Collaborations with Industry,” and Richard encourages listeners to keep contributing and engaging with the Sustain community. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Eriol Fox Website Allen “Gunner” Gunn LinkedIn Leslie Hawthorn LinkedIn Abby Cabunoc Mayes Website Monki Gras 2025 UN Open Source Week 2025 Ten Simple Rules for Academic Open Source Collaborations with Industry by Jonah Duckles, Dan Sholler, Beth Duckles Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Support Sustain…

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Episode 265: Sean Goggins on Sustainability through CHAOSS 41:20

11 weeks ago41:20

41:20

Guest Sean Goggins Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Richard Littauer chats with guest Sean Goggins, a tenured full Professor of Computer Science at the University of Missouri. Sean discusses his extensive involvement in the open source community, particularly through his work with the CHAOSS Project, a Linux Foundation initiative focused on understanding and improving open-source project sustainability. Their conversation covers Sean's academic background, his role in CHAOSS, the importance of distributed leadership, and how metrics can impact the sustainability of open source projects. Sean also shares insights into his teaching methods, the challenges of maintaining open source software, and the future direction of his work on CHAOSS and Augur. Hit the download button now! [00:01:25] Sean shares that he’s a professor specializing in software engineering, algorithms, data science, and visualization, and he discusses his tenure status and passion for research and open source work. [00:02:41] Sean explains how open source leadership is distributed rather than centralized. [00:04:45] We hear how the CHAOSS Project emerged from studying open source governance and leadership. Sean and Matt Germonprez started working on open source collaboration data and a metrics-focused discussion at a Linux Foundation Summit that led to the founding of the CHAOSS Project in 2017. [00:08:23] Richard asks Sean how he balances research, teaching, and open source. Sean discusses how he splits time between research (40%), teaching (40%), and service (20%), with CHAOSS being a major part of his research efforts. [00:13:27] Sean explains that the Augur Project was born out of a need for structured open source data tracking. [00:15:18] Richard asks Sean if he teaches his students about open source, and he explains that he uses CHAOSS and Auger to teach students about GitHub collaboration, pull requests, and open source workflows. [00:19:25] Sean shares his insights on research and open source. He emphasizes his involvement in maintaining software and aiding organizations in making sense of CHAOSS metrics through Augur, which has given him a deep understanding of open source development. [00:20:44] Sean explains why he thinks metrics help make projects more sustainable and how the CHAOSS community has benefitted from fostering a welcoming environment for both technical and non-technical contributors. [00:25:23] We hear some challenges within CHAOSS where it’s been difficult to build a strong developer community around CHAOSS software tools and maintaining open source software requires significant effort. [00:28:11] He goes further to explain how to be a better project and that there’s potential for improving project sustainability through structured mentoring and governance. [00:35:07] Sean shares CHAOSS Project’s future and research goals. Quotes [00:03:46] “Distributed leadership: this exists in most of open source. There’s not often a single individual who drives an entire project.” [00:09:18] “You have 40% of your time for teaching, 40% of your time for research, and 20% of your time for service.” [00:12:15] “There’s a challenge of being a university professor. The advantage is you can do what you want, the challenge is that you have to set your own boundaries.” [00:23:12] “A leading indicator for community health is how many newcomers you have coming in over time.” [00:28:14] “How can I have a better project? It’s the same as going to a family reunion and saying, ‘How can we be a better family’?” Spotlight [00:37:25] Richard’s spotlight is BibtexParser. [00:38:21] Sean’s spotlight is Stuart Geiger. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Sean Goggins Website Sean Goggins X Nora McDonald Website Nora McDonald-Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Sustain Podcast- 3 episodes featuring guest Georg Link Sustain Podcast- 2 episodes featuring guest Dawn Foster Matt Germonprez-Univ. of Nebraska Omaha The Linux Kernel Maintainer Summit-Tokyo, Japan 2025 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation CHAOSS CHAOSS-GrimoireLab CHAOSS-Augur Kelly Blincoe-University of Auckland James Howison Sustain Podcast- episode 218 featuring guest James Howison Sustain Podcast-episode 243 featuring guest Elizabeth Barron Sustain Podcast-episode 65 featuring guest Brian Proffitt Sustain Podcast-2 episodes featuring guest Duane O’Brien Sustain Podcast-episode 200 featuring guest Stuart Geiger Digital Infrastructure Podcast- 2 episodes featuring guest Rayya El Zein BibtexParser Stuart Geiger Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Sean Goggins. Support Sustain…

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Episode 264: Neil Chue Hong on the Software Sustainability Institute 39:19

12 weeks ago39:19

39:19

Guest Neil Chue Hong Panelists Richard Littauer | Justin Dorfman Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, hosts Richard Littauer and Justin Dorfman talk with Neil Chue Hong, Director of the Software Sustainability Institute (SSI). They discuss the SSI's mission to sustain software used in research, the institute's history and funding, the role of research software engineers, and the newly launched Research Software Maintenance Fund (RSMF) with £4.8 million dedicated to supporting research software. Neil shares insights into the collaboration, training initiatives, and policy work done by the SSI to promote sustainability in software development. The episode also touches on the impact of large funding initiatives like those from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and the evolving role of software development in the age of large language models (LLMs). Hit the download button now! [00:01:44] Neil explains SSI’s mission and purpose. [00:02:27] Richard inquires about SSI’s funding model and how long SSI has existed. Neil explains SSI is a government funded collaboration via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and it was founded in 2010 and is funded through 2028. [00:05:03] Richard highlights SSI’s impact and Neil discusses how SSI helped establish “Research Software Engineer (RSE)’ as a recognized role. [00:08:20] SSI’s annual Collaborations Workshop (May 13-15 in Stirling, UK) is mentioned, and Neil recalls a pivotal collaboration with Greg Wilson (Software Carpentry), which expanded training programs. [00:11:16] Neil explains that the SSI has evolved from consultancy to training, community initiatives, and policy advocacy to scale its impact and ensure long-term sustainability in research software. [00:13:57] Richard introduces SSI’s new £4.8M Research Software Maintenance Fund (RSMF). Neil explains it supports maintaining existing research software and it’s funded by the UK’s Digital Research Infrastructure Programme (UKRI). [00:16:54] A question comes up about the geopolitical impact of this funding and Neil states the UK is maintaining leadership in research software sustainability, not just focusing on national capability. [00:20:54] Neil defines research software products being targeted by the RSMF as software used beyond its original development team. [00:22:54] Richard asks if £4.8M is a significant investment and Neil explains this is comparable to past UK research software grants.. [00:25:10] Neil acknowledges Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) for improving funding models for research software. [00:29:45] Justin asks how LLMs are changing research software engineering. Neil compares LLMs’ impact on software development to smartphones revolutionizing photography. [00:34:05] Find out where you can connect with UKRI, SSI, and with Neil on the web. Quotes [00:02:07] “We’ve got this motto: Better Software, Better Research.” [00:29:03] “You can define what is clearly sci-fi, you can define what is clearly research software, but making an arbitrary cut-off point is really hard.” Spotlight [00:35:13] Justin’s spotlight is ghostty. [00:35:40] Richard’s spotlight is Olympus Tough cameras. [00:36:34] Neil’s spotlight is The Carpentries and Cinema For All. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Justin Dorfman X Neil Chue Hong LinkedIn Software Sustainability Institute (SSI) Save the date for Collaborations Workshop 2025 (CW25)-SSI UKRI awards the Software Sustainability Institute £4.8m to strengthen research software maintenance in the UK (SSI) Digital Research Infrastructure Programme (UKRI) Sustain Podcast- Episode 43: Investing in Open Infrastructure with Kaitlin Thaney Sustain Podcast- Episode 230: Kari L. Jordan on The Carpentries Sustain Podcast- Episode 235: The State of Open Infrastructure 2024, from IOI with Emmy Tsang Open Source in Academia Map ghostty Olympus Tough camera The Carpentries Cinema For All Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Neil Chue Hong. Support Sustain…

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Episode 263: Alison Hill on Product Management in Open Source 40:26

20 weeks ago40:26

40:26

Guest Alison Hill Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes We’re kicking off the new year of Sustain with host Richard Littauer discussing sustaining open source software with guest, Alison Hill, VP of Product at Anaconda, and a cognitive scientist with a PhD in psychology. Alison shares her journey from academia to industry, emphasizing the importance of statistics and data science in her career. She explains her role at Anaconda, focusing on developing secure and compatible distribution of Python packages and managing the community repository, Anaconda.org. The conversation covers the significance of product management in open source projects, particularly those with corporate backing, and how these roles can help in balancing user needs and business goals. In addition, Alison shares her thoughts on the challenges and strategies for maintaining open source projects without corporate support and touches on the ‘palmer penguins’ project. Click to download now! [00:01:13] Alison discusses her transition from academic research in cognitive science to industry and data science, emphasizing her passion for statistics and education. [00:02:41] Alison explains her work at Anaconda, focusing on product management and the Anaconda distribution, aiming to ease the use of Python and R packages in the industry and academia. She also elaborates on other projects she oversees, including Anaconda.org and its role in supporting open source projects and enterprise needs. [00:05:17] We hear how Anaconda sustains itself financially through enterprise offerings and the balance of supporting open source while maintaining a business model. [00:07:14] Alison shares her previous experience as the first PM of data science communication at Posit (formerly RStudio) and her role in enhancing data science education and product development. [00:12:49] Richard and Alison explore the challenges of sustaining open source projects without corporate backing and strategies for maintaining personal and project health in the open source community. Alison discusses common mistakes companies make by confusing project management with product management in open source projects. [00:17:18] Richard asks about the skills needed for developers to adopt a product-oriented approach. Alison suggests that successful product-oriented developers often have high empathy for end-users and experience with the pain points at scale, which helps them anticipate and innovate solutions effectively. [00:20:49] Richard expresses concerns about the sustainability of smaller, community-led open source projects that lack corporate backing and the structured support that comes with it. Alison acknowledges her limited experience with non-corporate open source projects but highlights the difficulty in maintaining such projects without institutional support, and she shares her personal challenges with keeping up with open source project demands. [00:27:41] Alison stresses the importance of clear goals and understanding the implications of joining larger ecosystems, reflects on the need for clarity about the desired outcomes when joining larger ecosystems, and shares examples of successful and unsuccessful engagements in such settings. [00:29:52] She discusses alternative sustainability models, including paid support and subscriptions. [00:33:00] Alison brings up the example of Apache Arrow and the challenges it faced with corporate sponsorship. [00:34:23] We wrap up with Richard acknowledging that not all open source projects require significant funding or formal business models, and Alison explains the ‘palmerpenguins’ project she did at the beginning of COVID. [00:37:07] Find out where you can follow Alison on the web. Quotes [00:22:18] “What is the minimum level of support you need to not feel like you’re drowning?” Spotlight [00:38:14] Richard’s spotlight is Bernard Cornwell. [00:38:39] Alison’s spotlight is the book, Impossible Creatures . Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Alison Hill, PhD Website Alison Presmanes Hill, PhD LinkedIn Alison Presmanes Hill GitHub Anaconda Anaconda.org The Third Bit-Dr. Greg Wilson Sustain Podcast-Episode 64: Travis Oliphant and Russel Pekrul on NumPy, Anaconda, and giving back with FairOSS Intercom on Product Management Sustain Podcast-Episode 135: Tracy Hinds on Node.js’s CommComm and PMs in Open Source Hadley Wickham palmerpenguins-GitHub Bernard Cornwell Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Alison Hill. Support Sustain…

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Episode 262: Brian Muenzenmeyer on Approachable Open Source 33:07

23 weeks ago33:07

33:07

Guest Brian Muenzenmeyer Panelists Richard Littauer | Abbigail Cabunoc Mayes Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Richard Littauer is joined by co-host Abigail Cabunoc Mayes and guest Brian Muenzenmeyer, a seasoned open source contributor. Brian shares his journey in web development, his experiences with burnout, and insights from his new book, Approachable Open Source . Some key topics discussed include contributing to open source projects, community building, maintaining balance, and funding models for sustainability. This episode emphasizes the role of diverse contributions and the importance of creating accessible avenues for all kinds of contributions in open source. Press download now to hear more! [00:01:40] Brian discusses his book, which offers practical advice for navigating open source. He reflects on his career journey, from early contributions to burnout and recovery. He shares his humble beginnings with jQuery Mobile and the steps that led him to maintain major projects like Pattern Lab. [00:04:21] Brian opens up about his experience with burnout and how it influenced the writing of his book. [00:06:42] Brian emphasizes the importance of designing sustainable open source communities. [00:08:41] Richard, Brian, and Abby explore the concept of “pace layers” in open source, highlighting the dynamic balance between innovation and stability. [00:14:10] Chapter 7 in Brian’s book is discussed where Brian advocates for corporate contributions to open source and shares tips for individuals looking to get involved. [00:20:04] Brian provides practical advice for maintainers, including time management, fostering diverse roles, and creating approachable entry points for contributors. [00:25:01] The conversation delves into the challenges of improving diversity in open source communities and the importance of celebrating successes. [00:28:39] Find out where you can get Brian’s book, Approachable Open Source. Digital copies are available worldwide, and physical copies shipping to the U.S. and Canada. Quotes [00:05:29] “There isn’t a dichotomy between consumption and contribution.” [00:13:48] “The work that we’re doing isn’t really for us. If you’re making open source, it’s not really for you, you’re sharing it with the world.” [00:20:28] “If you look at a mature open source project and try to emulate it at the outset, you’re going to be disappointed and you’re going to feel like you’re always behind.” [00:23:09] “You don’t need permission to do your job.” [00:23:41] “You’re already empowered to fix things that you see are broken.” [00:23:57] “Instead of buying a maintainer a coffee, spend a coffee cup’s amount of time looking at their issue log.” Spotlight [00:30:05] Richard’s spotlight is Stephen Colbert. [00:30:38] Abby’s spotlight is Calibre. [00:30:54] Brian’s spotlight is his good friend, Geoff Pursell . Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Abby Cabunoc Mayes X Brian Muenzenmeyer Website Brian Muenzenmeyer's Bluesky Brian Muenzenmeyer LinkedIn Approachable Open Source By Brian Muenzenmeyer Colin Dean-GitHub Pace Layers Thinking: Paul Saffo and Stewart Brand @ The Interval Ship Faster By Building Design Systems Slower By Josh Clark Ecosyste.ms Ecosystem Funds: Curated Support For Your Critical Software Dependencies By Ben Nickolls John Oliver (Not Stephen Colbert)! Calibre Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Brian Muenzenmeyer. Support Sustain…

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Episode 261: Alexander Petros on htmx and sustainable, simpler tools 36:21

25 weeks ago36:21

36:21

Guest Alexander Petros Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes Join host Richard Littauer as he dives into the world of open source sustainability with Alexander Petros, core maintainer of htmx and freelance software engineer. Today, they explore the evolution of HTML, the power of lightweight web protocols, and the broader implications of open-source software for the future of the web. Alexander shares his insights on building sustainable digital infrastructure, using simple tools effectively, and rethinking web development paradigms. Hit download now! [00:01:40] Alexander explains htmx as a lightweight front-end JavaScript library enhancing HTML capabilities. [00:03:16] There’s a discussion about HTML’s design for behavior and interactivity and a comparison of traditional HTML with modern practices, including JavaScript-heavy frameworks. [00:05:50] We hear the origins of htmx, how it started as a jQuery extension called intercooler.js, and the evolution during the pandemic to a standalone library. [00:09:16] Alexander explains building for the long term, why lightweight, adaptable systems matter, and reflects on the durability of early web standards and tools. [00:12:17] Richard inquires about what Alexander envisions a hundred years from now with htmx. [00:14:57] Balancing simplicity and scalability is discussed about HTML’s capabilities for large-scale applications and why many developers overcomplicate solutions unnecessarily. [00:17:40] Alexander critiques over-reliance on tools like Docker and large-scale build systems and advocates for simpler development environments like SQLite. [00:19:42] Alexander talks about why open source frameworks like React solve organizational problems for tech giants. [00:25:42] Richard tells us he’s been spending time on the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature as a foundational system for species classification and Alexander speaks about the challenges of contributing to protocols governed by large corporations and why HTML remains a uniquely sustainable and universal platform. [00:28:22] Richard asks Alexander if he’s thought about the 1000 year approach to the work he’s doing. [00:32:21] Find out where you can follow Alexander and his blog online. Quotes [00:13:11] “The web is going to be the most effective delivery mechanism for software for the next couple of decades.” [00:14:12] “If we look at the tools that we have available today, which tools can we use that are most likely to get us to that fifty, hundred year useful piece of software?” [00:24:06] “Different structural project models produce very different software.” Spotlight [00:33:11] Richard’s spotlight is the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. [00:34:07] Alexander’s spotlight is better-sqlite3. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Alexander Petros Website Alexander Petros LinkedIn Unplanned Obsolescence (Alexander’s Blog) Building the Hundred-Year Web Service with htmx- Alexander Petros (YouTube) htmx Sustain Podcast-Episode 238: Julia Evans and Wizard Zines xkcd-927: How Standards Proliferate Julia Evans Blog International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) better-sqlite3 Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Alexander Petros. Support Sustain…

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Episode 260: Robert Douglass and contributing as a corporation to OSS 32:55

26 weeks ago32:55

32:55

Guest Robert Douglass Panelist Richard Littauer | Abby Cabunoc Mayes Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, hosts Richard Littauer and Abby Cabunoc Mayes speak with Robert Douglass, Entrepreneur in Residence at Open Strategy Partners, to delve into sustaining open source projects. They explore Robert's extensive history with Drupal, the role of Open Strategy Partners, and the innovative Drupal Certified Partner Program designed to address the maker-taker dilemma in open source. The episode also covers the recently launched RFP templates aimed at promoting open source software and certified partners. Robert shares insights on gamification, the economic aspects of contributing to Drupal, and future initiatives to ensure the continued sustainability of open source projects. Hit download now to hear more! [00:01:49] Robert shares his background in the Drupal ecosystem and his involvement with Open Strategy Partners, which provides strategic content marketing for B2B tech companies focusing on open source. [00:02:43] Robert explains Open Strategy Partners’ focus on supporting open source projects and mentions clients like DDEV and TYPO3. [00:04:06] Richard and Robert discuss what it means to be an entrepreneur in residence, with Robert explaining his role in developing new products for Open Strategy Partners and the books he has written. [00:05:52] Robert reflects on the early days of Drupal and the challenges in making open source sustainable. He notes how the community was initially driven by passion, with few paid opportunities. [00:08:05] Robert introduces the Drupal Certified Partner Program, a system for supporting Drupal sustainability by encouraging companies to contribute both time and money. [00:10:03] The conversation covers how Drupal’s contribution system gamifies the support companies provide to the ecosystem. Companies can earn contribution credits, which are visible on Drupal.org and benefit their reputation. [00:15:41] Abby asks about the potential downsides of gamification, especially regarding diversity. Robert explains how placing the system at the company level may mitigate some negative impacts. [00:18:17] Richard inquires about the financial structure of the Drupal Certified Partner Program. Robert clarifies that the funds collected support the Drupal Association’s core mission, including maintaining Drupal.org and organizing events. [00:21:33] Robert discusses the development of RFP (Request for Proposal) templates to encourage companies to consider certified open source providers, explaining how this initiative promotes sustainability in the ecosystem. [00:25:56] Robert describes how the RFP templates allow purpose-driven organizations to incorporate open source values in their procurement process, aligning with their missions. [00:27:00] Robert invites listeners to explore and utilize the RFP templates, which are available under a Creative Commons Zero license, encouraging others to adapt and improve them. [00:29:47] Find out where you can follow Robert and his work online. Quotes [00:08:57] “Open Source is like a free puppy.” Spotlight [00:30:30] Abby’s spotlight is Common Sort thrift shop in Toronto. [00:30:52] Richard’s spotlight is Wikidata. [00:31:21] Robert’s spotlight is Chad Whitacre and Sentry. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Abby Cabunoc Mayes X Robert Douglass LinkedIn Open Strategy Partners Open Strategy Partners Blog Building Online Communities with Drupal, phpBB, and WordPress by Robert Douglass, Mike Little, Jared W. Smith Drupal Certified Partner Program Drupal How to Write an RFP for Open Source Solutions: Featuring Drupal Certified Partners OSP: Supporting Drupal Certified Partners Sustain Podcast-Episode 148: Ali Nehzat of thanks.dev and OSS Funding Common Sort Wikidata Chad Whitacre LinkedIn Sentry Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Robert Douglass. Support Sustain…

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Episode 259: Giulio Carvalho on Civic Tech and Querido Diário 42:21

27 weeks ago42:21

42:21

Guest Giulio Carvalho Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Richard Littauer talks with Giulio Carvalho, a civic tech practitioner and program manager at Open Knowledge Brasil, about the importance of open data and civic engagement in Brazil. They discuss the role of civic tech projects in promoting transparency, such as Querido Diário (Dear Diary), an open-source project aimed at centralizing municipal data for better access by citizens, journalists, and activists. Giulio shares insights on the challenges and successes of maintaining open-source projects within a developing country, particularly in the face of competition from large tech corporations. Press download now to hear more! [00:01:36] Giulio explains the Civic Innovation Ambassador Network, and the network’s impact on political transparency pledges made by politicians for open data and transparency is highlighted. [00:04:16] There’s a discussion about how the pledge focuses on open data and government transparency, relating it to broader movements of open knowledge, and Giulio mentions the Law of Information Access established in Brazil, emphasizing the legal obligations for government transparency. [00:06:49] Richard compares the efforts to the U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), prompting a discussion on open data and transparency initiatives in Brazil. Giulio discusses specific projects in Brazil that allow citizens to request information anonymously. [00:10:10] Giulio introduces the Querido Diário project, designed to make official acts published in municipal gazettes accessible to the public. [00:15:22] The funding, development, and challenges of sustaining the Querido Diário projects are discussed, noting the support from various grants and partnerships. [00:21:17] The conversation shifts to the broader impact and goals of Open Knowledge Brazil in promoting open data and supporting civic tech initiatives. [00:23:34] Challenges in building a sustainable project with widespread municipal interest are discussed, along with strategies for managing community contributions and maintaining active development. [00:30:01] Richard and Giulio reflect on building grassroots tech movements in the global south and the challenges posed by proprietary technologies from more developed regions. [00:35:12] Find out where you can find Giulio’s work and where you can get involved with Open Knowledge Brasil. Quotes [00:30:46] “If we build something by us for us, we can actually build great stuff.” Spotlight [00:38:10] Richard’s spotlight is Alexander von Humboldt. [00:38:58] Giulio’s spotlight is pretalx. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Giulio Carvalho LinkedIn Querido Diário Open Knowledge Brasil Open Knowledge Brasil-GitHub Civic Innovation Ambassadors Paper Past Magazines and Journals Alexander von Humboldt pretalx Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Giulio Carvalho. Support Sustain…

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Episode 258: Devin Stein on using AI to maintain OSS with Dosu 37:53

28 weeks ago37:53

37:53

Guest Devin Stein Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Richard Littauer talks with Devin Stein, CEO and Founder of Dosu. Today, they discuss the challenges of sustaining open source software, the role of AI and LLMs (Large Language Model) in automating support and maintenance, and the ethical considerations surrounding AI usage. Devin explains Dosu's approach to creating a living knowledge base to assist engineering teams and open source maintainers. Also, the conversation dives into how Dosu interacts with users, maintains quality control, and addresses the environmental impact of AI. Hit download now to hear more! [00:01:43] Devin discusses Dosu’s purpose which helps engineering teams’ software by structuring engineering knowledge into a knowledge base, and the tool supports open source by addressing common questions, triaging issues, and identifying project ownership. [00:02:46] We hear about how Dosu uses LLMs to create a “living knowledge base” that supports open source workflows, such as issue resolution and knowledge sharing. [00:04:48] Devin explains that Dosu is focused on automating support tasks, not generating code directly, and he fills us in the user base and funding. [00:06:17] Devin tells us that revenue comes from platform teams and open core companies using Dosu internally and through a per-seat pricing model. [00:08:03] We learn how Dosu aims to reduce maintainer burnout by handling repetitive inquires, allowing maintainers to focus on unique issues. [00:10:38] There’s a discussion on users’ positive reception to fast responses via Dosu and how Dosu aims to assist, not replace maintainers, providing first-pass answers or guidance. [00:12:00] Richard expresses a “net positive” sentiment but admits to initial scepticism about GitHub Actions and automation in open source. Devin shares a similar story of entering open source for community interaction, initially contributing through GitHub, and receiving positive feedback. [00:14:49] Richard inquires about managing customer expectations for accuracy and Devin acknowledges the challenge and explains that Dosu is designed to adapt by learning from past issues and solutions, and how human-in-the-loop workflows help maintainers refine Dosu’s responses. [00:18:19] A question on ethical and legal use of LLMs is brought up, as Devin hopes for more transparency and alignment on LLM licensing and legal frameworks in the future. [00:21:14] Devin explains that Dosu’s knowledge base will soon be accessible, providing transparency for users and maintainers about its data sources. [00:24:49] Richard questions about how AI companies are ensuring their models don’t reinforce these biases and asks about measures in place to improve AI responses. Devin emphasizes their approach to LLMs, which focuses on treating the AI as a tool rather than imitating human behavior. [00:26:55] The topic of addressing human elements and consistency is brought up and Devin explains that Dosu’s design keeps responses consistent and supportive, and maintainers and users can provide feedback and adjust responses to align with community needs. [00:31:23] Devin talks about Dosu’s strategy focusing on helping become contributors without taking over human roles in open source, and maintainers still have the primary role in guiding substantial project changes or complex contributions. [00:33:34] Devin acknowledges the environmental concerns around AI usage and hopes for more sustainable practices and optimizations in the future. [00:34:30] Find out where you can follow Devin and Dosu online. Spotlight [00:34:59] Richard’s spotlight is Avatar: The Last Airbender. [00:35:25] Devin’s spotlight is sqlc. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Devin Stein LinkedIn Devin Stein X Devin Stein GitHub Dosu SOPS Sustain Podcast-Episode 61: Melissa Logan on Marketing Open Source Effectively and Sustainably Maintainer.io OSS Maintenance as a Service: Helping maintainers maintain their code by Richard Littauer Open source contributor agent architecture repo-Oscar Avatar: The Last Airbender sqlc: A SQL Compiler Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Devin Stein. Support Sustain…

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Episode 257: Kailash Nadh and Zerodha's FLOSS/Fund and funding.json 36:11

29 weeks ago36:11

36:11

Guest Kailash Nadh Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Richard Littauer sits down with Kailash Nath, CTO of Zerodha, to delve into the dynamics of funding and sustaining open-source projects. They explore the establishment of Zerodha's FLOSS/Fund, which allocates a million dollars annually to support pivotal open source projects and discuss the development of the funding.json format to streamline grant applications. The conversation also covers the challenges of creating such funds, including regulatory hurdles, and aims to make financial assistance globally accessible. From detailing efforts to revive India's open-source communities through the FOSS United Foundation to highlighting the obstacles and innovative models in funding open-source software, the episode provides a comprehensive look at both global and Indian perspectives. Hit download now! [00:01:14] Richard brings up the FLOSS/Fund, a $1 million annual commitment to open source projects. Kailash confirms that the fund is still active and explains how it recently became more structured and a small team has been formed to manage the logistics of the fund. [00:02:48] The FLOSS/Fund has been created to publicly commit to supporting open source in a structured way. Kailash points out that while other companies give donations to open source, there are few structured initiatives from large organizations. [00:04:33] Kailash expresses frustration that few billion-dollar companies have set up similar initiatives to support open source projects. [00:06:24] Kailash explains that the FLOSS/Fund is open to the global open source community and target systemically important projects like libraries and widely used software tools. [00:08:14] Richard inquires about the application process and Kailash explains instead of traditional grant forms, projects must create and publish a “funding.json” file. [00:10:35] Kailash shares that the structured application method is designed to avoid the usual awkwardness of fundraising conversations and streamline the process. [00:13:31] The two discuss the difficulty maintainers face when articulating the importance of their projects, particularly for maintainers who may not have strong written communication skills, Kailash emphasizes that the funding.json method does not replace narrative descriptions but simplifies signaling. [00:16:17] The conversation switches to global scope and prioritization as Kailash tells us Zerodha’s open source contributions are not limited to projects they directly use, the fund is open to all global projects, and Zerodha hopes to support projects that are crucial for open source infrastructure. [00:17:09] Kailash discusses the complexity of sending money internationally from India. [00:18:59] We learn the goal is not to make funding.json go viral through financial incentives, but to organically grow adoption if the tool proves valuable. [00:20:49] Richard and Kailash explore the broader challenges of sustaining open source projects beyond funding, such as building healthy communities and incentivizing the proper use and citation of open source infrastructure. [00:25:32] Kailash discusses the Indian open source ecosystem. [00:30:29] Kailash explains how Zerodha’s initiatives aim to push the Indian industry to give back more to the open source community. He hopes that their efforts will inspire other companies to set up similar initiatives. [00:32:12] Find out where you can donate to Floss fund and follow Kailash online. Spotlight [00:32:56] Richard’s spotlight is his first grade teacher, Mrs. Barril. [00:33:25] Kailash’s spotlight is Jim Martsolf who introduced him to “webmastering.” Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Kailash Nadh LinkedIn Kailash Nadh Website Zerodha funding.json Sustain Podcast-Episode 153: Kailash Nadh and the FOSS United Foundation FLOSS/Fund FFmpeg Zig Sustain Podcast-Episode 247: Chad Whitacre on the Open Source Pledge Open Source Pledge Announcing FLOSS/fund: $1M per year for free and open source projects-post by Kailash Nadh Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Kailash Nadh. Support Sustain…

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Episode 256: Thomas Karagianes & Jonathan Romano on crowd-sourcing RNA research with Eterna 38:36

30 weeks ago38:36

38:36

Guest Thomas Karagianes | Jonathan Romano Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this episode, host Richard Littauer discusses the journey and impact of Eterna with developers Jonathan Romano and Thomas Karagianes. The conversation revolves around Eterna's role in RNA research through user-contributed puzzle solutions, emphasizing community engagement and educational outreach. Topics include the integration of hybrid intelligence, where human intuition complements AI in scientific discovery, and the significance of explainable AI in motivating player participation. The episode also touches on the ethical considerations in collaborating with for-profit entities, the development of accessible COVID vaccines, and low-cost tuberculosis diagnostics. Hit download now to hear more! [00:01:24] Jonathan describes Eterna, a platform where players solve puzzles to contribute to RNA research. [00:02:12] Thomas explains that Eterna focuses on RNA complexity and its importance in modern science, like mRNA vaccines and how Eterna engages players in folding RNA sequences and testing them in labs. [00:04:36] Richard asks if the project is open source and Jonathan says its partially open source and explains the technical limitations that prevent full openness. [00:05:26] We learn about Eterna’s community with around 100,000 total players, and a core group of about 30-40 who regularly engage in scientific challenges. [00:07:31] Thomas discusses ongoing efforts to make the game more accessible and increase community engagement through educational outreach and simplifying the tutorial system, and Eterna is used in classrooms as a teaching tool. [00:09:47] Jonathan explains how some Eterna players become code contributors, staff members, and even lead authors on academic papers. [00:13:32] We hear about the funding of the community. [00:15:56] Thomas discusses how Eterna integrates AI to assist players but stresses the importance of human intuition in tackling unique challenges and Jonathan explains how Eterna uses hybrid intelligence, combining AI and human input for better research outcomes. He highlights how Eterna’s community has contributed to important research, including COVID-19 vaccine development and tuberculosis diagnostics. [00:22:29] Thomas shares that Eterna attracts players who enjoy breaking the model or exploring boundaries, making the game engaging and motivating for them. [00:27:48] Jonathan and Thomas discuss the ethical considerations of partnerships, especially with for-profit companies, and the need to engage the community in decision-making processes. [00:31:41] Jonathan shares how you can contribute to Eterna and how to join the developer community on GitHub. Quotes [00:10:10] “Minimally, whenever there is a scientific publication that comes out of Eterna from players contributions, there is a consortium author on the paper. That will include everyone who has submitted a solution.” [00:14:21] “There’s definitely this pattern - and you can even see it in the code- where open source code passes from grad student to grad student.” [00:19:14] “Hybrid intelligence is an underused buzzword.” Spotlight [00:33:16] Richard’s spotlight is The Internet Archive. [00:34:23] Jonathan’s spotlight is txircd, a modular IRC daemon written in Python. [00:35:32] Thomas’s spotlight is Bioconda. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Thomas Karagianes LinkedIn Jonathan Romano Website Jonathan Romano LinkedIn Eterna Eterna Project Information Eterna OpenVaccine Eterna OpenTB Eterna OpenKnot Eternagame-GitHub Foldit RNA Hybrid Intelligence (Springer Link article) Mapping Citizen Science through the Lens of Human-Centered AI (Human Computation article) Practical recommendations from a multi-perspective needs and challenges assessment of citizen science games (PLOS ONE article) Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder Internet Archive txircd Bioconda Reamde by Neal Stephenson Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guests: Jonathan Romano and Thomas Karagianes. Support Sustain…

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Episode 255: Caleb Connolly & Pablo Correa Gómez on postmarketOS 37:00

31 weeks ago37:00

37:00

Guests Caleb Connolly | Pablo Correa Gómez Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Richard Littauer is joined by guests Pablo Correa Gómez and Caleb Connolly to explore the development and sustainability of postmarketOS, an open-source Linux distribution designed to extend the life of mobile devices. The team dives into the project's mission, governance, and the community-driven nature of its work. They discuss the challenges related to funding, primarily through grants and Open Collective donations, and the significance of upstreaming Linux kernel support to collaborate with other communities like Alpine Linux. The conversation also highlights the growth of the postmarketOS community, encouraging contributions from both technical and non-technical supporters, and the importance of comprehensive documentation. Additionally, issues of privacy, telemetry, and user support are examined, alongside the steps towards making postmarketOS more professional and economically sustainable. Press download now to hear more! [00:01:30] Pablo explains postmarketOS and its mission to empower people to have full control over their devices and promote sustainability. [00:02:12] Caleb talks about the governance of postmarketOS that started with a few contributors working on a package repository on top of Alpine Linux and overtime more maintainers were added. [00:03:59] There’s a discussion on the structure of the team, how the community around hardware components forms sub-communities bases on common SOCs, and the focus on improving tooling and the ecosystem rather than building a product for end users. [00:06:29] Richard discusses the massive, refurbished phone market and asks about how postmarketOS fits into this ecosystem. Caleb shares their experience working on the OnePlus 6 phone and explains the technical process of making the device work on upstream Linux and the challenges of hardware enablement. [00:10:05] Pablo explains that the project is largely funded by volunteer work and Caleb describes the challenges in deciding which devices to prioritize for hardware enablement and how all hardware work so far has been done by volunteers. [00:14:09] On the importance of upstreaming, Pablo explains that postmarketOS works hard to contribute back to the Linux ecosystem rather that maintaining device-specific patches and postmarketOS is downstream to Alpine Linux but contributes much of its work upstream to maintain sustainability. [00:20:09] Richard asks about how the project builds shared context and onboards new developers and Pablo and Caleb explain how the project relies on its wiki page to provide extensive documentation and how the pmbootstrap tool makes it easier for new contributors to get started with porting new devices to postmarketOS. [00:25:01] Richard asks about telemetry and how the team tracks their impact. [00:25:39] Pablo talks about how they receive community feedback through events like FOSDEM and have seen an increase in donations, social media engagement, and community members. [00:28:39] Caleb reflects on the pros and cons of collecting telemetry, which could help guide development but may also create unwanted challenges by focusing too heavily on specific devices. [00:31:30] What are Pablo and Caleb most excited about for the next year? Pablo is excited about professionalizing the project, starting to pay contributors, and scaling the project’s growth sustainably, and Caleb jokes about looking forward to the “pre-market OS.” Quotes [00:12:00] “We are trying to grow organically, bit by bit, and be able to pay people to do core things where volunteer work doesn’t reach.” [00:15:06] “In the environment we live in, where you have X amount of code per update, it is totally unsustainable.” [00:16:18] “As a distro, we predominately put together the pieces that other people give us.” [00:19:13] “Downstream patches allow to experiment, but long term are a burden. That’s the same for every project.” [00:19:22] “The sustainability goes beyond reducing waste and also goes into the social ecosystem and how we maintain projects.” [00:30:33] “We know we are not ready for end users, but we need to build the structure and economic support.” Spotlight [00:32:32] Richard’s spotlight is DOSBox. [00:33:03] Pablo’s spotlight is FOSDEM and the FOSDEM team. [00:33:57] Caleb’s spotlight is processing.org. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Caleb Connolly Website Caleb Connolly-treehouse Pablo Correa Gómez Website Pablo Correa Gómez LinkedIn postmarketOS postmarketOS (Open Collective Contribute) Gnome Shell & Mutter postmarketOS Devices Sustain Podcast-Episode 195: FOSSY 2023 with Denver Gingerich Software Freedom Conservancy FOSSY 2025:July 31-August 1 linaro postmarketOS Wiki pmbootstrap compost.party pmbootstrap v3 by Caleb Connolly DOSBox FOSDEM 2025 Processing Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guests: Caleb Connolly and Pablo Correa Gomez. Support Sustain…

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Episode 254: Batool Almarzouq on Localizing Open Source Communities 32:29

32 weeks ago32:29

32:29

Guest Batool Almarzouq Panelist Richard Littauer | Amanda Casari Show Notes In this episode, hosts Richard Littauer and Amanda Casari are joined by Batool Almarzouq, Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Liverpool and Research Project Manager at the Alan Turing Institute. They discuss Batool's work in open science, including her involvement in the Open Science Community Saudi Arabia, localization efforts, and the challenges of connecting global and local open science initiatives. The conversation covers Batool's efforts to make research more accessible and open in the Arab region, the concept of localization vs. translation, her experiences with translation management systems, and the importance of community and mentorship in advancing open science. Batool shares insights from her collaborations with various groups and the influence of Latin American communities on her work. Press download now to hear more! [00:02:11] Batool explains her roles at various institutions and how she promotes open science in Saudi Arabia and globally. [00:03:31] Batool discusses the difficulties Arab researchers face in engaging with open science, including language barriers and the Western focus of many initiatives. [00:04:50] Amanda asks about the vision for open science in Saudi Arabia and Batool talks about open science values in the Arab world and the cultural significance of knowledge sharing pre-colonization. [00:07:56] Batool talks about localization efforts and bridging the gap between Western and Arab scientific norms. [00:11:04] There’s a discussion on how Batool connects researchers and community leaders in Arab countries, the grassroots nature of the Open Science Community Saudi Arabia, and the importance of local engagement. [00:14:20] Batool details the technical tools used for localization, challenges with translating right-to-left languages, and the importance of building open source tools for internationalization. [00:20:20] There’s a conversation on the difficulties in securing funding for localization efforts and the importance of empowering local communities to take charge of their own knowledge production. [00:23:43] Batool shares insights on working with Latin American communities, shared challenges in open science, and the importance of community-led initiatives. [00:25:33] We hear Batool’s thoughts on the importance of mentorship, community, and collective action in creating meaningful change. [00:27:51] Find out where you can follow Batool and her work online. Quotes [00:06:56] “One of the things is that science used to be more transdisciplinary.” [00:11:18] “We have our own full-time jobs, there’s no system that we use in place recording or creating things. It’s more about connecting people and creating that space for this discussion to grow.” [00:25:51] “There’s two places I get a lot of value from outside of academia: engaging with community practice and finding mentors.” [00:27:17] “Finding people who relate to you, relate to your ideas, and also help you articulate them better and see what other people are trying to do gives you a lot of power.” Spotlight [00:28:27] Amanda’s spotlight is PyLadies. [00:29:22] Richard’s spotlight is American Atheists. [00:30:14] Batool’s spotlight is Alycia Crall, Richie Moluno and Goodnews Sandy. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Amanda Casari Linktree Batool Almarzouq LinkedIn Batool Almarzouq Website The Alan Turing Institute The Turing Way Open Science Community Saudi Arabia Open Science Community Saudi Arabia-Zenodo Ramsey Nasser-GitHub Translation management system Crowdin JSQuarto PyLadies American Atheists Alycia Crall Richie Moluno Goodnews Sandy Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Batool Almarzouq. Support Sustain…

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Episode 253: Juan Pablo Alperin and John Willinsky on the Public Knowledge Project and Open Journal Systems 44:31

33 weeks ago44:31

44:31

Guest Juan Pablo Alperin | John Willinsky Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Richard discusses the importance of maintaining open access to research with guests Juan Pablo Alperin and John Willinsky from the Public Knowledge Project (PKP). The conversation covers PKP’s history, the development of their open-source software, Open Journal Systems (OJS), and its impact on scholarly publishing. They dive into the integration with other open-access initiatives, the role of AI in future projects, and the challenges faced in balancing sustainability with the rising demands of their growing user base. The episode also touches on community-driven translations and the importance of creating equitable access to knowledge, especially for communities in the global south. Download this episode now! [00:01:20] John explains PKP’s commitment to open access, starting in 1998 with the goal of making research publicly available. [00:02:35] Juan describes Open Journal Systems (OJS) as the flagship open source software of PKP, which facilitates research publication worldwide. [00:04:57] The conversation touches on the peer review process, the importance of making scholarly knowledge open, and how PKP encourages open access through their platform. [00:07:44] John and Juan explain how OJS allows academics and institutions to manage the entire publishing process, from submission to peer review and publication, while maintaining the integrity of research. [00:11:54] John discusses the intersection of open source and open access, noting the successes and challenges that remain in the fight for free and equitable access to research. [00:13:52] Richard inquires about where the funding is coming from, and Juan explains. [00:16:49] The guests highlight how commercial publishers have embraced open access, though often in ways that perpetuate inequalities, such as through article processing charges (APCs). [00:21:09] The discussion touches on sustainability, both in terms of funding PKP and the broader scholarly ecosystem, and the risks of commercializing access to knowledge. [00:25:23] Translation and localization efforts are discussed and how PKP’s platform supports multiple languages, enabling access to knowledge across diverse linguistic communities. [00:31:42] The challenges of integrating non-Western and indigenous knowledge systems into scholarly publishing is discussed. [00:35:57] Juan and John share the hurdles PKP faces in terms of keeping up with community demand and ensuring long-term sustainability. [00:39:41] Find out where you can learn more about the projects online. Quotes [00:12:20] “This was going to be Rhetware, that is, it was rhetorical.” [00:13:07] “Open access is close to 50% of the research in the world that’s published this year will be freely available to the public and researchers everywhere.” [00:14:55] “An important part of our sustainability is that we provide hosting services for the software.” [00:36:40] "As the community has grown, so have the demands and expectations of the project.” Spotlight [00:41:07] Richard’s spotlight is Kawawachikamach, Quebec, [00:41:54] Juan Pablo’s spotlight is the project, pandas. [00:42:31] John’s spotlight is Mattermost. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials John Willinsky LinkedIn Juan Pablo Alperin Mastodon Public Knowledge Project (PKP) Public Knowledge Project (PKP) Community Forum Public Knowledge Project (PKP) GitHub Open Journal Systems (OJS) Kawawachikamach, Quebec pandas Mattermost Copyright’s Broken Promise: How to Restore the Law’s Ability to Promote the Progress of Science By John Willinsky Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guests: John Willinsky and Juan Pablo Alperin. Support Sustain…

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Episode 252: Nolan Lawson of PouchDB on what it feels like to be a maintainer 36:33

34 weeks ago36:33

36:33

Guest Nolan Lawson Panelist Richard Littauer | Eric Berry | Justin Dorfman Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, Richard, Justin, and Eric revisit an unreleased interview with Nolan Lawson from 2020. They discuss Nolan's experience as a former maintainer of PouchDB, the emotional labor of being an open source maintainer, and the challenges that led him to step away from such high-profile projects. Nolan also shares his thoughts on the impact of reputation-driven development, open source community dynamics, and his journey towards a healthier relationship with open source. The conversation delves into the candid realities of burnout and the personal sacrifices often made by unpaid open source contributors. Nolan highlights his transition to more sustainable open source practices and his new interests including his work on a Mastodon client called Pinafore. Download now to hear more! [00:01:43] Nolan explains his background with PouchDB and shares his fascination with databases and browser technologies. [00:02:58] Richard shares his personal connection to PouchDB, mentioning how he discovered Nolan through his work on the project. [00:03:26] Nolan talks about his blog post form 2017 titled, “What it feels like to be an open source maintainer,” which reflected on the emotional toll and burnout he experienced for maintaining PouchDB. [00:05:33] Justin reflects on the impact of Nolan’s blog post, describing it as a “shot heard around the world” in the open source community. [00:06:48] Eric asks why Nolan and other maintainers stay involved in open source despite the challenges. Nolan explains that reputational benefits and personal interest in the technology were initial motivators for staying involved. [00:10:27] Eric asks Nolan how he realized it was time to step away from maintaining PouchDB. Nolan shares that personal life changes helped him reassess his involvement in open source and reflects on advice he received from other maintainers. [00:14:36] Richard emphasizes the personal and emotional investment many maintainers have in their projects and Nolan acknowledges the privilege of being able to work on open source, but also the challenges it poses for maintainers who feel they cannot leave. [00:21:13] Nolan shares stepping away from PouchDB has improved his mental health and personal relationships and he maintains smaller open source projects. [00:24:00] Nolan explains the importance of being personally invested in a project and realizing when it’s time to move on and Justin reflects on his own experience of stepping away from maintaining a project after years of involvement. [00:26:00] Eric asks if funding could have made a difference for Nolan’s involvement in open source, and Nolan shares that he avoided funding, preferring to keep his work as a “labor of love.” [00:26:52] What is Nolan currently doing? He talks about maintaining a Mastodon client and focusing on personal projects that bring him joy. [00:30:00] Richard discusses the importance of balancing open source work with personal life and the need for a sustainable approach to maintaining projects. [00:30:46] Eric highlights the vulnerability and self-awareness Nolan has shown in discussing his open source journey, thanking him for sharing his experiences. [00:33:13] Find out where you can follow Nolan on the internet. Spotlight [00:33:41] Justin’s spotlight is Metabase. [00:34:16] Eric’s spotlight is Parametric. [00:35:08] Richard’s spotlight is IPFS. [00:35:22] Nolan’s spotlight is fake-indexeddb. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Justin Dorfman X Eric Berry X Nolan Lawson Blog Nolan Lawson Mastodon “What it feels like to be an open source maintainer” (Blog post by Nolan) PouchDB Pinafore Salesforce Working in Public: The Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software by Nadia Eghbal Metabase Parametric IPFS fake-indexeddb (GitHub) Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Nolan Lawson. Support Sustain…

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Episode 251: Gina Häußge of OctoPrint on Crowd-funding OSS 33:43

35 weeks ago33:43

33:43

Guest Gina Häußge Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, Richard chats with guest Gina Häußge, the creator and maintainer of OctoPrint, a web interface for 3D printers. Gina shares her journey in open-source development, discussing how she transitioned to working full-time on OctoPrint through crowdfunding. She talks about managing burnout, maintaining a healthy community, and the complexities of balancing development with user demands. Gina also explains the importance of API stability for plugin developers and her approach to keeping the project sustainable. The episode highlights Gina's creative solutions, such as the introduction of an achievement system to engage users and encourage project support. Press download now to hear more! [00:01:38] Gina shares how she combats the stress and emotional toll of dealing with entitled users by using a heavy bag and playing the “DOOM” soundtrack. [00:03:24] Gina explains OctoPrint and all its features. [00:06:00] Richard inquires about Gina’s approach to governance and how she maintains a healthy community while preventing burnout. Gina explains her gut feeling-driven approach to building the project and how it turned into a larger community. [00:08:51] Gina talks about how she transitioned to a four-day work week to protect her mental and physical health, and how it improved her productivity and well-being. [00:10:34] There’s a discussion about the importance of API stability for OctoPrint’s plugin developers, and Gina explains her efforts to maintain backward compatibility and avoid breaking plugins with every new release. [00:14:34] Richard asks how Gina manages community communication with forums, Discord, and other tools. She mentions the importance of searchable forums for documentation over real-time communication platforms like Discord. [00:16:58] A conversation comes up on the “third-party licenses” file on OctoPrint’s GitHub, and Gina explains it’s to ensure proper credit and transparency. [00:18:45] Gina discusses how some early architectural decisions for OctoPrint were based on gut feeling and she talks about the complexity of modernizing the UI due to the large plugin ecosystem and technical debt. [00:23:21] Gina shares her discomfort with self-promotion but explains how essential crowdfunding is to keep OctoPrint alive, and she highlights a post she wrote about financial concerns and how it led to a significant increase in support. [00:27:09] Gina shares how she introduced a fun achievement system into OctoPrint to engage users and gently remind them about supporting the project. [00:29:50] Find out where you can follow Gina and OctoPrint online. Quotes [00:18:58] Why this Thirdpartylicense.md file: “It felt like the right thing to do.” [00:19:29] When did your gut feeling fail: “Architectural decisions throughout the lifespan of OctoPrint when I didn’t know anything better.” [00:20:42] “A plugin system like OctoPrint is both a feature and a curse.” [00:23:54] “I hate being in the spotlight, I hate marketing myself, but I do love doing this work.” [00:24:17] “I feel like I’m actually making a difference and if I want to keep doing that, then I need funding.” Spotlight [00:30:45] Richard’s spotlight is Eric Berry, an excellent human. [00:31:05] Gina’s spotlight is the Advanced Bash-Scripting Guide. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Gina Häußge LinkedIn Gina Häußge Website OctoPrint OctoPrint GitHub OctoPrint Third Party Licenses GitHub Eric Berry X Advanced Bash-Scripting Guide by Mendel Cooper Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Gina Häußge. Support Sustain…

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Episode 250: Jules Barros Lima on building diversity into open source communities 39:11

36 weeks ago39:11

39:11

Guest Juliana Barros Lima Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, Richard Littauer talks with Juliana (Jules) Barros Lima, a full-stack developer and marketing director at Associação Python Brasil. They explore Jules' involvement in organizing and supporting Python events across Brazil, including her work with PyLadies Recife and Python Brasil. The conversation dives into the challenges of fostering diversity and inclusion in open-source communities, touching on Jules’ "atomic diversity" framework for engaging local, regional, and national groups. They also discuss the impact of the pandemic on the Python community, the importance of mentorship, and the role of diverse organizing teams in creating codes of conduct that are empathetic and effective. Jules emphasizes the significance of leadership development, community collaboration, and stepping out of comfort zones to strengthen open-source communities globally. Download now to hear more! [00:01:57] Jules gives an overview of the Associação Python Brasil, what they do, and the challenges of managing a large community. [00:03:39] Jules discusses recent events organized and supported by the association and mentions that Python Brasil 2024 will be held in Rio de Janeiro and expected to have at least 300-500 attendees. [00:04:49] Jules discusses the importance of recognizing different regions’ unique cultural and economic situations within Brazil. [00:06:31] We learn about the importance of subgroups and identity-based communities like PyLadies, and Jules shares insights from a talk given at PyCon US about amplifying diversity within Python communities and introduces the concept of “atomic diversity.” [00:11:43] Jules highlights how the pandemic impacted Brazil’s Python community and discusses efforts to rebuild the community through open source tools and events. [00:14:07] Richard asks about how Brazil’s Python community fits within the larger global context and how Brazilian developers can bridge these gaps. Jules mentions that the community is still recovering and growing, the challenges with language barriers, and emphasizes the significance of maintaining open discussions and using GitHub. [00:17:12] Richard and Jules discuss the importance of having diverse organizing teams and codes of conduct (COCs). [00:23:03] Jules offers insights into the organizational challenges faced in building inclusive events and communities. One key takeaway is the importance of engaging and listening to minority groups, such as PyLadies and Rails Girls, and the need for mentorship to help build leadership within underrepresented communities. [00:26:52] Jules stresses that community work is about giving back to the people and organizations that helped individuals grow. [00:31:32] Jules shares strategies to foster new leadership by giving people manageable tasks and responsibilities to build confidence, engaging the community through social media, storytelling, and the need for cross-community collaboration. [00:36:00] Find out where you can follow Jules online. Spotlight [00:36:39] Richard’s spotlight is ‘cat’ Command. [00:37:08] Jules’s spotlight is the project, Querido Diário (Dear Diary). Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Juliana (Jules) Barros Lima Website Python Brasil 2024 Associação Python Brasil APyB (Python Brasil Association) APyB Tarefas (Tasks) APyB Comunidade (Discussions) PyLadies Recife PyLadies Rails Girls Querido Diário Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Juliana Barros Lima. Support Sustain…

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Episode 249: Why work with writers in Open Source? With Jenn Turner 40:57

37 weeks ago40:57

40:57

Guest Jenn Turner Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Richard Littauer interviews Jenn Turner, a content strategist at Fastly and part of the Glitch team. They discuss Jenn's unusual journey from journalism to open source, the challenges of being a non-technical contributor in a technical field, and the importance of effective communication in open source projects. Jen shares insights about maintaining work-life balance, the role of community in sustaining open source, and the impact of social media changes on community engagement. They also touch on strategies for non-technical contributions to open source and the value of humanities skills in tech. Hit download now to hear more! [00:01:57] Jenn shares her journey into open source. [00:05:09] Richard asks how Jenn navigated being an editor through the world of open source. She emphasizes that many brilliant coders lack the communication skills necessary to bring communities along and highlights the importance of developing critical thinking skills through humanities courses. [00:07:25] Jenn talks about how editors and writers can play an essential role in promoting and communicating the value of open source projects. [00:08:30] We learn that Jenn had to deal with the pressure to learn how to code early in her career, but she recognized coding wasn’t her passion. [00:10:38] Jenn explains how she contributed to Node.js community by writing newsletters and serving on the community committee. [00:11:56] Richard and Jenn discuss the challenges of identifying as non-technical while contributing to technical spaces. [00:14:58] Jenn shares how she decoupled her identity from her occupation to prioritize time with her daughter. [00:17:23] We hear advice from Jenn for non-technical people looking to join a project in open source. [00:21:18] Richard and Jenn discuss the importance of event organizing in the open source space, encouraging listeners to get involved with organizing conferences. [00:23:09] Jenn reflects on the challenges of social media and community engagement, and she shares how Glitch and Fastly try to create meaningful conversations in their forums to foster a more centralized community. [00:32:06] There’s a conversation on the importance of having a style guide for social media to ensure consistency and fun communication. [00:34:00] Find out there you follow Jenn and find her work online. Quotes [00:05:16] “One of the funny things about the tech industry is how much emphasis is put on the ability to code.” [00:05:24] “You could be the world’s most intelligent coder but have no skillset to bring a community along.” [00:13:42] “Truly no one’s value is creating code on a project; it’s their thought process and all of the intentions and goals and things that they’re working towards.” [00:23:33] “You have to have a level of cultural fluency in order to be able to authentically connect with your audience.” Spotlight [00:35:13] Richard’s spotlight is Nolan Lawson. [00:37:12] Jenn’s spotlight is Lynn Fisher’s website, lynnandtonic.com. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Jenn Turner Website Jenn Turner Mastodon Jenn Turner LinkedIn Glitch Blog Glitch Fastly Human JavaScript by Henri Joreteg Sustain Podcast-Episode 59: Jenn Schiffer on Satire, Coding, Why Teaching OSS is Super Important Sustain Podcast-Episode 244: Jan Lehnardt & Alba Herrerías Ramírez of Neighbourhood.ie Sustain Podcast-2 episodes featuring guest Tracy Hinds Sustain Podcast-2 episodes featuring guest Ashley Williams Whichlight Anil Dash Website Robbie Augspurger Website Digital Savvies Nolan Lawson Website Lynn Fisher Website Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Jenn Turner. Support Sustain…

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Episode 248: Lorenzo Sciandra and Mirko Swillus on STF's "Fellowship for Maintainers" Program 35:18

38 weeks ago35:18

35:18

Guest Lorenzo Sciandra | Mirko Swillus Panelist Richard Littauer | Abby Mayes Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Richard Littauer and co-host Abby Mayes are joined by Lorenzo Sciandra and Mirko Swillus from the Sovereign Tech Fund (STF) to discuss the launch of the "Fellowship for Maintainers" program. Funded by the German government, STF is dedicated to supporting open-source sustainability by funding maintainers, especially those who work on multiple projects. Lorenzo and Mirko explain how the program aims to bridge funding gaps for solo maintainers, provide mentorship, and ensure global inclusion. The episode also highlights the program's goals, the application process, and the broader impact on global open source sustainability. Hit download now to hear more! [00:01:28] Richard discusses the Sovereign Tech Fund. [00:02:52] Lorenzo highlights the launch of the “Fellowship for Maintainers” program. [00:04:16] Mirko explains that the program is a pilot, starting small and adopting an iterative approach to learn with the community and designed to fill gaps for solo maintainers who work across multiple projects. [00:06:23] Richard asks why STF is focusing on funding individuals rather than specific projects. Mirko explains maintainers often perform important but unseen work, such as security triaging, code reviews, and documentation. [00:08:45] Abby asks about the results of the survey STF conducted in preparation for the fellowship program. Mirko reveals results and insights about the survey and gives a shout-out to their communications manager, Pohen Shiah. [00:10:58] Lorenzo talks about mentorship being a key part of the fellowship and the goal to help fellows set goals and provide support beyond financial assistance. [00:14:14] Lorenzo explains the flexible, personalized nature of mentorship versus coaching and discuses common challenges and Mirko talks about the balance between full-time jobs and maintaining open source projects and explores the idea of part-time maintenance and considers making room for small freelance maintainers. [00:18:59] Richard asks why the program isn’t supporting more maintainers for fewer house each week. Mirko explains how the pilot is designed to experiment with different models. [00:20:29] Richard questions how STF will ensure diversity in selecting fellows and Mirko explains how STF is committed to global inclusion and how freelancers can apply. [00:22:22] We learn how STF will measure success with a discussion on how it be evaluated through various metrics and external experts will also help STF define success metrics for the fellowship. [00:26:39] Richard inquires if STF has reached out to other countries to expand the program. Mirko explains that STF is building global awareness of the program and the European Union and other entitles have shown interests. [00:28:24] Find out where to apply and the application process. Spotlight [00:30:23] Abby’s spotlight is Yoga Mamas Toronto, the community. [00:31:06] Richard’s spotlight is his friend, Jamie McQuilken. [00:31:53] Lorenzo’s spotlight is Proton. [00:32:47] Mirko’s spotlight is Signal app. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Abby Cabunoc Mayes X Lorenzo Sciandra LinkedIn Lorenzo Sciandra Website Mirko Swillus LinkedIn Mirko Swillus chaos social Sustain Podcast-Episode 17: How Formidable Supports Open Source With Lorenzo Sciandra Powen Shiah LinkedIn Sovereign Tech Fund Mission Sovereign Tech Fund-Fellowship for Maintainers Introduction Sovereign Tech Fund Fellowship for Maintainers Application Sovereign Tech Fund-Fellowship for Maintainers Program Sovereign Tech Fund-Fellowship for Maintainers FAQ Yoga Mamas-Toronto Proton Signal Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guests: Lorenzo Sciandra and Mirko Swillus. Support Sustain…

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Episode 247: Chad Whitacre on the Open Source Pledge 38:36

39 weeks ago38:36

38:36

Guest Chad Whitacre Panelists Richard Littauer | Eriol Fox Show Notes In this episode, host Richard Littauer and co-host Eriol Fox interview Chad Whitacre, a key figure in the open source community and Head of Open Source at Sentry. Today, they delve into the challenges and strategies related to sustaining open source projects, focusing on Sentry's efforts to fund open source through various initiatives, including the ambitious Open Source Pledge. The discussion covers the history of Sentry's commitment to open source, the creation of a comprehensive funding program, and the launch of the Open Source Pledge. The pledge aims to encourage companies to contribute financially to open source by establishing a social norm. Chad also touches on the broader impact and potential of open source foundations and platforms in allocating funds and supporting maintainers, highlighting the importance of making open source a core part of company culture and brand identity. Press download now to hear more! [00:01:50] Chad provides a brief history of Sentry, its evolution from an open source project to a start-up, and its commitment to support open source projects. He discusses Sentry’s open source funding program, its growth over the years, and the company’s budget plans for the current year. [00:04:04] Chad talks about the importance of other companies joining Sentry in funding open source projects and mentions the launch of the “Open Source Pledge.” [00:05:05] Chad explains that funding open source is part of Sentry’s brand marketing, similar to how large companies sponsor events for brand visibility. [00:07:48] Richard asks about the potential dilution of Sentry’s brand by encouraging other companies to join the funding efforts. Chad explains that the “Open Source Pledge” requires companies to contribute a minimum of $2,000 per developer annually and share their contributions publicly. [00:11:37] Eriol expresses concerns about the focus on developers, noting the importance of other roles like designers in the open source ecosystem. Chad acknowledges the different roles in open source and discusses how Sentry focuses on funding dependencies critical to their tech stack. [00:14:56] Chad talks about the role of open source foundations, especially in light of new European regulations (CRA), and their potential to steward funds more effectively. [00:18:55] Richard questions how foundations can pay developers under U.S. law, leading to a discussion on the need for potential changes in how foundations operate. [00:21:48] Eriol appreciates the “Open Source Pledge” for providing a vocabulary and structure to involve organizations and companies in supporting open source. [00:23:06] Chad talks about the upcoming media campaign to promote the pledge and the aim to establish a new social norm around funding open source. [00:25:13] Richard asks how the pledge ensures that funds given are truly no-strings- attached to which Chad responds that platforms like GitHub Sponsors typically enforce a no-strings-attached culture, and the pledge doesn’t directly handle funds but incentivizes companies to contribute through established platforms. [00:27:56] Richard seeks clarification on how the pledge ensures contributions don’t come with expectations of ongoing development work from maintainers. Chad emphasizes the need for adding more financial support to the open source ecosystem and fostering collaboration among platforms, foundations, and maintainers. [00:33:49] The conversation concludes with a brief mention of Fair Source, another initiative Chad is involved in. [00:34:14] Find out where you can follow Chad and his work online. Spotlight [00:34:56] Eriol’s spotlight is a project called, Cofacts. [00:35:45] Richards’s spotlight is his high school advisor, Rob Kyff. [00:36:25] Chad’s spotlight is Kim Coggin, a dry stack stonewaller. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org (email) richard@theuserismymom.com (email) SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Eriol Fox X/Twitter Chad Whitacre LinkedIn Chad Whitacre Blog Chad Whitacre X/Twitter Sentry The Future of FOSS Foundations by Chad Whitacre Open Source Pledge-GitHub Open Source Pledge Fair Source Cofacts Rob Kyff Rob Kyff-The Word Guy Kim Coggin-Laurel Stoneworks Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Chad Whitacre. Support Sustain…

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Episode 246: Divya Mohan of SUSE on CHAOSS Asia 28:36

40 weeks ago28:36

28:36

Guest Divya Mohan Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this episode, host Richard Littauer welcomes guest Divya Mohan, Principal Technology Advocate at SUSE, as they discuss her journey into open source and her role in advocating for SUSE's projects. The conversation delves into the importance of community involvement, the goals of CHAOSS Asia, and the challenges of fostering a cohesive open-source community across a diverse continent. They also explore the necessity of standardization within the CHAOSS project to ensure trust and reliability, highlighting cultural differences in open-source adoption across Asia. Additionally, Divya shares insights on bridging gaps in FOSS education, overcoming language barriers, and new initiatives, including efforts to include Oceania and focus on disabled Asians in the open-source community. Press download now to hear more! [00:01:30] Divya explains her journey into open source and her current role in advocating for projects without focusing on marketing or selling. [00:02:24] She elaborates on SUSE’s focus on cloud-native projects, SAP, and Edge, while mentioning that she was the sole technology advocate until recently. [00:03:02] Divya discusses her responsibilities, including creating awareness materials, live streams, and courses around SUSE’s projects, particularly focusing on open source projects. [00:04:22] Divya emphasizes the importance of community involvement in open source projects, mentioning that while the core maintainers are SUSE employees, the wider community is encouraged to contribute. She also clarifies that SUSE projects are inherently open source from the beginning. [00:07:42] The conversation shifts to Divya’s involvement in CHAOSS Asia, a regional chapter of the CHAOSS project, and she talks about the goals of CHAOSS Asia, which include discovering unique challenges of open source communities in Asia, building a database of these communities, and working on the standardization of metrics. [00:11:42] The discussion delves deeper into why standardization is necessary for CHAOSS Asia, particularly focusing on the regional differences and the need for a trusted seal of approval. [00:13:26] Richard questions the necessity of ISO standards for open source projects, and Divya explains that it’s about providing a clear definition of what is accepted within the metrics, drawing parallels with the open chain standard. [00:15:39] The conversation returns to the ISO standard, with Divya noting that the demand for a standard came from Asian companies, highlighting the cultural and regional differences in the IT industry. [00:17:14] Richard and Divya discuss the diverse approaches to open source contributions across different Asian regions and the challenges of fostering a cohesive open source community across such a diverse continent. [00:19:03] Divya shares insights on the varying governmental and business support for open source in different Asian countries, and the fragmented nature of FOSS education across the continent. [00:22:17] Divya touches on the language barriers within CHAOSS Asia and how they’re addressed through transcription tools and subgroups. She also mentions new initiatives, including a focus group for disabled Asians in the open source community. [00:23:26] Richard and Divya discuss the inclusion of Oceania in CHAOSS Asia and expresses hope for more participation from Oceania. [00:24:40] Find out where you can follow Divya and CHAOSS Asia online. Quotes [00:22:50] “OSS projects are the best example of how asynchronous communities can give something of value.” Spotlight [00:25:36] Richard’s spotlight is Stephen E. Thorpe. [00:26:44] Divya’s spotlight is Savitha Raghunathan. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org (email) richard@theuserismymom.com (email) SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Divya Mohan LinkedIn Divya Mohan’s Website Divya Mohan X/Twitter SUSE CHAOSS Asia CHAOSS Metrics and Metrics Models Stephen E. Thorpe Savitha Raghunathan LinkedIn Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Divya Mohan. Support Sustain…

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Episode 245: Brian Douglas of Open Sauced on Sustainability through Effective Metrics 43:20

41 weeks ago43:20

43:20

Guest Brian Douglas Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Richard Littauer talks with Brian “bdougie” Douglas, founder and CEO of Open Sauced. They discuss the multifaceted aspects of sustaining open source projects, Brian’s journey in developer advocacy, and the unique goals of Open Sauced. Brian shares insights from his experiences at GitHub and Netlify, elaborates on concepts like lottery factor and the significance of unique issue authors, and tackles the challenges of maintaining open source sustainability. He also explores the balance of addressing enterprise needs while supporting smaller, less visible projects and emphasizes the importance of education and community engagement in open source. Press download now! [00:01:54] Brian discusses his background at GitHub and Netlify, his role in promoting GraphQL, GitHub Actions, Codespaces, and the inception of Open Sauced. [00:03:08] We hear about the features of Open Sauced’s dashboard which enhances GitHub insights, OSSF scorecards, and workspace customizations for managing multiple projects. [00:04:31] Open Sauced’s business model is currently founded by VC money and aims to serve large organizations with significant open source dependencies, and Brian talks about the team size and funding history. [00:06:08] Brian elaborates on Open Sauced’s long-term sustainability plan, focusing on enterprise-level solutions for open source project observability and contributions. [00:09:31] There’s a discussion on how Open Sauced interacts with open source communities and the importance of real-world testing and contributions to open source projects. [00:11:06] Richard highlights the FOSS Funders initiative, encouraging companies to support open source projects financially and through active participation. [00:12:44] Brian shares insights on effective metrics for evaluating open source projects, emphasizing the importance of engaging with unique issue authors rather than focusing solely on superficial metrics like pull requests, and discusses his approach to starting meaningful conversations in the open source community. [00:16:08] Brian explains why he renamed “Lottery Factor” to “Contributor Absence Factor,” and discusses the Pgvector project to illustrate the importance of understanding the “Contributor Absence Factor” and the sustainability concerns when a project relies heavily on a few contributors. [00:18:20] We learn more about how Open Sauced sources its data, including their use of GitHub’s events feed and their development of the “Pizza Oven” tool to generate insights from Git repositories. [00:20:21] Richard and Brian discuss the challenges of maintaining an open source ethos when dealing with large companies’ internal projects, avoiding becoming merely service providers for large corporate entities. [00:24:14] Brian discusses the long-term implications of open source projects that receive substantial funding or become integrated into larger corporate frameworks. [00:27:27] Richard brings up the difficulty many open source projects face in accessing significant funding and Brian shares his vision for supporting less prominent open source projects drawing analogies from his personal experiences. [00:32:42] Richard questions the “up the chain” analogy, comparing it to a pyramid scheme or academia’s tenure track. Brian acknowledges the need to support contributors at all levels, not just those at the top, and he introduces the concept of a S Bomb to provide transparency about project dependencies. [00:39:36] Find out where you can follow Brian on the web. Spotlight [00:40:17] Richard’s spotlight is Mr. Carreras, an awesome music teacher. [00:40:59] Brian’s spotlight is Dawn Foster at the CHAOSS Project and the CHAOSS Practitioner Guides. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org (email) richard@theuserismymom.com (email) SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Brian Douglas- Open Sauced Brian Douglas Website Brian Douglas GitHub Brian Douglas X/Twitter The Secret Sauce Open Sauced Podcast The Secret Sauce Podcast: ‘The Future of Cloud Native and AI with Brendan Burns’ Open Sauced Renaming Bus Factor #632 (CHAOSS community) FOSS Funders Andrew Kane GitHub Chad Whitacre Website Fair Source CHAOSS Your Copilot for Git History (Open Sauced) Open Sauced GitHub InnerSource Commons Sustain Podcast-Episode 148: Ali Nehzat of thanks.dev and OSS Funding Learning in Public with Kelsey Hightower (Curiefense) Welcome to Wrexham Sustain Podcast-Episode 159: Dawn Foster & Andrew Nesbitt at State of Open Con 2023 Dr. Dawn Foster Mastodon About the CHAOSS Practitioner Guides Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Brian Douglas. Support Sustain…

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Episode 244: Jan Lehnardt & Alba Herrerías Ramírez of Neighbourhood.ie 44:38

42 weeks ago44:38