Communities Over CodeHow Companies can Work Effectively with Open Source Communities

Joe Brockmeier (@jzb)PRESENTED BY:

Senior Evangelist, Linux Containers (Red Hat)

About Me (Briefly)About Me (Briefly)

· Red Hat since August 2013 Red Hat since August 2013 · Apache Member, Incubator PMCApache Member, Incubator PMC· Former openSUSE Community ManagerFormer openSUSE Community Manager· Technology Journalist ~1999-2008, 2010-2012Technology Journalist ~1999-2008, 2010-2012· Likes books, Vim, cats, music, beer, and Likes books, Vim, cats, music, beer, and

polar bears – (not necessarily in that polar bears – (not necessarily in that order).order).

What We'll CoverWhat We'll Cover

· The Open Source MythThe Open Source Myth· Why “Community Over Code”?Why “Community Over Code”?· Defining SuccessDefining Success· Governance and CommunityGovernance and Community· InfrastructureInfrastructure· MarketingMarketing

The Open Source MythThe Open Source Myth

First Rule:First Rule:If your project isn't great, If your project isn't great, useful, and necessary, none useful, and necessary, none of this will matter of this will matter at allat all..

What is “Community Over Code”?

How You Do Things How You Do Things

Can Be As Important As What You DoCan Be As Important As What You Do

A Healthy Community Can Roll A Healthy Community Can Roll with Changewith Change

No One is IrreplaceableNo One is Irreplaceable

““We'll Do it Right Later”We'll Do it Right Later”

Doesn't Always Work Out Well...Doesn't Always Work Out Well...

Core Principles

Transparency & OpennessTransparency & Openness

““If it didn't happen on the mailing list...”If it didn't happen on the mailing list...”

MentorsMentors

Are ImportantAre Important

Leave Your HatLeave Your Hat

At the DoorAt the Door

QualityQuality

Is Better than SpeedIs Better than Speed

All Contributions MatterAll Contributions Matter

Users MatterUsers Matter

Defining Success

What Does Success Look Like?What Does Success Look Like?

Are Your Goals Measurable?Are Your Goals Measurable?

Communicate Your GoalsCommunicate Your Goals

Accidental Success Happens:Accidental Success Happens:

But Don't Count on It!But Don't Count on It!

Governance &Community

GovernanceGovernance

· One Size Can't Fit AllOne Size Can't Fit All· Have Clear GuidelinesHave Clear Guidelines· CLAs – avoid terms that make one entity CLAs – avoid terms that make one entity

“more equal than others.”“more equal than others.”· How does a user become a contributor?How does a user become a contributor?· How does a contributor become a core How does a contributor become a core

contributor / earn rights?contributor / earn rights?· Golden RuleGolden Rule· DiversityDiversity

· Skills and peopleSkills and people

Governance Suggestions Governance Suggestions

· Everything happens on the mailing list*Everything happens on the mailing list*· 72 hours for feedback72 hours for feedback· Use “lazy consensus” to make decisions*Use “lazy consensus” to make decisions*

· Exceptions: Legal, missing stakeholder, Exceptions: Legal, missing stakeholder, security, etc.security, etc.

· Leave your Hat at the doorLeave your Hat at the door· Company / titles shouldn't matterCompany / titles shouldn't matter

· Make decisions stickMake decisions stick· Document, document, documentDocument, document, document

Infrastructure

Care & Feeding for Care & Feeding for CommunityCommunity

· Mailing ListsMailing Lists· Forums ?Forums ?· Bug TrackerBug Tracker· Documentation / WikiDocumentation / Wiki· Code RepositoriesCode Repositories· Trello / Kanban, etc.?Trello / Kanban, etc.?· Continuous Integration (CI) & Testing InfraContinuous Integration (CI) & Testing Infra· Translation toolsTranslation tools

Face to Face

· Nothing beats in-person bonding. · We still don't have beer over TCP/IP!

· Meetups! LUGs! Daycare centers! (OK, maybe not the last one...)

· You can't depend on in-person collaboration all the time – but try to make it happen sometimes!

· Find time for learning, doing, and socializing.· Carry as much as possible back to the rest of the

community.

Open Source Citizenship

If You're Participating, Not Leading

· Send Pull Requests· Have sane use policies – be clear about what's

OK, what's not – but make sure they're communicated!

· Have sane contribution policies – let your employees participate!

· Speak up! Tell people about your use of Open Source

Marketing & Promotion

Audience & GoalsAudience & Goals

· What are your goals?What are your goals?· Fuzzy goals == unfocusedFuzzy goals == unfocused

· Who are you trying to reach?Who are you trying to reach?· Personas / profiles of usersPersonas / profiles of users

· What do they want? What do they want? · Craft a story / message around how your Craft a story / message around how your

project fits their needs. May need to “fix” the project fits their needs. May need to “fix” the project!project!

· Feedback loopFeedback loop· Talk to users, use their ideas!Talk to users, use their ideas!

Project Voice and MessagingProject Voice and Messaging

· Tailor Website to usersTailor Website to users· Have talking points / messaging for the Have talking points / messaging for the

project that explains it to new folksproject that explains it to new folks· Explain benefits, not features or low-level Explain benefits, not features or low-level

technologytechnology· Show me how to be successful, quicklyShow me how to be successful, quickly

Blogging and Social MediaBlogging and Social Media

· Take the time to write about what you're Take the time to write about what you're doing.doing.· Video / screencasts are also good – but Video / screencasts are also good – but

remember the old-timers. remember the old-timers. · Find contributors to help run social media, Find contributors to help run social media,

blogs, etc.blogs, etc.· Provide social media guidelines! Provide social media guidelines! · Advanced: Editorial calendar, SEO, Advanced: Editorial calendar, SEO,

scheduled tweets, target influencersscheduled tweets, target influencers

Releases!Releases!

· Start planning release announcements Start planning release announcements early early · Ideally, before the first alphaIdeally, before the first alpha

· Identify publications that might be Identify publications that might be interestedinterested

· Identify partner projects that might help Identify partner projects that might help promote your projectpromote your project

· Go big, but don't just focus on releases!Go big, but don't just focus on releases!

SummarySummary

· Community is a process, not an end stateCommunity is a process, not an end state· You will never, ever, ever be “done” You will never, ever, ever be “done”

· Successful communities changeSuccessful communities change· Single-company projects < Diverse projectsSingle-company projects < Diverse projects· If you build it, you still have to promote itIf you build it, you still have to promote it· If you're not growing, you're dyingIf you're not growing, you're dying· Golden RuleGolden Rule

Questions?

jzb@redhat.comCONTACT: