open source communities

Open Source CommunitiesOpen Source Communities

Dawn Foster

[email protected]://FastWonderBlog.com

mailto:[email protected]

06/30/08 FastWonderBlog.com 2

Community DefinitionsCommunity DefinitionsAccording to Wikipedia:According to Wikipedia:

““A community usually refers to a group of people who interact and share certainA community usually refers to a group of people who interact and share certainthings as a group. ... The word community comes from things as a group. ... The word community comes from

the Latin communis, meaning 'common, public, shared by all or many.'” the Latin communis, meaning 'common, public, shared by all or many.'”

Open Source Community ... no common definition:Open Source Community ... no common definition:

Free Software or Open Source?Free Software or Open Source?A single community?A single community?

Many project communities?Many project communities?Subgroup communities?Subgroup communities?

Developers, Users, Companies?Developers, Users, Companies?

Dawn's Open Source Community Definition (Broad):Dawn's Open Source Community Definition (Broad):

A group of people interacting and sharing ideas, code, or documentation while A group of people interacting and sharing ideas, code, or documentation while working together on open source software as developers, users, evangelists, working together on open source software as developers, users, evangelists,

marketers, salespeople, and / or investors.marketers, salespeople, and / or investors.


Evolution of Open Source CommunitiesEvolution of Open Source Communities● Roots: Academic Communities

– Researchers building on the ideas of others (literature reviews)– Complete expert peer reviews to assess the merits of each

proposed paper– Publishing research in great detail allowing other researchers

to examine the study methodology and reproduce the results for confirmation.

● Open Source Communities– Developers build on the ideas of others (code / idea reuse)– Conduct peer reviews on the submissions of other developers– Make the source code publicly available for anyone to

examine.


Benefits of CommunitiesBenefits of Communities● Collaboration

– Working toward a common goal.– Move and respond quickly to changes in the environment. – Software companies that embrace OSS or collaborative

development methods will have an advantage● Innovation

– Build on innovations of others– User-centered innovation

● “every good work of software begins by scratching a developer's personal itch” - Eric Raymond

● Firefox extensions and innovation ahead of IE● Diversity and Global Talent

– OSS communities have always been global– Best talent regardless of location


Why do people participate?Why do people participate?What motivates me, may not motivate you!

PassionPassion

DevelopDevelopSkillsSkills

LearningLearning

Status &Status &RecognitionRecognition

CareerCareerAdvancementAdvancement

SocialSocialFunFun

FinancialFinancial

GiftGiftCultureCulture

WorkWork

FastWonderBlog.com 6

OSS Structure and Leadership?OSS Structure and Leadership?

CodeCode

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Random

ChaoticFree for All


Open Source Community Structure & LeadershipOpen Source Community Structure & LeadershipLeadership

Individual, Board of Directors, CommitteeStrategic DecisionsProject Direction

Maintainers Maintainers Maintainers Direction and decisions for a portion of the project

Committers Committers Committers Committers CommittersTrusted Community members with access to modify code

Contributors Contributors Contributors Contributors

ContributorsContributors



Contributors Community members contributing to committers for review

Bug ReportsBug Reports

Contributors

Bug ReportsBug Reports

Bug ReportsBug ReportsBug ReportsBug Reports




Community members submitting bugs to improve the project

Users Users, Evangelists, others


Community ManagersCommunity Managers

What do we do?– Ongoing Facilitation– Content Creation– Evangelism– Community Evolution

What Skills do we need?– Patience– Networking– Communication– Facilitation– Technical Skills– Marketing– Self-Motivation– Workaholic Tendencies– Organization

““Jobs of the future, #1: Online Jobs of the future, #1: Online Community Organizer Community Organizer

...... If you were great at this, I'd imagine If you were great at this, I'd imagine you'd never ever have trouble finding you'd never ever have trouble finding

good work.” good work.” --Seth Godin--Seth Godin


Other Manifestations of CommOther Manifestations of Communityunity


OSS vs. Traditional StructureOSS vs. Traditional Structure● Traditional Software Development Model

Project is started somewhere in management Hierarchical structure is created to support project People are hired or put into their boxes in the org

chart Work begins

● Open Source Community Development Model Developer “scratches an itch” and writes some code People like the code and begin to contribute Structure emerges as needed


Emergent StructureEmergent Structure● Person / Small Group starts a project

● People start using it● Project grows● More submissions than original person / group can manage

● Appoint a few Committers● People who have proven themselves within community (meritocracy)● Committers handle day to day contributions● With more contributions, project grows in size and complexity

● Appoint Maintainers● Complex projects benefit from specialists to manage portions of project● Maintainers make most decisions for their portion of the project

● More Formal Structure● When community becomes even more complex, some communities chose

to form a non-profit organization, company or other structure


Communities in TransitionCommunities in Transition● OSS Communities: Recent Past

Contributors were technical, self-sufficient, do not need a lot of tools to help (text editors, command line, html, coding)

● OSS Communities: Present Many contributors still technical Add marketing and other non-technical to the mix

(SpreadFirefox) Existing tools / norms create barriers to entry for non-

techies● OSS Communities: Future

Learn from social networking / social media communities to lower the barrier of entry


Thank You!Thank You!

Dawn [email protected]

Shameless Self Promotion Box:Shameless Self Promotion Box:Read My BlogRead My Blog

fastwonderblog.comfastwonderblog.com


BackupBackup

Stuff I probably won't cover, but some people might find it interesting.


Reputation SystemsReputation Systems● The Good

– People like points & recognition

– Encourages participation

– Highlight and reward key members

● The Bad– They will game it!– Does this make it

worthless?

● The Practical– Transparency– Members award points– Adjust over time


Community Structures and AdoptionCommunity Structures and Adoption● Emergent

– Pros: Easy to implement, User buy-in, Unanticipated structure

– Cons: Writer's block, Off-topic● Highly Structured

– Pros: Control, Clear expectations– Cons: Restrictive, Inflexible, Community resistance,

Structure that doesn't work for community● Adaptive

– Pros: User buy-in, Some control, Evolve in unanticipated positive directions

– Cons: Less Control, User traction required


OSS / Web 2.0 SimilaritiesOSS / Web 2.0 Similarities● People build on the ideas of others

● Blogging / contributing content to sites like Wikipedia● Discussions and content are publicly available

● Anyone can examine / contribute to the discussion: comments (blogs, Digg, etc.) and reviews (Amazon.com).

● Wiki discussion / history pages make the conversation visible● Peer review functionality built into the site.

● Mechanisms to review and vote for user submitted content (Digg)● Self-policing mechanisms to monitor the behavior of other users /

flag content as inappropriate (Digg, Flickr) ● Eric Raymond's Linus's Law

● "Given enough eyeballs all bugs are shallow"● Originally written with OSS in mind, but can be applied to web

2.0 communities.


OSS / Web 2.0 DifferencesOSS / Web 2.0 Differences● Technical vs. Non-technical

● OSS community members have historically been highly technical, self-sufficient, comfortable with minimal tools

● Some web 2.0 community members have technical backgrounds● More members are new to online communities, less technical,

and expect tools to make it easy to contribute (blogging tools, etc.)

● Barriers to Entry● OSS communities can be difficult enter for a new user

Time spent upfront understanding the community history and source code before a new member can be truly productive.

● Web 2.0 communities have lower barrier to entry Anyone with an opinion can start commenting on Digg; Anyone can create a MySpace profile to share with their friends Any amateur photographer can upload, tag, and share photos on

Flickr.


Future of CommunitiesFuture of Communities● Web 2.0 communities can learn from the long

history of lessons learned in open source communities

● Etiquette● Defined processes● Dealing with poisonous people / trolls

● Open source communities can learn new ways to bring people into the community and lower the barrier to entry.

● Using web 2.0 tools. Intuitive to more people Help bring in marketing and other less technical community

members.● SpreadFirefox is a great example of how to engage with

the less technical user community.

What Would Dr. Seuss What Would Dr. Seuss Say About Online Communities?Say About Online Communities?

Dawn FosterDir. Developer Relations

Jive Software

[email protected]://FastWonderBlog.com

mailto:[email protected]


Play NicePlay Nice

Translation:Play Nice: Be polite and respectful in your interactions with other members

"I'm the Lorax who speaks for "I'm the Lorax who speaks for the trees which you seem to the trees which you seem to be chopping as fast as you be chopping as fast as you

please. please.

NOW...thanks to your hacking NOW...thanks to your hacking my trees to the ground, my trees to the ground,

there's not enough Truffula there's not enough Truffula Fruit to go 'round.Fruit to go 'round.

And my poor Bar-bar-loots And my poor Bar-bar-loots are all getting the crummies are all getting the crummies because they have gas, and because they have gas, and no food in their tummies!"no food in their tummies!"


People are Watching YouPeople are Watching You

Translation:People see everything you do in the community.Be a good example of the “right” behavior.

““My eyes see. My eyes see. His eyes see. His eyes see.

I see him. I see him. And he sees me.And he sees me.

And so we say, And so we say, ““Hooray for eyes! Hooray for eyes!

Hooray, hooray, Hooray, hooray, hooray... hooray...

... for eyes!”... for eyes!”


Make it FunMake it Fun

Translation:Have fun! Lighten it up occasionally!

Why do you sit there like Why do you sit there like that?that?

I know it is wet.I know it is wet.And the sun is not sunny.And the sun is not sunny.

But we can have lots of good But we can have lots of good fun that is funny!fun that is funny!

I know some good games we I know some good games we could play.could play.

I know some new tricks.I know some new tricks.I will show them to you.I will show them to you.

Your mother will not mind at Your mother will not mind at all if I do. all if I do.


MeritocracyMeritocracy

Translation:Community members rise to the top based on merits and contributions.

But McBean was quite wrong. But McBean was quite wrong. I'm quite happy to say I'm quite happy to say

That the Sneeches got really That the Sneeches got really quite smart on that day, quite smart on that day,

The day they decided that The day they decided that Sneetches are Sneeches Sneetches are Sneeches And no kind of Sneetch And no kind of Sneetch

is the best on the beaches. is the best on the beaches.

That day, all the Sneeches That day, all the Sneeches forgot about stars forgot about stars

And whether they had one, And whether they had one, or not, upon thars.or not, upon thars.


AcceptingAccepting

Translation:Communities and their members come in all shapes and sizes.Accept the existing community without trying to change too much.

"Peanuts and pineapples"Peanuts and pineapplesnoses and grapes. noses and grapes.

Everything comes in different Everything comes in different shapes.shapes.

Of all the shapes Of all the shapes we MIGHT have been... we MIGHT have been...

I say, I say,

““HOORAY for the shapes HOORAY for the shapes we're in!”"we're in!”"


Improve and EvolveImprove and Evolve

Translation:Make incremental improvements to the community.Don't let it get stale!

“ “but if I ran the zoo,” but if I ran the zoo,” Said young Gerald McGrew, Said young Gerald McGrew, ““I'd make a few changes. I'd make a few changes. That's just what I'd do ...”That's just what I'd do ...”

The lions and tigers and The lions and tigers and that kind of stuff that kind of stuff

They have up here now are They have up here now are not quite good enough. not quite good enough.

You see things like these in You see things like these in just any old zoo. just any old zoo.

They're awfully old-They're awfully old-fashioned. fashioned.

I want something new!I want something new!


Be FlexibleBe Flexible

Translation:Be flexible. Improvements and ideas come from unexpected places.

Never budge! Never budge! That's my rule. That's my rule.

Never budgeNever budgein the least! in the least!

Not an inch to the west! Not an inch to the west! Not an inch to the east! Not an inch to the east!

I'll stay here, not budging! I'll stay here, not budging! I can and I will I can and I will

If it makes you and me and If it makes you and me and the whole world stand still.the whole world stand still.


EmpoweringEmpowering

Translation:Delegate responsibilities to community members.Let the community help!

““I can not, shall not, will notI can not, shall not, will not

Lug this stupid thing around!” Lug this stupid thing around!”

He slammed the tail of Prooie Katz! He slammed the tail of Prooie Katz! He slammed it on the ground.He slammed it on the ground.

And since that day in Katzen-stein, And since that day in Katzen-stein, All cats have been more grown-up. All cats have been more grown-up.

They're all more demo-catic They're all more demo-catic Because each cat holds his own up.Because each cat holds his own up.


UnpredictabilityUnpredictability

Translation:You never know what will happen.Every day will be different & unpredictable.

Then comes a Yellow day. And, Then comes a Yellow day. And, Wheeeeeeeeeeee I am a busy, Wheeeeeeeeeeee I am a busy,

buzzy bee.buzzy bee.

Gray day ... Everything is gray. I Gray day ... Everything is gray. I watch. But nothing moves watch. But nothing moves

today.today.

But when my days are Happy But when my days are Happy pink, it's great to jump and just pink, it's great to jump and just

not think.not think.

Then come my Black Days. Then come my Black Days. MAD. and loud. I howl. I growl at MAD. and loud. I howl. I growl at

every cloud.every cloud.


DiversityDiversity

Translation:Encourage diversity.Recruit people with new ideas and different skills.

One fish two fish red fish blue fish. One fish two fish red fish blue fish.

Black fish blue fish old fish new fish.Black fish blue fish old fish new fish.

This one has a little star. This one has a little star. This one has a little car. This one has a little car.

Say! what a lot of fish there are. Say! what a lot of fish there are. Yes. Some are red. Yes. Some are red.

And some are blue. And some are blue.

Some are old. And some are new. Some are old. And some are new.

Some are sad. And some are glad. Some are sad. And some are glad.

And some are very, very bad. And some are very, very bad.


Encourage the UnusualEncourage the Unusual

Translation:Encourage the community to do new and unusual things.They may come up with something really cool.

““Won't look like rain. Won't look like rain. Won't look like snow. Won't look like snow.

Won't look like fog. Won't look like fog. That's all we know. That's all we know.

We just can't tell you any more.We just can't tell you any more.We've never made oobleck before.”We've never made oobleck before.”

““We go now to our secret caveWe go now to our secret caveOn Mystic Mountain Neeka-tave. On Mystic Mountain Neeka-tave.

There, all night long, There, all night long, we'll work for you we'll work for you

And you'll have oobleck And you'll have oobleck when we're through!”when we're through!”


Hidden TalentsHidden Talents

Translation:Your community members have hidden talents. Find out what they are and encourage them to use them!

Oh, the wonderful things Oh, the wonderful things Mr. Brown can do! Mr. Brown can do!

He can go like a cow. He can go like a cow. He can go MOO MOO He can go MOO MOO

Mr. Brown can do it. Mr. Brown can do it. How about you?How about you?


AbsorbAbsorb

Translation:You can learn many things from your community members.Keep your eyes open and listen!

There are so many things There are so many things you can learn about. BUT ... you can learn about. BUT ... you'll miss the best things you'll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.if you keep your eyes shut.

The more that you read, The more that you read, the more things you will know. the more things you will know.

The more that you learn, The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.the more places you'll go.

You might learn a way You might learn a way to earn a few dollars. to earn a few dollars.

Or how to make doughnuts... Or how to make doughnuts... or kangaroo collars.or kangaroo collars.


Learn New SkillsLearn New Skills

Translation:Use community management as an opportunity to learn new skills.

You have brains in your head.You have brains in your head.You have feet in your shoes. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any You can steer yourself any direction you choose. direction you choose.

You're on your own. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.who'll decide where to go.


Take a VacationTake a Vacation

Translation:Take a vacation occasionally, but find someone to mind the community while you lounge on the beach.

““Very well,” said the elephant,Very well,” said the elephant,““since you insist..... since you insist.....

You want a vacation. You want a vacation. Go fly off and take it. Go fly off and take it.

I'll sit on your egg I'll sit on your egg and I'll try not to break it. and I'll try not to break it.

I'll stay and be faithful. I'll stay and be faithful. I mean what I say.” I mean what I say.”

““Toodle-oo!” sang out Mayzie Toodle-oo!” sang out Mayzie and fluttered away.and fluttered away.


Don't Feed the TrollsDon't Feed the Trolls

Translation:Don't encourage the trolls. They want attention. Resist the urge to give it to them!

““oh-oh!” Sally said. oh-oh!” Sally said. Don't you talk to that cat.Don't you talk to that cat.

That cat is a bad one, That cat is a bad one, That Cat in the Hat. That Cat in the Hat.

He plays lots of bad tricks.He plays lots of bad tricks.Don't you let him come near.Don't you let him come near.

You know what he didYou know what he didThe last time he was here.”The last time he was here.”


Banning: Last ResortBanning: Last Resort

Translation:Ban spammers.Only ban community members as a last resort.

That Humperdink! That Humperdink! I don't know why, I don't know why, but somehow but somehow I don't like that guy.I don't like that guy.

I do not like this one so well. I do not like this one so well. All he does is yell, yell, yell. All he does is yell, yell, yell.

I will not have this one about. I will not have this one about. When he comes in I put him out.When he comes in I put him out.

Marvin K. Mooney! Marvin K. Mooney! I don't care HOW. I don't care HOW.

Marvin K. Mooney! Marvin K. Mooney! Will you please GO NOW! Will you please GO NOW!


ApologiesApologies

““I took out of contextI took out of contextand twisted and turnedand twisted and turnedwith crazy hopes thatwith crazy hopes that

some thing would be learnedsome thing would be learned

To dear Dr. Seuss, To dear Dr. Seuss, I owe an apologyI owe an apology

your quotes I abusedyour quotes I abusedfor the sake of for the sake of

technology”* technology”* - Dawn Foster- Dawn Foster

*OK, I'm better at managing *OK, I'm better at managing communities than I am at rhymingcommunities than I am at rhyming

open source communities

Technology