Relationship Problems in Open Source
Session Abstract
This talk will discuss how common open source problems such as maintainer burnout, new contributor onboarding, under-funding of open source projects, bad user experience in open source, and communities falling apart due conflict can be viewed through a relational lens.
Session Description
We are used to thinking about open source projects as codebases, not communities, but there are many open source problems that are fundamentally relationship problems. These include open source maintainer burnout, new contributor onboarding, under-funding of open source projects, bad user experience in open source, and communities falling apart due to conflict. In this talk, we’ll discuss what it means to view these problems through a ‚relational lens‘, the principles and practices that make for a good relationship, and how we can apply those principles and practices to open source. We’ll also talk about some of the cultural barriers that can cause us to devalue the relational lens, including misogyny, individualism, capitalism, and trauma.
