Panel: Hacking the Community: A Model for Open Source Engagement | June 9, 2015

Authors: Wilcox, David; Ruest, Nick; Cramer, Tom

"Open source software isn’t really free. This might seem obvious to some, but there are many members of open source communities that consume rather than contribute; they use the software but are either unwilling or unable to engage with the community to write code, submit use cases, create documentation, or do any of the other things that make an open source project a success. Fortunately, things don't have to be this way. Over the past two years, the Fedora project has undertaken a great effort to revitalize not only the software but the community itself. By maintaining open, transparent communication, soliciting use cases, development, and testing from community members, and establishing a clear project governance structure, we have laid the groundwork for a successful community source project. At the same time, the Islandora and Hydra communities have pursued similar strategies to build and sustain their own communities and the broader Fedora community. This panel will feature a discussion on the recent successes of the Fedora community and future plans to continue raising the level of community engagement and project ownership."